Song Lam Nghe An and their goals for the new season.

Entering the 2023/2024 season, Song Lam Nghe An has undergone many changes. In particular, more than half of the team's personnel are young players. Therefore, the Nghe An club will face many challenges. This forces coach Phan Nhu Thuat to set specific goals that are appropriate to the team's current capabilities.

PV: Song Lam Nghe An entered the 2023/2024 season by promoting a number of young players to join the first team. To adapt to the new personnel, what significant changes has the Song Lam Nghe An coaching staff made to their playing style and tactics compared to the previous season?

Coach Phan Như Thuật:Entering this season, Song Lam Nghe An has promoted a number of players from the youth team to replace senior players who have left for new clubs. This has forced us to rebuild our playing style and tactics to suit the current personnel. However, we will apply different tactics and strategies for each specific match. The Song Lam Nghe An coaching staff is determined not to be bound by a rigid playing style, but to always maintain flexibility to increase the variability in our gameplay, making it difficult for opponents to anticipate our moves.

PV: What is your assessment of the young players who have been promoted this season?

Coach Phan Như Thuật:Ahead of the new season, in addition to training sessions, Song Lam Nghe An participated in a friendly tournament organized by Viettel Club. Through this tournament, I highly appreciate the young players who have been promoted to the first team this season. They have great potential, but they also need more time to develop more steadily.

PV: Looking at the home team's performance leading up to the 2023/2024 V.League season, what do you think is the biggest concern the team faces?

Coach Phan Như Thuật:Preparing for the new season,Lam River, Nghe AnWe are facing many difficulties. Many young players are busy participating in the 2023 National U21 Championship and the national teams. Therefore, the time available for them to train together at Song Lam Nghe An is very limited. This has affected the ability of new players to integrate with the veteran players. However, we will try to develop a suitable training plan to help them quickly find common ground within the Song Lam Nghe An team.

PV: The departure of Que Ngoc Hai and Xuan Manh from the center-back and defensive midfielder positions has left a huge void in terms of expertise. So, what solutions do you have to help Song Lam Nghe An stand firm against teams that have invested heavily this season?

Coach Phan Như Thuật:It must be emphasized that in the past season, Que Ngoc Hai and Xuan Manh were two very important players for Song Lam Nghe An. Their departure to a new club will be a great loss for the Nghe An team. The younger players replacing these two key players will certainly not be able to immediately meet the professional standards. However, we are still confident in giving them opportunities to help them mature and contribute more effectively to the team in the near future.

PV: Setting goals for a season is essential, not only because it provides clear direction for the players, but also because it generates interest from the audience for Song Lam Nghe An. So, with the current squad, what goals should the team based in Vinh aim for?

Coach Phan Như Thuật:We must acknowledge that this season will be very challenging for Song Lam Nghe An. The team from Nghe An has many new, very young players. In addition, the teams competing in the V.League 2023/2024 have fairly evenly matched squads with high professional quality. Therefore, we need to face the issues directly and set specific goals for each match. In each game, we will focus intensely, and I hope my players will take to the field with a burning desire to fight their hardest for the team's colors.

PV: The opening match is always very important, especially this year when Song Lam Nghe An gets to play their first game at Vinh Stadium. So, how has the team from Nghe An prepared for this match?

Coach Phan Như Thuật:In every match, we thoroughly study our opponents. The opening match of a new season always brings a lot of emotions. This year, Song Lam Nghe An has undergone many changes, and we also face a lot of pressure, but the Song Lam Nghe An team will be determined to deliver a good opening match at Vinh Stadium.

PV: In the opening match of the new season, Song Lam Nghe An will face Viettel. This is a team that the Vinh-based team has played against many times in recent seasons. What are your thoughts on this team? What are their strengths that Song Lam Nghe An needs to be wary of?

Coach Phan Như Thuật:Viettel is a strong team with many national team players such as Nham Manh Dung, Phan Tuan Tai, Khuat Van Khang... In particular, they possess star player Nguyen Hoang Duc - the winner of the 2021 Golden Ball award. It must be said that this is a very strong team and they have set high goals for this season. However, the Song Lam Nghe An coaching staff has also studied the strengths of this team and will have a plan to counter their opponent.

I believe the entire Song Lam Nghe An team will overcome all pressure and confidently deliver a great match for the fans.

Interviewer: Thank you for this interview!