Song Lam Nghe An and new tactics

Cool breeze from Phan Nhu Thuat

Coach Phan Nhu Thuat officially leadsLam River Nghe Anin round 11 of V.League 2023 and immediately a cool breeze returned to Vinh stadium with a victory over Ho Chi Minh City Club. Those 3 valuable points not only helped Song Lam Nghe An nurture the hope of entering the group of 8 teams, but also lifted the spirit of Nghe An players after a series of tiring matches.

It can be said that no one is sure that Song Lam Nghe An will transform and become stronger after the recent victory. However, if looking at the way the Vinh home team played against Ho Chi Minh City Club, we can see many new and positive points that fans can be temporarily satisfied with.

The first noticeable point is that the Song Lam Nghe An players seem to have gradually found themselves again. They dare to play confidently, know how to move and manage mistakes. Besides, the rhythm of Song Lam Nghe An's play is also a bright spot that many experts highly appreciate. The clear evidence is the second goal that Song Lam Nghe An scored in the match against Ho Chi Minh City Club. In that goal, the entire system of Song Lam Nghe An was operated scientifically and reasonably. Therefore, even though the state changed from defense to counterattack, the number of personnel of Song Lam Nghe An was still guaranteed to be able to create surprises for the opponent's defense.

On the defensive front, apart from Hoang Vu Samson's super goal scored from a personal effort from a distance of more than 30m, coach Vu Tien Thanh's team could hardly find a gap to approach Van Viet's goal. Que Ngoc Hai and his teammates played tightly, covering each other well. In particular, the mark of coach Nhu Thuat must be mentioned when he made a bold and reasonable decision for the personnel in the defense. The new coach of Song Lam Nghe An brought young player Tran Nam Hai to play as a central defender. Previously, the striker born in 2004 used to play as a midfielder. The appearance of this player with an ideal height helped the defense of the Vinh home team play more intelligently, strongly and firmly.

Besides, Song Lam Nghe An also found optimal solutions to successfully resolve 2nd ball situations. This is the weakness that caused the Vinh home team to concede many goals in the previous rounds.

Talking about the defense, Mr. Phan Nhu Thuat said: "Song Lam Nghe An's defense in the match with Ho Chi Minh City Club was focused, but still needs to improve a lot more to avoid making mistakes, because the two opponents in the next round both have very strong offenses."

Looking at the way Song Lam Nghe An performed against coach Vu Tien Thanh's team, it can be seen that this team will most likely aim for a solid, "know yourself, know your enemy" style of play to achieve what they need.

Coach Phan Nhu Thuat shared: "In my coaching philosophy, I always focus on defense. When I have ensured safety and stability in the home field, then I can organize quick attacks to score goals."

With a pragmatic playing style, knowing how to strike at the right time, Song Lam Nghe An is showing its own positive personality. However, to squeeze into the group of 8 teams after the end of phase 1 of V.League 2023, the Vinh home team still has to face many difficulties and challenges ahead.

Opportunity to enter the top 8

There are only 2 more rounds of the first phase of V.League 2023 to end. In the next 2 rounds, Song Lam Nghe An will have to face very strong opponents, Binh Dinh and Hanoi. To enter the group of 8 strongest teams, Phan Nhu Thuat and his team need to win against Binh Dinh in round 12.

Looking back at the 2022 season, both the first and second leg of Song Lam Nghe An had to accept defeat against the team from the land of Vo. However, entering this year's season, Binh Dinh's strength has been affected, as its financial resources are no longer as abundant as before. Many stars such as Vu Viet Trieu, Tran Van Trung, Ho Tan Tai, and Hendrio have left. This has greatly affected Binh Dinh's playing style and achievements in the 2023 season.

Notably, in the latest round, the team from the land of Vo had to leave Ha Tinh stadium empty-handed. Currently, after 11 rounds, Binh Dinh is ranked 8th with 15 points on the V.League 2023 rankings, just one win more than Song Lam Nghe An. If the Nghe An Club wins the maximum number of points in round 12, it will officially take over the position that Binh Dinh currently owns.

This is a feasible task for coach Phan Nhu Thuat's students. Because in the current context, Song Lam Nghe An's spirit of excitement is very high, after winning in round 11. In addition, with the recent break of V.League, it seems that there has been enough time for Song Lam Nghe An players to absorb the new coach's coaching philosophy. Those are the reasons why Nghe An fans can believe that Song Lam Nghe An will win against the team that is directly competing for the top 8 teams after the end of phase 1.

In the final round, Song Lam Nghe An will have to face the reigning champion Hanoi FC. The strength of this team is unquestionable. Therefore, achieving a positive result at Hang Day Stadium is a very difficult task for coach Nhu Thuat's team.

However, in recent rounds, when Hanoi lacked captain Van Quyet, their attacking ability was seriously affected. Specifically, in the last 4 rounds, Mr. Hien's team only won 1 match at home against Nam Dinh. Therefore, Van Quyet's suspension until the end of the first phase has created a slight advantage for Song Lam Nghe An in the confrontation in round 13. If they get a positive result at Hang Day Stadium, the opportunity for Song Lam Nghe An to be in the group of 8 teams is completely possible.

However, all the above analysis and predictions are only theoretical. Football is not mathematics, football is a combination of many factors, so for now, Song Lam Nghe An should consider the remaining 2 matches of phase 1 as the final matches of the season./.