What criteria will be used to select a coach for Song Lam Nghe An?

The process of selecting a coach should be based on scientific and practical criteria, not on the subjective feelings of a few individuals.

"Without a teacher, you can't achieve anything," is a saying that has been passed down through generations. In reality, this saying has been distilled from practical experience over the years. This is true in education, and sports are no exception.

Defensive counter-attacking is the team's traditional style of play. Photo: Duc Anh

Looking at the reality of recent years, from the perspective of the national team, many coaches have been invited by the Vietnam Football Federation to take on the head coach position, but the dream of winning the Southeast Asian Championship remains just a dream.

Following the failure of coach Huu Thang, with the same domestic players, just a few months later, South Korean coach Park Hang-seo led the Vietnamese national football team to achieve results that delighted Vietnamese football fans. Recently, Hoang Anh Gia Lai, who were at the bottom of the table, were lifted out of danger by coach Kiatisak after a series of consecutive wins.

This illustrates the crucial role and importance of the football team's head coach, especially at this time.SLNAThey are currently at the bottom of the table after the first half of the 2021 championship season.

Coach Nguyen Duc Thang has a good reputation with the SLNA players. Photo: Duc Anh

SLNA is undergoing a comprehensive restructuring, with other issues unfolding sequentially. However, the head coach position is attracting significant public attention, which is understandable given its importance. Having spent many years involved with Nghe An sports in various capacities, including serving as head coach for at least a decade and managing and selecting coaches for provincial sports, including football, I would like to offer some thoughts based on my experience and practical scientific principles. These thoughts are intended to provide input and hopefully help SLNA regain its former glory as the "pride of the people of Nghe An."

1Given the current situation at SLNA, finding a head coach is a pressing issue. This coach plays the role of commander-in-chief, a tactician, a strategist, and a psychologist. They are not only a teacher but also a father figure, an older brother, and even more so, a dedicated friend who supports the players in all aspects of their daily lives.

On that basis, teachers and students wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to the goal of winning for the honor and colors of their homeland, uniting and determined to bring glory to the province, fulfilling the wishes of the fans.

Coach Nguyen Huy Hoang. Photo: Duc Anh

2To find and select a good head coach for the team, we need criteria to assess the ability and qualifications of each coach. For a long time, people have only looked at the coach's achievements and whether their qualifications meet the standards set by the Vietnam Football Federation. In my opinion, that's not enough, because there are other related factors that need to be considered comprehensively for a good football coach. To have a practical and scientific approach to objectively evaluating and selecting a coach capable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of keeping SLNA in the league, I would like to present the following four criteria for selecting a football coach:

Results of the workThere's a proverb that says, "Seeing is believing," and the results of a coach's work (their work efficiency) are a measure of their skill and ability.

When considering a coach, the most obvious and attractive factor is their track record, including titles and awards won. What experience and expertise does this coach possess? This is the most fundamental and indispensable criterion for selecting a coach. It's crucial because philosophy clearly states: "Practice is the basis of knowledge, the standard of truth."

Coach Van Sy Son. Photo: FBNV

Professional qualificationsThat's the level of skill and ability, the measure of a coach's expertise. In any sport, a coach must possess the necessary skills. Therefore, coaches often start as high-level athletes in that sport. In fact, after retiring from competition, athletes are trained to become coaches. Currently, the Vietnam Football Federation stipulates that to become a head coach of a professional team, one must have an AFC A-level coaching license according to FIFA standards. In my opinion, in addition to the A-level license in football coaching, the coach needs a university degree in Physical Education and Sports. Studying at a university in Physical Education and Sports provides comprehensive scientific knowledge about psychology, physiology, coaching methods, training plans, athlete selection methods, sports management, etc., giving the head coach the necessary knowledge to effectively coach and manage athletes.

SLNA suffered another defeat at Lach Tray Stadium. Photo: VPF

length of serviceCoaches are also teachers and educators. Therefore, the longer they teach and coach, the more experience they accumulate. This is especially true in football coaching and match management. Having played in many matches and tournaments, encountering various opponents and situations within a single game or tournament, coaches gain more and more experience to overcome and handle unexpected situations. Lessons learned from failures, mistakes in tactics, team selection, and substitutions are extremely important. Day after day, match after match, they gain the experience to correct and handle situations accurately whenever they arise.

We still remember the situation ofVietnam national football teamWhile the injured defender was being treated, the lack of experience in replacing him allowed the opposing team to quickly capitalize, exploiting the gap and scoring a goal. A seasoned coach with their experience would certainly not have made such a fatal mistake.

The young SLNA players were powerless to do anything. (Photo: Ky Luat)

Work load:This represents the time, effort, and experience a coach invests. For coach A, a full year of continuous coaching will certainly be valued more highly than for coach B, who only works six months a year. Therefore, a higher workload is valued more highly because they put in more effort and gain more valuable experience through coaching.

The above are scientific and practical criteria for evaluating the competence and skill level of sports coaches in general, and football coaches in particular. Each criterion is used to evaluate and compare different aspects; however, they have an organic and logical relationship with each other for a football coach.

I believe that the above criteria will be helpful for sports managers, especially for SLNA Club in the process of searching for a head coach for the provincial team. Having talented athletes requires talented coaches to help provincial football continue to develop and meet the expectations of the Party Committee and the people of the province.