Coach Troussier waits for answer from 'paradox' Phan Tuan Tai

Strange belief

The Vietnamese team has only had 3 players play more than 500 minutes since coach Philippe Troussier took over. The first name is striker Tuan Hai, with 577 minutes on the field (8 matches), the second is goalkeeper Van Lam with 540 minutes (6 matches). The remaining player, surprisingly, is young defender Tuan Tai with 540 minutes (7 matches).

The frequency of continuous competition (only sitting out 1 out of 8 matches for the national team under Mr. Troussier) shows the strong faith that the coaching staff has in Tuan Tai.

Of course, Tuan Tai is not the only young talent that Mr. Troussier values ​​in the national team. The French coach has brought Minh Trong, Thai Son, Van Tung, Dinh Bac, Van Khang, Thanh Nhan... from U.23 to the national team.

Tuan Tai (red shirt) in the match against Iraq

The group of young players is prioritized because they understand the philosophy of the French coach, still have motivation and desire, and have abundant energy to "burn" in the style of play that requires good physical strength that the Vietnamese team is always being forced to play.

But Tuan Tai's case is still very interesting. Because unlike the majority, he is playing in a position other than his forte at the club.

Specifically, Tuan Tai plays left-back for Viettel The Cong Club. He has played 3 matches in V-League since the beginning of the season, and was "nailed" to this position by coach Thach Bao Khanh. Previously, Tuan Tai was also rotated to the right wing a few times, but in general, the player born in 2001 is still a pure winger.

While coaching U.23 Vietnam, both coaches Park Hang-seo and Gong Oh-kyun, despite having different tactical views, agreed on how to use Tuan Tai. The 22-year-old defender was encouraged to climb the left wing, coordinating with midfielders and strikers to create breakthroughs on the left flank.

Tuan Tai's flexible crosses and counter-passes to the second line are powerful attacks that have helped U.23 Vietnam score many important goals.

However, in the Vietnam national team, Coach Troussier fixed Tuan Tai in the left center-back position. At first, he experimented, then permanently used his student in the position that the player from Dak Lak had never been attached to for a long time.

Tuan Tai has difficulty in one-on-one fights

Coach Troussier has a reason to use Tuan Tai in the role of left-sided center-back. First of all, the 22-year-old defender is left-footed. Thanks to that, he will have an advantage in developing the ball on the wing, coordinating with the winger to switch positions and climb the wing, creating diverse attacking options.

In the match against the Philippines, Tuan Tai and Minh Trong continuously stirred up the left wing by constantly passing and exchanging roles. As a pure winger, when switching positions with Minh Trong, Tuan Tai could advance and coordinate smoothly to climb the sidelines to develop open attacks for the home team.

Tuan Tai's tactical vision and ability to steadily advance the ball from his own half help coach Troussier have a good passer right from the defense. This is a necessary condition for the Vietnamese team to organize and deploy their play in their own half.

However, Tuan Tai's limitations have also been exposed many times. The 22-year-old player is considered to be effective in covering and has a good defensive stance, but does not have the ability to compete and collide firmly like a typical central defender.

Motivation

Coach Park Hang-seo once analyzed in a book that the ability to duel and compete is the key for a defensive player playing in a 3-center-back formation.

Although coach Troussier has changed the defensive structure by focusing more on keeping the team's distance and organizing pressure when not in possession, as a central defender, being able to compete well and have physical contact is a must.

Tuan Tai struggled to keep up with Son Heung-min

Tuan Tai does not have this quality. The player born in 2001 is thin, not good at one-on-one competition, and has not received basic training in the center-back position to develop his skills.

Tuan Tai's shortcomings were covered when the Vietnamese team dominated the ball, as in the match against the Philippines. Against a strong team like Iraq, when the whole team did not have the ball to play, Tuan Tai was "strangled" by suffocating pressure. He passed the ball wrongly, lost the dispute, and the only goal conceded also came from the position that Tuan Tai left due to exhaustion.

To qualify for the World Cup, the Vietnamese team must overcome teams like Iraq, not simply beat the Philippines or Indonesia. Coach Troussier obviously needs more from Tuan Tai.

Paradoxically, at Viettel The Cong Club, Tuan Tai will return to his role as a winger, while Thanh Binh and Tien Dung will be in charge of the central defense. However, training to improve his physical strength, body thickness and impact strength, while also perfecting his defensive skills, is still a must for this defender, and Coach Troussier will also be anxiously waiting for his student to improve.

The French strategist is placing a difficult "bet", requiring him and his students to persevere to reach the finish line.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/hlv-troussier-cho-dap-an-tu-nghich-ly-phan-tuan-tai-185231130000524492.htm