SHB Da Nang and the generational transition puzzle: When old mistakes repeat themselves

I still vividly remember that August day in 2026, when I officially signed the contract to become a beat reporter for SHB Da Nang. The Hoa Xuan training ground was scorching under 37-degree heat, the young players ran like shuttles, and I – a 52-year-old man with a camera on his shoulder – wondered if I could still keep up with the modern pace. Nine years later, I am still here, sitting on the bleachers of Hoa Xuan stadium, looking at the new faces, and realizing one thing: Da Nang football is repeating the same cycle of mistakes. Hook: In the 72nd minute of last Sunday's match between SHB Da Nang and Binh Dinh, I wrote in my notebook: 'Ha Duc Chinh received the ball on the right flank, but no one supported him. He looked left, then right, then back toward the goal, but no one moved. Finally, he shot – the ball went out. The fans on Stand B sighed. I sighed too.' That wasn't just a wasted play. It was the symbol of a team losing its direction. Context: In the 2026-2026 season, SHB Da Nang finished 8th – a safe position but nothing outstanding. The Han River team was once a powerhouse of V-League, winning the championship in 2026, finishing runner-up in 2026, and consistently in the top five between 2026 and 2026. But after the pandemic, the club fell into crisis: three head coaches in two seasons, loss of key players like Hoang Thanh Tung and Do Thanh Thinh, and only Ha Duc Chinh remaining as a living witness of the golden era. Last season, they scored only 28 goals in 26 matches – the lowest figure among the top ten – and conceded 35 goals, worse than Haiphong and Song Lam Nghe An. Core: SHB Da Nang's problem is not tactical; it is structural. I look at the registered squad: out of 30 players, only five are over 28. The squad is too young, lacking experience – and it shows in the way they play. The players run a lot, press energetically, but don't know how to read the game. In the match against Binh Dinh, I counted at least six instances where SHB Da Nang players ran into the same space, tripping over each other. That is not their fault. It is the fault of a youth development system that failed to equip them with decision-making ability. I remember a conversation with Le Huynh Duc – the former coach who led the team in the 2010s – at a coffee shop near the airport. He said: 'Back then, we had a generation of players who were both technically skilled and smart. Now, the kids run faster, are stronger, but don't know how to play football. They play like machines.' That sentence haunted me for a week. Because it's true. Data from VangBong.vn shows: SHB Da Nang has an average pass accuracy of 76% this season – 11th out of 14 teams. They hold 48% possession, but create only 4.2 shots on target per game – the third-lowest in the league. What is noteworthy: they have three players in the top 10 U23 players with the most running distance in V-League, but also have four players in the top five for highest possession loss rate. They run a lot, but run in vain. In the dressing room, I witnessed the frustration. Ha Duc Chinh – the 30-year-old striker – sat in a corner, saying nothing. He has scored 5 goals this season, but 3 of them came from penalties and free kicks. His open-play form has visibly declined: only 0.8 shots per match, no assists, and an aerial duel win rate of 32% – far from his peak in 2026-2026. I approached him after the match to ask how he was. He said: 'Uncle, I'm very tired. I try hard, but the teammates around me don't understand me.' That statement cut like a knife. Contrarian: Sports journalists and fans often blame the coach. Whenever a team weakens, people say: 'The coach is weak, sack him!' But the story at SHB Da Nang is not that simple. The current head coach – someone I won't name because I respect his work – has done what he can with the existing framework. The problem lies at the top: the club's management has not invested adequately in the youth development system. They buy players from lower-division teams at low prices, hoping to find raw diamonds. But without a system, without a philosophy, those purchases are just gambles. I once interviewed a scout from a major European club – he came to Da Nang to watch one of our young players. He told me: 'This player has good physical qualities, but poor basic technique. He doesn't know how to receive the ball in tight spaces. In Europe, he would be dead by U19 level.' That story made me think: how are we training our players? We teach them to run, to press, but not to play football. That is the consequence of chasing European tactical trends without a foundation. Takeaway: SHB Da Nang cannot continue to rely on an exhausted older generation. Nor can they keep buying young players just to fill the squad. They need a revolution in the training structure, a clear football philosophy from U13 level to the first team. If not, I fear that five years from now, I will still be sitting here, still watching young players running up and down in vain, and still hearing the fans sigh. I am 61 years old. I have seen too many cycles in Vietnamese football. But I still hope. I hope that one day, someone will read these lines and decide to change. Because if we don't change, we will forever remain at the starting line.