Tiến Linh disappoints again, Coach Lê Huỳnh Đức speaks bluntly about one issue.

Coach Lê Huỳnh Đức frankly takes responsibility after a heavy defeat, while also defending Nguyễn Tiến Linh amid a worrying streak of goal drought.

The heavy defeat at Lạch Tray stadium not only cost Ho Chi Minh City Police Club crucial points, but also clearly exposed issues both in skill and psychology. After losing 0-3 to Hai Phong FC, Coach Lê Huỳnh Đức straightforwardly accepted responsibility, while also speaking up to defend his student Nguyễn Tiến Linh during this period of declining form.

The match in round 18 of V.League 2025/26 saw the home team dominate completely. Hai Phong opened the scoring in the 30th minute through Joel Tagueu, before the same striker completed a double in the 61st minute. By the 76th minute, Phạm Trung Hiếu sealed a 3-0 victory, ending a forgettable day for the visiting side. This loss caused Ho Chi Minh City Police Club to drop to 6th place with 26 points, while being overtaken by their opponent on the rankings.

“This was the worst match we have played since the start of the tournament. After conceding a goal, the players lost focus and could not maintain good play. The previous loss to Thanh Hóa had a significant psychological impact. The fault lies with me for not being able to motivate the players and help them perform better.”Coach Lê Huỳnh Đức shared at the post-match press conference.

One notable point was that Tiến Linh did not start but was only brought onto the field quite early when the team was trailing. However, the coaching staff's adjustments did not yield the expected results. The attack lacked sharpness, while the defense repeatedly made mistakes, causing the match situation to quickly slip out of control.

“Bringing Tiến Linh onto the field late was because I wanted to prioritize a defensive approach. However, we are facing a difficult problem due to lacking a target striker, someone who can hold up the ball, act as a wall, and control the ball well like foreign players. This is something we will have to study and find a way to fix.”Mr. Đức further explained regarding personnel decisions.

Notably, the Hue-born strategist also shared an experienced perspective on strikers' form, putting himself in his student's situation: “In my career, I have also gone through many difficult periods, experiencing long goal droughts, not just once. Players are the same, sometimes in high form, sometimes in decline. The important thing is needing time to regain form. The coaching staff is still striving to help Tiến Linh find his best feeling again.”

Even though the chance to enter the top 3 is narrowing, Coach Lê Huỳnh Đức maintains the approach of tackling each match with a positive spirit: “The club always sets the goal of playing each match individually, not discouraged by loss, not arrogant in victory, going onto the field with a spirit of unity and determination to win. But unfortunately today we did not achieve that.” These statements show that pressure is mounting, but also reflect efforts to maintain morale for the entire team during this crucial phase of the season.