Son Nguyen

Writer. Correspondent for some Newspaper.

Former staff at LINE Corp, Tuoitrenews and BongDa.

Co-authoring the book "VietNam Champions".

[Son Nguyen @sonjournalist]

Co-authoring the book 'VietNam Champions", write about Vietnam national football team at AFF Cup 2018.

The Golden Dragons cap off excellent year as the Kings of ASEAN and of course, amazing Asian Cup 2019 run.

#vietnamchampions #Affcup2018 #AsianCup2019 #TheGoldenDragons

[Matt Law @Matt_Law_DT]

The value of having a trained journalist asking the questions, rather than an ex-player, summed up in two interviews.

[Son Nguyen @sonjournalist]

@JamusMcKenna @fkhanage and Piers Morgan. what a bastard

[The Sporting Resource @TheS_Resource]

Alex Inglethorpe, Liverpool’s Academy Director, is blunt about early ranking in youth football:

"It can tell you very little about what a player may eventually become."

He discussed this on the High Performance Podcast, using examples from players he had seen develop across academy football.

• Trent Alexander-Arnold wasn’t number one in his group.
• Conor Bradley wasn’t number one in his group.
• Jarell Quansah wasn’t number one in his group at that stage.

You could keep going, every now and again, you get the obvious one.

• Jude Bellingham at Birmingham.
• Wayne Rooney at Everton.

Players who stood out early and continued to stand out, but they are not the only route to the top.

Harry Kane is another useful example.
⤷ At Tottenham around 13, Inglethorpe described him as being somewhere around the middle of the group rather than one of the obvious leading players.

Then Brad Friedel watched him and made a simple observation: “He finishes like Robbie Fowler.”
→ "No big backlift"
→ "Hits the ball hard"
→ "Finds the corners"

That comment changed how Kane was being viewed and that is the wider point. Young players do not develop in a straight line. Physically, technically, psychologically and socially everything can fluctuate.

So judging a player too heavily on where they sit in the group at 9, 11, 12 or 13 risks confusing their current level with their future potential.

The player at the top may stay there and the player in the middle may have far more development ahead of them. The player struggling today may simply be dealing with a physical, technical or experiential gap that looks very different several years later.

The danger is when adults become obsessed with the podium rather than the trajectory.

• Who is currently best?
• Starts all the time?
• Scores most?
• Looks physically dominant?
• Appears furthest ahead?

Those things can be useful information, but they just should not become a verdict.

Inglethorpe’s message is a useful reminder:
"Stop treating a child’s current position in the group as a prediction of where they will finish."

Look at the direction they are moving in.

Rather than focusing too heavily on where a young player is at that moment, look at the direction they are heading, their behaviours, the habits they are developing, how they learn, how they respond to challenge, and how much development may still be ahead of them

This came from Alex Inglethorpe’s appearance on the High Performance Podcast - @mrjakehumphrey :
https://t.co/FsrANpbxzd

We originally shared this post last year, but with more than 10,000 new followers since then, many of you may not have seen it.

[Son Nguyen @sonjournalist]

@ThaiFootballs Maybe Thai’s players have faced psychological hurdles when playing against Vietnam over the past two years, leading to poor decision-making under high pressure

It’s ridiculous how Asean fans dismiss the regional cup and suspect match-fixing. There are much more ways to do it.

[🇦🇷Tebb🇮🇹 @tebb29]

La mano de Dios versión escocesa no está nada mal 🔥. No Scotland no party 🎶

Que buena gente son los escoceses 😌

[Sudanalytics @sudanalytics_]

LA CANCIÓN DE LOS ESCOCESES. 😅🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[Daniel Schteingart @danyscht]

Brazil produces world-class footballers by the hundreds — but mostly because it's a giant.

Strip out size and the real overachiever is tiny Uruguay: under 4 million people, more football greatness per capita than anywhere on Earth.

The new issue of The Atlas is out: why is South America so exceptionally good at men’s football?

[Son Nguyen @sonjournalist]

@DarrenArsenal1 good to see. I suppose that after everything, Arsene came to realize that the Kroenkes' vision was right in some way, at least.

[Son Nguyen @sonjournalist]

@HLTCO As Wenger said: When I die, I am going to ask God where the Piers Morgan are before choosing between heaven and hell.

[Sid Lowe @sidlowe]

Mikel Arteta, the origins. In today’s Guardian https://t.co/Wh9nYsHH32

[Kelvin🔱 @_FCBKelvin]

1 hour before kick-off between Barça and Inter, Mourinho walked onto the pitch alone to face the Barça fans.💙❤️

This is the funniest shit I've ever seen

[A-League Men @aleaguemen]

Ain’t no way 🤣😭 Argentine football fans have made a SONG for viral full back Tim Payne!

The Wellington defender has gained 600,000 followers in less than 24 hours and this saga just keeps getting better 😅

[Glenn Hoddle @GlennHoddle]

This was such fun doing !!😂. Teddy on the bike at the end kills me !!!!😂😂😂.

[Girls on the Ball @GirlsontheBall]

And the prize for the most original walkout goes to… Definitely not in my bingo card!

[Fredo @Fredofrr]

WE ARE GREEEEEEEEENNN 🔥

+1334 parlay ✅

There was over 1,000 likes on the original post. I hope everyone won with me 💰

$100 to one random person who LIKES and REPOSTS this tweet. VAMOOOS!! 👊🏼

[Son Nguyen @sonjournalist]

@amylawrence71 @timpayton AI can never, and will never, write something like this.

[Amy Lawrence @amylawrence71]

What a night. What a day. What a 22 years.

As Arsène once said, "happiness and suffering are linked to the time you've had to wait".

Free to read: a piece on the end of an eternal wait to get back to the summit.

https://t.co/WRf3g3qxGS

[Son Nguyen @sonjournalist]

@hammertimee44 @afc_N7k wrong. Only two men truly shaped this club: Chapman and Wenger

[Son Nguyen @sonjournalist]

@afc_N7k I've never liked Henry. He never truly loved Arsenal or sacrificed himself for the club. That fake attitude of his makes me sick. He hyped up Bruno for getting 21 assists more than he celebrated Arsenal winning the league.

[B/R Football @brfootball]

22 years since the Invincibles.

Arsenal are Champions again ❤️