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Xuan Truong and his Dong Nai teammates have endured a difficult start to the season. Photo: Dong Nai FC.

Slow starts raise alarm bells

Hanoi FC, Dong Nai and Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) all found themselves without a point after the opening two rounds of the 2026/27 V-League season.

The three clubs face different circumstances, but share the same urgent need to turn things around before their disappointing starts develop into full-blown crises that could jeopardise their season objectives.

The most alarming case is Hanoi FC, the six-time V-League champions, who suffered a 3-1 defeat to Ho Chi Minh City Police FC before being thrashed 4-1 at home by Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA).

Two defeats and seven goals conceded have inevitably raised questions about head coach Harry Kewell's ability to get the team back on track.

Dong Nai, meanwhile, face a different challenge. Featuring familiar names such as Cong Phuong and Xuan Truong, the newly promoted side entered Vietnam's top flight after winning the First Division title, only to discover how wide the gap between the two competitions can be.

Three consecutive defeats, no goals scored and six conceded tell a sobering story.

For a newly promoted club, such results are not entirely surprising. Nevertheless, they serve as a clear warning of the difficulties Dong Nai will face as they attempt to establish themselves in the V-League.

HAGL have also struggled to escape their familiar early-season problems.

The Central Highlands club were hammered 4-0 by Nam Dinh in their opening match before suffering another heavy defeat, losing 3-1 to Hai Phong. Like Dong Nai, they remain without a point.

The third round, therefore, is about more than simply collecting the first points of the campaign. For Hanoi FC and HAGL, it offers a chance to climb away from the bottom of the table and restore some confidence after an exceptionally poor start.

Which coaches are facing the sack?

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Dong Nai coach Nguyen Viet Thang is under growing pressure, alongside his Hanoi FC counterpart Harry Kewell.

Of the three managers, Harry Kewell and Nguyen Viet Thang appear to be under the greatest pressure, although the expectations surrounding the two former international players are markedly different.

For Kewell, the problem lies not only in the results but also in Hanoi FC's standing as one of Vietnamese football's most successful clubs.

This is not a team accustomed to accepting back-to-back defeats at the start of a season, particularly when those losses come with seven goals conceded.

Hanoi FC have invested heavily and set their sights on challenging near the top of the table. Consecutive setbacks have therefore left the Australian coach needing to demonstrate quickly that his side is still moving in the right direction.

Nguyen Viet Thang is also feeling the heat, especially after Dong Nai's 3-0 defeat to Hanoi Police FC in an early third-round fixture.

However, his situation deserves a more measured assessment.

Dong Nai are newcomers to the V-League, and assembling a squad capable of competing consistently at this level is not something that can be accomplished overnight.

Even so, difficult circumstances cannot remain an excuse indefinitely.

If Dong Nai continue losing without showing tangible improvement, Viet Thang's position could become increasingly difficult to defend, despite the backing he continues to receive from the club's leadership.

The situation is rather different for HAGL coach Quang Trai.

Although his team's results have been equally disappointing, the Dong Thap-born manager is unlikely to face an immediate threat to his job, even if HAGL lose to Da Nang in the third round.

The explanation is relatively straightforward. HAGL's difficulties run deeper than the man in the dugout.

Given the limitations of the current squad, replacing the coach would offer little guarantee of improvement.

More importantly, with HAGL widely regarded as one of the leading candidates for relegation this season, there may be few coaches willing to take on such a demanding job.

After the opening rounds, Kewell and Viet Thang find themselves under mounting pressure.

Both still have opportunities to rescue their situations, but the temperature is rising rapidly. With expectations weighing heavily and results showing little sign of improvement, their margin for error is shrinking fast.

Duy Nguyen