Last season, although the Shandong Taishan team achieved good results, the problem was also obvious. The lack of a center forward in the offensive line and the instability of the personnel in the back line are all headaches for coach Choi Kang-hee. It seems that he has decided to make a big push in central midfield, bringing in strong foreign reinforcements such as Zeka and Kazashvili, but there is not much news from the back line. Tarzan already has Judson and it seems that foreign defenders are no longer being considered, which means finding a solution in the existing team.
There are actually quite a lot of talents in the guard line of the current Taishan team, Zhang Chi, Song Long, Zheng Zheng and Ji Xiang, these veterans, plus Shi Ke, Sun Guowen and other young forces, it is a good mix in theory. But the problem is that these players are either older or inconsistent and don't live up to the coach's requirements. In recent games, Choi Kang-hee has tried a lot of guard combinations, but the effect is not ideal. Especially in the FA Cup, Shi Ke and Zheng Zheng's mistakes directly led to the loss, which hit the team hard.
Choi Kang-hee's new plan is to transform Lee Won-il from midfielder into a centre-back. If successful, Li Yuanyi may form a main central defender with Zheng Zheng or Judson. But in this way, Shi Ke's position is in jeopardy. There has been recent news that Shi Ke may move to Beijing Guoan, which doesn't seem surprising given his performances at Taishan and the reaction of the fans.
The Guoan team was stretched thin at centre-back last year, and after losing several key players, they had to use the inexperienced Bai Yang to partner Ngadewu. They even had to reinstate the 34-year-old veteran Zhang Chengdong in the centre-back position, which was quite a challenge for the team. The introduction of Shi Ke is a good opportunity for Guoan to effectively fill the vacancy of central defenders.
But Shi Ke still has three years on his contract, and if Guoan wants to get him, the transfer fee will not be less. Coupled with the fact that Guoan's financial situation is not ideal, there is still a question mark over whether this transfer can be successful. There are a lot of benefits and strategies involved.
The reform and adjustment of the Taishan team is quite interesting. Coach Cui Kangxi's decision-making, the departure and retention of players, and Guoan's recruitment plan are all affecting the pattern of the Chinese Super League. For those of us who are fans, the new season is certainly full of anticipation and curiosity. What we want to see is how the team grows through change and how it breaks through challenges. Every move of the Taishan team and the Guoan team could become the key to the new season. Let's wait and see how these changes unfold on the pitch.