This season's Chinese Super League (CSL) tournament has been won and lost after Shanghai and Shandong played to a draw. Thanks to the efforts of Wu Lei and Oscar, Shanghai won the CSL trophy once again, which crowned glory on the Bund and made their business strategy highly acclaimed. After all, winning two CSL trophies in the last seven years is a very good result for a new team, especially in the relative chaos of China's green circle where it is really hard to keep your strengths unperturbed and declining from the environment.
However, the runner-up Shandong Taishan team also deserves praise. Especially after the arrival of Korean coach Cui Kangxi, their spirit and overall performance are brand new, with qualitative changes and upgrades compared to the beginning of the season. This is the result of the joint efforts of everyone in Shandong. It's a real shame that they got the second place and didn't continue to get their hands on the trophy, but it's a good result for where they started. Most of Shandong's supporters also said it was acceptable and praised the players.
Meanwhile, Choi Kang-hee also made it clear that the task of Taishan is far from over this season. They will definitely try their best to play well in the next last round of Super League matches. After the tournament, they still have the task of the Asian Champions League and the FA Cup. In the AFC Champions League, Shandong, with their strong horses, may go relatively far, which is what they aspire to. The cause of "winning the championship", which Shandong supporters want so much, must be what the players are working towards. It's hard, though.
The FA Cup is a stage they are very good at. This season has seen them reach the final and there is a good chance that they will win it again. If we can achieve such results as going far in the AFC Champions League and winning the FA Cup, then this season is still a success for them. This is the basic satisfaction of Shandong fans for Cui Kangxi and the whole team.
However, save for a rainy day and prepare for danger. For Shandong, the situation next season is relatively difficult. After all, bridgehead Fellaini has announced his departure from the team's offense. The coaching staff and players need to carefully consider who is the core of the rebuilding team. For them, it's not only the departure of a star player, but also a strategic overhaul. Supported by taller men, Shandong's starting passes create opportunities, but what should be done about the winning strategy this time?
Is it to continue this design and go for a new Fellaini to fill his gap? Or to completely overthrow the layout along new lines?
