To be blunt, the chances of Li Xiaopeng leading his team to a miracle are slim. So, how to amplify this slim possibility? The key lies in the next carefully selected coaching team.
Recalling the last World Qualifier, Gao Hongbo, the head coach, resigned helplessly after leading the team to only one point in four matches. And Li Tie's results of this coaching, despite 1 win, 2 draws and 3 negative record and the strength of the national football team can still match, but his departure is more due to off-field controversy.
So, the next strategy? Fans can't help but question in their minds, could it be worse than Li Tie's performance? However, the challenge facing Li Xiaopeng is even more serious. Naturalized players Alan and Ickxon have returned to Brazil, and it is uncertain whether they will return to our country. Jiang Guangtai and Luo Guofu may also be absent due to unpaid wages. It is foreseeable that the overall strength of the national football team's naturalized players will be seriously affected in the matches against Japan and Vietnam in 2022.
In recent years, Li Xiaopeng has had back-to-back Super League coaching stints with Taishan and Wuhan.In the 2018 and 2019 seasons, he led his team to steady performances, breaking into the AFC Cup final for the second year in a row. Unfortunately, both times ended in a loss. Li Xiaopeng is known for his high emotional intelligence, unity of the team, and stable results with the team, but making mistakes at critical moments is his weakness.
In his coaching career, Li Xiaopeng's achievements cannot be separated from the assistance of a high-level foreign coaching team. However, he currently lacks such a team around him. He did not simply transplant the Wuhan team's coaching staff as is, and there is a deep meaning behind this.
Have to admit, training methods and tactical concepts, European coaches are indeed more advanced. Therefore, it is expected that Li Xiaopeng can find a few suitable foreign coaches to help him fulfill his mission.
