The new season of Shanghai Port has experienced fluctuations, but the overall performance is not bad, the first six rounds of the tournament achieved four wins and two draws, stable third place in the table, only two points behind Shanghai Shenhua, is still regarded as a strong contender for the title of the Chinese Super League.
The new coach Muscat is known for his pragmatic approach to the use of foreign aid, avoiding the over-reliance of his predecessor and usually arranging for only two or three foreign aiders to play in a match. At the same time, Muscat favors experienced veterans such as Zhang Linpeng and Wang Shenchao, while young players such as Liu Zhuyun and Liu Xiaolong find it difficult to get stable playing opportunities under his command.
After six rounds of matches, Liu Zhuyun only got two chances to play, and Liu Xiaolong's appearances were also significantly reduced. However, the most regrettable is former national soccer defender Wei Zhen, who failed to gain Muscat's trust despite being only 27 years old.
According to statistics, in the first seven games (including the Super Bowl final), Wei Zhen did not get a minute of playing time, becoming the team's "setup". This reflects the new coach's tactical system, Wei Zhen has been completely marginalized.
Wei Zhen, a center back from the Shanghai Lucky Star Youth Training Camp, stands 189cm tall and weighs 80KG, possessing excellent physical fitness and confrontation ability. His talent and physical qualities have seen him called up to national teams of all ages, and he has been touted as a future star of the national defense. Wei Zhen was selected for the national team several times when Yankovic was coaching the Chinese men's soccer team.
Wei Zhen has had a fruitful career at Shanghai Port, appearing in 133 games for the team over the past six seasons, including 101 starts. Surprisingly, however, he became a "spectator" of the team in the year he excelled. If this situation continues, it cannot be ruled out that Wei Zhen will seek a transfer to look for new opportunities.
