Li Ke missed the national team assembly, the team emergency adjustments, Xu Xin was able to be among the final lineup. Shandong Taishan midfielder Li Yuan was once again left out of the squad, and Jankovic's neglect of him was saddening. This year he has become a key player in Taishan's midfield, perhaps missing the last train of his national team career. The transfer market is in full swing, with Tianjin Jinmen Tigers and Shandong Taishan making a lot of moves, both locking up more than one foreigner to join the team.
Recruiting foreigners may seem easy and wide-ranging, but there is no substitute for the importance of internal reinforcements. Shandong Taishan are known for their youth training, but have not produced any outstanding players for a long time. Xie Wen was carefully nurtured by Cui Kangxi, and the introduction of high-priced Zeca and the signing of Cazza signaled Taishan's goal of achievement for the next season. Younger players have struggled to make the step up as a result, and consistent playing time in the first team is even more out of reach. It remains to be seen whether new stars such as Liu Guobao and Baihe Lamu can become the immediate force that Taishan desperately needs.
Since Shi Ke, to Liao Lisheng, Li Yuanyi, Tong Lei, etc., Taishan team players non-youth training origin has nearly half. However, the team still needs to enhance the strength of internal reinforcements. Zheng Zheng, Liu Binbin, Song Long, Zhang Qi and other players are old, now is the key moment of team renewal. Especially in the back line, the introduction of new blood is crucial, Taishan team urgently need to find Zheng Zheng's successor. Zheng Zheng is already 35 years old and sometimes seems to be out of his depth in the game, so joining forces with Gao Junyi seems to be a wise choice at this time.
When it comes to Gao Zhunyi, fans will always compare him to Wei Shihao. 2015 season, Gao Zhunyi joined the Taishan team, but then was loaned to the Hebei team, and eventually he chose not to return to the Taishan team, and the team had no choice but to sell him. But in competitive sports, strength is king. Although he did not make the Asian Cup list, but the strength has reached the level of the national team. Wuhan three towns are now in a difficult situation, Gao Zhunyi leaving the team is inevitable, his relationship with the Taishan team is the closest.
Gao Zhunyi is capable of playing both left back and center back, possessing similar versatility to Zheng Zheng. Next year, we will have the AFC Champions League knockout stage, and it is crucial to strengthen the depth of the backline. We can't just rely on Zhao Jianfei as a replacement. With Gao Zhunyi as a free agent, the cost of bringing him in won't be too high.
Choi Kang-hee is aiming for success in the AFC Champions League. Therefore, we signed two foreigners, Zeca and Kaza. Both of them have participated in this year's AFC Champions League and are experienced. The addition of Kaza is undoubtedly the centerpiece of the team, and his offensive talent is even more impressive, even surpassing that of Moises.
The AFC Champions League is about to kick off in February, and in addition to the national team players, the team is expected to complete the introduction of new foreign and internal reinforcements during the winter training period. The last loss in the AFC Champions League group stage was a wake-up call for Choi Kang-hee to recognize the reality of his team. He quickly finalized the signing of foreigners, while Gao Junyi among the internal reinforcements is not a top player. Cui Kangxi wants to bring in better players, but it is not an easy task. Shanghai Shenhua and Shanghai Harbor are also eyeing potential national team departures. Taishan's primary goal for the new season has been made clear, which is to progress further in the knockout rounds of the AFC Champions League, as well as a trial run for their new foreigners.
