On the summer night of July 22nd, 2023, at 19:35, the 18th round of the Chinese Super League (CSL) will begin with Shanghai Shenhua taking on Changchun Yatai, who are also not to be underestimated, on the road.
Shanghai Shenhua had an eye-catching performance in the first 17 rounds of the tournament, accumulating 34 points with 10 wins, 4 draws and 3 losses. Although they are 6 points behind the top of the table Shanghai Harbor, they are in the second place of the table by a narrow margin, and have become the favorites of the title contenders in the league only after Harbor. As the season passes the halfway point, Shenhua must accelerate to catch up with Shanghai Harbor if they want to make a difference in this season. With this in mind, it is highly likely that manager Wu Jingui will send his strongest lineup to face the notoriously weak Yatai.
But surprisingly, in this crucial showdown, Wu Jingui has hidden three starters at once, namely Yu Hanchao, Amadou and Yan Xinli.
It is understandable that Yan Xinli chose to hide due to his injury. But facing the powerful Yatai, even the experienced Han Chao and Amadou were not entrusted with the important task, and even deprived of the qualification of the substitute. Wu Jingui's move undoubtedly shows his extraordinary courage.
There are many speculations about Wu Jingui's move, some say he is preparing for the FA Cup, while others say he is building up momentum for the upcoming Shanghai Derby. Personally, I think that Wu Jingui based on the overall strategy of the players and the physical state of the consideration, to make such a rotation can not be faulted, and he dared to directly Han Chao and Amadou these two players on the bench, but also demonstrated its extraordinary courage.
In addition to bravery, Wu Jingui dares to do so also because he is well prepared. It is reported that veteran Cao Yunding has recovered from injury, if Hanchao is absent, Cao Yunding can take his place; as for Amadou, the national team player Wu Xi has just come out of injury, he can temporarily replace Amadou to play the role of intercepting and stealing in the center and back field.
Therefore, Wu Jingui's decision to place two main players, Han Chao and Amadou, on the bench seems risky, but there is a clear strategic layout behind it. If Wu Xi and Cao Yunding were still recovering, Wu would not have risked such tactics.
