This season, Shanghai Seaport's competitive state is like a transformation, compared with the previous season, the progress is remarkable. In the first eight rounds of the Super League, the team won six wins and two draws without a single defeat, and is now leading the table with 20 points, becoming the focus of the title race.
As one of the best in the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Harbor's strength should not be underestimated. The team's front line has local star Wu Lei, the midfield has Brazilian star Oscar, and on the defensive side, the addition of international players is like a tiger with wings. Domestic top defenders such as Stanley Wang, Jiang Guangtai, Zhang Linmiao and Li Ang form the solid backline of Seaport.
With such a strong squad, it is natural that some players will inevitably fall out of favor with the competition. The arrival of new head coach Javier Pereira has put some young players, such as 26-year-old Wei Zhen, at risk of being marginalized. In the pursuit of a winning record, some local stars may become casualties.
The stats reveal that Wei Zhen has only made four appearances in the first eight rounds of the Chinese Super League under Javier Pereira's tutelage, starting just once. Such frequency of appearances seems to hint at Wei Zhen's low status in the tactical system. Facing competition from international defenders such as Jiang Guangtai and Zhang Linmiao, how easy will it be for the still inexperienced Wei Zhen to play consistently?
Wei Zhen is an outstanding representative of Shanghai Genbao's soccer base and is regarded as the future leader of the national team's backline. He possesses excellent physical ability, solid defense, all-round view, good sense and excellent mental quality. In the past few seasons, Wei Zhen has played in almost every game and has become an indispensable mainstay of the team.
I thought Wei Zhen could continue to solidify his position in the defense after new coach Javier Pereira took over, but I didn't expect the new coach to trust international players such as Zhang Linpeng and Jiang Guangtai. In the limited playing opportunities, Wei Zhen gradually reduced to the team's "dispensable" choice.
It is worth mentioning that Wei Zhen was selected for the national team in March this year, partnering with Zhu Chenjie in an eye-catching center-back combination. The loss of this young player is undoubtedly regrettable. Hopefully Wei Zhen can change his fate at Shanghai SIPG through hard work. If things don't go well, perhaps it would be wise to move on to another team for better development opportunities.
