On May 16th, the Chinese Super League powerhouse Shandong Taishan received heavy news that South Korean coach Choi Kang-hee will take charge of the team and start a new journey. This may be a ray of hope for Taishan, who are struggling in a difficult situation and are in dire need of a change.
Looking back, I'm the Shandong Taishan 30 years hardcore fans, the team's thoughts like a blocked throat. The last time I put pen to paper to write about Taishan, or April 30th. I watched Taishan grow up in the warehouse under the provincial stands, winning the Double Crown in 1999, and then accompanying them all the way. Although I angrily blocked all information about Tarzan for a while when the team lost in 2009, I eventually chose to return and continue my support. Now, the glory of the Double Crown has come again.
The addition of Cui Kangxi means the end of Hao Wei's era, the detention of Sun Junho, and the possible departure of Jin Jingdao. Last season, there was a lot of internal turmoil in the Taishan team, with players comfortably throwing their weight around and leaving the team. Despite this, Hao Wei still led the team to win the FA Cup, and although he regretted losing the Chinese Super League, his performance still deserves to be recognized.
However, Hao Wei's road to coaching has not been a smooth one. His dismissal seemed to signal that the once inspirational model would be no more, and his comfortable days in the United States seemed to be in stark contrast to the team's woes. More surprisingly, the problems within the Taishan team were not solved with Hao Wei's departure, but rather intensified.
In the 2021 season, Hao Wei led the Taishan team to win the CSL AFC Cup Double Crown, and former head coach Li Xiaopeng attended the award ceremony to celebrate the victory with his former disciple. Although Li Xiaopeng's coaching ability is not as good as Hao Wei's, his two and a half seasons at Taishan left a deep mark. That season, although the Taishan team did not have the strength to win the Chinese Super League, but running, defense and other aspects of the outstanding performance, Li Xiaopeng was known as the steel master.
Now, the arrival of Choi Kang-hee brings new hope for Taishan team. It is reported that Cui Da Shuai coaches Taishan this time, the treatment requirements are not high. Before coaching Dalian Ren, Shanghai Shenhua and other teams, his annual salary is at least 5 million euros. In this eventful time, Cui Dashuai's courage is praiseworthy. I hope he can get the fans' understanding and support when Taishan's record is poor.
In fact, last season, Taishan's aging starting lineup was exposed. This season, the average age of the team is even more than 30 years old. Now, the club's requirements for Choi Kang-hee may be relaxed to create opportunities for the rise of young players. In any case, we should set things right for Taishan, scrape the bones and heal the poison, and gradually get out of the predicament. Although this process will be painful, it is necessary. Taishan can't fall, that's the bottom line.
