When he first came into the vision of Ivankovic, Hou Yongyong's confrontation power aroused the coach's misgivings. The European coach is well aware of the intensity of international competitions, and in his eyes, although Hou Yongyong is highly skilled, he seems to have a shortcoming in physical confrontation, which will undoubtedly constrain his career in the national team. Especially when facing those muscular and fierce opponents, whether Hou Yongyong can maintain his consistent and stable performance has become a question that Ivankovic must ponder.
Furthermore, the Norwegian First Division, where Hou Yongyong is playing, is not at an outstanding level, and even if his performance is bright, its gold content is relatively limited. Ivankovic may think that the level of the Norwegian League is not even as good as the Chinese Super League. Although Hou Yongyong shone in the Norwegian League, it is still unknown whether he can continue this performance in a higher level league. Therefore, when selecting members of the national team, Ivankovic may favor players who have already proved themselves in the Chinese Super League.
Finally, Ivankovic has a limited understanding of Hou Yong Yong. As a new national team coach, he needed time to get to know each player's qualities and style after taking over the team. As a naturalized player, Hou Yongyong, who has been playing in Europe for a long time, is not as familiar to Ivankovic as the local players. This also indirectly affects Hou Yongyong's chances of entering the national team.
