Xie Pengfei's situation is a worrying one, with his lackluster performances seemingly closely linked to his continued absence from the field of play. In the second half of the 2024 season, his role at Shanghai Shenhua has been relegated to the fringes of the bench. Since September, he has made just nine substitute appearances for Shenhua, accumulating just 133 minutes of playing time, with no goals or assists to show for it. At the same time, the once-renowned No. 10 player of the national soccer team has been repeatedly left out of the national team squad by Coach Ivan.
It is obvious that Xie Pengfei's soccer philosophy differs greatly from Ivan's tactical deployment. In the Chinese Super League, Xie Pengfei is known for his superb skills as an attacking midfielder, however, his physical and defensive performances have been modest. As a result, Ivan has rarely included him in his tactical considerations in recent Top 18 matches. With Shanghai Shenhua on the bench, Xie Pengfei's position in the national team is becoming more and more precarious.
In fact, if the 31-year-old Xie Pengfei still harbors the desire to create another brilliant career in the green field, he should probably seek a new start next season. If he stays at Shanghai Shenhua, Xie Pengfei's career is likely to end up on the bench for a long time. Currently, Shanghai Shenhua's center midfield is mainly supported by foreigners, and local attacking midfielders like Xie Pengfei can only serve as green leaves. The more time spent on the bench, Xie Pengfei's condition may be more and more decline, into a vicious circle that can not be escaped.
