Among the lineups of the successive coaches of the national team, Ivan has a unique eye and pays special attention to the combination of local and naturalized players. Under his tutelage, Ackerson and Allan have made successful returns, while Fernando and Jiang Guangtai have also been favored by the national team. But just recently in a conversation, Ivan revealed a new strategy he is about to implement in the 18-team tournament and the league: focusing on nurturing young players and lowering the average age of the national team as a whole.
Ivan's decision is clearly a deep insight into the FA's policies. The national team can no longer continue to expand when it comes to the introduction of naturalized players. As a coach, he can only turn to the league to tap potential stocks. Unfortunately, the emergence of young players in the league is not as good as expected. Even in Shenzhen, Baihulamu is not an iron-clad starter, and Ivan's ability to select him for the national team has shown his unique vision. Finding more new blood in the Chinese Super League seems to be a challenging path for Ivan. However, Ivan may be able to set his sights on the Chinese League One. Chongqing Tongliang Dragons, the second-ranked team, has a lot of young talent. Among them is 20-year-old captain Xiang Yuwang, who has contributed eight goals and two assists this season, making him a shining star. If the national team is unable to bring in any more naturalized players for the 18-team tournament, perhaps rising stars like Xiang Yuwang will be the focus of their training!
