On March 15, as the whistle blew for the start of the new season, Barton built up his game in the two rounds of the tournament, especially his outstanding performance against Shenzhen Xinpengcheng in the Battle of Shenzhen. Ivankovic and his national soccer coaching team were on hand to witness Barton's assist to Grant's goal from a precise corner kick. As for Barton, who has just been included in the national soccer training list, Sports New Vision released an analysis saying that he is expected to prove himself again under Ivankovic's command, and that the coach has high hopes for the attack from the wing position.
Ivankovic was known for his quick defense and counterattacks when he coached Oman, which posed a challenge to the Chinese national soccer team. Now, the coach's tactics may be transplanted to the Chinese team. The new international players are feeling it. On the training ground, Ivan repeatedly emphasized "speed and precision", which is his common requirement for all players. Confidence and breakthroughs" have also become his motivational mantra for the players.
Drawing on tactics from his Oman days, Ivankovic favored 4-4-2 and 4-3-1-2 formations, and was particularly adept at fielding breakaway wingers on the wings. As a result, he recruited a number of wingers at this stage, including Barton. In the wingers' position, Barton faced strong rivals such as Wu Lei, Wei Shihao and Fernando, as well as competitors such as Xie Pengfei, Lin Liangming, Chen Pu, Xie Wenneng and Dai Weijun.
Wu Lei, Wei Shihao and Fernando are regarded as power players and are expected to take their place in the two games of the new season. Among Barton's opponents, Lin Liangming, Xie Wenneng, Xie Pengfei and Chen Pu also played, but the average playing time is far less than that of Barton, and did not see goals or assists.
Against Nantong Zhiyun and Shenzhen Xinpengcheng, Barton averaged 84 minutes per game, providing key assists for Ademi and Grant. Among their opponents, Lin Liangming, Xie Wenneng, Xie Pengfei and Chen Pu also made two appearances, but were far removed from Barton's minutes. Barton's 12 tries in the attacking end ranked fourth in the CSL and was the only local player in the top ten. In terms of passing, Barton has completed 15 passes in two games, including six successful and four key passes, ranking third in the CSL in passing attempts, tied with Zhu Baojie for first in successful passes and ahead of the rest of the competition in key passes.
In terms of technical characteristics, Barton excels in both offense and defense. Although players such as Lin Liangming, Xie Pengfei and Dai Weijun are well characterized in terms of breakthroughs and linking, Barton is more versatile and better able to adapt to the tactical needs of the Zimmen Tigers.
