Against the backdrop of the national football team's failure to win in yet another encounter with South Korea, the criticism has waned markedly, in stark contrast to the universal finger-pointing of days gone by. Although the performance of the national soccer team failed to fully meet the expectations, it was barely passable and not entirely useless. Jankovic, once a fringe player, is now being questioned much less.
What to say about Jankovic's managerial career in the face of two World Cup matches in which the national soccer team beat Thailand at one point but lost to South Korea?
The manning strategy in the warm-up matches was widely debated and the tactical set-up was criticized.
Whether it is professional media or fans, it is generally believed that Yankovic's three-guard system is not suitable for the current national football lineup. In the national football team, although Liu Yang can play as a left wingback, but the right side of the lack of a real right wingback, the strength of our lineup is not enough to support such a "high-end formation". Yankovic's insistence on "high" requirements seems to be somewhat out of touch with reality, and the arrangement of the warm-up matches is difficult to understand, and the effect is even more disappointing.
If we really want to follow the world trend of 352 formation, we should at least consider bringing in Deng Hanwen or even the older Tang Miao to barely make ends meet. Unfortunately, Jiang Guang's absence due to injury failed to catch Yankovic's attention. On the contrary, Xu Haofeng's frequent mobilization has triggered a lot of controversy.
Even after beating Thailand on the road, Jankovic's coaching is still controversial. However, the national soccer team under his leadership has shown some positive changes to the fans.
The team is highly motivated, in good spirits and no longer timid.
Power factor aside, the national soccer team has shined in its two World Cup matches:
1. The team has shown excellent team spirit and cohesion, and the hard-working attitude of the international players is now widely recognized.
2. Facing such a powerful opponent as South Korea, the team did not chicken out, and there were fewer nervous mistakes, and the psychological quality was significantly improved.
In the past, the national soccer team often gave people a sense of caution and trepidation. They were always worried about making low-level mistakes, and fans were worried because of that. The national soccer team gave people the impression that they were perfunctory and lacked fighting spirit.
After these two matches, everyone's impression of the national football team has been greatly improved. Although the strength is still insufficient, the team is working hard and not retreating in the face of strong opponents, which makes the fans feel the long-lost enthusiasm. This is a positive change after Jankovic took over the national football team, which deserves to be recognized.
Of course, this is not to sing the praises of Jankovic, whose tactics and hiring remain controversial. With 1 win, 1 loss and 3 points so far, the goals and expectations of the first phase have been met. Jankovic will not change his style. At the same time, it is quite challenging to find the right person. I hope he can lead the national soccer team to be better and better!
Let's make a hypothetical thought: if Jankovic had led the team during the last World Cup, aided by naturalized players, would he have actually gone for a walk in Qatar? Unfortunately, the head coach at the time was not Jankovic, but Li Tie.
