In the just-concluded AFC Champions League group stage, the battle between Wuhan Three Town and Hanoi attracted countless eyes like a world war. However, Wei Shihao's controversial penalty left the Chinese Super League champions grainy, and the team's path to promotion was overshadowed.
After the match, Wei Shihao naturally became a target, and he was also blamed for his bad habits. But the problem isn't just him, why do so many Chinese Super League teams always seem to be out of their depth when they encounter adversity? Perhaps the answer lies in those four words - "game temperament". In this regard, teams such as Shanghai Shenhua and Harbor are also lacking.
Looking back, apart from Guangzhou Evergrande, who won the Asian Championship twice, the other so-called "Chinese Super League" teams always seem to lack a certain temperament. Take the penultimate round of this season's Super League, where Harbor and Taishan exposed problems in a top-level matchup that directly affected the championship. Although Seaport finally won the championship, Shencheng fans still have reservations about Seaport's performance.
Much of Harbour's temperament problems this season stemmed from head coach Javier. The Spanish coach's fiery temperament is like a powder keg that could explode at any time. Javier also has problems in dealing with team relationships and creating a team atmosphere. Although the Harbour players try to control themselves during the game, the mentality of the coach off the field has collapsed. What kind of message does a situation like this send to the players and fans? What impression does it leave? The answers speak for themselves.
In contrast, coaches such as Villas-Boas and Pereira are clearly better than Javier at building team ethos. For clubs such as Harbour that aspire to be a "true powerhouse", improving the team's ethos is a top priority.
The same problem exists with Shenhua. This season, Shenhua has overachieved. Despite the fact that they will be competing with Shandong Taishan for the AFC Cup title later this month, the team still needs to improve in terms of match temperament. Shenhua coach Wu Jingui has also been criticized this season, especially for the 0-5 derby match. Although the extreme behavior of Shenhua's fans is worth reflecting on, as a veteran team, Shenhua is also deficient in dealing with fan pressure.
"It's hard for a team without temperament to succeed." Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United fame once said. For Chinese clubs such as Shenhua and Seaport that aspire to become "real powerhouses", these words are worth pondering.
