Recently, rumors of a coaching change at Shanghai Shenhua have been hotly debated. Although Wu Jingui brought honor to Shenhua by winning the FA Cup, he failed to avoid the crisis of dismissal. But what Shanghai fans are more concerned about is the team's future development blueprint.
According to reliable sources, Shenhua has confirmed that former Russian national team coach Slutsky is in charge. This decision has caught many Shenhua fans off guard, as Wu Jingui's performance has been quite well received. The arrival of Slutsky will inject a new tactical thinking and coaching style into Shenhua.
Slutsky is expected to officially assume his new position at the end of this month. After taking office, he will first make a big change to his coaching team, with all the coaches under Wu Jingui leaving. At the same time, he also plans to introduce two Russian assistant coaches, and invited Shenhua veteran Xie Hui as an assistant coach, in order to stabilize the team locker room.
Xie Hui returns to Shanghai, not only as an assistant coach, but also as the team's spiritual pillar. He played for Shenhua for many years and won numerous honors for the team, including the 1995 A-League Championship. Sources say that Xie Hui is also the one who recommended Slutsky to join Shenhua, which will undoubtedly strengthen his position in the team.
As an assistant coach, Xie Hui will assist Slutsky in developing tactics and training programs. At the same time, with his rich experience and ability, he will help the team develop. In addition, Xie Hui may also introduce his old teammate, Dalian star Lin Liangming, to his new owner, Jiuzhi Group.
Lin Liangming is in the limelight in the transfer market and is expected to be Shenhua's newest addition. Considering his deep friendship with Xie Hui, Lin Liangming is likely to follow his mentor to join Shanghai Shenhua.
Shenhua club will also actively introduce new recruits and adjust the team lineup. The first task is to strengthen the replacement strength of the side backs and center backs; secondly, the midfield organizer Gao Tianyi is expected to join Shenhua to take over this important task; finally, Dai Weijun's position may be replaced by the veteran Wu Xi.
Although the addition of Slutsky will bring a drastic change to Shenhua, some soccer insiders believe that he is just a stand-in hired by the Jiuzhi Group to replace Wu Jingui. If Slutsky fails to perform well, Xie Hui could take over as head coach.
In the past two years, Xie Hui has done a great job in Dalian, he is more passionate and familiar with the environment of the Chinese Super League than Wu Jingui and foreign coaches, and he is good at guiding young players. Shenhua is in a rebuilding stage and needs a mid-generation coach like Xie Hui to lead the team. I believe that with the concerted efforts of all parties at the club, Shenhua will achieve excellent results next season and make another push for the Chinese Super League title in the coming years!
