In an interview on Oct. 17, Chengdu Rongcheng's newest recruit Richard talked about his experience in the Chinese Super League and his views on foreign aid.
-- "How did Hibiscus perform in the new season? Is the overall level of competition in the Super League much different from what you previously expected?"
Richard admitted that this year, the team entered the Chinese Super League for the first time, many players are also the first time, the initial face of Shenzhen Football, Guoan and other giants, the team "too much respect for the opponent", resulting in unsatisfactory performance. But as the team gradually find the rhythm of the game, found itself not inferior to other teams, and now the ranking and strength of the basic match.
-- "What room for improvement is there in the CFL?"
Richard believes that there is still a lot of room for improvement in the Chinese Super League in terms of improving the fluidity of the game, such as reducing the number of fouls, shortening the stoppage time and improving the pace of the game. Hibiscus can take the lead in making changes to make the game more fluid and gradually drive the opponents, which I believe will be beneficial to the whole Super League.
-- "What's the biggest thing you've learned in the last 6 months?"
Richard said that self-belief was his biggest gain. The team performed poorly at the beginning of the league, but then gradually improved, especially against Taishan, where they were not at a disadvantage despite the loss. This has convinced him that no team in the Chinese Super League can easily beat Sungai City, and the boost in self-confidence has helped the whole team, which is the biggest gain for him and the team.
-- "In 2018, you made it to the last 8 of the AFC Champions League with Ulsan, which Chinese Super League teams impressed you?"
Richard said that at that time, the Chinese Super League teams in the AFC Champions League performed very well, and he was most impressed by the Harbour, Guoan and Guangzhou teams. Among them, the Harbour team left a deep impression on him, the team's tenacity, aggressive style of play, the defense is very oppressive, the team's Hulk, Oscar and other international superstars is even more impressive.
-- "What do you think are the differences between Chinese teams in terms of relying on the individual abilities of foreign aiders?"
Richard believes that whether it's the Chinese Super League or other leagues, foreigners must perform better than local players, which is the reason why clubs buy them. As for his duties, they won't change depending on the league, he is still in the same position, and his playing style and style have not been affected too much. The only difference is that the duties of the forward foreigners may be adjusted.
-- "Which cross-field striker impressed you?"
Richard said the first thing that came to mind was Henan's striker Carrillo. At that time, he was worried that he would be blown for a yellow card when defending Carrillo, but found that no matter how he defended, Carrillo was able to keep his balance. As a player from a high-level league, Carrillo's level was quite high.
