Within three days, Shanghai Port announced the departure of two key players, Oscar and Balagas, who had led the team to consecutive championships for two seasons and whose contracts had expired simultaneously. This Christmas was undoubtedly bitter for Port fans, but everything needs to move forward. With less than two months until the start of the next Chinese Super League season, finding suitable replacements after the departure of the "big and small kings" has become an urgent task for Shanghai Port.
After the departure of Oscar and Balagas, the most affected person besides head coach Muscat is Wu Lei, who became the most frustrated person. In the 2024 season, Wu Lei, the local top scorer with a record-breaking 34 goals in the Chinese Super League, scored 9 goals from Oscar's assists and 6 goals from Balagas' assists. It can be seen that Wu Lei, this type of forward who relies on positioning, still has a high dependence on them. If he loses enough support from the midfield, Wu Lei, whose individual combat ability is limited, is very likely to become the next Malele.
Among the six foreign players in the 2024 season of Shanghai Port, only Gustavo and Rusa, who are still under contract, can stay with the team. Oscar, Balagas, Citadini, and Pop, who specializes in the AFC Champions League, have all left one after another. The significant change in offensive foreign aid has a greater impact on Muscat's tactical system. Under the continued salary cap in the Chinese Super League, Shanghai Port, which is not short of money, obviously can no longer buy foreign aid at the level of Oscar. Currently, it is reported that Shanghai Port is interested in a French league striker and a Brazilian midfielder from the J League, but it is not easy to replace the talented Oscar and the explosive point Balagas in the frontcourt. The reduction in the level of foreign aid and the differences in technical characteristics will force Muscat to make adjustments to his tactical approach.
Reducing midfield possession, increasing the rate and success rate of interceptions and transitions from defense to attack, imitating the attacking tactics of Shanghai Shenhua may become possible. After all, Wu Lei, who excels in speed and scoring opportunities, can only win by being fast. Of course, to reduce the impact of reduced midfield organization and control, Guangzhou Evergrande has set a good example in the past. When their absolute core in midfield, Kongka, left the team, Guangzhou Evergrande did not find a player with similar technical characteristics to replace him, but instead signed B2B midfielder Paulinho and versatile forward Alan Goulart. The facts have proven that such adjustments were very successful, and they completed the adjustment of the lineup and tactical approach in a very short period of time. The saying "Prosperity with Alan, Adversity with Goulart, Desperation with Paulinho" once became a legend.
Of course, Rusa is not Paulinho. Rusa, who focuses more on defense, has limited offensive capabilities when pushing forward and is not sufficient in long-range shooting. Transforming him into a B2B midfielder is indeed somewhat difficult. How to develop Rusa's offensive capabilities will require Muscat to put in some hard work. Of course, directly introducing a B2B midfielder who is both offensive and defensive is the most direct and effective method, but lottery-style recruitment and the need for a certain amount of time to integrate are not conducive to Shanghai Port's championship contention in the league and breakthroughs in the AFC Champions League.
Shanghai Port, which no longer has absolute dominance, will face greater pressure in the new season. Besides the championship contenders Shanghai Shenhua eyeing the league title, the imperial army Beijing Guoan, aiming to return to the championship group, is already sharpening its knives. Adding to this are Chengdu Rongcheng, which is still on the rise, and Shandong Taishan, which has recovered its vitality. No matter who Shanghai Port faces in the 2025 season, they will find it difficult to have a sure-win guarantee. After winning the double crown in the 2024 season, Shanghai Port, which has reached its peak, is bound to decline. If the Shanghai Port club can focus on team renewal and future planning, achieving sustainable development is actually not a bad thing.