Shenhua, Guo'an, Jinmen Tiger, and Dalian Yibo are among the teams that have been actively participating in warm-up matches in Haikou. The trial players of each team have already made their appearances, with the situation being largely open to the public. However, this is not the case for Shandong Taishan, who has been training alone in Shanghai, becoming a "lone ranger." They have no warm-up matches to polish their lineup, and even head coach Choi Kang-hee has rarely been seen in public. The only good news is that the national team has concluded its training camp, and six key national players, including Wang Dalei, Li Yuan, and Xie Wen, have returned to participate in training.
Shandong Taishan has always been a major source of national team players. In this training camp, Maewulong made his first selection, impressing Ivankovic with his active running and tackling, and is expected to follow in the footsteps of Xie Wen's success. It must be acknowledged that it was Choi Kang-hee who gave him the opportunity to play, which allowed him to be noticed by the national team. Although only 12 appearances may seem insignificant, for a 20-year-old young player, it is already quite remarkable. Among the "several sins" attributed to Choi Kang-hee, the criticism that he does not give young players opportunities is somewhat biased.
According to Shandong media "Lightning Sports," the trial of local forward Tang Chuang at Taishan did not yield ideal results, and it is highly likely that he will not join the team. Previously, Taishan officially announced Tang Chuang's arrival, using cautious wording that did not imply a permanent signing. With the exception of foreign center forward Zeke, Bi Jinhao and Lu Yongtao, two local substitute center forwards, are sufficient. Tang Chuang's abilities do not stand out significantly. During the winter training period, Taishan has been streamlining its roster and will not easily introduce domestic players. This time, Choi Kang-hee did not insist on his own way but followed the rules.
The media also revealed that Taishan will not take a break during the Spring Festival and will continue training in Shanghai. Choi Kang-hee is taking the winter training seriously and plans to work tirelessly. Without opponents for warm-up matches and in the relatively low temperatures of Shanghai, the external environment for winter training is average. They can only rely on Choi Kang-hee's experience to help the team through winter training. Another rumored domestic reinforcement, Zhong Yihao, joining Taishan is basically out of the question. The player has been following Henan's winter training and shows no signs of leaving, nor is there a lack of available players in the same position.
Where are the foreign players? Two weeks have passed since the start of winter training, and Dalian Yibo and Shanghai Shenhua have assembled five foreign players, while Jinmen Tiger's Spanish center forward is about to join the team. However, Shandong Taishan has not provided clear information, leaving people wondering if they are quietly achieving great success or making no progress at all? "Lightning Sports" also revealed that foreign players are expected to join the team next week to participate in winter training. Previously, there were reports that Shandong Taishan would sign a defensive midfielder and a central defender to strengthen their weaknesses. So far, Taishan has not signed any new players.
During last season's winter training, Zeke suffered a serious injury, which made Choi Kang-hee the target of criticism for an entire season, with the team's poor recruitment and performance attributed to him. With only one year left on his contract, Taishan still faces several challenges in the new season: first, the choice of foreign players, they cannot afford another Pato or Marcel; second, the differences between Choi Kang-hee and the club. Leonardo is expected to join Shanghai Port, Xiao De has connections with Chengdu, and Sun Guowen and Tong Lei have been training with Zhejiang for a long time. Taishan seems to be spreading goodwill everywhere.