Only 1 win in 5 rounds! A disappointing August that Shanhua needs to seriously reflect on

Special Contributor/Gan Hui Veterans such as Yu Hanchao and Wu Xi can rally the team, but they cannot rescue it on every occasion. Against Wuhan Three Towns, who have not won in eight straight matches, Shanhua struggled to find the net and conceded a decisive counterattack goal near the end, resulting in losing their lead in the standings.

Recently, Shanhua has had several key players sidelined with injuries. In this away match against Wuhan Three Towns, captain Wu Xi and foreign player Andre were both absent due to injury, and Li Ke, who suffered a waist injury in the previous game, was not in the starting lineup. Coach Slutsky started Amadou, Liu Chengyu, and Wang Haijian among the starters.

Shanhua's performance against the long winless Wuhan Three Towns was disappointing and did not show the spirit or quality expected of a title-contending team. Slutsky’s tactical focus is quick transitions and high intensity, but recently these two key winning strategies have nearly vanished from Shanhua’s play. In attack, Shanhua often advanced slowly without speed or impact. Many teams defend deep against Shanhua, and the team lacks effective ways to break down dense defenses.

Wuhan Three Towns’ acting coach Deng Zhuoxiang’s tactics were clear: tighten the defense first, then bring on foreign player Tudore late to make a push. As Shanhua’s players tired towards the end, Tudore seized the opportunity to score.

The post-match press conference was arguably the shortest since Slutsky took charge of Shanhua. He briefly said, “This loss is heartbreaking. Today, the opponent’s low defensive block and quick counterattack strategy prevented us from creating chances in positional play. Without scoring first, the game becomes very difficult. Ultimately, conceding on a counterattack is very painful for us.”

Shanhua’s August campaign ended with 1 win, 2 draws, and 2 losses, earning just 5 points. For a team aiming for the championship, this is undoubtedly a poor record.

Looking at the schedule, August was indeed tough, with a derby against Haigang and three consecutive away games against Zhejiang, Qingdao Hainiu, and Wuhan Three Towns.

Despite the challenging schedule, both the results and performances showed that Shanhua did not resemble a strong team. In the away match against Yunnan Yukun, Shanhua conceded 3 goals within the first 30 minutes, falling behind 0-3. Their only victory in August came from a late goal by veteran Yu Hanchao during injury time.

Clearly, the poor performance in August was not accidental. After more than a season, all CSL teams have adapted to Slutsky’s style and developed countermeasures, making matches increasingly difficult for Shanhua. Yet Slutsky stubbornly sticks to his unchanged tactics. With frequent injuries and suspensions among foreign players, leading to incomplete lineups in many games, it is unsurprising that the team’s results fluctuate or even decline.

After Minero’s injury, Shanhua signed Asue. Asue’s style is completely different from Minero and Malalai; he is not a fast forward but a system-oriented striker who cannot create more attacking space or opportunities. Andre, Liu Chengyu, and Yu Hanchao also lack speed. Currently, Shanhua’s squad lacks pace and explosive threat.

With repeated injuries to key players, Slutsky likely has areas to review and reflect upon. Before the season started, Shanhua had a bench depth envied by other teams, especially in midfield. However, Slutsky’s stubborn lineup choices have exhausted starters, given few chances to substitutes, affecting their form and widening the gap between starters and backups. When starters get injured, substitutes fail to perform well, naturally weakening the team’s competitiveness.

After 23 league rounds, Shanhua has 49 points, currently second in the standings, one point behind leaders Chengdu Rongcheng. The issues exposed in August need urgent attention from Slutsky and his coaching staff during the break; otherwise, Shanhua’s title hopes will face serious challenges.