Shanghai Media Criticizes Ivan: Misguided Tactical Decisions and Shifting Blame to Players Since Taking Charge

After the humiliating 0-7 defeat to Japan, head coach Ivan Janković emphasized that the players were at fault for the poor defense. The Shanghai media, Shenhua Team News, immediately criticized Ivan for once again shifting the blame onto the players and also argued that his lineup choices for this Sino-Japanese clash were entirely misguided.

Regarding Ivan Janković’s lineup decisions, the Shanghai media expressed bewilderment, stating, “In this match, there were several questionable aspects in Ivan Janković’s player selection. For instance, Jiang Shenglong has always partnered with Zhu Chenjie as a central defender for Shenhua. Facing a formidable Japanese team, Ivan Janković deployed him in an unfamiliar defensive midfield position.”

Moreover, despite Ivan Janković’s primary strategy being “defense,” the national team was unable to hold their ground, not only getting dominated by Japan but also showing no counterattack capabilities, “When China faces teams like Japan and Southeast Asian nations, they often rely on aerial bombardment to gain the upper hand. However, the opponents scored two headers in the first half.”

Post-match, Ivan Janković stated that the players’ lack of ability was the key reason for the failure to defend, “Up until now, twelve players in the training camp are new to the national team. In such a strong match, it provided them with valuable experience and lessons.”

In the view of the Shanghai media, Ivan Janković’s comments were entirely about shifting responsibility onto the players, which is not the first time he has attempted to deflect blame onto them, “Ivan Janković claimed he made adjustments, but the players failed to defend. Mentioning that there were twelve newcomers in the team hints at passing the buck. Previously, he had blamed Gao Tianyi and did not call him up for this training session.”