It’s April now. Any more sluggishness is difficult.
Jeonbuk Hyundai is having a more difficult early season than ever. They played 1-4 rounds and only got 4 points with 1 win, 1 draw and 2 losses. It’s still in the early stages, so the ranking doesn’t mean much, but it’s still in 8th place. It is clear that it does not suit Jeonbuk. Above all, it is dangerous that there is no competition with rivals. Ulsan Hyundai, which will compete for the championship, has already won 4 consecutive wins, and the difference in points has already reached 8. Jeonbuk, which is trying to recapture the trophy, is in an obvious crisis.
It’s April now. Jeonbuk will play the 5th round against 바카라Pohang Steelers on the 1st. Afterwards, they face Incheon United, Suwon FC, and Jeju United. During this period, a reversal must be made. If they do not recover their performance by April and do not get results, the gap with Ulsan may widen further to an irreversible level. No matter how early it is, it is a position to prevent further gaps from widening.
It is expected to be a crucial time for Kim personally. They missed the K-League 1 championship last year, and are receiving protests from supporters as they performed sluggishly at the beginning of this year. If the manager’s position is unstable, there is a concern that the morale of the players will drop. It can even affect your performance. Director Kim himself has to change his atmosphere.
Above all, the urgent priority is to raise the game performance to the normal track. Except for the first half of the opening game against Ulsan and the second half of the third round against Gwangju FC, Jeonbuk could not show good game content in the second half of last year. In the 4th round against Daegu FC, they lost without scoring a single goal. I went on a break with a feeling of regret. Results are important, but as it is the first half, the priority is to regain a satisfactory level of performance.
Jeonbuk cries and laughs at the wounded. Lee Dong-jun and Amano Jun, the core of offense, and Park Jin-seop, the center of defense, returned from injury, but Kim Jin-soo and Baek Seung-ho were injured in the national team. Captain Hong Jeong-ho is also difficult to play. Still, Jeonbuk has resources that can replace them. There is Jung Woo-jae on the left flank, and central midfielders include Maeng Seong-woong, Ryu Jae-moon, Kim Gun-woong, and Lee Subin. Jeonbuk’s greatest strength is to fill the void by utilizing an abundant squad.
Coach Kim is also reviewing the use of a three-back. It is a measure to utilize the abilities of Jung Tae-wook and Jung Woo-jae, who are accustomed to three-back. Most teams in the K-League use a three-back, so it’s not a bad choice considering the relativity aspect. However, the dilemma is that using a three-back can reduce the use of wingers. This is the point where director Kim worries the most.