Shanghai Shenhua's new coach tactics revealed, debut against Beijing Guoan
Shanghai Shenhua officially announced that Serbian coach Mijailovic will take over the team. The new coach is known for his attacking football, using a 4231 formation, completely different from the previous coach Slutsky's 433 system. Mijailovic led Red Star Belgrade to 5 league titles, but his debut in the Chinese Super League will face a tough test - against Beijing Guoan on August 18.
Mijailovic's coaching background
Mijailovic has a rich coaching career, having served as head coach of Saudi clubs Al-Nassr and Al-Duhail, but with mediocre results. After taking over Red Star Belgrade in 2017, he led the team to 5 league titles, but the team's strength in Serbia is unparalleled, making it less referenceable. Mijailovic likes to use young players, which means Shenhua's lineup may undergo adjustments.
Shenhua's tough schedule ahead
After taking over, Mijailovic will face a 'devil schedule', playing Chengdu Rongcheng on August 22 and hosting Shandong Taishan on August 29. Shenhua has no chance of winning the league this year, and has reached the FA Cup quarterfinals, but the new coach needs to ensure relegation safety first. The team's foreign player Mitro's contract expires at the end of the year, and due to frequent injuries, renewal is difficult.
Foreign player adjustments and relegation pressure
Shenhua's foreign player Gai is seriously injured, and the recovery time is uncertain; Latan and Texeira's performance is unstable. Mitro wants to return to Brazilian Serie B club Ceara, and Shenhua needs to strengthen its defensive midfielder and winger positions in the winter window. Before the FA Cup quarterfinals, the new coach needs to accumulate enough relegation points, otherwise he will have to 'painfully give up' the cup competition.
