The aura of Jeonbuk Hyundai, which built the ‘K-League Dynasty’, is rapidly disappearing.
Now, it has become a ‘team worth trying’ and ‘a team that can win’ from a ‘fearful team’ to the opponent.
As of the end of the 7th round this year, Jeonbuk is in 9th place with 2 wins, 먹튀검증1 draw and 4 losses, with 7 points. It is the first time in 15 years since the 2008 season (before the promotion) that Jeonbuk suffered more than 4 losses in the opening 7 games, 2 years after coach Choi Kang-hee, 1 win, 1 draw and 5 losses.
Jeonbuk, who started the season in last place at the time, overcame the crisis and achieved 6th place in the 26th round, dramatically advancing to the playoffs (PO) in the round of 6.
Since then, Jeonbuk has never recorded more than 2 losses in rounds 1-7 until 2021. Then, I lost 3 times last year, and this year, I lost 4 more times.
4 losses this season is not just 4 losses. It was not a victory achieved by the opponent crouching down against Jeonbuk and then launching a dagger-like counterattack.
It was a defeat that made Jeonbuk fans feel helpless. It was a game that could have been lost after showing the best performance of the season in the first half of the Hyundai Derby against Ulsan, which was held as the opening game, but it was a problem after that.
The 4th round away from Daegu, the 5th round of Pohang home game, and the 7th round of Suwon FC away loss were really bad performances, as the defense line collapsed in the opponent’s attack after a lack of performance.
As a result, the enemy captains rated Jeonbuk low before the game and rushed to win.
Suwon FC coach Kim Do-gyun, who beat Jeonbuk 1-0 at home on the 15th, said in an interview before the game, “(Jeonbuk) admits that the players’ skills are better than ours overall.” He said, “I think he is an opponent that we can attack sufficiently.”
And his confidence was demonstrated in the 1-0 win.
Pohang coach Kim Ki-dong, who handed over key midfielders such as Kim Seung-dae (who later returned), Song Min-gyu, and Lee Soo-bin to Jeonbuk after taking office, performed eight-color mercenary tactics in the second half of this year’s Jeonbuk expedition and took home fans by winning a 2-1 come-from-behind victory.
This is proof that Jeonbuk is gradually becoming a neighborhood book.
As a result, fans watching this game were also outraged, and from the match against Pohang, which was the first game after the A match break in March, instead of cheering, they shouted “Kim Sang-sik out” and demanded the resignation of Jeonbuk coach Kim Sang-sik.
In the meantime, coach Kim Ki-dong said, “It was easy to play because there was no support from Jeonbuk fans.”
Nevertheless, director Kim Sang-shik is still seeking a breakthrough and struggling to find a clue to the reversal.
However, Jeju (7th place), which we will meet on the 23rd, is currently on a three-game winning streak, including the FA Cup, and the Daejeon clash at home on the 26th is a dark horse that sank Ulsan on the 16th, so it is questionable whether Jeonbuk will avoid being a “neighborhood book” against them and rebound. I don’t know.