In order to prepare for the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates starting in January next year, the Chinese Football Association recently announced a 26-person training squad. Many Chinese fans believe that Jankovic's selection criteria are debatable, some should be selected but not selected, and some that are not necessary to be selected are regarded as sweet and sweet by Jankovic.
For example, Li Titian, Zhong Yihao, Huang Zichang, Tang Miao, these players are very outstanding in the league, but Jankovic turns a blind eye, while players with average ability such as Chen Pu and Xu Haofeng are inexplicably favored by Jankovic. Many Chinese fans even think that the reason why Jankovic chose people like this may be that he doesn't watch the Chinese league at all, so he will mess up the mandarin duck score like this.
However, the author thinks that one of the most confusing decisions of Jankovic in the selection of candidates for the Asian Cup this time is not to abandon Li Titian, Zhong Yihao, Huang Zichang, and Tang Miao, but to abandon Yu Hanchao, the first contributor to Shanghai Shenhua's victory in the FA Cup. Compared with these unsuccessful national football pearls, Yu Hanchao is the super fierce general that should not be ignored by Jankovic.
Some people may say that Jankovic did not choose Hanchao because he is too old, he is 36 years old, he is in his twilight years, and he is a bit old. On the surface, this is the case, but is it really because of Yu Hanchao's age? If this is the case, then how did Tan Long get selected? Tan Long was born in April 1988 and is almost 36 years old, so why can he be selected for the national team? Therefore, the most fundamental reason is not the problem of age, but the fact that Jankovic likes to use practice instead of raw.
In fact, although Yu Hanchao is 1 year older than Tan Long, his physical fitness and condition are not worse than Tan Long at all, and even better than Tan Long. In the 2023 season, he played 31 games for Shanghai Shenhua, started 24 times, and contributed a total of nine goals. In particular, the wonderful goal in the FA Cup final recently demonstrated Yu Hanchao's unparalleled individual ability and competitive state as he gets older. If we talk about the ability to grasp opportunities at critical moments, in the current Chinese football world, who can be stronger than Han Chao? I am afraid that Wu Lei and Wei Shihao will also bow down in front of Han Chao.
Yu Hanchao is the strongest in terms of comprehensive ability among local wingers. Not only is he fast and explosive, but he can also pass and shoot, and he is full of creativity. The most commendable thing is that at the critical moment, Yu Hanchao has a domineering spirit, which is precious in the intercontinental competitions for the Chinese men's football team, which has always been soft.
Wu Lei is easy to pull his hips at critical moments, Wei Shihao is easy to make mistakes at critical moments, and only a calm and spicy, capable and experienced ace veteran like Yu Hanchao is really the most trustworthy. It's a pity that Jankovic excluded him from the squad for the Asian Cup, like a mustard, I have to say that this is Jankovic's most stupid decision in the selection of people in this Asian Cup. It can only be expressed with a sigh.