Sacking the coach had no effect. No more excuses.
Jeju United is going from crisis to crisis. In both 2021 and 2022, the club ranked third in terms of squad salary expenditure. This season is expected to be similar. Despite the departures of Jerso (Incheon United) and In-Jae-gyu (Ulsan Hyundai), the club hasn’t been stingy with its investments, including Lim Chae-min, Yeon Je-woon, Yuri Jonatan, and Hayes. They aimed to break the “two-state” system of Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai.
However, Jeju didn’t even make it to the Final A (Round of 6), let alone the top. At one point, they were fighting for second place, but they continued to slide. Since their last win against Suwon FC (3-0) on August 12, they have drawn one and lost six of their last seven games. Widening the scope doesn’t change much. From June to the end of the 33rd round of the regular season, they have won 1, drawn 5, and lost 12 in 18 games.메이저사이트
As a result, Jeju (35 points) has fallen to ninth place. Only four points separate them from 10th-place Suwon FC (31 points), who will have to play a relegation playoff. If Jeju continues to struggle like this, there’s no reason to believe they won’t repeat the 2019 season that saw them relegated.
There are no more excuses. Jeju lost Choi Young-joon, the centerpiece of their midfield and their “captain” this season, to a serious injury on the opening day. It was considered a significant loss of power. In reality, Jeju later brought in Kim Gun-woong via trade due to Lee Chang-min’s military service issues. However, it wasn’t much of a turnaround.
And even with the return of Choi Young-joon, Jeju hasn’t been able to win much. It’s not just a matter of having one player or not having one player. That said, it’s not the right direction for a team to falter just because one player is missing.
On top of that, Jeju parted ways with head coach Nam Ki-il on March 26, after leading the team to promotion. There were some who questioned Nam’s leadership and guidance. Since his departure, the team has been led by acting head coach Chung Joguk, who was also the head coach. While some changes have been made, the team has lost both of its last two games under Chung. There is no effect of the so-called coaching change. That means it’s a team-wide problem.
Jeju will begin their final round schedule on April 22, starting with round 34 against Suwon Samsung. Suwon Samsung is also in 11th place. From 10th-ranked Suwon FC to Suwon Samsung and Gangwon FC are all in the relegation battle. If they lose their head-to-head matches, it will be more than just one loss.
Jeju will host the Pohang Steelers in the fourth round of the Korea Football Association (FA) Cup next month on April 1. Jeju is also eager to win the FA Cup. If they can’t turn things around in the early rounds of the final round and in the FA Cup quarterfinals, Jeju could find themselves in an untenable situation. Even if they avoid relegation and qualify for the Asian Champions League (ACL) by winning the FA Cup, the players and the entire Jeju club will have to take a long hard look at their performance and the crisis.