The power of Pohang Steelers clearly fell in the 2023 season compared to the 2022 season. We lost three key members.
First, left winger Lim Sang-hyup (35) left for FC Seoul. After the end of last season, negotiations were difficult. The Pohang club offered Im Sang-hyup a long-term contract by breaking even the implicit rules of the club, but Im Sang-hyeop, who received a love call from a team in the Seoul and other metropolitan areas, chose to transfer.
Defensive midfielder Lee Soo-bin (23) also moved to Jeonbuk Hyundai. Lee Soo-bin, who has been used as a key resource since 2021, changed his uniform to Jeonbuk with a transfer fee of 500 million won to Pohang. Jeonbuk and FC Seoul waged a tight recruitment war, but Lee Soo-bin’s choice was Jeonbuk, who had experienced 2020 as a rental. 스포츠토토
The biggest variable was the sudden departure of ‘Ace’ Shin Jin-ho (35). Shin Jin-ho asked to be recognized for his value in being selected as the best 11 midfielder in the K-League Grand Prize for the first time in his life while filming “Career High” last season. The club already had the right to retain players in the 2023 season through an automatic extension option, but it made all-out efforts to catch the ‘ace’. However, Shin Jin-ho was taken away by Incheon’s active movement to prepare for the first Asian Champions League.
Still, the vacant position was filled well through recruitment. ‘Speed Racer’ In-seong Kim fills the winger gap, ‘Technician’ Baek Seong-dong fills the offensive midfielder, and Brazilian Oberdan fills the defensive midfielder. However, not all of them are the best players. These are the resources that Director Kim Ki-dong of ‘Rehabilitation Plant Manager’ needs to revive with proper management and motivation.
Above all, Pohang, founded in 1973, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. We are expecting good results in the K-League and the Asian Champions League. However, it is evaluated that it has become more difficult to compete with Ulsan Hyundai and Jeonbuk Hyundai, the two major mountain ranges of the K League, who have improved their strategy by recruiting storms as they were caught up in variables even before the season was opened. It is a season in which rich strategies are needed more from manager Kim, the ‘strategist’ who renewed the contract for 3 years ahead of the 2023 season.