Analyzing Beijing Guoan's Latest Squad: Aging Strikers and Missing Wingers — These Three Positions Must Be Strengthened Soon

Recently, Beijing Guoan's difficult victory over a China League Two team in the FA Cup has become a topic of debate. Some people say the current Beijing Guoan does not deserve the title of FA Cup champion, while others strongly argue that Montgomery's young squad, after another half-season of development, can definitely return to the top tier of the Chinese Super League. The two sides have been fiercely debating how to view this team's squad structure.

This year's Beijing Guoan started slowly but improved later. At the beginning of the season, they boldly declared their goal of competing for the Chinese Super League title, and the slogan of always fighting for first place could not be abandoned. However, their early-season results were not ideal, with consecutive defeats and point deductions leaving them near the relegation zone for a period of time. Fans were very disappointed. Fortunately, in the second half of the season, they made important adjustments and achieved an unbeaten run over multiple rounds. But does that mean the team has no concerns?

Of course there are concerns. Through this match against a China League Two team, with both sides using all-domestic lineups, people felt that their levels were quite similar. In fact, the lower-tier team even dominated Beijing Guoan for a long period and left them with almost no chance to respond, making many people wonder what had happened to this team.

We know the Chinese Super League relies heavily on foreign players, who occupy the most important positions in many squads. Domestic players often only get opportunities in less important roles. Young players who want to break through face great difficulty unless they are exceptionally strong, otherwise they can only sit on the bench. The clearest example is the center-forward position. As Fabio has aged, his fluctuations in form have become increasingly visible, and he has had fewer games where he can carry the team forward. Zhang Yuning remains the strongest domestic center forward, but after competing on multiple fronts, injury concerns remain and have affected his form. Other positions still have foreign players providing support, but this position is the biggest concern.

However, the wing positions are actually more challenging than the center-forward position. Currently, the players in the squad who can rely on individual ability to complete breakthroughs and directly create attacking chances are Lin Liangming, Cao Yongjing, and Yang Liyu. Given the current injury situation and rotation trends, keeping two of them available in an ideal scenario would already be fortunate, and it is possible that only one may eventually remain usable. Once the wings lose players capable of creating individual breakthroughs, opponents only need to tighten the central defense, and Beijing Guoan's attack can easily fall into a cycle of passing back and forth without being able to enter the penalty area. Which strong Chinese Super League team would dare to have no consistent attacking outlet on the wings?

Many people believe the midfield personnel are sufficient because players such as Da Wan, Conte, and Serginho provide a very reasonable age structure, along with strong passing and forward distribution abilities. However, there is almost a gap in purely defensive domestic defensive midfielders. In the past, Li Ke and Chi Zhongguo were available, but Li Ke has left and Chi Zhongguo has aged, leaving the team without a suitable candidate for this position. Continuing to use foreign players would further consume foreign-player slots, while using domestic players makes it difficult to find someone who can accept a substitute role and still step up when needed.

Huang Qiang Sports Commentary believes that watching Beijing Guoan play now, it feels like the team lacks the old determination to dominate opponents regardless of who they face. The issue is not that the players lack fighting spirit; rather, the obvious gaps in the squad have not been filled, leaving players on the pitch uncertain. A truly title-contending team does not rely on one starting lineup to complete an entire season; instead, every key position needs at least two players capable of stepping in. In the next transfer window, which position should Guoan strengthen first: a wing player with individual attacking ability, or a domestic defensive midfielder? Do you think Beijing Guoan can win this year's title? How should they recruit quality foreign players? Share your opinions in the comments.

This article is an original piece by Huang Qiang Sports Commentary. The information and image materials come from the internet. If there are any issues, please contact the author for removal.