no, more like a 9 1/2 or maybe a false 9. There's nobody ahead that Ji would be working off of and I'm not sure Ji is supposed to be going that deep vs habits from last season playing as 2nd forward.
Seeing France win the frickin World Cup with a CF who couldn’t score shows how a CF who can facilitate play and work hard can still be an asset.
Yeah great example... Ji can be an asset, but neither FCA nor KNT have Griezmann or Mbappe type of players who score instead. If the teams have a clear concept like France to utilize Ji like Giroud as a link up player, it can work. But if that's not the case, Ji needs to be able to score to compete with the other CFs.
Nobody like Son lol? France's offensive scheme wasn't too different with long balls to / long runs from Mbappe pretty much the same as those to Son. Our other CFs can't do anything. I'll take a guy who can distribute over guys who can't score or distribute. And Giroud wasn't a clear concept. He was a plan B. It doesn't take tactical planning to use smart players like Giroud/Ji since you're trusting them to do the thinking on the pitch.
what's your obsession with ability to score (while ignoring Hwang HC.. who is worse in this aspect at international lvl from youth to senior atm)? no one in KNT FW pool can score (track record of KNT CFs/FWs in international tournaments are abysmal).. if anything, Ji DW has good record compared to other "CFs" for Korea. Ji DW & Yuya Osako are extremely similar players. both have their ups and downs but you clearly saw how important a guy like Osako was at the WC.. of which, Ji DW could have done exactly the same for Korea at the WC. guy who does everything decently well (especially on hold up play of which.. none of other KNT FWs come close to his ability in his aspect) & score once in a while. edit - anyways, if Ji DW moves.. he moves. if he stays with FCA.. he stays. pre-season just started and this thread has been nothing but "i need to be proven right about Ji DW so i'll update stuff w/ little to no significance as if I am Baum himself"
Sigh, Ji hurt his knee today https://www.augsburger-allgemeine.d...-Ji-verletzt-sich-im-Training-id51665551.html
you may not have to score actual goals but you still have to pose a threat to the defenders. i cant remember the last time ji dongwon ever placed himself correctly inside the box. he needs more experience playing cf and if it can only be done in the second division so be it
Sigh you never get my point. Ji is a decent player. Good at link up play, holding the ball and in the air (minus scoring headers). If used correctly he can be an asset as I agreed in my post above. There are some points I would like to adress. 1. STY sucked too much to have an own style, but the best performances under STY were when we pressed and worked our arses off. Most of us wants that style to become our main style. Ji is everything but not a fighter IMO. He runs a lot but I cant remember a scene where he stole the ball or finished a counter decently, while most of the goal I remember were due to good positioning or long shots. Correct me if I'm wrong. Ironically, Ji is the much better version of Kim Shin wook, so if we were playing long balls (which we ended up doing under STY ) Ji would have been the much better option, because he could lay off to Son. Anyway, just like every team we need a clear concept. Depending on the new manager, Ji could become very important or just a rotation player for plan B (still 100x better than Wookie). However, I am not convinced that whoever ends up becoming our manager will play a style similar to France as our main tactic as Kim Pan Gon has a clear vision of how our style should look like and is looking for the manager who fits that style and it sounded like they want either pressing or counter style. 2. FCA plays exactly like that. The forwards need to press and run a lot. Ji always looked a bit off since the latter half of his FCA season two years ago (the one he played every game). Last season he had to face injuries, so I accept that it wasn't easy for him. Maybe after this year's pre-season Baum might opt to keep him. I would personally like that IF he gives him chances. But if he's just gonna be rotting the bench for another year, I prefer him moving to Darmstadt, even if it's BL2 (a manager who knows how to use him and guarantees playing time -> not bad option imo). The reason why I am always stating the importance of scoring (which you call "obsession") is because for FCA he needs to be able to do to survive. Germans are pretty harsh about attackers who are not a scoring threat, no fcking matter if they can link up well or not. Fact is that Gregoritsch and Finnbogason were 8th and 11th respectively on the BL scorer list last season and Ji realistically can't top that. For the NT, Ji has a good record, yes. And with HHC's disappointing lack of scoring threat (still an important player imo), Kim Shin Wook who just sucks and other players who are just not as good (Hwang EJ, Lee JH, etc.), Ji still remains one of our best options up front, I agree. However, let's not forget that his record is good because he got the most chances, compared to Suk who is being criminally overlooked for years (sure, his bad season in Turkey/Hungary had influences, but at least he should have been tested against Honduras, Bolivia and Bosnia). If we are complaining that Ji should have gotten a spot in this year's WC squad, Suk should have gotten as well. Fact is that he scored 6 goals in Ligue Un. If Ji did the same, we would have said the same. At the same time, Ji had scored 2 goals in BL2 which is in the end not as impressive because of the low quality of the defemders in that league). Again, I am not against having Ji back in our NT, but for that he needs to play more often and I don't think I am doing wrong if I want him to become a better scorer.
1. Ji DW can play multiple positions... he can fulfill a role & contribute much more than anyone from KNT FW pool because of his all around ability. 2. Scoring on counters and etc? His 1st season w/ FCA was all about aggression, scoring goals or providing goals on counter and so forth. He had good chemistry/understanding with Koo JC & Hahn. 3. Again, I will mention Yuya Osako. He receives exactly the same complaint (for club and country) on lack of scoring goals... along w/ playing various positions (rarely as CF for club). However, Osako was exceptional as CF (not just in hoofing the ball BS) for JNT. Also, Ji DW scored some crucial goals for Korea when it mattered (2012 Olympic ... 2011 Asian Cup and so forth). 4. Please, don't insult Ji DW by saying he is "better version of Kim SW". 5. I didn't mention Suk nor did I say anything about him not deserving to be called up by KNT. If anything, I would love to see Suk & Ji DW as the main FW options for Korea. It isn't one or the other but I don't get why you are making that assertion or argument. On the only 2 goals Ji DW scored in BL2, he joined the club at the 2nd half.. w/ the entire team struggling to score or create chances (not to mention, team was last). Takashi Usami did F all in 1st half of BL2 season while Haraguchi scored only 1 goal in half season for a club who got promoted. If Ji DW misses chances after chances (like Hwang HC) or played for team who often dominates + creates goal scoring chances.. I can sort of understand your complaint but that is never the case with Ji DW at club lvl. If anything, Ji DW is often the creator (while also tasked to chip in with few goals). 6. On having more chances over others.. agreed. Suk didn't have much chance compared to Ji DW. But others? Not true when you compare it to Kim SW while other hopefuls (like Hwang EJ) are Fing joke. Can you really complain of Ji DW having more chances? Hwang HC is rather new to senior NT (nor did he really impress at youth lvl in terms of scoring anyways unlike Ji DW) and there is literally no one else really worthy of testing for Korea. Also, Ji DW had one or two chance under Shin TY (btw, Ji scored too in a friendly) but pretty much disappeared (nor did Ji having key role under Uli Stielike).
Fair enough on in the box positioning as I said he drops out too often... but KSW provides zero threat and HHCs positioning is horrific. As for experience he's more likely to play CF for Augsburg where there's not a backup for Finnbogason vs playing 2nd forward for Darmstadt. And the point remains that most here are way too fixated on goal tallies.
So what is his injury? Because knee sounds more serious than elbow. Agree on HHC's positioning, but he compensates it with great movements and line-breaking. But yeah in the end, he fails in scoring, so he needs to work on his finishing asap. As for Ji, his finishing is good, but he drops out too often as you said, which prevents him from scoring often. He also lacks (or lacked) confidence (same goes for Hwang at the WC). He could be a better scorer if he wants, that's why I am so harsh on him.
It appears elbow. My guess is that the man at camp practice isn't the writer and had to be corrected. HHC movement is NOT good. He's explosive and uses it well to get behind the line but he's rarely in a dangerous spot during normal play and often runs into other people's space. Ji's scoring isn't a function of his confidence... he just doesn't get chances at all. Technique-wise he's ok albeit not able to shoot lasers out of nothing like Son. HHC has far worse technique whether its shooting or aerial play or off-foot skills. There isn't a lack of confidence to shoot from Ji but its hard to shoot when nobody can pass you the ball. And why be harsh on him? He's not reading this board and it only makes you look like you don't understand football rather than possibly improving his play. Fact of the matter is that he's our most complete forward by a large margin which yes, is as much a reflection on the lack of alternatives as is it his talent. Your trashing on a guy for his scoring record looks ridiculous when your counterexample isn't a scorer at all and as if there weren't more than one forward spot on the roster. And looks doubly so when Giroud was so important for much of the tournament without a shot on target let alone a goal.
1. Most complete forward =/= best forward 2. Suk isn't less complete -> good at link up play, good in the air, good at holding the ball 3. I dont hate Ji just to be clear. I just dont agree with the hype you and Takeuchi seem to have
umm... WHAT? i thought you follow Suk closely... and if you did, you will notice he is awful at link up play and holding on to the ball (often benched for younger players who have such skill in Portugal.. twice.. for this reason). even on "good in the air" part.. mostly in the box as he isn't afraid to throw is body to attack crosses. it is completely different in 50/50 air duels and etc (Suk is extremely weak for a guy his size). edit - btw, agreed.. most "complete" does not equal the best (ultimately, FW who scores the most is the "best") but Ji DW is the best fit for Korea.
Ji became a dad and is now back along with Koo. Über 30 Grad und kein Fleckchen Schatten. #FCA-Profis müssen heute schwitzen. Mit dabei #Koo und #Ji, nicht dabei #jensen und #hinteregger #Bundesliga pic.twitter.com/WYUXDOvmHW— Johannes Graf (@JohannesGraf) July 25, 2018
Do we know why Hinteregger is absent? There has been rumors floating around that Everton might have an interest. I hope he stays.
Bild.de: "Usami ließ BILD auf Nachfrage mitteilen: „Ich habe die Augsburger Verantwortlichen bereits frühzeitig informiert, dass ich aus persönlichen Gründen nicht zum Training erscheinen kann.” Die „persönlichen Gründe” sind nach BILD-Informationen, dass sein aktueller Arbeitgeber (hat 33 Profis im Kader) ihm gesagt hat, dass er nicht mehr zum Einsatz kommen wird. Usami: „Seit einem Jahr gab es zwischen mir und Augsburg kein Gespräch über meine sportliche Zukunft. Ich weiß bis heute nicht, ob sie mit mir planen.” Der Nationalspieler macht schon lange keinen Hehl mehr daraus, dass er zurück zu Fortuna will: „Die Augsburger wissen, dass ich nur zu Fortuna wechseln will – und zu keinem anderen Verein. Ich fühle mich in Düsseldorf sportlich und privat sehr wohl. Wenn der Wechsel klappt, ist das für alle Seiten die beste Lösung.“ Gepokert wird zwischen den Klubs schon lange. Fortuna bietet Usamis Marktwert (laut transfermarkt.de 1,25 Mio) plus eine Nachzahlung im Fall des Düsseldorfer Klassenerhalts. Augsburg rückt bislang aber nicht von seiner ursprünglichen 3-Mio-Forderung ab. Usami hofft auf eine schnelle Einigung, damit er seinen Urlaub beenden und nach Deutschland kommen kann – nach Düsseldorf!" Unlike Koo and Finnbogason who have returned after WC holidays, Usami hasn't returned to FCA because of "private reasons", but apparently it is that they told him he isn't needed. Despite that, FCA wants 3m from Dusseldorf, which they can't afford. Usami still hopes that the deal gets done soon as he feels like home in Dusseldorf.