Xie Pengfei's situation is a worrying one, and his lackluster performances may be precisely due to his inexperience on the field. Entering the second half of the 2024 season, his situation at Shanghai Shenhua has been on the verge of being a substitute. Since September, he has played only nine games as a substitute at Shenhua, totaling just 133 minutes of action, with no goals or assists to show for it. At the same time, the player who once wore the No. 10 uniform of the national soccer team has rarely appeared in the team coached by coach Ivan.
Obviously, Xie Pengfei's soccer philosophy is different from Ivan's tactical thinking. In the Chinese Super League, Xie Pengfei is known for his skill as an attacking midfielder, but his running and defending abilities are a bit lacking. This has led Ivan to leave him out of his squad for the recent Top 18 fixtures. Combined with his substitute role at Shanghai Shenhua, Xie's place in the national team is in jeopardy.
In fact, if the 31-year-old Xie Pengfei still harbors the desire to achieve more in soccer, he should probably seek a new start in the next season. Otherwise, his career could be set on the bench. Shanghai Shenhua's midfield relies heavily on foreigners, while local attacking midfielders like Xie Pengfei are relegated to the bench. The more years he wastes on the bench, the more likely Xie's form will deteriorate and he will be caught in a vicious cycle that is difficult to escape.
