A grand beginning, a frail end. On Sept. 6, 2021, Ahn Ik-soo, then the head coach of Sun Moon University, was appointed as the “fireman” of FC Seoul, which was facing relegation. The arrival of Ahn, who had been away from the professional scene for nearly nine years after leaving Seongnam in 2012, was unconventional. Ahn’s tactics were even more unconventional. Ahn, who had always admired the EPL’s Manchester City, took the team from the relegation zone to seventh place with build-up football, positional disruptions such as moving fullbacks to the center, and the so-called “Iksubol,” which is characterized by fast passing play. Both the players practicing the tactic and the fans watching the game were fascinated by it. In a game dominated by defensive three-back tactics, Iksubol was sensational.
That was it. Unlike the expectation that Iksubol would become more perfect after winter training, it did the opposite. Iksubol’s power was lost when the opposition saw through him. The U-shaped buildup play only increased possession, not the winning percentage. There was a perception among opponents that ‘Seoul soccer is predictable. That’s why they’re easy to play against. The friction and clashes in the Seoul locker room began to erode Ahn’s trademark control of the squad. “Details” were an issue, but Ahn kept saying, “We need to lead Korean football.
In 2022, Seoul, who were only able to secure their retention in the final round of the regular season, gave Ahn another chance. The team added players in every position. Even national team striker Hwang Eui-jo joined the team. At the start of the season, the speedy Ik-Subol emerged as a serious contender to Ulsan in the top flight. However, just as the 2021 season’s surge ended in “two months of heaven,” the 2023 season’s surge gradually died down in just over two months. Even Hwang Eui-jo left the team when his lease expired, and the Iksubol reverted to the brittle, indecisive Iksubol of the 2022 season.
Ahn was also shaken. In May, he received a one-match suspension for protesting a refereeing decision against Ulsan. Earlier this month, he was warned against Pohang and missed the next match due to accumulated warnings. Ahn was the only coach to be suspended for a card this year. Ahn, who played defensive soccer at Busan and Seongnam, abandoned his Iksubol roots when his team wasn’t performing as well as he had hoped and began to play lockdown soccer in search of points in the second half. However, Seoul, which is accustomed to offensive soccer, conceded more goals every time it tried to lock down. This month, the team drew twice against Pohang and Daegu after taking the lead. 바카라사이트
Seoul is winless in its last five matches, including a 2-2 draw against Daegu on Nov. 19, the day Ahn announced his resignation. They are in fourth place with 39 points, but are 10 points behind second-place Pohang (49) and just three points behind seventh-place Daejeon (36) in Group B. If they continue to struggle, they could find themselves back in Final B. There was a sense of urgency that the team could fall back to Final B at this rate. Fans chanted “Iksu out” in Daegu.
Ahn’s contract runs through this year. Ahn and Seoul were “destined to part ways. However, Seoul’s goal was to reach Final A and eventually the Asian Champions League.
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