Beijing Guoan look to rebuild next season

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Beijing Guoan ended a three-game losing streak on Wednesday as Zhang Xizhe's penalty goal proved to be the deciding factor in a lukewarm match against Chongqing.

After the win, coach Roger Schmidt admitted he has one eye on next season as the club looks to give the team's passionate fans more to cheers about. Despite being just the first win in five matches, Schmidt said no big changes will be needed following the 2017 Super League season.

"Actually, it's not too early to talk about next season. We have been testing and giving chances to some players in the last few games," Schmidt said. "During the summer, I already said that we hoped others would gain some experience. It is worth it and it was fortunate that I took charge.

“Since then, I have been getting to know the team well. The experience will be of great help in the future. But it won't change our ambition of winning the last two matches."

Zhang Xizhe's penalty goal helped Guoan end a three-game losing streak. /VCG Photo

Some of Guoan's supporters, however, aren't as optimistic as the coach.

"I'm not satisfied with Guoan's performance, especially in the first half of the season," said one Guoan fan. "Schmidt took charge in the second half where the team showed signs of revitalizing. But we were exposed after making a few changes to the tactics. If we continue in this way, we won't be much better next season."

Guoan's penultimate home game had "end of season" written all over it, with both sides having little to play for.

Neither looked particularly threatening, with Roger Schmidt's club just edging out thanks to a spot kick. The goalscorer, Zhang, then got himself sent off in an injury-time tussle, a scene that pretty much summed up the club's mid-table frustration.

Still, with the former Bayer Leverkusen coach approaching his first full season in charge, there is room for optimism as he aims to fully implement his philosophy.

The German has given opportunities to some of the young guns in the squad. Having been in charge for just three months, Schmidt's start couldn't have gone better after a four-game winning run in July. His tactics have stalled recently and when the 2018 Chinese Super League comes around, fans will be expecting some new ideas.