Jef United Chiba, back in J1 for the first time in 17 years, has lost three straight to Hiroshima, Machida, and FC Tokyo — still without a single point or goal.
On the forum, complaints piled up over delayed reinforcements, a lack of preseason training camp, and questions about manager Kobayashi’s tactics — while cooler heads countered with points like “every promoted club looks like this” and “there’s a clear gap in ability between J1, J2, and J3,” splitting the discussion.
Jose Suarez showed some good defensive plays, but…
Chiba, playing in J1 for the first time in 17 years, still couldn’t get a win.
They lost 0-3 to Hiroshima on opening day, then 0-4 to Machida. Coming off that two-game losing streak, they fell 0-2 to FC Tokyo in the Matchday 3 game on August 21.
Source: soccerdigestweb.com / Original article here
J2 sounds a lot better than this hell they call J1~
The Osim Curse
If the national team hadn't poached Osim, they'd probably be doing okay right now
If the national team hadn't poached Osim, they'd probably be doing okay right now
>>5
Osim, we oshimu (miss) you (pun on Osim's name and "oshimu," meaning "to miss/regret")
Osim, we oshimu (miss) you (pun on Osim's name and "oshimu," meaning "to miss/regret")
Empty stadiums, dead league, the 'tax league' (slang implying J.League survives on public subsidies)
>>6
The Central League (pro baseball) is washed up too, then
The Central League (pro baseball) is washed up too, then
>>6
Too bad — 52,200 people showed up even though it was raining
Too bad — 52,200 people showed up even though it was raining
>>6
Do guys like this think that if they keep typing 'empty stadiums' and 'tax league' over and over, it'll actually come true like some kind of curse?
Do guys like this think that if they keep typing 'empty stadiums' and 'tax league' over and over, it'll actually come true like some kind of curse?
Ellison: "Man, I really ended up somewhere wild"
And here even Mito is racking up points
Huh, JEF United Ichihara is still around? (the club's old name before it moved to Chiba)
Was that the game with 52,000 fans at the National Stadium?
When I watched the match where they clinched promotion after 17 years, they won, but the level felt so low it was worrying — and even with half a year to prepare, they couldn't strengthen the squad at all?
Digital magazine 'The World' — Interview with Jef manager Kobayashi
• While fighting through the league season, I personally sat down with several players, but the reality is every single Japanese player I talked to turned us down. 'Even if I sign a good contract with Jef, who knows what things will look like next season' — that's the honest assessment they gave.
I made my pitch as best I could, and getting turned down by everyone comes down to my own ability. I do naturally feel that if I'd shown something better out on the pitch, one or two of them might have joined us.
• While fighting through the league season, I personally sat down with several players, but the reality is every single Japanese player I talked to turned us down. 'Even if I sign a good contract with Jef, who knows what things will look like next season' — that's the honest assessment they gave.
I made my pitch as best I could, and getting turned down by everyone comes down to my own ability. I do naturally feel that if I'd shown something better out on the pitch, one or two of them might have joined us.
>>25
Even with money, you can't land good players until you actually establish yourself in J1 — especially Japanese players.
Soccer's a sport where a weak team means fewer chances to shine, so your own market value drops too
Even with money, you can't land good players until you actually establish yourself in J1 — especially Japanese players.
Soccer's a sport where a weak team means fewer chances to shine, so your own market value drops too
>>18
Apparently every Japanese player they approached turned them down flat because they couldn't picture the club still being in J1 next season 😭
Apparently every Japanese player they approached turned them down flat because they couldn't picture the club still being in J1 next season 😭
>>32
That's just how it goes for every promoted club, every year
That's just how it goes for every promoted club, every year
>>41
What's rough is this looks like a fluke promotion — not even solid enough to be a proper 'escalator club' (a team that yo-yos between J1 and J2)
What's rough is this looks like a fluke promotion — not even solid enough to be a proper 'escalator club' (a team that yo-yos between J1 and J2)
>>41
Okayama signed Esaka and managed to stay up
Okayama signed Esaka and managed to stay up
Did they seriously not reinforce the squad at all?
>>48
Couldn't
Figured they'd get relegated right back down anyway
Couldn't
Figured they'd get relegated right back down anyway
>>53
No need to worry about that — if they get relegated, their players get poached anyway, so they should've reinforced regardless lol
No need to worry about that — if they get relegated, their players get poached anyway, so they should've reinforced regardless lol
They skipped preseason training camp — total disrespect for J1.
Even in the J.League Cup they've only won in fluke-ish ways.
Watching them, I have zero idea what kind of soccer Kobayashi is even trying to play.
The player selections make no sense either.
And the front office seems fine with keeping Kobayashi on.
The Japanese players look J2-caliber.
Honestly Mito shows more drive and a clearer game plan than this team.
Bottom line: unless they find a manager who can actually keep them up, and make the switch as soon as possible, they're going down.
That's about the size of it.
Even in the J.League Cup they've only won in fluke-ish ways.
Watching them, I have zero idea what kind of soccer Kobayashi is even trying to play.
The player selections make no sense either.
And the front office seems fine with keeping Kobayashi on.
The Japanese players look J2-caliber.
Honestly Mito shows more drive and a clearer game plan than this team.
Bottom line: unless they find a manager who can actually keep them up, and make the switch as soon as possible, they're going down.
That's about the size of it.
>>55
Wait, they skipped training camp?! lol
Wait, they skipped training camp?! lol
Even a Cerberus turns into a chihuahua once it's in J1 (i.e., a team that looked fierce in J2 shrinks in the top flight)
The supporters probably want to go back to where they belong too
The supporters probably want to go back to where they belong too
>>56
Guess the dog's homing instinct is kicking in right about now
Guess the dog's homing instinct is kicking in right about now
Jef Chiba really hasn't produced any homegrown talent, has it
Guess their youth academy just doesn't function the way Kashiwa Reysol's does
Guess their youth academy just doesn't function the way Kashiwa Reysol's does
>>57
There's Himeno — he's been Jef through and through since elementary school
There's Himeno — he's been Jef through and through since elementary school
>>57
Kids who fail Kashiwa's youth tryouts skip Jef entirely and aim for Ichifuna or Ryutsukeizai Kashiwa instead (top high school soccer powerhouses)
Kids who fail Kashiwa's youth tryouts skip Jef entirely and aim for Ichifuna or Ryutsukeizai Kashiwa instead (top high school soccer powerhouses)
Goes without saying, but there's a clear gap in level between J1, J2, and J3
>>74
Teams like Shonan Bellmare can play totally dominant soccer in J2, after all
Teams like Shonan Bellmare can play totally dominant soccer in J2, after all
Fagiano Okayama is just the exception — this is basically the norm for clubs that come up through the playoffs.
Since nobody expects much from them, recruiting doesn't go well either — that vicious cycle is the first hurdle after promotion
Since nobody expects much from them, recruiting doesn't go well either — that vicious cycle is the first hurdle after promotion
>>86
Fagiano doesn't have a big-money sponsor like Jef does — so how have they managed to stick around in J1?
Fagiano doesn't have a big-money sponsor like Jef does — so how have they managed to stick around in J1?
>>86
Even Nagasaki, one of this season's promoted clubs that's actually spent decent money, is in that same sorry state
Even Nagasaki, one of this season's promoted clubs that's actually spent decent money, is in that same sorry state
Hiroshima, Machida, Tokyo —
Sure, the opponents were tough, but the performances were just way too bad
Sure, the opponents were tough, but the performances were just way too bad
>>102
Against Tokyo, not really — that one wasn't so bad
Against Tokyo, not really — that one wasn't so bad
Well, fundamentally speaking, promotion and relegation are genuinely a bad thing
>>114
Huh? So what do you want instead?
Is there a version of soccer out there without it? (´・ω・｀)
Huh? So what do you want instead?
Is there a version of soccer out there without it? (´・ω・｀)
The only person who can turn this team around is Mr. Ejiri
>>115
Here we go again with this 'Ejirism' (a running fan meme calling for coach Ejiri's return)
Here we go again with this 'Ejirism' (a running fan meme calling for coach Ejiri's return)
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread “[Soccer] “Rough times for Jef” — painful 3-game losing start in their first J1 season in 17 years. 9 goals conceded, still no goals scored, as fans lament “so much is missing”.”
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