China captain Li Weifeng has pleaded with the local media and fans to give new head coach Jose Antonio Camacho time to turn around the national team’s disappointing fortunes.

Camacho was appointed China boss in August but the team are currently struggling in the third round of 2014 World Cup qualification in third spot in Group A and could be eliminated after the upcoming matches against Iraq and Singapore next week.

China’s Football Association has stressed the former Real Madrid and Spain coach won’t be judged on the team’s 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign given his short time in the job, although the media and fans may not be so kind.

However, former Everton defender Li pleaded for patience and said Camacho’s job was to change Chinese football in the long-term given the team haven’t qualified for the World Cup since 2002.

“The most important thing is to change our state of mind,” Li told the Team China website. “I think in terms of pace on the pitch and winning the ball, we are in a better place than we were before.

“But I’ve said before, it’s not the head coach that goes out and kicks the ball, it’s the job of each and every player. It’s our job.

“So we need the media and the fans to give our new head coach enough time and to be patient with him. He has to be given enough time to rebuild the team.”

The 32-year-old, who led China at the 2002 World Cup and to the 2004 Asian Cup final, admitted that the foreign influence at the helm was positive for himself and the team.

“I’ve always done well when we have had a foreign coach,” Li said. “I worked under Bora Milutinovic, Bobby Houghton and Arie Haan, who’s now my coach at Tianjin. I also worked with Cha Bum-Kun at Suwon.

“All of these coaches have had a great impact on me and have improved my attitude. They taught me that, no matter what difficulties you face in life or on the pitch, you should fight to overcome them rather than just giving up.”

China face Iraq at the neutral venue of Doha on November 11, before travelling to Singapore four days later.

source: goal