Shin Tae-yong’s return to club coaching has not gone to plan, with the South Korean tactician already under immense pressure just weeks into his Ulsan HD tenure. After four matches in charge, the three-time defending K League 1 champions have slumped to three consecutive defeats, leaving them perilously close to the relegation play-off zone.
Appointed on August 5 to replace former Malaysia boss Kim Pan-gon, Shin made a winning start just four days later, edging Jeju SK 1-0 at Ulsan Munsu Football Stadium. But the momentum quickly evaporated. Ulsan fell 4-2 away to Suwon FC on August 16, before collapsing 3-2 against FC Seoul on August 24 — a game in which they trailed 3-1 at half-time despite Jesse Lingard’s absence for the hosts. The slide continued on August 30, when league leaders Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors cruised to a 2-0 victory in Ulsan, a fixture long billed as a clash between title contenders but instead underscored the gulf in form.
The champions now sit eighth, with just five matches left before the league splits into championship and relegation play-offs. Ulsan hold a slender three-point cushion over 10th-placed Suwon, while trailing Gwangju FC by four points in sixth — the final championship play-off spot.
Despite the 2-0 scoreline, the Jeonbuk defeat highlighted Ulsan’s fragility. The visitors unleashed 19 shots, five on target, while Ulsan mustered 15 efforts without troubling the goalkeeper once — a damning statistic for a side that once dominated the division.
“I apologize to the Ulsan fans,” Shin told Maeil Business Newspaper. “The September international break will give me the opportunity to rework things and try again once the league restarts.”
That restart comes with added pressure: an East Coast Derby away at fierce rivals Pohang Steelers on September 13. Many will expect Ulsan to show signs of life — or risk seeing their title defense unravel completely.