Guangzhou Evergrande boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has told China national team boss Gao Hongbo to ignore the advice of others and back his own decisions as the nation gears up for the next stage of their attempt to qualify for Russia 2018.
Gao's team face South Korea in the first match of the final phase of Asian World Cup qualifying in Seoul on Sept. 1, with China failing to reach the final tournament since making their debut in 2002.
"No matter what people are telling you, do what you think is correct," Scolari, who defeated China in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup en route to winning the tournament with Brazil, told a news conference.
"Because if you lose, the ones who have given you advice won't be the ones who will have to pay."
Scolari's Guangzhou team lead the Chinese Super League by 10 points from Jiangsu Suning and will meet ninth-placed Beijing Guoan at Tianhe Stadium on Tuesday evening knowing victory will extend their lead by a further three points with just nine games remaining of the season.
Guangzhou have won the last five Chinese Super League titles and are in pole position to claim another domestic crown, but the champions will be without the services of injured defensive duo Zhang Linpeng and Feng Xiaoting.
"We have fully prepared for the game," Scolari said. "We have a lot of players back from injury and everything in the team is fine. Kim Young-Gwon and Jackson Martinez are back in training too, and so are our internationals.
"That doesn't include Zhang Linpeng and Feng Xiaoting, who went to national team training with injuries and are not ready to return to the field yet. I've been told they have been checked by the national team doctors, but they won't be ready for this game."
Colombia's Jackson Martinez, a big-money signing from Atletico Madrid at the start of the season but who has struggled since his move to China, could return to the starting line-up as Guangzhou take on a Beijing side they have already beaten once in the league and twice in the Chinese FA Cup this season.
"We've won three times against them, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy," Scolari added. "I never think any game against Beijing is going to be easy. They are always difficult games."