Persija in the Shin Tae-yong Era Begins to Transform: Defence as the Foundation, and Jeremejeff Becomes the Key

Persija Jakarta are beginning to show the playing identity that Shin Tae-yong is building. Their 1-0 victory over Borneo FC at Segiri Stadium, Samarinda on Saturday 5 September 2026 was never just about collecting three points.

Subtle shifts in playing style are starting to become visible, most notably in how Persija build up play from the back, manage opposition pressure, and stay brave in their possession football even while playing on the opponent's home ground.

Persija did not fully dominate this match. Borneo registered 17 total shots with 9 on target, while Persija only produced 8 attempts of which 3 hit the target.

That said, Persija finished the game with 56% possession compared to Borneo's 44%, and completed 451 successful passes over the 90 minutes.

These figures demonstrate that Persija were able to control key phases of the match through controlled ball circulation, even as Borneo created more dangerous attacking chances. Even under sustained pressure, Persija never broke their defensive structure.

This is where Shin Tae-yong's imprint begins to show. Defensive organisation is the base of Persija's system. For this side, defending is not merely about stopping opposition attacks -- it is the foundation upon which their entire game is built.

Starting from the back line, Persija hold their shape before progressing attacks forward into advanced areas of the pitch.

Nadeo Argawinata is a critical part of this foundation. Whenever Borneo applied high pressure, the organisation of the back line and the goalkeeper's focus proved decisive.

Ultimately Persija successfully held onto their clean sheet, protecting their narrow lead right until the final whistle.

This solid defensive base did not however result in passive football. Persija continued to build attacks down both flanks and through the centre of the pitch. This approach paid off in first half stoppage time, when Kerim Memija delivered a cross that Alexander Jeremejeff converted with a headed finish.

Jeremejeff is proving to be the final missing piece up front. The Swedish striker made an immediate tangible impact, scoring the winning goal on the day.

His presence gives Persija a clear attacking reference point, once build up play from the back has been worked through the different zones of the pitch.

Further back, Rizky Ridho's tactical role stands out for observation. Operating nominally as a central defender, Ridho regularly stepped forward during phases of play to aid ball circulation and connect the back line with the midfield.

This flexible responsibility sees him operate effectively as a modern libero. This does not mean he has been repositioned as a midfielder, but this functional versatility gives Persija an extra layer of option when building attacks from deep.

Witan Sulaeman also added much needed variation to the forward line. Named in the starting line up, he created a good chance in the 25th minute before being substituted in the 76th minute.

His intelligent movement is one of the factors ensuring Persija's attack does not rely on a single rigid pattern of play.

Elsewhere, Denis Kolinger added solidity to the defensive unit. The Croatian defender started the match alongside Ridho and Radovan Pankov, giving Shin Tae-yong another option as he constructs a more resilient back line.

When all these individual pieces are put together, the bigger picture comes into focus: defence as the core foundation, Ridho's flexible role, Witan's creative variation, Kolinger's defensive reinforcement, and Jeremejeff as the out and out striker focal point.

Another notable positive was Persija's mature in-game management. After taking the lead, they did not collapse into purely reactive defending. Even as Borneo cranked up the pressure, Persija continued to work the ball while retaining their structured shape.

Shin Tae-yong himself has stated this was far from his side's best performance. He assessed that Persija only showed around 50% of their actual capability, and acknowledged that Borneo had been the better side for large parts of the game.

This means this victory can be interpreted as both a reward for clinical effectiveness, and the first clear sign of a playing identity starting to take shape.

This analysis was one of the main topics discussed on the ITSMe Podcast, recorded at Sentul Studio, Bogor on Monday 7 September 2026 and hosted by Raisha and Gilang Respaty.

Football analysts Yusuf Kurniawan (commonly known as Bung Yuke) and Erwin Fitriansyah broke down the changes within Persija under Shin Tae-yong, the development of Witan and Ridho, Ridho's hybrid midfield role, the club's new signings, and Jeremejeff's emergence as a key piece of the forward line.

At the end of the day, this win in Samarinda is about far more than just the 1-0 scoreline. Persija have started to lay down a new blueprint: structured defending, mature game management, and purposeful, directed attacking play.

If this development trajectory continues, this side will not just be chasing match results -- they will also be forging a clear tactical identity under Shin Tae-yong.