Patience needed

One thing the MLS hasn't been able to work out in its favor so far is to turn the game into a profit. But given the marketing resources at its disposal, it may simply be a matter of time when it starts raking in the dollars.

But Beckham did indeed - something that would also be expected of Anelka - win the MLS honors with his club Los Angeles Galaxy, but only after five long years. His on-pitch performance may not have lived up to the hype but he fulfilled his contract despite the regular doses of controversies, innuendoes and even blatant accusations by teammates. Critics may argue that he was well looked after - reportedly earning US$250 million in five seasons - but one would believe that for a global brand name such as Beckham, respectability and proprieties should be of equal measure as much as boosting his bank balance.

That said, however, patience is not a virtue of Shenhua owner and businessman Zhu Jun. Since 2003, the club has had 12 coaches with only the fans favorite Wu Jingui returning to enjoy two stints with the club but with little success. It is to be waited and seen if Zhu can successfully retain the services of both Anelka, nicknamed "The Incredible Sulk," and the new coach, former French international Jean Tigana, until at least the season lasts.

Experience counts and Tigana will have his wits tested against the likes of former Japan coach Takeshi Okada, who joined Hangzhou Greentown around the same time as him and guided Japan to the knockout stages in the World Cup in South Africa last year.

Shenzhen has also kept faith in Frenchman Philippe Troussier, while another big-spending club Guangzhou Evergrande has a South Korean, Lee Jang-soo, managing its stable. That promises a competitive year and with Didier Drogba and even Park Ji-sung linked with a possible move to China, it may just be the momentum needed for change.

As the Beckham experiment showed, star names sell. In the seventies, Pele won over the crowd in New York even when Steve Ross, the owner of his club, Cosmos, "didn't know a goalkeeper from a zookeeper". In the last five years, no other US professional league has grown as much as the MLS.

Having the fans back and buoyant is a battle half won and the CSL cannot but not deliver on the soaring expectations. It may still not be a destination of choice for high-profile footballers but it's an experiment worth trying in the build up to the future.