He has been labeled "Super Dan" by his army of fans, but in the eyes of his coach China's top badminton player Lin Dan is a mere mortal who can be dropped from the team at any time.

"I don't think there's anything super about him. He is just a good player, like Hidayat Taufik and Lee Chong-wei," said national team head coach Li Yongbo.

"It's the media which makes him a 'superman' and a different player from the others. I'm afraid the higher you speak of him, the more setbacks he will suffer."

Li's unprecedented criticism comes after Lin's lackluster performances at last week's Sudirman Cup in Glasgow, Scotland, when he appeared to struggle physically and mentally.

China won the mixed team event for a record sixth time after beating Indonesia 3-0 in the final. Lin was one of the dead rubbers and was not needed in the final, sparing him a clash against Hidayat.

"Lin lacks the passion and the never-say-die attitude on court at the moment. These were his biggest strengths in previous events," Li told Xinhua News Agency.

"We had a discussion. He thought the result was the most important thing, but the coaches are concerned about the process as well. He needs to win every match even though the result has been decided."

Li was referring to Lin's shock defeat in a preliminary stage tie against Malaysia. China won the match 4-1 but Lin's dropped rubber against the Asian champion Lee Chong-wei ensured that the team failed to win all rubbers in a Sudirman Cup tie for the first time since the 2003 final.

"He is now at a crossroads. Technically speaking, he has made some mistakes as to how to improve his tactics and perfect his skills. It is the coaches who will help deal with the problems in upcoming training sessions. But individually, it is up to him to make adjustments. He has to find the passion, and the strength of personality."

Lin also had some sloppy moments in the semifinals against South Korea when he survived a mid-game scare in men's singles before finally clinching a 21-11, 18-21, 21-14 win over Olympic silver medalist Shon Seung-mo.

No hesitation

If Lin's form does not improve, coach Li says he will not hesitate to drop him.

"We wanted to win the trophy but also use the tournament as a warm-up for the Olympics. Everyone has an equal chance and if you don't give your best, you could be out at any time," the coach said.

Glasgow was not the first time that Lin, who routinely defeats his national teammates, has struggled against overseas opponents in major international tournaments.

Following a shock first round exit at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Lin was defeated by Hidayat in the final of the world championships in 2005.

He finally won his first World Championships in 2006 and then the World Cup, beating teammates Bao Chunlai and Chen Yu respectively in the finals.

However, he flopped in the final of the Doha Asian Games in December last year, again at the hands of archrival Hidayat.

Work harder?

With the 2008 Beijing Olympics looming, coach Li is going to work Lin harder than ever before to ensure he can overcome rivals Hidayat and Lee Chong-wei in front of an expectant home crowd.

"We will have extra training to improve Lin's skill and pace in the remaining time and push him to gain the initiative on the court," Li said.

After the Surdiman Cup, an under-pressure Lin told Titan Sports he will put all the comments behind him and focus on preparing for August's world championships and next year's Olympics.

"I do not care what you (the media) say. The Sudirman Cup is a team competition. The matches cannot prove your individual ability. I will now prepare well for the world championships and the Olympic Games. The Beijing Games is the best chance to prove myself."

(China Daily June 22, 2007)