Chapter 150 God's Name is Zlatan
Mourinho did not make any special arrangements for targeted training before the game.
We just focused on practicing the defense of set pieces. In the match against Napoli, we lost the ball from a tactical set piece in the second half, which once again highlighted the team's slow response in defense.
No special arrangements were made in other tactical aspects.
If in Serie A, Juventus' tactical characteristics are "conservative" and Napoli's tactical characteristics are "fast", then the tactical characteristics of AC Milan under Pioli are "flexible".
The flexibility here does not mean that all AC Milan players are highly agile, but that their tactical arrangements and personnel arrangements are very changeable and will be adjusted according to the actual situation of the opponent and themselves.
This kind of thing is often a double-edged sword. If you play well, it is called improvisation. If you lose the game, it is called blind and domineering play.
They can counterattack, advance, rob high points, and take long shots. They are even one of the teams with the most long shots in the league. Pioli has specially arranged several long-shot routines.
When encountering dense defense and unable to cross the ball, just shoot.
As a "lazy" coach whose past coaching career was not successful, with a winning rate of only 37% and an average of 1.36 points per game, Pioli has no burden of those famous coaches at all.
What matters, such as how to have a beautiful scene or how a wealthy club should not cower, are all just clouds in his eyes. All he cares about is how to win and how to keep his position as coach.
The Rossoneri, who have not won the Serie A title for 10 years, are willing to give Pioli more room to display his pragmatic style after finishing second in the league last season.
This is very similar to Mourinho's situation in Rome.
On the wing, Pioli prefers to let the full-backs move inward, and adopt a lot of two-pass mode between the wing and the middle, or simply let the full-backs act as half midfielders. When the wingers pull away, the full-backs will connect inside, making the frequency of lateral passes fast and stable.
Another flexible aspect is that anyone can play and anyone can end the attack, which is somewhat similar to Napoli.
Even though the team has famous forwards like Ibrahimovic and Giroud, they have each scored 3 goals in the league so far, which is the same number of goals scored by the 22-year-old young forward Rafael Leao.
Therefore, when facing them , focusing on defending one person is not very effective. Instead, it will allow that person to fully play the role of wingman feint attack and create more space for others.
Pioli always plays in a 4231 formation.
Considering that AC Milan is not very fast and will not deliberately control the ball, Mourinho also arranged a 4231 formation.
The team practiced for 6 hours in two days. Chen Xiaoliang went home and used a physical recovery card to practice for another 3 hours.
Stamina recovery card 4→3
Training value 73→82
Chen Xiaoliang added a major attribute, spending a full 80 points to increase the speed from 16 to 17!
Training value 82 → 2
I was really happy when I added points, but after adding points and looking at the training value, I felt really painful...
The purpose of acceleration is also very clear. In defense, especially in the second half when the opponent's physical strength is reduced, relying on one's own physical advantage, one can better and quickly cover various defensive areas.
In offense, he can not only use his speed to dribble past his opponents and create space for passing the ball, but after stepping forward to participate in the offense, he can also replay faster.
It can be said that crossing and counterattack are the improvement strategies he specially formulated for himself based on Mourinho's tactical arrangements.
After all, if you advance from the middle, due to the dense population and narrow space in the middle, you cannot pass the opponent by speed alone. You also need to add dribbling and techniques, and the training value required will increase exponentially.
When all these are added to a certain level, I am afraid that the league will have entered its final stage...
However, compared with the joy of Chen Xiaoliang's continued growth, Mourinho encountered troubles.
They played against Napoli on October 24, Cagliari on October 27, and AC Milan on October 31. Then on November 5, they faced Mura at home in the UEFA Cup group stage. Then there was another schedule that left him speechless. Just one day later, on November 7, they faced Venetians away - this game was an early game that was pushed forward in every round of Serie A, kicking off at 1:30 p.m.
This means that after playing against Mura at home, the team has to leave for Venice immediately the next day. After checking into the hotel to rest for a while, they have to get up on the third day, warm up and play the game. There is not even time for adaptive training.
Considering the tight schedule and the potential injury risks of constantly recycling these main players, Mourinho recalled El Shaarawy and Diawara from the reserve team.
Then the bad thing is Mourinho's decision...
Although El Shaarawy behaved himself for a while after the nightclub scandal, he still secretly went to nightclubs to have fun. However, whenever there was training or a reserve team match, he would not allow himself to appear on the court drunk.
This time he was recalled to the first team, he also wanted to seize the opportunity to perform well and impress Mourinho. Not to mention returning to the main force, at least he can be stably included in the substitute list.
He is only 29 years old and doesn't want his career to take a nosedive so early.
But Diawara is a different story.
The former Napoli genius and Golden Boy Award candidate has now become a person who just wants to eat and wait for death.
Because of the arrival of Chen Xiaoliang, Mourinho no longer needs to arrange a defensive midfielder in the position of central midfielder, but prefers to arrange a midfielder like Veretout who runs actively and has passing skills to assist Chen Xiaoliang.
It's not that Diawara does not have such ability, but according to Mourinho's standards, he is too lazy and shows no interest in expending physical energy during training.
Mourinho originally wanted to sell him in the summer to recover some funds and reduce the team's salary expenses, but Diawara made it clear that he would not accept the transfer - you know, his weekly salary of 88,000 euros is higher than Chen Xiaoliang's standard of 80,000 euros, and he will not get this salary after leaving the team.
This time when he returned to the first team, his performance was still so lazy, which formed a sharp contrast with the players in the first team who had been coached by Mourinho for more than three months.
If that were the case, the worst that could happen would be to send him back to the reserve team, and Mourinho wouldn't have to worry.
However, no one expected that this guy looked uninterested in other people, but became particularly excited when he saw his old partner from the previous two seasons, Veretout. In a fight, he accidentally hit the back of Veretout's head and knocked him to the ground, unable to get up!
Seeing that the situation was not good, the team doctor immediately sent him to the hospital.
After another round of examinations at the hospital, the final diagnosis was a concussion...
I have to rest for at least two weeks...
A thousand horses were racing through Mourinho's mind.
However, he did not retaliate against Diawara. Instead, he had a frank communication with him alone, telling him clearly that he was not within his tactical range, and that if he was willing to transfer, the club could only charge a symbolic transfer fee.
Diawara accepted it. After all, for him, whether he played or not did not affect the tens of thousands of euros after tax that would flow into his bank account every week.
As for who will replace Veretout after he is injured, Mourinho has no choice.
Darbo is too young, and although substitute center back Kumbulla can play as a defensive midfielder, he has not played for a long time and he is too risky in such an important game.
There was only Cristante.
The Italian midfielder is good in everything except speed, but his speed is just too slow...
In defense, he can only predict the opponent's passing and breakthrough routes and use positioning to cut off the attack. However, football is a mobile sport after all. Once he faces a fast opponent or a team with fast transfers, his shortcomings will be infinitely magnified.
That night, Mourinho suffered from insomnia, which was rare.
Roma, with 23 points, is now 5 points behind AC Milan, which has 28 points. If they can win this game at home, although they will still be ranked third, the gap will become very small after consecutive victories over the top two teams.
By then, of the top four teams in last season's league, they will only have Inter Milan to play against.
However, Milan and Napoli's crazy performance at the start of the season will eventually come to an end.
If we can maintain this points gap until winter, buy one or two practical new players, and ensure that the core players of the team are not seriously injured or ill, it is entirely possible for us to challenge for the championship!
Thinking of this, he tossed and turned even more, unable to sleep.
October 31, 2021.
The night in Rome was particularly noisy on this day.
If Napoli was just a team that "happened" to be at the top of the league, then AC Milan's strong recovery in the league made the fans of Roma truly aware of the arrival of a strong enemy.
As night approaches, although it is still daylight, many shops close early, while bars and restaurants, especially those near the Olympic Stadium, open early.
The 500-kilometer distance between the two cities did not stop the influx of Milan fans.
Although AC Milan will be wearing white away jerseys, their fans will still appear around the stadium wearing red and black jerseys with slightly different styles from season to season.
Those who had tickets lined up early, while those without tickets wandered around the stadium, holding up signs that said "I need tickets" and waiting for the right person to show up.
This model of ticket purchase can be seen in many football-developed cities in Europe. Of course, just like in the Red Country, it is common to be tricked by scammers into buying fake tickets or to be ripped off.
Faced with the influx of visiting fans, Roma fans don't want to lose.
Inside and outside the stadium, shouts and songs can be heard everywhere, some of which are to warm up the atmosphere, while others are directly directed at Milan fans.
One fan even drew a cartoon and pasted it on a wooden board. A huge Chen Xiaoliang lowered his head and asked a player wearing the No. 11 Milan jersey: Who are you?
This picture immediately attracted cheers from many Roma fans and was photographed and uploaded to the Internet. It was soon discovered by netizens and posted back to the football forum in the Red Country.
The first hot comment under the picture is - Your name is Ibrahimovic?
Since it is a focus match, the league organizing committee naturally gives priority to satisfying the audience in the country and Europe, so the viewing time of this game in the Red Country is very nightmarish, starting at 3:45 in the morning.
Although many fans will not be able to stay up late for various reasons, Penguin Sports still invited Wang Tao to be an off-site live reporter and visit the Olympic Stadium.
Wang Tao certainly would not miss such an opportunity. He could be on camera and maybe get a few autographed jerseys. Why not?
When the buses carrying fans from both teams drove into the stadium, the suffocating cheers from the onlookers began!
Wang Tao shouted at the camera with an almost hoarse roar:
"Dear audience!"
"I'm outside the Stadio Olimpico in Rome right now!"
"As you can see, this place is completely surrounded by Roma fans! Their voices are so shocking! Maybe the audience in front of the screen cannot fully appreciate this feeling, and even though I am speaking so loudly now, I can hardly hear my own voice! It's as if their shouts can cause an earthquake!"
"For safety reasons, the organizers have set up different fan passages. We can see that the other side in the distance is where Milan fans gather!"
"The reason why so many AC Milan fans came to the away game to cheer for the team is because of their outstanding performance this season!"
"We can also see that around me, there are quite a few Red Country students coming to watch the game!"
As soon as Wang Tao finished speaking, the camera turned to the group of young people from the Red Country around him. They immediately waved at the camera and shouted, "Chen Xiaoliang! Awesome! Roma! Must win!"
One of the hot girls from the Red Country, whose outfit and figure are enough to make one’s nose bleed, even painted a five-star red flag on her face!
The cameraman also kept the camera pointed at her.
Barrage:
[Take more pictures of this and I won’t feel sleepy anymore! ]
[When did corporate live broadcasts become so understanding of fans’ preferences? ]
[This cameraman must be given a chicken drumstick! ]
[In one minute, I want all the information about this girl (funny)]
[The atmosphere of watching football in foreign countries is really great. It’s only 7 o’clock local time. Don’t they have to work overtime? ]
[Overtime? In many European countries, overtime is illegal. If you don't want to watch the game, your boss will go to the bar to watch the game. Why should he pay you overtime?]
[I don’t know if Chen Xiaoliang can defend against Ibrahimovic]
[The above poster, don’t you see how old Ibrahimovic is? He’s already 40.]
[The above poster, don’t you see how old Chen Xiaoliang is? He is only 17]
[Alas, when I was 17, I was still preparing for the five-year college entrance examination and three-year simulation exams... Not only was I penniless, but I also had to be secretive about having a premature love interest and not letting my teachers and parents know. Look at him, he is worth tens of millions, earns millions, and lives with two beautiful women... Alas, I want to start over in this game of life]
…
In accordance with regulations, the starting lists of both teams were submitted to the league organizing committee one hour before the game.
There were not many changes on Roma's side, with Cesco still in the frontcourt, Pellegrini behind him, Abraham on the left and Zaniolo on the right;
Double defensive midfielders Chen Xiaoliang and Cristante;
The double central defenders Mancini and Ibanez;
Left back Binya and right back Karsdorp.
In the last game, AC Milan fought hard against Torino at home in San Siro. Although they were behind , they relied on Giroud's goal shortly after the start of the game to hold on to the end and won 1-0.
In order to cope with the continuous battle schedule, they rotated a lot of players in this game, but this is also Pioli's usual practice.
At the top of the starting lineup is Swedish striker Ibrahimovic;
Cesco was so excited after seeing the list that he couldn't help but walk into the player tunnel to wait for Ibrahimovic to come out of AC Milan's locker room!
Behind Ibrahimovic is Bosnian attacking midfielder Krunic;
The left winger is Leao of Portugal and the right winger is Salmachos of Belgium;
two defensive midfielders, Ivory Coast’s Franck Kessie and Algeria’s Bennacer;
The two central defenders are England's Tomori and Denmark's Kjaer;
The two full-backs are French left-back Theo and Italian right-back Calabria;
The goalkeeper is Tatarusanu from Romania. The number one goalkeeper Maignang has a wrist injury, so Tatarusanu has started in recent games.
After receiving the list, the media and some fans who saw it were delighted.
Not only is there only one Italian in the starting lineup of the Italian team AC Milan, but the eleven starters are from eleven different countries!
Main players like Romagnoli played one after another and showed slight physical discomfort, so Pioli put them on the bench, which also created this magical starting lineup.
The local media in Rome also released a piece of news with a striking headline that the referee of this game was Maresca from Naples.
Just now, when waiting to go on the court in the player tunnel, Cesco's eyes were always on Ibrahimovic who was two meters away. He plucked up the courage to step forward and greet his idol.
"Dear Mr. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, my name is Benjamin Cesco, I am from Slovenia and I have been your fan since I was a child."
Ibrahimovic nodded and looked at Cesco. "I've heard of you. Your body is very suitable for playing as a center forward. You are 194cm tall, which is very close to perfection. Because I am 195cm tall, you will always be 1cm away from perfection."
Ibrahimovic spoke so loudly that everyone around him heard it, but no one responded.
Either smile like Chen Xiaoliang, or turn your head to the wall like Abraham so that Ibrahimovic can't see you, and laugh secretly!
Everyone knows that it is legal for this guy to show off, and he will feel uncomfortable if he is not allowed to do so, so no one will bother with him!
Cesco was obviously impressed by his idol's aura.
"I don't know how long you plan to play, I just hope you can keep playing. It's really my honor to play with you."
Ibrahimovic was very happy. Cesco's respect made him feel more superior. He patted Cesco on the shoulder and said, "Boy, work hard. Maybe you can achieve one tenth of my achievements in the future, and you will be the pride of the country.
As for when I will retire, only God knows, and you are talking to God right now!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Xiaoliang burst out laughing!
I'm sorry, I really can't help it!
His smile made the other Roma players lose their concentration! They all laughed out loud!
It's fine if you're just showing off by yourself, but you do it so loudly, insisting that everyone can hear it.
We are all professionally trained, no matter how funny it is, we will not laugh unless we can't help it!
Ibrahimovic pushed Cesco away and walked towards Chen Xiaoliang.
The two of them were originally standing at the end of their respective teams. Ibrahimovic took two steps and stuck close to Chen Xiaoliang.
Ibrahimovic's height of 195cm and his aura of 295cm make Chen Xiaoliang, who is 183cm tall, and even Abraham, who is 194cm tall in front of him, look as short and docile as a cat.
"Who are you?" Ibrahimovic did not lower his head, but looked down at Chen Xiaoliang.
Chen Xiaoliang raised his head slightly, and said with a firm look but a slight smile: "Chen Xiaoliang."
Seeing that this boy was not intimidated by his aura, Ibrahimovic became more interested:
"Where are you from? I've never heard of you. Are you going to be a ball boy picking up balls on the sidelines? Then you're standing in the wrong place."
Players from both sides turned around to watch this scene.
They all knew that Ibrahimovic couldn't have been unaware of Chen Xiaoliang. Introducing the opposing players was a fixed part of the pre-match tactical meeting. Chen Xiaoliang, who had hardly been absent and performed explosively, was definitely the focus of analysis by the AC Milan coaching staff.
"It doesn't matter. You will definitely remember me after the game tonight."
Pellegrini, Cristante and Zaniolo, who were standing in the front, all saw the conversation and actions between the two.
They couldn't help but think: This kid is good. He dares to confront Ibrahimovic when he sees him.
Only Mancini was thinking: Why don’t you say a few more words? You’ll really piss Ibrahimovic off, and he’ll come looking for you later!
How many defensive players not only lost the game against Ibrahimovic, but were also criticized by Ibrahimovic in front of the media after the game.
Even Cristiano Ronaldo has been made fun of by Ibrahimovic.
A few years ago, when Ronaldo was still in Real Madrid, after he scored a great overhead kick against Juventus, the media contacted Ibrahimovic and asked who was better, him or Ronaldo.
Ibrahimovic replied: "Cristiano Ronaldo is a super goal-scoring machine, but you can ask him to try to score a hook from 40 meters away, and then let me answer this question."
You say he's showing off, but he really has the qualifications...
This is how they treat a five-time Ballon d'Or winner and a five-time FIFA World Player of the Year winner, let alone a newcomer like Chen Xiaoliang who has just arrived in Serie A!
"Yes, you have great skills with your mouth. But remember, you have to use honorifics when you talk to God in the future."
At this time, the three referees for tonight came over and Ibrahimovic immediately returned to his position.
Even God would not want to be given a yellow card by the referee for causing trouble before the game.
Players from both teams came out of the player tunnel, passed through a huge decorative arch, and stepped onto the court.
Suddenly, the Rome Olympic Stadium seemed to be shaken by an earthquake, and explosive shouts rang out!
