Chapter 156: What score did the referee want? Fans teach Mourinho how to coach!
Pellegrini stood at the right corner and raised his left hand.
He ran two steps and kicked the ball low to Mkhitaryan who came up to receive it!
This is a tactical corner kick!
Mkhitaryan knocked the ball back and passed it to Pellegrini who was already running towards the penalty area.
Pellegrini didn't stop the ball and made a reverse triangle pass to Cristante one meter outside the penalty area.
There are too many people in the penalty area! Roma chooses to try a long shot this time!
"Cristante shoots!"
"The force was great! But it was a pity that I couldn't hold it down! It flew out of the baseline."
"Cristante hasn't started for a long time. His contribution on defense was limited today, but his passes and shots on offense were eye-catching."
Listening to He Wei's comments, Zhang Lu took over the topic: "Mourinho should consider his position selection, or his playing style in the defensive midfielder position. His running ability is indeed not suitable for facing fast teams, and it is easy for the central defender behind him to be directly exposed to the opponent.
But he is still quite capable in terms of staying back to organize the game, being a metronome, passing the ball from the back, and even making long shots and through passes. ”
AC Milan resumed its attack.
Tatarusanu delayed for a while to give his teammates time to calm down and catch their breath. The offensive pressure exerted by Roma in these few minutes was too great.
Seeing that the referee was going to make trouble for him, Tatarusanu kicked the ball across the center line and headed straight for the front court.
Pellegrini and Bakayoko compete for a header!
Both of them are 189cm tall and have similar weights, but Bakayoko took advantage of his new appearance to win the header!
He passed the ball to Casey next to him.
Kessie looked up and saw only Giroud and Tonali in front of him, and on the familiar left side... there was no one!
Milan's left-back Ballo Toure, who had just come on the pitch, was not stupid. He knew that he came on as a substitute because the left side was broken. Now they were one man short. If he moved forward, once they lost the ball, Roma could directly break through his side with a through pass.
Kessie looked to the right again... when Theo didn't take the penalty, Calabria didn't make much progress, so forget it! Kessie decided to dribble forward himself.
However, when Milan's midfielders really want to control the ball, they are quite good at it.
Tonali retreated, and together with Bennacer and Bakayoko, the four midfielders firmly controlled the ball through skillful and tacit short passes back and forth.
Gian and Mkhitaryan, who had just come on for Roma, pressed back and forth but were unable to snatch the ball from the Milan midfielders.
After more than twenty passes, the overall positioning of Milan's five players in the frontcourt had moved forward a lot.
Finally, the truth is revealed!
In the 76th minute, Tonali retreated and after a one-two with Bennacer got rid of Cristante, he passed the ball to Bakayoko who was running in front of the penalty area.
This is Chen Xiaoliang’s defense zone.
The 27-year-old Bakayoko is not Kessie. As a defensive midfielder who has been in the industry for many years, he knows very well the defensive pressure he will face when facing Chen Xiaoliang one-on-one.
Back then, he was also a hot-selling superstar in European football.
As the four major black shops in European football, Porto, Benfica, Dortmund and Monaco sell players almost every year, and the prices remain high.
Why is it called a black shop? It is because they are not as good at youth training as Ajax, Red Bull and other teams. For example, De Ligt, Frenkie de Jong, Haaland and others are either from their own youth training camps or came to the team when they were still young to receive further training and improvement.
These four clubs are more like crabs from other regions transported to Yangcheng Lake for a bath. Even if they are Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs, they sign all the players who have already emerged and become famous in South America and outside the top five leagues, and then through the industrial chain cooperation models such as arranging main positions, providing opportunities to brush data, increasing media exposure, creating transfer rumors, and agents driving up prices, they turn a talented player into a star in a short period of time, and then sell him to clubs in the top five leagues to earn the difference.
Their clients are mainly top clubs.
Taking Monaco as an example, the top 7 players in the transfer list are:
Kylian Mbappe moved to Paris Saint-Germain for €145 million;
James Rodriguez to Real Madrid for €75 million;
Lemar moved to Atletico Madrid for €72 million;
Martial transferred to Manchester United for €60 million;
Benjamin Mendy to Manchester City for €57.5 million;
Bernardo Silva to Manchester City for €50 million;
Fabinho transferred to Liverpool for €45 million;
Bakayoko was one of them. He made his debut from the Rennes youth training camp in Ligue 1. After playing for a few years and getting the chance to start, he was bought by Monaco.
After playing for Monaco for three seasons, reaching the quarterfinals of the Champions League and winning the French Ligue 1, Chelsea offered 40 million euros and Monaco immediately sold him.
This kind of black-shop club is not thinking about how to maintain the team's personnel configuration, strengthen the lineup, and maintain its championship status in the league, but taking advantage of the increase in prices of players with good performance and quickly selling them for money.
League results? The best would be to qualify for the Champions League, but the Europa League is also OK.
However, under this operation, players who are doing well in Ligue 1 and Portugal's Super League may not be able to adapt to the Premier League and La Liga.
In the list above alone, only half of the players have met the expectations of the top clubs...
And Bakayoko is the other half that fails to meet expectations...
After Chelsea bought him, the media even compared him to Makelele. However, after playing for Chelsea for a year, he began to be frequently loaned out.
He was loaned to Milan for a year, loaned to Naples for a year, and loaned to Milan again this season...
Serie A teams are very cost-conscious and are reluctant to spend big money on buying players, so renting practical players from big clubs has become the most economical option.
It was during this wandering that Bakayoko's inner heroism was worn away.
Playing football honestly, executing tactics according to the requirements of the head coach of the loan club, taking the good salary from Chelsea, and finding a reliable new club to retire after the contract expires may be the direction of the rest of his career.
As a defensive midfielder, I fight when I should and never fight when I shouldn't.
Dribbling past Chen Xiaoliang?
Don't be funny, Ibrahimovic couldn't handle it, Theo was also given a red card, why go looking for trouble?
Bakayoko pulled the ball, maintaining a safe distance from Chen Xiaoliang, and when he saw Tonali running diagonally, he immediately passed the ball to him, then immediately retreated to his defensive position.
Look, isn’t this mission accomplished?
Tonali didn't have as many inner thoughts as him. After receiving the ball, he made a straight pass, and Giroud who was running quickly in the penalty area received the ball!
At this time, Mancini was defending Giroud!
Giroud did not make any fancy moves. Facing Mancini, who could not even lift his head because of Ibrahimovic, Giroud kicked with his right foot, stepped with his left foot, and flashed to the left, instantly creating a space for a shot!
"Roma's defensive focus is still on the penalty area line, and Tonali 's through pass broke through Roma's defense!"
"Giroud get rid of it!"
"Created space for shooting!"
"This ball is dangerous!"
“Mancini followed and stretched out his legs to block it!”
"Giroud made a feint, and he took another step forward to the left, completely getting rid of Mancini!"
"Giroud!"
“Shoot!”
"Mancini stretched out his leg to make a tackle!"
"Giroud falls to the ground!"
"He was in so much pain! He held his right knee and kept rolling over!"
"Milan's players immediately surrounded the referee Maresca! In the second half, captain Calabria sprinted over and shouted at Maresca!"
"Look at his sprinting speed. We've never seen him run forward so quickly when the team is attacking."
"Mancini kept shaking his finger to indicate that he had not committed a foul. The Roma players also gathered around him and competed with the Milan players in terms of volume!"
"This scene is comparable to the Spanish national derby when Mourinho was at Real Madrid!"
"Once again, the referee became the focus of the game."
"Maresca hesitated. He should have been in a position where he could see the ball clearly, but he was just listening to the video referee's call while he pushed the players away and ordered them to stop arguing."
Zhang Lu: "Hehe, I always feel that today's referee hopes the game will end in a draw."
At this time, Maresca raised his hand and pointed towards the penalty spot!
"In the end, Maresca awarded a penalty!"
"I never thought that AC Milan, who had just been equalized and had one player sent off, would get the chance to take the lead again so quickly!"
"The game has reached the 78th minute. Any chance to change the score at this time is enough to end the entire game!"
"But the penalty taker will also be under tremendous pressure."
"Kessie stood in front of the penalty spot. Although he is a defensive midfielder, he is AC Milan's first penalty taker!"
"No matter how Mancini appealed, Maresca would not change the penalty. However, from the slow motion, there was nothing wrong with the ball. Mancini, who was out of position, recklessly hooked Giroud's right foot, and Giroud fell down by chance."
"If this goal had gone in, the flame of Roma's counterattack that had just been ignited might have been extinguished again."
"Chen Xiaoliang pulled Mancini back and told him not to complain to the referee anymore. Maybe from where he was just now, he saw it very clearly."
Zhang Lu added to He Wei: "The force of this contact may not be enough to trip Giroud, but most experienced forwards would choose to fall down in this situation. It's not considered a dive, because even from the VAR review, you did touch the defender."
"Patricio faced Casey, bent over and twisted his neck."
"This is the moment when the goalkeeper faces victory or defeat!"
"The players from both sides are also ready outside the penalty area. Whether it is a supplementary shot or a clearance, they are ready to rush into the penalty area at the first opportunity!"
"Can the Portuguese goalkeeper save Roma?!"
"In the stands, many Roma fans are already silently praying!"
"If they win this game, they will greatly reduce the gap with Milan and will only be 2 points behind."
"Kathy run-up!"
"Small steps! Reminds us of Pogba!"
"Get in front of the ball, speed up in one step! Lift your leg! Shoot!"
“Middle!”
"Fooled Patricio! The ball still went in!"
"Mancini wanted to argue with the referee! Chen Xiaoliang stopped him again!"
On the field, Mancini was very frustrated and angry.
All Roma players, including Chen Xiaoliang, know that this is a person who wants to vent his inner pressure and cover up his self-blame through complaining after making a mistake.
However, no referee would openly change a goal that has already been scored into a no-goal. Even if it is an obvious wrong call, the league committee will only suspend, fine, or even disqualify the referee after the game.
But things like changing the score and changing the outcome of the game will never happen.
In the 79th minute, Cesco stood at the kick-off point in the center circle again. The score at this time became 2 to 3, with Roma trailing by one goal.
Pioli applied for a substitution again, replacing Bennacer with the team captain Romagnoli!
Remove one defensive midfielder and add an extra central defender.
He set up a solid defense with five defenders, two defensive midfielders and a midfielder.
At this time, Mourinho, who was in the stands and wanted to call Mancini to his front and scold him, heard the shouts of the Roma fans around him.
"Jose! Think of a solution quickly!"
"Fuck, we're going to lose the game, why are you still sitting here without moving?"
"You're the head coach! Did you forget?!"
"Why don't we make substitutions! We should play 325 now, replace the guards and put all the forwards on!"
Mourinho ignored these remarks because he knew he couldn't discuss these matters with these fans!
Just like what a non-mainstream crosstalk artist once said, if a man tells a scientist that rockets should burn coal, and the scientist pays attention to him, then the scientist loses.
There is no threshold to watching and commenting on football, but being a coach is still an extremely professional matter.
Mourinho, who was furious, wanted to stand up and ask: Who should I replace? Should I replace you, a troll?
On the field, facing AC Milan's full retreat, Roma only had two tricks left: long shots and crosses.
Whether it was Chen Xiaoliang, Pellegrini or Mkhitaryan, whether on the left or the right, AC Milan no longer pressed and intercepted Roma's midfield organization. Even Giroud retreated to the top of the penalty area and acted as a temporary midfielder.
Every time a cross was passed, at least three Milan players would run over to compete for the header and clear the ball.
A team that was determined to regain the league title after ten years was willing to lower its profile and play the bus tactics in the penalty area like a relegation team;
A team coached by a head coach famous for the bus tactics actually pressed everyone except the goalkeeper into the opponent's half, surrounded the opponent and bombarded the penalty area!
This made it difficult for fans to tell who the real Mourinho was and which team Mourinho was coaching!
At this time, Chen Xiaoliang frequently moved back and forth between the right side of the penalty area and the middle.
When attacking, he went to the right side of the penalty area and made a 45-degree cross. After the cross was completed, he returned to the middle, ready to intercept AC Milan's long clearance, and then launch another attack.
At this time, it was a hand-to-hand fight between the two sides, without any skills involved.
Chen Xiaoliang even wanted to use the peak Messi attribute card still stored in the system to directly participate in the attack.
But with the current density in the penalty area, with fifteen or sixteen people standing there, even if you call in Messi himself in his prime, he won't be able to maneuver in such a dense space and find opportunities to score.
Besides, that card only lasts for 1 minute.
On the sidelines, in AC Milan's coaching command area, Pioli kept shouting, reminding the players to pay attention to the crosses from both sides and to maintain a high level of concentration at all times!
On the Roma side, Joao has completely regarded himself as the head coach, constantly shouting at the players to press forward!
By the 88th minute, Roma's shots had surpassed Milan's with 19 to 16, and the ball possession rate returned to 50% to 50%.
Chen Xiaoliang received the ball on the right side of the penalty area. Now, as long as the players get the ball, they will pass it to him on the right. Firstly, his crosses are the most threatening and have the best landing point. Secondly, he has the most physical strength among all the Roma players. The others are more or less close to the critical point.
Chen Xiaoliang kept using crosses to find Cesco. After all, with the bonus of tacit understanding and connection, the balls passed to him were of higher quality and had better landing points, and the quality of his shots after receiving them was also higher.
But Romagnoli and Tomori were always by Cesco's side, and after every cross, someone would come to assist in defense and header. No matter how strong a player was, it was difficult to withstand the confrontation and maintain balance in a three-man double-team and then complete a high-quality header.
What's more, Cesco is only 18 years old, and this is the first time in his career that he has encountered such intense defensive pressure.
Moreover, he had played for a whole game and his physical strength was almost at its limit.
So at this moment Chen Xiaoliang did not look for him again, but suddenly made a low pass to Jian on the penalty area line!
After the young player came on the pitch, he did not get too many opportunities to perform well, and Milan's marking pressure on him was less than that on other players.
Gian receives the ball and Casey pounces!
Gian didn't dare to shoot easily. He took a step sideways to the right and tried to get away from Casey.
As a result, Kathy clung on.
Seeing that the ball was going to be lost if it continued like this, Gian kicked the ball towards the goal!
The distance was too close and the ball hit Casey's slightly open hand. Casey had no time to react!
“Beep!”
This time Maresca didn't hesitate at all and blew the whistle immediately!
AC Milan players surrounded him again and kept complaining!
Maresca pulled out the yellow card but didn't raise it, and Kessie hurried away complaining.
He already had a yellow card and didn't want to get another one! He wouldn't be able to play in the next game if he did.
A free kick two meters from the top right of the penalty area!
This is Maresca’s final verdict!
Pioli breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. It wasn't a penalty and no card was given, so what if it was a free kick?
Does Roma have a free-kick expert?
They have not scored any direct free kicks so far this season, and last season they were only ranked in the middle of all teams in this statistic.
Pellegrini picked up the ball and placed it on the penalty spot designated by Maresca.
He kept repeating in his mind, calm down, calm down, relax, relax...
But his heart was still beating rapidly!
On the one hand, it is a consumption of physical energy, on the other hand, this ball may be the one that decides the game!
Just as he bent down to swing the ball, a voice rang out:
"Let me try this ball."
Pellegrini was shocked!
He turned his head and looked to his side!
What's going on?! He refused every time he was asked to take a free kick, but now he's asking for the ball?!
Pellegrini felt a little conflicted!
