Chapter 17: Battle of the Golden Boy
The yellow vests representing the main force lost 1-2 to the red vests in the team match, but after the training, the players of the yellow vests were not as depressed as expected. They were somewhat disappointed, but more surprised.
First of all, there are four young players from the second team, namely Arbeloa, Felipe Luis, De La Red and Negredo. They are all in their early twenties and have shown good strength, especially the two full-backs, who are both very stable.
Arbeloa on the right focused on defense and froze Robinho so that he had no temper at all. Luis Felipe on the left not only froze Cassano, but also made several wonderful passes on the left, creating dangerous situations in the frontcourt.
Whether a player has the ability or not can be felt by himself after playing for a while on the field.
This is without any running-in period. If they have, these two players will perform better.
Negredo is one of the few center forwards in Real Madrid. The only goal scored by the yellow vests in this game came from his header, and the one who assisted him was Beckham on the right.
That precise cross from the right sent the ball directly to the front of the small penalty area. Negredo headed the ball in, beating Mejia and equalizing the game for the Yellow Vests team.
In addition, Negredo also grabbed the first point many times and created opportunities for Raul and Zidane. This was very rare in Real Madrid's previous tactics because Ronaldo would not compete for the header at all.
Zidane sat in the midfield and gave him the highest tactical authority, allowing him to play freely without even having to participate in defense.
From Negredo to Raul to Beckham, plus the double defensive midfielders Gravesen and De La Red, and the entire back line, all the players of Real Madrid were committed to defense, while Zidane focused on controlling the midfield and passing the ball, but the Frenchman himself couldn't stand it anymore and would participate in nearby counter-attacks from time to time.
The entire tactical system has a clear structure and a reasonable lineup arrangement. The players feel comfortable playing on the court, especially on the defensive end, where the players feel at ease.
At least, the central defender no longer needs to worry about having no one on his wing, nor does he need to worry about an attacking player suddenly dribbling towards him at any time. He doesn't have to be nervous and timid all the time.
The central defender combination of Woodgate and Elguera did not perform very well, and both goals conceded were related to them, but they started to get better later. I believe that as the team gets used to each other, especially as the cooperation between the double defensive midfielders and the back line gradually stabilizes, the two will play more easily.
Of course, the premise is that Woodgate cannot get injured again.
…
"how do you feel?"
After the training, Gao Shen walked beside captain Raul and asked with concern.
Raul nodded. "Very good. These young players are very capable. Next we will see how they get used to each other and how they perform in official matches."
After all, this is a team competition. No matter how well you perform on your team's training ground, you may not be able to perform as well on the court.
Gao Shen is not worried about this at all, because the players he selected are all European-level stars who will be very successful in the next few years. Some are even world-class stars, and their psychological qualities are definitely strong.
"Where is Negredo?" Gao Shen asked again.
Raul was a little surprised, but he quickly understood what Gao Shen meant.
Negredo has good abilities, not just physical strength, but in Gao Shen's current tactics, Negredo can only be used as a center forward to give full play to his tactical characteristics and liberate Raul.
In fact, Gao Shen bet all the goals on Raul.
This moved Raul somewhat, and he felt the trust from Gao Shen.
"Compared to Moro, he is still a little young, but very good , with an excellent physique." Raul smiled.
"Then you should open your arms and let us see the high-spirited Prince of the Bernabeu back then, and use this derby to tell Atletico Madrid and Torres who is the real golden boy!" Gao Shen encouraged.
Golden boy?
Raul hasn't heard anyone calling him like this for a long time. This used to be his honor, but since the superstars joined one after another, he lost his position. He began to become a vassal of the superstars, and even gradually lost himself. He was getting further and further away from scoring goals. He even doubted at one point whether he would be able to score goals again?
But Gao Shen's words and the team match just now made Raul regain hope.
He is only 28 years old, at the prime of his life!
…
Strike while the iron is hot, Gao Shen talked to Ramos, Guti and Gravesen separately after the training.
As for Ramos, Gao Shen clearly told him that he values him very much, but unfortunately, the team has changed its tactics and needs to integrate them as soon as possible, and he is suspended in the derby at the weekend, so he can only continue to be a substitute.
"Next, I hope you can play a more crucial role in the team's defense, especially in the center back position, just like your idols Maldini and Hierro."
Maldini and Hierro?
Ramos was very surprised because he had never told anyone that Maldini was his idol. How did Gao Shen know?
Because Raul had intervened before, both Ramos and Guti were very easy to talk to. The former was suspended and the latter was originally a substitute. As long as it was helpful for Real Madrid's current situation, they would be happy to see it happen.
What's more, Gao Shen clearly told Guti that he would be Zidane's most important substitute.
Everyone can see that in this 4-2-3-1 tactic, the attacking midfielder where Zidane is located is the top priority, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is the soul and core. The fact that Gao Shen can make such a promise to Guti shows his sincerity and importance.
Gravesen was the easiest to talk about, because he is one of the double defensive midfielders that Gao Shen has the highest hopes for. His responsibilities on the field are similar to those when he was at Everton, so it is a piece of cake for him. The key is that he has wasted a lot of time in Real Madrid. Can Gravesen get back to his form?
Judging from the team matches, he is still far from his level in the Premier League.
Gravesen made it clear that he supports Gao Shen's move to suppress the Brazilian gang. He believes that this is to set things right. He also supports Gao Shen's new tactics. He believes that this can effectively strengthen Real Madrid's defense.
As for his own condition, he also promised that he would be able to adjust before the weekend.
…
After talking to the three people, it was late again.
In the twilight, Gao Shen rode his bicycle out of Valdebebas and came to Carlo's home in the Hortaleza district.
As expected, Carlo was still not at home.
"Mrs. Carlo, please tell Mr. that I am doing what he wanted to do but never did."
"I still hope that he can cheer up as soon as possible, return to Valdebebas and help Real Madrid out of the predicament."
Mrs. Carlo conveyed Carlo's words, hoping that Gao Shen would stay away from the quagmire of Real Madrid's first team as soon as possible to avoid getting deeper and deeper and eventually being unable to protect himself.
Gao Shen thanked Carlo for the reminder and said he would seriously consider it.
From beginning to end, Gao Shen knew that Carlo was a good person, a very good and kind person.
But he is very conservative.
In fact, Carlo is very similar to Bosque. They are not strong enough in character. They just want to act like a lubricant to handle various conflicts and interest relationships in the locker room. They do not have the courage and responsibility to solve the most core and also the most essential conflicts.
During Bosque's time, the locker room had big men like Hierro, as well as practical stars such as McManaman, Solari and Cambiasso. The dependence on superstars was not as great as imagined, so the internal factional conflicts were not obvious.
But gradually, as more and more superstars appeared, they consumed more and more resources, and even seriously infringed on the interests of other players. In addition, as practical middle-level stars left the team one after another, the internal factions were completely torn apart, and the contradictions became irreconcilable.
At this time, it is impossible to comfort him like Bosque did.
So Gao Shen learned from Capello. Since the situation was irreconcilable, he took ruthless measures, ruled the team with an iron fist, supported the declining local gang, suppressed the powerful Brazilian gang, and found a balance in the locker room again.
It's like crossing a wet and slippery single-plank bridge. If you can cross it, you will certainly reach a smooth road, but if you can't, you will fall into an abyss.
Fortune and wealth are achieved through risk, this world is fair.
…
After returning to the rented house from Carlo's house, Gao Shen made a cup of instant noodles and began to study the players of the first team.
In the next few days, he will talk to them one by one, and at the same time he must seize the time to hone the team's tactics.
Judging from the reaction of the yellow vest players, they all think this tactic is good.
All those who can play for Real Madrid are battle-hardened and experienced players. They can tell whether the tactics are effective or not once they try them. However, sometimes the coach's tactics will affect their performance, so they will object.
Just like now, if you ask Ronaldo and Carlos, they will definitely criticize this sophisticated new tactic to pieces. Why?
Not to mention that Gao Shen exiled them to guard the water dispensers, even if they were given the opportunity to play, it would be difficult for them to complete these tasks because it was inconsistent with their playing habits.
There is no absolute good or bad in tactics, only suitable or unsuitable.
After dinner, Gao Shen entered the tactical library again.
After the practice in the afternoon, he realized that the books in the library were really a treasure and were of great help to him.
Combining the problems reflected in the team matches in the afternoon, Gao Shen was able to find answers and targeted solutions in Benítez's books, because what he was encountering now was also what Benítez had encountered before, some of which he had encountered several times.
While Gao Shen combined practice to study and improve training methods, hoping to integrate the team as soon as possible, he also continued to study Benítez's collection of books in detail, hoping to continue to understand Benítez's tactical concepts and ideas, especially his targeted deployment of troops and on-the-spot command.
This is also his biggest weakness now, but it is precisely Benítez's advantage.
Benítez once said that if he were given eleven robots, he could win all the games.
This shows his confidence in his tactical attainments.
Gao Shen never expected that while he was studying in the library, Madrid, which had been bustling recently, would explode again!
