Chapter 54

Chelsea is placed in Group B of this year's Champions League. Their opponents in the same group are Schalke 04, Valencia and their first-round group stage opponent Rosenborg.

Endrit rarely thinks about things in his previous life now, but because of Mourinho's strange attitude of paying special attention to a Champions League group match, think back to Mourinho who has been letting Sheva play in the last few games. , even if Sheva's performance on the court was unsatisfactory, he would not make substitutions, which was completely inconsistent with the coach's usual style.

However, Endritt didn’t think too much, thinking that the coach was giving Sheva, who had been working very hard recently, a chance. But looking back now, the coach left Chelsea for the first time in his previous life because of his failure in the Champions League group stage. Got tied by an unknown team.

So the coach wants to keep his job by using players that Chairman Abramovich likes?

This thought stayed in Endrit's mind for a second and then was thrown away, because if Mourinho really cared about this job, he would not have forced Abramovich to not let Sheva play. . Moreover, the coach has been saying that if he leaves, he will take him with him, so the coach is not worried about the current meal.

He is not afraid to leave, nor is he reluctant to leave. He just doesn't want to leave Chelsea in despair, with the title of "being fired because he failed to achieve results in the Champions League."

Endrit even wondered if this was the reason why he returned to Chelsea to coach him later. He wanted to prove that he could not coach Chelsea and lead Chelsea to the championship.

Although, the final ending of the coach's second coaching from 2013 to 2016 was not very happy... maybe it was just a little bit worse. When Chelsea won the Champions League, although Mourinho was not at Chelsea at that time, The tactical formation is still based on the team building framework Mourinho originally proposed.

Before Mourinho came, Chelsea was known as a retirement home for stars. After Mourinho landed, it took less than two seasons to complete a major overhaul of the team, from the original nursing home to the current iron-blooded team, laying the foundation for Chelsea's playing style.

It can be said that Mourinho knows best how to get Chelsea to win. But the problem now is that the framework is still there, the tactics are fine, but the players are gone!

The core frontcourt players Duff and Robben have left one after another. The team's fulcrum center Drogba has been suffering from injuries and can no longer play the ball as before. Some time ago, news broke out between Drogba and the German Football Association that he was planning to leave in the next transfer period.

The sports media are all criticizing Chelsea for playing in a mess now. It's not that Mourinho doesn't know it, but it's just that Robben left this summer, and the original two wings can now only be replaced by Sheva, who has never been integrated into the team.

After several seasons, Chelsea has become accustomed to the space-compressing style of play created by Mourinho. It is simply impossible to create new tactics around the new frontcourt. Let’s not talk about the time issue. Let’s talk about Sheva after practicing it. What should I do if I need to transfer when the contract period is up? Do you need to start a new frontcourt to get used to it again?

Among the core players, only Lampard was online before, but because several other core players were offline, Lampard also had an extremely difficult time in the game: the opponent team could almost use Lampard as a breakthrough point, constantly facing off. He committed a foul and was absent due to injury in early September. The team doctor determined that Lampard would need to rest for at least more than a month.

Currently, the only player that Chelsea can take advantage of externally, who is famous and has good strength, is Sheva, a forward who has not yet been fully integrated into the team system. This is one of the reasons why Endritt did not think deeply about it before. After all, compared to another more unknown striker Kalu, Sheva is still a bit of a threat.

The team's defense is aging seriously, the new defenders have not yet adapted to the Premier League environment, and Makelele and Essien have increased defensive burdens...

It can be said that before Endrit became the goalkeeper, everyone on the team was carrying a heavy burden. . After Endrit, a cheater, came to be the goalkeeper, although no one said it clearly, everyone's pressure was indeed reduced a lot. With Endrit here, Mourinho can let go and practice new tactics in the game, and the team's defense pressure is suddenly reduced a lot.

If it weren't for this, the comments published by the English media every day would have made Endritt a loner in the team.

"Ritter, let's go have a drink after training..." Makelele's words stopped abruptly, "Oh, by the way, you're still young and can't go. Tsk..."

"You keep thinking about having fun, be careful coach I won’t let you play when the time comes.”

“How is that possible?”

Makelele was very confident in himself, “There’s no way the coach won’t let me play!”

Endrit stopped talking and threw the ball to Mark. Lailai later used practical actions to signal the opponent to conduct shooting training again.

Makelele is right, the coach definitely wants to win the next Champions League game, so he will definitely let Makelele play. After all, the latter has been an important member of the tactical system from the beginning. If Makelele doesn't play, the coach must be crazy.

...

...

"Forwards, Sheva, Kalou; Midfielders, Wright-Phillips, Sidwell, Mikel, Cole; Defenders, Ferreira, Alex, Benhaim, Belletti "Mourinho put away the Champions League starting list and looked up at Endrit, "And the goalkeeper, Endrit."

Endrit couldn't control his shocked expression, and other players couldn't help but exclaimed. No, except for the forwards who can only have two choices. Now in the 442 formation, only two of them can play. A few of the four midfielders and four defenders have just joined the Chelsea family. Most of the rest are usually just substitute players, substitute players who only come on when the main players are exhausted, or substitute players who can only play in garbage time!

If this is the normal Premier League, then Endrit... No, even the Premier League Endrit can't understand it! When the Premier League tried new formations before, didn't they always use half as substitutes and half as starters? Why is it that in such an important Champions League group stage now, the coach directly sends out a substitute lineup? !

This is absolutely crazy, right? !

"Quiet," Mourinho raised his hand and knocked on the tactical board beside him, "What are you making noise about? Are you surprised to hear this starting list? What did I say before? I will keep an eye on your recent training, but What about you? Some players, in particular, don't train well because they are always the starting players, and they haven't lost weight yet. Why, you think I will force you to play no matter what?"

"Li? Special, come out with me."

Mourinho left with a dark face, and his expression was very cold when he called Endrit, which made his teammates in the locker room give Endrit a look of sympathy.

"Why are you still standing?"

In the office, Mourinho sat down in his seat and looked up and found Endrit still standing in front of his desk. Are you honest? Why don't you just stand still if I don't let you sit?"

"Coach," Endrit felt relieved, and suddenly understood that Mourinho's bad face was all fake, "You should be in the starting lineup. Is it fake? "

"It's true," Mourinho wondered: "Why should I go to the trouble of making a fake list?"

"But they are all..."

"Yes," Mourinho interrupted. Hearing Endritt's words, "They are all substitutes. We will be in danger tomorrow in the Champions League group stage and may even lose. You may not see me in this office by then."

Endritt fell silent and raised his head after a while. Pointing to himself, "Me?"

Mourinho nodded, "Yes, you."

"I have always felt that you need a bigger stage. I believe in you, so I have made this choice now. Now tell me, do you believe in yourself?"

Endritt even began to doubt the coach at this moment. He knew that he was cheating, so he believed that he could really keep zero opponents, and even dared to directly bet on himself. It can be said that it is a full substitute lineup. In the first game of the Champions League group stage, victory or defeat will be determined by one game.

If he loses, Endrit will be quiet for a while, and Mourinho will just pack up and leave.

If he wins, Endritt is sure that his position in the team will be extremely stable, and coach Mourinho's control of the team will reach a new level.

This is not asking him "do you believe in yourself" at all, but asking him "do you dare to take a gamble?"

"Do you believe in yourself?"

Mourinho asked again, Endritt's lips slightly move.

…

…

[Chelsea’s Champions League starting lineup is released! The full substitute lineup shocked everyone! 】

【Madman Mourinho said wildly: A full substitute lineup will still win the game! 】

"I completely believe the media," Mourinho smiled and talked about today's starting lineup at the pre-match press conference on the day of the Champions League group stage. "I think you are right, Endrit. He is the England goalkeeper. With him in front of the goal, let alone our Chelsea substitutes, even if the team composed of your media is standing on the court, Endrit will not lose a goal. "

"But it was just a kick . If you want to win, you must score. If your media fails to score and the opponent is tied, then it is your fault. As your media said, the goalkeeper is not wrong. Even if he is wrong, then it is your fault. It's also his coach's fault, it's my fault."

"No, no, I'm not mocking you, I'm just repeating what you said. Endrit will not fail. If he fails, it won't be because of you. Did the media's failure to score hold him back?"

Mourinho skillfully shifted the media's focus to himself. Before today's game, he patted Endrit on the shoulder and came forward to hug him. He glanced at Endrit and whispered in the latter's ear: "Don't be too nervous, just play like you normally do. It doesn't matter if you lose. At worst, I will take you back to Portugal to play football."