Chapter 62: First defeat of the season!
Slavia Prague striker Kuchata is a name that has never been heard of among fans who only watch the five major leagues, especially those who only watch the games of the top clubs.
But he is already a regular striker for the Czech national team.
He had previously played in the Russian Super League in the icy and snowy conditions, where he fought hand-to-hand with a group of fierce and strong Russians and thus acquired some tricks.
In the offside move just now, when he was close to Goldson, he hit him in the ribs with his elbow.
Goldson didn't react in time, and then he felt his waist go weak, and he was left behind in an instant.
When the ball dropped, Kuchata was one-on-one with McGregor!
Although McGregor attacked early, Kuchata had already adjusted his posture!
He kicked the ball with his right foot and it flew over McGregor's head!
Holland rushed over to block, but Kuchata hit the falling ball hard with his head!
1 to 0!
Lightning start!
The players on the Rangers field still looked like they were half asleep!
Even Gerrard and McAllister didn't expect that in the stalemate, just two passes would tear through the Rangers' defense!
Goldson and Davis Sr. stepped forward to argue with the referee!
But the referee pointed his right hand firmly towards the center circle and signaled them to step back!
With this level of reasonable confrontation, it is impossible for the referee to watch the VAR system!
Barrage:
[Is the ball lost now? ]
【What kind of defense is this? 】
【Eye defense】
[I can't believe this defense line has ever faced Vardy]
[It feels like the team has no energy and spirit, like they don’t want to win]
[Yes, the wanderer feels different today. Did he not get enough rest? ]
[I guess he went to the nightclub to indulge himself after winning the championship]
As the host shouted, the Honghe Stadium suddenly seemed to explode!
Countless fans raised their hands and jumped wildly, and the whole stadium looked like a leaping red and white mosaic pattern!
The players of Slavia Prague also rushed up and celebrated wildly with Kuchata!
Zhan Jun: "Coach Zhang, it seems the home team came prepared today!"
Zhang Lu: “Hehe, that’s right . When some reporters interviewed fans before the game, a small number of fans also said that they felt Rangers was just an internet celebrity team and the level of the Scottish Premier League was not higher than that of the Czech League.
Although Leicester City is ranked well in the Premier League this season and is currently fourth, it is not a traditional giant after all. Rangers' victory over them is also due to luck. "
Zhan Jun: "Among the 11 players on the field of Slavia Prague, there are 7 Czech players, and all of them are members of the national team!"
Zhang Lu: "It feels a bit like when Hengtai won the AFC Champions League a few years ago. Hehe, half of the national team is playing against you."
Zhan Jun: "They are also eager to prove themselves in European competitions and let scouts from the top five leagues see them. The ratings and topic attention brought by Rangers in this game can just help them realize this wish!"
Zhang Lu: "Hehe, this is a bit like the popular saying on the Internet now, the real hunter often appears in the form of prey."
In the following game, Rangers fell into an extremely embarrassing situation.
Slavia Prague passed the ball back and forth throughout the entire court and would never attack unless they were absolutely sure of the chance.
And every time they lost the ball, they were able to organize a very fast counterattack, which made it impossible for the Rangers, who were lagging behind in formation, to launch a decent quick counterattack even if they got the ball.
The way the game was going on was very dull, and the number of people in the broadcast room was constantly decreasing.
At the same time, in this back-pass mode, not only Chen Xiaoliang, but also the midfield and frontcourt of the Rangers seemed to be stuck in dog-walking mode, being pulled around by the opponent's constantly transferred ball.
The first half was over quickly, and when Gerrard received the statistics sheet from McAllister, his already annoyed mood became even worse.
Home team first, away team second:
Shots 9 to 1
Shots on target 1-0
Ball possession 60% vs 40%
Passing 200 to 141
Pass success rate 80% vs 68%
Steals 3 to 4
The data is lagging behind in all aspects!
We were only ahead by one point in steals, a lead so tiny that I'm embarrassed to mention it.
Because data like 4 steals cannot catch up with Chen Xiaoliang 's usual data for half a game!
If Rangers deliberately retreated to defend and voluntarily gave up the ball in the first round of the league against Celtic and the two rounds of the Europa League against Leicester City, then today's game was purely an embarrassing situation for Rangers due to their opponents.
Although Gerrard made tactical adjustments at halftime, the whole team seemed to be out of shape.
Or to put it more directly, everyone is still immersed in the joy of winning the championship.
There's a feeling that the season is over and it's time to prepare for the holidays.
In the second half, the team's performance improved to a certain extent, and the pressing became more aggressive.
But the quick lead meant that Slavia Prague had enough patience to control the ball with short passes. In the second half, Rangers only increased their ball possession by 2%, still lagging far behind their opponents at 58% to 42%.
The team organized several attacks, but only four shots were scored, and the only shot on target was a header from a corner kick.
In the final stage of the game, Gerrard replaced Aribo with Roofe and replaced Hagi with 34-year-old Canadian international Ivoit.
These two main players who were immersed in transfer rumors were sleepwalking throughout the game and played their worst game of the season.
After the two were substituted, Gerrard, with a livid face, didn't even high-five them.
In the end, amidst 90 minutes of non-stop cheering from the home fans, Rangers' last bit of fighting spirit was completely worn out by the home team's endless passing.
The score of 1-0 remained until the end of the game.
[The worst game I've ever seen! Worse than the Red Super League! ]
[If you don’t know, you might think these guys have already won the Premier League and are here to let the Europa League win! ]
[I spent a whole year on Penguin Sports membership, Geneva, refund! ]
[I felt drowsy watching this late at night ]
[Haha, what do you think? With this level, there is no strong team in the Scottish Premier League. It was just an exceptional performance against Leicester City.]
[It was just a loss, but you guys said nothing about it, and when I won you guys praised me to the skies]
[You can’t say it’s an ugly kick? 】
[We all paid 12 yuan a month, why can't we say it! ]
…
After the game, Gerrard did not say anything, but asked all the players who did not play in the game and did not run 10 kilometers to stay on the field for additional training.
Chen Xiaoliang was no exception. In this game, he only ran 9.2 kilometers, far less than usual, and had only 4 steals. Although it accounted for half of the team's total of 8 steals, it was still less than his previous half-time level.
The media filmed all of these shots and posted them in prominent locations on major platforms that night.
Without having dinner, the whole team continued to train until 7 o'clock in the evening. After returning to the hotel, they were asked to fly back to Glasgow early the next morning and then go directly to the club to continue training.
The players were silent all the way. When they returned to the club's locker room, Gerrard walked in with a blank expression.
There is no tactical board, no group confrontation, and no yellow vests and black vests symbolizing the main players and substitutes.
“You all must remember this.
The whole world knows how badly you played yesterday, including the scouts and agents who called you.
If you forget how to run and how to fight on the field, then go back to the club and practice!
Practice until you remember how we won the championship this season!
Anyone who dares to be late or absent will be sent to the reserve team!
Also, if some of you are still thinking about next season and dreaming about going to a new club to play in a big league, don’t even think about playing for me for another minute!
Not only will he miss the remaining games of this season, he will also be banned from playing next season!
I have signed a four-year contract with the club and I will still be here next season!
By then, I wonder which club would want a player who hasn’t played a game for more than three months!
This is not a threat, this is a response to the very unprofessional behavior of some of you!
Don’t forget, I’m not one of those academic people who got a coaching license by taking classes in school!
When I was 18 years old and playing in the Premier League for Liverpool's first team, you were still in the youth training team learning how to pass the ball! Some of you were still in your mother's womb!
You can't even beat the Czech team, and you still want to play in the top five leagues? ! Dream on!
Do you think a Scottish Premier League game can change your destiny? !
Look at the Celtics next door! They have won the Scottish Premier League for nine consecutive years, but how many of them have become the main force in the Premier League? !
If you can't play well in the European arena, you will always be seen as a bully in your own home!"
As he spoke, Gerrard kicked open the locker room goal and pointed fiercely outside the door:
"Now, put on your training clothes and get on the court to practice your shuttle run!"
