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Chapter 177 The National Team's New Tactics

When He Zhenyong first said, "The national team is a team where the most capable can lead," he had just become the head coach of the national team.

He already knew his mission at that time, so when the microphones swarmed around him, he said those words.

At that time, the national team had just suffered a defeat in the Asian Cup, and everyone knew that the national team needed a change.

However, these words still drew ridicule and sarcasm from fans and media online.
The capable should take the lead? Then do you dare not recruit Wang Lie?

The capable should take the lead... What are you pretending to be so great about? Isn't he just a puppet chosen by the Football Association to get rid of Wang Lie?

In short, whether people support Wang Lie or not, they all feel that He Zhenyong is a bit out of touch with the situation and doesn't understand his own position.

The phrase "the capable shall occupy the position" sounds particularly hypocritical and ridiculous.

Not to mention outsiders, even within the national team, many people are not optimistic about the new head coach.

They say a new broom sweeps clean, but who knows who those three fires will be used against...?

To everyone's surprise, this head coach, whom no one had high hopes for, actually accomplished what no one dared to do!

He really did gradually replace Wang Lie with Chi Zhen as the core player of the national team!
Moreover, despite the change in key players, the Chinese team's performance on the football field has not suffered. Under the leadership of the new core player, Chi Zhen, the Chinese team has been unstoppable in the World Cup qualifiers, and their chances of qualifying are very good.

Now let's listen to what he said again:
"The national team is a team where the most capable members are selected."

It felt like a resounding slap across the face of everyone who had mocked and scorned him.

So when Coach He uttered his famous quote again, it wasn't as he claimed that some people in the team would take it lightly.

Everyone knows he's serious and that he'll actually do it.

If you don't meet his requirements, he really can refuse to recruit you into the national team.

Before going against the head coach, you'd better consider whether you have Wang Lie's stature. After all, even Wang Lie was dropped from the national team simply because he couldn't get playing time at his club. Why should anyone else think they're an exception?
For this reason, during the afternoon training session, it was clear to the naked eye that every player was working very hard, at least their attitude was very serious.

They didn't want to leave the head coach with a bad impression of being someone who dared to go against him right after he finished speaking...

"I really didn't expect such an effect... Great job, Lao He. Everyone's training enthusiasm has increased a lot." After training, when they returned to the hotel to review and summarize the training session, assistant coach Cai Bokang praised head coach He Zhenyong.

He Zhenyong shook his head and said, "The players' performance now is not a reliable indicator. After all, everyone has moments of enthusiasm that last only three minutes. There's still a year until the World Cup, so we need to see how well the players perform over that time. Just because they're performing well now doesn't mean they'll continue to do so in the future. Right now, these guys are full of passion and willing to do anything. But as time goes on, how many of them can maintain that same level of enthusiasm?"

“That mainly depends on Wang Lie,” Cai Bokang said. “Whether they can maintain this high level of enthusiasm depends on whether Wang Lie can keep up with his performance. After all, this goal was set by Wang Lie. If he doesn’t perform well, many people will doubt whether he can lead everyone to fulfill their promise, and that will dampen their spirits…”

He Zhenyong turned to him and asked, "What do you think? Do you think Wang Lie can maintain his performance from this year at Tyne?"

“How would I know?” Cai Bokang scoffed. “He’ll be thirty-nine next year. How many players can maintain their form at thirty-nine? But just as few can lead a relegation-threatened team to Champions League qualification at thirty-eight… So I won’t guess. I’ll just watch Wang Lie’s performance.”

“You’re right, the key in the end still lies with Wang Lie. He’s the flag bearer of this team, and I hope he can carry that flag for a long time…” He Zhenyong sighed softly.

"Judging from today's training, his physical condition is excellent, and he doesn't look like a 38-year-old veteran at all," Cai Bokang said.

He Zhenyong smiled and shook his head: "Don't say he doesn't look thirty-eight years old, I even think he's in better physical condition than when he last returned to the national team..."

Cai Bokang thought for a moment and nodded in agreement.

Wang Lie last returned to the national team in March of this year, when the national team played two matches in the World Cup qualifiers.

That was his first return to the national team since he wasn't called up for the national team matches last November. At that time, Wang Lie had already become a regular starter in Tyne and had scored a hat-trick in the match against Scorsese, defeating his direct rival in the national team, Chi Zhen.

After returning to the national team, He Zhenyong and Cai Bokang were able to observe his training closely and found that his physique was better than they had thought.

It greatly shocked them at the time.

Three months later, Wang Lie's health was even better than it had been three months prior...

“Some people online are saying that Wang Lie is aging in reverse. I used to think it was just a joke, but now I think it might be the truth… Are there really people in the world who can age in reverse?” Cai Bokang asked He Zhenyong.

He Zhenyong shook his head: "Who cares what's wrong with him? Even if he's possessed by aliens, it doesn't matter, as long as he can really keep his word."

He's quite carefree.

Exploring how Wang Lie did it is pointless for him.

Since so many urine tests in the Premier League haven't found anything wrong with Wang Lie, what else is there for him to worry about?
Cai Bokang was just asking casually. He didn't dwell on how Wang Lie managed to defy aging, because Wang Lie's career had already created too many miracles that he couldn't understand no matter how hard he racked his brains.

In comparison, he actually pays more attention to Chi Zhen, because in the team's new tactics, Chi Zhen is definitely not a dispensable marginal figure; on the contrary, he is quite important.

When he first approached Chi Zhen, he only told him to elevate Wang Lie to the core position, without explaining in detail what the adjusted tactics would look like.

He believed that once Chi Zhen learned about the national team's new tactics, he would understand.

Explaining too much makes it seem like we're treating Chi Zhen like a child.

For Chi Zhen, who was once a core player of the Chinese team, this was not "taking care of his feelings," but rather looking down on him.

※※※

Considering that the national team's training camp was held after the European leagues ended, most of the national team players who play in Europe had already gone home to relax and rest. Therefore, the training camp initially focused on physical recovery.

Although the domestic league is in full swing, there are now more players playing abroad in the Chinese national team, so the training rhythm of the national team naturally has to follow the pattern of European leagues.

Tactical training will only begin after regular physical training has resumed.

Previously, tactical training would have consisted mainly of routine offensive drills and some set-piece attack and defense exercises. After all, the Chinese team's tactics are now quite fixed, and the players have gradually adapted to them after more than a year of practice.

All we need to do is some targeted training against North Korea, our opponent in this match.

Even if Wang Lie returns to a core position, the overall direction will not change; only minor adjustments will be needed.

Because Wang Lie was the core player of this national team for more than ten years, everyone knows very well how the team should be built around him.

It's nothing more than "version rollback"...

However, when assistant coach Cai Bokang explained the tactics they would be practicing next to the team using video recordings and PPT during the tactical meeting, everyone was surprised.

Su Ju frequently glanced at Chi Zhen, who was completely oblivious, his gaze fixed on the intersecting lines on the PPT—a diagram of his and Captain Wang's running route.

He originally thought that with Wang returning to the core, he would have to go back to being a pure winger, mainly operating on the flanks, completely giving up the middle to Wang, and returning possession of the ball and the right to shoot to Wang.

But in reality, it was quite different from what I had imagined:

The national team's new tactics did not fix them on the wing as before, nor did they make Wang a pure center forward in the penalty area. Instead, they gave them ample freedom and allowed them to switch positions frequently.

When Wang goes to the wing or drops back, he has to go to the middle. He's not in the middle to set up Wang or play a supporting role. Based on what Coach Cai just said, it sounds like he and Wang are more like two offensive cores, or rather, one big core and one small core.

The core player is Captain Wang, and the secondary core player is naturally him.

If Wang is tightly marked, or if he actively draws the defensive attention, then he has to step up and play a leading role in the offense.

He understood why Coach Cai didn't object to him continuing to compete with Captain Wang for the core position, and even encouraged him.

It turns out that the national team's new tactics also require a "core backup" like him who can be summoned at any time and is ready to fight...

However, that doesn't seem quite right, because Chi Zhen remembered that Xiaofeng was also there.

Because Coach Cai also asked Xiaofeng to penetrate the penalty area and look for opportunities.

Xiaofeng previously played primarily as an offensive organizer, but in the new tactics, he also has to fill in as a center, needing to be able to distribute the ball in the penalty area and score if the opportunity arises.

Coach Cai required the three of them to be able to rotate like a windmill.

Indeed, if you want to win the World Cup, you have to maximize everyone's abilities. A team that relies on just one savior will never go far in the World Cup...

Captain Wang is important, I am important, and everyone on this team is important!

Chi Zhen is full of confidence in the path he is about to take.

"...What I just said was what we should do when we push forward and have the advantage in possession. Next, what should we do when we are under pressure from the opponent and are being pressed high up the pitch... In this situation, Fu Xiaofeng, you need to drop deeper, back to the defensive midfield position, to increase our possession in the backfield. Also, when transitioning from defense to attack, you are responsible for orchestrating the midfield..."

Cai Bokang clicked the mouse, and various passing and running routes appeared on the large projection screen.

In these diagrams, it can be seen that Fu Xiaofeng has dropped very deep, clearly no longer working as an attacking midfielder, but rather as a defensive midfielder.

“I know you’ve mostly played as an attacking midfielder, both for the national team and your club. Now you need to change some of your old playing habits. The position is different, and the requirements are different too. Any questions?” Cai Bokang asked Fu Xiaofeng.

Chu Yu turned his gaze over there.

He could see that Fu Xiaofeng had a heavy responsibility in this new tactic. He not only had to be the playmaker but also the finisher, able to retreat defensively and attack aggressively. He was practically being used as a box-to-box midfielder, requiring him to run more and do a lot of the dirty work.

Is this what Wang Lie meant when he said everyone should strive to improve themselves and become stronger?
Chu Yu knew what Fu Xiaofeng was thinking, so he wanted to see how Fu Xiaofeng would behave now.

Fu Xiaofeng pointed to himself: "Don't worry, Instructor Cai. I'm 100% fine."

The answer was not only straightforward but also very confident, showing absolutely no sign of reluctance.

Cai Bokang was satisfied with Fu Xiaofeng's answer. He nodded and then turned to the whole team: "When defending, except for the goalkeeper and Wang Lie, the other nine players must drop back to their positions. Wang Lie's position is relatively free, so he stays up front..."

No one has an opinion.

The goalkeeper is already in his position; he only moves into position when he is not defending.

Why is it that Captain Wang is also allowed to not return to defense?
Because of age.

At thirty-eight years old, it's unlikely that he'll be expected to both track back on defense and immediately attack on offense...

Moreover, as a striker, Wang's biggest role is to score goals. As long as he can run less and save his precious energy for attacking, whether he goes back to defend or not is completely unimportant.

Forget about running less; if the rules of football allowed, we could even play the game while carrying Captain Wang on our backs!
So neither Cai Bokang, who was speaking, nor the national team players who were listening, took those words to heart.

Just as Cai Bokang was about to continue speaking, Wang Lie raised his hand:
“I also have to get back to defend, Coach Tsai.”

Cai Bokang was surprised that Wang Lie would object. He paused for a moment, then reflexively turned to look at head coach He Zhenyong.

Giving Wang Lie the privilege of not having to participate in the defense was something he and He Zhenyong discussed and decided together.

The starting point was naturally Wang Lie's age.

Logically speaking, openly granting special privileges to a particular player is not really in line with head coach He Zhenyong's style. Otherwise, if he wanted to grant privileges, he would have done so to Wang Lie long ago; why go through the trouble of trying to expel Wang Lie from the national team?
However, considering that Wang Lie is in very good condition now, we can relax a bit on tactical discipline.

Unexpectedly, Wang Lie didn't appreciate it at all!

Not only was Cai Bokang surprised, but the national team players in the meeting room reacted even more strongly.

Wang Lie's words even caused a stir!
Because they couldn't understand why Captain Wang was against it...

Although Wang performed very well in Tyne in the second half of this season, he is already 38 years old. He will be 39 next year... Will he be able to maintain the same physical condition he had in Tyne in the second half of this season?
Especially considering that Tyne will be competing on multiple fronts next season.

They all believed that Wong's physical condition hadn't collapsed in the first half of the season, partly because he hadn't played much in the first half and hadn't expended much energy. Another reason was that Tyne only had league duties; before Wong arrived, they had been eliminated from both the FA Cup and the League Cup.

In short, since there are fewer matches played, even if there isn't much fuel left in the tank, it's enough.

But next season, Wang will be involved in all of Tyne's matches. Even if he strategically gives up the FA Cup and League Cup, there's still the league and the Champions League.

Even setting aside the possibility of advancing to the knockout stage in the Champions League, the group stage alone presents a formidable challenge, with each opponent being a strong team from their respective national leagues. Every match is a tough battle.

Let's not even talk about the Premier League; it's notoriously packed with matches and has a packed schedule. Furthermore, competing on multiple fronts can negatively impact a team's performance in the league, and if they ultimately have to fight relegation, wouldn't that take up a lot of their energy?
Will Captain Wang, who is 39 years old at the time, be able to hold on?

Everyone turned their shocked and puzzled gazes toward Wang Lie.

Some people couldn't understand why he did this, while others thought that Captain Wang was just showing off again...

Not to mention others, even Liu Jinxuan felt that Captain Wang was being a bit too arrogant.

Amidst the uproar, Wang Lie continued:
"I know the coaching staff means well, considering my age and wanting me to expend less energy in the game... but if I run less, my teammates will have to share the burden, which actually increases the team's overall workload. First of all, as captain, I have no reason to expect the whole team to serve me. Secondly, I know my physical condition very well, and it's far from the point where I need to do this. If you don't believe me, you can see how I perform after the new season starts."

Wang Lie couldn't explain to everyone that he actually had a cheat code, which made his physical age younger whenever he scored a goal.

That was all he could say, even if it made people think he was showing off.

But perhaps it's because doing this is particularly in line with his persona, or perhaps his previous performance in Tyne was convincing enough.

In short, after some consideration, head coach He Zhenyong surprisingly agreed:

"Alright, then it depends on your performance, Wang Lie. If you can't do it, I hope you won't force yourself."

Wang Lie nodded and gave the head coach a promise:
"Don't worry, Coach He. I said I would give it my all to win the World Cup, and I mean it!"

Although it seems really pretentious, what he said was the truth.

Regardless of what others think or believe in his words, he will prove the value of his answer today with every goal he scores in the upcoming season.

(End of this chapter)