I build a giant in the Premier League

Chapter 352 A Triple Crown Victory! The Center Forward: Frankfurt's Surprise! Yang Cheng, Did You Sneaky a Foodie? [Please Subscribe]

With the conclusion of the 38th round of the Brazilian Serie A, the 2015 Brazilian league season has come to an end.

This season's Brazilian Serie A is hailed as the most competitive season in the last 5 years, and even the last decade or so.

By the end of the 37th round, Palmeiras and Corinthians had the same number of points, both with 78.

Even the goal difference between the two teams is extremely close.

They were just two goals short.

It can be said that the final round of the competition brought together all the suspense.

Ten Hag's team had a slow start but a strong finish this season, which surprised everyone.

At the beginning of 2015, no one had high hopes for this Dutchman.

Even within Brazil, everyone felt that appointing a Dutchman to coach a Brazilian club was utterly ridiculous.

As the pinnacle of world football, Brazil needs a Dutchman to coach it.
Even rational voices generally believe that Ten Hag is not familiar with the Brazilian football environment, does not speak the language, and has difficulty communicating with the players. Under such circumstances, how can he lead the team to success?
The dismal start to the São Paulo State League seems to confirm everyone's view.

But no one expected that Ten Hag's team would gradually emerge from the mire and advance triumphantly.

Finally, they even won the São Paulo State League championship!
But that was just a state league.

Upon arriving in the Brazilian Serie A, Palmeiras also had a very good start, with 6 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the first 8 rounds.

In particular, their 4-0 home thrashing of their city rivals São Paulo in the 9th round was a shock to everyone.

But in July, and especially in August, Palmeiras began to experience instability and turmoil.

Palmeiras has no South American competitions, but they've made it to the third round of the Brazilian Cup, where their opponents are getting stronger and stronger.

This team, which is mainly composed of young players, finally entered a period of weakness in July and August after playing in the São Paulo State League and the Brazilian Serie A, and suffered a three-game losing streak.

In October, they suffered a shocking 1-5 defeat away to Chapecoense.

It's fair to say that Palmeiras suffered greatly during this period.

There have even been frequent reports that Ten Hag is going to be dismissed.

But at the crucial moment, Palmeiras withstood the pressure.

As the competition progressed into November, the situation gradually improved, and the players' form steadily recovered.

The Brazilian Cup, however, was fraught with difficulties.

16强里，主场2比1，客场3比2险胜克鲁塞罗。

8强淘汰赛里，客场1比1，主场3比2险胜巴西国际。

In the semi-finals, they lost 1-2 away and won 2-1 at home, resulting in an aggregate draw against Fluminense.

But they ultimately defeated Fluminense 4-1 on penalties to advance to the final.

This victory earned Ten Hag widespread praise and acclaim once again.

Because he practiced penalty kicks extensively before the match.

The Brazilian Cup final is different from other cup finals because it is a two-legged match.

The first round was on November 25th.

Palmeiras lost 0-1 away to their city rivals Santos.

On the other hand, affected by competing on two fronts, Palmeiras lost 0-2 to Coritiba at home in the 37th round of the Brazilian Serie A.

Although both he and Corinthians scored 78 points.

However, Palmeiras trailed Corinthians in goal difference, relinquishing their league position.

Meanwhile, Atlético Mineiro, ranked 3rd in the Brazilian Serie A, only has 66 points.

The champion will be decided in the final round.

However, between the 37th and 38th rounds, there is the second leg of the Brazilian Cup final.

It can be said that Ten Hag's team is under heavy pressure.

Santos has a very strong lineup and overall strength.

Oliveira, Barbosa, Robinho, and others are all world-renowned football stars.

In contrast, Palmeiras is a young guard composed of a group of lads.

This was a brutal, meat-grinding derby in the city.

The two sides engaged in a fierce battle, neither willing to lose.

Palmeiras are trailing after the first leg and must score in the second leg.

Ten Hag's team overwhelmed their opponents with their signature high-pressing tactics and overall teamwork, launching a relentless attack.

Santos, on the other hand, relied on the individual abilities of their star players to try and thwart their opponents through a solid defense and counter-attacks.

Just like in the first round.

They fought for a full 68 minutes.

Jesus's crucial goal helped the team successfully equalize the score.

But Palmeiras was still not satisfied and continued to launch an offensive.

Finally, in the 85th minute, it was Jesus again.

This young player, only 18 years old, has once again contributed to the team's success!

Everyone thought they were going to win!
But just two minutes later, Robinho exploited a weakness in Palmeiras' defense and assisted Oliveira to score a goal.

The format of the Brazilian Cup is a bit complicated.

Starting from the round of 16, following the knockout format of the Champions League, a draw will be decided by away goals.

But in the final, after the score was tied, it went straight to a penalty shootout.

Therefore, although Palmeiras lost 0-1 away and won 2-1 at home, and had an away goal, the game still went to a cruel penalty shootout.

This time, Palmeiras' young players withstood the pressure once again, defeating Santos 4-3 and keeping them out of the championship trophy!
18-year-old goalkeeper Lucas Perry once again scored, securing the Brazilian Cup title!

After a hard-fought victory against Santos, Palmeiras will travel to Brazil to face Flamengo in the 38th round of the Brazilian Serie A.

After conceding a goal in the first half, Gerson and substitute Jesus scored in the second half.

They came from behind to beat Flamengo 2-1!
In another match, Corinthians drew 1-1 with Avaí at a crucial moment.

This proves one thing once again.

When it comes to this crucial moment in winning the championship, it ultimately comes down to fighting spirit and morale.

Palmeiras' comeback victory against Santos to win the Brazilian Cup is the pressure they put on Corinthians.

Ultimately, Palmeiras won the Brazilian Serie A title this season with 81 points, two points ahead of Corinthians.

38轮联赛，25胜6平7负，81个联赛积分。

Corinthians have a record of 24 wins, 7 draws, and 7 losses, with 79 league points.

He scored 67 goals, ranking second in the Brazilian Serie A, only behind Corinthians with 68 goals.

They conceded 31 goals, tied for first place in the Brazilian Serie A with Corinthians.

For his first solo coaching stint, especially in the unfamiliar Brazilian league, Ten Hag has delivered a satisfactory result.

In fact, it was almost a perfect answer sheet.

São Paulo State League Champions!

Brazil Cup Champions!
Brazilian Serie A champions!

This triple crown record is truly amazing!

More importantly, Palmeiras' aggressive and pressing style of football is unique in Brazil.

This is only the first season.

No one doubts that Ten Hag's team will only be more competitive next season.

And they also have to participate in the Copa Libertadores.

After the Chinese player played Arsenal at Basworth Field, Yang Cheng had already received news from Brazil.

He immediately called Ten Hah to congratulate him.

The young Dutch coach was clearly still shaken and quite shaken.

"Actually, it really is just luck!"

Ten Hach told Yang Cheng that he himself had no confidence at all.

But the game had already progressed to that point, so we had to fight.

He hadn't expected this result after giving it his all.

On the phone, Ten Hach became choked up with emotion as he spoke.

"We still don't understand why we suddenly couldn't play anymore. When we lost 1-5 to Chapecoense, I was almost on the verge of a breakdown, you know?"

"Before that, we beat Figueirense 2-0 and Fluminense 4-1 away."

“We all felt that the team’s form had improved, and after the 3-2 narrow victory over Gremio, we thought it was just a minor defensive problem.”

"But then, they drew 1-1 with Sao Paulo away from home, followed by a humiliating 1-5 defeat to Chapecoense."

"We were all completely stunned."

Ten Hach almost choked up as he said these words.

After winning the championship, he was showered with honors, but only he knew how devastated he was during that time and how much pressure he was under.

"None of us knew what to do; we were completely at a loss."

"The technical team gave me a very detailed report. They spent a long time analyzing and judging every game from the beginning of the season until now."

"They told me which position was having problems, and who had experienced a significant drop in performance..."

Ten Hach took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"That's football, Eric!"

Yang Cheng played the role of a competent listener on the other end of the phone.

He would never say things like what Ten Hag just said to anyone, including players, the media, and club officials.

But he told Yang Cheng.

On the one hand, both are head coaches, and Ten Hag believes that Yang Cheng will understand him.

On the other hand, he was very grateful to Yang Cheng.

He couldn't imagine that without the support of the technical team and the help of so many colleagues this past season, he wouldn't have made it this far in crucial moments.

And all of this was given to him by Yang Cheng!

"Sometimes, people think that we win by intuition, it's a kind of metaphysics. Indeed, we win inexplicably and lose inexplicably."

"Data is just a tool. It can't guarantee that we'll win every game. Its greatest role is to help us understand the essence of phenomena and try to maintain an elusive balance."

"The strongest is also the weakest!"

Ten Hach on the other end of the phone learned his lesson.

……

When Yang Cheng led his team to Japan, they were warmly welcomed by Japanese fans.

People from the Japan Football Association even went to the airport to pick them up.

Today, Yang Cheng is not only the Chinese owner of Beswater, but also the chairman of the FIFA Supervisory Board.

This is absolutely a remarkable event for Asian football.

Yang Cheng was even a little embarrassed by the warm reception.

He now fully understands why those high-ranking FIFA officials couldn't resist the temptation.

With the level of hospitality provided by the Japan Football Association, who could possibly accept that?
Especially the thought that if I just nodded slightly, teachers from the mountains, Hebei, and Jingu Temple would all line up for me to choose from.

Not satisfied?
Let's switch to a different batch!
Oh my god, the Japanese are good at nothing but corruption.

But we are good young people who have received nine years of compulsory education, we can't make this kind of mistake!

Therefore, Yang Cheng righteously and firmly refused all the extravagant hospitality and led the team to the Club World Cup hotel.

But I still feel a little regretful.

After arriving in Japan, Yang Cheng spent most of his time attending meetings and receiving visitors.

During the annual Club World Cup, it is a rare opportunity for FIFA executives to gather, and they often take the opportunity to hold an executive committee meeting.

Of course, it's now called a council.

All 36 board members have been elected.

They all gathered in Tokyo, Japan, to participate in the Club World Cup.

Several members of the supervisory board who are stationed in Zurich also came.

The main topic of the meeting was FIFA reform.

The supervisory board held a small internal meeting first, where Mark Pease reported the latest progress and situation to Yang Cheng.

The overall framework has been established; the next step is to refine the details.

This is a long-term process and needs to be carried out gradually.

Overall, the reforms have been very effective.

The overall organizational structure is basically as expected.

The UEFA presidential election has gotten off to a good start.

From now on, the terms of office for key officials from FIFA to UEFA will be basically locked at three terms, or 12 years.

Financial transparency is also being continuously improved.

FIFA is currently in contact with several well-known accounting firms, including KPMG, PwC, Deloitte, and EY, and will conduct audits every six months, publicly releasing semi-annual and annual financial reports.

This is undoubtedly a giant leap forward.

As for issues such as bidding for hosting events, there's really nothing that can be done about it.

If the supervisory board tightly controls all the powers of the board of directors, then they will be unable to accomplish anything.

Putting aside everything else, it's estimated that the World Cup and the Confederations Cup will no longer be held.

Even various competitions under FIFA can be suspended.

Why?

There are too many disputes.

Mark Pease himself admitted that there was indeed a lot of complexity behind it.

Moreover, it cannot be disclosed to the public.

Many things are best discussed behind closed doors; once they are made public, they become very complicated.

Permissions should be delegated, but appropriate constraints should also be imposed. This involves some trade-offs and discussions.

Overall, however, after more than six months, FIFA's reforms have indeed made satisfactory progress.

The employees have also largely shed their old, outdated ways and become completely renewed.

Energetic young employees began to gradually replace the original older employees, and administrative efficiency improved significantly.

Yang Cheng also saw the results of Mark Pease's and the board of supervisors' efforts.

After arriving in Tokyo, Yang Cheng began to meet many people.

Especially some of the candidates for FIFA president.

They all knew very well that with Yang Cheng's current influence in the world of football, if he stepped forward and made a call to action, it would be a huge boost to their election campaign.

Therefore, they all tried every means to gain Yang Cheng's support.

Countless people visit the hotel every day.

Some even simply waited at the hotel.

Yang Cheng didn't need to give face to some people, but he still had to maintain a certain level of politeness towards others. He would still meet with them, but he certainly wouldn't make any promises to them.

Yang Cheng didn't care what the other party promised.

With his current status, he doesn't need to care about these things at all.

On the contrary, it was David Gill.

This Englishman has received strong support from UEFA, and has also made a name for himself in the past six months of FIFA's reforms, winning many opportunities to appear on screen.

In fact, everyone believed that the entire reform plan was spearheaded by Yang Cheng and the supervisory board, with David Gill in charge of its implementation.

As a result, David Gill also gained a lot of positive impressions.

The continental football federations also strongly support David Gill.

However, upon arriving in Tokyo, Japan, he did not privately visit Yang Cheng.

The two only exchanged a few words when they met at some public FIFA meetings, and even then, they only touched on the subject briefly.

Even on issues involving the supervisory board and the board of directors, he would argue with Yang Cheng and the members of the supervisory board based on reason.

This is also a tacit understanding between the two parties.

After all, he's now representing the council.

……

On December 17th, in the Club World Cup semi-final, Baswater Chinese faced off against Guangzhou Yangcheng from China.

Yang Cheng did not field his full starting lineup in this match.

Even Gareth Bale, the team's star player, was excluded from the roster by Yang Cheng under the pretext of recovering from injury.

But he will definitely appear in the final.

From the start of the match, Scolari's team consciously adopted a defensive counter-attacking strategy.

The Chinese at Beswater successfully took control of the overall situation.

Just 15 minutes into the game, a beautiful combination play was completed on the left flank of the attacking third.

After Sterling passed the ball to Harry Kane, the England striker opted to pass it back from the edge of the penalty area.

Modric delivered a through ball.

Harry Kane turned and surged forward, sending the ball into the bottom of the net.

1 is better than 0!

After switching sides in the second half, the Chinese players on the Baswaters once again put up a strong performance.

Still on the left flank, Sterling's dribbling breakthrough drew the defense's attention before he passed the ball across to the center.

Giroud, who came on as a substitute, unleashed a powerful left-footed shot that caused the goalkeeper to fumble, and Salah, at the far post, cleverly seized the opportunity to tap in the rebound.

2 is better than 0!

Ultimately, the Chinese team defeated Guangzhou, China 2-0, and advanced to the final.

This is nothing new to anyone; it's just standard procedure.

……

December 20th, the Club World Cup final.

Baswaters Chinese vs. Argentina's River Plate.

Gareth Bale has finally recovered from his injury and made a timely return to the final stage.

But the superstar doesn't seem to show any signs of injury.

Just 11 minutes into the game, a through ball from Modric found Gareth Bale on the right side of the penalty area. Bale stopped abruptly, dribbled past a defender, and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot.

The ball flew straight into the far corner, giving the team the lead.

1 is better than 0!

Having gained the upper hand, the Chinese at Bethwater continued their fierce attack on the riverbed.

Near the end of the first half, Tony Kroos delivered a diagonal pass from the left flank, finding the right side of the River Plate penalty area near the byline.

Gareth Bale made a high-speed run forward, headed the ball back into the box.

Harry Kane pounced on the loose ball in front of goal and slotted it home, adding another goal for his team.

2 is better than 0!

After taking a two-goal lead, the Chinese players on the Baswaters launched a relentless offensive.

After the break in the second half, a quick counter-attack saw Matic deliver a through ball.

Harry Kane, who had originally intended to drop back and receive the ball with his back to goal, suddenly turned and surged forward, receiving the ball before anyone else and easily chipping it into the River Plate goal.

3 is better than 0!

Harry Kane scored twice!

In the 77th minute, Marcelo dribbled down the left flank and chipped a pass from the edge of the penalty area.

Harry Kane headed the ball into River Plate's goal from close range just outside the six-yard box.

4 is better than 0!

England's striker has scored a hat-trick!

Near the end of the match, Walcott made another dribbling breakthrough, entering River Plate's penalty area, but fell while being pulled by an opposing defender.

The referee did not make a penalty, but slow-motion replays showed that Walcott was clearly pulled down by the opponent.

They missed a penalty kick.

But in the end, the Baswater Chinese team still managed to defeat River Plate 4-0 thanks to Harry Kane's hat-trick.

After the match, Harry Kane, who scored four goals, was named the best player of the Club World Cup!
……

While Yang Cheng was leading his team in the Club World Cup in Japan, the 17th round of the English Premier League was underway.

But this round was full of upsets.

This greatly shocked Yang Cheng, who had just returned to London from Japan.

Chelsea, on the other hand, did not suffer an upset.

Mourinho's team beat Sunderland 3-1.

In a way, this is yet another butterfly effect brought about by Yang Cheng.

In Yang Cheng's previous life, Mourinho should have been sacked before this round of matches.

But for now, he's still firmly in his position as Chelsea's manager.

Of course, Chelsea's current performance is not as bad as it was in my previous life.

This 3-1 victory over Sunderland in this round has given Mourinho a much-needed reprieve.

Other teams, however, were not so lucky.

Despite Martial scoring, Van Gaal's team still lost 1-2 at home to Norwich.

Manchester United suffered a major upset on the eve of Christmas.

But the biggest upset was against Liverpool. Klopp's team inexplicably lost 0-3 to Watford away from home.

Nobody knows what happened; they just lost for no apparent reason.

Klopp himself was also bewildered.

According to the Liverpool Echo, it is estimated to be related to the upcoming Christmas schedule.

Klopp may have wanted to make some adjustments and preparations in advance, so he changed the lineup that had performed well before.

As a result, Liverpool themselves fell into chaos.

The process of the match itself reveals this.

They conceded a goal in just 3 minutes.

Then Liverpool went on a furious chase against Watford.

They conceded another goal in the 15th minute.

Finally, near the end of the match, they lost another one.

This is the Premier League as it is now.

If you're not careful, you could be knocked down at any moment.

And it was a 3-0 score!

When Yang Cheng heard the news, he himself found it hard to believe.

Watford beat Liverpool 3-0? Who would believe that?
It's unclear whether Yang Cheng's earlier comment, "Your grades are so bad, you should have been dismissed long ago," provoked Wenger.

After returning to his home ground, Wenger redeemed himself.

In this round against Manchester City, he actually rolled up his sleeves and went all out against them.

In the 33rd minute, Sanchez scored a goal.

Benzema scored in the 45th minute.

They beat Manchester City 2-0 in the first half.

Yaya Toure's goal just before the end of the second half saved Manchester City's pride.

But the game was already lost.

This news was the most gratifying for Yang Cheng.

So, after the plane arrived in London, Yang Cheng immediately called Wenger.

"Old Wen, the facts prove that you still have the ability, so my promise to you before is still valid."

"You should consider stepping down from your position as manager of Arsenal as soon as possible and becoming my global chief consultant."

"The salary won't be as high as Arsenal's, but don't worry, it'll definitely be enough for your retirement!"

Wenger was so angry that he started cursing on the phone and accidentally smashed his phone.

Yang Cheng listened to the busy tone on the phone and thought Wenger had hung up on him.

Little did he know that Wenger was furious at the Kearney training ground.

He just bought an iPhone 6s Plus!
And it was bought from the Prudential Plaza store!

"Yang Cheng, you bastard, give me back my apples!"

Assistant coach Pat Rice, who rushed over from outside to inquire, was completely bewildered.

What kind of apple is so precious?
Yang Cheng stole it?
……

Yang Cheng didn't have time to care why Wenger hung up on him.

This old man has a few days every month when he's in a bad mood, so who pays him any attention?

More importantly, Yang Cheng is really busy.

Serious business!
Upon arriving in London, the team went directly back to the Brunt training center.

Here, Technical Director Dan Ashworth and Chief People Officer Mike Riggs are receiving a young man who came all the way from Germany.

Julian Nagelsmann, 28 years old.

Nagelsmann arrived in London after leading his team in a match yesterday.

The Chinese arranged for someone to pick up Besworth from the plane and take him directly to the hotel in Prudential Plaza. Afterwards, they also arranged for him to watch a match where Arsenal beat Manchester City 2-1.

This morning, he visited the Brent Training Center.

When Yang Cheng and his group returned to London, they met this rising star of German football in his office.

Their first meeting was quite interesting.

Yang Cheng started coaching the Chinese at Baswater when he was 23 years old, and he is only 35 years old now.

But he is already a world-renowned top coach.

Julian Nagelsmann is only 28 years old, which is really very, very young in the coaching field.

But in front of Yang Cheng, he was clearly already considered a bit old.

Because at his age, Yang Cheng had already won the Champions League.

"Hi, welcome to the Chinese community in Baswater, Julian."

"It's a great honor to meet you, Yang."

Nagelsmann appeared quite excited as he extended both hands to shake hands with Yang Cheng.

"Please take a seat."

After sitting down, the conversation naturally started with the training center run by the Chinese at Bethwater.

Nagelsmann spoke highly of the Brunt training center.

After all, it is a world-renowned training center that has been famous in the football world for many years and is recognized as the most scientifically laid out and best-equipped training base in the world.

There's also Prudential Stadium.

After he went inside and visited, he was also incredibly amazed.

He was staying at the Bulgari Hotel next to the stadium.

"By the way, Julian, have you received your German Football Association coaching certificate yet?" Yang Cheng asked with concern.

Nagelsmann shook his head. "It will probably be late February or March."

The requirements for coaching certificates in Germany are very strict. To coach a Bundesliga team, you must obtain a coaching certificate from the German Football Association.

Previously, Nagelsmann coached the youth team, so he only needed a coaching certificate from the regional football association.

As for his previous leadership of the first team, that was just routine training.

During the game, he was never able to sit on the head coach's or assistant coach's bench.

"This isn't a big problem," Yang Cheng said with a smile.

Avoiding this problem is actually quite simple; just pair him with an assistant who has a coaching certificate.

Before Yang Cheng set off for Japan, he had already received the technical team's analysis.

In fact, their assessment of Nico Kovacs and Julian Nagelsmann was similar to Yang Cheng's previous impression.

The two are evenly matched.

However, Nagelsmann would be more in line with Yang Cheng's overall tactical philosophy.

In addition, this guy was very flexible in tactics when he coached Hoffenheim U19.

The three-back and four-back positions are frequently switched back and forth, and the main focus is on fine-tuning the controls.

Judging from their past coaching experiences, both have their own strengths and weaknesses.

Nagelsmann's tactics are effective, and he is good at developing young players. After all, he has coached youth teams for so many years, and he himself is relatively young, easy to accept new things, and his tactical concepts are also very advanced.

But precisely because he is young and has never played professional football before, he lacks experience.

Niko Kovac's tactics are rather conservative. Yang Cheng also specifically talked to Modric to learn more about him, so he basically knows a bit about Niko Kovac and believes his coaching ability is definitely good.

Moreover, his advantage lies in his extensive experience; his long playing career gives him a strong reputation.

Don't underestimate this point; players who have come from star backgrounds are indeed more likely to control the locker room.

Of course, this is not a big problem for Frankfurt right now.

Moreover, Yang Cheng can easily manage Nagelsmann by providing him with a skilled assistant coach.

It's the same principle as when Barcelona equipped Rijkaard with Ten Cate.

They complement each other.

Nagelsmann was clearly well-prepared.

When the conversation was almost over, he opened his notebook, which contained a lot of his recent preparations.

According to him, he watched all of Eintracht Frankfurt's match videos from this season and last season.

"I think Frankfurt has a lot of problems this season, in attack, defense and midfield organization."

"But the biggest problem is the team's cohesion."

Nagelsmann analyzed the materials on the computer with Yang Cheng and explained his views.

He believes that a major reason for Frankfurt's lack of team cohesion is that the three lines are not tightly integrated.

Frankfurt's players are not particularly strong to begin with.

The formation was loose and not compact enough, so when the opponent charged in the game, it immediately broke apart.

The weaker a team's players are, the more it needs to emphasize teamwork.

Real Madrid and Barcelona play a more relaxed style because they have exceptional individual abilities, which is fine.

Frankfurt won't work.

The lack of compactness made Frankfurt easily break apart, resulting in frequent defensive problems.

On the offensive end, after the defense is broken up, the players' positioning when they intercept the ball will be very loose and lack coordination, which makes it difficult for the team to launch fast counterattacks.

This is reflected in the team's slow offensive and defensive transition speed.

It's almost the slowest in the Bundesliga!

It can be said that so far this season, Eintracht Frankfurt's biggest asset in attack has been their top scorer, Alexander Meier.

But this veteran is about to turn 33.

Moreover, he was already frequently injured.

Meier joined Eintracht Frankfurt in 2005 and has been a key player for the team ever since, earning the affection of Frankfurt fans.

In last season's Bundesliga, Meier scored 19 goals, making him the Bundesliga's top scorer.

However, he missed the entire summer due to knee surgery on April 9th, and did not return until the end of August.

Their performance this season has been quite good.

So far, he has made 13 appearances, scored 7 goals, and provided 1 assist, which is quite good.

But at this point, we must mention Alexander Mayer's technical characteristics.

As a 1.96-meter tall player, Meyer has excellent physical qualities, is very smart in off-the-ball movement, has a keen sense of goal, and has excellent ability to receive the ball with his back to goal and turn to shoot.

His headers are also exceptional.

So far this season, Meyer has averaged 5.4 aerial duels per game, ranking first in the Bundesliga.

The same number was achieved last season, making it the top team in the Bundesliga.

But Meyer isn't actually the kind of center forward who directly confronts the defense.

His greatest strength isn't in close-quarters combat with defenders, but rather in retreating to find gaps in the opponent's defense and then quickly making runs to receive passes from his teammates.

Did you notice?
In the Premier League, there is a player who is very similar to him.

That's Fellaini!

Of course, there's no need to dwell on whether Fellaini resembles Meyer or Meyer resembles Fellaini.

In short, Meyer's technical characteristics actually rely heavily on his movement and the passing from his teammates.

But Nagelsmann showed Yang Cheng a set of data.

Although Meyer has performed very well this season, his shooting accuracy and passing ability have actually begun to decline significantly, and his ability to seize opportunities has also declined.

This is mainly due to injuries and age.

When Armin Fey was coaching Eintracht Frankfurt, his motto was attacking football, and to be friends with beautiful football.

"But in reality, Eintracht Frankfurt ranks fourth from the bottom in the Bundesliga in both goals scored and goals conceded so far this season," Nagelsmann analyzed.

Being among the bottom scorers proves that the attack is ineffective.

A positive number of goals conceded indicates a poor defense.

That's why Frankfurt is currently at the bottom of the rankings.

Yang Cheng had already instructed his technical team to analyze these issues.

The conclusions reached are similar to those of Nagelsmann.

If you can identify a problem, you must also be able to come up with a solution.

Regarding his tactical approach if he were to coach Eintracht Frankfurt, Nagelsmann believes that he would definitely start with improving the defense.

With a shaky defense, any offensive moves are as futile as a mirage.

He prepared several different tactics.

He will try using a three-defender formation.

Why use a three-defender formation?

We need to improve the backline's ability to receive and distribute the ball.

Needless to say, the sweeper center-backs will have more space to pass the ball out.

The 3-1-4-2 formation was one he tried when he was with Hoffenheim U17, and it's a formation he's familiar with and confident in.

However, Frankfurt currently lacks a "1," which is a midfielder who plays deep.

This player is somewhat like Barcelona's number four.

"In the Bundesliga, many teams like to press high up the pitch and directly attack the back line."

"In this situation, the three defenders spread out, and the deep-lying midfielder needs to maintain his position at all times. He needs to be able to receive and pass the ball under high pressure, and at the same time, he needs to be able to provide strong protection for the back line when defending."

"This is difficult!"

Nagelsmann shook his head at this point, saying, "There's really no player like that in Frankfurt right now."

Such players are indeed rare and scarce, but their impact is significant.

Of course, he wasn't saying he wanted a deep-lying midfielder of the caliber of Busquets, Matic, or Javi Martinez.

Frankfurt simply cannot afford a power forward of that caliber.

He wants players whose technical characteristics match the team's and who can fit the tactical role.

"In the 3-1-4-2 formation, the two players in the central midfield need to provide a lot of coverage for the team, have strong running ability, be able to push forward when attacking, and directly press high up the field when defending."

"Try to get the ball back in the shortest possible time."

Nagelsmann was clearly designing tactics for Alexander Meier.

Therefore, the two strikers do not have a fixed position. Instead, they will drop back and move to the flanks to stretch the opponent's defensive formation and then try to attack back.

This arrangement would clearly suit Meyer's taste.

The two flanks support the two forwards, actively attacking the opponent's flanks and supplying ammunition.

In a 4-3-3 formation, the center forward also drops back, while the two wingers make diagonal runs into the space left by the center forward's retreat. This is a fairly standard 4-3-3 attacking tactic.

The center position was also tailor-made for Meyer.

Nagelsmann will also make some minor adjustments to the current two lineups.

For example, 433 can become 4141, 3142 can become 532, and so on.

When Nagelsmann talks about tactics, he becomes noticeably different, his eyes practically sparkling.

Moreover, it's clear that his entire tactic places great emphasis on pressing and pressure in the attacking third, as well as ball control and distribution in the midfield and defense.

This is indeed a very advanced tactical concept.

"I have a question: do you think Alexander Meier can fit into your tactics? Can he provide the kind of running and coverage you want in the attacking third?"

Yang Cheng's question is very pointed.

Although some tactics were designed around Alexander Meyer's characteristics, the overall strategy still had to be taken into account.

Nagelsmann's tactics are advanced, but the players' movement is very important.

Especially as a center forward.

Alexander Meier is 1.96 meters tall and almost 33 years old. Can he provide that much running distance?

If that doesn't work, the entire tactic will definitely be compromised.

“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure either, because I don’t know much about Meyer’s actual situation right now.” Nagelsmann couldn’t give a precise answer.

Yang Cheng nodded silently.

Just as he had previously perceived Nagelsmann.

This young German coach has advanced tactical ideas, somewhat reminiscent of Yang Cheng, Guardiola, Tuchel, and Klopp.

But he is also very flexible and adaptable.

A young coach like this needs to be assigned a highly experienced assistant coach with strong tactical skills to help him identify and address his weaknesses. Otherwise, he might easily make wild decisions and end up getting crushed by the opponent.

If Yang Cheng were to coach Eintracht Frankfurt, he would likely do the same with many of Nagelsmann's ideas.

But Alexander Meier is a legend and a star in Frankfurt.

If it were Yang Cheng, he would be confident in managing Meyer, and even arranging for him to rotate and substitute.

But Nagelsmann may not have that kind of prestige and confidence.

This is the difference between a famous coach and an ordinary coach!

"If you use Meyer as your center forward, the two players in the central midfield need to be very fast runners and preferably have good passing ability. This will allow you to maximize Meyer's freedom and relieve his pressure."

"Even so, there will only be one match per week at most."

"Therefore, you need two Alexander Meyer, just in case!"

Yang Cheng couldn't help but laugh when he got to this point.

But currently, Frankfurt only has one Meyer.

If there were two, Frankfurt wouldn't be in such a bad state now.

Nagelsmann couldn't help but remark that having an owner who knows more about football than he does makes for a truly unique experience.

He can even proactively help himself discover and identify problems, and provide solutions.

"The number 4 player you're looking for isn't hard to find, but he certainly won't be a particularly strong one. Forget about those established players; given Frankfurt's current situation, even if I were to step in, I definitely wouldn't be able to poach him."

Nagelsmann nodded.

This is a very real issue.

"But don't worry, I will help you find a player who fits your tactical needs and whom Frankfurt can attract."

After a pause, Yang Cheng thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "But he may need some time to integrate, so it's best to use the winter break to practice tactics and get back into sync."

"You mean..."

"Go back in the next couple of days and complete the formalities with Hoffenheim. We'll pay for the compensation you'll have to pay for terminating the contract."

The coach of the U19 youth team doesn't earn a high salary to begin with, so how much can he pay in breach of contract fees?
If it were Yang Cheng or Basworth, both Chinese, they probably wouldn't even want the breach of contract fee and would just let him go.

Giving a favor might bring future opportunities for cooperation.

Nagelsmann was a very decisive person. After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "I can get it done when I get back, and I can start working in Frankfurt after Christmas."

Yang Cheng nodded. "Is goalkeeper Hradecky usable?"

After selling Trapp, Frankfurt's current goalkeeper is Finnish goalkeeper Hradecky.

Although not as good as Trapp, his overall performance was still quite good.

He is very focused and has a long pass ability.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Nagelsmann nodded.

After hesitating for a moment, he asked again, "What about the striker signing..."

Yang Cheng chuckled inwardly, knowing that if he didn't reveal something, this kid probably wouldn't be at ease.

After thinking for a moment, he smiled and asked, "What do you think of Niklas Fürkluge from Nuremberg in the German second division?"

Filkrug?
Nagelsmann was certainly no stranger to him.

Because Füllkrug is a German national team player, having risen through the ranks from the youth team to the U20 team.

He started his career at Werder Bremen, but was sold by Werder Bremen to 2. Bundesliga side Nuremberg for €300,000 in 2014.

Last season, he made 24 appearances, scoring 3 goals, but also provided 7 assists.

The reason he only played 24 times was because he suffered a serious injury, damaging the cartilage in his knee, and was sidelined for six months.

He didn't make his comeback until the end of August this year.

So far this season, he has made 15 appearances in the 2. Bundesliga, scoring 4 goals and providing 3 assists.

This player is 1.89 meters tall and can play as a center forward or left winger. He has good footwork and is especially good at heading.

He averaged 5.6 successful aerial duels per game in the 2. Bundesliga.

Moreover, he was born in February 1993, so he's only 22 years old now.

Nagelsmann hadn't even considered Phil Krug before.

Now, whenever Yang Cheng mentions it, he immediately thinks of it, and he realizes that this player is a perfect fit.

Whether he's playing alongside Meyer or rotating in, he's excellent.

But Yang Cheng just casually brought it up.

This was definitely something that had been prepared beforehand.

Little did Nagelsmann know that in Yang Cheng's previous life, Fürkrug had a breakout season in the second half of this year, performing exceptionally well, and subsequently joined Hannover 96.

He later played for Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund, where he performed exceptionally well in the Bundesliga.

Unfortunately, he was affected by injuries, so his performance has been inconsistent.

And now, Frankfurt has just brought him into their fold.

The transfer fee is not expected to exceed 100 million euros.

This was a striker whose market value was 2 million euros at his peak.

Besides Phil Krug, Yang Cheng had actually prepared even more surprises for Nagelsmann.

We're just waiting for him to take office!
Regardless, Eintracht Frankfurt must avoid relegation this season!

(End of this chapter)