Team Spirit

Chapter 198 Ten Hag's Coaching Dream, But the Real Madrid Version

Sky Sports: "After five consecutive titles, Dartford are the only champions of the EFL Cup!"

The Times: "Lucy scored five goals and provided eight assists, winning the EFL Cup Player of the Season, Top Scorer, and Top Assister!"

The Labor Daily: "Arshavin becomes the first Russian player to be named Man of the Match in the history of the EFL Cup final!"

Manchester Evening News: "Forlán's comeback is a success! Five goals share the Golden Boot honor with Lu Kai!"

According to AS: "Luxemburgo is interested in signing Diego Forlán, aiming to turn La Liga into the Copa America. Florentino Pérez is keen on Arshavin, wanting to extend Real Madrid's influence into Russia!"

The Echo: "Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, EFL Cup! Despite the Premier League's drag, Dartford still become treble winners!"

What is the trophy with the best value for money?
It's the Super Bowl!

Because the Super Cup can often be considered as an honor for both the previous season and the new season, it's like having two honors in one.

And now Dartford has become the seemingly impressive "Treble Winners" again, hasn't it?
After the match, the BBC published an in-depth report.

The author of this report is named "Yang Chang bee Duan" and his profile picture is a large stag, which is Watford's team logo.

However, Watford's crest was originally half black and half yellow.

But the profile picture is green.

It seems this commentator has deep ties to Watford.

The report focused on one point: "While Drogba remains one of Chelsea's best players, his impact in other matches has fallen short."

"Lampard and Terry, these key players, also performed below their usual standards. And Joe Cole, who came on as a substitute, was unproductive."

“The worst performer was Lee Fowler; he was completely turned into Lu Kai’s toy.”

"These players are all Lu Kai's teammates at their clubs or in the England national team."

"It turns out that you shouldn't use players that Lu Kai is familiar with to match up against him, especially in important defensive positions. He is very good at beating his own players!"

"Based on my 20 years of experience in the football industry, I would like to advise Real Madrid to be cautious in using players from mainland China!"

"Otherwise, tomorrow's Real Madrid will be today's Chelsea!"

This report sparked heated discussions across Europe and was hailed as the "most valuable football commentary" of the week.

It was also reprinted by several Spanish media outlets.

After watching it, both the Royals and the Barcelona team were deeply moved.

……

March 5th, the 29th round of the English Premier League.

Dartford will face a tough opponent, Manchester United, ahead of their Champions League second leg match.

Dartford made bold rotations.

They were easily defeated 0-3 by Manchester United at home!

Lu Kai came on as a substitute in an attempt to draw a yellow card, and became a part of this losing game.

After defeating Manchester United twice in the EFL Cup, Green Gunners were defeated twice by Manchester United in the league.

Manchester United fans finally got their revenge.

If Ferguson hadn't felt the second half had lost its meaning and started bringing on younger players to gain experience, the score wouldn't have been so easy.

Green Gunners remain in 17th place in the Premier League, just one step away from the relegation zone.

March 8th, Pond Convenience Store.

Dartford's players are packing their things, preparing to fly to Madrid.

According to Lu Kai, this is their most important game of the season, and no amount of caution is too much.

Ashley Young searched high and low but couldn't find his laptop.

Because he was unable to play in the Champions League, Ashley Young's appearance fee and various bonuses were significantly reduced, and he has been struggling to make ends meet recently, so he has taken a temporary job at a convenience store.

So I don't have time to watch movies on my laptop anymore.

As a result, I didn't even remember where I put the computer.

"I remember it was definitely in the locker at the cashier, and it was locked. No one except Director Jiang had the key, so how could it have disappeared?"

Ashley Young racked his brains but still couldn't figure it out.

"You mean a used computer covered in pictures of various women?" Lu Kai asked.

Ashley Young nodded repeatedly.

Lu Kai thought for a moment: "I think I saw it on Tenhah's workstation cabinet before, why don't you go look for it?"

Ashley Young and Ten Hach both changed their expressions at the same time.

Ashley Young went to find him immediately.

Two minutes later, he chased after Ten Hach to the training ground.

Clearly, Ten Hag took his computer because he wanted to uncover some team secrets.

However, Ten Hag's every move was under the surveillance of the convenience store.

Although he got the computer, he didn't crack the password. The computer was in his cabinet, and he had almost forgotten about it.

Lu Kai knew that Ashley Young had close ties with the BBC, and a couple of days ago he used Ashley Young's computer to contact the BBC and published the recently viral article using Ashley Young's account.

With a major battle imminent, Real Madrid isn't stupid; they won't be easily led by the nose by certain media outlets with ulterior motives.
These teams often don't believe a single word a commentator says that suddenly appears out of nowhere.

But Ashley Young's account is different. His past posts contain many derogatory remarks about Green Gun and Lu Kai, which clearly shows that he is a "righteous person" who knows the inside story.

It couldn't be an undercover agent sent by Green Gun.

That's why his remarks were reprinted by major Spanish media outlets and thus have real reference value.

As for Ashley Young's login password...

Ten Hach used 183 as the core number, but he never managed to find the answer.

But Lu Kai simply entered 0165 and easily deciphered the code.

Ashley Young often mentions that he is 1.83 meters tall, but no one knows that he actually misses his younger self when he was 1.65 meters tall.

After all, those were the happiest times for him, when he had a low salary, no backstabbing, and could focus solely on playing football!
Wages are too high now, which has led to a consumer trap. In addition to playing football, I have to write articles, sell insider information, and work illegally at convenience stores just to make ends meet.

It can only be said that the value of Jack Ma is still increasing – that's what Ashley Young thinks.

When Ashley Young returned after beating up Ten Hach, he checked his account with the BBC and was quite surprised: "Huh? How come I have an extra thousand pounds?"

"The prize for the most prestigious football commentary article of the week?"

"When did this happen?"

"It must be the one where I forgot to delete the parentheses. I remember it was quite a hot topic back then..."

"So, with my return to the Champions League squad, I won't have to wipe the table anymore."

"Hey, Xiao Jiang, make me a 'Yang Yang Coconut Latte'!"

Ashley Young bids down a banknote with undeniable pride.

Amorin's eyes lit up: "Brother Yang, you've struck it rich!"

Ashley Young, glancing at Vardy and Sterling who were swallowing hard, laughed and said, "Three more drinks, please! It's on me!"

Modric shook his head slightly, a gesture that Ashley Young noticed: "Luca, what's with that expression?"

"You want a drink too?"

"Call me Brother Yang, and I'll treat you too!"

Modric shook his head: "What kind of skill is it to invite me? If you're so capable, invite the whole team."

Ashley Young: "Trying to provoke me? Okay, then tell me why I ordered this milk tea. If you guess right, I'll treat the whole team."

Amorin asked, "Of course, it's because it contains two fruits that are relevant to you: bayberry and star fruit."

Ashley Young shook his head: "No, that's not it. Don't guess, let him guess. I don't believe he can guess!"

Modric smiled slightly: "Are you sure? Well, my Chinese has improved recently. If I'm not mistaken, you're probably after the words 'raw coconut'!"

Ashley Young was stunned.

Modric: "The word 'coconut' sounds like 'victory' in Chinese, so you hope your team can win your first Champions League match back and advance to the quarterfinals."

"Without Yang Luqiang, they drew with Real Madrid; with Yang Luqiang, they defeated Real Madrid. It's clear who the key to victory is."

Ashley Young's lips curled into a slight smile: "Damn it, you saw right through me."

"Please, everyone, please. I'm completely convinced, I'll pay the bill!"

Vardy whispered, "Yang, don't be impulsive, how much money will this cost!"

Ashley Young said: "It's okay. As Luca said, if we can beat Real Madrid, I will be the Green Gunner's number one hero in defeating Real Madrid, and I will be the talk of the town in Europe."

"Will you still care about such a small amount of money then?"

Jiang Mengyun came over with a bill and went to pay.

After watching his money disappear, Ashley Young asked, "Mr. Jiang, how about I take over the labor next week?"

Jiang Mengyun: "I wouldn't dare trouble you, there are already volunteers."

Ashley Young got impatient: "How can this be done by volunteer? I can definitely wipe the table better than any volunteer. Please reconsider?"

"I didn't expect your milk tea to be so expensive. After paying for this, I really don't have much money left. I have a loan to take out next week, so please be lenient."

"I promise I'll never call you Xiao Jiang again. I just twitched my tongue and didn't realize it at the time. I actually have great respect for you and have never said you were a heartless boss..."

……

March 9th, the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16.

In Madrid, Spain, the Bernabéu Stadium was packed with 80,000 fans.

Real Madrid and Dartford are about to deliver a "comeback showdown" for audiences worldwide.

Real Madrid's starting lineup clearly surprised most people:
Raul
Solari, Zidane, Figo

Gravesen, Guti

Carlos, Samuel, Pavón, Salgado

Casillas

-

To be fair, although Lu Kai had anticipated this scene, Luxemburgo really knows how to surprise people, and even gave him an extra Pavón.

A few days ago, in a La Liga match, Essien and Duff played the full 90 minutes, helping Real Madrid secure all three points and continue their fierce battle with Barcelona for the top spot in La Liga.

Outstanding achievements.

But this was merely a prelude to Luxemburgo's decision to bench the "Green Gun defensive duo" in this match.

Luxemburgo was determined not to give Lu Kai the opportunity to abuse his own people.

Moreover, in order to silence the public, since some fans believe that "The Butcher" Gravesen may still be a little worse than "The Buffalo" Essien.

Then I'll move the versatile midfielder "Golden Wolf" Guti to the defensive midfield position.

A double defensive midfield setup isn't better than Essien's single defensive midfield setup?

This 4-2-3-1 formation has been Real Madrid's regular lineup for the past two years, so they are very familiar with it.

Of course, this adjustment also benefited from Beckham's injury in the last league match.

Actually, Beckham strained a muscle when he took off Lu Kai's shoe during the first leg of the match against Green Gunners.

Beckham was therefore given a rest.

However, in the last league match, Luxemburgo, in addition to fielding Essien and Duff, also tried his best to give Beckham a starting role. This was because he actually wanted Beckham to be a substitute in this match.

If possible, it's best not to play.

After all, Beckham was Lu Kai's teammate on the England team!

We still need to be careful!
As a result, Beckham was forced to leave the game due to injury, which saved Luxemburgo a lot of trouble, as he didn't need to spend time comforting Beckham.

Wonderful, wonderful!

Salgado's right-back used to play quite well, but his performance declined last season.

Even a further decline is still better than being a "traitor" like Duff who is utterly helpless against Lu Kai.

Duff could have played center-back, but Luxemburgo preferred to use Pavón rather than Duff.

This is also Pavón's last chance at Real Madrid.

The "Zidane + Pavón" duo was once incredibly successful, but now Pavón rarely gets a chance to play.

If Luxemburgo manages to revive Pavón through this match, it will be another miraculous comeback comparable to Alfred's revival of Fran.

It can also appease the Spanish contingent within Real Madrid.

Having secured both the local and Brazilian factions, what are international big names like Zifibeo compared to them?

If they dare to challenge me like they did before this match, I'll kick them out of the team!
Real Madrid will ultimately become Luxemburgo's personal fiefdom!
After Ferguson, Wenger, and Alfred, it was Luxemburgo's turn!
As for Ronaldo and Helguera, they were both injured in the first leg against Green Gunners and have not yet returned for this match.

For a moment, Real Madrid, with its formidable lineup, seemed to lack squad depth. While its players remained at a high level in every position, it lacked sufficient substitutes. But this golden lineup, why would it need substitutes?
If the game had gone on for sixty or seventy minutes, Real Madrid would have already been leading by two or three goals.

If we bring in two youth academy players, won't we gain another reputation for being "good at training young players"?
On the Green Guns' bench.

Guardiola: "Is Real Madrid's coach mentally unstable? Real Madrid has lost almost half of its regular starters this season, but why does he seem quite happy?"

Modric: "Does he know how sinister his smile is? Has he been poisoned by some kind of 'Three Smiles of Ecstasy'?"

Alfred said, "He sees this as his chance to make a name for himself. This is probably one of the few games this season where he can completely arrange his lineup according to his own wishes."

How could he not be happy?

Alfred immediately recognized Luxemburgo's true nature, because they were the same kind of people.

They don't have much real skill or expertise.

On the contrary, they are experts at internal strife and internal development.

Such people have a purpose, such as internal development, suppressing players, taking the blame, and bearing pressure.

But if you want to seize all power, then you've gone down the wrong path.

The ending will inevitably be tragic.

They'll either ruin their own faction or ruin themselves; either way, they'll end up badly.

"Do you know what Lu and I were discussing before the match started?" Alfred asked, looking at the group.

Everyone shook their heads.

Alfred: "I'm afraid Real Madrid's starting lineup is a smokescreen by Alfred because everything is going too smoothly, so smoothly that it's unreal."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Only Ten Hag, staring at Luxemburgo, thought of something else.

If Luxemburgo is truly incompetent, and his actions have crippled Real Madrid, can he still remain Real Madrid's head coach after this match?
If not... then will Real Madrid find a replacement head coach?

The season isn't over yet, and a top-tier manager can't leave midway through. There aren't any top-class managers on the market who are a good match for Real Madrid.

So who will Real Madrid look for?
It's worth noting that Real Madrid has extended numerous invitations to Alfred in recent years, demonstrating their strong interest.

After Alfred brings back the team that defeated them, Real Madrid will certainly be even more eager for him.

With Alfred gone, wouldn't the Green Gunners' head coach position fall to his first disciple?
To top coaches, Green Gunners are just a formidable team, not worth mentioning.

But for someone who has just become a head coach, being able to coach the Green Gunners is practically a fifth-gear advantage! He was born in Rome!

“Teacher, actually I think the position of Real Madrid head coach…” Ten Hag was about to offer his opinion.

Teacher, please fight for it!

Alfred interrupted, "The Real Madrid coach?"

“This matter can’t be rushed. I need to discuss it with Lu.”

"Moreover, it is very difficult, requires careful management, and the cost is probably not small."

Ten Hag patted his chest and said, "Teacher, you don't need to worry about the expenses. Our Ten Hag Group will take care of everything!"

Alfred: "But I haven't taught you all the tactical and technical aspects yet, and I'm leaving like this..."

Tenhah was deeply moved: "Teacher, it's my bad luck, it's my fate. You've already been good enough to me, so please allow me to serve you a little longer!"

Alfred felt somewhat guilty about how much money he had squeezed out of Ten Hach.

Since Ten Hag wants to be Real Madrid's interim manager, he should have a chance if he asks Lu Kai to help him, provided they win this match.

Coincidentally, Lu Kai had discussed similar issues with Alfred before.

If they had some of their own people in top clubs, the Celtics' player prices would likely be even more attractive, and their player market would be much better.

Often, two players of similar caliber can have different trade values, future fame, and historical status simply because they join different clubs.

If Quaresma had stayed at Sporting Lisbon for two more years, Manchester United would not have signed Cristiano Ronaldo in 2003.

If Messi had been ousted from Barcelona earlier, Coutinho might not have become the biggest flop in Barcelona's history.

If it weren't for Ten Hag's insistence on bringing him in, how could Anthony, the "Compass," possibly be worth hundreds of millions?

However, while it may be easy to move Ten Hag there, it will be difficult to keep him on the team until next season.

If he cannot remain in office, then Ten Hach will be of no use during the summer transfer window, and all the efforts will have been in vain.

For a moment, Alfred felt a headache coming on.

I fell asleep thinking about it.

Anyway, Lu Kai will handle these things; the old man just needs to do as he's told.

Alfred fell asleep, and Ten Hach was genuinely excited.

The coach is racking his brains to figure out how to manage Real Madrid. With his abilities, he can't just be a stopgap manager. Even if he takes over mid-season, Real Madrid will probably offer him at least a three-year contract and give him the remaining two months to practice.

The only concern is that the coach poached too many players from Green Gunners during the summer transfer window, which would make it difficult for him, Ten Hag, to lead the team in the new season.

Both master and apprentice were worried about each other.

The coach was worried that his protégé wouldn't be able to establish himself at Real Madrid and wouldn't be able to bring in enough expensive players from Green Gunners.

The apprentice was worried that his master had established himself at Real Madrid and had brought in too many players from Green Gunners.

Teachers are kind and students are filial.

A scene of harmony.

Luxemburgo: Do ​​you think I'm dead? I'm still the Real Madrid manager!!!

Lu Kai: It won't be for long.

……

beep!

With the sound of a whistle, the match officially began.

The 80,000-meter-high mountain roared like a tsunami.

The atmosphere at Real Madrid's home stadium is always top-notch when the team is not behind!
Of course, if they fall behind, they might turn against their own team or boo their own players.

Compared to Real Madrid's major roster changes, Green Gun's lineup remains relatively conventional:

Arshavin, Fran, Lu Kai

Amorim, Carrick, Toure

Ashley Young, Davis, Cannavaro, Maicon

Foster

-

Arshavin, Carrick, Forlan, Maicon, and Amorim have all improved significantly this season, growing much faster than other players.

This lineup has relatively stronger attack power.

This also means that Lu Kai has no intention of competing with Real Madrid in defense.

In Lu Kai's view, Real Madrid is now like a sieve.

In the third minute, Luxemburgo directed Real Madrid's attack.

Zidane passed the ball to the right wing, and Figo crossed from the right wing.

Solari made a run to the far post and fired a shot that went wide.

Maicon put some defensive pressure on them and didn't completely lose his position.

Solari gave Figo a thumbs up, meaning the guy should pass the ball a couple more times.

Compared to when Zidane played as a left winger, Solari's positioning and sprinting were actually further forward when he played as a left winger.

You could say it's an improvement in offense, sprinting, and even defense.

However, from the perspective of ball possession, this is a weakening.

Zidane would never lose possession in this position; he orchestrated the entire team's moves.

Solari, on the other hand, is more like a striker here, which naturally consumes possession of the ball.

If the conversion is poor, the chances of getting a green gun increase.

Of course, judging from this attack alone, Real Madrid is no different from before, and their attack remains at a high level.

Despite losing many superstars and starters, the team's strength has not declined.

what does this mean?
It means Luxemburgo is awesome!

In the seventh minute, Solari delivered a direct cross at a 45-degree angle.

Raul makes a forward run and heads the ball towards the goal.

Davis quickly followed, and the two jumped together, with Davis barely managing to clear the ball.

The Bernabéu erupted in applause, celebrating Raúl's brilliant attack.

However, while this style of play may seem threatening, the chances of scoring are actually quite slim.

Because Davis is a player whose height, strength, speed, and other aspects are enough to overpower Raul.

Cannavaro could disable Raul's movement and force Raul to make direct contact with Davis, using Raul's weakness to attack Davis's strength.

The Cardinals teamed up to keep a close eye on Raul.

Raul, as a lone striker, is not only inferior to Ronaldo, but also to Morientes, who was just traded to Liverpool in the winter.

Real Madrid's powerful attacking creativity and individual abilities therefore failed to translate into goals.

A prolonged and unsuccessful attack has always been a major taboo in football.

In the eleventh minute, Solari passed the ball to Carlos, who was overlapping on the wing.

Maicon and Lu Kai seamlessly switched on defense.

Maicon pushed past Carlos to steal the ball.

It was then passed back to Cannavaro.

Cannavaro passes the ball to Carrick.

Carrick is looking for Amorim.

Green Gun's passing doesn't have that impatient "Hurry up, let's launch a counterattack!" feeling.

But all of them involve a single touch, and the actual movement of the ball in football is very fast.

Amorim received the ball near the center circle and made a through pass without stopping it.

The ball flew between Gravesen and Guti, the two defensive midfielders, in a simple yet flamboyant fashion.

Like the last straw that broke the camel's back for Real Madrid, it instantly shattered their entire team.

At this moment, a murderous intent suddenly appeared!
Diego Forlán broke the offside trap and created a one-on-one opportunity.

Pavin was completely outmaneuvered by him.

boom!
Facing the onrushing Casillas, Forlán took a low shot.

The football fell steadily into the goal.

After scoring, Forlán himself felt it was somewhat unreal.

He looked toward Amorim in midfield.

The latter had the same expression.

That feeling was... just that?
“GOAL!!!”

"One-nil! Dartford take the lead and score first!"

"Real Madrid were too careless; they didn't press forward aggressively after losing possession."

"Datford's counter-attacks were also very fluid, but rather than being as smooth as Real Madrid did not put any pressure on them."

"During Green's series of passes, Real Madrid players never came within a meter of the player who made the pass."

"Real Madrid needs to adjust their attitude quickly."

"I believe that with the capabilities of the Galactic Battleship, as long as they have the right attitude, there's no way they can't beat Green Gun!"

"After all, this is the Bernabéu!"

"Green Gunners can defeat the fake top team in La Liga, but they can't defeat the real top team in La Liga right now, Real Madrid."

On the pitch, Gravesen and Guti are talking.

Luxemburgo was also scolding the players.

But Zidane stood with his hands on his hips, a hint of despair already showing in his eyes.

In his view, this was just the beginning.

(End of this chapter)