Team Spirit

Chapter 259 The Green Gun's Secret Weapon to Victory

In the final moments of the first half, Dzeko actively participated in winning back possession but made a mistake.

He made the mistake of passing the ball back to Bonucci, which allowed the ball's trajectory to be predicted.

Martins aggressively pressed the ball forward.

Bonucci's first touch was poor, wasting time, and his hasty pass was intercepted by Martins.

Martins surged into the penalty area and curled a shot from just outside the six-yard box to score.

Neuer's profanity even reached his tonsils.

"Oh! One to three! Newcastle has salvaged some pride."

"The biggest significance of this goal was preventing Dartford's midfielder from popping champagne."

“Dzeko still needs time to integrate into the team. Although he and Lu Kai have developed a rapport, the others are not Lu Kai.”

The match has entered halftime.

Fans went to the restroom, while others went to buy milk tea, beer, hamburgers, and fries.

Anyone with eyes can see that this game is going to be pretty good, so everyone can totally get into the fun mode.

If the score were reversed, the restaurant's sales revenue at the home stadium today would be significantly lower.

In the second half, the two sides changed sides and started the game again.

Newcastle took the lead.

After Babayaro made a run down the wing, his cross from the wing created a corner kick.

After the corner kick was taken, Vidic headed the ball away.

But after controlling the ball on the perimeter, Bate delivered a long pass deep into the penalty area.

Martins made a run on the right and volleyed a cross into the penalty area.

The ball's power is difficult to control, and the threat lies at the far post.

Parker headed the ball towards the goal, but missed despite having almost an open goal.

Newcastle players were extremely disappointed.

Parker himself found it incredible.

In the 53rd minute, Ribery cut inside from the right and passed the ball back to Ashley Young.

Ashley Young delivered a through ball into the penalty area, taking advantage of the space cleared behind Ribery.

Lu Kai made a diagonal run and delivered a brilliant backheel pass.

The football rolled to Dzeko's feet near the penalty spot.

But Dzeko clearly hadn't anticipated this brilliant pass.

After hastily receiving the ball and turning, he made too many adjustments, and his final shot was affected by the opponent, going slightly high.

"Oh! Dzeko wasted a golden opportunity; missing a shot like that would cost a lot of points."

"At present, none of Dartford's center forwards are up to satisfactory standards."

"Dzeko still needs to integrate, and his shot selection and player confidence also need to be developed."

"Giroud's footwork is a bit lacking, and his movement speed is relatively slow."

"Based on the current information, Mandzukic has the strongest mobility, but he is naturally a little weaker in terms of combat and technology."

"The good news is that all three players still have room for growth."

In the 57th minute, Martins broke into the Green Gunners' penalty area by one-twoing Ameobi.

But in his attempt to break through, he took a rather long final touch, only to find that Neuer had rushed out early and cleared the ball before Martins could react.

It has a very wide range of control.

In the 64th minute, Lu Kai delivered a through pass.

Duff dribbled past the goalkeeper with a quick stop and a touch, but his subsequent left-footed shot from a tight angle went wide, hitting the post and bouncing out of play.

"Oh! What a pity! Duff almost scored a brace."

On the sidelines, the Green Gunners players are warming up.

As expected, Alfred made two substitutions.

Vardy replaced Duff.

Giroud replaced Dzeko.

The replacement of the former is mainly based on health considerations.

In the 66th minute, Ashley Young pressed forward.

Ribery cut inside first, pushing the opposing defender into the penalty area, and then passed back to Ashley Young.

Ashley Young beat Modric one-two to the right edge of the penalty area and played a through ball to Giroud.

Unfortunately, it was blocked.

Even Zidane shook his head: "With so many players in the penalty area, how could a ground pass possibly get through?"

But Zidane only knew one side of the story, not the other.

Ashley Young smiled slightly and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot at the goal as the ball bounced back.

The pass wasn't the goal; it was simply to create an opportunity for him to shoot.

That way, no one can say he's being selfish.

Unfortunately, the opposing goalkeeper was prepared and dived to make a save.

The ball deflected off the far post and bounced to the right side of the six-yard box.

Giroud followed up with a shot, but unfortunately it was his weaker foot.

Then, the near-end column.

The ball bounced to the top of the penalty arc and was controlled by Filho.

Filho passed the ball to Pepe on the left flank.

Pepe also attempted a curling shot, but it looked more like a pass because the ball wasn't moving very fast.

Lu Kai reacted quickly, positioning himself in front of the goalkeeper as he came out to challenge.

Harper's plan to make a move was abandoned.

Giroud and Williams leaped high into the air.

The latter was in a better position and cleared the ball.

The Green Penguin Stadium erupted in cheers, followed by applause for Williams.

However, Williams twisted his ankle after landing and was substituted by his teammates after a few minutes.

In the 71st minute, Lu Kai intercepted Parker's pass in midfield.

The latter underestimated Lu Kai's ability to intercept, and hesitated for a moment before Lu Kai stuck to him, losing the opportunity to pass the ball.

Lu Kai passed the ball to Modric and then made a forward run.

Modric passed the ball to Ribery.

The latter made a cross pass to Lu Kai, who was making a forward run.

Lu Kai met the ball coming from the right side at the edge of the penalty area with a sweeping cross, passing it to the left side of the penalty area.

Vardy was alone, with no one defending him.

The ball was controlled and then volleyed into a shot, all in one smooth motion.

Harper, who was halfway through his attack, was powerless to stop it.

"GOAL! Four to one! Dartford has finally scored again."

"To be honest, this ball should have arrived a long time ago."

Vardy pointed at Lu Kai, and then everyone celebrated together in a relaxed atmosphere.

In the 76th minute, Green Gunners made their last substitution.

Chen Tao replaced Modric.

In the 82nd minute, Chen Tao made a wide pass to Vardy on the left.

After receiving the ball on the wing, Vardyra used his speed to outpace the opponent and delivered a cross.

Giroud's header went wide.

In the 85th minute, Lu Kai lobbed a pass to Vardy, but it was intercepted by Bats instinctively raising his foot.

Butt passes the ball to Parker.

However, Chen Tao immediately tackled Parker to the ground, stopping the quick counterattack and receiving a yellow card in the process.

Lu Kai then reached out to Chen Tao to apologize.

Green Gun began to tighten its formation.

In the 88th minute, the situation reversed.

Newcastle launched an attack around Green Gun, but eventually lost possession to Pepe.

Pepe launched a counter-attack with a long pass.

Vardy sprinted past Moore, catching up with the ball first, and then dribbled towards the penalty area. Vardy deliberately cut inside, encroaching on Moore's space and forcing him to slow down.

This is a conspiracy.

Moore had no choice but to knock Vardy down.

The referee immediately blew his whistle.

Moore was shown his second yellow card of the match, which was subsequently converted into a red card.

Moore was sent off, leaving the team with one less player.

Dartford were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty arc.

All eyes were on Lu Kai.

Lu Kai was looking through the "Six Meridians Divine Sword".

The last time he attempted a free kick, it was a dipping shot.

If you continue to hit drop shot, the ball speed can be increased.

If you change your attacking methods, your goal-scoring rate can be improved.

In addition, the ball was relatively close.

Finally, Lu Kai raised his knife and brought it down, a crescent-shaped blade soaring over the wall of men and landing in the net.

“GOAL!!!”

"Crescent Moon Blade, Lu's Arc!"

"Five to one! Dartford thrashes Newcastle!"

"Lu Kai also completed a hat trick in the final stages of the game."

"In the 2006-2007 season, Dartford achieved a huge victory in their first home game in the Premier League."

"Lu Kai scored three goals and provided one assist, paving the way for the team's home victory!"

"A huge goal difference will put Dartford in a good position in the standings!"

The match ended quickly.

Lu Kai also specially invited Williams to have dinner with the team.

Williams was already planning to stay in London for one night anyway, so the invitation didn't put him in a difficult position.

……

Sky Sports: "Green Guns delivered on their promise, thrashing Newcastle 5-1 and setting their sights on the championship!"

BBC: "Datford have surged to the top of the Premier League table, but it's inflated; there are three teams tied with them on points."

Manchester Evening News: "Lu Kai scored three goals and provided one assist, quickly finding his form. Ronaldo has scored in consecutive games, showing a completely new look this season!"

Ashley Young was rather bored that he couldn't find his name in the news.

Some teams get a day off after winning.

But Dartford did not.

Because every day is precious at the beginning of the season, we must cherish every training session and quickly integrate the team's chemistry and fighting strength.

Sure enough, everyone arrived at the training ground in the afternoon.

"Yang, come here for a second." Lu Kai found Ashley Young, who had nothing to do. "After training today, you and these players stay behind for a bit."

"They will need to do extra training for the next period of time."

Ashley Young immediately sensed something was wrong: "Why should I be the one to inform them? I mean, I don't seem to have that kind of position..."

Lu Kai: Of course I'll let you notify them about things that might offend people. Do you expect me to go myself?
Lu Kai: "You're the team's vice-captain. I thought you enjoyed interacting with the players in this capacity. Since you're unwilling, then I..."

Ashley Young scrambled to his feet, shouting, "Yes, yes, absolutely!"

That evening, Bonucci, Cattermole, Thiago Silva, Smalling, Pepe, and others stayed behind.

When they learned that they would have to do extra training, most of them didn't look too happy.

Pepe immediately complained.

However, since these players were either newcomers or substitutes, Ashley Young still managed to keep things under control.

"Our extra training focuses on the offensive and defensive aspects of the three-center-back system." Ashley Young has already read the tactics book that Lu Kai gave him.

Green Gunners experimented with various formations in their early years, but as they entered the Premier League, faced increasingly higher-level opponents, and experienced greater pressure in matches, their formation stabilized at 4-3-3, with occasional changes.

In football, formations can be broadly categorized into two systems.

Four-defender system and three-center-back system.

Both of these can generate various formations, but they generally do not overlap.

Because the defensive strategies for four defenders and three center-backs are different, it's easy for players to get confused if they practice both.

In the current era, the three-center-back formation and the 4-4-2 formation are the mainstream.

But top teams are all switching to a 4-3-3 formation.

Chelsea's defensive counter-attacking style and Arsenal and Barcelona's possession-based attacking style both achieved their best results in the 4-3-3 formation.

Of course, Green Gunners are the originators of these two tactics, having entered the 4-3-3 formation earlier than the aforementioned teams, and are also one of the leading teams in this formation.

Roughly speaking, the three center-backs are designed to counter the two strikers in a 4-4-2 formation.

However, a single center forward in a 4-3-3 formation can lead to "unused personnel" in the three center-back positions, while there is a "shortage of personnel" on the flanks.

In addition, the inverted winger's cut inside hit the weak point of the three center-backs.

Therefore, Chelsea's attacking runs down both wings were unstoppable.

Even the Green Gun's earlier "strongest left blade" was invincible with just one wing.

Therefore, all the top clubs are transitioning to a 4-3-3 formation, but only they can afford to do so because the 4-3-3 formation places high demands on the two wingers.

You need to be an inside-cutting winger.

Such wingers are still a very new thing in this era.

Ferguson was visionary, and Ronaldo was extremely malleable; it took almost two years for Ronaldo to complete his transformation.

From the preseason onwards this season, Ronaldo has shown tremendous momentum, demonstrating his mastery of the game.

Furthermore, with sufficient research, it can be discovered that ordinary inside-cutting wingers are not enough; you need to be a top-class winger to be able to perform the role of the spearhead in a 4-3-3 formation.

Top-tier wingers are naturally only available to elite clubs.

Unless you're a cuckold.

"So, our 4-3-3 formation has extremely strong attacking power, which is the source of our confidence in competing for the Premier League title this season?" Zidane, Lu Kai, and Guardiola watched the players practice extra on the sidelines.

Guardiola frowned: "If that's the case, then what's the point of practicing a three-center-back formation? And all of them are newcomers or substitutes."

Calling someone a fringe player on the team is disrespectful to you all.

But that's the gist of it.

Lu Kai: "It's easy to get confused between three center-backs and four defenders. The reason for finding a few players to practice the three center-back system separately is to deal with some special teams."

Zidane: "A particularly weak team? Three center-backs and five midfielders to control the ball, reducing the risk of injuries?"

Guardiola: "There's no need for that. With a four-defender system, once we take the lead, the two wingers drop back, and with Lu's defensive presence, we can still control the ball in midfield. We can use possession as a form of defense and reduce physical contact."

Lu Kai smiled but remained silent, offering no further explanation.

He was afraid of scaring the two bald men.

These fringe players are not facing weak teams, but rather... super teams like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal.

These strong teams' 4-3-3 formation is a product that is half a step ahead of its time. Coupled with top players, they can beat anyone.

While the Green Gunners' roster isn't bad, their development is slightly slower. To compete with them, they need to gain a greater tactical advantage.

Twenty years later, after the 4-3-3 formation had reached its peak, the three-center-back system returned to the mainstream.

With the overall improvement in players' individual abilities and willingness to run, the three-center-back system, which was originally countered by the cut-in 4-3-3 formation, has now turned around and countered the cut-in 4-3-3 formation.

With two center-backs on the flanks, and two defensive midfielders, one going forward to double-team and the other dropping back to the defensive position, even if they can't stop the attack, the resulting dense crowding in the penalty area will make it difficult for the wingers to penetrate deeper.

The wing-backs mark the opposing full-backs with one goal: to prevent them from getting to the byline.

The current so-called attacking full-backs are basically useless if they don't go down the byline to cross the ball.

In this way, all four wings that were meant to fly together are rendered useless, and the inward-curved 433 is like a lamb to the slaughter.

On the offensive end, the three-center-back formation already creates an advantage, especially when the center-backs have the ability to distribute the ball, allowing the defensive midfielders to push forward and participate in the attack.

This could lead to an offensive formation of 316 or even 217.

"Sister-in-law, why did you make such a long pass? You need to give me the ball so I can dribble it."

Ashley Young's lecture to his younger teammates could be heard from the training field.

Lu Kai rolled his eyes and said to Guardiola, "Don't let Ashley Young participate in joint training anymore. Don't let his shallow knowledge harm the team."

Guardiola: "What about the coordination then?"

Lu Kai: "He's been playing with me all along and can adapt to any lineup. His football IQ isn't high, but fortunately, he's gotten used to it, so there won't be any problems."

Watching Guardiola and Zidane head to the training ground, Lu Kai shook his head.

Who would have thought that this lineup of rookies with three center-backs was intended for the Premier League and even the strongest teams in the world right now?
(End of this chapter)