Starting with playing defensive midfield for Evergrande

Chapter 134 Cruyff's incredible assist on the pitch, what the heck is that?

What level would Arsenal be at without Su Hao?

In fact, the whole of England started discussing this issue as early as after Su Hao was sent off in the North London derby.

There's nothing we can do about it. Since the start of the league, in any match where Su Hao has played, over 85% of Arsenal's threatening attacks have either been initiated by Su Hao or ended with him directly scoring the goal.

With this purely Su-style attacking style dominating, all Premier League fans, including the managers of other top teams in the league, are wondering whether the strength of Wenger's Arsenal team is due to Wenger's tactics or simply to Su Hao's individual ability!
Especially in the seventh round of the league, Arsenal's opponent was the formidable Everton.

And so, on October 4, 2014...

With almost all of England and even Europe focused on this match, the Arsenal vs. Everton game officially kicked off.

比赛刚开始，众人便发现了埃弗顿本赛季的新任主帅罗伯托·马丁内斯居然在习惯了4-3-3的情况下，直接在今天与阿森纳的对决中来了个4-5-1的全新阵型。

The five-man midfield setup clearly shows that Roberto Martinez is taking advantage of Su Hao's absence to try and beat league leaders Arsenal at home.

It was precisely this five-man midfield configuration that made Ramsey, who hadn't been the attacking focal point for a long time, feel uncomfortable.

Furthermore, with Ramsey, Di Maria, and Sanchez exhibiting virtually no chemistry, the scenario that Arsenal fans feared most still unfolded.

After more than twenty minutes of rhythmless attacks, Everton seized a counter-attack opportunity. Barry, the defensive midfielder, made a long pass to Mirallas on the right wing, and Mirallas eventually passed the ball back to 22-year-old Belgian youngster Lukaku.

Facing the incoming ball, Lukaku unleashed a powerful shot, sending the ball into the top corner of the Premier League leaders Arsenal's goal.

After scoring a goal!
The Belgian youngster was so excited that he took off his jersey and celebrated wildly.

0: 1!

And it wasn't just this one goal.

Less than 10 minutes after that goal, they were in a hurry to equalize.

Ramsey, in a clear situation of being disconnected from the midfield and attack, chose the most risky solo run, as if he wanted to remind Arsenal fans of the all-powerful Ramsey from last season!
As for the result...
Ramsey's reckless advance was naturally intercepted halfway by the defensive midfield duo of McCarthy and Barry.

Meanwhile, Kante was also in attack, so McCarthy, after receiving the ball, easily passed it to his own attacking midfielder Barkley.

Before Tajkovic could arrive, Barkley turned and unleashed a powerful shot, sending the ball into Arsenal's goal for the second time from a distance of 27 meters.

0: 2!

Before halftime, Arsenal were already down by two goals.

At that very moment, almost instantly all the cameras in the stadium, including the commentators in the various live broadcast rooms, focused their attention on the professor on the sidelines.

Unsurprisingly, the professor, who was already worried that Arsenal would run into big problems without Su Hao's smooth linking play, was now frowning so much he could hang a piece of cured meat on his brow.

"Boss! Should we switch?"

Steven asked the professor with some concern.

"No! I believe him!"

However, Wenger stubbornly refused to make any adjustments.

"Hey!"

The professor still seems so nostalgic.

Steven simply sighed and then fell silent.

Yes!

This old guy still hopes that Ramsey, whom he once trusted the most, will step up when Arsenal needs him the most.

But doesn't he know that Ramsey's heart is no longer with Arsenal?
Forehead.
Well, actually Steven was completely wrong this time. The professor was thinking that since Ramsey was planning to leave the team during the winter break, he should give Ramsey one of these rare opportunities so that he could be sold for a good price, right?

If he's substituted so inexplicably today, then during the winter break, this guy probably won't even be worth 2000 million pounds.

Wenger was naturally too embarrassed to tell his old friend these thoughts directly!
"Aaron! Try passing the ball to the wings more often in the second half! I believe in you! You're still the Aaron Ramsey who can step up when I need you most!"

A professor is a professor, after all.

That's what I said during halftime.

After coming on in the second half, Ramsey indeed stopped stubbornly following the coach's instructions and repeatedly passed the ball to Di Maria on the left wing.

And it was precisely because of this operation.

This finally revived Arsenal's attack.

67nd minute of the second half.

Angel received a crucial pass from Ramsey on the left flank, and after using his speed to break through Everton's right flank defense, he delivered a cross into the box, finally allowing Lewandowski to comfortably finish the goal.

1: 2!

Arsenal pulled one back.

79th minute of the match!

Once again, Di Maria made a long pass from the left wing to Sanchez on the right.

Before Everton defenders could close in, Sanchez sent a cross into the air above Everton's penalty area.

Lewandowski leaped high and headed home his second goal, leveling the score.

2: 2!

This was the final outcome of the seventh round of the league.

Arsenal's six-game winning streak this season has come to an end, but they still lead Manchester City by three points at the top of the league table.

However, it was this defeat, coupled with the chaotic offense throughout the game, that put the professor in the spotlight.

At the press conference after the match.

The Guardian reporter bluntly asked the professor whether Arsenal had developed a dependence on Soho.

Upon hearing this question, the professor's face darkened, and he chose to refuse to answer.

There's nothing I can do; no matter how the professor answers this question, it's a hassle.

You've admitted it, which is tantamount to saying that your tactical level is problematic. You're saying that even if you brought a dog to Arsenal, they could win?

However, denying it would be tantamount to saying that their team does not rely on Su Hao and that Su Hao is dispensable.
If I say this out loud, what will my Su Hao think?
You have to understand, my Su is only 17 years old! This is the age when kids are most rebellious and have the least resilience!

The professor declined to answer.

This move has once again sparked a frenzy among the English media.

Arsenal suffers from a severe dependence on Suarez; without Suarez, Arsenal's ability would only place them in the mid-table of the Premier League!

Wenger's sullen expression and refusal to answer questions raises questions about whether China's Suarez has more influence in the dressing room than Wenger.

"Attack in disarray, Ramsey's brilliance faded, is a horrific winter overhaul imminent for Arsenal?"

Eight years without a trophy: Does Arsenal, under the influence of big-spending football, no longer need the manager?

For them, nowadays, as long as they can seize any opportunity to criticize Arsenal or the Professor, regardless of the type of news, they will definitely make it explode.

It took a full two days.

Whenever the professor appears, reporters shove microphones in his face, asking questions that make him feel nauseous.

Moreover, it wasn't just the professor; even Su Hao was caught in this undeserved disaster without even realizing it.

However, unlike the professor's evasive answer, Su Hao frankly told the reporter that he was just an ordinary player, and that the only thing Arsenal could not lack now was Wenger, and that he would always be Wenger.

However, even though Su Hao had made such a statement, the paparazzi in England continued to harp on the issue.

The Times even went so far as to boldly predict that Arsenal, under Su Hao's leadership, would achieve a resounding victory over Ajax in the second round of the Champions League group stage three days after Su Hao's return.

According to The Times, if Arsenal really do achieve a resounding victory over Ajax after Suho's return, it would definitively prove that Arsenal's dependence on Suho is an undeniable fact. What's even more disgusting is that The Times also concluded that with this Suho dependency, Arsenal might actually no longer need Wenger, and no longer need the old players from Wenger's era who are no longer relevant to Arsenal's strength!

"Fuck! I'm speechless at these reporters!"

10 Month 7 Day!
After seeing the Times report, Su Hao and his companions, who had already arrived in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, also began to criticize the shamelessness of the reporters.

What was just an ordinary draw has been turned into a slap in the face for Arsenal by these reporters.

If they win, Arsenal has a problem; if they lose, Arsenal also has a big problem.

"Don't think about that! Just focus on the game!"

Seemingly sensing the players' emotional turmoil and the obvious rift between the veteran and new players, the professor made no secret of comforting his team during the final tactical analysis meeting.

And
"Su! Don't let those reporters control your emotions. Just play the way you want. Like I said, when you're attacking, you're free to make any choice you want!"

"We are one!"

"And you are the most important part of our whole, so don't think about becoming dependent on us!"

"In my opinion, dependency is not a bad thing. Which team doesn't have a core player? Which strong team doesn't have the person they rely on most?"

"."

The professor openly admitted in front of everyone that Arsenal's current style of play relies on Su Hao.

Furthermore, the professor wanted Su Hao to perfectly showcase his dominance over Arsenal's attack in this Champions League match.

It was this heartfelt advice that finally eased the rift between the new and old players in the Arsenal team that had been stirred up by the media!
Yes!

Just like the professor said, there is no such thing as different treatment for new and old team members.

That old professor was clearly treating Su Hao differently from everyone else!

At 10 p.m. on October 8th.

Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam.

The stadium, which can hold more than 50,000 people, was already packed to capacity.

Although in the eyes of the media and countless football commentators, Ajax is now a team on a completely different level from Arsenal.

But for these 40,000+ die-hard Ajax fans, their team remains the Dutch super club that can defeat any opponent.

The fans in the stands were already singing the Ajax anthem, while inside the stadium, the professor was sitting on the press conference stage with Ajax's legendary coach Frank de Boer, being interviewed by reporters.

Just as the professor had predicted, the reporters at the scene shamelessly continued to make a fuss about the much-discussed issue of addiction.

Perhaps the professor simply couldn't stand the reporters' incessant chatter.

Facing a barrage of flashing lights, the professor, seemingly defiant, addressed the media directly: "Yes, Arsenal has indeed developed a dependence on Su Hao. And then what? What are you trying to say?"

The professor readily admitted it, but the reporters, who had been eager for him to say it, were suddenly stunned.

Yes
What happens if the professor admits it?
Su Hao originally belonged to Arsenal. What can Arsenal do if they become dependent on Su Hao?
The professor's words were startling, while Frank de Boer, sitting next to him, suppressed a laugh and made no comment.

In Frank de Boer's view, the more outrageous and chaotic the reporters' behavior, the more advantageous it would be for him and Ajax.

Even Frank de Boer wondered if Wenger might get so angry with the reporters that he'd break out in a fight and be taken away.
"Zhuang Dian'er Tai!"

"Zhuang Dian'er Tai!"

"This is a live broadcast of the second round of Group F in the 2014-2015 UEFA Champions League!"

"Ajax, the Dutch giants, host Arsenal!"

"The players from both teams are already standing in their respective halves of the field!"

"."

"Beep!!!"

"With the referee's whistle!"

"The match has officially begun!" "First, let's look at the starting lineups for both sides!"

"Arsenal's starting goalkeeper, wearing the traditional yellow away jersey, attacks from left to right."

"."

"After Su Hao's official return, Wenger, as always, switched to their most familiar 4-4-2 formation!"

"On the other side, Ajax's starting goalkeeper, wearing the traditional red and white home jersey, is Cillessen!"

"Defenders: Boylesen, Moisander, Veltman, Van Ryen!"

Midfield positions: Klaassen, Wilgewell, Schorn!

"Three forwards: Anderson, Sigthorsson, and Milik!"

"Facing an Arsenal team whose strength far surpasses their own, Frank de Boer still firmly deployed their most proficient 4-3-3 formation!"

"Arsenal have possession of the ball first!"

And so the competition began.

After Su Hao's return, Ramsey naturally returned to the bench.

Moreover, the chaotic attacks that used to involve not knowing whether to go to the side lanes or the middle lane have completely disappeared.

Whenever Arsenal has an attacking opportunity, no matter who it is, they will pass the ball to Su Hao immediately.

Arsenal's attack was unified, and Ajax, having prepared for so many days, naturally unified their defense as well.

Just like Arsenal's first attack at the start of the match.

As soon as Su Hao dribbled the ball past the center circle, Ajax striker Sigthorsson pounced on him like a vicious dog.

Moreover, this Dutch striker's defense is different from other forwards.

This not-so-tall striker, who was good at poaching, simply stood close to Su Hao and didn't rush to make a move.

It's because he doesn't make a move, and his main characteristic is agility.

Therefore, for a time, Su Hao really couldn't get rid of this little-known Icelandic striker.

Of course, Su Hao couldn't shake off Sigthorsen, and Sigthorsen could only follow Su Hao, unable to stop Su Hao's passes.

He crossed the center line and delivered a cross-court pass.

Su Hao then passed the ball to Sagna, who had followed up on the right wing.

"Give it to Sanchez!"

As the current captain of the team, Su Hao naturally pointed and directed Sagna to quickly pass the ball back when he was passing it out.

Furthermore, after Sanchez received the ball, Su Hao also strode his long legs into Ajax's backfield.

At this moment, Ajax's midfield defenders had all surrounded Su Hao.

Seeing that he didn't have many good opportunities to receive the ball, Su Hao gave Sanchez the instruction to switch the ball to the left wing!
Weird!
Su Hao is currently the vice-captain and also the youngest player on the team.

However, these 10 players on the field, including the newly arrived top stars, were all surprisingly obedient to Su Hao's commands on the field.

"Su Hao doesn't have many good opportunities!"

"Sanchez immediately passed the ball to the left wing!"

"Di Maria receives the ball and faces Ajax's right-back Van Rijn."

"No problem, a sidestep feint followed by a powerful drive!"

"It's over!!!"

"Di Maria has broken through Ajax's right flank defense!"

"Suhao, Giroud, and Lewandowski have all charged into Ajax's penalty area!"

"Di Maria kicks it right away!!!"

"Back post!!!"

"Big Gilru!!!"

"A high leap and a powerful header, that's a goal!"

"oops!!!"

Originally, commentator Zhan Jun was about to say his signature line, "This ball is in!"

But Giroud, despite having such a good opportunity, somehow managed to smash the ball directly onto the crossbar.

With a loud "bang!"

Arsenal's first attack ended there.

And so, a very strange match officially began with Giroud's smash against the crossbar.

Perhaps Arsenal wanted to prove that their team didn't rely solely on Suarez, or perhaps Ajax's multi-man defense was truly effective.

In the next twenty minutes or so.

Su Hao was not directly involved in Arsenal's attack.

However, even if Su Hao only casually passed and cut the ball to his teammates, it was still a small combination.

Arsenal broke through Ajax's defense in the 24th minute of the match.

A solo burst from Sanchez on the right flank.

The timely follow-up from the center lane by Giroud!

Having already wasted one opportunity, Giroud did not let Sanchez's top breakthrough go to waste.

After using his powerful physique to hold off Ajax center-back Veltman, Giroud unleashed a powerful shot that sent the ball into the top right corner of the Ajax goal.

1: 0!

Despite Ajax focusing their defense on Su Hao and effectively neutralizing him, Arsenal managed to score into their own net using a simple wing breakthrough followed by a cutback pass.

On the sidelines, in front of the Ajax bench, he had thought that as long as he shut down Su Hao, Arsenal would be as weak as they were when they drew with Everton.

But the result was unexpected.
Seeing that if things continued like this, their team would only lose.

Frank de Boer naturally called his players over to adjust their tactics.

By slightly shifting the defense to the flanks, they attempted to use counter-attacks to equalize the score.

Ajax made adjustments, while Wenger on the other side maintained his nonchalant expression with his hands in his pockets.

But before long, a scene that left Frank de Boer speechless with despair unfolded.

Yes!
After the defense was slightly dispersed, the two sides did indeed stabilize temporarily.

But the middle lane!

The player who was hyped by the media as Arsenal's most terrifying core player has been released.

Without the constant double-teaming of three players, Su Hao managed to demonstrate just how incredible his passing was in front of over 40,000 Ajax fans at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

The 37th minute of the game.

After successfully defending against a relatively harmless attack from Ajax, Arsenal advanced the ball into Ajax's own half during their positional play.

Di Maria on the left wing temporarily passed the ball back to Su Hao under the combined defense of two Ajax players.

At this moment, Su Hao was beside him.

Defensive midfielder Wilgewell and retreating striker Sigthorsson pounced on Su Hao from the left and right respectively.

However, Su Hao, who was already used to the two-man attack, first controlled the ball with his right foot, and then, at the moment Sigthorsen kicked the ball, he used a shoulder drop and a feint to shake off Sigthorsen's center of gravity. Immediately after shaking off Sigthorsen, and at the same moment when Wilgewell was rushing to cover, he suddenly used his right foot to pull the ball under his body, and at the same time, his whole body completed a 360-degree turn and then used his left foot to pull the ball again in the middle of the turn!
Drop your shoulder, change direction, and add a Marseille turn!

The moment this combo was unleashed, the previously bustling Cruyff Arena fell silent.

Sigthorsen and Wilgewell were dumbfounded!

Yes, they really didn't expect that someone who is 1.92 meters tall could perform such smooth and explosive combination moves!

In that moment of stunned silence, Su Hao, looking towards Sanchez on the right wing, deftly flicked the ball with his left foot towards the opposite left wing.

A misleading visual, coupled with an absolutely perfect lob pass.

The moment Ajax instinctively moved their defense toward Sanchez, Angel, who had broken through the last line of defense and entered the penalty area, had already unleashed the ball with his chest and was now facing the goalkeeper!

"pretty!!!"

"That was a beautiful pass!"

"Oops! It's over there!"

"Direct pass!"

"DiMaria!!!"

"Before the ball hits the ground, he unleashes a powerful volley!"

"pretty!!!"

"pretty!!!"

"The ball went in!!!"

"The match is in its 39th minute!"

"Arsenal have scored their second goal!"

"An assist from Su Hao!"

"Angel Di Maria scores!"

"2:0!!!"

"It's still the familiar Arsenal halftime massacre pattern!"

"After Su Hao's return!"

"As expected, the Arsenal team that made all of Europe tremble is back!"
-
[Haha, this is the Arsenal I love! Before Su Hao, they played awfully! Ramsey is in a completely different league from Su Hao!]
-
【Hey! You don't understand. Right now, the English media isn't hyping up whether Su Hao is good or not; they're hyping up the idea that Arsenal, Su Hao, and even Guangzhou Evergrande's big-money football have usurped Arsenal's position. They're trying to stir up trouble!】
-
[Holy crap! Is it that serious? What the hell does this mean? Didn't Evergrande not interfere in the club's management? And what does this have to do with Su Hao?]
-
[Didn't you see Ramsey directing Di Maria's runs in the last match? Did Di Maria even respond? But look at today's game, Su Hao pointed, and Di Maria, Sanchez, even veterans like Sagna and Gibbs obediently passed the ball in the direction Su Hao pointed. That's what the media is hyping up, making it seem like Su Hao's status at Arsenal has surpassed Wenger's!]
-
[Holy crap, is this some kind of Sun Tzu's Art of War? Isn't this just blatant sowing discord? Isn't it normal for Su Hao to be able to direct the players? Didn't Zheng Zhi play under Su Hao's direction when he was with Guangzhou Evergrande?]
-
[We're used to it, but it's different in England. They've always been somewhat anti-Chinese, and now with Chinese investment, they can decide players' futures, plus Su Hao... In short, Arsenal is definitely going to have some big problems and scandals to break this winter break!]
-
[Hey! Why think so much?! Watch the game! Su Hao's Marseille turn and that final lob pass were absolutely amazing! That was fucking awesome! Haha, that was some seriously flashy play!]

Di Maria scored the goal.

Old Huang, who was in the commentary booth, was naturally the first to excitedly shout out.

On the field.

Angel, who scored the goal, rushed excitedly to Su Hao's side. Without hesitation, Angel jumped up and hugged Su Hao with both hands. Su Hao then caught Angel's buttocks and, along with the arriving Giroud and others, trembled with excitement.

There was no other way; Su Hao really only came up with that brilliant assist on a whim.

With a ball control rating of just over 80, it's really impossible for him to support his combination of a shoulder drop change of direction and a Marseille turn!
Leading by 2 goals!
A chorus of groans erupted in front of the Ajax bench.

Especially Ajax manager Frank de Boer.

There's no way around it; even Frank de Boer, as an opponent, was absolutely blown away by Su Hao's assist.

However, the problem is that after the initial amazement, Frank de Boer tragically discovered that...
Just as the media predicted, it seems that their team is going to be thrashed by this fully-strength Arsenal team today!
And the other side!
Although he knew exactly why the large group of reporters were snapping photos of him, the professor didn't care and simply raised his arms and shouted.

(End of this chapter)