SWR: Chapter 970/971

Chapter 970: I'm Really Impressed

After talking with Gao Shen, Florentino held a press conference at the Bernabéu Stadium at noon the next day.

In addition to Real Madrid's board of directors and core senior management, Gao Shen, captain Casillas, and vice-captain Ramos were also in attendance.

At the press conference, Florentino, on behalf of the Real Madrid board, expressed satisfaction with the players' performance. He also promised that apart from Granero's departure during this year's winter break, there would be no other transfer operations.

The Real Madrid president stated that the management, technical team, and head coach were all satisfied with the current squad.

"We all feel there's no need to add any more players to the team."

However, the Real Madrid president promised that the club would invest in the next summer transfer window, though he refused to reveal specific targets.

In addition, another important topic of discussion between Florentino and Gao Shen this time was player contract renewals.

Florentino announced that contract renewal talks with Xabi Alonso had officially begun, and other key renewals were also being planned. It was expected that this round of extensions would be completed before the end of the season.

"The board, the technical staff, and the head coach all want to keep the best players at the Bernabéu."

This was also regarded as a positive signal sent by Real Madrid to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Inside the Real Madrid locker room, the response to the signals from management was generally positive.

…

After the match against Porto, Real Madrid rested for two days at Valdebebas before heading to face Valladolid away in La Liga's 15th round.

In this match, Gao Shen once again used the right-wing combination of Carvajal, Modric, and Di Maria. Arbeloa returned to the starting lineup but was deployed at left-back.

Varane replaced Pepe, and Nacho replaced Ramos in the starting lineup.

Casemiro replaced Xabi Alonso, while Toni Kroos and Verratti partnered in central midfield.

Gao Shen originally intended to rest Ronaldo, but the Portuguese star insisted on starting because he wanted to score more goals.

However, Ronaldo's performance after starting was subpar.

Seven minutes into the game, Valladolid took advantage of Real Madrid's defensive disorganization, and former Manchester United player Manucho opened the scoring.

But just five minutes later, Di Maria and Carvajal combined on the right. After intercepting the ball, Carvajal broke into the right side of the box and sent a low cross. Benzema tapped the ball in from close range to level the score.

Before the end of the first half, Di Maria and Carvajal combined again on the right. The Argentine cut inside and passed to Benzema. The two exchanged quick passes outside the penalty area. Benzema backheeled the ball to Di Maria near the penalty spot, and he calmly slotted it in with his left foot. 2-1!

After the break, Real Madrid continued to push.

In the 67th minute, Benzema dropped deep to receive the ball and played a through pass. Nacho made a surging run and arrived first to slot the ball home, making it 3-1!

It was the young defender's first-ever goal for the Real Madrid first team.

Scoring while playing as a center-back? What more could Gao Shen say?

Real Madrid's center-backs are born with attacking genes.

Just five minutes later, Valladolid center-back Serrano pulled Benzema down, giving Real Madrid a free kick near the edge of the box.

Cristiano Ronaldo had already missed four free kicks that night, so Toni Kroos stepped up to take it.

The German midfielder smashed in a thunderous direct free kick to make it 4-1.

Real Madrid then made a series of substitutions but failed to add to the score.

In the end, they defeated Valladolid 4-1 away from home.

Benzema was named man of the match.

…

Three days later, in the first leg of the Copa del Rey Round of 16, Real Madrid traveled to face Celta Vigo.

In this match, all the main players, including Ronaldo, were rested.

Benzema, who had starred last weekend, was replaced by Higuain.

Jesé, Vázquez, Kaka, and others were all given game time. Verratti and Casemiro also made consecutive appearances.

The match was played in heavy rain. The pitch was waterlogged, which made Real Madrid's passing game ineffective. Mistakes piled up and the team never found its rhythm.

In the 40th minute of the first half, Celta Vigo capitalized on a counterattack, and an Albiol slip allowed them to score the opener.

But in the 66th minute of the second half, Verratti played a lofted pass over the top. Higuain beat the offside trap and volleyed into the net to equalize.

The match ended 1-1.

…

This weekend, in La Liga's 16th round, Real Madrid hosted Espanyol at the Bernabéu.

The current Espanyol head coach is Mexican Javier Aguirre. His predecessor, Mauricio Pochettino, was sacked over two weeks ago.

The main reason was that Pochettino had only won two of the 13 league matches he oversaw this season, leaving Espanyol bottom of the table.

Pochettino had managed Espanyol since December 2009 and achieved decent results. In the last two seasons, they finished 8th and 14th in La Liga, despite constantly selling players.

In truth, Espanyol's strength had already declined significantly last season, but players like Coutinho covered up the cracks. Their league finish, however, reflected their true condition.

This season, the situation worsened.

The departures of Uche, Weiss, Coutinho, Romaric, Didac, Pandiani, and the long-term injuries to Sergio Garcia and Verdu have severely weakened Espanyol's squad.

Pochettino's tactics failed to turn the tide, so the club's management decided to sack him.

They also fired sporting director Planes.

Sound familiar?

Yes, that's the same Planes who would later become Barcelona's sporting director.

He is a capable executive, but Espanyol's results this season were so poor that sacking just the manager wouldn't be enough to appease fans. So Planes was also dismissed.

Pochettino is now unemployed, living comfortably off his severance pay.

Recently, he's even been visiting Madrid and regularly attending Real Madrid's training sessions at Valdebebas, saying he wants to learn from them.

Naturally, he wouldn't miss this home match against Espanyol.

…

Ten minutes into the match, Real Madrid launched an attack from the right. Di Maria cut inside and passed to Modric, who laid it off to Kroos. The German played a diagonal pass into the left side of the penalty area.

Ronaldo controlled the ball calmly, looked up, and sent a low cross. Benzema was there to tap it home. Real Madrid led 1-0.

It was a simple but lightning-fast goal.

Just three minutes later, Real Madrid attacked from the right again. Modric dribbled past a defender and passed to Benzema at the top of the box. The Frenchman stopped it, turned, and played a brilliant reverse through ball.

Cristiano Ronaldo ran in from the left and slotted it home. 2-0!

In the 17th minute, Real Madrid intercepted the ball in midfield and launched a quick counterattack. Kroos delivered a diagonal ball to the left.

Benzema received it on the wing, dribbled to the byline, and cut it back toward the six-yard box. Ronaldo ran in and scored with his left foot.

3-0!

The entire Bernabéu erupted!

In less than twenty minutes, Real Madrid had scored three goals.

Even more terrifying, they continued to hunt for more. Espanyol's defense crumbled under the pressure of Real Madrid's attacking patterns and intricate link-up play.

…

Pochettino sat in the stands with mixed emotions.

He once led this team and knew their true capabilities.

Maybe they weren't good enough to break into the top ten, but they were never this bad.

The two teams played at completely different tempos. Espanyol wasn't strong enough, but more importantly, they didn't even try to disrupt Real Madrid's rhythm. As a result, the match was fully dominated by the hosts.

The rapid succession of goals was the best proof.

But Pochettino also saw another side of Real Madrid.

Gao Shen has always claimed that his team does not play like Barcelona.

But tonight, Real Madrid looked very much like Barcelona.

Patient in possession, constantly circulating the ball, yet unlike Barcelona, Real Madrid's attack had more dimensions.

Of course, they were playing Espanyol.

This version of Real Madrid didn't have a fixed style. They could press high, play possession football, sit deep and counterattack. They were complete. Their attacking threat was evident.

In less than thirty minutes, Real Madrid scored another goal.

Xabi Alonso played a through ball. Ronaldo ran in from deep and slotted past goalkeeper Kiko Casilla.

4-0!

Pochettino buried his face in his hands. He was truly convinced!

…

Under the watchful eyes of Pochettino, Real Madrid thrashed Espanyol 6-0 at the Bernabéu, earning another statement win. It sent a clear message to the rest of Spanish football that this Real Madrid side was only getting better.

Especially Carvajal's link-up play with Di Maria on the right, which was becoming increasingly eye-catching and improving with every match. Even AS and Marca started hyping him up, arguing that he deserved a national team call-up.

This was a player once marked for sale, but Gao Shen insisted on keeping him at the Bernabéu. Otherwise, Real Madrid would have lost another youth academy gem.

Even Spain national team coach Vicente del Bosque said in an interview that he was considering calling up Carvajal.

"Gao Shen strongly recommended Carvajal to me. I trust his eye for talent and his ability to develop players."

…

On December 22, Real Madrid played their final league match before Christmas.

In La Liga's 17th round, they traveled to the Rose Garden Stadium to face Málaga.

Thanks to goals from Ronaldo and Benzema, Real Madrid won 2-0.

Though Real Madrid continued their winning streak, Barcelona also maintained top form.

Vilanova's side won 16 of their first 17 league matches, with the only loss coming against Real Madrid.

Currently, Barcelona lead La Liga with a four-point advantage.

Real Madrid sit second with 44 points, while Atlético Madrid are third with 40 points.

Further behind, Málaga and Real Betis each have only 28 points, showing a clear gap.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 971: The Premier League's High-Deep Storm

Gao Shen had always believed that Pochettino was a severely underrated head coach.

Because he had never won a trophy.

The competition in professional football is brutally unforgiving. In the eyes of the world, heroes are judged solely by success or failure.

Whether in this life or his previous one, Pochettino was underestimated.

For example, when discussing Espanyol, few people truly understand what Pochettino accomplished there.

Even journalists and fans familiar with La Liga and Espanyol would, at most, say, "He's a true disciple." After all, when he defeated Guardiola's Barcelona away from home that year, Guardiola remarked, "His coaching style is very similar to mine."

But people still ask, what exactly did Pochettino do?

Tactically, both Guardiola and Pochettino were deeply influenced by Bielsa and Gao Shen. Guardiola was once Gao Shen's right-hand man, and when Gao Shen was coaching in Serie A, Pochettino would attend his lectures and even observe his training sessions whenever possible.

What people see is always the performance on the pitch, but what happens off the pitch is often the key to what unfolds on it.

Why is he called Gao's disciple?

Similar tactical styles?

That's only on the surface.

On a deeper level, the way he manages a team is very similar to Gao Shen.

From the very start of his coaching career at Espanyol, even when coaching Espanyol's women's team, Pochettino introduced many subtle changes that the media, fans, and even other professionals failed to notice.

For example, he strictly regulated players' diets and daily habits, down to their meal times.

But because Espanyol had limited financial resources and didn't intend to provide a budget for a nutritionist, he studied nutrition himself and frequently sought advice from Gao Shen and his coaching team's nutrition experts.

Another well-known aspect at Espanyol is that he was a training maniac. Every training session was intense. As a former professional player, he was creative and constantly came up with clever, targeted training methods.

What most people didn't notice was that Pochettino had a long-standing training habit: at the end of every session, he required his players to do long-distance running.

At first, the players were resistant.

"Do you know why Napoli can run so much?"

"Do you know why Napoli can launch such intense pressing late in games?"

"That's their secret!"

Pochettino told his Espanyol players that they lacked technical superiority. If they didn't improve their physical fitness and develop their own strengths, how would they avoid relegation? How would they compete with their opponents?

With that mentality, he led the team to beat Barcelona away and successfully avoid relegation.

From then on, Pochettino became involved in all aspects of the club, from medical staff to coaching staff to the first team and youth academy. His influence was everywhere.

Within European professional football circles, Pochettino earned a good reputation because during his tenure at Espanyol, he promoted more than 20 youth players to the first team.

That's why a team like Espanyol, long plagued by financial crisis and constant boardroom disputes, could still finish mid-table or even higher in La Liga.

…

Gao Shen was very familiar with Pochettino. The two maintained close contact. He knew exactly what had happened to Pochettino at Espanyol and the real reason for his dismissal.

He felt sorry for the Argentine.

At the same time, he hoped that Pochettino could achieve even greater glory than in his previous life.

In his previous life, Pochettino did very well at Southampton. But when he moved to Tottenham Hotspur, due to the construction of the new stadium, he ended up doing for Spurs what Wenger did for Arsenal.

That is something destined to be recorded in Tottenham's history!

Many people only remember that Pochettino was sacked, but they forget that even when he was dismissed, the Spurs dressing room under his leadership remained intact.

Isn't that very similar to Klopp?

Frankly speaking, the two situations are alike. Both teams declined after reaching their peak. Years of insufficient investment caught up with them, and the problems snowballed until they became unmanageable.

The result was the coach being sacked.

Dortmund handled it better, but after Tottenham changed managers, has their situation really improved since Pochettino?

To a certain extent, Pochettino's name should be the first recorded in the credits for Tottenham's new stadium.

The ties of past and present lives made Gao Shen admire Pochettino all the more.

The two became friends who could talk about anything. Pochettino frequently visited Real Madrid's training sessions, and they often discussed football together on the spot.

Gao Shen also shared his tactical thoughts and philosophies with him without holding back.

For example, Gao Shen said that he liked balance between attack and defense.

When Pochettino watched Real Madrid play, his first impression was: balance.

"A very comfortable sense of balance in attack and defense!" Pochettino praised without hesitation.

But the two also discussed real-world dilemmas.

For instance, coaching a team like Espanyol, it's impossible to have technically-gifted midfielders who are both creative and defensively solid.

Having all-round players like Di Maria and Benzema, let alone someone like Ronaldo, is even more out of reach.

So what to do?

Just like what Pochettino once told his players at Espanyol: if you lack technical ability, make up for it with more running and pressing.

Espanyol's heavy defeat at the Bernabéu was due to a lack of running, lack of pressing, and a failure to disrupt Real Madrid's rhythm. That led to the match being completely controlled by Real Madrid.

So Real Madrid scored again and again, each goal precise and calculated.

Pochettino admitted that if he were in charge, he still might have lost, but not so miserably.

Gao Shen agreed with that.

Recently, Pochettino encountered a new situation.

He had received offers from Premier League clubs.

…

After the 17th round of La Liga, the league paused for the Christmas break. Gao Shen had some free time, so he invited Zidane, Hierro, Carlo, and other assistants over. Pochettino, who had been in Madrid and closely following Real Madrid's training, also joined them for a holiday gathering.

During dinner, Pochettino brought up the offers he had received from the Premier League.

From bottom up: Reading, Queens Park Rangers, Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Newcastle...

Almost every club looking to change coaches had Pochettino on their radar.

Not because he was famous, but because his performance at Espanyol had been genuinely impressive.

Two other key factors helped too.

One was Swansea's Laudrup. After managing Getafe in La Liga, Laudrup went to Swansea and stunned the Premier League with what felt like a dimensionality-reduction attack. He earned universal praise and showed that La Liga coaches could thrive tactically in the Premier League.

The second was Sarri at Leeds United.

Now, all of England was asking: how long can this dark horse keep it up?

Eighteen rounds into the Premier League, and Leeds United was still fourth.

It was unbelievable.

Last summer, Leeds United didn't spend money. They even made money by selling assets to fund their training base. Yet they were still sitting fourth in the table.

It was simply madness!

A powerful High-Deep Storm had swept through the Premier League, and even Pochettino, watching from Spain, was swept up in it.

But it's not that Leeds United performed exceptionally well. They just occasionally pulled off upsets.

For example, they beat Chelsea 2-1 at home, thanks to a goal from Salah. It was a massive upset that left Mourinho so furious he reportedly wanted to poach both Salah and Koulibaly on the spot.

Salah's solo run to score the winner made him famous overnight.

But after that, Leeds lost away to Swansea, then at home to Stoke City, and again 0-2 away to Arsenal. A three-game losing streak.

However, the poor form of other teams meant Leeds still sat in fourth, 10 points behind Chelsea, and 13 behind Manchester City and Manchester United.

That shows Leeds' surge wasn't just due to their excellence, but also the underperformance of Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool, and others, making the dark horse Leeds look even more prominent.

To sum it up, Leeds United's success formula was to get the points they deserved.

Against strong teams, defend. Against equals or weaker opponents, attack.

So many people said Leeds played entertaining football, but really, it's just that they ignored defense when facing top sides.

"In fact, Sarri still isn't pragmatic enough. If he had been more realistic and secured the points he should have, Leeds' fourth-place position would be far more stable."

Currently, Leeds United is only one point ahead of the team behind them, which is very dangerous.

"For example, the away loss to Swansea. We shouldn't have played that way. Losing 3-1 really hurt morale. Then we overcompensated and attacked too much at home against Stoke, giving them the chance to counterattack. We lost 1-0."

Gao Shen said this with a helpless smile.

Sometimes, a coach will start taking wild gambles when things spiral out of control.

After that three-game losing streak, Leeds should have at least taken four points.

"It's normal. Coaches are human, not gods. Mistakes are inevitable. Sarri's done well enough," Carlo laughed.

Everyone knew Gao Shen wasn't criticizing Sarri. His expectations were just extremely high.

After all, Sarri had been his assistant for three years.

Gao Shen didn't mind. He looked at Pochettino again.

"Honestly, your footballing style would be a big hit in the Premier League. But take my advice. Reading, Queens Park Rangers, Wigan, Aston Villa, Sunderland, and Newcastle... they're not good options right now."

"This next stop is crucial for you. If you make the right move, your coaching career can take a big leap, maybe even two. So, you have to choose very carefully!"

(To be continued.)