Just when Gu Ran was thinking about how to get Alan Shearer for free, Kawai Yuichi desperately squeezed in front of Alan Shearer and said excitedly: "Mr. Shearer! I have watched all your games! I admire you very much! Please pay more attention to me in the next games and see my performance!"
Hiller immediately smiled naively, "Okay! If I guess correctly... you should be the star of hope for our saints, Mr. Gu Ran, right? Mr. Gu Ran, I have heard of your name a long time ago. I hope You can perform well and lead the Saints U18 team to defeat Liverpool U18 team."
Kawai Yuichi twitched the corner of his mouth and said with an extremely bitter expression: "...I'm not, I'm not Gu Ran."
Hiller was stunned, "Huh? Aren't you?"
Coach Dodd smiled and said: "Alan, you admitted your mistake, how could he be Gu Ran! Come on, come on, let me introduce you to the real star of hope——"
With that said, Coach Dodd blocked Kawai Yuichi roughly, and then pulled the dull-faced Shearer towards Gu Ran.
Yuichi Kawai is about to cry!
I finally squeezed my way to the front to have a close encounter with the legendary idol, and the result...
The idol only has Gu Ran in his heart!
Others took the initiative to come around, but Gu Ran was waiting where he was.
Alan Shearer has a sense of "if the mountain is not coming towards me, I will walk towards the mountain".
Coach Dodd pointed at Gu Ran and smiled: "Here, Alan, this is our star of hope, Gu Ran! He is wearing the No. 9 jersey, just like you!"
Hiller smiled naively, "Sorry, I just admitted my mistake."
Hiller either apologized to Yuichi Kawai, or apologized to Gu Ran for admitting his mistake.
Seeing this scene, Yuichi Kawai's heart was shattered again.
Gu Ran quickly extended his hand to shake hands with Hiller, "Hello, Mr. Hiller. It's such an honor to meet you. You are my role model."
Shearer smiled naively and said: "Mr. Gu Ran, I have heard of your name a long time ago. I hope you will perform well and lead the Saints U18 team to defeat the Liverpool U18 team."
The words are still the same old words, and it is obvious that Shearer has been preparing for this meeting for a long time.
"...Okay." Gu Ran nodded.
Hiller smiled innocently again.
Gu Ran also smiled naively.
Social phobia is contagious.
Two people with social phobia met and had an awkward chat. Apart from a few polite words at the beginning, they couldn't say anything else.
Coach Dodd next to him cleared his throat and reminded: "This is a good opportunity... I need an autograph."
"oh!"
The two of them reacted at the same time.
Gu Ran said: "Mr. Hiller, please sign your name for me."
Hiller also said at the same time: "Mr. Gu Ran, please sign your name for me."
Gu Ran:? ? ?
Mr. Hiller, please respect your identity!
Hiller smiled naively, "Sorry, I thought Dodd was reminding me just now."
Gu Ran suddenly felt dumbfounded.
The legendary superstar in front of me, who is as honest as an old farmer, is really cute.
Who could have imagined that he is the top scorer in the Premier League and the two-time top scorer in Premier League transfers!
Shearer has such a good personality and has no airs at all. How can such a good person make his mood fluctuate and drop negative emotional bubbles?
You can't pluck out the little hair on his forehead, right?
——Gu Ran had no idea for a moment.
Hiller took the pen that Coach Dodd had prepared long ago and signed his name on the No. 9 jersey worn by Gu Ran.
Other U18 players also came over to ask for autographs.
Hiller refused to accept anyone who came, and signed each one diligently.
Soon, the entire Southampton U18 team received Shearer's signature, and even Yuichi Kawai, who wore No. 47, also received Shearer's signature.
The morale of the Southampton U18 team is over the top!
After Shearer signed the last jersey, Coach Dodd clapped his hands and said, "Okay, calm down! There are only 10 minutes left before our friendly match with Liverpool U18 will begin! Now, you all have Wearing a shirt signed by Alan Shearer, tell me, what should you do to deserve that signature?"
"Win the competition!"
"Destroy Liverpool!"
The players of the Southampton U18 team roared loudly.
Coach Dodd nodded with satisfaction, "Now, I will announce the starting 11-"
The players suddenly fell silent.
Among the starting 11 players, they are mainly the main players of the Southampton U18 team.
Gu Ran was not among the starting lineup, but Kawai Yuichi's name appeared in the starting lineup.
"Yo Xi!" Kawai Yuichi clenched his fists excitedly and cheered.
His "Yoshi" voice was particularly harsh and annoying.
Kawai Yuichi looked like a villain and smiled scornfully at Gu Ran: "Gu Ran! Aren't you very powerful? But you are not even a starter! You are just a stinky substitute!"
As soon as these words came out, Gu Ran was fine. The other 10 substitute players all glared at Kawai Yuichi.
If it weren't for the rule against fighting, Kawaii Yu would have been beaten to pieces by them early in the morning.
Although Gu Ran didn't start the game, he didn't think it was a big deal.
This is a friendly match, and there are no restrictions on substitutions, so it doesn't mean much to not start the game.
Besides, Coach Dodd is aware of Gu Ran's strength, so there's no way he won't be sent out.
In this regard, Gu Ran is still very confident.
Gu Ran analyzed in his mind that Coach Dodd most likely wanted Gu Ran to observe the situation on the court, especially the strength of Sterling on the opposite side, so that Gu Ran could be fully mentally prepared and wait until the critical moment before appearing on the field. Plenty of physical energy to deal with Sterling.
This is also a strategy.
——But in fact, it doesn’t need to be like this at all.
Gu Ran understands Sterling's characteristics better than anyone present. He even dares to say that he understands Sterling better than Sterling himself.
But since this was the coach's tactical intention, Gu Ran naturally couldn't say anything - just follow the coach's request.
Just listen to Coach Dodd say: "Okay, everyone, let's go take a rest - Gu, let's talk alone."
"Okay, coach."
Coach Dodd led Gu Ran to the direction of the bench and asked kindly: "Gu, are you unhappy that I didn't let you start?"
Gu Ran smiled and said, "No."
Coach Dodd said: "You are the trump card of our U18. I want you to see the situation on the field clearly first, observe the guy named Sterling more, and accumulate physical fitness. Don't worry, as soon as the opportunity comes, I will immediately You came on as a substitute."
really……
Gu Ran smiled and said, "Good coach."
Seeing that Gu Ran didn't have any displeasure, Coach Dodd smiled reassuringly, "Gu, you are such a good player. I bet that coaches all over the world will like players like you! Okay, I Go get busy and take a break yourself, the game is about to start, remember to sit next to me so we can discuss tactics at any time."
"OK."
After the two finished chatting, Coach Dodd happily ran to find his good brother Alan Shearer.
Gu Ran sat on the sidelines, took off his sneakers and relaxed.
Since he is not a starter, there is no need to sit on the bench wearing sneakers.
Evelin happily ran over and raised the microphone to Gu Ran's mouth, "Gu! Can I interview you now? You performed really well during the warm-up just now. Although you were very low-key, I still saw through it. Thank you for your excellence! Now you are about to play against the Liverpool U18 team. As Southampton’s star of hope, this is also your first time representing the Southampton club in an external game. So how are you feeling now? ?”
Damn it...
Gu Ran's head swelled, "Evelin, the competition is about to begin, just let me..."
etc!
Gu Ran looked at the hungry Evelin and suddenly had an idea!
If I had such a headache about Evelin’s interview, wouldn’t Alan Shearer have an even bigger headache?
As long as Evelin works harder, Alan Shearer will definitely be able to drop the negative emotion bubbles!
Gu Ran immediately jumped up excitedly and grabbed Evelin's smooth and tender hand!
Evelin was startled, and then said with surprise on her face: "Gu, you finally took the initiative with me! Is it because you want to go horse riding at my house?"
Gu Ran quickly let go of Evelin's hand and said seriously: "Evelin, as a Saints reporter, don't you want to interview the Saints legend Alan Shearer?"
Evelin blinked, "Uh... Of course I do, but I want to interview you more. You are the focus of my interview on this trip."
If it weren't for Gu Ran, Evelin wouldn't take the risk of taking the plane.
Gu Ran said: "You go interview Alan Shearer. From the beginning of the interview to the end of the game, I promise to go to your house for dinner... and ride horses."
Evelin said in surprise: "Great! Wait... didn't you promise me before?"
Gu Ran said: "This time it's true."
Evelin said angrily: "Then the last time was fake?"
Gu Ran said quickly: "I can't say that, but I'm more serious this time. I promise you, I will definitely go to your house within a week."
Evelin smiled and said, "Well, I want to interview Mr. Alan Shearer anyway."
Gu Ran said: "I have a request - you can only ask questions, and you cannot answer for Alan Shearer on your own."
Evelin was stunned for a moment, then pursed her lips and smiled: "I understand... Don't worry, I will only be in sympathy with you, not with other interviewees."
Gu Ran nodded with satisfaction, "Great...eh?"
etc!
Evelin, there’s something wrong with that look in your eyes!
Do you have any misunderstanding?
I don't mean what you think!
I don’t want to possess you, I just want to prostitute Alan Shearer for free!
Ouch, shit, I can’t explain it now!
Gu Ran bit the bullet and cleared his throat, "Then... go ahead."
"Yeah!" Evelin happily ran to the bench with the radio microphone in hand, and sat down next to Alan Shearer.
Alan Shearer greeted Evelin with a naive smile at first. When he heard that Evelin was a reporter for the "Advance Saints", Alan Shearer's face was filled with social fear! I don’t know how to place my hands and feet!
Gu Ran breathed a huge sigh of relief:
I'm so damn smart!
This is really killing two birds with one stone!
Not only did he get rid of being "harassed" by Evelyn's nagging interviews during the substitution process, but he also had the opportunity to let Alan Shearer drop the negative emotion bubble!
Sorry Alan Shearer, it's just because you smell so good that I have to do it for nothing.
Evelyn! come on! Nag him hard!
Gu Ran was about to pick up his sneakers and walk toward the bench when a familiar scent of fragrance blocked his way.
This is Suzuki Honami's unique middle-girl fragrance.
"Honami..."
Gu Ran suddenly felt that he should explain to Honami.
Honami, who was wearing big sunglasses, smiled gently at Gu Ran, "Gu Ran, please do your best."
So sweet...
There was no trace of resentment in this sweet tone.
Honami still has a big heart.
My young hands can testify to this...
Gu Ran breathed a huge sigh of relief, "I thought you would misunderstand my relationship with Evelin."
Honami smiled faintly, didn't say anything, just bowed to Gu Ran, and then walked away.
Damn it...
Seems like he's angry?
Can't?
Forget it, never mind, let’s be honest with each other tonight!
Gu Ran cleared the messy thoughts in his mind, walked to the bench, and sat silently next to Coach Dodd.
Across Coach Dodd and Alan Shearer, Gu Ran could hear Evelin's nagging questions...
A few minutes later.
Players from both sides began to enter.
Because it is a friendly match that is not open to the public, entry for both sides is not as cumbersome as in a formal match.
After the captains of both sides choose sides, the players of both sides take their respective positions.
The Southampton U18 team got the first kick-off right and attacked from the north half to the south half, while the Liverpool U18 team attacked from the south half to the north half.
Most football fields in the world are oriented north-south to avoid the impact of sunlight on players on the field as much as possible.
beep--
With the temporary referee's whistle, the game officially started.
The Southampton U18 team started to attack fiercely as soon as they came up, with the two wingers pressing very high.
The Liverpool U18 team steadily reduced its defense.
The physical confrontation between the two sides was very fierce, and the scene became very heated as soon as it started.
Judging from the opening situation, the Southampton U18 team seemed to be playing against the visitors and suppressing the Liverpool U18 team.
In addition to the fact that Southampton U18's basic skills are not bad, they are also positively affected by Alan Shearer's signature BUFF.
In the first five minutes of the game, Liverpool U18 played very passively and were forced to defend near their own penalty area.
Gu Ran watched the game on the field seriously, but couldn't help but frown slightly——
It seems that the Southampton U18 team is full of momentum, but after several waves of attacks, they are still unable to penetrate the Liverpool U18 defense.
Liverpool U18 is very stable...
And Southampton U18 don’t have knives...
From a formation point of view, Southampton U18 has a classic 442 formation.
This formation is also arranged according to the coaching style of the Southampton first team coach - in the first two seasons, the Southampton first team was coached by Alan Pardew, and Alan Pardew preferred 442, Likes to threaten opponents through midfield organization and quick transitions.
In this formation, the full-backs play a very important role, supporting the attack and providing width, while the midfielders need to pass the ball quickly, support the forwards in attack, and provide solid support when defending.
how to say? There is no problem with such a formation and tactical combination. 442 is a classic formation that can be used with almost any tactics.
However, with the offensive tactics of 442, it is obviously not as sharp as other offensive formations. Especially when the opponent's defense is strong, it is difficult for 442 to create opportunities through offense on both wings.
The opposite Liverpool U18 team also arranged a 442 formation.
Mark, the head coach of Liverpool U18, is a direct descendant of the first team coach "Huo Taigong" Hodgson, and he must have continued Hodgson's tactical system.
As a famous English coach who came from the Crystal Palace youth training system, Hodgson has always preferred the 4-4-2 formation, especially when coaching in small clubs. Huo Taigong's 4-4-2 is also unique.
But when it came to coaching Liverpool, it was difficult for Hodgson to use 442.
Liverpool's offensive talent is so abundant that it can be described as super luxurious.
Gerrard, Kuyt, Torres, Lucas, Maxi Rodriguez, Benayoun…
Take any one of them and they are the absolute core presence in a small team.
Liverpool at this period had too many cores. Huo Taigong, who was used to coaching small teams, was confused when he came. In order to arrange Liverpool's too large attacking lineup, Hodgson gave up his favorite 442 and switched to transplanted 4231.
It would be nice if Hodgson used the typical 4231 offensive tactics, but the key is that Hodgson has his own ideas.
He abandoned the advantages and highlights of 4231, only used stars to stack the frontcourt, used three luxury forwards to advance the defense line, and required the players in the frontcourt who were originally used to attack to defend on the spot.
To put it simply, the advantage of 4231 is offense, especially when combined with Liverpool's ultra-luxury offensive lineup. It should have played the most distinctive offensive style of Liverpool, but Hodgson used 4231 for defensive tactics.
This mismatch in formation and tactics prevented Liverpool's ultra-luxurious attacking lineup from fully exerting itself. Therefore, when Huo Taigong was coaching Liverpool, the team's results were quite disastrous. In the past 2009-10 season, they ranked sixth in the league. Even the names (BIG6) can’t squeeze in.
However, in the Liverpool U18 team, Hodgson's favorite defensive counterattack 442 formation and tactics are still implemented.
Therefore, it can be said that the Liverpool U18 team not only played well and awkwardly, but this was the original Huo Taigong style - that is, the classical English football tactical style.
The tactical idea of the Southampton U18 team is to make full use of the two wings, play an oppressive two-wing attack, and focus on the offensive.
The Liverpool U18 team in front of us prefers well-organized defense and counterattacks, with special emphasis on the defense of midfielders. When defending, they usually form a tight three-dimensional defense line, giving their opponents little space and opportunities.
The performance of the Liverpool U18 team in front of me in the first 5 minutes was indeed better than that of the Southampton U18 team.
They have a more integrated feel than the Southampton U18 team, pay more attention to the team's overall defense, and emphasize collaboration between players and position coverage.
Their midfielders are also more defensive-oriented to ensure the stability of the overall formation.
In terms of offense, the tactics of this Liverpool U18 team must also follow Hodgson's style, using gaps to carry out quick counterattacks.
After the team's defense ends, they will inevitably launch a quick counterattack, using the speed and offensive ability of the forwards to tear apart the opponent's defense.
Therefore, this is definitely not a good sign for the Southampton U18 team, which currently has the upper hand.
The Southampton U18 team must tear apart the Liverpool U18 defense as soon as possible and find a breakthrough, otherwise...
Gu Ran quietly looked at Coach Dodd and Alan Shearer next to him.
Coach Dodd seems not to be aware of the problem yet - the coaches of the youth training team focus more on training and are indeed weak in tactical analysis and response.
After retiring, Alan Shearer also served as the coach of Newcastle United, but it was obvious that he was not sensitive enough to the tactical battles on the field.
What's more, Evelin kept nagging in his ears.
Evelyn is like five hundred ducks.
Alan Shearer is dying.
...Gu Ran smiled in his heart.
The 8th minute of the game.
The Southampton U18 team's offensive was still blocked, with all its troops pressed into the 30-meter area on the opposite side, but it was still unable to break through the dense and stable defense of the Liverpool U18 team.
At this time, No. 47 Kawai Yuichi suddenly accelerated, got rid of the opponent's full-back's marking, and ran to the neutral area outside the top of the penalty area to receive the ball!
There is still something about the movement this time.
As a forward who won the Japanese national championship, Yuichi Kawai still has some strength.
But... look at the positions of the two defensive players of Liverpool U18. This is an offensive trap.
Unless Kawai Yuichi picks up the ball and immediately crosses it, something bad will happen if he sticks to the ball even a little bit.
Yuichi, the foolish son, would definitely not be able to see through this kind of game of football intelligence.
Gu Ran's brows furrowed even more tightly.
Seeing Yuichi Kawai running into the gap, the No. 10 core midfielder of the Southampton U18 team hesitated and then gave the ball to Yuichi Kawai.
Although No. 10 does not like Kawai Yuichi, as a professional player, when Kawai Yuichi is actively running and has a good neutral, the pass must still be passed.
While passing the ball, the No. 10 midfielder ran diagonally to the left side. On the one hand, he provided Yuichi Kawai with firepower, and on the other hand, he also wanted Yuichi Kawai to pass the ball quickly.
After getting the ball, Kawai Yuichi had an excellent opportunity.
In this position, Yuichi Kawai can either dribble the ball and go straight in. If he can't, he can choose to distribute the ball to his teammates, or he can directly take a long shot on the spot.
No matter which choice you make, you have to be fast. The situation on the court is changing rapidly and everyone is in a dynamic state. If you are slower, you will miss a good opportunity.
Kawai Yuichi chose to shoot directly!
Kawai Yuichi howled and took an exaggerated stance like a tiger shooting——
Liverpool U18's defense contracted and double-teamed extremely quickly!
This area was originally a trap. The two nearby Liverpool U18 midfielders No. 8 and No. 12 didn't wait for Kawai Yuichi's kick and went straight to close the door!
No. 47...it was you: Gu Ran!
Liverpool U18's No. 8 and No. 12 looked particularly hard and excited in their defense against Kawai Yuichi!
After all, the Chinese "Gu Ran" stole their British national championship and top scorer Golden Boot award!
The No. 8 player of Liverpool U18 directly used his strong body to block Yuichi Kawai, and also pulled Yuichi Kawai's arm. While blocking Yuichi Kawai's long shot, he also prevented Yuichi Kawai from turning around and breaking through!
This defensive level is definitely professional level.
Another player No. 12 was not polite, and directly and fiercely, Yuichi Asakawai fell to the ground and made a sliding shovel!
The turf is slippery, so the shovel is powerful and fast!
Yuichi Kawai never expected that he would be taken care of so much as soon as he got the ball!
Facing the sliding tackle, Kawai Yuichi was still reluctant to pass the ball, but wanted to rely on his own ability to turn around and protect the ball.
However, his movements were too slow.
Before he even turned around, the No. 12 player on the opposite side shoveled the ball cleanly toward the center circle!
Sterling, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly broke out and gave chase quickly!
Sterling puffed out his chest, stuck out his butt, and splashed water with his legs on the still water-logged turf!
The Liverpool executives and staff in the stands cheered excitedly!
Especially the director of technical analysis, Michael Edwards, happily stood up, clapped and whistled.
Coach Dodd on the visiting team's bench jumped up from his seat eagerly. He originally planned to scold Yuichi Kawai, but at this time, Sterling had already dribbled the ball through the midfield, and the two central defenders of the Southampton U18 team Even though I tried my best to catch up, I couldn't catch up——
Coach Dodd shouted loudly: "Return to defense! Return to defense! Come back to defense quickly!"
Sterling is as fast as lightning!
The entire Southampton U18 team was retreating with all their strength, their lungs were about to burst, but they couldn't catch up at all.
This is an obvious gap in physical talent!
Sterling is indeed a young genius who has high hopes from Great Britain!
Gu Ran couldn't help but secretly took a breath:
If we look at the system's rating standards, 16-year-old Sterling would have 78 points in explosive attributes if not 80 points.
What a complete talent.
After two more years in Liverpool's youth training, Sterling's explosive attributes and speed attributes should reach around 90 points.
Great, with such an opponent, I am even more motivated!
Gu Ran looked at Sterling's figure running wildly on the field, and the blood in his body boiled uncontrollably.
…
(End of chapter)
