super storm

Chapter 620 Regression

After two weeks of national team match days, Liverpool's international players have returned to the team and returned to Melwood for training.

As usual, Gerrard arrived at the training base earlier than the stipulated time, but after entering the parking lot, he found that the familiar champagne-colored Cayenne was once again parked in its exclusive location.

Yang Yang is back!
After Gerrard parked the car, he took his training backpack and entered Melwood. When he passed the security room, he casually asked the security guard.

"Is Yang back?"

"Yes, he has been back for four days."

"Four days?"

Gerrard was a little surprised, because he knew that the holiday the club gave Yang Yang was just to report on time today.

Unexpectedly, Yang Yang came back four days early.

After entering Melwood, Gerrard didn't go to the locker room, but went directly to the gym. He found that Yang Yang seemed to have completed the equipment training, and was standing aside wiping his sweat, chatting with fitness coach Francisco de Michele.

"Hey, Young," Gerald yelled as soon as he entered the door.

Both Yang Yang and De Michel turned around, seeing that it was Gerrard, Yang Yang greeted him with a smile.

"Hi, Steven."

"Hey, wait, wait, it's all sweat, don't hug him." Gerald hurriedly persuaded him, pointing to his clothes, as if to say, my clothes are not cheap, and your sweat won't do.

Seeing his nervous appearance, both Yang Yang and De Michel laughed.

"How is it? How does it feel to be on vacation?" Gerald asked enviously.

It is definitely not easy to get a week's rest in the middle of the season. It happens to be the national team match day again, and Yang Yang has a lot of rest this holiday.

"I have benefited a lot, and I feel good." Yang Yang said truthfully.

Gerrard nodded, "Then we have to work harder. We will play Middlesbrough soon, play Inter Milan away in the middle of the week, and play Chelsea on the weekend. They are all tough games. We need you very much."

Feeling the weight of Gerrard's words, Yang Yang nodded solemnly and said, "Don't worry, I will do my best."

"I believe you."

After speaking, Gerrard left the gym and went back to the locker room to prepare.

After sending Gerrard away, Yang Yang started cycling training.

But more and more Liverpool players returned to the team. After seeing Yang Yang's car, they all came to the gym.

Yang Yang's popularity in the team is indeed good, very popular, and the relationship with his teammates is also very harmonious, so even if he gets a week's rest, no one in the team will complain.

Everyone knows that he really played at his peak in the first half, and he really needs a good rest.

Xavi Alonso was the most sensitive. When he saw Yang Yang, the Spanish midfielder nodded with a smile, "You do look a lot more relaxed, and your whole person is different."

"Thank you, Harvey." Yang Yang smiled.

He returned to the team four days ago, had a long communication with Benitez and Yesterdan, and then took a physical examination. He has continued to train and practice as usual in the past few days without any slack.

……

During the winter break, Mohamed Sissoko left.

The Mali midfielder moved to Juventus in Serie A for 100 million euros.

After being relegated, the Bianconeri took two years to return to Serie A. Now the overall strength is not outstanding, but the foundation is still there. Mohamed Sissoko is a player they need very much, so the Bianconeri have pursued him for a long time.

After sending Sissoko away, Liverpool received a transfer fee of 100 million euros, and the team took the money to introduce Slovak defender Martin Skrtel from Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia.

The 23-year-old central defender has a height of 1.9 meters. He has a vigorous and brave style and excellent anti-high ball ability. His characteristics are very similar to that of Hyypia in the team, which is very in line with Benitez's requirements.

Obviously, Benitez will have four central defenders next, and the employment will be more generous, so that there will be no more embarrassments like Hyypia's downturn after Daniel Agger was injured.

After the introduction of Skrtel, Liverpool will not make any more signings during the winter break.

Benitez originally wanted to introduce Aston Villa's captain Gareth Barry to fill the vacancy of Sissoko, but the management finally stopped the transfer because Gareth Barry's worth is indeed expensive.

But Rick Parry promises that if the team performs well this season, the team will get a transfer signing fund this summer.

This undoubtedly made Benitez and the team more motivated.

Although Yang Yang has been in poor form in the past month, Liverpool still intends to renew his contract.

After winning the World Footballer of the Year and the European Ballon d'Or, Yang Yang's worth has obviously increased compared to before. In addition to paying Yang Yang two high bonuses, Liverpool also hope to re-sign a contract.

However, since Yang Yang has already received the top salary of 15 pounds in the Premier League, it may be difficult for Liverpool to give a higher salary this time when he renews his contract.

Yang Yang said that he hopes to postpone the contract renewal, because he prefers to focus all his attention on the game.

…………

…………

Although the next game will be Middlesbrough, this team is not in Liverpool's plan.

After the players returned to the team, time was limited. Liverpool arranged two tactical trainings, one of which was the daily pressing training.

"Press!"

"Lock!"

"on!"

There was an endless stream of shouts from Liverpool players at the Melwood training base.

During the game, fans watching live TV may not feel it, but if they are watching the game live, it will not be surprising, because such shouts are very common in Liverpool games.

Gerrard, Harvey Alonso and Mascherano who shouted the most.

These three midfielders have the widest vision and the clearest understanding of the situation on the pitch. At the same time, they control the overall rhythm of the team and the forward and backward moves of the formation, so they shout the most.

Pressing is to remind players to start preparing to press the opponent, force the ball at the opponent's feet, and take the initiative to regain possession of the ball instead of waiting for the opponent to make a mistake.

Once the midfielder shouts this word, it means that the whole team is engaged in pressing and pressing.

Lock, this is more when the ball appears on the side, the purpose is to pass the block and press on the side, forcing the opponent to the center, or pass back, smashing their offense.

When the ball is on the left side, the midfielder shouts to lock it, so including Yang Yang, the left winger, the left back, the midfielder's left midfielder, and sometimes Gerrard, all have to invest in blocking and pressing at the same time.

As for up, that is to press up, a signal to push the overall formation forward.

When many outside media analyze Liverpool's tactics, they often emphasize Liverpool's double midfielder configuration, thinking that Liverpool likes to press forward and press high. This is certainly not wrong, but it is actually problematic.

High-position pressing requires very high physical fitness and will of the players. It is impossible for any team to use this style of play throughout the field.

As for when to play and when to play, this requires the head coach and the players on the field to adapt.

Not only that, but it is very dangerous for some teams to adopt high pressing and pressing. For example, some teams that like long passes and have speed players cannot use high pressing and pressing against such teams. But for some teams that like to pass and control the ball, high pressing and pressing are very effective, such as playing Arsenal or Barcelona.

Inter Milan is obviously not a team that likes to play long passes, even if they have the two high points of Ibrahimovic and Kroos, but in fact the Nerazzurri's long passes are not much of a threat.

Knowing this, Benitez's strategy against Inter Milan is to press high.

pressure!Lock!superior!
Liverpool's targeted training is obviously designed to restrain Inter Milan's tactics, and it is also a tactical style of play that Liverpool is best at.

As well as rehearsing their defensive high-pressing tactics, Liverpool also had an attacking training session.

During this tactical training, Benitez still used the combination of Yang Yang, Crouch and Dirk in the frontcourt, but what is surprising is that he adjusted Yang Yang's authority on the field. He allowed Yang Yang to change his position according to the situation on the field, and he could even go to the right.

In other words, he is trying to make Yang Yang a free man in the frontcourt, let Crouch as the tactical fulcrum, and Dirk Dirk as the frontcourt running support, and try their best to cooperate with Yang Yang's offense.

Although no one said it clearly, everyone including Yang Yang knew very well that Benitez entrusted all the offensive tasks of the team to Yang Yang, and if the effect is good, it is estimated that Yang Yang will get more tactical freedom in the future, and he can even play as he wants.

For Benitez, who has always regarded tactical discipline as his life, and was even criticized by many people for treating players as machines, this is really an incredible decision, but it is not difficult to see his importance and trust in Yang Yang.

You know, Yang Yang had been in a sluggish state for more than a month before. As a result, Benitez not only gave him a vacation, gave him a week's vacation, and gave him such an important task after returning to the team. It really made Yang Yang feel a lot of pressure, but at the same time he was grateful.

In any case, Benitez really did what he promised when he invited Yang Yang to join Liverpool.

In the past two years, he has always used Yang Yang with confidence and trust. Even now that he is in a low state, the Spaniard still does not change his trust in Yang Yang.

Yang Yang didn't say anything. After understanding what Benitez wanted, he didn't say a word either, and devoted himself to training and preparation.

He is well aware that professional football is brutal.

Benitez’s trust and reliance on him took a lot of risk. Even if the first leg was an away game, it was still an important knockout round of the UEFA Champions League. If he lost, Yang Yang might just say that he was in poor form and he would be fine, but Benitez would probably have to take the blame.

Therefore, Yang Yang's thank you is useless, if you really want to thank you, you have to show your status.

(End of this chapter)