i want to be king

Chapter 981 Returning to Manchester United
Manchester City players' impression of Guardiola is actually very contradictory, a bit like a complex of angels and devils.

He is said to be a devil because he has very strict requirements for tactical execution. It can be said that, except for Su Dong, who he trusts the most, all other players in the team must strictly follow his requirements to move and pass the ball.

How to run, where to run, how to spread, where to spread...

Almost everything, Guardiola will prepare for the players properly. As a player, you only need to strictly implement it and give full play to your own characteristics.

There are good and bad ways to do this.

Needless to say, the advantage is that the team's overall performance is very stable, and it doesn't matter even if it changes players.

Especially young players like Sterling, Trippier, Thiago, etc., they can also play well in this system.

Many people say that Guardiola is good at cultivating young players. This is because of his rigorous and meticulous tactics, so that young players on the court clearly know what they want to do and how to do it. Then, under the overall tactical framework, they can give full play to their own characteristics, and their performance will naturally be good.

But the disadvantages are also quite obvious, that is, after players are familiar with this style of play, they will inevitably feel a little mechanical, lack some imagination and self-awareness, and even easily develop a sense of slack.

Of course, for the time being, Manchester City is still enjoying the benefits, but the disadvantages are rare.

As for Guardiola's angelic side, his management is actually quite humane. In many cases, he pays more attention to the self-discipline of the players. For example, on the eve of the game, Guardiola does not like to let the team stay in the hotel in advance, but let the players live at home, thinking that this will be more conducive to the players' performance.

However, while being humane, Guardiola kept a certain distance from the players, which seemed a little alienated.

Although he was born as a professional player, he seldom gets along with the players. He maintains a detachment of a manager, and sometimes he even seems too cold and impersonal.

This management model is very scientific and professional, but it lacks a sense of intimacy with the players. When the team encounters difficulties, it is difficult for the players to have the urge to die for their confidants. This also led to Guardiola's first season of coaching Manchester City. The team seriously lacked the confidence to fight tough battles.

The joining of Su Dong, especially after becoming the captain of the team, has made up for this problem very well.

Today's Manchester City looks like a division of labor between Guardiola and Su Dong. The former adopts scientific and professional management, while Su Dong is in harmony with the players. When necessary, he raises his arms and the whole team responds in unison.

Even to a certain extent, Su Dong's prestige in Manchester City is higher than that of Guardiola, which is from this.

Because of this, when there were rumors that Barcelona wanted to poach Guardiola, the British media even felt that Manchester City did not need to find another head coach at all, and just straightened up Su Dong as a player and head coach, and it was enough to equip him with an experienced assistant.

This statement is really not for no reason, it is because of Manchester City's current management model that Su Dong has lost a large part of the authority that should have belonged to the head coach Guardiola.

Guardiola is also well aware of this, and this is his own choice at the beginning, and Su Dong still highly respects him as the head coach, no matter on the court or on weekdays, and everyone before and after has given him enough respect, which makes the two cooperate seamlessly, so he didn't think about solving this problem in the past.

Even, whether it was when Guardiola signed Manchester City or the recent contract extension, Su Dong contributed a lot.

All of this has made Su Dong's position in the Manchester City team even more detached than Guardiola.

However, Su Dong did not become complacent because of this. On the contrary, he acted in a more low-key manner, cautious and careful in every way, and usually quite self-disciplined.

……

Every morning, before going to Carrington, Su Dong would train himself at home. This has been a habit he has developed over the years.

After training, after taking a shower and changing clothes, Su Dong went out.

For so many years, he has never learned to drive. During the time when his fiancée Wang Chuqing was studying, he could only hire a driver for himself to take him to and fro every day.

On the way to Carrington, he would take time to make video calls with his fiancée, parents and future father-in-law and mother-in-law to chat about daily chores. The morning in Manchester happened to be the afternoon in China, and they were also happy to have a few chats in their busy schedule.

After arriving in Carrington, the first stop is the restaurant.

As you get older, not only the amount of training needs to be adjusted, but also the diet.

Dr. Paul Lacasco, Sudong's personal nutritionist, flies from Portugal to Manchester every week to check Sudong's physical condition and customize a diet for him for the next week. He will keep in touch with the personal trainer team every day and adjust the diet at any time.

Manchester City also carried out a large-scale rectification not long ago. One of the most important ones is the emphasis on players' diet. For example, Guardiola requires that every player must eat at the training base during the league.

The food provided by the team is also of a high standard. Even if it is some fruits that can be seen everywhere, they have found special suppliers to provide the highest quality fruits, not to mention some meat and the like. However, the restaurant also provides some high-calorie foods such as pizza and burgers, but the players can only eat according to the recipe.

Of course, Manchester City has hired several chefs with excellent craftsmanship to provide services for these players.

Don't think these chefs are easy, they are really busy.

It’s really nothing to make delicacies from mountains and seas into delicious food. The real difficulty is to make those things that no one eats or even hard to swallow, such as chicken breast, nutritious and delicious. That’s the real skill.

Manchester City even specially supports chefs to develop some recipes for this purpose, and spends a lot of money every year.

Su Dong's recipe will be sent to the restaurant by the personal trainer team the day before, and then the restaurant will prepare the meal.

Players exercise a lot, and their appetites are also very good. If you eat anything, it is at least a day's meal for an ordinary person.

Especially for such high-standard meals as Su Dong, all kinds of nutrition must be taken into account. There are not many of them, but with a dozen dishes, it can fill up a large table.

Not only him, but others as well.

If you meet a big eater, you can even eat a cow.

While Su Dong was having breakfast and dried fruit at a large table, he received a call from Ronnie.

……

"Hey, brother, you woke up so early?" Su Dong asked vaguely while eating.

"I've already finished training in the hotel's gym, how about you?" Ronnie, who was opposite, smiled.

Su Dong hummed twice, "Listen, I've already had breakfast at the training base."

"Then you have to save some for me, we are going there soon."

"Of course it's fine, as long as you don't mind the trouble."

Real Madrid stayed in a hotel in the urban area for this expedition to Manchester, but the training base was borrowed from Manchester United, and the whole world knows that Manchester United's training base is next door to Manchester City.

However, this situation will end this season. After this season, Manchester City's brand new, world-class training base next to the Etihad Stadium will be officially opened. In addition to the first team, including the youth team will also train there. The various facilities are of the highest standard and equipped with many high-tech equipment.

"How does it feel to return to Manchester United?" Su Dong asked suddenly.

Ronnie on the opposite side was obviously silent for a while before saying: "I don't feel anything, it's familiar and strange."

This is the team he has played for the longest time in his career. It would be absolutely false to say that he has no feeling for Manchester United.

But professional players, come if you agree, go if you don't, whether it's a club or a player, to put it bluntly, it's all about combining interests, and it's never a good thing to be emotional.

"I saw the old man yesterday, and he said that you made him sleepless for a long time." Ronnie laughed.

"What does his insomnia have to do with me?" Su Dong smiled wryly.

"Didn't you force it? He asked me to ask you, do you know what it means to respect the old and love the young?"

Su Dong laughed when he heard that, this is indeed something Ferguson would ask.

Of course, this old man is shameless, so he would definitely not ask such a question face to face. He told Ronnie that it was more of a complaint.

Everyone knows that Ronnie and Su Dong are best friends.

"I apologize to him for you," Ronnie said again.

Su Dong was taken aback, what do you mean?
"I told him that you kid has been a little crazy recently, and I will teach you a lesson for him, so that you know how to respect your elders."

Well, go round and round, still want to win.

Su Dong chuckled, but didn't take it seriously, "The old man must be very happy."

"No, he reminded me that you've been doing fine lately."

When he said this, Ronnie changed the topic, "But my state is not bad recently."

Su Dong snorted, "Speaking of which, do you want to change your direction and praise yourself?"

Ronnie on the phone was also happy, "Pepe called me last night, and he also thinks I'm in good shape recently."

"He has bad intentions and wants you to go away." Su Dong looked at Pepe who was eating hazel not far away, and said happily.

Ronnie was also noncommittal, "Honestly, I feel like I can score tonight."

"Coincidentally, I also feel that I can score goals." Su Dong laughed.

"How many do you think you can get in?" Ronnie asked.

This kid also had bad intentions, so he wanted to step on Su Dong.

Su Dong has been with him for so long, so he still doesn't know his ghostly thoughts, so he immediately smiled and said, "One more than you."

"Get lost!" Ronnie laughed immediately.

The two of them could clearly hear each other's laughter through the phone, and they could also hear Pepe's shout, asking Su Dong if he was on the phone with Ronnie.

"Did you hear that? Pepe said, if you can score tonight, he will run naked from Manchester to Portugal."

"Digging, is it real or not? Then I have to work hard!"

Su Dong laughed straight, Pepe had already rushed over to grab the phone, Su Dong was so frightened that he quickly hid.

Ronnie on the other side of the phone also heard the movement, and immediately shouted: "Pepe, I'm recording, don't play tricks after the game, I'll wait to see you run naked."

Poor Pepe almost cried.

That bastard has scored goals in ten games in a row, so I bet him this?
(End of this chapter)