The Young Lion

Millwall came to Manchester's game team, coaching staff, players, team doctor, team leader and management staff, etc. have all embarked on their way back to London, but the head coach stayed.

Ferguson's office is not big, with a strong color of the reception room. There is a transparent tea table in the middle of the room. There are leather sofas under the three walls surrounding the tea table. Photos or meaningful paintings are hung on the wall above the sofa.

Aldrich came here as a guest, and when Ferguson went to pour the wine, he stood by the wall, admiring one of the photographs with his head up: All Beings on the Beam

is a photograph created in 1932 during the construction of the Rockefeller Building in New York.

In the picture, 11 construction workers are sitting on the steel bars working at high altitude. Below them are the bustling high-rise buildings in New York hundreds of meters above the ground.

In a sense, this reflects the actual status of the 11 players on the football field, the occupational danger they are engaged in, the courage above the heights, professionalism, and the quality of trust and communication with colleagues. If you can do all these, then, You can see all the small mountains at a glance, and establish a magnificent foundation like the Rockefeller Center, which is a symbol of American spirit. This painting condenses the spirit of the Red Devils.

Aldrich, you almost gave me a heart attack today.

Aldrich turned around and saw Ferguson sitting on the sofa at the other end of the coffee table, holding red wine in his hand, and the red wine poured for Aldrich had already been placed at the other end of the coffee table.

Sitting opposite Ferguson, Aldridge took a sip from his wine glass and didn't feel much aftertaste.

What? Don't like it?

With a slight smile on Ferguson's face, the big battle is over, and now the two coaches, one old and one young, can sit down and chat happily, which is also a kind of enjoyment in life in the football circle.

Aldrich shook his head and said with a frank smile: To be honest, my father was a street gangster when he was young, and my elder brother was a glass worker when he was just an adult, so my family doesn't have a high taste for red wine. To add to the fun, there is no difference between drinking red wine and drinking beer. I can’t say whether I like it or not, but it doesn’t make me happy. If Millwall wins the game today, I will treat you to a barbecue and drink as much beer as you want.”

Ferguson laughed out loud when he heard the words. He raised his glass and said, This is port wine. It comes from Portugal. It has a ceremonial color in England. I don't know what you like, so I thought, this kind of wine would be drunk by students and soldiers. Drink, the red wine that nobles also drink should be able to handle you, it seems that I was wrong, so, tell me, what is the best red wine you have ever drunk?

After thinking for a while, Aldridge said, 82 Lafite is actually not the best drink. I'm just an ordinary person, and drinking red wine is just to join in the fun.

In fact, Lafite is not the top in Europe where there are many wineries, but Aldrich was in China in his previous life, and Lafite was fired very hotly. When he was short of money, he went to buy a bottle of 82 Lafite. In the 1990s, this bottle of wine was not as expensive as it was ten years later, so he could afford it, but after drinking it, he felt it was worthless.

Ferguson nodded and said, Well, the 1982 red wine is indeed the best in recent decades, and the grape harvest was very good that year.

Is it about grapes?

Of course, grapes are the main raw material for winemaking. Therefore, good wine depends not only on brewing technology, but also on God's mood. When he is in a good mood, the grapes in 1982 will have a bumper harvest, and the quality is top-notch. There are too many common grapes, and classic red wine cannot be brewed. Well, this is also very similar to a football game,

Classic games are always born by accident, not by careful planning.

Aldridge nodded earnestly, Ferguson took a sip of his wine and said curiously: Aldrich, can you tell me the secret of your success? You have never played football, but your research on football tactics is impressive. The performance of the players on the Millwall field today is top-notch, but it is absolutely inseparable from their usual training. Even if the tactics in the football game are not repeated drills, the tactics in the training can be copied on the football field, but in irregular football games Being able to play such smooth football is inseparable from the training of the coach. Also, many Millwall players, Manchester United scouts told me after following up and observing that there are many young players with star potential. How did you choose them? These players? Where do you know their information?

Aldridge agreed with Ferguson's statement.

The football game itself has no rules to follow, unlike basketball or rugby coaches, who will hold a tactical board to specify offensive or defensive tactics to each player's running trajectory.

I left London when I was less than thirteen years old and traveled all over the world, no, actually only in Europe, Spain, Italy, Holland, France, Germany, Portugal, even Northern and Eastern Europe, I have also been a few times, from Since then, I have been observing football culture in different parts of the European continent, and then put it all in my head. To be honest, I am not a tactical madman. I will not study how to make players on the tactical board all day What do we achieve through complex moves, have you heard of Laconian thinking?

Ferguson shook his head seriously. Even though he is a tasteful wine connoisseur and a successful football coach, his knowledge is about the same as that of ordinary people. This is one of the reasons why he confronted Wenger later. Wenger always A learned style, and in front of Wenger, Ferguson will always inadvertently think of himself with a background of Glasgow dock workers.

Lagonian thinking is actually simplistic thinking. Conciseness is the real richness, because everything specific is limited, and only the simplest things can have the greatest fertility and imagination. In my training, I will let the players Play the ball concisely and quickly, train their awareness of running position and teamwork. When these become more mature, they will naturally play smoothly and cooperate on the court, and the defense is the same. Instill them with the simplest awareness, and the rest, They will try to do their best to play to their strengths.”

Aldrich said without concealment.

Why are you so frank? Don't you have the idea of ​​keeping it secret?

After hearing this, Ferguson pondered for a while, and then asked more curiously.

Aldridge laughed and said: Secret? There are no secrets in football. Any tactical framework is simple, and the efficiency of tactical execution depends on the player's ability. All Premier League teams know that Manchester United will play on both wings, but why is it still Will you be repeatedly shot through the wing? A large factor is determined by the ability of the players, not whether the tactics are restrained, or how mysterious the tactics are. The strength of the players' direct contact directly affects the trend on the court, even if it is compensated by the number of players. Wing defense, then other places will show flaws. For example, even if Manchester United returns to England's original long pass style, the team's record will not necessarily plummet, because your long pass will be more accurate. And you can buy top-level powerful centers to grab points in the middle. The same tactics, different teams use, the effect is different, the real tactical trend changes, the number of occurrences in football in the past century has not exceeded ten times. With the development of broadcasting, there are no tactical secrets on the football field for a long time, but only the matching degree of players and tactics.”

Ferguson sighed deeply: You are right. The key is whether the characteristics of the players match the tactics. Putting the right players in the right positions will bring out the best results. Otherwise, it will be a disaster.

Aldridge builds the team in this way. He needs a strong center forward, and Trezeguet is very suitable. Although Solskjaer is excellent, he cannot replace the young Trezeguet. He needs a midfield commander. Luck, Nedved, and Vieira are all capable, but in terms of effect, it must not be better than Pirlo. England's defenders need a high degree of air supremacy, and players like Stam meet the requirements, and so on.

However, there is also a tactical relationship, but it is only deeply reflected in the contest between top teams. In a game where the strength of the team lineup is very different, even if the tactics of the weak team restrain the strong team, it is very difficult. Hard to upset.

Ferguson got up and refilled a glass of wine for Aldridge, and continued to ask: So, where did you discover these players?

Aldridge laughed and said, Didn't you just say that? I have been to so many countries, watched a game every week, and left the names of many players in my notebook. Moreover, my second brother opened the An agency, he has scouts all over the world.

Ferguson suddenly realized. After a moment of silence, he raised his head and said solemnly: Seven million pounds, Larson should be sold to Manchester United, or five million pounds, that French young man, Trezeguet.

Aldridge's happy mood disappeared in an instant, and the old fox finally made a move!

He was uneasy. This was not the first time Ferguson had asked for a price. He had already given up three months ago, but after today's game, he still made up his mind.

Since he opened his mouth, salary must not be a problem.

Moreover, Trezeguet and Larson's outstanding performance today is enough for them to get high wages at Manchester United without being questioned.

In terms of transfer fees, seven million pounds is a very sincere price.

£500,000 more than Andy Cole's transfer fee this spring, but £500,000 less than Bergkamp's move to Arsenal. This is the second-highest price in English football transfer records , the latest record was created by Bergkamp.

Trezeguet's five million pounds is also considered sincere.

Aldrich put down his wine glass and said lightly: I need to think about it.

Whether the transaction is successful or not, Aldridge, next time you come to Manchester United as a guest, I will open a bottle of 82 Lafite.

Ferguson got up and shook hands with Aldridge solemnly. Aldridge cheered up and smiled, then turned and left.