Chapter 14 Together Again

At dinner, Zhou Yi, Sun Pan, Yang Muge, and Guo Nu came together again.

They didn't care about the looks from other teammates, and even less about Liang Qiqi's attitude.

This time, the topic of conversation was Guo Nu.

"Zhou Yi, Liang Qiqi directly targeted you last time, and you still explained things to him. How come today he didn't bother you, but you were so tough?" Sun Pan was very curious about this question at the dinner table.

"That's different. He was picking a fight with Lao Guo for no reason. Lao Guo is my friend! A friend in need is a friend indeed! I'm just that loyal!" Zhou Yi bragged about himself again.

"Tch, I think you were just looking for an excuse. But well done, I've disliked that kid for a long time too," Sun Pan said.

"There are so many people you dislike…" Zhou Yi rolled his eyes. Guo Nu, He Ying, Liang Qiqi, Sun Pan always had something negative to say about them.

"No matter what, Lao Guo, you're definitely starting in the next game!" He patted Guo Nu's shoulder.

"That's hard to say." Sun Pan curled his lip. "What we lack is a center back, and he's not one."

Although Sun Pan stood up to support Zhou Yi in seeking justice for Guo Nu after the game, it didn't mean he wanted Guo Nu to start as a defender, because that meant his chances of losing the ball would be even greater than usual. He was really afraid of Guo Nu.

"But he's the only one who can fill in as a center back now. Two of the six defenders are injured, and one is suspended. The remaining three are all on the field, and we're still short one. The only ones who can defend are Lao Guo and Yang Muge… Yang Muge, can you play center back?" Zhou Yi turned to ask Yang Muge.

Yang Muge shook his head. "I'm not suitable for center back."

"I'm not suitable either…" Guo Nu finally said.

"If you want to play in the game, don't say things like that, Lao Guo." Zhou Yi quickly waved his hand. "Yang Muge is a starting defensive midfielder, don't compare yourself to him."

"Go up there and continue to lose the ball?" Guo Nu retorted, his mood low, as if he were afraid of playing.

"Hey, you can't say that. I could see it clearly from below. Your problem is that even though you were playing center back, you were still playing like a defensive midfielder, rushing forward too much, which led to you losing your position. Of course, the opponent would score from your side." Zhou Yi analyzed for Guo Nu. He had been a substitute for so many games, he wasn't just sitting down there. He was observing the game. This kind of game was different from the low-level games like the open tryout finals, it wouldn't make him fall asleep.

"Also, your movements are too big, it's too easy to give the opponent free kicks in good positions. Wasn't the first goal you conceded like that?"

"So you have to change your mindset. Don't always think you're playing defensive midfielder, you have to be clear that you're playing center back. The technical requirements for center back are different from those for defensive midfielder. But the most important thing is the psychology. You're too impulsive. Look at the first time we met, I mistakenly called you 'uncle,' and you wanted to hit me. That's not right. You could have just corrected my address."

Guo Nu's face flushed red, but he didn't speak to refute Zhou Yi. It was hard to tell whether his blush was due to anger or embarrassment.

"Lao Guo, I think you seem to care a lot about your looks, your height, your age… and your stutter. But the more you care about these problems, the more reason others have to make fun of you. If you yourself don't care about these things, then others won't be able to use these things against you."

"Easier said than done, Zhou Yi. He's been like this for so many years, how can he change it?" Sun Pan dismissed Zhou Yi's words.

"That is indeed a problem…" Zhou Yi also fell into contemplation, and the dinner table was silent for a while.

Guo Nu sat in his seat with his head down, on the one hand, he also felt that Zhou Yi was being whimsical. He knew his own problems, he had been like this for seventeen years, how could he change just by saying so? It's not like he hadn't thought about changing before, but it always ended in failure.

But on the other hand, he secretly hoped that Zhou Yi could really come up with some way.

Perhaps even Guo Nu himself didn't realize that after Zhou Yi stood up for him today, speaking out for him and successfully demanding that Liang Qiqi, who had repeatedly provoked him, apologize, in the depths of his heart, he had actually developed trust and reliance on Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi could actually make that annoying Liang Qiqi apologize to him in public, maybe he also has a way to solve his problems?

"Hey, I've got it!" Zhou Yi suddenly slapped the table, and Guo Nu's spirits lifted, and he immediately turned to look at him.

Sun Pan and Yang Muge also looked over.

"Lao Guo's problem is a chronic illness. If you want to get results quickly in a short period of time, you must use special medicine. Although it doesn't cure the root cause, it's good to treat the symptoms first. So we have to use strong medicine," Zhou Yi said.

"Get to the point!" Sun Pan said anxiously.

"What strong medicine?" Yang Muge was also very curious.

Although Guo Nu didn't speak, his eyes had already said everything.

"Lao Guo's current problem is that it's difficult for him to calm down, he's too easily impulsive, so let's do some special training targeting this!"

"Special training?"

"Yes, special training!" Zhou Yi nodded solemnly.

※※※

After dinner, the general director Xu Tao came to the head coach Hao Dong's room. He wanted to discuss a problem with Hao Dong.

In the game against Bayern Munich, the team lost 0:9 in the end, almost conceding ten goals. Seeing that the number of goals conceded was getting smaller and smaller, he didn't expect this game to bring them back to square one overnight.

Now the team is also facing a personnel crisis, and he has to have a good talk with Hao Dong.

He wanted Guo Nu to not play in the next game.

After listening to his request, Hao Dong shook his head almost without any time to consider, and immediately said: "That's impossible. According to our rules, players who are sent off in the game will also be suspended for one game in the following game. This is the rule, how can the rule be changed casually?"

"But you've also seen the kid's performance. With him on the field, I'm worried that we'll lose even more in the next game against Dortmund…" Xu Tao said with a frown. He knew it would be difficult to persuade Hao Dong, but he still wanted to try.

"With or without him, we will lose a lot of goals. This is the gap in strength, and it won't change because of who plays and who doesn't." Hao Dong explained. "And even if I don't let him play, then who else can play in the center back position?"

"The one who was suspended…"

"Yang Fei can't, he's been suspended. Our rules are like this, we can't change them, otherwise it would be a joke. In football, rules are very important."

"But if we continue to lose like this, we will also be under a lot of pressure. The sponsors are already somewhat dissatisfied…"

"I know, Director Xu, you also have your difficulties. But since you invited me to be the head coach, I think I have to be responsible for the team, so I have the final say on the team's affairs. If the sponsors have any pressure, let them come to me directly, I will talk to them, I will persuade them." Hao Dong did not give in on this issue. As he said, he is the team's coach, and he is responsible for the team's affairs. He doesn't need anyone else to interfere with who can play and who can't play.

Seeing that Hao Dong's attitude was so tough and firm, Xu Tao didn't say anything more, he was afraid that the two sides would fall out if he continued to talk, and then this program would be completely finished.

He had no choice but to say goodbye.

And Hao Dong also comforted him, saying that he would make some changes in the tactical arrangement, so as not to make the scene too ugly.

What else could Xu Tao do?

That's all he could do now.

As soon as he left, assistant coach Xu Yang knocked on the door and came in.

"I just saw Director Xu coming out of your room?" He asked as soon as he came in.

Hao Dong nodded: "Yes, he came to me to discuss whether we could not let Guo Nu play in the next game."

"How can this work? It's up to our coaching staff to make the list of players, the production crew has no right to interfere!" As soon as he heard that the other party wanted to seize power, Xu Yang became emotional.

"Yes, yes, so I didn't agree with them." Hao Dong hurriedly comforted his assistant coach. "But the problem he said does exist. Guo Nu was originally playing defensive midfielder, and he's not in his best condition when he's filling in as a center back. His personality and playing style are not suitable for playing center back… but who told us that we have no one now?"

"Alas…" Xu Yang also sighed. The team's situation is really bad now. Continuous losses have made everyone's morale drop again and again, coupled with injuries and suspensions, it's really adding insult to injury.

"But we still have to let Guo Nu start in the next game, he's the only one who can play center back now. But we do need to make some targeted arrangements. We couldn't do anything against Bayern, but we have a week to adjust for Dortmund. According to Guo Nu's characteristics, we can let him be more responsible for pressing, and let Liu Nian drop back to cover Guo Nu's position."

"Sweeper?" Xu Yang asked after hearing this.

A sweeper is a central defender who drops back, meaning that another central defender is arranged behind the central defender, who does not participate in the attack, defends completely, and is specifically responsible for handling the balls that his teammates have missed in front of him.

However, the sweeper tactic is already outdated. There are no teams in international football that play the sweeper tactic at all. The last time the sweeper performed in an international competition was at the 2004 European Cup in Portugal. The Greek national team's central defender Dellas played similarly to a sweeper on the field. With his outstanding performance, the Greek team's defense was very stable, and they eventually made it all the way to the final, defeating the host Portugal and winning the European Cup, creating the "Greek myth."

But after that, Dellas, who played as the main player in the Greek national team, did not achieve very good results in the club. He also became more and more marginalized. His tall and clumsy body made him no longer adapt to the development of modern football. It was only natural that he was eliminated along with the "sweeper."

Hao Dong nodded: "Something like that."

"Okay, but the problem is that Liu Nian probably doesn't have the experience to play as a sweeper…"

"Let him overcome it, there's no way, that's all we can do. It's better for him to play as a sweeper than to let Guo Nu play as a sweeper, right?"

"That's true…"

"Also," Hao Dong said again. "Don't let that Liang Qiqi play in the next game."

"His previous performance was really not good…"

"It's not because he's not good that I'm taking him down, it's because he blamed his teammates and provoked infighting after losing the game today. And it's not the first time," Hao Dong said.

"Understood. But after he comes down, who will replace him? We don't have many substitutes in midfield…" Xu Yang asked.

"Zhou Yi."

"Zhou Yi?" Xu Yang raised his head in surprise and looked at Hao Dong.

"Yes, Zhou Yi."

"But he…"

Zhou Yi is the weakest player on the team, at least that's how assistant coach Xu Yang sees it. After all, he is a student player, and he has not received professional and systematic football training in the past seventeen years. It is already very remarkable that he can stand out from so many open tryout players across the country. But participating in competitions in Europe… Xu Yang still thinks he is unreliable.

"I know he has many problems, such as physical confrontation, such as physical fitness… But like Guo Nu, in this position, we have no one else available except him. He is the only substitute in midfield now."

"Alas, this is really…" Xu Yang was speechless.