After the match restarted, Leeds United deliberately slowed down the pace.
Li Shiguang also made some minor adjustments to the formation.
He moved Lahm forward to the left defensive midfield position, and then Bale dropped back to become the left-back.
In doing so, Leeds United essentially handed over control of the midfield and attack to Chelsea, allowing them to organize some attacks themselves.
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The commentators and fans may not fully understand Li Shiguang's adjustment, but for the Leeds United players on the field, this is not the first time Lahm has played as a defensive midfielder.
Apart from Mascherano, the other regular defensive midfielders in Leeds United are more technically inclined. Although they have sufficient footwork and passing skills, they are still a bit lacking in defensive coverage and mobility.
Li Shiguang understood.
If a midfielder only possesses technique but lacks speed, then once the opponent launches a quick counter-attack, the team's defensive midfielder will be left behind, rendering the midfield defense ineffective and exposing the backline directly to the opponent's attacks. Just like in last season's Champions League quarter-finals, Kaká was able to break through Leeds United's midfield defense solely through his speed!
Therefore, when designing this set of tactics...
Li Shiguang focused his attention on Lamu.
Transforming Lahm into a qualified defensive midfielder was not a difficult task for Li Shiguang.
Although Lahm is not tall, he is extremely agile, fast, and covers a wide area. Coupled with his high basketball IQ, this gives Li Shiguang more freedom to use Lahm.
I've been with Leeds United for over two years.
If you asked Leeds United fans to comment on their starting left-back's defensive actions, most would probably say "clean and efficient".
Lahm is an extremely calm defender. He never acts rashly and always observes the situation before making a move. However, once he does make a defensive move, it is almost always the most appropriate choice made at the most appropriate time.
In Li Shiguang's view, since the goal is to protect the organizer in the middle, then by placing Modric next to Kaká to play as a central midfielder,
Lahm is the only other suitable defensive midfielder for Leeds United besides Mascherano, bar none!
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"Leeds United have changed their formation, completely transforming into a 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree." Lineker looked at Leeds United's positioning on the TV screen, his eyes full of curiosity. "Jon, why did Lee do this? I've seen Bale play left-back before, but when did Lahm get converted to play defensive midfield?"
Jon rolled his eyes and looked at Lineker as if he were an idiot: "This is just the Community Shield, not the Champions League final! Do you expect Leeds United to go all out in one game? This is the first time Lee has used this tactical system, so in addition to attacking, he naturally wants to test the team's defensive capabilities. As for when Lahm was transformed, we'll have to ask Lee about that after the game."
"Huh?" Reinkel chuckled awkwardly, not thinking as much as Jon. "But wouldn't that be handing over the advantage we've already gained to our opponents?"
Jon shook his head, a slight unease on his face: "Not necessarily. Don't forget, Leeds United under Lee built their reputation on counter-attacking football. They seem to have retreated somewhat now, but Adriano isn't back. If he gets the chance, it will be absolutely fatal for Chelsea."
Adriano?
As a Leeds United fan, Lineker wouldn't have even remembered that his team's striker today was this Brazilian if Jon hadn't mentioned it.
In the first twenty minutes or so of the game, Adriano didn't have any particularly outstanding individual performances. He mostly served to draw the attention of Chelsea's defense and act as a transit point for passing combinations with his teammates.
“But it seems Adriano isn’t in very good shape.” Recalling Adriano’s performance over the past few days, Reinkel finally voiced his doubts. “Although Lee and Kaka both mentioned in interviews that his… uh… illness has been cured, to be honest, I don’t really believe that he has recovered to his peak condition from a few years ago in such a short time.”
Who the hell are the real Leeds United fans?
As a Chelsea fan, I'm wary of Adriano. How can you, a die-hard Leeds United fan, doubt your own starting striker?
Jon mentally launched into a tirade against Reinkel.
But after venting.
He still voiced his opinion: "Well... Lee said Adriano has returned to normal, and to be honest, I don't quite believe it. This guy is now widely recognized as a shady business owner in European football. But Kaká also mentioned this in a public interview, which makes me have to believe it. He's a devout believer, and lying isn't something Kaká is good at."
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Mourinho frowned as he watched as Lampard's pass to Phillips was intercepted by Lahm, who then passed the ball to Bale on the wing, launching a quick counter-attack.
Although the attack ended with Bale being pushed out of bounds by Glen Johnson, the recurring occurrence of this situation still left the Portuguese extremely unhappy.
This has happened more than once or twice.
Turning his head to glance at Li Shiguang, who was standing in the coaching area talking quietly with Rivaldo, Mourinho knew that Li Shiguang was using his Chelsea as a litmus test.
Earlier, after Joe Cole restarted the game at center circle.
Mourinho immediately noticed the change in Lahm and Bale's positions, and he also guessed Li Shiguang's intentions.
At first, he thought Li Shiguang was being a bit far-fetched. With Ram's small frame, how much of a role could he play in defense?
It's important to understand that Chelsea's midfielders are all physically imposing men. If Lahm were to closely mark these tough guys, he would definitely be at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength. However, if he doesn't go up to mark them closely, the players he's marking can easily turn around and organize an attack.
But Lahm's performance disappointed Mourinho.
He knew he was at a disadvantage in terms of physical strength.
Therefore, Lahm didn't go up to defend closely at all, but instead used his speed and judgment of the passing route to intercept.
And what's most terrifying is...
It seems that Leeds United has relinquished control of the midfield and attack in an attempt to test their defensive strength, but that's not actually the case.
Mourinho discovered that Leeds United's attack, after these adjustments, not only hadn't weakened, but had actually become even stronger...
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