Oh shit!

Chamberlain, you shameless bastard!

Before Gu Ran could laugh, the other players in the classroom started laughing:

"Hey, Chamberlain, you know how to play chicken-feather defense!"

"That's right, our midfielders and defensive midfielders haven't said anything yet!"

"When it comes to switching from defense to offense, our midfielders and defensive midfielders are definitely the most suitable!"

"Our center backs can do it too!"

Chamberlain's face turned red, "Coach, put me in the middle, I will definitely give you a surprise!"

Coach Adkins said expressionlessly, "Please sit down first."

"Oh, okay." Chamberlain sat down angrily, but did not forget to add, "Coach, think about it. Putting me in the middle will really be a surprise."

Coach Adkins said: "The player who can switch from defense to offense is not determined by me, but depends on your performance on the court. Any one of you has the opportunity to become the key player in the team's transition from defense to offense."

The players below began to discuss in low voices.

Obviously, this is definitely a very positive change for the stagnant Southampton team.

Since the basic style of play in the new season is defensive counterattack, every player has the opportunity to become the core of the team.

And this new core will definitely be able to challenge the team status of captain Davis and vice-captain Walton.

Coach Adkins continued: “We have six preseason games, and I will use this preseason opportunity to try to give every player equal playing time.”

"I will observe your performance on the field and use that to determine your chances of playing in the league."

"These six pre-season games are also a good opportunity for us to practice our defensive counterattack tactics."

"In addition... our basic formations for the new season are 442 and 4231. In the early transition period, we used 442, and once the defensive counterattack tactics matured, we switched to 4231."

"But even when we play 442, we must be able to change to 4231 on the spot."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was another groan in the tactics classroom.

The 442 formation is Southampton's usual long pass attack formation, and the players are already very proficient in it.

But 4231... This is obviously the rhythm of cleaning up the forwards! The team only needs one wing center and two backup forwards in the future. The other forwards will either change to play as central midfielders or sit on the bench!

Coach Adkins ignored the wailing of the players and continued to draw a schematic diagram of the 442 and 4231 conversion on the whiteboard. "Our midfielders must be good at observing the opponent's mistakes and gaps, and pass the ball or advance with the ball in time."

"Our two full-backs need to be able to effectively block interceptions when defending, and be able to sprint to the wing forward position when attacking."

"Yes, this requires a very high level of physical fitness, burst, confrontation, and even offensive attributes of the full-back."

"When we are defending, the forwards don't need to rush too far forward and must maintain the necessary defensive linkage with the midfielders."

"But when the counterattack begins, the forward must rush to the penalty area or key half-space as soon as possible, run into space, be ready to receive the pass and break through the opponent's defense."

"Therefore, defensive confrontation training, sprint burst training, physical strength training, teamwork training, and ball control and dribbling training will be the focus of our training in the new season."

Coach Adkins paused and said in a deep voice: "The biggest risk of the defensive counterattack tactic is that when we launch a counterattack, we must not lose the ball in the process of counterattack. When we counterattack, the formation is pressed with all our strength. Once we are successfully blocked by the opponent in the process, we are equivalent to being defenseless."

"So, when playing defensive counterattacks, everyone needs to maintain a high level of concentration and adaptability. Whoever dares to slack off and be negative on the field, I will immediately remove him from my roster."

"Okay, now, let me talk about the specific kicking methods and training directions for each position..."

Coach Adkins conducted tactical analysis and guidance for each position, from forward to defender.

Gu Ran listened very carefully.

It has to be said that professional head coaches are indeed several levels higher than amateur head coaches in terms of tactical thinking and handling of details.

Coach Carter basically relies on passionate pre-game speeches to provide guidance, and he doesn't actually have many tactical techniques.

Coach Adkins rarely gives passionate speeches, but he has extremely rich tactical skills.

After more than 40 minutes of class, it was full of useful information and Gu Ran felt that he benefited a lot.

Especially with 12 years of football experience, after listening to Coach Adkins' professional tactical explanation, Gu Ran felt that he had mastered it.

"…That concludes today's tactics lesson."

"As for more details about the tactics, I will conduct a more practical analysis in future training and after the match with Liverpool."

Coach Adkins said as he collected the materials on the desk: "Our next schedule is: open class training in the afternoon, defensive tactics practice tomorrow, defensive counterattack tactics practice the day after tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow we will go to Anfield Stadium to play the first pre-season warm-up match with Liverpool."

"Today's afternoon open class includes warm-up, group scramble, juggling, obstacle dribbling, 100-meter interval sprint, one-on-one defense and shooting training, and finally a goalpost challenge for fans on site."

"The original plan was to give away 1,000 tickets for VIP fans for the open training session, but it is said that more than 3,000 tickets have been given away now. By then, the stands at the training ground will be full of big names."

“I hope everyone can show their strength with full enthusiasm.”

"Okay, dismiss."

Coach Adkins walked out of the tactical classroom with his materials.

The players in the tactical classroom immediately relaxed. Some of them lay directly on the table, some leaned back in their chairs and sighed, and some took out their snuff boxes and gathered in groups of three or five to smoke.

After Gu Ran packed up his notes, he walked out of the tactics classroom without paying attention to anyone.

There is still about half an hour before lunch. Gu Ran returned to the training ground again, took out the shot put ball, and continued his shot put dribbling training.

The solid ball is very heavy, and Gu Ran consumes a lot of energy.

But Gu Ran never gets tired of it.

Gu Ran practiced until almost 12 o'clock, when his personal assistant Rick came running over and interrupted his practice.

"Oh my God, Gu! You are here!" Rick gasped, "Louina has been looking for you everywhere! You should go to dinner!"

"oh……"

Gu Ran then reluctantly put away the shot put, went to the gym's locker room to take a shower, changed into a dry training suit, and went to the first-team restaurant for dinner.

Lunch is naturally the enhanced demon recipe.

Although it was hard to swallow, after eating it a few times, Gu Ran was almost able to tolerate it.

After lunch, Gu Ran went to the lounge to rest.

Only a small number of other players on the team were taking a lunch break, while most of them were browsing their phones, playing controller games, or playing billiards.

For them, the open class training in the afternoon is nothing more than to please the group of wealthy and powerful football fans and their relatives.

It’s definitely a lot easier than yesterday’s team entry test.

Gu Ran put on headphones, set the alarm, and soon fell asleep.

I didn't sleep well last night, so now is a good time to catch up on some sleep.

At 2 o'clock in the afternoon, Gu Ran woke up on time.

When he was about to put on his training uniform and go to the training ground for early training, Harding, who was standing at the door, sneered, "A rookie is a rookie. He actually wore a training uniform to attend an open class! Oh, I see. You don't have your own jersey yet. Hahaha! In Southampton Club, even the reserve team players have their own jerseys! If I were you, I would find a place to hide and not embarrass myself in the open class!"

The younger brothers around Haldin also laughed.

Some other players also laughed, but it was not as obvious and harsh as that of Haldin and Haldin's younger brother.

Gu Ran responded to the ridicule with a calm expression.

He really didn't know that he had to wear team uniforms instead of training uniforms in open classes.

After all, he came from a grassroots background, so it was normal that he didn't know many things about professional teams.

Moreover, Gu Ran also observed that this time, it was not just the whole team that followed suit in the ridicule.

Players like Lallana, Lambert, Schneiderlin and others did not smile.

This is also a significant improvement.

Gu Ran smiled coldly at Haldin, "So you are not me. You are just a ridiculous coward."

"Fuck you!" Haldin's eyes widened in anger. "Who are you scolding? Apologize to me now!"

Several of Haldin's guys also blocked Gu Ran's way.

Chamberlain also stood up, but when he turned around and saw that the other players did not respond to Harding, Chamberlain stretched and sat down again.

Captain Davis was half lying on a lounge chair, with no intention of participating or stopping it.

Even Haldin himself felt that he was a little outnumbered.

Gu Ran looked at Haldin with contempt, "Apologize? Well, I'm sorry, I shouldn't... insult the turtle."

The muscles on Haldin's face twitched slightly, "Boy, you're dead!"

Gu Ran sneered and said, "Come on, try it, paper bastard."

Haldin was furious. "Paper, paper quality... Oh my god!"

The two sides are on the verge of a fight.

Haldin was in a difficult situation.

If Captain Davis supported him, Haldin would certainly dare to confront Gu Ran with the help of the entire team.

But now Captain Davis obviously doesn't want to get involved in this mess - cunning Captain Davis!

Without the support of the whole team, Harding was a little hesitant.

Gu Ran... is indeed a tough guy! And he is super super super tough! At this moment, Rick ran in panting with a dozen sets of brand new jerseys that had not been unpacked.

"Hey Gu! Your No. 8 jersey has arrived!"

Haldin and others were stunned.

Their jerseys were not delivered until several days after they joined the team, but Gu Ran had already made them the next day after joining the team...

This treatment is super high! Rick proudly put the new jersey in the most conspicuous place in the lounge, and deliberately raised the volume, fearing that no one could hear it, "Gu, you know? The club attaches great importance to your jersey, especially the commercial director Mr. Philip Buz. You know? Mr. Buz personally went to the Umbro factory and watched the assembly line all night. The Umbro factory also made an exception and started production overnight. This is all for the VIP fans to see you wearing the Southampton jersey in today's open class!"

Holy shit…

Rick, you are exaggerating, right? That wealthy Philippe actually stayed up all night to supervise the assembly line at the Umbro factory?

He must have said that to give me face.

Gu Ran himself didn't believe it.

However, Gu Ran still smiled and said, "Oh, that's really hard work, Mr. Boots."

Rick quickly opened a set of jerseys and said, "Gu, put them on quickly and let me see how they look. If they don't fit, I can make some emergency modifications."

"OK."

Gu Ran took off his training suit, revealing his tight and muscular body.

All the players present couldn't help but widen their eyes.

They all thought that Gu Ran was very thin, but they didn't expect that after taking off his clothes, he was full of strong muscles.

Just like Bruce Lee...

No wonder he is so hard to mess with.

Gu Ran picked up the new jersey and took a look at it.

A big number 8 is printed on the chest, and there are two Chinese pinyin combinations "Gu·Ran" on the back.

This is also to conform to Gu Ran's own spelling habits.

This season's Southampton home jersey is still in the red and white vertical stripe style, while the away jersey is white with a diagonal stripe in the middle like a red ribbon.

The jersey in Gu Ran's hand is the red and white home jersey.

Gu Ran put it on skillfully, and his whole temperament immediately changed.

The new jersey is cut very three-dimensionally and fits well.

Gu Ran stretched his arms and twisted his waist, then nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad, it fits me well."

Rick clapped his hands in admiration, "So handsome! Gu, you are definitely the most handsome in the first team and the reserve team! No, you are the most handsome in the entire Southampton first team! You are simply a super male model! A standard clothes hanger!"

Damn, Rick, you really are worthy of being my chief eunuch, I really praise you, hahaha!

I feel a little embarrassed by the praise.

Gu Ran smiled calmly, "It's just so-so, just keep a low profile."

Rick praised again: "You can make a debut with your looks, but you still play football so low-key - it's like your family is a billionaire family, but you still insist on setting up a small stall every day! Gu, you are really amazing!"

Oh shit!

Rick, you have a bad mouth. How many donuts did you eat for lunch today?

Gu Ran smiled and said, "Nothing, really nothing. But I really just want to play football."

The master and servant sang the same tune, almost driving Harding and others beside them crazy.

Rick smiled happily and said, "Gu, you take these three with you, and I'll keep these five for you as a backup in case you need them. The remaining ones are the ones you promised to sign for us - don't worry, we've paid for these jerseys."

Gu Ran quickly said, "I promised to give it to you, why are you paying for it? We are a team."

Rick said seriously, "No, we are very happy to have your autograph. What's more, we will ask you for more autographed jerseys in the future. We can't always let you pay for it out of your own pocket."

No way? You want more? You can't use me as a signature machine! Gu Ran was suddenly a little amused.

Haldin seized the opportunity and said sarcastically: "Ha, you guys are just trying to increase sales."

Haldin's younger brothers also laughed sarcastically.

Rick said angrily, "What are you laughing at! What do you mean by boosting sales? Just because we like Gu, can't we buy his jersey with our own money?"

Haldin said arrogantly, "You guys are just trying to increase sales. I just don't like it. What's wrong with that?"

Rick wanted to argue with Haldin, but Gu Ran smiled and waved his hand, "Rick, it's okay. There are so many people who don't like me. If I were to make a fuss about every little thing, I wouldn't be able to do my job properly."

Rick immediately said to Haldin, "Did you hear that, cat or dog?"

Now it was Haldin's turn to be angry, "What did you say!"

Gu Ran ignored Haldin and directly picked up Rick's pen and signed his name on several other jerseys.

Gu Ran's attitude towards this matter is invincible.

Even Captain Davis couldn't help but nod secretly.

After signing, Gu Ran handed the jersey to Rick.

Rick took the jersey and said happily, "Great, Gu! We finally have your jersey! Give it to me, I'll help you give it to Jacob and the others."

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

"It's not hard, it's not hard! Not hard at all! See you at the training ground later!"

Rick ran out of the lounge quickly holding the signed jersey.

Gu Ran packed up a few other jerseys and was about to go for early training when Harding and his younger brothers blocked his way again.

"Kid, don't think you can be arrogant just because you have a new jersey."

"What are you talking about? The commercial director watched the assembly line for you all night. Humph, who do you think you are?"

"You still let your small team help you increase sales? Do you think it makes sense?"

"For the players here, the worst one has sold over a thousand jerseys! Lallana and Connery's jerseys have sold over 100,000 jerseys! How can you compare?"

Gu Ran smiled and ignored these sarcastic guys, "Get out of the way, a good dog doesn't block the road."

"You!" Haldin's face was grim.

Just when Haldin was about to put all his strength into another shoulder collision with Gu Ran, there was a sudden commotion at the entrance of the lounge.

The club's business director Philip Butz walked in with several staff members, smiling.

All the players present were shocked.

I just mentioned that Buzz had been watching the assembly line all night, and now Buzz is here.

As soon as Philip Butz entered the room, he asked politely, "Is Mr. Gu Ran here? Gu...ah! Praise God! Gu, you are here!"

"Gu, you look so handsome in this jersey! You look like a supermodel!"

"It's really worth it that I stared at the assembly line all night, hahahaha!"

…

(End of this chapter)