As soon as the game started, there was frequent physical contact between the two sides, and the atmosphere was full of tension.

Gu Ran sat on the bench with his legs stretched out, carefully observing the situation on the field, feeling the style of the Northampton team, and secretly dissecting Northampton's tactics in his mind.

Since he was certain to play as a substitute in the second half, every opponent on the field, every pass, breakthrough, every defense and interception were good opportunities for Gu Ran to quickly read the game.

As the pre-match intelligence suggested, Northampton adopted a 442 short passing tactic.

Their starting goalkeeper is Charles Dunn, who is 196cm tall.

The biggest features of this player are his height, long arms, good jumping ability, and he is quite good at defending high balls.

——Southampton's starting forwards were the tall Gully and the team player Lallana. In the 5th minute, Lallana made a high ball to Gully in the frontcourt, and Gully's header was easily picked up by Charles Dunn.

Therefore, this goalkeeper is indeed good at defending high balls.

However, correspondingly, his one-on-one reaction is a bit slow, and he seems a bit nervous and struggling when defending low balls.

Gu Ran smiled secretly in his heart: Wait until I come on the court... wait for me to attack from the ground! Northampton's left back is the 34-year-old experienced captain Marcus Hall.

He has great marking and defensive positioning, and he is physically strong, aggressive on defense, and uses big defensive moves.

In the 7th minute, Southampton's right winger Schneiderlin dribbled the ball along the wing. Marcus Hall had already positioned himself well and grabbed Schneiderlin's shoulders and neck during the close fight, leaving three red stripes on Schneiderlin's neck.

This shows how fierce Marcus Hall's defense is.

However, Marcus Hall was just a side gate. In the first 20 minutes of the game, he hardly made any contributions. Most of the time, he made short passes to his teammates around him immediately after getting the ball.

Even if Northampton had an opportunity on the left side, Marcus Hall had no intention of getting in.

This also shows that Northampton's tactical strategy is short pass penetration, not relying on breakthroughs on the flanks.

The right back is John Johnson, who has some ability to steal the ball, but judging from the first 20 minutes of the game, his defense was a bit dirty and other aspects were mediocre.

Both central defenders are on loan - many Premier League and Championship teams will loan out players who have just been promoted from the youth team to give them more professional combat opportunities.

The left-sided centre-back is Ben Tozer, on loan from Newcastle United.

His defensive positioning and man-marking were very fierce, and in the first 20 minutes, he had disrupted at least two key breakthroughs of the Southampton team.

The right-side centre-back is Danny Butt, on loan from Wolves.

His base speed and burst sprint are both pretty good.

The left midfielder is Jonathan Meades, an international from the Welsh youth team and the core organizer of Northampton, who has a good cross.

His short passes also gave Schneiderlin a headache. Often, just as Schneiderlin started, Meades had already completed an accurate pass.

Fortunately, Northampton's overall offensive speed was not fast, the rhythm of short passes was not established, and the ball control was not that good. Their mentality in the game was not aggressive, but they were more cautious in advancing the position, with a lot of back-and-forth passes and quite a few mistakes.

So the threat Jonathan Meades poses is not that big for the time being.

The right midfielder is Francis Laurent, a jack-of-all-trades player from France. This guy is 190cm tall and has the delicate footwork of Europe. He can not only play as an attacking midfielder, but also as a right midfielder, a striker, a center forward, and a right winger.

In the first ten minutes of the game, Francis Laurent was almost running in the right half of the field, making various runs and short passes.

Chamberlain, who was responsible for defending him, was also fooled by him. In addition, Southampton's starting left-back Ryan Dixon lacked experience, so Southampton's left side was often in danger.

The midfielder standing on the left is Josh Walker, who is on loan from Tottenham's youth team. He has good ball-stopping skills and physical confrontation, but his kicks are scattered and his passing lacks imagination.

The midfielder standing on the right is Abdul Osman, who is very strong, has a good curved free kick, and is very aggressive in confrontations.

In the first 20 minutes of the game, he had knocked Lallana down three times.

The striker on the left is Billy McGee, who has good explosive sprints and is very active in off-ball running. He likes to pull to the wing to get the ball and then make short passes.

The striker on the right side is Ted Purcell, who has good dribbling skills.

It can be said that Northampton's lineup and tactics are only average, relying on short passes on the ground to increase ball possession.

Their two forwards are not very tall, and they rely on short passes to penetrate the midfield and frontcourt.

In the first 20 minutes of the first half, the two sides competed fiercely in the midfield and frontcourt, fouls occurred frequently, and the rhythm of the game was frequently interrupted.

Northampton's ball possession data is indeed higher than Southampton. Northampton is very active on Southampton's left side, but after tearing open Southampton's last line of defense with short passes, Northampton was unable to form a truly threatening shot.

Southampton's high-pressure defensive tactics did not seem to have the desired effect due to Northampton's short pass cooperation and penetration.

The play between the two sides was a bit like... a fight between two weaklings.

In the 23rd minute of the game, Northampton midfielder Josh Walker dribbled the ball to the top of the penalty area.

Southampton's two central defenders, Walton and Jaidi, teamed up to double-team.

Walton's kicks were extremely ferocious and merciless.

Josh twisted his ankle, avoided Walton's steal, and passed the ball to forward Billy McGee in the left penalty area.

Schneiderlin and right-back Richardson retreated and tried their best to intercept the ball. Schneiderlin reached out and grabbed Billy McGee's jersey. Richardson fell to the ground and shoveled the ball out of the sideline.

Billy McGee fell to the ground!

But his dive was so rough that the referee ignored it.

Northampton got a throw-in in the frontcourt and Southampton got a slight respite.

Head coach Adkins on the sidelines frowned and was not very satisfied with the team's overall performance.

The team that plays short passes must press hard and force the opponent to make mistakes. If they fail to do so, the rhythm of the situation will be very passive. If they relax a little, their defense will be torn apart by penetration.

Coach Adkins yelled loudly, asking his players to form a more compact formation, move more flexibly, and make bigger moves.

The atmosphere on the field became more tense, with pushing and collisions occurring frequently.

The game was in the 37th minute.

Northampton made a beautiful wall pass in the middle, and the ball came to Abdul Osman's feet after 7 quick short passes in 15 seconds.

Chamberlain and Lambert moved back to intercept, and Abdul half-turned to protect the ball from Lambert, while at the same time he elbowed Chamberlain in the chest.

Chamberlain was not to be outdone. He gritted his teeth, grabbed Abdul's arm with his backhand, and kicked Abdul to the ground! The Southampton fans at the scene cheered!

Regardless of whether they win or lose the game, this flesh-and-flesh confrontation scene is so exciting to watch!

The referee ran over and raised his hand to show Chamberlain a yellow card.

The cheers of Southampton fans immediately turned into boos at the referee.

Chamberlain immediately went to the referee with a depressed look on his face to complain, saying that it was Abdul who elbowed him first.

Chamberlain even wanted to take off his clothes to show his chest to the referee to prove his innocence.

However, the referee ignored Chamberlain's appeal. Instead, he pointed at Chamberlain and warned him not to take off his clothes, otherwise he would receive two yellow cards.

Lambert hurried over and pulled away Chamberlain, who was full of resentment.

Northampton won a free kick 25 meters from the goal.

Captain Davis quickly arranged a human wall.

The atmosphere on the field became extremely tense.

Abdul adjusted his socks and deliberately moved the ball a foot forward.

Lallana and Guli immediately stepped forward to argue, and Southampton fans booed wildly.

The referee immediately intervened and used the marking spray can he carried with him to draw an arc at the penalty spot.

But as soon as the referee turned his head, Abdul deliberately wiped off the white marking foam on the grass with his hand and continued to move the ball forward a few inches.

——In fact, a few more inches will not have a decisive impact, but this method will make the opponent's mentality explode.

Competition is not only about physical skills, but also about mentality.

While the Southampton players were still trying to argue, Abdul quickly took a few steps back and ran up to kick the ball.

Sneak attack!

Southampton's wall jumped hastily.

The football drew a beautiful and powerful arc in the weak area and hit the upper left corner of the goal.

Davis was very focused, he jumped up quickly and lifted the ball with one hand! Davis lifted the ball over the crossbar! "Wow!"

Fans from both sides applauded and cheered for their respective teams.

This free kick was shot brilliantly and the save was also brilliant!

This was also the most exciting duel between the two sides in the first half so far.

Northampton wins a corner.

Abdul kicked the ball to the front point.

Francis Laurent jumped high under Chamberlain's close defense and headed the ball -

The football went wide of the goal.

Southampton fans had a false alarm.

The game continues.

Standing in the technical area of ​​the visiting team, head coach Samps had a smug look on his face. He could see that Southampton's play was disorganized. As long as Northampton insisted on controlling the ball, persisted in short passes and did not make fatal mistakes, then they would definitely win the game!

It must be a wonderful feeling to be in the spotlight at the pre-match press conference and then win the game against our arch-rivals!

The game went on for 45 minutes with neither side making any progress.

The fourth official raised the card and 2 minutes of injury time were added.

Chamberlain dribbled the ball from the left to the center line.

Abdul and Josh Walker double-teamed Chamberlain from the left and right.

Lambert moved to the left to support Chamberlain.

Chamberlain stopped and dunked, shaking off the two players defending him and creating a passing lane.

This quick stop and dunk was very beautiful and also triggered cheers from Southampton fans.

However, Chamberlain did not pass the ball immediately. Instead, after a sudden stop, he started quickly and continued to dribble the ball across the middle.

This approach is somewhat similar to Gu Ran's solo move on the left side.

However, Chamberlain's speed in starting again was far slower than Gu Ran's, and his cutting technique was not as smooth as Gu Ran's.

Northampton's right midfielder Francis Laurent was the first to fill in the defensive position.

The Southampton fans at the scene screamed in surprise! Chamberlain hurriedly reached out to pull Francis, but then he remembered that he already had a yellow card, and his outstretched arm stiffened instantly.

Francis took the opportunity to get rid of Chamberlain, dribbled the ball forward, ran out of a safe space, and made a short pass to Abdul who was running.

Abdul and Josh Walker did a wall pass, and the ball was passed to the feet of striker Ted Purcell in the blink of an eye! Left-back Ryan Dixon quickly contracted his defense, but his speed was already much slower.

Southampton lost the ball in this attack and was counterattacked, which made their defense quite passive! Walton had to move to the penalty area line to make up for the interception.

Another striker, Billy McGee, also quickly penetrated to the other side of Southampton's penalty area.

Ted was double-teamed by Walton and Ryan, and he forced a pass.

Goalkeeper Davis quickly moved towards Billy.

But Ted didn't pass the ball to Billy, but to the middle where there was no one defending! The middle was empty!

Josh Walker rushed up from the top of the penalty area, met the ball, and pushed it violently towards the goal! Davis was powerless...

The ball went in! In the first half, the two teams fought each other for 45 minutes, and suddenly in the injury time, Northampton took the lead!

The score on the big screen immediately changed to Southampton 0:1 Northampton!

Southampton fans held their heads, their faces full of disbelief.

Being defeated by a rival team from the English League Two at home was really…unpleasant! The fans of Northampton waved their team flags and jumped for joy!

The Northampton players also hugged Josh Walker, who scored the goal, and showed off and celebrated in front of Southampton's goal.

Northampton's head coach, Sampson, was even more arrogant. He raised his arms high and ran to the solemn-looking coach Adkins to celebrate! Before coach Adkins could make a move, assistant coach Andy pushed Sampson in anger.

The two coaches are about to fight!

The fourth official and the linesman hurried forward to mediate, and the referee also hurried over.

The scene was in chaos.

Although it was a friendly match, the two sides were really not friendly at all.

The referee first showed a yellow card to Coach Samples, and then showed a yellow card to Coach Adkins.

Coach Adkins was stunned!

He had already received a red card in the friendly match where Gu Ran was injured, so he was particularly careful in this match. Even when coach Sampson provoked him in the face, he did not fight back.

It was assistant coach Andy who did it! Are you blind, referee?

Adkins was filled with anger, but he couldn't betray Andy, so he could only bear it all silently.

Light~ A blue skill bubble fell under Coach Adkins' feet.

Light~ Sampson, who was chased back to the visiting team's technical area, also dropped a blue bubble! How come these two coaches are hurting each other...

Gu Ran calmly concentrated his mind and checked: Coach Adkins dropped a bubble of "Optimize Tactics +1".

Coach Samples dropped a bubble of "One-kick +1".

Obviously, Coach Adkins dropped coach skill bubbles, while Coach Samples dropped player skill bubbles.

The technique of passing the ball with one foot is positively correlated with stopping the ball and passing the ball.

Gu Ran then concentrated his mind and picked up Coach Samples' bubble through the air.

The chaotic scene soon returned to normal.

The first half of the game is not over yet.

Southampton launched an all-out attack after kicking off.

Northampton retreated back to their own 30-meter area and focused on defending the fruits of victory in the first half.

The tension between the two sides further escalated.

The referee was also afraid that something unexpected would happen, so as soon as the 2 minutes of extra time was up, he immediately blew the whistle to end the first half.

The Southampton players had no choice but to give up the attack and leave the field in frustration.

——In terms of strength, Southampton is definitely much better than Northampton.

But it was obvious that Southampton's high pressure and defensive counterattacks failed, and the players were all caught in a close combat with Northampton.

Once Southampton got carried away and fell into Northampton's game rhythm, they naturally suffered.

Some Southampton fans are already shouting Gu Ran's name.

Although they also knew that Gu Ran could not play due to his lame condition, they still hoped for a miracle to happen.

Southampton's players returned to the locker room dejectedly, and many of them began to inhale snuff paste.

They put the snuff paste that can stimulate nerve excitement on the front of the jersey so that it is not easy to be discovered when they smoke.

This situation is very common in the team. Coach Adkins and assistant coach Andy are well aware of it, but they do not interfere too much.

After all... even Real Madrid and Juventus are using it, so this kind of thing is not considered contraband. As long as the official does not pursue it, the club will naturally not object for the sake of results.

During the halftime break, Coach Adkins did not blame the players, nor did he adjust the high-pressure tactics.

The key problem of losing the ball was not the high-pressure tactics, but the fact that the players did not thoroughly implement the high-pressure tactics.

If the team cannot adapt to and learn this oppressive style of play, then even if they win this pre-season friendly match it will be in vain.

After the 15-minute break, the two teams returned to the court and changed sides to continue the game.

Southampton began to consciously strengthen its overall formation, and Northampton also increased its ball possession.

Both sides played cautiously in the first 10 minutes of the second half.

But it is obvious that Northampton is more stable. After all, they now have a goal in hand, and as long as they can hold on, they can win.

The game was in the 59th minute.

Southampton's right back Froser Richardson successfully intercepted the pass from the opponent's right forward Jonathan Meades and forward Billy McGee, and passed the ball directly from the backcourt to Lambert in the empty area in the middle.

Lambert jumped up and stopped the ball in mid-air, then he dribbled the ball to the left side of the penalty area of ​​Northampton and pulled it! Southampton's defensive counterattack is coming! Lallana and Ronald, who was substituted earlier, desperately rushed to the middle of the penalty area to support!

A 3-on-3 situation formed in the frontcourt! Northampton's defense was very flawed! Lambert used his body and footwork to pass John Johnson who was pressing him, and passed the ball directly to the top of the penalty area in the middle! Lallana met the ball -

Northampton's central defender Ben Tozer saw Lallana was about to get the ball, so he immediately fell to the ground and slid to make a tackle!

Lallana was immediately tackled to the ground and the ball rolled out of control.

In today's game, Lallana was the target of Northampton's special attention.

This was the Nth time that Lallana was knocked down, and this time, it was quite serious.

Southampton fans all clenched their fists in anger in protest!

Southampton had already lost Gu Ran, a rising star, and they didn't want to lose Lallana, the team's flower! The referee ran over with a gloomy face, showed Ben Tozer a yellow card, and awarded Southampton a vertical free kick about 25 meters away from the goal.

But Southampton fans were not satisfied with the penalty. Almost all of them were shouting "red card", putting pressure on the referee.

But the referee was unmoved.

At this time, the team doctor came into the field temporarily to check and treat Lallana who was still lying on the ground.

Judging from the situation, Lallana's problem should not be too serious.

Coach Adkins immediately turned to Gu Ran, who was sitting on the bench and acting like a cripple, and said, "Gu, it's time!"

Oh shit!

I finally don’t have to pretend anymore?!

By the way, Coach Adkins, when did you become so eager? Are you participating in... gambling? Gu Ran stood up in an instant, "Yes! Coach!"

As he spoke, Gu Ran quickly took off his basketball shorts, revealing the game shorts he had already put on.

When the Southampton fans at the scene saw Gu Ran taking off his pants, they went crazy instantly!

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

"Yeah yeah yeah!"

"Gu Ran! Dad!"

"The Chinese dad is about to make his debut! Hahaha!"

"Wait! That won't work! Isn't Gu Ran still injured? Gu Ran's entire left leg is lame!"

"What's the point of going on the field in this situation? It will only increase your injuries!"

"Oh God! Gu! Please put on your pants!"

"Gu Ran, don't go on the court! You will have plenty of opportunities in the future. Going on the court now will ruin your career prospects!"

Southampton fans were divided, half of them shouted "Chinese dads, fuck them", and the other half shouted "Gu Ran, don't do it", and the entire St. Mary's Stadium fell into complete chaos.

In the media area, the reporters also shook their heads:

"Gu Ran is really too stupid."

"Southampton Football Club is truly a scab and a black shop. Even a farmer's donkey wouldn't dare to use it like this!"

"Adkins is really cruel. In order to let Sample kiss the donkey, he even ignored Gu Ran's career prospects."

"Alas, if this happens, I'm afraid no club will dare to buy Gu Ran."

"Yeah yeah……"

"Such a talented player died right before our eyes."

"Of course, this is also a good news material, hehehe..."

In the technical area on the sidelines, Adkins put his arm around Gu Ran's shoulders and whispered in his ear, "When you go up, tell Lallana to let you take the free kick... I've seen your Crescent Moon Scimitar, I believe you can still kick it!"

Gu Ran was immediately encouraged, "Okay Coach Adkins, I will never let you down!"

The fourth official raises the sign: No. 8 Gu Ran replaces No. 35 Ryan Dixon.

Ryan Dixon ran back with a sigh of relief and high-fived Gu Ran.

After the high-five, Gu Ran stopped pretending and sprinted into the field with a violent aesthetic! ! ! !

(End of this chapter)