Chapter 786 Military Order
"Joseph, you're looking for me?"
Su Dong knocked on Guardiola's office door and walked in.
At this moment, the Manchester City head coach is sitting with his assistants, discussing the upcoming crucial battle.
This is not Manchester City's first strong match this season, but it is definitely the most important one so far.
Chelsea has been leading the Premier League standings since the first round, and Manchester City has been following closely behind. The two teams are fighting closely and neither is willing to let up, and the stalemate has continued until now.
Although the Premier League has only played five rounds, this key battle has been seen as an important watershed of this season.
Whoever can defeat the opponent will be able to take the top spot, and even continue to lead the way.
Therefore, whether it is against Chelsea or Manchester City, this game is a game that cannot be lost.
Guardiola made very detailed preparations before the game, even sacrificing the League Cup in the middle of the week, which led to the team being eliminated from the League Cup, but the benefit was that it bought valuable time for the main lineup to rest.
As the big battle approaches, Guardiola still wants to hear Su Dong's opinion.
…
The Spanish coach called Su Dong to his front and, on his desk, explained in detail his tactical intentions for the game to his assistants, including what tactics he wanted to adopt and what he planned to do against Chelsea.
Ancelotti's Chelsea and Guardiola's Manchester City are both known for their ability to control the ball.
This is indeed an admirable skill of Ancelotti.
No one expected that after he joined the iron army Chelsea, he managed to train the team into the style of today's excellent passing and controlling ability. Mikel was the winner of the Silver Ball Award at the World Youth Championship that year, second only to Messi. He was also the most promising young rookie in world football, but under Mourinho, he was transformed from an attacking midfielder to a defensive midfielder.
Such cases are definitely not accidental. Just like Manchester United, Ferguson also trained Anderson into a defensive player.
But under Ancelotti's command, Mikel once again showed the style he showed in the World Youth Championship that year. He was responsible for passing the ball and organizing the team, playing in the best form of his career and won applause from the audience.
Brazilian midfielder Ramirez is good at both offense and defense, so there is no need to say much about his good performance.
The most surprising thing is Essien. This Ghanaian buffalo has always been known for his rough footwork and aggressive playing style. However, under Ancelotti's command, he can actually pass and control the ball, and he plays particularly well. Both his passing and running are very distinctive.
As for Lampard, he is also Chelsea's midfield humerus.
It can be said that under Ancelotti's coaching, the Blues have changed their past brave nature and started to show their delicate side.
But this time, he faced Manchester City coached by Guardiola.
"If it's a battle in the midfield, I have absolute confidence in our midfield," Guardiola said with certainty.
Su Dong thought for a moment and asked, "David Silva and Busquets are fine. As for the other one, do you plan to use Gareth Barry or Toni Kroos?"
Gareth Barry is a veteran of the Premier League and is experienced. He is confident facing Chelsea and has certain offensive capabilities, but defense is also his forte. If he plays, Manchester City's midfield defense will be better and more stable.
Toni Kroos excels in passing, especially long-range transfers, but he is young and a newcomer. Facing such an important game, from a safety perspective, it is indeed a bit risky to arrange him to start.
Su Dong asked this question because he actually wanted to know whether Guardiola was more inclined to attack or to play it safe.
Guardiola guessed Su Dong's test and smiled, "This is our home court. We have no reason to let Chelsea go like this. What do you think?"
Su Dong understood what Guardiola meant and immediately nodded and smiled, "I think so too."
The two of them smiled knowingly, obviously understanding each other's intentions.
Guardiola is indeed the traditional head coach of Barcelona and he doesn't have the conservative gene in his bones.
Perhaps his passing and controlling the ball can be considered an alternative form of conservatism, but that is also a conservatism that keeps all the initiative in his own hands.
If he really wants to fight his opponent to the death, he will definitely not show mercy.
"There are two aspects that I am more worried about now. One is our offense."
Guardiola said this and pointed to Chelsea's defense line in the tactical diagram on the table.
"Not to mention the two wingers of Ashley Cole and Ivanovic, the combination of Alex and Terry is also very solid. So far this season, they have only conceded one goal in the fourth away game and scored 21 goals."
Conceding one goal in five rounds is indeed an impressive record, and it is also five consecutive wins.
Alex is a Brazilian central defender with good strength, not to mention Terry. The combination of these two central defenders is very complementary.
Su Dong understood Guardiola's concerns.
When playing away, Chelsea will definitely pay more attention to defense. At that time, Su Dong will face great defensive pressure, especially Alex and Terry, who will definitely lock him down and not give him any chance.
"Another thing is our defense." Guardiola pointed to Chelsea's frontcourt again, with Drogba being the first to bear the brunt.
Malouda, Drogba and Anelka will be Chelsea's starting lineup against Manchester City. They are also Chelsea's strongest attacking combination at present. If Manchester City can't stop their impact, everything will be in vain.
"As for the two flanks, I plan to play Zabaleta on the right. He is experienced and stable, so he should have no problem defending Malouda. Marcelo on the left will have a hard time defending Anekal, but Bridge may not be a good option either. On the contrary, it may weaken our attack and ball possession on the left."
Guardiola's strategy is very similar to that of Heynckes of Bayern before. Basically, he values Marcelo's offensive ability. As for defense, he chooses to expose him. It is best for Chelsea to play in this position.
Of course, in comparison, if Manchester City can seize the ball advantage in the midfield, Marcelo's defensive problems will be much smaller.
"The real trouble is in the middle. Can Kompany and Pepe keep Drogba at bay?"
Guardiola looked worried.
In fact, Manchester City’s two central defenders are not stable enough. Kompany is young and energetic, and Pepe is not a pushover either. Both of them are rather reckless.
Although Joe Hart has his own problems and limitations, the instability of the two central defenders is also one of the reasons why he is criticized.
What Guardiola said at this moment was actually that he wanted to seek Su Dong's opinion. After all, Su Dong is also a center forward, and the strongest center forward in the world. He has very rich experience in playing against central defenders.
Su Dong thought about it carefully for a while and suggested: "Then arrange one person to be responsible for marking Drogba, and the other person to stay behind to assist in defense and organize the defense."
Guardiola thought about it and thought it was feasible, "Who will stay behind and who will mark the opponent?"
"I suggest that Kompany mark Drogba."
Guardiola frowned, "Is this okay?"
"Kompany has no problem with height or strength. Let him mark Drogba full-time. I believe that even if he cannot restrict him, he can at least give the Ivorian a headache. Pepe is indeed a bit reckless, but I believe that if he can calm down, he can also be very stable."
Normally, it would be most appropriate for Pepe to mark Drogba.
The bodies of these two guys are like wild beasts. They are both excellent in strength confrontation. It is definitely a tit-for-tat contest.
But Su Dong thought that it was too risky for Kompany to fall behind, so it would be better to let him entangle Drogba.
Pepe plays alongside Andre Cruz and is influenced by him. If he can keep his composure, he can be quite stable.
After listening to Su Dong's opinions, Guardiola looked at his assistants and they basically thought it was feasible.
It is not easy to contain Drogba.
Kompany may not be able to do it well, but Pepe is very flexible and fast and can make up for it at any time.
After thinking about it for a while, Guardiola also agreed with Su Dong's suggestion.
"If we attack in the frontcourt, Alex and Terry will definitely be thinking about how to restrain me." Su Dong said with a smile.
When it comes to a strong dialogue, targeted tactics are essential.
Manchester City is studying how to restrain Drogba, and Chelsea must be studying how to defend Su Dong. This is normal.
"But don't worry, leave the goal in the frontcourt to me. As long as the midfield can pass the ball and the two wings can open up the defense, I will definitely send the ball into Chelsea's goal!" Su Dong issued a military order in a loud voice.
…
Both Guardiola and the coaching staff were very satisfied with Su Dong's statement.
They felt Su Dong's strong self-confidence from his tone.
Watching Su Dong leave, Guardiola and the coaching staff looked at each other and smiled.
"Fortunately, he is not our opponent," Domenech Torrent said thankfully.
Who says it's not true? No one wants to play against a player as terrible as Su Dong. It's just asking for trouble.
This is not only the idea of Guardiola's assistants, but also the idea of all head coaches in the world.
Anyone who encounters Su Dong is experiencing a nightmare.
According to the media and fans, there is no goal in the world that Su Dong cannot break through!
"If Su Dong can deal with Alex and Terry, then we will have a very good chance of winning this game." Guardiola relaxed a lot. Obviously Su Dong's analysis and the promise he made made him more confident of winning.
"Are you really planning to play Toni Kroos in midfield?" Estiart asked with concern.
They all felt that this was indeed a bit risky.
Gareth Barry's passing ability is actually not bad, and his defense is very good, which can ensure the stability of Manchester City's midfield.
Guardiola narrowed his eyes and nodded, "I have a feeling that the key to tomorrow night's game will not be the fight for the ball, nor the midfield, but how to score a goal!"
This is what the outside media are saying. It depends on who can play to their best between Su Dong and Drogba, and who can stop the opponent's center forward from scoring goals between Manchester City and Chelsea.
This is the decisive factor in this world-renowned battle!
(End of this chapter)
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