Chapter 811 Who is next?

While Fabregas, accompanied by head coach Bielsa and executive chairman Nicolas Cortes, was sitting at the press conference and answering questions from reporters and media on the scene, Yang Huan was sitting behind the scenes.

When the reporter from the Independent confronted Fabregas and asked him why he chose Southampton instead of returning to Arsenal, Fabregas's answer made Yang Huan feel uncomfortable.

Even though Southampton is in the limelight now, there is still a gap compared with the real top teams.

The most obvious thing is that Southampton does not have its own Fabregas!

Perhaps, if Southampton continues on its current path and after a few years of accumulation, the Saints will slowly build up the foundation of a top team, but at least not now.

As for the question asked by the Independent News reporter just now, Yang Huan could only laugh.

People say that Arsenal fans are somewhat idealistic, and that's true.

If, according to Simon Hughes's point of view, Fabregas can't play football, he will still be stubborn and simply give up his salary and go back to Arsenal.

Why?

There is no other reason, this is called loyalty!

This is the way to repay Arsenal for nurturing you, isn't it?

But everyone knows that this idea is simply nonsense, or even more than nonsense!

The reason why professional football is professional football is that playing football is a profession for the players.

Changing clubs is like changing jobs.

Fabregas's move from Arsenal to Barcelona was like moving from a well-known British company to a Fortune 500 company in Spain. As a result, he was unhappy working at the Fortune 500 company and wanted to return to the UK to find a job.

Who made the rule that we have to go back to the original company?

The original company has never thought about taking him away, but you still insist on asking him to go. If he doesn't go, he will be disloyal and have moral issues?

People who say such things and have such thoughts really have problems!

However, Fabregas' answer just now also gave Yang Huan a lot of ideas.

Among them, the most important point is how to provide players with sufficient protection, which is very important.

It is like a company that, in addition to the five social insurances and one housing fund, also provides you with additional protection, such as resettlement, assistance with life, or helping your children find schools, etc.

"Peter, Ron, we are now financially adequate. We must keep up with the player protection. We must not only provide the best in the world to the players at Glory Stadium and Staplewood, but also provide the players with as much help and services as possible outside the club."

"Only in this way can they feel a sense of belonging and affection for us, and feel at ease, and do their best to win the game for us on the court. Do you understand what I mean?"

Peter Kenyon and Ron Gourley both nodded.

Master Huan’s meaning was very clear, and they all understood it.

Many welfare measures for service employees are already quite common in large companies, but they are still rare or even non-existent in the football circle, because in the eyes of the clubs, this is tantamount to unwarranted additional increases in their operating costs.

Don’t think I’m kidding, almost all football clubs, even the top teams, are still living in an era where they can make money just by doing nothing, because they are unique!

But in the near future, under the impact of the capital wave, those teams that try to make money without doing anything, even some giants, may not be able to hold on and be eliminated. This is also very normal.

Just like Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Hamburg, Ajax and other teams that were once glorious, but were eventually eliminated by professional football.

If you fail to keep up with the times, being eliminated is only a matter of time!

While Yang Huan was thinking about the question, the press conference outside was still going on.

This press conference attracted more than one million people's attention and live broadcast on the Internet, which was quite shocking. It can even be said to be a grand event in the Internet sports circle.

Southampton has already accumulated rich experience in this regard and has done a very good job in fan interaction.

During the entire press conference, fans on the Internet were able to actively participate and ask questions.

For example, a Saints fan asked Bielsa a question: between Modric, who is about to be sold, and Fabregas, who is about to be introduced, who is better?

This is also a typical thinking and problem of Internet fans.

So, when this question appeared on the big screen in the press conference hall, there was almost a burst of laughter.

Even many reporters started to make a fuss, waiting to see how Bielsa would answer this sharp question.

You know, Modric hasn't officially left the team yet, and Fabregas is sitting next to him. How to answer?

Unexpectedly, after Bielsa read the question carefully, he gave a very serious answer.

"These are two players of different styles." This was his first sentence.

"In terms of playing ability, the two are almost equal, both are excellent midfielders, but Cesc's technique is more delicate, his vertical passes are more threatening, and his forward attack and scoring abilities are also quite good, which are where he is better than Luca."

"But Luka's ability to hold the ball and get rid of it, as well as his running and tenacious defense in the game, are better than Cesc. This is a very valuable and excellent feature of a midfielder in modern football tactics."

"No player is perfect and can be the best in all aspects. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses. So I think there is no saying who is better between Modric and Fabregas. As long as they are given a tactical environment that suits their performance, they are both the best world-class midfielders."

Many reporters present at the scene collapsed one after another. Isn't this too rigid?

However, it seems that saying this can also be considered a kind of Tai Chi.

But soon, the next question came to the reporters on the scene. Someone immediately asked another question, but this time it was asked to Fabregas, "How do you evaluate Bielsa's words just now?"

If the previous attitude was a little bit subtle, this time it was just very straightforward to sow discord.

Fabregas was well aware of the tricks of the media reporters and smiled slightly and said: "Marcelo has told me these words before, and I am also very clear about his requirements and expectations of me. I believe that in Southampton, I can find the strongest Fabregas."

He almost said to my face, "I know all the little thoughts of you guys, so stop showing off your skills!"

The next problem was equally difficult to deal with.

A Saints fan raised a question online, that is, in Barcelona, ​​Fabregas played as a striker, but Southampton brought him in as a midfielder, so the fan asked, compared to goals and assists, what does Fabregas prefer?

Fabregas responded calmly to this question and said that he prefers assists.

"I played as a striker for a long time. I was roaming around the opponent's penalty area. I had to face the opponent's defense directly. Although I scored a lot of goals, I still found that I prefer to stay behind. I enjoy assists. Watching my passes and helping my teammates score goals is a very happy thing."

In the backstage, Yang Huan was also very satisfied with Fabregas' answer, which was very sensible.

"He is still so mature and calm!" Peter Kenyon said with a smile.

When he was at Manchester United, he almost signed the 16-year-old Fabregas.

When he was at Chelsea, he also wanted to sign Fabregas, who was in his early twenties.

Therefore, he is quite familiar with the Spanish midfield.

Yang Huan nodded continuously. Fabregas' precocity was something that people had been talking about for many years.

Otherwise, would he be able to play for Arsenal at the age of sixteen?

Can he replace Vieira early on, become the core of the midfield, and wear the captain's armband of Arsenal?

Theoretically speaking, what Bielsa said just now was not wrong.

Fabregas and Modric are midfielders of the same level. In terms of match ability, it is hard to tell who is better.

To some extent, Fabregas' strengths are exactly Modric's weaknesses, and the Croatian midfielder's strengths are exactly Fabregas' weaknesses.

But both players have a weakness, and Fabregas is even unable to gain a foothold in Barcelona's midfield because of this, that is the ability to build offensive and defensive order.

Football games are very complex and full of unpredictable changes.

But in fact, there is a type of player who possesses an ability that is almost predictable.

Or it should be said that they can slowly and step by step sort out the ideas of offense and defense through every run, every pass, and every reception, steadily control the tempo of the game, and build the team's offense and defense link by link.

In modern football tactics, offense and defense have become inseparable and have become integrated.

This places higher demands on players who control and build the team's offensive and defensive order, both in terms of technology and awareness.

Therefore, Pirlo's positioning of the attacking midfielder as a back midfielder is considered one of the greatest changes in football tactics in the past decade.

Because he has this ability!

So is Xavi, and so is Xabi Alonso.

So who is next?

Busquets?

No, the closest one is Toni Kroos!

This is a midfield commander-level player and the core of Southampton's offense and defense.

Although he is often not as good as Modric, Vidal, or James Rodriguez, it is precisely his seemingly monotonous and unimaginative steady passing that silently builds Southampton's offensive and defensive order.

It's like this glory stadium in Southampton.

When everyone mentions architect, they only think of Norman Foster.

Who knows Huang Ying?

Who knows those obscure architects at Foster + Partners?

Both Fabregas and Modric lack the ability of Toni Kroos to build offensive and defensive order.

This is also the reason why Fabregas not only failed to replace Xavi in ​​Barcelona, ​​but was even forced to move forward.

Yang Huan suddenly realized a very interesting problem, that is, almost everyone thought that Southampton introduced Fabregas to replace Modric.

But is it really so in reality?

One of the important reasons why Southampton scored so many goals last season was that in addition to Toni Kroos, who was good at building offensive and defensive order, and Modric, who was good at getting rid of and advancing with the ball, James Rodriguez, who was good at the final pass and had outstanding footwork in front of the penalty area, emerged and achieved very impressive assist data.

But now, Fabregas, who is good at the final pass and attacking from behind, is here. Who will he replace?

It should be James Rodriguez!

What about Modric?

If we analyze it from the perspective of player role functions, who should be responsible for Modric's escape and dribbling forward?

Paul Pogba is pretty good.

The French midfielder's performance in Southampton last season was also quite eye-catching, but his limelight was somewhat overshadowed by James Rodriguez. In addition, in the Champions League, Bielsa relied more on the experienced Kaka or the more balanced Oscar, so Pogba did not attract as much media attention as he appeared.

But within Southampton, and even in European football, the attention on Pogba is quite high.

Almost everyone believes that Pogba will be one of the best midfielders in the next decade.

Southampton also positioned the French international midfielder as the Saints' midfield core for the next decade, and will cultivate and further polish him in this way.

However, with multiple fronts to fight in the new season, Pogba alone is clearly not enough.

Therefore, Yang Huan also plans to introduce another world-class midfielder, that is...