Super Marshal

"He took a gamble after all."

On the day of the Champions League final, in the presidential stand of the Luzhniki Stadium, Gao Han, as an important guest, sat on the final podium, and beside him, in addition to his wife Lin Xia, who flew over from Spain, there were also Spanish National team coach, Luis Aragones.

The European Cup is approaching. The Spanish coach who has risked everything for the national team and staked his lifelong reputation will naturally supervise the battle in person. By the way, let's take a look at the process and outcome of Guardiola's team facing the powerful Manchester United.

I believe this game will be of great reference for him in the upcoming European Cup.

As soon as Gao Han got the starting lineups of both sides, his first reaction was that Ferguson took a gamble.

Veterans Giggs and Scholes were on the bench, but youngster Matic was left on the bench. Together with Berbatov, Nani and Rooney, Ferguson has given a very clear answer. .

He wanted to give it a try.

"I didn't expect that he was so old but still had such a stubborn temper. He actually fell into Guardiola's provocation." Aragones shook his head in amusement, obviously not believing it.

You know, Ferguson is a famous coach who has been famous in European football for a long time, but he was fooled by someone. Isn't that a joke?

Gao Han did not refute, but just smiled bitterly, because he knew that Ferguson was not a victim of provocation.

After all, he is the kind of person who would rather die than retreat.

Many people have always had the impression of Ferguson and Manchester United as pragmatism, but in fact, in the bones of Ferguson and Manchester United, this team has always adhered to offensive football, and Ferguson has always used his own understanding of football to transform Man United's offense and organization.

Therefore, in the past few years, Manchester United has been criticized for not introducing defensive players.

Just yesterday, Gao Han's advice was to attack first at the beginning, and if you can score goals, it's best to disrupt Barcelona's rhythm if you can't score, and then retreat and defend and counterattack, but Ferguson obviously did not adopt it.

As he said yesterday, he wants to score a goal first.

As long as they advance by one goal, Manchester United will have enough bargaining chips to deal with Barcelona and force the opponent to press out. Then the counterattack will be much easier and more satisfying, but this style of play also brings great risks.

Once Barcelona scores the first goal, Ferguson's team will be finished.

This is why Ferguson didn't answer yesterday when Gao Han asked him if he could hold on.

It is estimated that he himself is not sure.

They have reached the Champions League finals, and both sides are basically playing according to their own ideas and insisting on themselves.

"The outcome of this game will probably be decided in the first half at the latest." Gao Han said towards Aragones.

The old Spanish coach nodded, "Without Matic, there is no defensive interception in the midfield. Giggs and Scholes have stepped up their attack. The two sides are obviously going to have an offensive battle. I really don't know where he got the confidence." .”

As a Spaniard, Aragones is obviously more optimistic about Barcelona.

The same is true for Gao Han, but he believes that Ferguson's Manchester United is not without opportunities. It depends on whether they can seize it.

After all, Guardiola's Barcelona is not infinitely strong, especially because there are still many defensive problems.

…………

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The game seemed to be developing in the direction Gao Han expected.

From the beginning, Manchester United, wearing white jerseys, took the initiative to attack and caused a foul on Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets in the first minute. Manchester United's free kick directly hit the goal, causing Barcelona goalkeeper Valdes to take away. But Rooney's follow-up shot was blocked by Pique as he fell to the ground.

After that, Manchester United continued to attack Barcelona and repeatedly created threats.

Ferguson's plan was just as he said before, to score a goal first.

In the first ten minutes, Manchester United got four shots, but basically failed to catch them. This also made all the Manchester United fans who came to the scene very excited.

But in the tenth minute, when Manchester United's offensive was at its strongest, Barcelona suddenly launched a counterattack. After Iniesta broke through with the ball from the center, he passed it to the right side of the penalty area. Eto'o cleverly dunked past Ferdinand and grabbed the ball. Before Carrick could make up his place, the shot broke through Van der Sar's goal and broke the deadlock on the field.

One to zero!

The sudden goal completely stunned all Manchester United fans, but Gao Han, who was sitting in the stands, sighed softly and looked at the time on the scoreboard. It was less than eleven minutes.

"The game is over." Gao Han shook his head.

Unless Ferguson's team can have another magical reversal similar to the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich, otherwise, the victory in this game will belong to Barcelona and Guardiola.

Of course, after the game, countless media will attribute part of the credit to Gao Han.

Aragones also looked a little depressed. This was the Champions League final. There was no suspense after eleven minutes. How boring is that?

"Ferguson is still paying the price for his rashness."

Gao Han nodded, "If in the seventh minute, after the third shot, Manchester United slowed down and took a defensive position, Barcelona would not score so easily."

But there are no ifs on the football field. If Ferguson chose to gamble, he would have to bear the risk of gambling.

"In fact, Barcelona's midfield interception is not strong enough. As long as Manchester United can stay calm, this game can still be played. It's a pity..." Gao Han shook his head and sighed, and then looked at Aragones.

"The smartest thing you did was to naturalize Marcos Senna. I dare say that the combination of Xavi, Marcos Senna and Xabi Alonso can make Spain's midfielder proud of the European Cup. Heroes."

After hearing this, Aragones looked at Gao Han with a smile, "I said, are you praising me? Or are you praising yourself?"

Gao Han shrugged, as if to say, of course it's me, why bother?

Both of them laughed.

When Aragones naturalized Marcos Senna, it was Gao Han's suggestion because Marcos Senna was still unable to be selected for the Brazilian national team. In addition, Deco, who was also unable to be selected for the national team, was naturalized and went to Portugal. , then why can’t Marcos Senna go to Spain?

What's more, Marcos Senna is a type of player that is extremely scarce in Spain.

"To be honest, the biggest headache for me right now is whether to bring Raul with me."

After laughing, Aragones asked his biggest problem.

He was the third person to call Gao Han for help during Bayern Munich's championship parade. The two parties made an appointment to watch the Champions League final together, and Gao Han should also fulfill his duties as a technical advisor to the Spanish Football Federation.

Even if he has been idle for many years.

"In recent times, everyone from the chairman of the Football Association to ordinary fans, as well as many celebrities and even national team players have been talking to me about this matter. They basically all have the same attitude, even if they are substitutes, or even if they are not If you let him play, you should bring Raul with him."

Gao Han understands Aragones' difficulty. This is indeed a difficult choice to make.

From an emotional point of view, Raul must be taken.

To put it bluntly, in the past few years, Spain has almost been brought here by Raul. He can be said to have supported Spain's most difficult trough period. Without Raul, Spain does not know what it would be like.

It is not an exaggeration to even say that he is Spain's greatest star in the past twenty years.

But if you look at it from a rational point of view, then Raul must not take him.

As an iconic Spanish player, Raul represents a lot of interests. Whether he admits it or not, his existence is an obstacle to the reform of the national team, making it difficult for a group of international players who follow his lead to completely obey Aragones. 's command.

The Spanish national team's qualifying results improved, starting from deposing Raul. After that, Aragones was able to smoothly implement a series of reforms in the Spanish national team, and finally led the team to enter Europe with great momentum. cup.

But if, at this time, he recalls Raul to the national team, what kind of signal will it send to other players?

More importantly, after Raul joins the team, will he use it or not?

If you use it, he is a bit incompatible with the national team's style, but if you leave it alone, isn't that a landmine for the national team?

When that time comes, how many people will stand up and accuse Aragones?

What's more, if he is recruited into the national team but not used, isn't this a clear way of humiliating and giving alms to Raul?

Gao Han admires Raul very much, but also sympathizes with him very much.

Raul's biggest tragedy is not that he plays for Real Madrid and is at odds with Aragones, who was born in Atletico Madrid, but that he was born at the wrong time.

He is a great star who deserves to be admired, but Gao Han doesn't think it would be a good thing to bring him to the European Cup.

"Louis, players can be emotional, but coaches can't. I believe that you still come to ask me this question when so many people are trying to persuade you. This just proves that you already have the answer in your heart, but you need someone. Support you and give you the courage to make this choice, right?”

Aragones was speechless, and Gao Han really understood his thoughts.

"Sometimes, I really wonder if I should harden my heart and say no to Raul. You know, at his age, this may be his last European Cup, and it may even be his last time representing Spain. Enter the competition.”

Even though he and Raul didn't get along well, he still felt that from a relationship point of view, he really should give Raul a place, not to mention that Raul himself had already compromised in order to participate in the European Cup.

Gao Han can understand and sympathizes with Raul.

"But as a head coach, we always need to consider the team as a whole. Sometimes we even have to give up some feelings for this, or even do something that hurts others, what do you think?"

Aragones remained silent.

He understood all the principles Gao Han said, even better than Gao Han, but it was still difficult for him to make this decision.

This is destined to be an imperfect decision.

Even if Aragones and Spain win the European Cup in the future, they will definitely regret Raul's absence.

But Gao Han is right, this is the fate of the head coach.

Just like Ferguson in the stadium, he would rather launch a suicidal charge towards a powerful force like Don Quixote than choose to retreat, because he knows his team and knows that there are some things that he would rather lose the Champions League final than retreat. Can't live without it.

The same choice still exists for Guardiola, but fortunately, he is the stronger side tonight.

And this much-anticipated Champions League final ended with Guardiola's Barcelona defeating Ferguson's Manchester United 2-0.

The Spanish young coach led the team to win the Triple Crown in his first season as coach.

What's more interesting is that in the European Super Cup at the end of August, Guardiola's Barcelona will encounter the challenge of Bayern Munich. This master-disciple showdown is bound to attract worldwide attention.