The Godfather of Football

"Many people think I am a very idealistic and romantic Frenchman, but I am not!"

This is what Wenger said about himself when he talked to his friends privately. He studied economics, and his style is to be meticulous and maximize benefits. Idealism and romanticism are illusions imposed on him by fans.

But one thing is true, he is definitely a person with aspirations!

Before Wenger, Arsenal was a very rough team that would not hesitate to use any destructive kicking method to stop the opponent's attack. This is a distinctive label of Graham football, but Wenger from France does not advocate such tactical play at all, because he knows very well that the tactical trend of the European continent is control.

Wenger still remembers how outrageous the situation of this team was when he first came to Arsenal.

The first people he met were the team doctors. Interestingly, among these so-called team doctors of Arsenal, there were only two real doctors, one was a dermatologist, and the other was an old man who had lost all his teeth. What was terrible was that these two people were actually quite famous in the football circle. My God, what kind of concept is this?

The players overate and drank alcohol, their eating habits were seriously unreasonable, the training was full of long-distance running, and there were no targeted shuttle runs and short-distance sprints required for football matches. In addition, there were serious problems with the team's discipline. All of these were placed in front of Wenger.

Drastic reform? Or gradual adjustment? Or stick to the rules?

Wenger is a very smart person. He knows very well that reforms always require bloodshed and sacrifice. The kind of reforms that hurt the bones and muscles will never achieve very good results. For example, many people admire the French Revolution, but in fact, who knows how many innocent people died in the French Revolution, how many mobs were mixed in, and how many people took advantage of the opportunity to fish in troubled waters?

In terms of meaning, the French Revolution was successful, but in terms of effect, it may not be.

Wenger's cleverness lies in the fact that he knows this very well, so he does not advocate the kind of changes similar to the French Revolution, because he knows very well that such changes will only cause his team to completely collapse in the end, just like France during the Great Revolution, where all internal forces are unrestrained and incompatible.

He chose another more moderate approach, which is to proceed step by step.

As one of the oldest and most stubborn football clubs in the UK, but also one of the most traditional football clubs in the eyes of fans, Wenger chose to slowly implement his plan and slowly integrate his ideas into the club bit by bit, because he knows very well that if you are too radical, the players will not agree, the fans will not do it, and you will have to step down.

Wenger's adjustment has allowed Arsenal to regain its fighting power, but this is just the beginning, because in Wenger's view, his purpose is not only to bring more advanced training methods and more advanced club management experience, but more importantly, he wants to completely build Arsenal into his own team, that is, technology!

The presence of veteran players such as Adams and Keown became Wenger's biggest obstacle, but Wenger held back and didn't touch them, because he knew very well that these people were in the club and had a significant influence in the hearts of the fans, but they were all old and time was on his side.

Over the years, Wenger has introduced players from the European continent including Pires, Henry, and Ljungberg. The presence of these players has made Wenger's technicalization possible, but he also knows that the environment in the Premier League is not like that in the European continent. The football environment here is very special and you have to adapt to survive.

So, Vieira, Gilberto Silva, Campbell and other players with both skills and strength also came to Arsenal. It can be said that so far, Wenger is very satisfied with the Arsenal he has built over the years, because it is full of a balance of strength and technology, and also contains his exploration and adaptation to English football in the past few years.

Many people criticized Arsenal for playing too rough sometimes and being a red card team. Wenger did not dislike this because he knew very well that this was the most English way of playing. His team was able to play the most beautiful football in the Premier League despite receiving the most red cards in the Premier League, which meant that he was successful!

After introducing Gilberto Silva last season, Wenger decided to liberate Vieira. At that time, he had a feeling that Arsenal would become very balanced and strong in the new season. In addition, the club was preparing to build a new stadium, so Wenger did not make a big signing because he was very satisfied with the lineup.

Young players such as Senderos, Clichy, Kolo Toure and others arrived at Arsenal one after another, which means that Wenger's new round of rejuvenation is brewing and preparing.

In contrast, Manchester United, the Premier League's top rival, suffered losses. First, Beckham and Ferguson had a flying boot incident, and then Veron also left the team. The departure of the two midfielders, coupled with the retirement of veterans such as Blanco and David May, Manchester United's overall strength is in a state of decline.

Wenger had ambitiously declared at the beginning of the season that he would make a big splash this season, but what he didn't expect was that Chelsea emerged out of nowhere, and Ye Qiu landed in the Premier League with the halo of the European Champions League champion, becoming the second coach in the Premier League besides Ferguson to win the European Champions Cup.

What surprised Wenger even more was that after Ye Qiu came to the Premier League, he didn't need to adapt at all. He seemed to be fully prepared. Once he came to the Premier League, whether it was signings or formation, he They did a great job and built an astonishing top team in just one summer.

Wenger once said that money can only buy mercenaries, not championships, but what Ye Qiu is doing now is to refute his words with naked facts. He seems to be saying, money can't buy you a championship. To win the championship means that you are not capable enough. As long as you are capable enough, money can still buy you a championship.

Not only Ye Qiu does not need to adapt to the Premier League, Chelsea also does not need to adapt to the Premier League, because although this Chelsea's playing style is not as smooth and beautiful as Arsenal, they are very controlling. They seem to have a pair of strong hands. They held down their opponents tightly, leaving them unable to resist, while they beat them wildly.

When encountering such an opponent, let alone the teams in the middle and lower reaches of the Premier League, even teams as strong as Manchester United and Liverpool were severely beaten by Chelsea. Manchester United's 0:3 defeat at Stamford Bridge shocked the entire Premier League. All were shocked.

Arsenal's lineup is balanced and reasonable, but Chelsea's lineup also has no obvious flaws. From a purely tactical perspective, both teams have no fatal loopholes and no obvious shortcomings that can be exploited, so the final result can only be It was a fight with real swords and guns.

But Wenger's player lineup is obviously not as good as Chelsea's, because in terms of personal ability alone, Arsenal cannot compare to Chelsea.

Ronaldinho, Drogba, Deco, Lampard, Davis, Makelele, Maicon, Evra... This group of Chelsea players all have outstanding personal abilities, and more importantly Yes, they have a very strict and orderly tactical system.

But Arsenal is not without its advantages, and that is their tacit understanding.

In the same rigorous and orderly tactical system, whoever has a better tacit understanding will naturally display better combat effectiveness.

In other words, Arsenal's biggest bargaining chip in this game is rigor, so they have to defend and counterattack!

And Wenger also knows very well that this game is of great importance and cannot be careless in the slightest. Arsenal cannot afford to lose, because once they lose this game, they may directly lose the entire season's efforts. He has no chance. choose!

Therefore, in this game at Stamford Bridge, although Arsenal still used their best 442 tactics, in fact, they were playing defensive counterattack. Their opening was very conservative. Vieira and Gilberto? Silva did not dare to leave the defense for a moment, for fear that Chelsea would take advantage of him accidentally.

But even so, Chelsea still found a loophole in Arsenal's iron wall.

It was Edgar Davis again, and the Dutch wild boar quickly moved forward, entangled Vieira, successfully intercepted the ball, and passed diagonally to the left. Ronaldinho used his personal skills to pass one-on-one on the left. Laurent was dropped and a pass was passed. Drogba was like plucking green onions in the penalty area. He stepped between Toure and Campbell and blasted the header past Arsenal's goal, 1:0!

This goal not only broke the deadlock on the field, but also gave Chelsea a huge boost in morale.

Ye Qiu, who also had a safe start to this game, immediately waved his hand, signaling the team to work hard and attack.

Wenger was forced to ask the three lines to shrink the defense and defend Chelsea's attack.

The situation suddenly turned into a one-sided situation. Chelsea controlled the game and launched wave after wave of attacks against Arsenal. Arsenal, on the other hand, was too conservative and did not launch a good counterattack, which indirectly encouraged the situation. Chelsea's arrogance.

But just when everyone thought Chelsea was going to score again, Arsenal launched a quick counterattack. Vieira intercepted the ball and launched a long pass. Henry pulled to the left to get the ball and advanced quickly.

Chelsea's defense retreated quickly, pushing Henry as far as possible to the sideline, but Bergkamp took the initiative to pull over to find cooperation. After the Dutch ice prince got the ball, he used his skillful foot skills to get past Makelele. , the cross-knock was given to Vieira who came in behind. The sinner who missed the ball volleyed hard from the front of the penalty area and penetrated Van der Sar's goal, 1:1!

The first 25 minutes were full of twists and turns. Chelsea had the advantage, but Arsenal showed efficiency. The two sides tied the game. After equalizing the score, Arsenal once again adopted a defensive posture.

“In the first confrontation between the two sides at Highbury Stadium, Arsenal was very embarrassed by Chelsea. Unexpectedly, the second time they met at Stamford Bridge, the situation became worse and worse. Arsenal only had one shot in the first 30 minutes. It can be said that they were in a state of embarrassment, but after Chelsea conceded the goal, they obviously did not dare to press hard again!”

Andy Gray also felt helpless about this, "This is a game that no one wants to lose and cannot afford to lose, because both teams have maintained an unbeaten record this season. Whoever loses the first game of the season A defeat may cause the team's morale to plummet, so to a certain extent, the head coaches of both sides are likely to strive to defeat their opponents while ensuring a draw, and Ye Qiu is obviously more willing in this regard. , so after the start Chelsea played very fiercely and took the initiative, but after the score was equalized, he also exposed his true thoughts.”

The first half ended at 1:1. Although the scene was intense, there were no obvious highlights.

Arsenal played away and tightened three lines to counterattack. Although Chelsea took the initiative, they did not dare to press forward in a big way. This directly led to the fact that both teams did not show a very resolute willingness in attack. In addition, the defense of both sides was very targeted, so the offensive effect was naturally not good.

In the second half, the two sides restarted. Chelsea used Davis to shoot a long shot at the beginning, almost penetrating Lehmann's goal, but Arsenal still focused on defense and did not move.

Afterwards, Drogba headed the ball, Lampard shot hard, and Ronaldinho broke through Kolo Toure outside the penalty area to create a direct free kick. These were two good offensive opportunities, but they failed to break through Arsenal's goal. Lehmann's performance in this game was very stable and there was no big problem.

In the end, neither side scored a goal in the second half, and the 1:1 draw was finally maintained until the end of the game.

…………

…………

When the referee Riley blew the whistle to end the game, Ye Qiu felt relieved, and the big stone on his heart fell down. Although the result was a bit regrettable, the process was still satisfactory.

He adopted a safe style of play, first based on unbeaten, and then strive to defeat the enemy. This did weaken Chelsea's investment in the offensive end, causing the team's offense to fail to play the most effective threat, but the facts proved that his previous concerns were correct.

Although Makelele has always been known for his stability, his condition was not very good in the first game after returning from injury. He should take some responsibility for the team's goal loss, because he is the team's midfielder, and Bergkamp passed the ball after passing him.

Another point is that Davis and Vieira inserted from behind, and the Dutch wild boar obviously failed to keep up.

Although he was unwilling, he was relieved to get a draw.

To be honest, you have to be careful all the time against a team like Arsenal. Henry, a top killer, can kill you at any time and anywhere. Coupled with the ghostly Bergkamp, ​​Arsenal has the ability to not attack throughout the game, but once it attacks, it will kill you.

"It's okay, a draw is not bad!" Ten Cate smiled and patted Ye Qiu on the shoulder, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

No one dares to take a risk with a whole year's efforts. It is of course good to be able to defeat the opponent, but it is also good to keep a draw. Besides, Chelsea's morale has not been weakened in this game. At least the home team has taken the initiative.

Roland submitted a set of game data to Ye Qiu. Chelsea shot 10 times in this game, and as many as 7 shots were on target. The efficiency is not low, but either Lehmann performed well or the opponent's defensive players interfered. In short, they just missed the goal.

Arsenal got 5 shots, 2 of which were on target, but this was not the key. The key was that they only had 1 free kick in the frontcourt, while Chelsea had 9. In addition, Arsenal only had 4 corner kicks, while Chelsea had 13. Arsenal was offside twice, while Chelsea was offside four times.

It is not difficult to see from these offensive data that Chelsea's advantage is more obvious, and Arsenal's defensive posture is also vividly reflected. So this game seems to be a draw, and no one has lost, but Chelsea has a clear advantage.

Of course, this is Stamford Bridge after all. Chelsea is unwilling to fail to defeat the opponent.

After talking to the coaching staff for a few words, Ye Qiu walked to the visiting team's coaching seat. He found Wenger sitting in the visiting team's coaching seat, and he seemed to be a little shocked after surviving a disaster, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction in his heart.

Looking at the Premier League, who else can force Wenger to this point except Ferguson?

"It's a pity that I didn't get 3 points!" Ye Qiu smiled and stood in front of Wenger.

The Frenchman raised his head, his eyes sparkling, "I regret it too!"

"Don't pretend, your conservative mentality has been revealed!" Ye Qiu said sarcastically.

Wenger also sneered, "Then why didn't you attack vigorously?"

Both of them were equally matched, and their thoughts and calculations were the same.

Sometimes think about it, unbeaten is not necessarily a good thing, the pressure is too great!

Before almost every game, you have to be careful about your unbeaten record, and you have to be careful to worry about being defeated, because you have no idea what will happen after being defeated?

Especially for Ye Qiu and Chelsea, it is completely unimaginable. Maybe this team that has just been reorganized will completely collapse overnight, and the confidence and fighting spirit that have been hard to build up will collapse overnight.

Ye Qiu can't afford to lose, and Wenger can't afford to lose either!

"If there is a chance, I will definitely let you taste my fist!" Ye Qiu raised his right fist, shook it, and smiled.

"Same here!" Wenger also responded tit for tat.

The so-called fist is attack. In this game, neither side attacked at all. They were a little depressed and unhappy.

But professional football is like this. You can't do whatever you want. You have to consider the overall situation, the pressure from the management, the pressure from the fans, and the pressure from the players. All of these are in the head coach's mind.

"Good luck, don't fall behind too early, otherwise this Premier League game will be boring. I am ready to continue the unbeaten to the end. Let's see who loses first!" Ye Qiu said confidently.

Wenger raised his mouth and sneered. He didn't say anything, but his attitude was self-evident.

In fact, a week later, in the 27th round of the Premier League, Chelsea again beat Manchester City 1:0 away, while Wenger beat Charlton 2:1. Both teams obviously adopted a conservative style of play. No one wanted to fall behind and they were waiting for the other to make mistakes.

Not only that, in the Champions League in the middle of the week, Chelsea beat Stuttgart 1:0 away, and Arsenal beat Celta 3:2 away. Both teams made a good start and laid the foundation for advancing to the next round.

Because the 27th round was followed by the League Cup final on the weekend and the FA Cup in the middle of the week, Chelsea had no game tasks and got a total of 11 days of rest. Ye Qiu simply gave the first team 2 days of vacation, and some of the main players got 3 days of vacation, so that the players could relax and adjust their mood.

The pressure of an unbeaten record is too great, and sometimes it is really necessary to vent and adjust.

However, Wenger is not so lucky. They still have to play in the FA Cup and have no rest!