The Godfather of Football

"Are all the training bases of Premier League teams deliberately built in such a remote place?"

When the car turned into Bell Road, Chen Jun, a Chinese reporter sitting in the passenger seat, asked curiously to a reporter from a well-known British newspaper who was sitting next to him and driving the car.

Bell Road is not a big road. On the contrary, it is just a small road that can only allow one car to pass easily. If two cars meet, it will be very crowded. If it is placed in China, such a road may not exist in village communities. It is too crowded.

"Relax, you know, this is the countryside, and the road does not need to be so wide, because there are few cars coming in and out!" The reporter from the British Daily Telegraph explained with a smile, "And, usually at this time, there are more people going in than coming out!"

As this British man who looks a bit old-fashioned raised his eyebrows with a bit of a comedian's action, Chen Jun saw some cars following behind him in the rearview mirror. It seems that they are all preparing to go to Arsenal's Colney training base.

It's not that Chen Jun is smart, but because from this intersection, there is only Arsenal's Colney training base.

Fortunately, the crowded path was not long, and soon we arrived at the gate of the Kearney training base.

Strictly speaking, there was no gate. The first thing we saw was the Kearney training base. The first thing we saw was the white indoor training ground shed at Kearney. This was an indoor training ground for the first team to use on rainy and snowy days. It was of standard size and the training ground was built in a shed. The surrounding walls were printed with figures and photos of some players and coaches.

Anyone familiar with Arsenal could easily match the names of familiar stars from these patterns.

9 o'clock in the morning was the time for the press conference to start, but Chen Jun and his team came a little early because he wanted to report more about this training base of Arsenal, and he believed that this would attract the attention of domestic fans.

With Ye Qiu's transfer from the Dutch League to the Premier League this season, and the fact that there were already two or three Chinese players playing in the Premier League, the influence and attention of the Premier League in China this year has increased greatly. Moreover, the performance of Chelsea, which Ye Qiu led this season, was amazing, and it was on par with Arsenal, which made many domestic fans also pay attention to this London team.

Chen Jun now spends most of his time in England, and as the end of the season approaches, Ye Qiu's Chelsea has performed very well in both the Premier League and the Champions League. If they can win one of the championships, they will become the first person in Chinese football, especially Sun Jihai, who is loved by many fans in this team.

Therefore, the TV station wants to produce a special program to report on Ye Qiu and Chelsea, and it is inevitable to report on their opponents.

Because there was an appointment before, Chen Jun was allowed to enter the Kearney training base after handing his press card to the guard. Then, like all the reporters who came here, he took up his camera to take pictures and recorded everything he saw everywhere.

He has been to many training bases, including Manchester United's Carrington, Manchester City next door, Chelsea's Harrington, and Liverpool and Everton's training bases. He has been to all of them. He feels that all the training bases of the Premier League teams are covered by a small road.

There is no big sign at the intersection like the Real Madrid training base, and there are no road signs to guide the way. If there is no acquaintance to lead the way, don't expect to be able to get here.

The current Kearney training base only has a two-story training building and a two-story narrow administrative building, but there is also a two-story building with scaffolding at the entrance of the greenhouse, which is obviously about to be completed. It is the future news building, which is specially used for reporters to interview players and various press conferences.

The training building is very large and the design is very delicate. It can be divided into two parts. The front is a circular arc design similar to the top of the penalty area. The large and small are interlocked and irregular, which looks very interesting. The back is a rectangular building, nothing special. The training building for the first team and the youth team is the same building.

Oh, there is a small lake opposite the training building. I heard that it is not artificial, but originally there. This is very similar to Chelsea's new base, but Chelsea's is an artificial lake, which is larger, and the facilities and environment are better. Arsenal's is more natural.

"Hey, you can't go in anymore!" Just when Chen Jun was about to walk to the back of the training building to take a look, a person came down from the building and shouted at him.

Chen Jun was startled and took a look. It was Arsenal coach Wenger.

"You are from China, right?" Wenger came over, his expression looked serious, but his tone did not show any sign of anger, "Didn't the guard tell you just now that your authority was only to come here?"

"Sorry, I didn't know!" Chen Jun said apologetically.

Wenger obviously didn't intend to pursue it, and waved his hand, "Tomorrow we will play the Champions League, we are very worried that you are here to help him spy on the military, so, sorry, we can't let you watch our players training!"

Chen Jun didn't expect that Wenger would even come up with a little humor, which made the atmosphere relaxed.

"I should say sorry, you know, he and I are really good friends, but I have my professional ethics!"

"Sorry!" Wenger apologized again with a smile, which made Chen Jun feel that the French are actually easy to get along with.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" Chen Jun asked boldly.

Wenger looked at the time on his watch and nodded, "5 minutes!"

"OK!" Chen Jun quickly took out the recorder, "I believe that all Chinese fans who care about the Premier League want to know, how do you feel about Ye Qiu? You know, our football has always been relatively weak. This It makes us seriously lack self-confidence, so many people in our country feel that he has been exaggerated!”

"Why is there such a statement?" Wenger shook his head. "He has won the Champions League and is already the best head coach in Europe. There are only two people in the Premier League who have won the Champions League, one is Ferguson and the other is him. , I will be next!" At the end of the sentence, Wenger himself laughed.

"Although as an opponent, I don't like Ye Qiu, because he is indeed our strongest competitor to win the Premier League and Champions League this season. No one likes his opponent, especially when this opponent is seriously threatening you. time, right?"

After a pause, Wenger added, "But I think no one can deny his outstanding achievements in the past few years. I think he has not been exaggerated. On the contrary, his role has been weakened a lot by the media, especially At Chelsea, many people only see Chelsea with its star players, but they fail to notice Ye Qiu’s huge role in integrating the team and arranging technical and tactical skills. Without him, Chelsea would be in disarray!”

"I don't think even Ye Qiu would have thought that you would give him such a high evaluation!" Chen Jun said with a smile.

"I'm telling the truth!" Wenger said with a faint smile, "Actually, you have all been deceived by some remarks. You know, as a head coach, you often need to use some words to stimulate the team and opponents. I think this is natural. But no matter what, from the perspective of a professional coach, Ye Qiu is undoubtedly very successful!"

Chen Jun smiled and thanked, "I think many fans would like to know, are you good friends with Sir Alex Ferguson and Ye Qiu?"

"No, no, no!" Wenger shook his head vigorously, "I have been fighting with Ferguson for so many years, and everyone is used to it. I believe he has never regarded me as a friend, and the same is true for me. As for Ye Qiu, we are neighbors, but he The relationship with my daughter is actually more harmonious than with me. My daughter is only 7 years old and has a very good relationship with Ye Qiu’s wife.”

"This has been reported in the media, and many people mistakenly believe that you and Ye Qiu are very close!" Chen Jun said with a smile.

"It was an accident and a misunderstanding!"

Seeing Wenger paying attention to his watch, Chen Jun knew that the time was almost up, "Last question, Mr. Wenger, I believe everyone will be very concerned about Arsenal's schedule for the next period of time. After playing Chelsea, there will be We have two more games to play against Manchester United, and then Chelsea. It’s a devilish schedule. What do you think personally?”

"I believe that everyone who pays attention to the Premier League knows that Manchester United's strength has dropped a lot this season, but it is still a headache for the team, especially when they play against us, but the players and I know how to deal with it. Defeat them!"

"Champions League games are always difficult, especially this two-round knockout round. The first thing we need is a strong defense, because successful defense can bring confidence to the team, and the opponents' loopholes will also be exposed in our defense. Exposed in front of me, I think this is the most practical tactic to deal with Chelsea!”

"Chelsea is a very troublesome team. They are not only good at defense, but also good at offense. They always adopt a high-intensity pressing style of play and are always able to create many opportunities, but their There's always a lot of space in the backcourt and that's our opportunity to attack."

"So, no matter what, we will definitely win these two rounds!"

Finally, Wenger asked Chen Jun to take a confident photo of him and jokingly said that it must be on the cover.

At the press conference that followed, Wenger solemnly announced the team's injury situation.

Previous media reported that Reyes was injured by a tackle in training. Wenger confirmed it and said that the Spanish rookie will be absent for 3 weeks; Ljungberg's recovery from a broken finger is not very satisfactory, and he will need to rest for at least another week. ; Ashley Cole's injury will take another 2 weeks. Gilberto Silva has physical problems and has missed training for two days. He may not be able to catch up with this game.

"I am very sorry for this, but these players will still appear in the squad because I need to further observe their recovery. If allowed, I will arrange for them to come off the bench because we need them very much!"

As for the team's formation after the injured are absent, Wenger feels that it is not a big problem.

There is Clichy at left back and Gilberto Silva. There are many other players in the team such as Edu who can play at this position. The same is true for the right wing. Reyes is more of a substitute this season. Bergcan Pu should continue to start with Henry.

Regarding his confidence in defeating Chelsea at Highbury Stadium, Wenger said unwaveringly that he would definitely defeat his opponent!

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Unlike Wenger who chose to hold a press conference on the morning before the game, Ye Qiu's press conference was scheduled to be held at the Harrington training base at 11:30 on time after the first training session in the morning.

At this time, Ye Qiu had received the news from Kearney, and also knew that Wenger had listed four major players who were absent due to injuries. The injuries of these four players were not unexpected. They had been injured before, but they just couldn't. Prompt recovery.

"Everyone knows that Wenger is a very cunning opponent, and I will not completely trust what he says, but I also know very well that whether these four players come back in time or not, it will not have a big impact on us, because We will definitely beat our opponents away from home, not only me, but my players also have this confidence.”

Ye Qiu didn't really care whether it was a smoke bomb or not, because he had always believed in one thing, that being yourself was more important than anything else, because if you blindly study and restrain your opponent, you would only make yourself a mess in the end.

A truly excellent head coach does not blindly play targeted tactics, but must restrain the opponent's shortcomings and bring out his own strengths on the basis of being able to exert his own strength. This is the master.

"Arsenal this season is indeed one of the best teams in Europe, with great success on all fronts. For this season, I believe Wenger has painstakingly planned it for at least four years, or even longer, but very soon Unfortunately, they met us early. We were hungrier and more ambitious for honors and championships than they were.”

"As for Arsenal's devilish schedule in the next period, I think it will be very difficult, because Manchester United can no longer make a difference in the Premier League. The FA Cup is Ferguson's only hope, and he will not give up. In the league, Manchester United also needs a victory over its arch-enemy to restore its morale.”

"But I don't think Arsenal are in crisis either. They are a very capable team but they need a rest."

"Mr. Ye Qiu!" A local reporter from England stood up, "Many people say that Arsenal and Chelsea are the best and most balanced teams in today's football. There are no obvious loopholes or too many mistakes. An obvious weakness and an unbeaten record so far.”

"Wenger said that this game is the most important game for Arsenal so far this season. He and his players will work hard for the Triple Crown and are full of hope for it. What do you think?"

Arsenal are currently competitive in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup. It is not an exaggeration to say that they have won the Triple Crown. However, their opponent in the FA Cup is Manchester United. They are currently lagging behind Chelsea in the Premier League and are facing another defeat in the Champions League quarter-finals. When I arrived at Chelsea, it could be said that there was a wolf in front of me and a tiger in the back, and the situation was not bad.

"I have always said that there is no perfect team in this world. Every team will have loopholes and shortcomings. This is true for Chelsea and the same is true for Arsenal. And I and my players know very clearly that we want to It is difficult to find Arsenal's loopholes, and it is equally difficult for the opponent to find our loopholes, but whoever finds them first will be able to defeat the opponent! "

"So, my players and I have very strong confidence and determination. We will put tremendous pressure on Arsenal to expose their vulnerabilities, and even if they don't have vulnerabilities, we will do our best to create them for them. Loophole!"

“Perhaps, Arsenal have performed very well in the past half year, but I believe that tomorrow night’s game will be the beginning of Arsenal’s collapse this season. We have no doubt that we will defeat our opponents! "

Ye Qiu's words were immediately welcomed by all the reporters and media present. They all pounced on Ye Qiu like bees on honey, and kept asking Ye Qiu about various questions, but Ye Qiu had the attitude of only saying good things once and did not say anything more.

In such an important game, any words spoken before the game may cause the players' mentality to fluctuate, so Ye Qiu has always adopted a very cautious approach to pre-match press conferences.

Psychological warfare has always been a double-edged sword. It may hurt others, but it may also hurt yourself.

The tit-for-tat confrontation between the two managers of Chelsea and Arsenal at the pre-match press conference immediately aroused the excitement and attention of all media and fans across Europe, especially for these two teams that have remained unbeaten so far this season. Team, who will defeat the opponent in this duel is full of suspense.

What’s interesting is that the odds offered by almost all bookmakers for this game, whether at William Hill or Must Win, clearly show that Chelsea and Arsenal’s odds of winning or losing are both right. Half of them, nearly 50% of the fans chose a draw.

In the past season, Chelsea and Arsenal played two games, and the results were both draws. Many people also speculated that this game will be a draw, and even the two rounds of the knockout rounds may continue to be a draw. The winner is determined by away goals or a penalty shootout.

But one thing is recognized by everyone, that is, no matter who Arsenal or Chelsea advances to the next round, the one who advances will be the most popular candidate to win the Champions League this season, because they are the best in European competitions in the past season. The two best teams are also the two strongest teams.

According to the current situation, after entering the semi-finals, Real Madrid and Monaco, no matter who advances, it may be difficult to prevent these two teams from reaching the finals. Once they enter the finals, they may not be able to easily defeat the champion in front of them. Let go.

Therefore, this game is also known as the Champions League final in advance!

But just when everyone thought that Wenger would continue to use practical defensive counterattack tactics, and even continue to defend at Highbury to block Chelsea's attack and pressure, unexpectedly, the French head coach surprised everyone.