Super Marshal

Gao Han met Marcos Senna on the third day after Christmas.

The Brazilian midfielder did not go back to his country for Christmas. Most of his family members are already in Spain, and he himself has been here for nearly ten years and has become accustomed to everything in Madrid.

The meeting place was arranged in the VIP box of a newly opened high-end Chinese restaurant in Madrid.

This is a branch with its main store in London. It was founded when Gao Han was coaching Chelsea. Gao Han owned half of the shares. When it was newly opened that year, Chelsea did not arrange a Christmas party, so Gao Han specially invited Chelsea players and their families to dine in this Chinese restaurant. , and has since become famous in one fell swoop.

Since then, this Chinese restaurant has become a favorite restaurant for many Chelsea stars, and its business has become more and more prosperous. It has already opened branches in big cities such as Paris, Milan and Munich, and now it has arrived in Madrid.

Because it was a private invitation, there were only four people in total. In addition to the two protagonists, agent Jorge Mendes and technical director Carlos Cantarero were with us.

Marcos Senna has always been grateful to Gao Han, because if it weren't for Gao Han, he would have had no chance to play in the European League, let alone win the European Cup on behalf of Spain.

In fact, Gao Han's encouragement also played a key role in the reason why he was naturalized and played for Spain.

Therefore, when he heard that the high-cold Chinatown team was interested in him, although he did not agree, he did not reject it either. Otherwise, if it were another second-tier league team, he would definitely turn them over without even thinking. Get kicked out the door.

Half a year ago, he was still the main player in the European Cup championship. Half a year later, he will play in the second level league?

But thinking about it carefully, especially after analyzing his current situation, he was really in trouble.

First of all, at Atletico Madrid, given his age, it is really difficult to compete with players in their prime, such as Seydou Keita and Gabi, and Xabi Alonso’s core position is even more unshakable. He had no choice but to be a substitute.

If he leaves Atletico Madrid and goes to other La Liga teams, there may be no problem with the main force, but firstly there are not many teams willing to accept him, and most of them are mid-to-lower teams. Secondly, after joining the new team, can he Gaining trust is still an unknown.

Instead of doing this, it would be better to follow Gao Han and go to the Chinatown team.

After all, Marcos Senna, like everyone around Gao Han, has an almost blind trust in him. He believes that this Chinatown team will be able to reach La Liga soon.

Therefore, he took the initiative to invite Gao Han to dinner and made his intention known.

"Boss, I hope to be able to take the coaching certificate while playing football and become a coach in the future."

"Really?" Gao Han was a little surprised at first, but then he was overjoyed. "This is a good thing. Our youth training center has cooperation with the Spanish Football Federation in coaching training. As long as you have any needs, I will definitely support you."

With Gao Han's words, Marcos Senna was relieved.

But Gao Han quickly changed the subject, "Actually, Marcos, I don't think you should care too early about things after retirement."

"Why?" Marcos Senna was a little strange. He was about to be thirty-three years old.

Gao Han smiled and said, "I think you can play for at least another three or four years without any problem."

Marcos Senna was stunned. He didn't expect Gao Han to think so highly of him.

You know, three or four years later, he is already thirty-six or seventeen years old, can he still play football?

"I still remember when I first met you, I knew you were a smart person and learned things quickly. Therefore, before coming to Atletico Madrid, you had never even played in a professional league, but But you can adapt quickly, which is not something ordinary people can do."

Marcos Senna was silent. He really didn't know that he still had this impression in the head coach's mind.

He was even a little moved.

"You know? Smart players often change their playing style on the court according to their physical conditions at different ages. I think you can do it too." When he said this, Gao Han paused deliberately pause.

"What's more, if you think about it, you just won the European Cup as the main defensive midfielder six months ago and reached the pinnacle of your life. Could it be that six months later, you are starting to consider retiring? Are you willing?"

Marcos Senna didn't answer, but the look on his face gave him away.

Not willing to give in, definitely not willing to give in.

No one else would be willing to do this kind of thing.

"Believe me, Marcos, I am not inviting you to Chinatown to avoid relegation in the Spanish Second Division. Otherwise, we will not be able to afford the transfer fees for you and Diego Costa this summer."

Speaking of this, Gao Han himself felt a little ashamed. He was too single, right?

"We have only one goal, to enter La Liga and gain a foothold in La Liga."

When Marcos Senna heard this, he suddenly raised his head and stared at Gao Han with bright eyes.

It wasn't until this moment that he really made up his mind.

…………

…………

After having lunch with Marcos Senna, Jorge Mendes and Marcos Senna went to deal with some things, while Gao Han and Cantarero returned to Fuenlabrada to convey the news to Armando ·Marcos and coach Pochettino know that they are both excited.

Marcos Senna, who was the absolute main force in Spain's European Cup win half a year ago and the midfield pillar that Aragones relies on the most, wants to join the Chinatown team?

This news will definitely shock the entire Spanish second division, no, the entire Spanish football world, and even the European football world.

"No, I have to talk to my colleagues in the Commercial Department quickly. Several previous projects must be renegotiated." Armando Marcos immediately and excitedly took the lead to leave.

When the general manager left, only Gao Han, Cantarero and Pochettino were left in the conference hall.

In Gao Han's reorganized management system, Cantarero, the technical director, is almost on the same level as Armando Marcos. It's just that one of them is responsible for commercial operations and daily operations, and the other is responsible for competitive affairs, coordinating and communicating with each other, and he The boss is responsible for overseeing the overall situation.

"Mauricio, what are your plans after Marcos Senna joins?" Gao Han asked Pochettino with a smile.

The Argentinian seemed to be well prepared, nodding and saying: "His arrival can greatly improve our midfield strength. I haven't thought about how to use it specifically, but in my opinion, he can play the role of the team's midfield organizer." .”

Gao Han and Cantarero looked at each other and nodded in unison.

Marcos Senna has never been a defensive player, but he is both offensive and defensive, and his passing ability is quite good. Especially in recent years, his training in La Liga and Atletico Madrid has made his passing ability increasingly sophisticated, even if he has Even with a top-level midfielder like Xabi Alonso, he is still an outstanding deputy.

"In our four-three-three tactical system, if we want to suppress our opponents, we must do a good job of pressing up front and pressing high. Previously, our midfield problem was that we only had two players, Schneiderlin and Ramirez. , Isco and Koke are both relatively young, and other players are not competent enough, causing us to lose ground in the midfield."

Gao Han nodded, "Continue."

"As you said before, there are two ways to control the ball. One is to pass and control better than the opponent, and the other is to prevent the opponent from passing and controlling. The former relies on passing and controlling skills, and the latter relies on pressing in the frontcourt. And high-position pressure, especially the pressure from the center circle to the front of the opponent's penalty area."

“When you have the ball, try to control the ball in this area. When you lose the ball, you have to do everything you can to grab the ball in this area and launch a counterattack on the spot as quickly as possible. Create a threat.”

"Well said." When Gao Han heard this, he clapped his hands vigorously and laughed.

This disciple of Bielsa was indeed a disciple of Bielsa and walked in the door.

Pochettino is definitely a smart man. He has grasped the development trend of mainstream tactics in European football in recent years.

After being praised by Gao Han, Pochettino became more confident.

"My thinking is this. With Marcos Senna as the core, and Schneiderlin and Ramirez forming a three-midfielder, I believe we will be able to sweep the entire Spanish Second Division." Pochettino said confidently.

Gao Han also agreed with this, "I very much agree with you, and my opinion is that Schneiderlin moves forward and Marcos Senna stays behind, which can better play to their advantages."

Pochettino was slightly stunned after hearing this, but soon understood what Gao Han meant.

In the original Chinatown team's tactical system, Pochettino dragged Schneiderlin back, taking advantage of his excellent defensive ability and solid ball play, and vaguely cultivated him as a deep-lying playmaker.

But what Gao Han means is to put him forward and give full play to his characteristics of large coverage area and strong frontal defensive ability. Moreover, his offensive ability is not bad, he has a certain ability to dribble the ball, and he is better in the more advanced areas. Use your strengths.

What's more, with Schneiderlin and Ramirez, two players with excellent running and coverage abilities, sweeping and intercepting in front, and Marcos Senna behind to control the overall situation, the pressure is relatively reduced. It can give full play to his advantages in organizing passes and reduce his burden.

"Okay, I'll give it a try when I'm training later," Pochettino agreed.

He admires Gao Han's idea very much, but he must try it in training before he can put it into practice in the game.

"It's okay to give it a try, but..." Gao Han suddenly laughed, "Sometimes you have to be more decisive in killing, especially before a war, there is no room for hesitation."

Pochettino understands what Gao Han means.

The Chinatown team's performance in the first half was indeed unsatisfactory. They were ranked twelfth in the Spanish Second Division. Although there was no problem in relegation, it was difficult to upgrade. This was a real blow to Pochettino's confidence.

In a few days, the team will play its first game in 2009, an away game against the current league leader Sares. This team is the favorite for promotion this season and has superior strength. It will face Chinatown. The team meeting will be a big test, and Pochettino is also under a lot of pressure.

Gao Han is the head coach himself, so of course he understands Pochettino's worries at this moment.

"Sometimes, this kind of game is like a threshold. If you cross it, everything will be smooth sailing. If you can't cross it, you will be blocked forever, just like Real Madrid coached by Capello, who defeated them away from home. From the beginning of Barcelona, ​​their morale was completely boosted. On the other hand, Barcelona was under increasing pressure and made frequent mistakes."

"According to my experience, when encountering this kind of situation, I usually choose to believe in myself, believe in my players, and stick to the belief that I have always adhered to."

Pochettino understood that Gao Han was giving him instructions and nodded heavily.

"I understand, thank you, Mr. Gao Han."