Capítulo 283: Chapter 283: The Conspirator is Deep
Gao Shen once made an insightful comment about coaches and their use of players before last season's match against Roma. He mentioned that a coach's decisions are often driven by inertia.
Sometimes, we don't truly understand a player's role, but we use them, win, get accustomed to it, and then keep doing the same thing.
This "if it's not broken, don't fix it" mentality is common among coaches. However, Spalletti, Roma's head coach, sometimes deviates from this line of thinking.
In the first seven rounds of Serie A, Roma's performances had a clear pattern.
In the first three rounds, Roma secured three consecutive wins without conceding a single goal. But in the next three rounds, while they scored five goals, they also conceded eight, exposing issues in their defense.
In the Champions League, Roma's first two games saw mixed results: they won 2-0 at home against Dynamo Kyiv but lost 0-1 away to Manchester United.
What caused these inconsistencies?
A closer look at Roma's recent lineups reveals that in their solid early performances, veteran Panucci and Mexes formed the central defensive partnership, creating an almost impenetrable defense.
However, as time went on, Spalletti began to favor Brazilian center-backs Juan and Ferrari, with Panucci relegated to the bench.
The main reason for this switch was that Juan and Ferrari, both relatively short but agile, fit better into Roma's high-pressure, wolf-pack style defense.
In contrast, Panucci was older, and Spalletti was never fully satisfied with Mexes. The Roma coach believed that pairing the two could hamper the backline's mobility.
When Spalletti first took over at Roma, Mexes briefly lost his starting position as Spalletti preferred the more experienced Kuffour, a transfer from Bayern. However, Mexes regained his place after Kuffour's injury.
Last season, Spalletti preferred to partner Chivu with Mexes, with Chivu acting as the defensive leader. Chivu's outstanding season led to his transfer to Inter Milan for a hefty 16 million euros. Consequently, Spalletti was unwilling to return to the Panucci-Mexes duo and instead sought to replace Chivu by pairing Mexes with players similar to Chivu in style, like Juan or Ferrari.
However, as the season progressed, Roma's defense became increasingly porous, turning into a sieve in several games.
Interestingly, in the seventh round away game against Parma, Spalletti moved Panucci to the right-back position while starting Ferrari and Juan as the central defenders. Roma did not concede any goals in that game.
It was a perplexing decision.
"Panucci has performed exceptionally well this season. Even with Materazzi injured, Italian national team coach Donadoni still relies on him. He's versatile and can play as a central defender," Lucas analyzed.
Previously, after Fabio Cannavaro was called up to the national team, his dream of playing alongside his brother Paolo was hindered, partly because Panucci had been performing too well for Roma at the time.
"But the better he performs for the national team, the more it may hurt his position at the club. After all, he's aging, and his style isn't something Spalletti particularly values."
With this, Lucas suggested that Roma's defense could be a potential weak point in the game. He also identified another vulnerability: their set-piece defense.
"The second goal they conceded against Juventus and the first goal against Fiorentina came from set-pieces, a throw-in and a corner. Roma's set-piece defense has shown some clear weaknesses, and this could be a crucial area for us to exploit."
Lucas continued, "According to our scouts, Roma hasn't practiced set-pieces for a long time."
After Lucas's analysis, assistant coach Carlo chimed in with agreement.
"If they haven't practiced set-pieces regularly, they're likely rusty, especially when it comes to defensive positioning and coordination routines."
"I think Spalletti's a bit like Zeman at the moment, he's focused on offense but is neglecting the defense. Roma's attack is sharp, but their defense is shaky."
Carlo's comment summed up Lucas's analysis well.
Gao Shen had been silently spinning his pen. When he heard this, he stopped and smiled. "Then it sounds like we should take a more defensive approach. Playing head-to-head against Roma would be too risky and not worth it."
Carlo and the others chuckled.
Despite his reputation for bold, attacking football, Gao Shen's true principle was winning.
He was open to any strategy that could secure a victory, even if that meant setting up a defensive wall.
Of course, few teams in European football could push Napoli to go fully defensive these days.
At least, not in Serie A.
But defensive counter-attacks were still an option.
"I suggest you provoke Spalletti a bit," Lucas smirked, giving Gao Shen a knowing look, as if encouraging him to stir up some psychological pressure on the Roma coach.
Gao Shen feigned annoyance. "You guys are really corrupting me!"
The group burst into laughter.
"Playing innocent now?" Lucas joked.
"I was a good guy with a sunny disposition, and you guys are turning me into some master schemer. How am I supposed to find a wife in this state?" Gao Shen looked "devastated."
Amid the jokes, they finalized their game plan and training routines, with Gao Shen offering insights on the overall game strategy. They would need to refine the plan in the coming days, especially considering the impact of players returning from international duty.
At the end of the meeting, Lucas mentioned something else.
"David… showed up for extra practice again today."
Everyone turned to look at Gao Shen.
After the Inter Milan match, Gao Shen had given the team a day off, apart from a recovery session the next morning. Yet, David Luiz had come in both afternoons to practice on his own.
In the recovery training, David Luiz had been exemplary.
The Brazilian, known for his upbeat personality, was well-liked in the locker room. But his costly mistake against Inter Milan had hit hard.
Everyone knew how much Gao Shen had wanted revenge at Inter's Meazza Stadium, only for that chance to be spoiled by David Luiz's error. Especially after Gao Shen's harsh dressing down in the locker room, no one dared to defend him.
Lucas, Gao Shen's closest confidant, had waited until now to mention it.
"You really scared him," Lucas said with a bitter smile.
Gao Shen chuckled, "Think he'll change?"
Lucas was silent. Who could guarantee that?
David Luiz had a mixed personality. On the one hand, he was positive and energetic; on the other, he was reckless and prone to basic mistakes.
The coaching staff hadn't spoken up precisely because they believed this could be a good opportunity to mold him and curb his impulsiveness. After all, his rashness was his biggest obstacle to becoming a top-class center-back.
Everyone could see that Gao Shen was using tough love to try and develop him.
"Let's see how long he lasts. This kid tends to lose interest quickly. I wonder if he can stick with it this time," Gao Shen mused.
"Lorenzo, ask the team doctor to keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't overtrain and get injured."
Buenaventura nodded. "Don't worry, I'll check in with him."
Gao Shen sighed and shook his head. "This kid is going to be the death of me. He's determined to be a handful, even when he's working hard!"
The group found it amusing.
In truth, Gao Shen really did care about David Luiz.
Not only him, but the entire team in Naples liked the Brazilian. With his talent and potential, he was hard to ignore.
But his recklessness was a real headache.
In short, he was a lovable nuisance.
Over the next few days, Gao Shen kept a close watch on the national team matches, especially his own players who were away on international duty. Meanwhile, he and his staff continued to prepare meticulously for the game against Roma.
The coaching staff implemented more targeted training routines specifically for Roma.
Throughout this period, David Luiz was the hardest-working player in the squad. He fulfilled every task the coaches set for him without complaint, but his usual smile was gone.
He looked like a player eager to redeem himself and earn his coach's approval.
But Gao Shen remained cold and unyielding, silently enduring as Luiz trained intensely.
After each session, David Luiz stayed behind to work on extra drills.
He practiced long passes, free kicks, or went to the gym for strength training…
Everyone could see how hard he was pushing himself.
Lucas, Carlo, Buenaventura, and others all approached Gao Shen to discuss Luiz's efforts, but Gao Shen refused to reach out, choosing instead to let him struggle.
It was like training an eagle, if you wanted to tame its wildness, you had to be ruthless and unrelenting until it submitted.
Gao Shen was trying to tame David Luiz.
If the draw against Inter Milan could lead to a change in David Luiz and help him develop into a world-class center-back for Napoli, then Gao Shen considered it a bargain.
A very good deal, in fact.
So Gao Shen waited.
Finally, during the second week of the international break, David Luiz couldn't hold out any longer.
After one training session, as the other players headed home, Gao Shen was about to leave the training center when David Luiz suddenly appeared, blocking his path.
"Boss…" David Luiz gathered his courage, looking Gao Shen in the eye. Gao Shen was startled but not intimidated; he didn't think David Luiz would ever get aggressive with him.
Although, the Brazilian did look intense at the moment.
Still, Gao Shen felt a sense of satisfaction within.
"Is there something you need?" Gao Shen asked coldly.
David Luiz took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I want to take you out for a meal. There's something I need to say."
Gao Shen looked at him, hiding his amusement behind a calm exterior.
Finally, the eagle had spread its wings.
*****
For every 500 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.
Estado de energía semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Piedra de
Poder