Bab 307: Chapter 307: Where is Naples?
"Are you guys adjusting recently?"
After the game, Gao Shen and Ancelotti met on the sidelines.
As soon as they saw each other, Ancelotti inquired about Napoli's current state.
It wasn't a secret anyone with a bit of football knowledge could tell that something was off in Napoli's game.
Whether it was winning 50-50 balls or handling physical confrontations, Napoli was at a disadvantage in every aspect against AC Milan.
Even Pirlo managed to handle Hamsik with ease, which wouldn't have happened if Napoli's players were in peak physical condition.
"Yes," Gao Shen admitted with a wry smile and shook his head, not hiding anything. "Since November, our entire training plan has been disrupted. We had to restart during the winter break. Now we've just finished special training, so the players are far from their best and it shows."
Ancelotti's expression was initially neutral, but after hearing Gao Shen's explanation, he couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused.
"You know what, Gao? You really deserve a beating for talking like this!"
Gao Shen was taken aback. Did he say something wrong?
"You just finished special training, your team's in terrible condition, and yet we only managed to get one point at home?" Ancelotti raised a finger in mock accusation. "Come on, admit it, you're just pretending to be humble, aren't you?"
Gao Shen burst into laughter. He genuinely hadn't meant to show off.
But it was true that this unintentional humility could be the most demoralizing for an opponent.
"You'll have to get used to it, Carlo. You're ninth in Serie A, and we're second…"
"Stop right there!" Ancelotti cut him off, raising his voice. "Correction, you're third in Serie A now."
"Fine, third then," Gao Shen said, spreading his arms theatrically. "You see, there's still a huge gap between us!"
Ancelotti could only shake his head, half-joking, half-serious. "I swear, one day I'll end up punching you."
After some more banter, Ancelotti looked at Gao Shen thoughtfully, sensing that the young coach had grand plans for the season.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're trying to balance matches and adjustment phases. It'll probably take until mid-February or even late February for your team to regain peak form. And the schedule's only going to get tougher."
An experienced coach like Ancelotti could easily infer Gao Shen's strategy from observing Napoli's current struggles. Given some time to think, he could deduce even more.
"Close enough," Gao Shen responded, neither confirming nor denying.
"Be careful, though. The points gap is widening. Inter Milan is very stable. Look at their game yesterday, they weren't in top form, yet they still won. That's the power of a strong team. You can't buy that kind of depth."
Gao Shen nodded, understanding all too well. In the face of absolute strength, all tactics and mind games become secondary.
The same holds true on the football field.
"If the gap widens into double digits, catching up will be incredibly difficult," Ancelotti warned.
Gao Shen understood, but he smiled wryly. "Thanks to you, we're already nine points behind."
Ancelotti smiled back, equally frustrated. "It should've been ten."
Napoli was in such poor form that AC Milan should've defeated them, yet they hadn't. Ancelotti's smile was bitter.
AC Milan was facing its own challenges this season.
Ancelotti's season plan had been completely thrown off, mainly because he hadn't anticipated the team's rapid decline.
In hindsight, it made sense.
First, the squad was aging significantly. Secondly, they'd reached the pinnacle by winning the Champions League last season, and it's natural to see a decline after a peak. Finally, AC Milan was beginning a generational shift, planning for the future.
Any one of these issues could destabilize a team; having all three at once was a recipe for disaster.
No team could withstand it.
"You need to rotate," Gao Shen advised. "You've still got a chance to finish in the top four. Keep pushing!"
To an outsider, it might look like both coaches were facing insurmountable problems.
But by Serie A standards, Gao Shen's achievements this season were already among the best for a newly promoted team in the league's history.
As Marino had mentioned before, De Laurentiis was extremely pleased with the results so far.
The only one who was dissatisfied was Gao Shen himself.
As for Ancelotti's issues with AC Milan, there were objective reasons, but he also had a personal flaw, his reluctance to rotate the squad.
"Oh, by the way, congratulations on your impressive relegation form!" Gao Shen couldn't resist one final jab as he walked away.
Ancelotti looked like he was ready to chase him down.
Of course, Gao Shen was referring to AC Milan's atrocious home record.
It seemed unbelievable, but AC Milan had played nine home games this season and the results were... shocking.
Seven draws and two losses. Not a single win.
Yes, you read that right: zero wins.
Looking at this record, Ancelotti's home performance ranked second to last among the 20 Serie A teams, only slightly better than Cagliari.
But even Cagliari had managed to win one home game.
So, Gao Shen was right, Ancelotti was going to face harsh criticism after this game.
There were many reasons for this embarrassing record. Apart from AC Milan's own problems, every opponent that came to the San Siro played defensively, frustrating Ancelotti's side.
Just like tonight, Napoli played defensively. Could Ancelotti really ask Gao Shen, "Hey, buddy, how about not playing defensive and going all-out attack with us?"
That would be ridiculous.
In the end, it was just a bitter pill to swallow.
…
"Hey, Ronnie!"
When Gao Shen entered the players' tunnel, he ran into Ronaldo.
The Brazilian star was noticeably heavier now compared to when Gao Shen coached him at Real Madrid.
"Hey, Gao!"
Ronaldo looked delighted to see Gao Shen, walking over to shake hands and give him a hug.
The two walked side by side, chatting about the game. Ronaldo seemed impressed by David Luiz.
"This kid should be in the national team," Ronaldo concluded.
Gao Shen didn't know whether to be happy or worried.
"You, on the other hand, could stand to lose some weight," Gao Shen said, pointing at Ronaldo's belly with a chuckle.
Ronaldo laughed. "I'm just enjoying football now."
Gao Shen nodded, understanding. Ronaldo was now in a position where he could truly enjoy the game without pressure.
He had money, fame, and nothing left to prove in his career.
Especially after winning the Champions League, he had lost the ambition to push himself to his limits.
But perhaps because of that, Ronaldo felt a deep sense of gratitude towards Gao Shen. He had publicly stated more than once that Gao Shen was one of the best coaches he'd ever worked with.
Such was the prestige of the Champions League.
Everyone makes different choices.
Ronaldo was only 31. From a fan's perspective, people wanted him to keep striving. But from his own perspective, given all his injuries and the fact that he wasn't lacking in money or recognition, it was perfectly reasonable for him to want to just enjoy the game.
…
Back in the locker room, Gao Shen praised the players generously.
Although the team had only managed a draw against AC Milan, the players were disappointed with their own form. However, Gao Shen reassured them, expressing satisfaction with their performance and attitude.
Gao Shen's praise and encouragement lifted the team's spirits. They deeply admired and respected him, and his confidence in them helped rekindle their own.
"I believe you won't let me down!" Gao Shen said with conviction.
Afterward, he headed to the post-match press conference.
There wasn't much to discuss. Most of the questions revolved around Napoli's current state, but Gao Shen couldn't reveal too much. He simply emphasized that the team's poor form was part of his plan and reiterated his satisfaction with the game's outcome.
After this round, however, Napoli had dropped to third in the league, now nine points behind Inter Milan.
More significantly, Inter Milan was actively pursuing reinforcements during the winter transfer window.
This was the advantage of having deep pockets.
While Gao Shen was in Naples, struggling to stretch a budget of one or two million euros, Inter Milan a team already overflowing with talent was still strengthening its squad.
Today, Inter announced the signing of Portuguese midfielder Maniche.
They also had their sights set on Valencia's midfielder, Mohamed Sissoko.
With stars like Stankovic, Vieira, and Cambiasso already in their lineup, adding Maniche and potentially Sissoko would make Inter's midfield nearly unbeatable.
At Maniche's signing ceremony, Inter Milan's head coach Mancini was interviewed by Sky Italia. He discussed the Serie A title race, confidently stating that while Inter Milan had a comfortable lead, he believed they could do even better.
Mancini praised players like Ibrahimovic, stating that Inter had the quality to widen the gap further.
When discussing his rivals, Mancini mentioned Roma, Juventus, and even AC Milan, but conspicuously ignored Napoli. After the reporter prompted him three times, Mancini finally said, "I don't consider Napoli as a contender for the title, even though they've topped the table three times."
He went on to say that Napoli's form had been declining since November and that they had now dropped to third place. According to him, they would continue to fall and might even struggle to finish in the top four.
"In fact, this is the case for many mid- and lower-level teams. They have a good run of form for a while, but they quickly return to their normal level. We're still focusing more on Roma and Juventus."
The implication was clear: Where is Naples? Mancini couldn't see them as serious contenders.
When reporters relayed Mancini's comments to Gao Shen, he was infuriated.
He had experienced Mancini's arrogance before, but this was on a different level an outright dismissal of both Gao Shen and Napoli.
Whether it was psychological warfare or genuine belief, Gao Shen couldn't accept being dismissed like this.
"Yes, Inter Milan is still the strongest team in Italy. The addition of Maniche has strengthened their advantage even further. But I don't believe they're invincible, because at the San Siro, we almost beat them!"
So far this season, Mancini's Inter Milan was the only unbeaten team across Europe's top four leagues.
"But come February, when the Champions League kicks in, I doubt they'll be able to maintain this momentum. My players and I are confident that we'll be back to our best form by the 26th round."
"We'll show our true strength and take the fight to Inter Milan head-on at the San Paolo Stadium!" Gao Shen declared boldly.
Can't see us?
Fine, we'll make sure you do!
****
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