บท 65: Biggest Variable
Gao Shen was truly prepared to be scolded and even condemned by the whole country in Spain.
From the moment he decided to aim for a 0-0 away draw, he was ready for the backlash.
But what he did not expect was that the anticipated crusade never materialized.
In other words, the media and fans' criticism was far less severe than he had imagined.
A 0-0 draw with Juventus away, everyone familiar with and understanding football knows how difficult that is. However, for Real Madrid fans and the Spanish media, Gao Shen's conservatism is unacceptable.
The previous 1-0 win was criticized, and now they have adopted a polarized attitude towards Real Madrid's 0-0 away draw.
For example, the "Aspen" newspaper, led by editor-in-chief Alfredo's column, gave a high evaluation of Gao Shen and Real Madrid's performance in Turin, believing that for Real Madrid to come away unscathed in such a devilish schedule was already quite an achievement.
"Since Gao Shen took charge of Real Madrid, we have seen many qualities in this atypical Real Madrid that we had not seen before, such as cohesion, unity, and tenacity until the last moment."
Alfredo was also clearly afraid that Gao Shen would face overwhelming criticism, so he defended Gao Shen in his column, arguing that Gao Shen was not conservative. He pointed out that Gao Shen's start at Highbury showed amazing courage, bravery, and determination.
"Without his persistence, it would have been difficult for Real Madrid to score the first goal at Highbury, and there would have been no miraculous comeback."
Alfredo stated that, as a Real Madrid fan for decades, he is very aware of the current team's problems: aging, an unbalanced lineup structure, and obvious shortcomings that disadvantage them in both the Champions League and strong matches.
Against a strong team like Juventus away, how should Real Madrid play?
Alfredo even believes that with Real Madrid's current situation, facing Capello's Juventus, even if any other famous coach in the world were in charge, it would be difficult to do better than Gao Shen.
The editor-in-chief's words were highly respectful of Gao Shen, even comparing him directly to world-renowned coaches.
However, also in "Aspen," there was another report questioning Gao Shen and his Real Madrid.
The skeptics argued that Real Madrid's advantage lies in their technique and ball control, but Gao Shen did not show enough courage to face Juventus directly, leading to Real Madrid being restrained and forced into a physical battle with Juventus.
"It turns out that Real Madrid is absolutely at a disadvantage in terms of physical confrontation and competition for high balls. Ramos and Woodgate look like children in front of Trezeguet and Ibrahimovic."
When the team is physically outmatched and the overall tactics are inferior, Real Madrid should leverage their technical skills and passing advantages to pull and wear down Juventus, rather than resorting to passive defense.
"Clearly, from the beginning, he didn't think about winning in Turin; he just wanted to keep a 0-0 draw."
The skeptics argued that Juventus had their own problems, and Real Madrid had opportunities. If Real Madrid had shown more courage to attack and at least scored one away goal, it would have been a huge advantage.
They said that Gao Shen's conservatism made Real Madrid look small, lacking their usual grandeur and charm, and they completely lost their creative spark, making them unrecognizable.
Spanish star host Della Morena had a more neutral stance on his program.
On one hand, he acknowledged the skeptics' views. From the start, Gao Shen never thought of winning the away game, so his approach was conservative, making Real Madrid play awkwardly in Turin, completely losing their advantages.
But on the other hand, he also understood and appreciated Gao Shen's strategy.
"A lot of skeptical people only type on their keyboards and write. They always assume players have unlimited stamina on the field, but they never consider that players are not superhumans."
Della Morena said in his program that physical fitness is the foundation of football. Without it, all interviews are useless.
But physical energy isn't like a battery. It doesn't stop when it hits zero. Before that, players can continue to function, but as their energy drains, their technical actions deteriorate, and they are prone to mistakes.
Facing a team like Juventus, both technique and ball control require significant movement, which demands physical support.
"Gao Shen must have comprehensively assessed the team's physical condition. After last week's match against Deportivo La Coruña, where they secured three points, he must have considered scoring away goals in Turin, but also evaluated the risks."
Della Morena believes that with Real Madrid's current lineup, physical condition, and form, it's too difficult and risky to try and break Juventus' defense in Turin without conceding a goal to them.
"Many people think it's a draw, so why not strive for a one-to-one draw?"
"But the real situation is likely that if Real Madrid focuses on attacking, their defense will become less concentrated, and the final result might be 1-2 or even 0-2, making the second leg extremely difficult."
"Everyone knows that once Capello has a goal advantage, it's nearly impossible to get it back."
However, Della Morena also concluded that since the first leg ended 0-0, Gao Shen would definitely aim to score in the second leg.
The hidden danger is that between the two legs, Real Madrid has to play in the national derby.
"This is Real Madrid's devilish schedule!"
...
...
After returning to Madrid from Turin overnight, and heading home after the team disbanded, Gao Shen went straight to bed. He then entered the tactical library to review the game's gains and losses.
This habit of reviewing is actually very beneficial.
Whether studying or working, and now as a head coach, reviewing every day is a way of self-improvement.
The next morning, Gao Shen went out to buy breakfast and picked up a few newspapers.
He was a bit surprised by the media and fans' reactions.
At least, the newspapers didn't have unanimous criticism and accusations. Media like "Aspen," "Marca," and "El Pais" not only supported and approved his strategies, but also criticized and questioned him.
This made Gao Shen feel quite at ease.
At least, there was no longer a one-sided barrage of criticism.
However, he vaguely felt this had something to do with Barcelona's performance.
In their away game against Portuguese Super League team Benfica, Barcelona also failed to score, ending with a 0-0 draw.
Well, Real Madrid faced Juventus, arguably the strongest team in the Champions League quarter-finals, and Barcelona faced the weakest team, Benfica, ending with the same 0-0 score.
So, tell me, can you criticize Real Madrid without criticizing Barcelona?
Even the most biased media would struggle to do such a thing, right?
Gao Shen doesn't care whether Barcelona advances, because he believes there is no suspense in Barcelona advancing. He only cares if Rijkaard will hold back in this game.
Unlike those who were fully prepared for their time travel, Gao Shen didn't do enough homework beforehand. Unlike those who remembered every game clearly, he now doesn't know if Rijkaard held back.
Barcelona also has injury issues now.
Both Messi and Xavi have been out for a long time. Central defenders Edmilson and Marquez are injured, and Puyol is out too, leading Rijkaard to field Van Bommel as a central defender against Benfica.
It was reported earlier that Puyol could play against Benfica, but he wasn't even on the squad. Did Rijkaard deliberately hold him back for La Liga?
After all, the Champions League is a two-leg affair, and it's not difficult for Barcelona to kill Benfica at Camp Nou.
...
Gao Shen analyzed the newspaper while eating breakfast, wholeheartedly focusing on the reports.
As soon as he finished packing up and was about to go to work, his phone rang.
Carlo called to congratulate him on the good result in Turin last night.
"I read the morning papers, and more people are starting to recognize your efforts," Carlo said lightly.
Gao Shen listened on the phone, sensing a bit of an undertone. Carlo's mood was likely far from calm, as the more people recognized Gao Shen, the lower Carlo's predecessor evaluation would be.
With the same lineup, Gao Shen faced a worse environment than Carlo, yet he led the team to such results. What about Carlo?
Gao Shen didn't know how to respond, so he quickly changed the subject, bringing up his question.
"It's possible," Carlo agreed with Gao Shen's judgment. "Barcelona likes to control the ball and attack from a high position, leaving a lot of space in the back. Puyol's presence is the biggest reinforcement for their backline, and Rijkaard might have rested him for the Clasico."
Since the Real Madrid and Barcelona games were played simultaneously, Carlo didn't watch the Barcelona-Benfica match, so he said they'd have to review the game video to understand the specifics.
"I'll watch the video first. Come over to my place for dinner tonight, and let's discuss it," Carlo laughed.
He was now idle at home and had plenty of time.
With a free advisor available, Gao Shen certainly wouldn't refuse. He then mentioned Zidane and Beckham visiting his room before the game.
"What are you planning to do with Ronaldo and the Brazilian players?" Carlo asked with concern.
This should be the biggest variable in the Real Madrid locker room.
If handled well, Real Madrid's strength could rise to another level. But if not handled properly, it would be dangerous.
The World Cup only comes once every four years. How many four-year cycles does a player's career have?
If Gao Shen's attitude remains tough, there's no guarantee that the Brazilian group won't cause disruptions. Can the team still focus on preparation?
Gao Shen is also aware of this, and it gives him a headache.
There's a saying that's quite accurate: war is a continuation of politics.
If this saying is applied to football, it becomes: the game is just a presentation of results.
So there's another saying on the football field: the moment a player walks onto the field, the outcome is already decided.
"I'll think about it some more. Let's meet first and see what he has to say," Gao Shen replied.
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