章節 352: Chapter 352: If You Don't Court Death, You Won't Die; Guardiola Starts Experimenting!

Chapter 352: If You Don't Court Death, You Won't Die; Guardiola Starts Experimenting!

Guardiola worked very efficiently. After officially joining Manchester City, he didn't even take a break. He declined the Christmas holiday the club offered and quickly started working. Considering Manchester City's current situation, Guardiola couldn't afford to waste time. He needed to quickly get into work mode to help the team overcome their difficulties. With the winter transfer window opening soon, he also needed to find suitable players in the transfer market to fill the gaps in the squad.

There was a lot of work to do, and it was all urgent. Upon arriving at Manchester City's training base, Guardiola gathered the players, gave a brief speech, and then had the assistant coach arrange the daily training. He stood on the sidelines, seriously observing the players' conditions. This season, Manchester City had been plagued by injuries, and many players were recovering, undergoing rehabilitation training.

Seeing Kroos training with the ball, Guardiola asked his assistant, "How has Kroos been lately?" The midfield was always the most crucial part of Guardiola's team, and much of his strategy revolved around the midfield positions.

"His recovery isn't going well; he seems to have a significant mental block," replied the assistant coach and physiotherapist after exchanging glances.

"Mental block?" Guardiola was puzzled. He knew Kroos's character; he was a very professional player. Why would he have a mental block?

"Yes, this is his first winter without a break. The team not only doesn't give a holiday for Christmas, but we also have to train and even play a match on Christmas Day. For many players new to the Premier League, they aren't used to this schedule."

Guardiola nodded, indicating he understood. Manchester City's next game was on December 26, the day after Christmas. This scheduling was indeed somewhat inhumane. Unlike other leagues, the Premier League, organized by the Premier League Association, pursued extreme commercialization, choosing to hold matches during the peak holiday season to attract more fans and dominate the broadcasting market while other leagues were on break. This maximized revenue from event promotion and broadcasting rights.

However, for the players, the "Christmas rush" was a torturous and hated schedule. While others were on vacation, they had to play games, and not just any games, but a series of very dense fixtures. The Premier League Association was eager to cram as many matches as possible between Christmas and New Year, disregarding the players' well-being. It was no wonder the players were unhappy.

British players might be fine with it since they grew up in this environment and were used to it. But for players from other countries, especially those new to the Premier League, it was normal and common to feel unaccustomed and resistant in the first few seasons. Not to mention, this Christmas period was a high-risk time for player injuries.

"If his injury isn't severe, give him a week's holiday to rest," Guardiola said.

"Ah?" The assistant coaches were dumbfounded when they heard Guardiola generously offering Kroos a holiday.

"Coach, do you know what you're saying? Our team is full of injured players; we don't have many healthy ones left. Although Kroos can't start and play a full match, he can still come off the bench in the second half. This helps him integrate into the team faster and gives our other midfielders a break. But you're letting him go, which means we have even fewer players available, and the remaining ones will have to shoulder an even heavier burden!"

"Ask who else wants a holiday. Anyone who does gets three days off," Guardiola added, showing no intention of changing his mind. Today was Christmas Eve, and tomorrow was Christmas Day. Being the most important holiday in Western society, making players sweat on the field during this time felt a bit unreasonable.

"But coach, if we give the whole team a holiday, what about the match on December 26?" the assistants asked.

"Hehe, don't worry. Don't we have the reserve and youth teams?!" Guardiola seemed confident, implying he would promote players from these teams.

The assistant coaches were speechless. Using reserve and youth team players as starters? Was he intentionally throwing the match?

The Premier League's Christmas period had started, and Manchester City had three tough matches in the coming week. This dense schedule was when most Premier League teams dropped points. Manchester City was already three points behind Chelsea in the standings. If they didn't perform well in these three games, they'd fall even further behind.

At such a crucial moment for catching up, Guardiola seemed to be throwing away a match, and it was his debut. Wasn't he afraid of the backlash from fans and journalists if they lost?

Guardiola truly wasn't afraid. It was just one match. If they lost, so be it. It wasn't a big deal. On the contrary, if his decision to give players a break earned their favor, increased his support within the team, and improved their morale and condition, it would be a huge win.

So, after saying this, Guardiola turned and left, preparing to go to the reserve team to pick players. When the reserve team's coach and players saw Guardiola, they were thrilled, even training more vigorously on the field. This was the new head coach of the first team. His purpose was clear—he was here to scout players for promotion to the first team.

For all reserve team players, playing for the first team was their dream. So, they couldn't afford to miss this opportunity and tried their best to impress Guardiola. Chatting with the reserve team coach while observing the players' performances, Guardiola noted that most players, despite trying hard, showed only average ability. With his keen eye, they clearly didn't meet his standards.

Guardiola sighed inwardly. Back at Barcelona, the La Masia academy was full of talented players. But at Manchester City, it was hard to find even one decent player. However, La Masia's scouting range was vast, and its reputation drew countless parents worldwide to bring their children for trials. Only the best stayed, so it wasn't surprising La Masia had many talents.

In contrast, Manchester City's youth training had only recently started getting on track and lacked depth. Youth training needed to be prioritized as it was crucial for the club's long-term talent development. Future star players would become increasingly expensive, and relying solely on buying players would only escalate costs, eventually straining the club's financial system.

This is obviously not a long-term solution! There were almost no players who met Guardiola's standards or caught his eye, but since he was already there, he couldn't leave empty-handed. So, he had to lower his standards. Looking for players who could at least hold their own in a top-tier league, he found a few who seemed decent.

"Hmm, this forward looks good. What's his name?" Guardiola pointed at a young black forward, about six feet tall, and asked the reserve team coach.

"Oh, him? His name is Kelechi Iheanacho, he's 18 years old, from Nigeria. He's got good talent, a promising forward!" Guardiola nodded, "Move him up to the first team and let him play a few matches!"

After saying this, he noticed a defender who was performing well in defense. "What's this defender's name?"

"Tosin Adarabioyo. He's got excellent physical attributes and good defensive awareness. With more match experience, he could become a great defender!"

"Alright, bring him up too!" Guardiola ended up promoting five young players to the first team. The remaining players, despite the first team's shortage of players, were not suitable for promotion.

The chosen five were ecstatic, feeling like they'd been hit by a stroke of luck. They felt like they were dreaming and couldn't believe they'd been selected by a world-class coach like Guardiola!

As for those not selected, they felt quite dejected. They couldn't doubt Guardiola's judgment; if they weren't chosen, it meant their talent and skills weren't sufficient. Many started to realize they might not have a future at Manchester City and began considering transfers to other clubs.

When Guardiola returned to the first-team training base with the young players, the assistant coaches had finished compiling the list of players requesting the three-day holiday. Many had signed up, unable to resist the lure of a Christmas break.

Guardiola had anticipated this, so he remained calm. However, seeing Lin Quan's name on the list erased his calm demeanor. "Ahem, you want to take these three days off too?" Guardiola found an opportunity to talk to Lin Quan during a break in training.

"Yeah, I promised to take Maria and Valentina to the amusement park and aquarium!" Seeing Guardiola scratching his head, Lin Quan suppressed his laughter and replied seriously.

Hearing this, Guardiola hesitated. "If someone is willing to accompany us to the amusement park, I think Valentina and Maria might be okay with postponing it until after New Year."

Guardiola quickly nodded, "No problem, I have time after New Year. I'll definitely take them out then!" Lin Quan nodded and removed his name from the holiday request list.

The Christmas rush was tough, but with last year's experience, he felt he could manage. Especially now, with the team at a critical juncture, he couldn't just let Guardiola take all the risks alone.

"With so many main players resting, the next game won't be possible without you!" Guardiola breathed a sigh of relief when Lin Quan removed his name.

Lin Quan rolled his eyes at him and asked, "Aren't you afraid of messing up with such big changes right from the start?" It was clear that Guardiola was trying to win over the players, but Lin Quan thought he was being too hasty. He could have taken things slower and more gradually. It was like Guardiola's habit of experimenting in crucial Champions League knockout matches; it was risky.

Guardiola nodded, "I can't say I'm not worried, but I've studied our opponent's game footage and have some ideas. Even if some main players can't play, we might not necessarily lose." The next match was his debut with Manchester City and would attract a lot of attention. He certainly didn't want to start with a loss.

The next match was against West Bromwich Albion, a relatively weak team. Guardiola had already asked the club staff for recent match footage of the opponent and done thorough research. He was confident he had a decent chance, which gave him the courage to make such decisions.

Of course, he couldn't play with an entirely substitute lineup; Lin Quan, the core of Manchester City, had to be on the field as he was crucial for victory.

...

December 26, Manchester, Etihad Stadium. This was the first match after Christmas and Guardiola's debut with Manchester City. The game drew unprecedented attention, with the stadium packed to capacity and no empty seats to be found. Manchester City fans had been eagerly awaiting this match!

This was Guardiola's first game in charge, and everyone was keen to see what changes he would bring to the team. The Premier League even arranged a live broadcast during prime time to maximize exposure and promotion opportunities.

However, when the starting lineups were announced, both the fans in the stadium and the journalists covering the match were stunned.

What on earth was Manchester City doing? The lineup had many unfamiliar names.