Machine?

Yes, this is Yang Yang's feeling about the modern football tactical concept.

The eleven players on the pitch are all pieced together like parts to form a goal and goal blocking machine.

Efficiency and stability are the pursuits of modern football.

The reason is very simple, individual performance is always unstable, so it is necessary to nip this instability in the bud as much as possible through a solid whole, so that the whole team can play stably and efficiently.

Professional football, to put it bluntly, is all about results.

Pep Guardiola, the founder of the Barcelona Dream Three, who is known as the creator of the epoch-making football concept, also pursued a mechanistic concept during his tenure, for example, he once asked Henry how to run, when to run.

I still remember one time Henry went back to the defense, only to be severely reprimanded by Guardiola, because he didn't need Henry to go back to the defense, but asked him to stand in that position, because after a few passes and pulls, he calculated that Henry would be missing in that position, and when the time came, he could create a threat by passing the ball to him.

Henry is also extremely uncomfortable with this, because this style of play is too mechanical and too dogmatic.

But it is undeniable that Pep Guardiola's team is indeed stable and efficient.

At that time, Yang Yang played for Liverpool, won the Champions League three times in five years, Benitez's coaching performance can be described as extraordinary, but the world knows that Benitez's skills and tactics are also very stereotypical, and some people even say that if he is given eleven robots, he can win every game.

To some extent, the emphasis on efficiency and consistency will inevitably make the team's tactics mechanical and rigid, which is very bad for a player like Isco.

Yang Yang once heard Van Gaal mention Riquelme, and Van Gaal privately believes that Riquelme is indeed a world-class superstar, but the problem is that he needs everyone else in the team to accommodate him, and even needs Van Gaal, the head coach, to change his technical and tactical style of play and reformulate tactics around him, which is unacceptable to Van Gaal.

Riquelme's shortcomings are his slow pace, but he has excellent ball control and passing ability, but he has very little movement.

Ten years ago, Riquelme couldn't stay at Barcelona, and ten years later, Isco is also slow, doesn't run much, and doesn't like to defend and press, so can he stay at Real Madrid?

That's why Yang Yang came to talk to him, because he really likes Isco's young teammate.

The modern football tactical system cannot accommodate this type of player, which is why many people say that the classical striker has no way to survive in modern football tactics.

Unless, Isco is willing to take the initiative to make changes.

……

Isco was very surprised by Yang Yang's statement, because in his opinion, Yang Yang did not look like the kind of person who would appreciate his style of play, but if you look at Yang Yang's expression carefully, it doesn't look like he is joking.

This made him not know what to say.

"Do you think I surprised you by what I said?" Yang Yang saw through Isco's thoughts.

The Málaga man kept nodding, "It's quite a surprise." ”

He and Yang Yang have only been teammates for a few months, and they are all professional players, except for training and games together, they are busy with their own things the rest of the time, unless it is some players who have a good relationship with each other in private.

But Isco is in the Real Madrid dressing room, and he doesn't have many friends to talk to, and the new signing Ilya Ramendi is barely one.

"That's because I can't play football like yours." Yang Yang laughed.

After a pause, he then smiled and said: "People are like this many times, if you are short, you think it is better to be taller, if you are thin, you feel fat, and if you are slow, you feel that it is better to be fast. ”

At Yang Yang's level, he can already say such things without any guilt, and he doesn't need to worry that others will use this to suppress or even ridicule him, because it is a self-inflicted humiliation.

"If you're mediocre in talent, then we won't be able to play." Isco smiled bitterly, but he could feel Yang Yang's sincerity.

"But I have a question." Isco quickly had a doubt.

"You say."

"If you love to be creative and experimental, why don't you do so much on the pitch? I also rarely see you try this aspect, you choose something not to make mistakes, or should I say, you always make the right choice. ”

After a pause, Isco seemed to realize the problem with his words, and immediately explained: "Of course, I know that this is also an extremely difficult thing, even harder than trying to be new, but I am just curious, you rarely seem to take the initiative to try. ”

Yang Yang smiled and waved his hand, signaling that he didn't need to explain, he understood what he meant.

After thinking about it, Yang Yang shook his head and smiled bitterly: "How can people do what they want?" ”

Isco was a little silent, feeling that Yang Yang's words were very big and deep.

"What do you think of Mascherano?" Yang Yang asked suddenly.

"It's great, it's great, it's the best defensive midfielder in the world, I don't think anyone can match him." Isco said without thinking.

Some people even say that Mascherano is Real Madrid's new Makelele.

Of course, in terms of achievement, the Argentine has surpassed Makelele.

"You're talking about his defense, his offensive and playmaking skills?" Yang Yang asked again.

Iscoltan, like everyone else, has the impression of Mascherano as a defensive player, and even in the team's daily training, Mascherano rarely shows off his skills.

"Look, you don't know, do you?" Yang Yang smiled and shook his head, "I have known Xavier for many years, he actually has strong passing and organizational skills, and even in Argentina, and now in the Argentine national team, he still plays more of a role as a midfield hub and bears heavy organizational responsibilities." ”

After seeing Isco's surprised face, Yang Yang continued: "But in our team, he looks like a mechanical ball grabber, his task on the court is to grab the ball and pass it to his teammates, so you see, he almost never scores, and in my memory, in his career, the number of goals is probably no more than three." ”

"Why do you think that?"

Isco was speechless, but there was a thoughtful look on his face.

"And Luka Modric, whether it's Dinamo Zagreb, or Tottenham Hotspur, or the Croatian national team, he's the only core of the team, everyone revolves around him to play, and when he first came to Real Madrid, he was quite uncomfortable with his new role, but now you see ......"

Modric's role in today's Real Madrid team does not need to be said by Yang Yang at all, everyone can see it.

He has been Carlo Ancelotti's most relied on midfielder this season, but to say that he is the only core of the midfield is not because Real Madrid also have David Silva or Xavi Alonso.

Modric did not adapt well after coming to Real Madrid, which was also reported in the newspapers at the time, and now when Yang Yang mentions it, Isco is even more impressed.

He was a very smart person, and he was soon able to grasp the truth that Yang Yang wanted to tell him.

"I kind of see what you mean." Isco nodded gratefully towards Yang Yang, "Asir once told me that you told him a word at the beginning, persuading him not to be the second Xavi Alonso and to be Ilia Ramendi, which touched him deeply and inspired him all the way to today, and now I am also grateful that you are willing to tell me so much." ”

After a pause, Isco changed his words again, "But there's one thing I still don't quite understand. ”

"You say."

'Mascherano plays a role because the team needs him defensively, and Luka Modric's transformation is because the team needs his versatility and organisation, but I think my biggest strength, and what the team expects me the most, is my technique, possession and passing, isn't it?' Isco asked rhetorically.

Yang Yang nodded, it is true, and even he won the European Golden Boy Award because of these advantages.

"But if I give up my strengths, am I still me?" Isco asked in annoyance.

Obviously, he is not stupid, he must have thought about these things Yang Yang, or his family, his agents, Ancelotti and Zidane must have also told him, but he must have some concerns of his own.

'That's a good question, and my advice is that you don't have to give up your strengths at all, because that's what you're based on in world football, but you have to know that it's not just about strengths and strengths, it's also about who has fewer weaknesses.

Strengths are used to defeat opponents, while weaknesses are used to defend opponents from attacking.

Why can't Barcelona beat Real Madrid?

A very important reason is that Barcelona's shortcoming, that is, the defense is too brittle.

That's true for the team, it's true for the players.

Isco's problem now is that the advantages are too good and the disadvantages are too bad, which is very embarrassing in the modern football environment.

Unless, there is a team that can build a set of tactics around him like Malaga, but this is not possible in a top team, even Yang Yang.

"As you just asked me why I don't try so much in the game, my answer is very simple, because I am a professional footballer, my responsibility is to train and improve myself hard, to do my best and to help the team win every game, all I need to do is play my role and do my duty, because this is my profession."

"And what you need to do now, I think, is to keep your own advantages, make up for your shortcomings as soon as possible, so that you can become more comprehensive, and then adapt to more different types of tactical needs, and even if necessary, you should control your habits on the pitch, because we are a whole, you are part of the whole, and this is also your career at Real Madrid."

Yang Yang emphasized "at Real Madrid", which is obviously reminding Isco that at Real Madrid and Malaga are two completely different environments, and he must learn to adapt and change himself.

It's like Modric, after changing himself, he immediately ushered in a new life.

Yang Yang saw Isco's deep thought, and he knew that his goal had been achieved.

Some things still have to be figured out by yourself, and it is useful to think through thoroughly, and no matter how much others say and force more, it is in vain.