After a two-week international break, Liverpool's internationals returned to Melwood for training.

Gerrard arrived at the training base a little earlier than usual, but when he entered the parking lot, he found that the familiar champagne-coloured Cayenne was once again parked in its rightful location.

Yang Yang is back!

After Gerald parked his car, he grabbed his training backpack and entered Melwood, and when he passed by the security room, he casually asked the security guard.

"Is Yang back?"

"Yes, he's been back for four days."

"Four days?"

Gerrard was a little surprised, because he knew that the club's holiday for Yang Yang was to report on time today.

Unexpectedly, Yang Yang came back four days early.

After entering Melwood, Gerrard didn't go to the locker room, and went directly to the gym, where he found that Yang Yang seemed to have finished his equipment training, and was standing on the sidelines, wiping his sweat, and chatting with physical trainer Francisco DeMichel.

"Hey, Yang." Gerald shouted as soon as he entered.

Yang Yang and DeMichelle both turned around and saw that it was Gerrard, and Yang Yang greeted him with a smile.

"Hi Steven."

"Eh, wait, wait, it's all sweat, don't hug it." Gerald hurriedly persuaded him and pointed to his clothes, as if to say, my clothes are not cheap, and you can't sweat them.

Looking at his nervous appearance, Yang Yang and DeMichelle both laughed.

"How? How does it feel to take a vacation? Gerald asked enviously.

It is definitely not easy to get a week's rest in the middle of the season, and it happens to meet the national team match day again, and Yang Yang has a lot of rest this holiday.

"It's been a great benefit, and it feels good." Yang Yang told the truth.

Gerrard nodded, "Then we have to work harder, we have to play Middlesbrough soon, Inter Milan away in midweek, Chelsea at the weekend, it's all tough games, we need you a lot." ”

Yang Yang felt the weight of Gerald's words, and nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, I'll do my best." ”

"I believe in you."

With that, Gerrard left the gym and went back to the locker room to get ready to go.

Seeing off Gerrard, Yang Yang began cycling training.

But more and more Liverpool players are back in the team, and they are coming to the gym after seeing Yang Yang's car.

Yang Yang's popularity in the team is indeed good, very popular, and the relationship with his teammates is also very harmonious, so even if he gets a week's rest, no one in the team will complain.

Everyone knows that he really played at his peak in the first half of the game, and he really needs to rest well.

Xavi Alonso is the most sensitive, and when he saw Yang Yang, the Spanish midfielder smiled and nodded, "You do look a lot more relaxed, and the whole person is different." ”

"Thank you, Harvey." Yang Yang said with a smile.

He returned four days ago, had long conversations with Rafa Benitez and Yesterdam, followed by a medical check-up, and has continued to train and practice as usual over the past few days.

……

During the winter break, Mohamed Sissoko left.

The Mali midfielder was worth 11 million euros and moved to Juventus in Serie A.

It took two years for the Bianconeri to return to Serie A after relegation, and now the overall quality is not great, but the roots are still there, and Mohamed Sissoko is a player they need so much, so the Bianconeri have been pursuing him for a long time.

After sending Sissoko away, Liverpool received a transfer fee of 11 million euros, and the team used the money to bring in Slovak centre-back Martin Skrtel from Zenit St. Petersburg in Russia.

The 23-year-old centre-back is 1.91m tall and has a strong and courageous style, excellent anti-ball ability, and has characteristics very similar to Hyypia in the team, which is very much in line with Benitez's requirements.

It is clear that Benitez will have four central defenders in the future, and there will be more leeway in the use of personnel, so that there will not be another dilemma after Daniel Ager's injury and Hyyia's sluggish form.

With Skrtel brought in, Liverpool will not make any more signings during the winter break.

Originally, Benitez intended to bring in Aston Villa's captain Gareth Barry to fill the vacancy of Sissoko, but the management eventually called off the transfer because Gareth Barry's value was indeed expensive.

But Rick Parry has promised that if the team does well this season, the team will receive a transfer fund this summer.

This has undoubtedly made Benitez and the team more motivated.

And although Yang Yang has not been in good form in the past month, Liverpool still intends to renew his contract.

After winning the World Footballer of the Year and the European Ballon d'Or, Yang Yang's value is obviously higher than before, and Liverpool not only wants to pay Yang Yang two high bonuses, but also hopes to sign a new contract.

However, since Yang Yang has now received a maximum salary of 150,000 pounds in the Premier League, it may be difficult for Liverpool to give a higher salary this time to renew his contract.

Yang Yang said that he hopes to postpone the contract extension, because he prefers to put all his attention on the game.

…………

…………

Although the next game is against Middlesbrough, this team is not in Liverpool's plans.

After the players returned to the team, time was limited, and Liverpool arranged two tactical trainings, one of which was the daily pressing training.

"Press!"

"Lock!"

"Up!"

The Melwood training ground was filled with the shouts of Liverpool players.

Fans watching the game live on TV may not feel it, but it will not be unusual if they are watching the game live, because such shouts are common in Liverpool games.

Gerrard, Xavi Alonso and Mascherano shouted the most.

These three midfielders have the most vision and the best understanding of the situation on the pitch, while at the same time controlling the overall tempo of the team and the forward and backward movement of the formation, so they shout the most.

Pressing, is to remind players to start preparing to press the opponent, force the ball at the opponent's feet, and take the initiative to regain possession, rather than waiting for the opponent to make a mistake.

As soon as the midfielders shout the word, it means that the whole team is engaged in pressing.

Lock, this is more when the ball appears on the wing, the purpose is to force the opponent to the middle through the blocking and pressing of the wing, or to pass back, to crush their attack.

When the ball is on the left side and the midfielder shouts for a lock, then including Yang Yang, the left winger, the left wing-back and the midfielder on the left, and even sometimes Gerrard, have to be blocked and pressed at the same time.

As for the up, that is the signal to press up, to press the whole formation forward.

When analyzing Liverpool's tactics, many outside media often emphasize Liverpool's double back configuration, believing that Liverpool likes to press forward and press high, which cannot be said to be wrong, but it is actually problematic.

High pressing and pressing requires a lot of physical fitness and will from players, and it is impossible for any team to use this style of play throughout the whole court, so there is up and down, and there is forward pressure and retreat.

As for when to play and when to play, it is up to the manager and the players on the pitch to improvise.

Not only that, but it is dangerous for some teams to press high pressing, for example, some teams that like long passes and have speed players, you can't press high in the face of this kind of team, but for some teams that like to pass and control the ball, high pressing is very effective, such as playing Arsenal or Barcelona.

Inter Milan are clearly not a team that likes to play long balls, and even though they have the two high points of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Kruz, the Nerazzurri don't really pose much threat with long balls.

Knowing this, Benitez's strategy against Inter Milan is to press high and press.

Press! Lock! Above!

Liverpool's targeted training is clearly aimed at restraining Inter Milan's tactics, and it is also one of the tactics that Liverpool is best at.

As well as practising defensive pressing tactics in the high post, Liverpool also conducted an attacking training session.

In this tactical training, Benitez still discharged the combination of Yang Yang, Crouch and Kuyt in the frontcourt, but surprisingly, he adjusted Yang Yang's on-field duties, and he allowed Yang Yang to change his position according to the situation on the field, and even go to the right side.

In other words, he is trying to make Yang Yang a free man for the frontcourt offense, so that Crouch, the tactical fulcrum, and Kuyt, the frontcourt running strategy, are doing their best to cooperate with Yang Yang's attack.

Although no one said it explicitly, everyone including Yang Yang knew very well that Benitez pinned all the team's offensive tasks on Yang Yang, and if the effect was good, it is estimated that Yang Yang would get more and greater tactical freedom in the future, and he could even play as he wanted.

This is really an incredible decision for Benitez, who has always regarded tactical discipline as his life, and has even been criticized by many people as treating players as machines, but it is not difficult to see his respect and trust in Yang Yang.

You must know that Yang Yang had been sluggish for more than a month before, but Benitez not only let him take a vacation to rest, but also gave him a week of vacation, and gave him such an important task as soon as he returned to the team, which really made Yang Yang feel a lot of pressure, but at the same time he was grateful.

In any case, Benitez has really lived up to his promise when he invited Yang Yang to join Liverpool.

In the past two years, his use of Yang Yang has always been heartfelt and trusting, even now when he is at a low point, the Spaniards still do not change their trust in Yang Yang.

Yang Yang didn't say anything, and after understanding Benitez's intentions, he didn't say a word either, concentrating on training and preparation.

He is well aware that professional football is brutal.

Benitez's trust and reliance on him is a big risk, even if the first leg is away, but in the end it is also an important Champions League round of 16 knockout round, if he loses, Yang Yang may be in poor shape and there is nothing to do, but Benitez estimates that he will have to take the blame.

Therefore, Yang Yang's thanks are useless, if you really want to thank you, you have to show your state.