Manchester is only a few dozen miles from Liverpool, half an hour away at high speed, and Benitez, sitting in the blue bus, looks at the familiar road and the police car driving ahead.

I was a little emotional, he and Liverpool terminated all their contracts after a season off in the summer, and wanted to go to other leagues to see, but they didn't expect Manchester City to find him for the first time.

He is ambitious, naturally knows what Manchester City means, the two sides hit it off, signed a 2+1 contract, and decided whether to renew it depending on this year's results, and in the summer Manchester City met all his requirements.

At that time, he really had the urge to look up to the sky and shout, how many years had he been a coach, and when had he ever been so happy.

Spent 260 million in one summer!

The Champions League quota is the most basic, and with such a big investment, the goal is nothing but the title.

And their current standings are also on the right side of the summer, with two consecutive wins in the group stage of the UEFA Cup and the top of the league table.

He picked up the materials in his hand, which were densely written with data analyzed by various scouts and assistant coaches.

League standings:

1: Manchester City 9 games, 6 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss, 20 points (goal difference)

2: Chelsea 9 games, 6 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss, 20 points

3: Manchester United 9 games, 6 wins, 1 draw, 2 losses, 19 points

4: Liverpool 9 games, 5 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses, 17 points

Benitez had anticipated the chaos of this season, and he felt that if he could get 70+ points at the end of the season, he might be able to win the championship, if it was more miserable, maybe less than 70.

Two rounds ago, in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, Manchester City won 3-2 with a bang, but they did not expect to capsize on the weak team, and so did Chelsea.

He went on to look down, Liverpool scored 15 goals and conceded 6 goals in 9 rounds, of which Mack Qin scored 7 alone, and 3 assists, which means that 2/3 of the goals are related to him.

It's horrible in a team!

Benitez never imagined that he would be able to pull up a team so quickly before he left, and it's not what it used to be.

It turned out that he was holding a nuclear bomb in his hand instead of a Scud! , 3 goals with the left foot, 4 goals with the right foot, 4 in the box, 3 outside the box, no headers.

Now from the data point of view, Mackin is a player who does not shoot from the corner, of course, he knew this when he was in charge of Liverpool, but he didn't expect him to explode so quickly.

Looking at the next heatmap of Mack's running position, he frowned again, all over the front court, and their tactical meeting before the game was a full two hours to discuss how to limit him.

As a result, the conclusion was that except for the weak team that defended it, any strong team with a system would not send a special person to guard him, because it would directly mess up its own system, not to mention whether it had any effect.

False nine, this Spalletti has an idea, Benitez's main formation in Manchester City is 442, if the back follows him, the door is absolutely wide open in front of the penalty area.

He could only make Yaya Toure's defense more active, and the others were more involved, he put down the information and didn't have any ideas again.

Today is his first return to Anfield as an away coach, and to be honest, he will still have some anticipation of the reaction of the fans, whether it is applause, boos or ignorance?

After all, he is also Liverpool's most decorated manager after Shankly and Paisley, winning 5 championship trophies in 4 years, and all the heavyweight trophies.

It was really an unforgettable and unsatisfactory time, and the bus slowly turned into the city road at this time, and everything familiar came into his eyes again.

Anfield, I'm back.

……

[Rafa, welcome home, but you don't want to take anything from here, not even a cent], there are quite a few fans coming from the gate of the hotel where they are temporarily resting.

Among the many slogans, Benitez only pays attention to this one, smiling knowingly, things are wrong.

"We're going to pull you off the top of the list!" "Mark will destroy you", "Look here, look here", and fans shouted slogans pointing at the signs.

[Are you guys expensive?] Mark's leg could buy you all! and will see it tonight! ]--MKQ18。

The Manchester City players got off with the coaching staff and were unaffected, and the Manchester derby win completely showed their strong team confidence, we are a strong team now!

Ibrahimovic got out of the car and smiled disdainfully at the slogan, the number one superstar in the Premier League? That should be in Manchester, the Etihad, not Liverpool.

He had already won the title in Serie A, and with his plan, he would not return to Manchester City, who could not participate in the Champions League, but Mubarak called him personally, and the team's investment ambition and the persuasion of his agent moved him.

"Think about it, Zlatan, and you'll be the second most expensive superstar in the world, with the highest salary!"

£72 million, the Swedish Divine Tower descends on the Etihad!

The Manchester City personnel who walked to the door of the hotel were instantly surrounded by countless reporters and microphones, and the most people were of course Benitez and Ibrahimovic.

"Mark? He's very talented, there are always a few players in the world who want to shine, he's about the same as Messi, like a good boy who goes to school, grows up in an environment, works"

"I don't know them very well, Cristiano Ronaldo got it because he trained hard, he is indeed worth more than me, but that's because Real Madrid want to sell his shirt and face all over the world"

"The greatest players are right in front of you right now, I don't need to compare anything with others, because they are still on the way to legends, and I am a living legend!"

The media surrounding him was instantly poured with several tons of chicken blood, and kept squeezing forward, but I didn't expect Ronaldo to come after he left, and he was much better than Ronaldo's eloquence!

"Zlatan, Zlatan", a female reporter struggled to squeeze forward, "but Ronaldo and Mark have both won the Champions League, and you haven't, how can you prove that you are great?" ”

Ibrahimovic glanced at him, "Only children hiding in their mother's arms will win the favor of others with a certificate, and the strong don't need any proof, Old Trafford a few weeks ago was the witness"

In that game, he shot and passed, and was the biggest contributor to Manchester City's ability to capture Old Trafford for the first time in many years.

And the current Manchester City is also very similar to last year's Inter, Ibrahimovic is the attacking core of the front.

'It's very unusual to sit in the away dugout at Anfield and I'll shake Spalletti's hand and wish him success,' Benitez said into the microphone at the end.

Then he glanced at Ibu, who was still making a big noise, and walked into the hotel first.

To be honest, he doesn't like Ibrahimovic's overly ostentatious personality, but leaving Liverpool has taught him one thing: at least don't get into a stiff fight with a few of the team's biggest players in the dressing room.

His past resume is enough to suppress these big names, not to mention that some of the people under his hands are disobedient, just don't be disobedient, it's a big deal to buy a few more, the boss is poor and has money left, so there is no need to save for him.

……

At the same time, Melwood's training ground is still in full swing, of course, not a large amount of training, but some targeted tactical arrangements.

The team's recent upturn in results has emboldened Spalletti, and his use of Mark has been praised by Liverpool fans, who have said it is a change that can be written into team history.

His character is gradually revealed, and it is no longer as low-key as when he first arrived.

Champion, I'm here for the championship, it's not next season, it's this season, I'm on a 2+1 contract, if I don't win the championship this year, I might have to think about leaving next year.

This is the declaration of the season war that he issued at the team's internal meeting a while ago, and for example, when asked to estimate the result in an interview yesterday, he said: "Maybe Manchester City win one Red Devils, but they will be beaten by another Red Devil here"

It's not crazy, it's not proud, it's quite individual.

"Resist, resist, imagine him as the Swede, yes, he is 1.95 meters, you can't let him take the ball comfortably, does our opponent dare to let Mark take the ball casually?" , he kept shouting on the sidelines, directing the defense on the side of the main force.

"Vincenzo [Iaquinta], back, Yaya Toure is the hub of their midfield advancement, you have to entangle him"

Mackin and Lucas and Valera Lana sat on the grass on the sidelines, watching the 6-on-6 small offensive and defensive drills on the field.

"Do you want to shake his hand or hug him then?" asked Lucas, confused.

It doesn't matter to the others, Lucas was personally persuaded and bought by Benitez, and Mackin was also pushed to the first team position by him, so it is reasonable that everyone has to say hello when they come back.

It's just, why is it a little awkward to think of that scene?

"Poof", Mark Qin spit out the blade of grass in his mouth, "Win them first, and then talk about it after the game"

Recently, Hugh McAuray hired two German youth coaches, one from Spain, and another from Italy with Spalletti's connections, and he recently went to see it, and his mind was on this.

The biggest difference between Spalletti and his predecessors is that he has little interest in youth development, perhaps it has something to do with the Italian coaching model, where most managers are only responsible for first-team games.

Even many of them don't have transfer rights, and for Spalletti, he didn't even want to be a godfather here, this is just the team that suits him right now.

"Toot ......", Bardini blew the whistle, "All, rest for a while, then go to dinner, and leave in two hours"

Mackin patted his ass and stood up, and walked towards the office building, the key person who once led the rise of the red is now an enemy, and it is impossible not to let him have some ups and downs.

That lad is from our echelon, let him come here, he said to the Champions League award staff.

It's unreasonable to ask me to put a 16-year-old in the first team, he snapped out of the boardroom.

Mark, I don't have a place for you in my team right now, all you need to do is train well and wait for your chance.

Mark, can you play left midfield? Go on the field and show me?

Marc, you have to be more aggressive defensively, don't let the opposing right-backs go wild on your turf.

Mark, your last strike was good [against Manchester United].

Mark, the position I have for you is nine and a half and Fernando [Torres] needs a partner.

Mark, I don't want you to catch a cold with your girlfriend again, and I don't like my players' messy off-field life.

Mark, you're impeccable tonight. (Old Trafford)

Mark, Alonso is not here, I want you to organize the midfield for me, can you do that?

Mark, I want you to play as a substitute tonight. (against Chelsea)

What the? Mark is only 17 years old, and you are asking me for an absolute main position? Is it your meaning or his own!

Mark ,......, him drew a tactical board in the dressing room, and he was still talking.

Mark, and guys......, goodbye.

The arrival of a certain person always reminds you of that era, this era has Hyypia, there is Carragher, there is Alonso, there is Gerrard, and there is Benitez.

That pot-bellied, thin-haired, slugging over videos, maybe just treating coaching as an FM game, is back.

His arrival brought about an era, and his departure officially ended an era.

And now, it's my time......