Chapter 122: Cold Bench
On July 8, Shi Hao ended his vacation and flew to Milan to participate in the team's pre-season training camp. On the second day of the www.biquge.info, the team was assembled, except for a few players who were on leave or had national team competition tasks, the whole team went to the Pinzolo training base in the northeast to start this summer training camp.
Shi Hao also met with three new teammates. Goalkeeper Viviano, Dutch teenager Castillo, who finalized the transfer last season but just joined the team, and Inter's first big signing this season - Ricardo, known as the "Argentine Kaka". Alvarez.
In addition, several U20 teammates also joined the training camp, including Shi Hao's good friends Krissettigue, Besa, Caldi Rolla and so on. When old friends reunite, there is naturally something to say. These former friends are indescribably envious of Shi Hao, who were teammates last year, but now Shi Hao has played for the first team, but they can only train with the first team before the season.
For Shi Hao, he still has more to say with these peers, he always feels a little restrained in front of the "old men" of the first team, and the generation gap is too obvious.
The arrival of Alvarez made Shi Hao feel a lot of pressure. He can play both as a midfielder and as a winger, so now there are eight players in the team, including Pazzini, Eto'o, Milito, Alvarez, Coutinho, Pandev, Shi Hao, and Casteño, competing for three forward positions. Suazzo has already confirmed that he is leaving, but Inter Milan are still eye-to-eye with Palacio, Forlan, Cavani, and Tevez, and if one or two more of these people come, Shi Hao feels that he might as well go out on loan.
Someone comes, someone leaves. Kharja has been returned to Genoa, Obina has gone to Russia, Suazzo has been confirmed to leave, and it is unknown who will leave next. Shi Hao didn't want to decide his future as soon as possible, he wanted to wait and see.
After a few days of training, Brazilian right-back Jonatan Brown. Cicero. Moreira joined the team and was seen as McConn's successor. McConn, who was plagued by injuries last season and no longer had the style of the world's best right-back in 2009/10, has now travelled to Brazil to undergo meniscus surgery.
On 14 July, the team played its first warm-up match against an amateur team from the Trentino region. Shi Hao played in the second half, scoring a goal and assisting a goal, and finally Inter Milan won 7:1.
On July 17, Inter Milan faced the amateur team Mezocorona in the second warm-up match of the preseason at the Pinetta Stadium, Shi Hao still played in the second half, assisted one goal, and the team won 6:1.
After two games, Shi Hao had a little experience of the new coach Gasperini's 343 formation. But he also found himself unfavoured in Gasperini's heart.
Gasperini prefers strikers with outstanding physical conditions, and the newly joined youngster Castenho was technically overwhelmed by Shi Hao, but he is more adapted to Gasperini's tactics and has scored in two consecutive warm-up games.
Also outstanding is Alvarez, his speed is not fast, but his technique is excellent, the sense of the overall situation is very good, and he can not only pass and shoot in the front court, but also have certain organizational skills, which Shi Hao cannot match. He also scored in both warm-up games, and for a while, the media praised him endlessly.
On 20 July, Inter Milan played Cremonese in their third warm-up match of the summer at the Estadio Quelcha in Riveretto, with Samuel Eto'o scoring twice and Pacini also picking up a goal. Alvarez had two assists and Castenho scored again. Shi Hao didn't get a chance to play, watching the whole game from the bench, while those from the Under-20 team came out on top, including Longo, who was on loan last season, and performed well.
Shi Hao's heart was even more uneasy. In the evening, he called Luo Yunhui, and Luo Yunhui told him some information that he could not see on the Internet and in the newspaper.
Inter have given up on attempts to bring in Carlos Tevez and Edinson Cavani, or rather they were never targets for Inter Milan because they are too expensive and too high on salaries to match the spending cuts that Inter are currently implementing.
While the contact with Palacio and Forlan has not been broken, Inter Milan have made an official offer and are currently in the bargaining phase.
In addition, Inter Milan are also asking Lazio about the possibility of buying striker Zarate.
Shi Hao's heart was half cold: "So, I really don't have much chance next season?" ”
Shi Hao had almost never shown such a depressed look in front of Luo Yunhui, and at this moment she deeply felt that although Shi Hao was a rookie on the court, he was actually just a big boy who left home alone, sensitive and fragile. She didn't know how to comfort him, and said things that she didn't believe herself: "Not necessarily, as long as you perform well in training, you still have a chance." ”
Shi Hao held the phone and didn't make a sound for a while. Gasperini pressed him on the bench throughout the warm-up game, which already gave him an ominous premonition. And Luo Yunhui's words aggravated this premonition.
Although Inter Milan has begun to decline, it is still a traditional Serie A powerhouse, and the most important function for the manager is not to develop young players, but to compete for the title. Therefore, between the famous star and the rookie, the newly appointed Gasperini will definitely choose the famous star. Only in competitions where he doesn't care about results will he give young people a chance.
On 21 July, the entire Inter Milan squad left the Pinzolo training base.
From 9 to 20 July, Inter Milan was the protagonist of the Lundner Valley and was never alone, with hundreds of adults and children following the Nerazzurri's pre-season camp every day to fill every seat at the Pinetta.
Every day, the club officials will ask several players to come forward to sign autographs and take photos of the players, and Shi Hao also enjoys this treatment. And he has a lot of fans, and even many Chinese students from other countries came to rejoice in one of his autographed photos.
Watching the Chinese flag fluttering next to the training ground every day is one of the motivations for Shi Hao's training, and it also keeps his mood from being depressed by bad news.
Shi Hao's worries became a reality. On July 25, Inter Milan played a warm-up match against Turkish Galatasaray at the Revel Power Stadium in Bochum, Germany, and the two sides drew 0-0. In this match, young players Alvarez, Obi, Castenho, Longo, Bianchiti, Caldilola, Faranori, and even Crissettig all appeared one by one, while Shi Hao still sat on the bench for 90 minutes.
He is uninjured and uninjured, which only shows that there is no place for him in Gasperini's tactical system.
Shi Hao summed up his shortcomings. The body is not tough enough, the defensive awareness is poor, and the defense is not active enough. The first two items are not something that can be improved in a short period of time, and the latter one, if he is too active in defense, his physical fitness will not be enough to support, and there will be hardships.
Then, on July 30, the Dublin Super Cup began its second game, Inter Milan defeated Celtic 2-0, Castenho opened the scoring, and Shi Hao was not substituted until garbage time in the 88th minute to feel the atmosphere.
On July 31, Inter Milan lost 0:3 to Manchester City, and Shi Hao once again guarded the water cooler for 90 minutes.
In the evening, he called Luo Yunhui: "Sister Hui, help me contact the team that is willing to give me the main position, I want to go out on loan." ”