To put it mildly, Ye Qiu never took this game with Arsenal too seriously.

In Ye Qiu's view, Arsenal seems to be a team whose strength has slipped to the point where they can only fight for the top four, and the reason why they can still compete with teams such as Newcastle and West Ham United, which have a strong squad, is mainly because they still have Arsene Wenger, and a system and heritage that they have adhered to for many years.

Otherwise, with this squad alone, Arsenal is not much better than teams such as Everton.

Sometimes, Ye Qiu also feels very strange, because according to the law of football clubs, Arsenal should further increase the team's budget, increase investment, introduce high-level players, further strengthen the team's strength, and at least ensure the top four in the league, but they don't seem to plan to do this.

It's a puzzling thing indeed, because if you can't secure a top-four finish in the league and play in the Champions League consecutively, who will still be looking at Arsenal in a few years' time? Where does the Gunners appeal to some high-level players?

But Ye Qiu will not go to the bottom of this problem, because he knows very well that there can be no one in this world who knows everything, and Wenger will not say about the choice of the Arsenal board and management, and Ye Qiu will not ask, this is their own business.

As the head coach and chairman of Tottenham Hotspur, Ye Qiu's responsibility is to manage his own three-point land.

Standing in the command area of the visiting team's dugout at the Emirates Stadium, it is easy to feel the anger of the Gunners fans in the stands behind them, perhaps not only at Tottenham Hotspur, a sworn rival team, but also at the club's management and even Wenger.

Several seasons have passed, from the move to the Emirates Stadium in 06, it has been almost six years now, and the financial reports of each season clearly show that the team is not completely poor enough to bring in reinforcements, why did it lead to today's result?

Is it management's problem? Or is it Wenger's problem? Or is there a problem on both sides?

"Hello, Mr. Ye Qiu!" An Englishman about the same height as Ye Qiu walked out of the players' tunnel.

It looks like he should have taken the tunnel down the elevator from the stands and must have informed Arsenal beforehand.

"Oh, Mr. Pierce!" Ye Qiu turned around and saw the head coach of the England U21 national team, Stewart? Pierce, who is also an England celebrity.

Pierce's most glorious years were at Nottingham Forest, which should be regarded as another representative player of Nottingham Forest after two consecutive Champions League titles, and was regarded by Nottingham Forest fans as one of the team's greatest captains, but like all the club's flagship players, Pierce did not end well at Nottingham Forest, wandering for Newcastle, West Ham United and Manchester City later in his career.

One of the very interesting phenomena in English football is that they are very supportive of homegrown coaches, so similar to local managers such as Pardew, Sam Allardyce, Redknapp, Pierce, etc., regardless of their previous coaching results, and regardless of their quality, all in all, they will definitely be able to be laid off and re-employed soon, and they will be paid well.

So some people joke that England's head coaches are just like domestic civil servants, they are all iron rice bowls.

Stewart? Pierce is undoubtedly a rising star among England's homegrown managers, even if he is in his forties.

"It was a great game!" Stewart? Pierce smiled and praised.

Ye Qiu smiled faintly, he did not doubt that Pierce would be hypocritical flattery, because the England U21 national team manager had expressed his appreciation for Tottenham Hotspur many times, and Tottenham Hotspur's performance in this game was indeed very good.

"I didn't expect you to be in the stands, otherwise I'm sure there would have been a lot of players who would have done better!" Ye Qiu said with a smile that although his status is not as good as Capello, he is also the second biggest person in the national team.

And this year's situation is a little different, England is the host of the London Olympics, this time England is ambitious to do something, and some people even proposed to form the Great Britain Olympic team, that is, the best British Olympic team age to recruit all the best rookie players in the national Olympic team, and form a team to compete for the Olympic title.

I still remember that in China, many so-called experts and reporters said that foreign countries do not pay attention to rankings and achievements, which is absolutely nonsense, they also attach importance to rankings and championships, but they have a high level of football, coupled with the development of professional football for many years, it will be more rational to look at many problems.

For example, the United Kingdom, for the London Olympics, has offered to bring together the best young people from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to compete in one team and try to win the title on their home turf.

Sometimes Ye Qiu thinks that this is actually a kind of inferiority mentality, and he regards some of the original common problems and shortcomings as his own national inferiority, thinking that other people's must be very good and perfect, which is an extreme inferiority complex.

If there is nothing to do, Pierce will not come to meet Ye Qiu for no reason, so after a joke between the two, they directly cut to the chase, he is obviously here for the National Olympic team.

"How's David doing lately?" Pierce and Ye Qiu stood side by side on the edge of the court, and the players of both teams had already walked back to the locker room, leaving some fans who had left the stadium and the on-site staff who were cleaning up.

Ye Qiu took a look at Pierce, Beckham had been included in the 35-man squad of the national Olympic team by Pierce before, but only eighteen people could participate in the Olympic Games, and Beckham's most promising place was three overage places.

"All I can say is, give him a chance, and he will definitely give you something in return!" Ye Qiu has no way to guarantee Beckham's state at that time, to be honest, Beckham is not young, he doesn't play much, and there is no way to guarantee his state, but he still insists on coming to the training ground every day to train hard, with only one purpose, the European Cup and the Olympics, especially the Olympics.

He is an ambassador for the London Olympics and a banner figure in British sport.

"You know, sometimes to form a team, you need to see not only the form, but also the mental strength!" Ye Qiu said this not only to remind Pierce, but also to help Beckham intercede, "Some teams are very strong, but lack the desire to win, lack fighting spirit, they don't care about the Olympic Games, how much role can such a person play in the game?" ”

"I can't say how much David can keep in shape, but I can be sure that he will be the hardest and hardest working one, even if you keep putting him on the bench, he will show you desperately!"

For this, Pierce is very sure, Beckham said as early as when he joined Tottenham Hotspur that he returned to the Premier League for only one purpose, the national team and the Olympics, and Beckham at that time was in the last glory of his career, especially in the half season after joining Tottenham Hotspur, almost playing his peak form.

But that half a year looked a bit like a flash in the pan, after which he was quickly reduced to a substitute, and with the arrival of more and more high-quality players, Beckham was also further and further down the board at Tottenham Hotspur, only getting opportunities in some games and cup competitions, but he was still very conscientious.

"Actually, I'm also very embarrassed!" Pierce sighed helplessly, he was also under a lot of pressure right now.

The whole country wants him to lead the team to the championship, and with the young talents from all four regions of the United Kingdom, it would be the strongest British Olympic team in history.

Gareth? Bale, Ramsey, Walcott, Wilshere, Kyle? Walker, Sturridge, Cleverley, Smaling, Phil? Jones, Gibbs, Andy? Carroll, Rodwell and others are each players with rich game experience and full training, and they form a national Olympic team, which is well blended, and it is not too much to say that they are the strongest.

But it is precisely because of how strong the strength is, so the outside world has high hopes for the team, and the burden on Pierce's shoulders is naturally very heavy, which makes him under great pressure, but the most important thing is the limitation of the players.

Of course, Ye Qiu knows what Pierce means, his embarrassment is not only whether Beckham is selected for the final squad, the discussion on this issue is currently divided into two factions, one is to support Beckham's selection, believing that he is the most influential star in the United Kingdom, and at the same time the mental strength of this team, but the other group believes that Beckham's state is too poor and will only drag down the team.

But what really made Pierce difficult was the selection of materials.

"At the Beijing Olympics, there were a lot of teams that sent their strongest squads, and they all achieved good results, so the FA was willing to form such a national Olympic team to participate in the Olympic Games on home soil, but the current resistance shows that it is difficult to continue!" Pierce said to Ye Qiu, he was a bit like he was looking for support.

Ye Qiu smiled after hearing this, during the Beijing Olympics, Argentina, Nigeria and other teams were the main force, Argentina even Messi was dispatched, and superstars such as Aguero and Riquelme also participated in the game, and finally let Argentina win the championship in the final.

Of course, when many people look at the men's football team at the Beijing Olympics, they will only think that the Argentine Olympic team and the Nigerian Olympic team are very good, and they both reached the finals, but they don't see that they are the most powerful main team, but other teams are not, which leads to a big gap in strength between them.

The FA has also learned the lessons of the Beijing Olympics, and this time it is in London, and they want to win the gold medal on home soil, so they have proposed to bring together players of the right age from all four regions of the UK to compete in the competition and form the strongest squad to compete for this Olympic title.

It should be said that the ideal is good, and the idea is also good, but Ye Qiu is impossible to agree, not even him, including Ferguson, Wenger, Benitez and others, as long as there are players of the right age in the team to play the main force, it is basically impossible to agree, the reason is very simple, the schedule.

2012 was a sad year, with the European Championships taking place in June and the Olympics starting at the end of July, meaning there was little break between the two, while the Premier League started in mid-August, in other words, the players simply could not have enough rest time and might not even be able to return in time for the league to start because of the Olympics.

It's like the current Tottenham Hotspur team, Kyle? Walker and Phil? Jones is an England international and an Olympic-age player. Walker is still a regular and will play in all the international team competitions at the European Championships, and if they play in the Olympics again, it will mean that they will be absent from the team's training camp for the entire summer.

If that's all there is, it's not a big deal, after all, Kyle? Walker and Phil? Jones is not irreplaceable in the Tottenham Hotspur team, Alves is the team's main right-back, Phil? Jones can't play the main team for the time being, let alone the core players, so the impact on Tottenham Hotspur is not very big.

But the real question is, if this opening is opened, the Brazilian Football Federation has previously asked Neymar, Coutinho, Sandro, Lucas? Mora, Marcelo, Alves and Thiago? Silva is competing in the Olympic squad and Uruguay are also hoping to include Edinson Cavani as an overage player in the squad.

At present, Tottenham Hotspur is arguing with these football associations, if Ye Qiu comes forward to support it now, and for Stewart? Pierce appealed, so what do other football associations say? What other reason does Tottenham have to refuse?

Of course, as a player of appropriate age, if the national Olympic team wants to be called, then Ye Qiu has no way to refuse, what he can refuse is an overage player, but the problem is that, similar to Cavani, there are no games all summer, he is resting, if he asks to participate in the Olympic Games, Ye Qiu has no way to refuse, because it is difficult for any head coach to prevent players from playing for the country.

This is also the current contradiction of Tottenham Hotspur, which has too much impact on the start of next season.

In this case, what Ye Qiu can do is to take care of his own affairs, not to appeal for Pierce, at least the affairs of the British Olympic team have nothing to do with Ye Qiu, and he can't make a mistake and doesn't need to stand up for Pierce.

"Stewart!" Ye Qiu further brought himself closer to Pierce, "I can promise you, Kyle? Walker, Phil? Jones, even Ramsey, if you want to be called up, I can let them go and even allow them to play in two major tournaments, but in between, they have to go to the team's training camp! ”

This is already Ye Qiu's bottom line, if it weren't for the fact that he had a good relationship with the Football Association in the past, Ye Qiu would definitely not do this.

Of course, Ye Qiu gave Pierce such a promise, and Ferguson must be angry and scolded, because his team also has many players of the appropriate age of the National Olympic team, and Rooney is likely to be transferred to become an overage player.

Pierce thought about it, it's not a big problem, there's Kyle? Walker and Phil? With Jones in charge, and Ramsey in Wales, England's entire central midfield has been strengthened and strengthened, and the quality of these three players is the best of their peers, especially Kyle? Walker and Aaron Ramsey are both great players in their respective positions.

Thinking of this, Pierce smiled, "Originally, I was going to give one of the overage spots to right-back Richards, but if Kyle? If Walker is willing to participate, I hope Beckham will be able to participate as well, what do you think? ”

Is this a reciprocation?

Ye Qiu nodded and smiled, "You can do it yourself!" ”

"By the way, Nick? How about Powell? Pierce asked.

The youngster has made many appearances this season, he can play multiple positions in the midfield, but the best play is still in the middle, whether it is a forward or backward organization, he has shown his strength, many people are optimistic that he will become Pirlo's successor, even Pirlo has praised Nick many times? Powell, in his opinion, has a lot of potential for the youngster.

"There is no problem at all in playing the Olympics!" Ye Qiu smiled and gave his own answer.

The youngster has been sculpted by Tottenham Hotspur for a few years, and now he has excellent skills and awareness, but he is a little less physical, and if he can maintain the current momentum, to be honest, it is not impossible to become a playmaker in Tottenham Hotspur's midfield after Andrea Pirlo.

Of course, judging from the current ranking, Sandro, who has been stimulated to have a certain ability to organize and pass, is more advanced, and from the perspective of potential, the tall but delicate Pogba is also very in line with Ye Qiu's taste, Ye Qiu has also tried to let him play in the midfield organization, and his performance is also very good, which is also another development route for Pogba.

This is also a characteristic of developing young players, that is, to try more, to observe more, and finally find a path that is most suitable for his development, because some players may be mediocre in a certain position, but they may become geniuses in another position.

"I'm also thinking about recruiting him into the squad!" Pierce said with a smile.

After Ye Qiu sent Pierce away, he was still wondering in his heart, do all England national teams have such a hobby? Or do they all have such a preference?

At the World Cup in Germany, Eriksen controversially brought in Theo Walcott, who had little professional experience, and then hyped up a few local rookies at almost every tournament to see who would be the next Owen, Wayne Rooney or Walcott.

Now Pierce actually wants to take seventeen-year-old Nick? Powell brought it into the Olympics, Ye Qiu felt that this was not a gamble? But if you consider the current situation in England, Ye Qiu thinks, Nick? Powell's type of player is really what England need and lack.

Many people have been wondering why England have so many stars and so bad results in major tournaments.

They feel that this is a star-making project of the British media, which exaggerates the role of local stars, but throughout the European arena, almost the price of local players is expensive, which is a common phenomenon, and in the case of star-making projects, which country's media does not make stars? If they don't make stars, what will they eat? What to drink?

At the end of the day, it's a lack of technical players, especially playmaker in midfield.

Even the best Carrick and Gareth in Britain? Barry and others, compared with the same type of organizational midfielders in Europe, the gap is still quite obvious, if it is in the Premier League, the defects of their English midfielders are not so obvious, but if they are magnified in the European arena, the defects and deficiencies are exposed.

Today's Premier League is gradually integrating into the continental European system, whether it is in terms of technical and tactical style or referee enforcement standards, but the lack of organizational midfield can not be reversed overnight.

Wilshere is Arsene Wenger's best homegrown work since Arsene Wenger arrived in the Premier League for more than a decade, and Nick? Powell is the best homegrown rookie in Tottenham Hotspur's academy and almost always represents the future of England's midfield. , and finally find the path that suits his development best, because some players may be mediocre in one position, but they can become geniuses in another position.

"I'm also thinking about recruiting him into the squad!" Pierce said with a smile.

After Ye Qiu sent Pierce away, he was still wondering in his heart, do all England national teams have such a hobby? Or do they all have such a preference?

At the World Cup in Germany, Eriksen controversially brought in Theo Walcott, who had little professional experience, and then hyped up a few local rookies at almost every tournament to see who would be the next Owen, Wayne Rooney or Walcott.

Now Pierce actually wants to take seventeen-year-old Nick? Powell brought it into the Olympics, Ye Qiu felt that this was not a gamble? But if you consider the current situation in England, Ye Qiu thinks, Nick? Powell's type of player is really what England need and lack.

Many people have been wondering why England have so many stars and so bad results in major tournaments.

They feel that this is a star-making project of the British media, which exaggerates the role of local stars, but throughout the European arena, almost the price of local players is expensive, which is a common phenomenon, and in the case of star-making projects, which country's media does not make stars? If they don't make stars, what will they eat? What to drink?

At the end of the day, it's a lack of technical players, especially playmaker in midfield.

Even the best Carrick and Gareth in Britain? Barry and others, compared with the same type of organizational midfielders in Europe, the gap is still quite obvious, if it is in the Premier League, the defects of their English midfielders are not so obvious, but if they are magnified in the European arena, the defects and deficiencies are exposed.

Today's Premier League is gradually integrating into the continental European system, whether it is in terms of technical and tactical style or referee enforcement standards, but the lack of organizational midfield can not be reversed overnight.

Wilshere is Arsene Wenger's best homegrown work since Arsene Wenger arrived in the Premier League for more than a decade, and Nick? Powell is the best homegrown rookie in Tottenham Hotspur's academy and almost always represents the future of England's midfield.