Chapter 11

The commentator is not an easy job. Besides having a certain level of eloquence and football knowledge, the most important thing is to have a certain imagination, to be able to comment on what happens on the field at the right time. Whether it is true or not is not important; words like "maybe," "perhaps," and "should" are used at this time. They say a good referee can make people forget his presence, but this obviously does not apply to commentators, because a good commentator must make people aware of his existence.

The camera panned to the Atletico Madrid substitutes' bench, where Maniche, who started the previous game, was smiling and talking to Simao, who was responding intermittently. Next to them, Pereira, who almost scored an own goal in the last game, had a blank expression, while Reyes stood with his arms crossed, looking gloomy... On the grass in front of the substitutes' bench, Lin Sen stood calmly in casual clothes.

The attendance at the Calderon was still low, the sparse stands like huge scars on the stadium. On the stands where there were people, fans displayed various slogans, but due to the control before the game, the slogans were much more harmonious, such as "incompetent" and "foolish," replacing the more offensive ones. Lin Sen was still not mentioned in the fans' slogans. This was his first appearance as the head coach at the Calderon, and the fans did not give him applause, but Lin Sen was already satisfied: at least there were no boos.

Lin Sen still lined up in the 4-4-2 formation that many people considered unchanged, but he completely changed the players on the field. Only less than half of the starters from the last game were in the starting lineup for this match. This was not rotation; all the Atletico Madrid players knew that after the last game, seven players lost a bet to Lin Sen. As a result, all seven players, except for Aguero who was injured, appeared in the starting lineup. Lin Sen had sent a very clear signal.

Willing to bet, willing to lose!

Real Betis was in a similar position to Atletico Madrid on the league table, one tenth and the other eleventh, but their situations were completely different. For the Betis fans, every game for the rest of the season could be enjoyed with a relaxed mind, cracking sunflower seeds and watching the team's various performances. If they accidentally beat a big club, it would be a small holiday. If they lost? No problem, the relegation battle was already won, and the comrades would continue to work hard. The relaxed and pleasant mood was evident on the Betis players and their head coach. A row of transparent heads, one wondered if Chaparro had told the players to enjoy the game in the locker room. Lin Sen felt a bit envious.

Looking at his own players, there was some improvement compared to the last game: four green players. Forlan, Antonio Lopez, Luis Garcia, and Miguel.

This time, it's not a pack of wolves or martial arts experts, there should be some improvement... Lin Sen thought as the referee blew the whistle to start the game, even though he still hadn't solved the major problem of Atletico Madrid's disjointed three lines.

Wishes are beautiful.

Lin Sen had just made a wish, and the result was that Atletico Madrid almost took a heavy blow just one minute into the game.

Former German international Odonkor dribbled the ball from the right wing straight into Atletico Madrid's heart, his speed was like a lightning bolt, almost as if he were riding a wind and fire wheel. Lin Sen seemed to realize for the first time that speed could be such an obvious advantage, especially with a reference point. Whether it was Raul Garcia or Antonio Lopez, from the front to the back, they couldn't stop him, or rather, they didn't even have the chance to stop him. He was like a high-speed train, crashing directly towards Atletico Madrid's baseline and then crossing. Fortunately, Mark Gonzalez, who was making a run, was just a bit short, and the ball flew over his head...

"Oh oh oh..." the commentator exclaimed repeatedly.

Lin Sen noticed that whether it was Odonkor with the ball or Mark Gonzalez making a quick start on the other side, their heads didn't change color at all.

This sprint must have been about 60 to 70 meters... and they didn't even break a sweat? Lin Sen felt a bit of a toothache. But soon, Lin Sen understood what was going on.

Not just the two wingers, but the forward Sobis, the attacking midfielder Sisco... all were players known for their speed. Speedy wingers, speedy attacking midfielders, speedy forwards, even the defensive midfielder was speedy. What the hell kind of football team is this, it's like a bunch of Nezha! Lin Sen cursed inwardly but had to admit that this was a characteristic of the team, and a very effective one.

No matter how complex the tactics, they ultimately revolve around the players. Not every team needs a complex tactical system, just as not every player can easily perform advanced skills like the Marseille turn on the field. Sometimes, simple factors are often the solution. The principle of "one trick to rule them all" is based on this.

Lin Sen glanced at Chaparro nearby, seemingly understanding the deeper meaning of the old man's words when they shook hands before the game.

Young is good.

For the entire first half, Lin Sen made no adjustments, and Atletico Madrid weathered the storm of Betis's speed for 45 minutes. Even as the first half was about to end, the stands were already filled with boos. However, no matter what, Atletico Madrid did not concede a goal. It wasn't that Atletico Madrid's resistance was particularly strong, but rather that the opposition's ability to capitalize on opportunities was quite average. The seemingly sharp double-edged swords on the wings created far fewer chances than their speed suggested.

For the entire first half, Lin Sen was considering whether to change the formation.

No one could know better than Lin Sen what formations would become mainstream in the next ten years: 4-3-2-1 Christmas Tree, 4-3-3 two-wing attack, 4-2-3-1 midfield battle... The most famous would be the extreme control style that would sweep Barcelona next season, Guardiola's Tiki-Taka making Barcelona a team that struck fear into the hearts of European football. At the same time, Mourinho, almost the antithesis of Barcelona, represented another extreme of practical football. However, whether it was Guardiola or Mourinho, Lin Sen couldn't imitate either. The former's foundation was the terrifying synergy built over time, while the latter's foundation was Mourinho's unparalleled personal charm. This is why both were unique in Europe, with no other teams able to replicate their success. This is also why Barcelona could still dominate Europe after Guardiola left, while any team Mourinho left would inevitably go through a period of adjustment.

Not imitating them doesn't mean there's nothing to learn from them. Both Guardiola and Mourinho had their own tactical philosophies. Guardiola believed in the system determining the players, like a large symphony orchestra where each player had a role, and together they created beautiful and magnificent music, with him as the conductor. Conversely, Mourinho believed in the players determining the system, reflecting his straightforward personality. When behind, he would go all out to attack, and if possible, he would even field eleven forwards. When leading, he wouldn't hesitate to defend, even parking a bus in front of the goal.

Lin Sen also wanted to have his own style, but neither the time nor the circumstances were right. Aguirre's 4-4-2 formation had piled too many wingers into Atletico Madrid's lineup. If wingers were counted as forwards, the number of forwards in Atletico Madrid's lineup would even outnumber the midfielders, which Lin Sen could not accept. In his view, the midfield was everything. Think of Barcelona without Xavi, without Iniesta, and think of Mourinho without Lampard, without Sneijder...

But where were his Xavi and Lampard? Maniche?

Looking at the Portuguese sitting calmly on the substitutes' bench, Lin Sen felt a bit of a headache. Professionalism is something that can't be forced. Outsiders always imagine how dedicated and professional athletes are, but they forget that not every civil servant is dedicated to the country, and not every police officer is dedicated to catching thieves. The mental requirements for football players are much lower.

When he truly took charge of the team, he would find ten or eight Lampards for his team, Lin Sen thought to himself. But thinking about it, he felt a bit regretful.

The 2007 European summer transfer window was hailed as the biggest in history in terms of investment, though it was slightly less impactful due to the lack of major transfers. But from a future perspective, it was undoubtedly a great transfer window. Many players who would become stars in the coming years transferred to new teams that summer, such as Torres from Atletico Madrid, Ribery, Hamsik, Suarez, Bale, Vidal, Yaya Toure, Mata... even Ozil, who transferred to Werder Bremen in the winter of that season for a mere 4.5 million euros. But this wasn't what Lin Sen regretted the most. What he regretted the most was an upcoming transfer. If he remembered correctly, Tottenham Hotspur would announce the signing of Croatian talent Modric in the coming days. What could Lin Sen say about this transfer? Tell Cerezo to buy Modric at any cost because he would become one of the best midfield commanders in the future? Don't be silly, even a real fortune-teller wouldn't do that.

So, there are many talents, but you can't expect all of them to gather under your command. After all, football is a game of eleven players. Lin Sen could only console himself with this thought.