Chapter 57

Lin Sen met the first member of his coaching staff in his office.

"Hey, Antonio. You came just in time. I was just racking my brains over how to arrange the pre-season training program and the friendly matches. Oh, right, do you have the schedule for the players' return? Damn, Livermore said he didn't know... By the way, didn't you still have two weeks left of your vacation?"

Tapia, who had just pushed open the door to Lin Sen's office, was immediately taken aback. This overly young coach, after he entered, only glanced up at him, and then his face lit up with surprise. He then approached him with a series of casual greetings, not only calling him by his first name as soon as he entered but also apparently planning to pat his shoulder? Before coming, Tapia had thought of a thousand ways to meet, but this seemed a bit off?

"The pre-season fitness program will have to wait for Ruiz to return. This is the draft of the training program I've drawn up. Take a look and see if there's anything missing."

Before Tapia could react, a hand had already gripped his, and he found himself holding a document.

By the time he left Lin Sen's office, Tapia had spoken no more than ten words, mostly just "uh-huh" and "oh." Then, he walked out in a daze, with a pile of documents in his hand and a face full of wry smiles.

After Tapia left the office, Lin Sen's smile remained, but the carefree look that Tapia had seen vanished instantly.

"At least he's not hard to get along with," Lin Sen sighed in relief.

Tapia had thought of a thousand ways to meet Lin Sen, but Lin Sen had also thought of many. For Tapia, he only had to face one new face, but for Lin Sen, he had to face a whole bunch. Of course, Tapia was special because he was the assistant coach, the most important right-hand man of the head coach. For Lin Sen, who disliked trouble and was used to slacking off, this role was even more crucial.

Lin Sen had no strong impression of Tapia before, and he didn't remember hearing that he would coach any top teams in the future. From his resume, Tapia was clearly a coach who put football first. Four years ago, the old coach had taken over from Malaga's then-head coach Manzano, and after being dismissed, he briefly left but then returned to Malaga, this time coaching the second team. Such a return was unimaginable for anyone, let alone Lin Sen. But the facts proved that Tapia's return was not a plea for mercy but rather a determination to rise again. If not for Lin Sen, Tapia would almost certainly have been the head coach of Malaga this season.

Age and experience were there, and Lin Sen immediately thought of Betis' old coach Chaparro, who had once given him a defeat. If it were a normal situation, for someone much older, Lin Sen would only have one way to interact: listen. Pretend to be mute, which would be easy for him and respectful to the other person. But now, this wouldn't work because he was the head coach, and he needed to make others listen.

Thus, Lin Sen's approach was simple and direct, but not without the intention of testing Tapia's character.

The result? Hallelujah!

Although he couldn't be sure if Tapia was unhappy about taking his head coach position, he was certain that Tapia had no personal grudge against him, as he accepted the plan and didn't talk much.

Interpersonal relationships are like eating a thousand different dishes; you can't expect all flavors to satisfy you, but as long as they fill your stomach, most people will eat them. Lin Sen didn't have a picky mouth, and as long as it wasn't like Jose, who deliberately put rat poison in the food, he could eat a bit. Coming to Malaga, due to his position, Lin Sen was destined to taste all the flavors here. If possible, he would rather pinch his nose and have a stomachache than overturn someone else's bowl, just to finish the meal smoothly.

At least, Tapia didn't seem toxic.

---

Lin Sen always believed that the perfect number of players for a football team was twenty-three. Besides the three standard goalkeepers, there were two choices for each other position. As long as the players' character wasn't bad and they didn't suffer from serious injuries, this lineup should be sufficient to handle the entire season, ensuring everyone gets enough playing time while maintaining their physical condition.

Two goalkeepers, six defenders, nine midfielders, and two forwards—this was the current Malaga lineup under Lin Sen, totaling nineteen players. This was four short of the "twenty-three" in his mind. Considering the third goalkeeper as a reserve, the real weak link was the defense. The two-man forward line might seem a bit thin, but Lin Sen didn't count wingers as forwards; he saw them as attacking midfielders.

After giving his plan to Tapia, Lin Sen was actually waiting for Tapia's second visit. As expected, the next day, as soon as Lin Sen sat down, Tapia entered his office.

Before Lin Sen could even greet him, a barrage of tactical terms spewed from Tapia's mouth.

"Sit down," Lin Sen smiled and gestured for Tapia to sit, then walked over to pour him a glass of water. After handing it to him, he said, "Have you read my plan? All of it?"

"Yes," Tapia took the glass and drank it all in one gulp, then wiped his lips with his hand and nodded, "Impressive."

Lin Sen didn't return to his seat but leaned against the side of the desk, seemingly indifferent to Tapia's "impressive" evaluation. He asked, "Feasible?"

"Difficult!" Tapia shook his head.

Lin Sen smiled but didn't speak, waiting for Tapia to continue. And Tapia didn't keep him waiting long, continuing, "To put it simply, the requirements for the players are too high."

"Does that mean it's not a tactical issue?"

"Of course not. Tactics are only about adaptability."

"Go on."

Lin Sen took out several magnets from a drawer, walked to the tactical board, and placed them one by one.

Tapia also stood up.

Lin Sen arranged the magnets according to the 4-2-3-1 formation he planned for the new season, and each magnet had a label with a player's name.

Tapia looked at the names and asked, somewhat surprised, "This is... the starting lineup?"

"The starting lineup needs to be determined in the game. But yes, if there are no surprises, this is at least my starting lineup in mind."

Tapia nodded and watched quietly as Lin Sen placed the magnets on the board. When Lin Sen finished and leaned against the desk, Tapia walked to the board.

"First, the 4-2-3-1 defensive counter-attack. According to your plan, the entire team must participate in defense. I agree with this idea, but I think it might be risky for the current team. Last season, Malaga successfully upgraded despite poor defense, largely due to the free play of the front three. If we force defensive tasks on the attacking players, I'm afraid it will backfire. Second, I summarized the key points of your tactical plan: simplicity, high pressure, and speed. Any of these, besides physical fitness, requires a very high level of tactical execution from the players. Frankly, I don't think the current Malaga has any advantage in this area."

At this point, Tapia paused, then pointed to several points on the board, saying, "Finally, in your 4-2-3-1, these points are crucial, forming the foundation of the tactics. One is the center-back, one is the transition core, one is the number 10, and one is the forward. According to the lineup on the board, except for the transition core, Gabi, who might be able to handle it, I don't think the other players can fully meet your tactical requirements at these points."

Was it a sharp insight or a ruthless critique?

Looking at Tapia's calm gaze, Lin Sen felt both surprised and delighted.

He was surprised that Tapia had almost succinctly pointed out the key points of his tactics and the current Malaga's adaptation. He was delighted that his decision not to reject Tapia as his assistant coach was correct. Tapia, like many old coaches, had rich experience and solid tactical knowledge. More importantly, Tapia didn't seem to have the stubbornness that many old coaches had. If Tapia was willing to help, Lin Sen could save a lot of trouble. Of course, the premise was that Lin Sen had to convince Tapia.

"Besides, I must point out one more thing: I really don't see this starting lineup working." Before Lin Sen could respond, Tapia added.

Not see it working? That's right.

Lin Sen smiled inwardly. For now, Malaga fans would be lucky to recognize all the names in this lineup, let alone see it working.

Thinking of this, Lin Sen subconsciously glanced at the board again, where the eleven names were quietly placed.

---

PS: Sorry, I've been a bit out of it these past two days. Two updates tomorrow.