From Arsenal, Forge the Path to Football God

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"Sheffield Sacks Kevin Blackwell! English Football Living Legend Gary Speed Takes Over!" —— FourFourTwo (UK)

"Gary Speed is about to embark on his first managerial career, notably, he is also a registered player for the team he will be coaching, Sheffield United." —— The Guardian

"After three rounds of the new season, Sheffield United has only managed to secure 3 points. Gary Speed's primary pressure is to complete the task of avoiding relegation!" —— Sky Sports

"Arsenal's two young talents performed excellently in their debut in the second round of the league. With the new manager taking charge, they may immediately become Gary Speed's core players and secure their starting positions!" —— The Sheffield Star

The next day, the news of Kevin's dismissal and Gary Speed's appointment caused quite a stir throughout English Football.

Most British fans were very familiar with Gary Speed and were eagerly looking forward to his first step into coaching after retiring.

"Speed's personality is very suitable for coaching. He has just stepped down from the pitch, and now he's returning in a different capacity, which is a good thing."

"Hasn't he already been an assistant coach for some time?"

"Is that the same? Did you pay attention when he was an assistant coach? It's only now that he's taken over as the head coach that people are starting to pay attention to him again."

"I've been searching for his news all along."

One could say that this legendary figure, who began his career as a prodigy in 1988, has always had a significant following in English football.

His appointment will certainly attract more attention to Sheffield United, this storied club, affecting every aspect of the team, all the way down to each player.

While neutral fans were discussing Gary Speed, Sheffield United's own fans were more concerned about the team's future performance and Gary Speed's use of personnel.

"Even though the nickname 'Blades' didn't originally refer to the team's sharpness, "it has survived to this day, symbolizing the team's style of play, which is attack!"

"Agreed! Including the EFL Cup, the team has scored 3 goals and conceded 8 in four matches this season!

"Let's not talk about the goals conceded for now, but this level of offensive firepower is truly disheartening."

"Change the formation! Shuffle the lineup and replace those who are just going through the motions!"

"Many people, like me, are looking forward to those two talented Arsenal youngsters, but I don't understand why Kevin didn't give them any playing time in the third round of the league?"

"No need to rush, check out the news from The Sheffield Star, which, to some extent, represents the official stance of the club."

"I hope so, those two kids left a strong impression, and I'm looking forward to seeing them in this week's home game."

Maël and Gilbert's names were mentioned again, their impressive performance in the last league match had left a deep impression.

This kind of recognition is indelible, and they have already won the favor of many fans.

August 27, one day before the fourth round of the English Football League (EFL) Championship.

On the training ground, Maël finished his morning training and headed to the team cafeteria for lunch.

Tomorrow would be his first home game with Sheffield United, and he didn't push himself too hard today to ensure his body was in good condition.

[Skill: Sprinting Level 1]

[Proficiency: (42/300)]

[Skill: Balance Level 1]

[Proficiency: (31/300)]

The skills for speed and coordination had been unlocked, and the initial names of these physical skills had a somewhat 'useless' feel, but it didn't matter.

"Level 1 skills improve proficiency very quickly."

Maël did a quick calculation and felt confident, "By mid-month, both skills should reach Level 2."

The new skill training over the past few days had gradually made him feel a bit numb, especially after strength training.

Every time he felt this way, he wanted to add a technical skill to make the training more interesting.

Although all training is tedious, there are different levels of tedium, and one must learn to find joy in the struggle.

If not for his strong adaptability, he would have given up long ago; this life was no life at all.

After much thought, Maël decided to focus on improving his long-range shooting ability, aiming to enhance his immediate combat effectiveness.

He planned to train in three areas!

He aimed to reach Level 3 in both physical skills and Level 4 in long-range shooting by the time the two physical skills reached Level 3, truly giving himself a standout feature!

At that point, the boost in combat effectiveness might make him feel like a new person.

"Fan count has surpassed 3,000."

During lunch, Maël took a moment to check his Facebook and noticed that his recent follower count had increased significantly, likely due to Gary Speed's appointment.

He then opened his private messages and saw a variety of comments.

There were encouraging and praising messages, inquiries about why he didn't play in the last league match, questions about internal team conflicts, requests for addresses to send artistic photos, and even an endorsement offer from a local Sheffield fan pub.

"An endorsement offer?"

This piqued Maël's interest. He browsed through the private messages, wondering why he had received such an invitation after just one appearance.

Slap!

He suddenly slapped his forehead, closed the artistic photo section, and opened the endorsement offer.

It seemed they were inviting him to provide some signed photos, signed scarves, and to sign some suitable bottles and glasses, and to post on Facebook to invite fans to participate in the event.

The post-tax compensation was £2,000, and the pub would handle the taxes.

"Not bad."

Maël didn't mind the small amount and planned to check it out after the next round of the league. This was his first such endorsement offer.

In the evening, in the meeting room at the training base.

Gary Speed stood in front of a tactical board, laying out the tactics and preparing to announce the starting lineup.

He had a good relationship with the players and didn't need to announce the lineup and starters via text message like Kevin did; he could do it on the spot.

"Directly using a 4-4-2 formation, this is a bold attempt."

Gary Speed fiddled with the pieces on the tactical board and explained, "But we must make changes; there's no time to adapt.

"Like in recent training sessions, when we attack, our formation will be the traditional English 4-4-2. However, when defending, I need one forward to drop back to the midfield line and one midfielder to drop back to the defensive midfield position.

"This is a more basic defensive formation, 4-1-4-1, which can prevent the 4-4-2 formation from being understaffed in the central midfield."

Maël and Gilbert sat together, their eyes clear and focused. This style of play was indeed more traditional and balanced, a favorite among English coaches.

There was nothing wrong with it; formations themselves have no clear strengths or weaknesses; what matters is suitability.

A team's fighting spirit, the players' tactical and technical levels, individual abilities, and the coach's ability to make adjustments and analyze opponents are the key factors in a match.

"Starting lineup."

After explaining some arrangements, Gary Speed glanced at the players and picked up a pen, writing names on the tactical board. "Forwards: Evans, Bolodanovich."

The second name caused a small stir in the meeting room.

Bolodanovich, a tall striker, had never been used before.

It seemed Gary Speed was really planning a major reshuffle.

"Left winger..."

At this point, he called out another position, causing many to look at him with nervous anticipation.

Whether he would use Maël or Mark Yates would determine some of Gary Speed's resolve and stance.

"Maël!"

Gary Speed wrote the name down without hesitation, then continued, "Midfielders: Janu Hans, Gilbert, right winger: Ward."

All starters!

Maël and Gilbert's expressions brightened, and their legs bumped lightly under the table. They were finally entering a new era.

Evans and Janu Hans, among others, also looked at them with congratulatory gazes, seemingly pleased with the situation, showing their sense of the bigger picture.

"Defenders from left to right: Calvey, Steven, Chris Morgan, Lorton. Goalkeeper: Robert."

After reading out the entire lineup, Gary Speed closed the tactical board, revealing the names of the seven substitutes on the back. "Tomorrow evening, against Preston North End, I expect you to secure a victory and end the opening month on a high note!

"Boys, let's do it!!"

"Come on! Let's do it!!" The meeting room erupted in cheers, with many clapping, and the team's morale clearly rose.