Starting With Real Madrid

The day after Napoli's 2-1 comeback victory against Juventus, the team held a post-match analysis meeting. After completing recovery training in the morning, the entire squad gathered to review and discuss the key takeaways from the Juventus match.

The reviews from the media were mixed.

Many outlets praised both Napoli and Juventus for playing a solid half each, while others pointed out that Napoli had certain weaknesses, particularly in defense.

The right flank was an area of concern. Both Jerge Garrick and Grava had struggled in that position. Juventus had attempted to exploit that weakness in a previous match without success, but this time Del Piero managed to make an impact from that side.

This has led many pundits to suggest that Napoli should prioritize signing a high-quality right-back as soon as possible.

It's easier said than done.

With Napoli still competing in Serie B, it was difficult to attract top-tier talent, especially when you consider the financial implications. Spending millions of euros on a right-back in the current situation would be a tough call for the club.

Sacchi, in his column, pointed out Napoli's first-half issues and subtly warned Gao Shen that Napoli's biggest enemy right now might be themselves.

Sacchi, a seasoned veteran of the game, could clearly see that Napoli's first-half approach was too reckless.

Sacchi also brought up another long-standing issue: the positioning of the double midfield pivot.

Del Piero's goal in the first half was partly due to a defensive error on Napoli's right flank, but it was also compounded by Rakitic's failure to track back in time. Neither of Napoli's double pivots were traditional defensive midfielders.

Biglia was originally an organizing midfielder, while Rakitic had been an attacking midfielder. Neither of them had a background in defensive midfield, but Gao Shen had adapted them to this role in Napoli's system. 

While they performed well most of the time, the game against Juventus exposed some of the risks of playing two non-traditional defensive midfielders in the heart of the team. Rakitic, in particular, was often too high up the pitch and wasn't able to support the defense when needed.

Another factor was Napoli's tactical system of high pressing.

From Pellè up front to Bonucci at the back, Napoli's formation was always compressed, with the distance between the lines controlled to about 25-30 meters. This compact setup worked well for their high pressing, but it also demanded a lot from the midfielders, particularly in terms of covering space.

While this setup allowed the technical midfielders like Rakitic more room to operate, it also left the defense vulnerable if the midfielders didn't track back in time.

For instance, Rakitic's ability to fire long shots from range was an asset, but it also meant he needed to balance when to move forward and when to return to help defensively. It placed a huge tactical burden on both him and Biglia.

Expecting players to develop such positional awareness and tactical discipline in just a few months was asking a lot.

Gao Shen had also brought in Vidal, who had been a center-back but was now transitioning to a midfield role. Expecting him, or any of the midfielders, to adjust to new roles and perform flawlessly in such a short time was a tall order.

Positional sense knowing where to be and what to do at any given moment is one of the most critical aspects of modern football. It's easy to say, but very difficult to master.

Players don't have the luxury of watching the game with a bird's-eye view, as the fans or commentators do. They are in the thick of the action, making real-time decisions without a clear view of the entire field, except for some players with the rare ability to percept the whole field, even still players like that could only be counted with one hand.

Napoli was doing well, all things considered.

Since Gao Shen had taken over, he had implemented Sacchi's shadow training method, which helped maintain the team's shape and tactical discipline. But some things simply take time to develop, and no amount of training can make them happen overnight.

...

At the post-match analysis meeting, Gao Shen once again took full responsibility for the team's shortcomings in the game.

He acknowledged that he had made errors in his tactical setup but didn't dwell on them.

It was the same approach he took with his players, like Ramos and David Luiz. If they made mistakes, there was no point in obsessing over them. The key was to learn and move forward. Dwelling on the past, or giving up after one mistake, was a recipe for failure.

Gao Shen instructed the coaching staff to come up with a targeted training plan to address the issues that had come up during the match.

For example, defensive coordination on the right side.

Juventus had used a classic play: cutting inside from the left and shooting on goal. It's a common enough tactic, and it can be countered as long as the midfielders track back quickly to cover the space and block the inside lanes.

Still, Gao Shen ordered the coaching staff to set up specific training sessions to focus on defensive coordination, particularly for Rakitic and Biglia. 

Gao Shen also brought up another crucial topic: pressing.

Many fans and even some players mistakenly believe that pressing is just about running hard and trying to win the ball back.

But in reality, there are many different types of pressing, each with a specific tactical purpose.

Pressing isn't just about winning the ball.

Sure, there is the type of pressing where the goal is to win the ball back as quickly as possible. For instance, Gao Shen's Napoli had a system where they tried to regain possession within five seconds of losing the ball. If they couldn't recover it within that time, they immediately dropped back into a defensive shape.

Sound familiar?

Yes, this was a key element of Guardiola's Barcelona team, which in turn had borrowed it from Van Gaal's Ajax.

The five-second press requires a coordinated effort, with every player on the field pressing together. Other types of pressing, however, serve different purposes.

Some pressing is about delaying the opposition, allowing the team time to reorganize defensively. Other times, pressing is a means to shift the team's formation to cover more ground effectively.

Sometimes, pressing is simply a way to slow the tempo of the game, giving the players a chance to catch their breath. It's a subtle tactic, but an important one no team can maintain a high tempo for the full 90 minutes.

Napoli's players were still learning when to press intensely and when to ease off. Sometimes, they pressed too aggressively, chasing the ball when they didn't need to, leaving themselves out of position.

Gao Shen emphasized to his players that football today requires more than just physical effort it requires mental effort too.

"It's no longer enough to just run hard and work yourself to exhaustion. Modern football demands constant observation. You must always be aware of where you are on the field, where your teammates are, where the opposition is, and where the ball is."

"Our pressing isn't just about getting the ball back. In fact, winning the ball isn't even the main objective. We want to put pressure on the opposition, disrupt their confidence, and make them uncomfortable."

"When we dictate the rhythm of the game, we grow in confidence. That's when we can beat teams like Juventus 5-0. But if the opponent controls the rhythm, then they grow in confidence, and we'll become weaker."

"Our pressing is about breaking their rhythm and forcing them to play our game."

"That's the true purpose of our pressing!"

Winning the ball is only one part of the equation.

Gao Shen repeatedly urged his players to think more, to observe more. Only then would they fully understand his tactical philosophy and its purpose.

Football is too fast-paced for Gao Shen to instruct his players on every little detail. They needed to be adaptable and make decisions based on what they saw in the moment.

This is what Valdano meant when he said a coach's mind is no match for the combined intelligence of the eleven players on the pitch.

...

Guardiola sat quietly in the corner of the room.

At first, he was taking notes diligently. But as Gao Shen continued speaking, he became so absorbed in the conversation that he stopped writing altogether.

Some of what Gao Shen was saying, Guardiola already knew. Other points were new to him, but they all made perfect sense the more he thought about them.

In Spain, many people said that Gao Shen had learned from Benítez. Gao Shen himself had admitted this, but after hearing him speak, Guardiola realized that this wasn't entirely true.

Even if Gao Shen had taken inspiration from Benítez, his philosophy was something else entirely.

Benítez was known for saying, "Give me eleven robots, and I will be invincible."

What he meant was that players didn't need to think for themselves. They just needed to follow his instructions precisely.

But Gao Shen's approach was the opposite. He encouraged players to think critically and independently on the field.

This reminded Guardiola of Johan Cruyff.

Cruyff had been a master at teaching players to think for themselves. He didn't just show players how to play football; he explained why they needed to play a certain way.

It was a challenging but incredibly rewarding process.

Many of Barcelona's players from the "Dream Team" era, including Guardiola himself, were heavily influenced by Cruyff's approach, both as players and later as coaches.

As Guardiola sat there listening, he couldn't help but think: Is Gao Shen really only twenty-six years old?

Or was he truly, as people had begun to say, a once-in-a-generation coaching prodigy?