Su Hang nodded and pulled up some data on his phone. "It's not about holding Robinho back on purpose. He's flashy, sure—but his efficiency is actually pretty low…"
"Good!" Capello immediately agreed. "That's an excellent suggestion! We'll do it your way!"
Nailed it.
And what was Capello's biggest trait?
Pragmatism.
It's not that he disliked stylish football, but he cared far more about efficiency and results.
The moment he realized Robinho's efficiency wasn't even on par with Barcelona's young Messi, there was no way he would make Robinho the centerpiece of Real Madrid's attack again.
And Su Hang, honestly, had no desire to see Robinho take on that responsibility either.
For one thing, someone else would eventually fill that core role.
For another, if a player with a limited ceiling becomes the focal point, it caps the entire team's ceiling along with him.
Wingers who play with flair often look like superstars.
But the number of wingers who can actually carry a team is very, very small.
Run your attack through Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, or Neymar and you get one reality; make Taison, Rafinha, or Malcom your offensive engine and you may get similar highlight reels—but the results are worlds apart.
Robinho arrived at Real Madrid with superstar hype, but his best role at the club was really that of a "non-core explosive winger" and "frontline utility substitute."
Maybe the current Robinho couldn't accept that yet, but it summed up his entire career.
...
Before long, Real Madrid's 4-3-3 began to take shape:
Su Hang, Van Nistelrooy, Raúl
Emerson, Diarra, Beckham
Roberto Carlos, Cannavaro, Ramos, Cicinho
Casillas
=
Robinho, Cassano, Reyes, Guti, Helguera, Salgado, Kompany, and others served as the main substitutes.
Reyes ranked lower in the substitution priority.
Real Madrid's midfield depth was a bit thin, but Capello preferred quality over quantity and refused to use the tiny Modrić.
Kompany, thanks to his height, forced his way into the rotation, and Capello was more than willing to give him chances.
A new coach, new teammates, new tactics—everything required time to mesh.
And in that process, the honeymoon between Su Hang and Capello abruptly ended.
The issue, once again, was Capello's pragmatism. He wanted the team to fully embrace his "1–0 philosophy."
But Real Madrid's DNA had always contained one word: dominance.
A 1–0 victory simply wasn't Real Madrid's style.
Su Hang kept urging teammates to stay on the attack even after taking the lead, and Capello criticized him for it after matches.
Neither could convince the other.
Eventually, though, they reached an agreement.
Capello said, "Su, when we go up 1–0, if you still want to attack, I'll give you the green light. But everyone else must put defense first."
Su Hang agreed.
Given Real Madrid's current defensive level, they really did need more bodies committed at the back.
Even with defensive reinforcements this season—and solid ones at that—Real Madrid had neglected defensive foundations for too long. They couldn't fix years of problems in a single summer.
Sharp-eyed fans might have already noticed something strange about this Real Madrid squad.
Yes—Ronaldo was gone.
And the fallout had nearly shattered the relationship between Ronaldo and the club.
The London Globe: "Breaking news! Ronaldo completes surgery; four months of recovery mean he won't play for Real Madrid before December!"
Marca: "Real Madrid board furious! Calderón publicly declares Ronaldo no longer suits the club!"
AS: "Ronaldo's agent looking for a new destination. R9 considering departure! Su Hang's emergence means Real Madrid no longer needs Ronaldo!"
Bild: "Real Madrid debating whether to register Ronaldo for the Champions League! Doing so would severely hinder a possible transfer."
Sport: "Capello says this Real Madrid squad is in great form and doesn't need the alien's help."
Mundo Deportivo: "Main striker injured, midfield lacks qualified cover, backline without strong anchors—Real Madrid entering the new season already showing decline!"
Ronaldo's situation made Real Madrid look full of holes.
Many organizations lowered their expectations for the club's season.
Some outlets even predicted Real Madrid would finish with zero trophies and that the Su Hang bubble would burst—claiming all the brands that invested heavily in him this summer were bound to lose big.
Investing in Ronaldinho or Messi, they said, would have been the correct move.
Clearly, this outlet was from Catalonia.
Meanwhile, professional evaluators gave Real Madrid's transfer window an average score of 75. Compared to several clubs scoring in the 90s, Real Madrid's biggest criticism was their lack of a true midfield core.
The industry widely doubted the decision to turn defensive midfielder Emerson into the team's central playmaker.
Naturally, all this stirred nerves among advertisers.
After his surgery, Ronaldo refused to appear in Real Madrid's advertisements, citing rest.
Several sponsors demanded compensation from Calderón.
And the club's main sponsor argued that Real Madrid's most iconic jersey number shouldn't disappear for half a season.
Advertising pressure, kit-sales pressure, brand-image pressure, season-confidence pressure—they all piled up and converged on one person.
Calderón invited Su Hang to Princess Leonor's birthday celebration and delivered the sponsors' collective message.
Calderón said, "Su, everyone wants you to wear the number 9 jersey!"
Su Hang waved his hands over and over, insisting he would never take a teammate's number.
But the next day, Calderón had the whole story leaked.
Marca: "Real Madrid executives want Su Hang to receive greater respect and hope he wears the number 9 jersey vacated due to Ronaldo's injury!"
The moment the report came out, fans exploded with reactions.
"Hah! Proof Su Hang is a locker-room dictator! Only his second year as captain and he's already bullying teammates for their jersey numbers!"
"When Ronaldo arrived, he didn't demand Morientes' number 9. Su Hang really has wolfish ambition!"
"Oh please. Did Su Hang cause Ronaldo's injury? Good thing Spain and Brazil didn't meet this year, or people would blame him for that too."
"Ronaldo didn't put the club first. Playing injured at the World Cup was outrageous. Reports said there were already calcified fragments in his knee!"
"Based on performances alone, Su Hang fully deserves the number 9! Anyone calling it 'stealing'—have you even looked at the numbers he's worn in recent seasons?"
"Su chose the number 23 for the national team—would he really fight over number 9?"
"Ronaldo clearly won't play for Real Madrid anymore. If he doesn't leave now, he'll probably leave in winter. Instead of wasting such an important number, giving it to Su Hang early makes perfect sense."
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser