It feels like there are problems everywhere… I don't even know where to begin."
After watching the simulated match, Zhao Zhao sighed.
Playing an attacking game against Manchester City at Etihad Stadium was indeed a very unwise choice, and a 0-4 score wasn't too surprising.
But to be honest, over the years, the only one who could go toe-to-toe with Guardiola's team without falling behind was probably Klopp, right?
At this moment, the following text prompt appeared on the system panel:
"Your simulated match was lost. You can receive one week of coaching knowledge training. This time, the instructor will be Mourinho."
"Oh, it's Mourinho again? It seems like it's just what I need!" Zhao Zhao raised an eyebrow.
Previously, he had learned some good psychological tactics from Mourinho and used them to defeat Mourinho himself.
This time, if he could learn some defensive tactics from him, it would obviously be of great help in dealing with Manchester City.
You know, although Mourinho's teams have always been criticized for not playing attractive football, when it comes to defensive counter-attacks or even parking the bus, there's probably no one in this world who has more experience than he!
"Mourinho has shared basic defensive positioning and movement methods with you. Players will learn how to adjust their defensive positions according to the opponent's attacking style, and maintain the compactness and balance of the defensive line through continuous movement and rotation."
"You have learned collective defensive strategies. Mourinho emphasizes the team defending as a whole, including how to effectively press, tackle, and quickly fall back to organize defense after losing possession."
"Mourinho has guided you through some defensive transition training. You have also simulated offensive and defensive transition scenarios in matches, allowing players to practice how to quickly transition to a defensive state when the opponent counter-attacks quickly, and how to use defensive traps and offside traps to regain possession."
"You have gained some understanding of Mourinho's defensive tactics."
"So, I'll try to use Mourinho's defense to counter Guardiola's possession-based tactics?" Zhao Zhao nodded lightly.
He now had some preliminary understanding of Mourinho's defense, and it indeed needed to be tested in "actual combat."
As for the current Sunderland players, they were already a weak team in the Premier League, and they often played defensive tactics whether under David Moyes or other coaches, so they should adapt quickly.
"Let's try one match and see the effect first," Zhao Zhao thought. "If it's acceptable, then the next training can focus on this aspect, consolidating and improving defensive details, and then looking for opportunities to counter-attack."
"You deployed a 5-4-1 defensive formation, with O'Shea, Kone, and Lescott forming the three central defenders. You also required the players to prioritize defense strategically, and not commit too many players unless there was a particularly good opportunity."
"After the match began, Manchester City quickly controlled the rhythm of the game, frequently putting pressure on Sunderland's defense. Sunderland, however, resolutely executed their defensive tactics, with the entire team retreating to their own half, forming a compact defensive system."
"In the 20th minute of the first half, Manchester City's attack finally paid off. De Bruyne's precise long pass from the middle found Sterling on the left wing. Sterling used his speed to break through Sunderland's defense, then crossed into the penalty area. Gabriel Jesus, despite interference from the opposing defender, cleverly back-heeled the ball into the net, giving Manchester City a 1-0 lead."
"Sunderland did not panic after conceding and continued to maintain a tight defense, attempting to find opportunities through counter-attacks. However, Manchester City's ball control and passing ability made it difficult for Sunderland to organize effective attacks."
"In the second half, Manchester City continued their offensive. In the 65th minute, Manchester City's core De Bruyne received a pass at the edge of the penalty area, cleverly turned to shake off the defender, and then unleashed a long-range shot. The ball flew like a cannonball into the top right corner of the goal, extending Manchester City's lead to 2-0."
"You brought on attacking players in the final stages of the match to try and strengthen the offense. But Manchester City steadily controlled the ball, not giving Sunderland many opportunities. In the end, Manchester City won the match 2-0."
"Match simulation ended. Current simulation points: 5."
"Hmm, this match was much better," Zhao Zhao smiled.
Although they still lost, the score had changed from 0-4 to 0-2.
More importantly, from what he saw in this simulated match, although Manchester City's team coordination advantage was still evident, Sunderland's resilience and organization when facing a strong team were also good.
Sunderland's defensive tactics, to some extent, limited Manchester City's offense. It was just that Manchester City's star players were simply too strong; one moment of brilliance could decide a goal.
The first goal was orchestrated by De Bruyne with his superb vision and passing ability, then Sterling broke through and crossed, and Gabriel Jesus scored with a difficult shot;
The second was even more typical, with De Bruyne, through a solo effort, directly scoring a world-class goal to extend the lead.
"This shows that using defensive counter-attack tactics against Manchester City is meaningful. The next step is to consider how to suppress the performance of these star players," Zhao Zhao gained confidence.
At least it was much better than the desperate feeling of playing an attacking game against them in the first match.
Now there was a correct direction to strive for!
Then, the system's prompts further provided Zhao Zhao with more sufficient theoretical support.
"Your simulated match was lost. You can receive one week of coaching knowledge training. This time, the instructor will be Mourinho."
"You have followed Mourinho to deeply learn how to adjust defensive strategies when facing different attacking tactics, including how to deal with high pressing, quick transition attacks, and breaking down the opponent's set-piece tactics."
"Mourinho taught you to analyze the opponent's attacking patterns and player habits, training players to anticipate match situations in advance, and improve their ability to intercept and tackle at critical moments."
"Mourinho emphasized the importance of blocking space when off the ball, especially how to keep the midfield and defense flat in a low block, not giving the opponent's star players too much space."
"You have gained a deeper understanding of Mourinho's defensive tactics."
"OK, that's what I'll do," Zhao Zhao made up his mind.
He would train well for a week with this tactical approach, and then conduct the final simulation before the match to achieve the best and most accurate simulation results.
The most terrifying thing in this world is not that you don't work hard, but that you work hard in the wrong direction!
Now with the help of the simulator system, such things are less likely to happen.
Although Zhao Zhao hasn't truly defeated Manchester City yet, as long as the direction is right and he continues to work hard in that direction, there will always be a time when the clouds part and the sun shines through!
Thinking of this, Zhao Zhao called out to Breswell:
"Come on, gather all the coaching staff. We need to formulate a new training plan!"