As Ben White had predicted, doubts finally emerged after the second warm-up match.
Sunderland's opponent this time was still an EFL Championship team, and it was Nottingham Forest, a team slightly weaker than Wolves.
As Coach Zhao mentioned in his previous speech, although Nottingham Forest was a two-time Champions League winner, its current weakness meant that even in the EFL Championship, its main goal was often to avoid relegation.
Last season, they even finished 21st!
Because there are 24 teams in the EFL Championship, they were able to avoid relegation by finishing fourth from the bottom.
But even against such a team, Sunderland did not play smoothly.
Facing Nottingham Forest, Sunderland, as a Premier League team, looked like the stronger side, so Nottingham Forest immediately adopted a defensive counter-attacking stance, which made it a bit difficult for Sunderland's young players.
Although Coach Zhao later brought on veterans like Defoe, Khazri, and Cattermole, they still couldn't break through Nottingham Forest's goal.
Finally, in the 89th minute of the match, it was Nottingham Forest's young central defender Joe Worrall who scored with a header, breaking Sunderland's goal.
Another 0:1, Sunderland lost again!
Most Sunderland fans could accept such a loss, believing that such warm-up matches were for integrating the squad;
But some fans had already started to voice their dissatisfaction.
Of course, they weren't criticizing Coach Zhao's leadership – after all, Coach Zhao's ability was evident to everyone last season;
The doubts were mainly directed at the club's summer transfer window signings.
"Can these young lads really play in the Premier League? It feels like they're struggling even against EFL Championship teams?"
"Yeah. I think the signings of Robertson and Zabaleta are very good, including defensive midfielder Rodri, but other positions really don't feel up to par."
"Are the players in the front too young? All under 18! Haven't they fully developed yet?"
"Those from Manchester City are fine, after all, they're from a top club's youth academy. But that big lanky guy up front, what's his name, Haaland, he probably can't even get a starting spot in the Norwegian League? What's the use of that?"
"Forget it, among these players, not even a few have played in the top five European Leagues! I really don't know what Coach Zhao is thinking..."
"I feel like he got a bit carried away after leading the team to avoid relegation last season, and he just splurged the transfer funds the owner gave him, it's a bit reckless!"
"Exactly, how can you rely on a bunch of kids to avoid relegation! There's a rumor that he even boasted about making it into European competitions, it's really laughable."
"Sigh, if this continues, I feel like we're in trouble this season. The Premier League spot we worked so hard to keep might be given away again soon..."
Including some media newspapers, they also had concerns.
They pointed out in their articles that Coach Zhao buying so many young players might be looking to the future, allowing the club to at least increase its value in terms of players.
But the problem is, Sunderland is not like big clubs; they don't have room for error.
Why do most relegation-threatened teams often buy "mature men" around 30 years old?
It's because they have rich game experience and can cope with the immense pressure brought by the relegation battle.
And while youth represents potential, it also means immaturity, instability, and unreliability.
Could it be that Coach Zhao wants to replicate Ferguson's Class of '92, letting a bunch of young lads conquer the world?
That's too outrageous.
Can the Class of '92 be replicated so easily?
Giggs, Beckham, Scholes... those were all genius players.
How can the people you, Coach Zhao, brought in be compared to them?
"Zhao Zhao invested 50 million euros in the transfer market this summer, which is already a significant expenditure in the Premier League."
"His ambition for the new season is understandable, but currently, apart from the experienced Zabaleta, the acquired players lack more individuals who can immediately make an impact on the team, and the two consecutive losses in friendly matches also prove this point."
"Sunderland club owner Mr. Short has given Coach Zhao enough power to manage the team, but it seems that blindly choosing young players like this is not wise."
"If these young players cannot fill the void left by the departure of key players, then Sunderland's strength this year will decrease instead of increase, and its prospects in the League will be precarious."
"This is, after all, only Coach Zhao's first full season as Coach. He may pay a heavy price in the highly competitive Premier League for these immature signings he personally orchestrated!"
Many media outlets held similar views, beginning to express concern about Coach Zhao's prospects at Sunderland.
They were not questioning Coach Zhao's coaching ability; they were just wondering if he had become a bit overconfident after gaining so much power at Sunderland.
"I heard that Coach Zhao didn't use the team's scouting system at all, and instead acquired players based on his own list."
"This is clearly very unprofessional. You are a team's Coach, and naturally you have your own judgment standards, but how can you be more accurate than scouts who specialize in observing players and determining their abilities and potential?"
"We all know that Coach Zhao is a very confident Coach, but being overly confident is tantamount to arrogance."
"He bought so many young players right away, it's impossible that he didn't misjudge any of them, right? Do you think you've traveled back from the future??? "
However, amidst such widespread skepticism, the local Sunderland Echo still expressed its support for Coach Zhao.
They believed that two warm-up match losses could not indicate too many problems.
Coach Zhao needed time to integrate the team, and young players also needed time to adapt to high-intensity matches.
Moreover, although Coach Zhao suddenly brought in several young players, the overall age structure of the team was still very reasonable.
In the current first-team squad, there are only two players over 30: the new captain Defoe, and the Argentine veteran Zabaleta.
Then there's a group of middle-generation players, aged between 25-29, such as Borini, Khazri, Cattermole, Kone, Oviedo, Billy Jones, etc., who were also basically all starting players last season.
Next are the young players who have already played two or three seasons in the top five European Leagues and can shoulder heavy responsibilities.
Just like the homegrown Pickford, 23, and also Robertson, 23, Rodri, 21, McNair, 22...
Finally, there are the young lads under 20.
In other words, although the team let go of many veterans, it still maintained a good number of players in each age group, which allows for a system where veterans guide new players and pass on their experience within the team.
In other words, Coach Zhao could field a starting lineup with an average age of under 20, and he could also field an 11-man squad composed entirely of mature players.
As for the losses in the first two matches, it was simply that he wanted to see the performance of the young players more in the warm-up matches, giving them more playing time.
The Sunderland Echo's view also received support from many fans.
And the two different viewpoints clashed fiercely online, bringing unprecedented attention to Sunderland this season.
Will the Chinese Coach who miraculously saved the team from relegation last season suffer a Waterloo in the new season?
Can Coach Zhao's newly formed youth army truly succeed in the Premier League?
Are Coach Zhao's recent bold statements just the ravings of a madman?
These are all topics of concern to everyone.
And it was under such scrutiny that Sunderland welcomed a new round of warm-up opponents.
Luton Town, Cambridge United, York City...
This time it was different from Wolves and Nottingham Forest; two League Two teams, and even one semi-professional team from the sixth-tier League!
And Sunderland defeated all their opponents.
Such victories, of course, couldn't silence those who doubted them, after all, what's there to brag about when a Premier League team beats these lower-League teams?
But Coach Zhao simply didn't care what the outside world was saying.
He naturally had his own process.
Starting with relatively strong EFL Championship teams allowed the new young players to experience the intensity.
After losing, it could make them realize their shortcomings and train even harder.
But constantly losing wouldn't do; it would dampen the morale of the young players.
So, he arranged weaker opponents for them to easily defeat, boosting morale while also practicing attacking strategies.
And the final warm-up match arranged by Coach Zhao was against Espanyol from La Liga.
This was also a Chinese-owned club, so arranging the match was very smooth.
Who wouldn't want to be associated with Coach Zhao, China's top Coach, now?
Even Chinese-owned teams like Wolves and Espanyol had actually considered Coach Zhao when choosing a Coach, as this would greatly enhance their influence in the Chinese market.
However, Coach Zhao had already stated early on that he would stay at Sunderland, so they gave up on the idea.
And the reason Coach Zhao chose a relatively strong team like Espanyol was to truly test the team under actual match standards before the official season began.
Don't get so used to beating weak teams that you forget the level of normal opponents!
And in this match, Coach Zhao's starting lineup was as follows:
Goalkeeper: Pickford.
Defenders: Robertson, Ruben Dias, Kone, Zabaleta.
Defensive Midfielders: Cattermole, Rodri.
Attacking Midfielders: Sancho, Khazri, Borini.
Forward: Defoe.
This was actually the most ideal lineup combination at the moment.
Each line had experienced players in their prime leading the way, so they wouldn't be overly excited—or rather, overly emotional—like the purely young players in the first match.
And once these players stabilized the game, bringing on young players to push forward would have even more training value.
Sunderland played very well in this match.
Facing Espanyol, who finished eighth in La Liga last season, Sunderland was not at a disadvantage either in terms of play or score, ultimately drawing 1:1 with their opponent.
Espanyol broke Pickford's goal in the 56th minute with a long-range shot from forward Baptistão;
Sunderland returned the favor ten minutes later when Sancho broke through on the wing and crossed, allowing Captain Defoe to easily tap in.
Such a result left even the detractors with little to criticize.
After all, for them, Sunderland was just a team focused on avoiding relegation, so a draw with a mid-table Spanish team was perfectly acceptable.
And with that, Sunderland's series of preseason warm-up matches concluded.
Coach Zhao, of course, still didn't care about the results of the warm-up matches.
His main focus was testing tactical effectiveness during the games, especially which players were suitable for which positions, and which players could better execute his tactical intentions.
In particular, he paid close attention to how new players and old players could best be paired, and which players had better chemistry on the field.
Judging by the current new players, on the defensive line, Robertson and Zabaleta were essentially plug-and-play, securing their two starting positions without a doubt.
At center-back, Ruben Dias was very reliable, while the slightly younger Ben White was a bit too rash.
So, Coach Zhao decided to pair Ruben Dias with the physically stronger Cote d'Ivoire center-back Kone for now.
Kone's weaknesses were his poor technique and passing ability, while Ruben Dias had excellent passing, making them a good complement to each other.
The situation was similar for the defensive midfielders.
Rice was still too young and was gradually adapting to the increased demand of playing as a defensive midfielder.
During this transitional period, having Vice-Captain Cattermole and the more experienced Rodri play as double defensive midfielders was clearly more beneficial for the team.
As for the forward line, similar to Coach Zhao's previous life, Sancho indeed performed the most outstandingly, securing a starting position without issue.
Brahim Díaz and Foden were still a bit green and could wait for their opportunities on the bench.
As for the center-forward position, Coach Zhao had brought in Haaland this season primarily as a substitute or a surprise weapon for special tactical needs, so the veteran Defoe would naturally play more as a starter.
Haaland's physique wasn't strong enough yet; although he had intensified his physical and heading training, and showed a 'man-eating' drive in the warm-up matches, he still needed more time to grow.
Of course, everything would ultimately be adjusted based on the opponent's situation, because all 22 players in the current first team were actually capable of playing in the Premier League!
Moreover, Coach Zhao was very satisfied with the performance of these young players during this period of training and matches!—After all, they were all talented kids, and they grew really fast!
Our esteemed sage, Mr. Lu, once said: You can't get fat with one bite.
As long as they maintain this training enthusiasm, Coach Zhao believed that in as little as one or two months, or as much as one season, some of these young players would develop significantly!
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It was now August, and the European football scene had entered a new wave of transfer frenzy.
For many wealthy clubs, they certainly didn't need to patiently wait for players to develop like Coach Zhao did.
When they saw someone they wanted, they would simply wave their money and throw it at them!
Aside from Paris Saint-Germain directly spending 400 million euros to secure Neymar and Mbappé, there were many other significant transfers.
Firstly, to fill the void left by Neymar's departure, Barça acquired French winger Dembélé from Borussia Dortmund for 105 million euros plus add-ons.
At the same time, Barça also spent 40 million euros to buy Brazilian midfielder Paulinho from China's Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao.
This also marked a first for European giants buying foreign players from the Chinese Super League, a transaction that was previously hard to imagine, but truly happened in this summer transfer window.
Then there was J-Rod, who had shone brightly in the 2014 World Cup and was bought by Real Madrid; he left Real Madrid this summer to join Bayern, now managed by his former Real Madrid Coach Ancelotti.
Of course, apart from the sudden spending spree by Paris Saint-Germain and the butterfly effect it triggered, the Premier League had the highest spending among the top five Leagues.
This was also what Coach Zhao was most concerned about, because they were all his most direct opponents!
The biggest deal in the Premier League this season happened at Manchester United, who spent 82 million euros to acquire "Little Monster" Lukaku from Everton.
He joined Chelsea at 18, was considered Drogba's successor, made a name for himself at Everton, and was now being enticed by Chelsea with a high salary again…
All signs indicated that Lukaku would return to Stamford Bridge this summer, but his ultimate destination was Manchester United, where his mentor Mourinho was now.
Chelsea's eventual signing for their forward line was Spanish striker Morata, who also cost the Blues a hefty 80 million euros in transfer fees.
Liverpool also upgraded their forward line, buying Egyptian Pharaoh Salah from Roma for 40 million euros plus add-ons, bringing him back to the Premier League.
Finally, there was Guardiola's Manchester City.
After last season's "failure," Guardiola focused his transformation efforts on the defensive line.
Nearly 60 million for left-back Mendy, 50 million for right-back Kyle Walker, 40 million for goalkeeper Ederson…
Adding Danilo, bought from Real Madrid for 30 million, center-back Stones, already bought last season, and veterans like Captain Kompany and Nicolás Otamendi, it can be said that Manchester City had completed a complete defensive upgrade this season.
In the midfield and attack, Guardiola only made one relatively important signing, which was bringing in Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva from Monaco for 50 million euros.
Paired with existing attackers like Aguero, Gabriel Jesus, De Bruyne, David Silva, Sane, Sterling… it can be said that Manchester City's attacking firepower this new season was also incredibly impressive.
"It was so hard for me to poach Sancho, Foden, and others from him, and this season they won't get much playing time at Manchester City; this Manchester City squad is truly too good."
Coach Zhao couldn't help but sigh while looking at the transfer news on his phone.
Perhaps some might say this was because Manchester City had money, allowing Guardiola to buy players freely.
But the problem was, they weren't the only ones with money!
Paris Saint-Germain spent more than him this season, shelling out 400 million for just two players, and what was the outcome?
And then there was the neighboring team in Manchester; no matter which Coach they hired, they always spent a lot of money, only to end up with a mess.
Chelsea in recent years was similar, often spending one or two hundred million on a single player, only to end up knocking themselves out of the Champions League spots.
In comparison, Manchester City's signings were basically all very reasonable.
Sometimes Coach Zhao would wonder if Guardiola also had some kind of system, or if he was also a transmigrator?
Otherwise, why would he rarely buy any duds whenever he rebuilt a team?—Just like Coach Zhao now.
Including some players who didn't have much special fame when they first arrived at Manchester City, but under Guardiola's tutelage, they would gradually become star players capable of standing on their own.
No need to mention the attacking line; forwards naturally attract attention through goals.
Just look at the defenders, like Stones, Ake, Akanji… all of them increased in value under him.
This was truly a bit magical.
And it was the same from a tactical perspective.
Guardiola's tactical philosophy and management style had a profound impact on global football; his tactical system was emulated by many Coaches, driving the globalization of football tactics.
It could even be said that the tactics of many teams now progressed in the interplay between "how to imitate the Guardiola system" and "how to defeat the Guardiola system."
How could this be achieved without a system?
"Next time we meet, I'll ask him if he also has a system like me!" Coach Zhao nodded to himself.
However, fortunately, whether Guardiola had a system or not, Coach Zhao truly did.
Through the system, Coach Zhao could also possess the world's top-tier football tactical knowledge, and even more comprehensively!
Moreover, he could also use face-to-face communication with Guardiola to make up for and correct his shortcomings in theoretical practice, achieving even greater perfection.
Therefore, Coach Zhao was also full of confidence in his future.
You, Guardiola, can create your Blue Moon dynasty by rebuilding a team, and I, Coach Zhao, can do the same!
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In a few days, the 2017-2018 new Premier League season would kick off.
Sunderland's first League match would be a home challenge against Southampton.
However, before that, the club had one more thing to do—that was to take the team's group photo!
After training concluded that afternoon, Coach Zhao gathered the players, telling them to all wear their official home match kits.
Training ground staff brought chairs and placed them on the pitch; Coach Zhao called all the first-team Coaches to his side, and they all sat neatly in the chairs.
The players, according to their height, stood in two rows behind them, forming an orderly fan shape.
Under the setting sun, Coach Zhao sat upright in the middle of the front row, his expression gentle with a hint of a smile, while the Coaches beside him and the players behind him also had relaxed expressions.
In front of them, the photographer captured the best angle, combining it with the light to take the perfect shot.
After this group photo was taken, Coach Zhao also put on a pair of sunglasses, stood in front of the players in a suit, and held a large cigar in his mouth—well, he actually didn't smoke.
This somewhat gangster-boss-like pose was captured and eventually placed on the exterior wall of the Stadium of Light as part of the club's new season promotion.
And when Sunderland fans came to the Stadium of Light, their eyes would immediately be drawn to this handsome photo.
Besides marveling that Coach Zhao was still so dashing, they would also gently nod at the vibrant young players in the photo:
"This truly is a vibrant team!"