Chapter 506: Winter window signings, international superstars arrive!
Chapter 506: Winter window signings, international superstars arrive!
Author: Ant who watches football ruthlessly
Before officially facing Arsenal, York City hopes to play five League One games.
And those five games are on the most troublesome Christmas schedule!
Especially from December 26 to January and February, York City must play three games outside of those six or seven days.
That's not because York City has "strategically" given up on the League Cup and English Championship.
Otherwise, starting from December to October, they may have to face a schedule of double or even triple games a week.
For a English League One team, if they keep from being eliminated in every cup competition, the schedule for that year will definitely be much more frequent than that of the Premier League team.
There are a total of 24 teams in the English League One who play 46 league games every year, plus the League Cup, FA Cup, English Championship...while the Premier League teams have 38 league games.
There is a more important reason, that is, the Premier League match schedule is usually scheduled to end in the middle of May, while the English League One often ends in the eastern half of April, because the English League One is very demanding later.
Play in the promotion play-offs.
More games need to be completed in a shorter time, so the English League One also needs to arrange more games during the winter break, which makes it the most complex league - the English Championship can also have 24 teams.
The team also needs to play in the play-offs, but they do not need to play in the British Championship.
If this is not done, it will be difficult for York City to move forward.
Now the second place Scunthorpe is chasing closely. If they can win as much as possible in the five games before and after the Christmas schedule, they can widen the points gap between them.
But whether you want to think that way or not, it is very difficult to do it.
After York City played a lot of games in October and November, by the end of November, the team actually had some physical problems.
Especially the veterans on the team.
Goalkeeper Isaksson and defender Westermann were quite good, but Swedish veteran Karlström, who was the core of the midfield, was a bit unable to withstand the situation.
In addition to his leadership role on the field, he almost started every game in the midfield in the league, and the midfield position requires more movement than other positions, which caused Karlstrom's body to be a bit overdrawn.
Finally, he fell to the ground without any mistakes in a recent training. He was initially diagnosed with a thigh muscle strain and was asked to miss 2-3 months. This also caused Karlström to miss the football match with his old club Arsenal.
General Cup competition.
The captain's injury also caused a slight change in the mentality of the York City players. In a league match against Milton Keynes from the east, they lost 1:2 and suffered their first defeat of the season!
The predecessor of Milton Keynes was Wimbledon. They competed in the English Championship very early in the season and their strength was not good. They also caused considerable trouble for York City in the game.
York City's performance in this game was actually not bad. They were a little negligent at the beginning and were attacked by Milton Keynes and scored a goal. However, through the team's efforts, they quickly regained the score.
After that, York City launched a fierce counterattack against Milton Keynes, but the team always seemed to miss the goal, especially Baker and Armand, who have become more and more aggressive recently.
Another goal!
York City took 20 shots in the game, 10 of which were on target, and scored 1 goal. Milton Keynes took 10 shots in the game, and 5 of them were on target, which was exactly half of York City's, but they scored two goals.
In an interview with the media after the game, Scaloni said that the defeat in that game was due to bad luck for the team, because York City had all the advantages in the game, but lacked luck and could never seize the opportunity.
Score a goal.
Faced with the media's suspicion that York City's status is slipping eastward, Scaloni did not deny it.
He believes that the season is very long, and a team's status will inevitably fluctuate. It is normal for the East Skateboarding to happen, but he believes that the team can overcome the difficulties.
Pan Yi also accepted an interview with the media the next day, but he publicly stated that he believed the team lost at the right time.
Now is the beginning of a battle. A defeat can allow the team to completely put away the burden of being undefeated and be in a better state to face the upcoming sprint. He believes in the head coach and players and believes that they can survive the most difficult period.
A tough schedule.
"But some people also say that York City has spent too much energy in the FA Cup, which has affected the English League One. If Donglai continues to insist on two-front operations, I am afraid that they will end up with nothing after the season!
"Immediately a reporter put forward his opinion.
Pan Yi said with a smile: "He does not deny that situation, but what he wants to say is that their team performed very well in the FA Cup and he is proud of the players. Their first goal this season
Whether to upgrade or not, but if the head coach and players are eager to go further in the FA Cup, then he will definitely support it! Well, the fact is that he does not want his team to surrender when he sees Arsenal..."
"Does he feel that the current team's lineup is indeed difficult to withstand the consumption of such a schedule? After Karlstrom's injury, am I prepared to make additions in the winter window?"
Pan Yi replied calmly: "He originally thought that the team's current personnel configuration is very good, so there is no need to make any more signings. Ruming's midfielder is indeed a bit short of legs. He will take another look. If there is a suitable candidate, he will
It will stretch out its legs."
Then the team needs to reconsider whether Carlstrom's position is wrong for the team.
The current team's midfielders are all young, inexperienced, and sometimes irritable like Rice and Kulusevski. When there are no veterans to lead them on the field, they often play more and more chaotically.
Now that Karlström is injured, Pan Yi really wants to find someone to supplement him.
Of course that is not an easy task.
Is it really difficult to find a player as capable and experienced as Karlström, who is also willing to come to League One to "help the poor"?
So Pan Yi really wants to think about it carefully and then go to the transfer market to see if he can make a face or something.
At the same time, more of the team's affairs are left to Scaloni and his coaching staff.
The home venue is Port Vale, so it will be a head-to-head match.
York City players still appear to be in a sluggish state. Although they play at home and have an advantage, they were held to a 1:1 draw by Port Vale before.
After the game, news came that Scunthorpe had won, and York City was tied with Scunthorpe's points!
York City has 13 wins, 8 draws and 1 loss, with 47 points, while Scunthorpe has 14 wins, 5 draws and 3 losses, also with 47 points!
Although York City still tops the list due to their goal difference, judging from their recent form, that position is already in jeopardy.
When being interviewed by the media, the players and the head coach, including the club officials, all agreed that although the current predicament of the team is difficult, it can be overcome, and the performance of the Donglai team
will become better and better.
In the East, everyone was united and twisted into a liquid rope, which surprised many people who were prepared to see conflicts arise after York City encountered difficulties.
Because they did not see the York City players complaining in the media. On the contrary, everyone was united and believed that the team's situation would definitely improve!
——
After Christmas, York City ushered in a crucial game, an away game against South Allan United.
If they fail to win this game, their position in the standings will most likely be surpassed by Scunthorpe.
To make matters worse, Sheffield United, who are ranked third, are also pressing forward step by step. They were already 3 points behind the top two teams. After playing one game and winning, they have already tied York in points.
City and Scunthorpe.
Isn't that a scarier thing than losing the League One championship, because if they are chased by Sheffield United, it means that York City will fall into the promotion play-off zone between 3-6 places!
Therefore, York City also attaches great importance to the East, and Scaloni also sent all the main players in the game.
In the midfield position, following Pan Yi's suggestion, Scaloni moved Westermann to the midfielder position to partner with Rice.
As for the central defender, the 39-year-old veteran Ian Hart will be used to cooperate with the young De Ligt.
If you do this, you will give priority to ensuring the interception and running ability of the midfielder, and avoid a collapse caused by the midfielder losing ground.
At halftime, the two sides were tied at 0:0. At the beginning of the east half, the South Alliant team calculated that the York City players were not in good physical condition. They changed their passive defense in the halftime and used offensive tactics, hoping to be the first to break through.
York City goal.
At that time, the double defensive midfielder composed of Westerman and Rice played a very good role in protecting the defense line, forming a steel-like defensive line at the front of the penalty area, giving South Alliant almost no chance to enter the penalty area.
As the South United team attacked, the offensive space obtained by York City's frontcourt players also expanded, and the performance of the players gradually improved.
In the 72nd minute, Aman made a speed breakthrough on the left, then diagonally inserted into the penalty area and hit Baker in the middle. The latter made a smart pass. Lin Liangming, who was inserted in the back row, took advantage of the situation and pushed the shot into the near corner, but the goalkeeper was unable to save it.
0:1!
That's because of the recent changes in York City's forward line, which means that Amon can play on the left and Lin Liangming can play on the right like he does in the national team, so that the power of outside forward tactics can be better utilized.
After the goal, the morale of the York City players increased, and their offense began to gradually develop.
In particular, Lin Liangming was on the right, almost sieving Nan'an United's left. Five minutes later, he assisted Baker to score, and then in the 87th minute, Westerman's pass through the middle was converted into a goal.
ball.
0:3, in less than 20 minutes, York City played the most vigorous attack in recent games, completely defeating the wrong leg!
That victory also allowed York City to continue to lead the standings.
Lin Liangming's recent outstanding performance in the English League One and the national team has also attracted the attention of many clubs, especially the favor from foreign Chinese Super League teams.
Lin Liangming firmly stated that he will play football in Europe and will never go back!
Pan Yi also said in the interview: "They will not take the initiative to sell Lin Liangming, he is their perfect main force."
Then, he also announced the results of his work during that period, so no, the team's biggest signing during the winter break has been in place!
——
Xabi Alonso has been at York City's training ground for several days.
Now he is not a Bayern Munich player, but he can appear there, of course because of Pan Yi's invitation!
Just two weeks ago, he announced that he would retire at the end of this season, officially ending his career.
But at this moment, Pan Yi called: "Come and play with them for another half season, or more?"
If they don't, Alonso will certainly refuse immediately.
After all, now that he is nearly 35 years old, he feels that his physical condition is getting worse day by day.
Maybe it can barely reach the level of the five major leagues, but it will definitely not be able to gain a foothold in a giant like Bayern.
It is precisely because of this that he made the decision to retire resolutely, and no one can control him!
But now, that "who" is not Pan Yi.
This inevitably made Alonso hesitate.
Is that because, even if he asks to retire, he doesn't want to leave football.
In Alonso's vision, he would like to obtain a coaching qualification after retiring, and then start coaching a small team or youth team, and then slowly move to the five major league teams, and appear in the area he is familiar with.
Beside the grass.
In that process, if there is guidance from a master, you will definitely benefit a lot.
And now, the best "Master" in the world has come to find me!
Wouldn’t that mean the sky is falling?
Although Pan Yi does not present himself as a "boss" in most situations now, he is obviously maintaining the guidance of Arteta, Scaloni and other disciples, and his consultant in the Dragon Country national team
Has the work gone deep into the front line?
If Ke Ke can stay in Pan Yi's club for one or two years, it will really be equivalent to picking up coaching secrets!
Look at Arteta and Scaloni. Both of them led the team to be leaders in the Premier League and English League One. But just a year or two ago, they were not as prepared as they were.
Retired old players!
Especially Arteta.
The Chelsea he led, after a bad start, actually achieved a terrifying record of 13 consecutive victories!
This also allowed Chelsea to top the standings after the 19th round with a record of 16 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses and 49 points.
The progress he has made after Pan Yi's guidance is evident.
Therefore, Alonso had not come to England before, to Yorkshire.
Then, after he visited the York City club's infrastructure, including watching the match between York City and South United, Alonso strengthened his belief:
There is nothing wrong with following Pan Yi!
The various training and competition equipment that exceeded the level of League One, especially the game content that exceeded the level of League One, deeply moved Alonso.
This is definitely a club that wants to do big things!
And Alonso is bound to learn more knowledge in such a club and with such an owner.
By then he will not only be a coach, but also a good manager!
Soon, Alonso applied to Bayern Munich to terminate his contract.
After all, if York City seeks help from Bayern at this time, they will have to pay a transfer fee, but paying for a player who is about to retire is not cost-effective no matter how you look at it.
At this time, Alonso is actually already the main force in Bayern's team. He has only played more than 20 times in various competitions in the team this season, and this season he has only played more than 10 times.
appearance.
In addition, since Alonso has decided to retire when his contract expires this season, Bayern did a favor and agreed to terminate his contract.
The day after Alonso became a free agent, he signed with York City!
Of course, the contract first requires Alonso to take a significant salary cut. York City must not be able to afford his original weekly salary of nearly 200,000 euros!
But Brother Long still received the team's maximum salary, a weekly salary of 20,000 euros.
In return, the contract also states that Alonso will concurrently serve as the team's assistant coach and will continue to employ him after his retirement.
Otherwise, Pan Yi used such an operation to solve the midfield vacancy caused by Karlström's injury!——
"Guys, now I would like to introduce to you, their biggest transfer in winter, and it is also the only transaction..."
When Pan Yi brought Alonso and Scaloni to the first team training ground and introduced them to everyone with a smile, the players already applauded.
Who doesn’t know Xabi Alonso?
Can he win 2 Champions League championships, 2 European Cup championships, and probably a World Cup championship?
Whether he was in Liverpool, Real Madrid, Bayern, or in the Spanish national team, he played at a very high level and became the core of the team's midfield.
It can be said that he is the biggest star in York City now, and there are even many young players who grew up watching him play.
Although he has entered the end of his career, as a defensive midfielder, Alonso's playing style has not changed much - offense and defense have their own characteristics, pragmatic and tough.
In defense, even though Alonso is not a pure "blue collar", his position selection and judgment are very good.
When attacking, his long passes and long shots can still enrich the team's offensive legs.
That's why Pan Yi immediately thought of bringing in Alonso.
Then it is what York City needs most right now!
It can even be said that replacing Karlström with Alonso is not a large-scale upgrade for York City.
That's not disrespectful to Carlstrom, but it's true.
After all, what did you say? Alonso still has the ability to play for the giants, so why can't he just be the main force like he was in his prime?
Moreover, just like on the pitch, Xavi Alonso is also quite low-key off the pitch.
He doesn't have an exaggerated hairstyle, doesn't wear fancy clothes, doesn't wear earrings, necklaces, or tattoos, but his low-key manner can hardly hide his charm.
That can also reassure Pan Yi that the addition of such a star will definitely not disturb the harmony in the locker room!
And even if Karlstrom comes back by then, it won't be a big problem.
Anyway, York City now has a strong starting lineup and a very intensive schedule. If those old guys make a breakthrough, they will play at a better level.
Apart from anything else, with one more master in the midfield, York City's offensive and defensive combinations can also have many more tricks!
——
Following the famous Italian journalist Romano's "here we go" message, the news of Alonso joining York City spread to all corners of the world.
York City also faced such attention as they ushered in the 24th round of the English League One and challenged Bristol Rovers away.
Bristol Rovers also attached great importance to that game. Although it was not a home game, they were very self-aware and adopted defensive tactics and launched a counterattack at home.
Scaloni did not let Alonso start, but still chose the same starting lineup as when he missed South Allan United in one round.
Facing the iron barrel formation with wrong legs, York City's overall strength is not high. There are more than one wrong legs, especially the personal ability of the players on the court. The trident can turn Bristol Rovers' defense upside down.
.
At halftime, Baker's two goals gave York City a 2:0 lead. After the start of the eastern half, York City's offensive continued unabated.
In the 60th minute, Scaloni looked at the time and asked Alonso to warm up. In the 65th minute, Scaloni decisively let him play, replacing Westerman.
Alonso's presence aroused unanimous cheers from the fans at the scene.
In addition to the York City fans watching the away game, many Bristol Rovers fans also gave warm applause.
After all, as a League One team, there are not many opportunities to see truly world-class stars at their home court, including stars who have won European championships and World Cup championships!
After Alonso came on the scene, he formed a double midfielder with the young Rice. At the same time, during the game, he frequently signaled Rice to stay in front, and then he made arrangements from behind.
Under Alonso's control, the team played with a sense of rhythm and the transition between offense and defense was reasonable. Moreover, with him on the court, the York City players became more energetic and played more vigorously.
In the 81st minute, Alonso's long pass directly found Amon who was rushing in from the left. Mangbao made an unreasonable volley to help York City go one step further!
Previously, York City defeated Wan Leng 3:0 and achieved two consecutive victories.
Three days later, York City returned to home against Millwall, and Alonso also made his home debut for York City.
Scaloni put Alonso in the starting lineup for that game, and Westermann also returned to his more familiar central defender position.
The game was full of spectators, many people came from all over Yorkshire just to catch a glimpse of Alonso's style.
That can be considered one of the benefits of Pan Yi's "superstar strategy", which can attract more local fans to pay attention to York City and become York City fans!
With the fans cheering loudly throughout the game, York City played at a high level against Millwall's team that had drawn with them in the first half of the season.
That time Alonso started to show off his power at halftime.
In the 15th minute, his signature long-distance overhead pass was accurately found by Lin Liangming, who successfully countered offside. The latter directly pushed the ball into the far corner to score.
After assisting his teammates to score, Alonso received the warmest applause from the audience. The treatment he enjoyed even exceeded that of Lin Liangming, the hero of the goal. The fans in the stands kept cheering for Alonso.
Alonso waved his leg to the fans to express his gratitude, but unexpectedly, he received even louder cheers.
Then he is a superstar!
Even though he has aged, even though he is about to retire, he is still not that popular.
From a competitive perspective, can he still achieve dimensionality reduction in League One?
"One day, he will definitely want to be treated like him!" Rice, who suddenly walked on the bench tomorrow, said with envy.
Beside him, the substitute players also nodded: "Let's work hard together!"
Is that one of the benefits of introducing Alonso's "superstar effect"?
Inspire young players, let them have a goal to catch up, train and compete hard!