Those who win the midfield will win the world. This sentence is not false, but truth.

The defense should try to tighten the formation and keep it compact, while the offense requires the width to be widened as much as possible to create space.

If we only look at it literally, tightening and pulling seem to be just a difference in the formation, but in fact, in the game, during the process of offense and defense conversion, tightening and pulling and pulling takes time, and at the same time, we have to work tirelessly to run.

During the process of tightening and pulling, the team will inevitably make mistakes, and at this time, there is a stable midfielder to control the overall situation, serve as a buffer, protect the defense line behind you, or take the ball and sort it out, and deliver shells for the attack in the frontcourt.

This is the importance of the midfield.

From Cooper to Benitez, double midfielders are popular, ensuring the stability of the defense of high-pressure and pressure tactics.

During the period of Guardiola and Klopp, they changed the double midfielder style of Cooper and Benitez, but the two teams adopted completely different methods. Dortmund's midfielder position is very flexible, with a larger running range, and is responsible for the task of putting pressure on defense and staging counterattacks at the fastest speed after intercepting the ball.

But Bumblebee still adopts a double-back midfielder configuration in many cases.

Guardiola's Barcelona gave up the double midfielder. Based on Barcelona's traditional 433, the single midfielder was responsible for dragging in the end, taking on the task of protecting the defense line and organizing the ball. This is also the reason why Guardiola gave up Yaya Toure, who had stronger offense and defense capabilities and chose the more stable and diligent Busquets.

Dortmund's playing style will inevitably have higher requirements for the players' physical fitness and physical confrontation. Barcelona, ​​combined with its own traditions and the characteristics of Spanish players' small quickness, adopted the ball control method to defend the results of high-level pressing.

Therefore, Barcelona's first reaction after turning from defense to offense is always to control the ball first, that is, to ensure that the ball is not conceded.

They even sacrificed their precious quick counterattack time for this because they were unwilling to take risks. At the same time, they were very clear that if they launched a quick counterattack, once the pass mistake was made, they were intercepted by the opponent again and counterattacked again, their midfield could not stop the opponent at all. Therefore, they always chose to stabilize the ball, slow down the pace, and then slowly advance.

Both methods have their rationality. Dortmund relies on physical confrontation and rapid impact, while Barcelona relies on its own skillful pass and ball control cooperation, and the basics are the players' large-scale running.

When he arrived at Atletico Madrid in Simeone, he brought the overall defensive order in Serie A.

The 442 formation is the most commonly used by Simeone. Although his team also uses high-level pressing and pressure, it is different from other teams. It relies more on the overall order of the team. In order to maintain the overall formation, they can even avoid grabbing the ball.

So it is often seen that Atletico Madrid's high-level defense is more about oppression and not robbing.

From the perspective of high-level defense, Atletico Madrid's effect is not as good as Dortmund, but once it is set off at the high level and is forced to shrink, Atletico Madrid's overall defense is worse than Dortmund, and it looks more like a Serie A team with iron walls.

From Cooper's Valencia, to Benitez's Liverpool, to Guardiola's Barcelona, ​​Klopp's Dortmund and Simeone's Atletico Madrid, they all have a complete set of tactical logic chains, especially their midfielders.

Yang Yang also has it. He also worked hard to polish a tactical system of high-pressure and oppression that belongs to Ajax and is suitable for Ajax. He has done a good job even since the start of the league, but the problems have been exposed very clearly.

How do Frankie De Jong and Ndongbele divide the work and cooperate? How can we protect the defense while ensuring high-level pressing and oppressing? Can the two central defenders, De Rigt and Militon, fill the gap between the two midfielders while ensuring stability in the back defense?

Is this possible?

Yang Yang felt that there was, but it was a bit risky and he had to give players more time to grow and improve.

Another way is to adopt a three-middle midfielder in the Champions League, increase midfielders like Shene and Rosario, and strengthen Ajax's protection of defense, but this will definitely weaken the frontcourt offense and high-post pressing and oppression.

This is a matter of choice, it has nothing to do with right or wrong!

Just like Xavi Alonso suggested that the double midfielder would take more of a position and protect the defense line, which is equivalent to adopting Barcelona's approach, but it only turned into two Busquets.

Ajax's physical confrontation is not as good as Dortmund, his pass and ball control style is not as good as Barcelona, ​​and his overall defensive order is not as good as Atletico Madrid, and it seems to be useless.

But this team is very young, with excellent physical fitness, strong running ability, amazing impact and fast speed. It also has the traditional characteristics of Ajax, which is a quick and simple one-step transmission, which allows Ajax to play fast and sharp, but also very impactful counterattack and attack.

Especially after advancing to the frontcourt, this offensive cooperation will play more threateningly.

So, what is placed in front of Yang Yang is actually two roads.

Change, or not?

It’s still a trade-off, it doesn’t matter whether it’s right or wrong!

...

"Continue to polish, the focus is on both back and two central defenders, especially the double back and the double back." Yang Yang made a quick decision.

At this time, there is no time to hesitate, and Ajax only has two precious weeks to prepare.

"Next, I will conduct special training on Frankie De Jong, Ndongbele, De Rigt and Militon on the basis of the original. You can help me record all the games they have played on the court since this season, whether they are successful or failed, I will do it."

Success can let players know why they succeed, while failure can let them see where their problems lie.

Sometimes, post-match analysis and summary and finding the crux of the problem is also a way to help players improve.

Harvey Alonso knew Yang Yang’s choice.

He actually prefers to be more secure. He feels acceptable whether it is adding a midfielder or changing his tactical style, but Yang Yang is the head coach, and he looks more adventurous.

On the other hand, it can also be seen that Yang Yang believes in himself more.

Although this will put him a lot of pressure and burden!

…………

…………

In the following days, Yang Yang and Harvey Alonso's advantages in analyzing and summarizing techniques and tactics were reflected.

In their one-on-one analysis with Frankie De Jong, Ndongbele, De Rigt and Militon, they can always understand the game in an easy-to-understand manner, and at the same time, they analyze and discuss the game video from different levels such as the overall situation and individuality.

They give praise and affirmation to the players' outstanding performance without hesitation, telling them why they can succeed and how to maintain them next, and they will not blame them too much for the mistakes they make, but will give guidance to them to understand their problems and improve them.

In this one-on-one review, the players got the opportunity to reflect on themselves, and to some extent, they further understood the head coach's intentions. Yang Yang also learned from the communication with the players that the players were in the spotlight and became more familiar with and understood their players.

This kind of mutual understanding can further narrow the distance between the head coach and the players, allowing Yang Yang to be more targeted and feasible when tailoring tactics for the players, and also allowing players to be more determined and do more in a more in line when implementing the head coach's tactics.

It was at this time that Yang Yang began to understand why Ancelotti liked to communicate with players so much and why players liked this Italian fat man so much, because many times, communication and communication are really effective.

Of course, it depends on the person.

Of course there is no problem for a head coach like Ancelotti who is versatile. There is no problem for a head coach like Yang Yang who is not very polite but has a high prestige and is more able to get along with the players. But if it is a head coach like Benitez who is not polite but has a strong personality, then the problem will be big.

Sometimes, excessive communication exposes Benitez's shortcomings.

This is why Benitez's coaching performance has deteriorated after leaving his assistant coach Yesterdam.

To put it bluntly, he is still a master of tactics, but he has no way to let the players understand his ideas and ideas.

With Benitez's personality, it would be nice not to offend the players when communicating.

...

After two weeks of training, the international players returned to the team one after another, and Ajax also ushered in the ninth round of the Eredivisie, challenging Helenfin away.

After defeating Alkmaar at home, Ajax also did not hold back this time.

Just three minutes into the game, Ndongbele, who was inserted later, scored the first record for Ajax, knocking Helenfin's goal with a burst shot, assisting Militon from the defense.

Before the first half was over, Nerez's goal won another goal for Ajax, 2-0.

After the second half of the game, Mullen and Stens scored two goals in four minutes to help Ajax secure the victory.

But in the 83rd minute of the game, Jovic, who wanted to adjust his condition, knocked on Helenfin's goal with another goal, locking the score at 5-0 for Ajax.

...

Another five-goal win, but Ajax still failed to widen the gap.

Because in the same round of the league, Eindhoven scored twice with Luke Dejong and Perrero, defeating Emon at home 6-0 and also won a big victory.
Chapter completed!