Juventus was currently 16 points behind the leader, Inter Milan, in the standings. However, Juventus was only one point behind the second-placed Roma.
At present, Inter Milan's march toward three consecutive league titles was unstoppable. It would be difficult for Juventus to snatch the throne from Inter Milan in the first year of their return to Serie A. For them, the most realistic goal was to be the runner-up in the league.
However, Inter Milan and Roma were both dragged down by the European competition and even the domestic Coppa Italia. Therefore, Juventus was now in a dilemma. Although the club's top management admitted that the gap between them and Inter Milan was too big, they believed that after the knockout stages of the Champions League began, Inter Milan would be affected by the Champions League. Juventus only had Serie A matches this season. This was good. Maybe Juventus' opportunity had come?!
Therefore, within the Juventus top management, the current idea could be understood as the bottom line. They would strive to sneak attack Inter Milan and snatch food from the tiger's mouth.
In this regard, the Juventus manager, Ranieri, did not quite agree. His opinion was that with Juventus' current strength, it was not safe to snatch the runner-up in the league from Roma, let alone compete for the league title.
The Juventus top management was not satisfied with Ranieri's' weak 'attitude. They were also determined to change the manager at the end of the season. Ranieri was originally regarded by them as an excessive manager.
However, whether it was Ranieri or the Juventus club's top management, they reached a consensus on one issue. The team needed to use the winter break to replenish its strength.
Ranieri named Marchisio, and the Juventus top management also agreed. After all, Marchisio came from the Juventus youth training and was once the captain of the Juventus youth team. He could be regarded as a member of the team. In addition, poaching players from Inter Milan could also directly weaken the strength of Inter Milan.
Of course, if possible, Juventus wanted to poach Modric, Carlos, and the others. However, they were not crazy. They knew that neither Li Ang nor Inter Milan would agree. Therefore, they targeted Marchisio.
To be exact, Juventus' choice of target was quite appropriate. In Li Ang's Inter Milan Team, he positioned Marchisio as Modric's substitute. As a rotational player, Marchisio could get a certain amount of playing time.
However, now that Juventus had sent out an invitation, and with Marchisio's special feelings for Juventus, it was impossible for Marchisio not to be tempted at all if Juventus could promise him a main position.
In addition, Marchisio was different from Modric, Mata, and Carlos. He was not Li Ang's favorite player and was not an untouchable taboo. Juventus believed that as long as their offer was reasonable, Li Ang should agree to the deal. At the very least, they wouldn't reject him directly.
However, it was clear that Juventus had made a wrong judgment.
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"Tell Juventus that Marchisio is not for sale!" Li Ang said with a sneer.
Perhaps as Juventus had guessed, Marchisio was not a player like Modric and Mata. He was not Li Ang's untouchable taboo. However, Li Ang still preferred Marchisio.
When Marchisio was on the field, his robbing ability was not as domineering as Carlos's, who could appear in any possible gap, and he was not as reliable as Modric's when it came to organizing the offense.
However, Marchisio did a good job of running and pressing in the midfield. In addition, Marchisio had his attacking spirit. He often had a flash of inspiration when he plugged in from the back, bypassed people, and shot at goal.
In fact, once Mata and Silva stopped because of poor form or injury, Li Ang had an alternative plan, which was to play Marchisio and Modric at the same time.
If the characteristics of Carlos, Modric, and Marchisio were to be compared, Modric was the commander and Carlos was the shield, then Marchisio was the string between Modric and Carlos. This string might seem inconspicuous, but it would be uncomfortable without this string.
Li Ang naturally would not let go of such a player, not only because of Marchisio's role in his tactics, but also because Inter Milan was currently very stable. After nearly three seasons of running-in, Li Ang was very satisfied with the team, whether it was the starting players or the substitutes. Of course, it would be even more perfect if the injured could return quickly.
Under such circumstances, if Marchisio left, it would cause a chain reaction. He would have to find a replacement, and the backup tactics he had set would naturally be affected.
Therefore, Li Ang decisively rejected Juventus.
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For Li Ang's rejection, Juventus interpreted it as Inter Milan's strategy to wait for the highest price.
Therefore, the next day, Juventus' second fax came.
This time, it was not asking for the price, but a direct offer.
Juventus offered 15 million euros for Marchisio.
Li Ang threw the offer sheet directly into the trash can. Not to mention that he did not want to sell Marchisio, even if he did, Juventus would be dreaming if they wanted to get Marchisio for 15 million.
Juventus had just returned to Serie A, and it was the time for them to buy players desperately. Now everyone knew that Juventus would pay a premium for players like Almirón. Juventus was willing to pay 9 million euros for a player like Almirón. Marchisio, who Li Ang already had the potential to be a semi-finished product, was only willing to pay 15 million?!
Li Ang asked people to reject Juventus again.
Then, he put this matter to the back of his mind and began to think about another thing.
Li Ang felt that if there was any hidden danger in the current Inter Milan, it was that once Mata or David Silva were injured, there would be no suitable replacement. Marchisio could replace them, but it would be a different style of play. After all, Marchisio's technical characteristics were different from Mata or David Silva's.
Just two days ago, in the latest program after the Milan derby, Italian National Television focused on Li Ang's side attacking midfielder tactics used by Inter Milan.
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"The earliest side attacking midfielder tactics can be traced back to the 199697 season. Capello, who interpreted the classic 4-4-2 formation and the 1-0 doctrine to the extreme, carried out a forward-looking scientific experiment at the Bernabéu. In order to accommodate the two strikers, Zúñez and Mijatović, at the same time, and leave a running track for Roberto Carlos to sprint, Capello transformed the technically delicate Raúl into a virtual left winger. The Italians, who paid attention to balance and symmetry when grinding the formation, "betrayed" their football philosophy. Real Madrid, whose formation leaned to the left, won the season's La Liga title when they were not favored. After quelling the rebellion of their rivals in the same city, the Whites also completely ended the era of dream. In the era when the classic attacking midfielder controlled the ball, Capello arranged for Raúl to be the organizer only as a stopgap measure when the team lacked a number 10 player. This very imaginative tactic can only be said to be a prototype of the side attacking midfielder, and it was only a flash in the pan at Real Madrid. "
"In the 200304 season, when Wenger's Invincible Armada ravaged Britain, Wenger's idea of transforming the traditional 4-4-2 was the same as Capello's when he conquered the Bernabéu. Roberto Pires may be the first player to make the concept of the side attacking midfielder deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. "
"Combining the advantages of the attacking midfielder and the side midfielder, the side attacking midfielder, who had surpassed his predecessor, gained more tactical freedom than the traditional role. As the players' athletic ability continued to improve, the defensive area of the defensive midfielder gradually expanded. The three-midfielder layout compressed the space in the middle, and put the depth of the side area on the agenda of the teams on the agenda. The evolution of the side attacking midfielder is a process of technical upgrading. In the early days, Capello's experiment with Raúl, as well as the playing style that Wenger developed for Pires, were not mature enough. The industry used the term "organizational side midfielder" to define them. The one who really perfectly interpreted the side attacking midfielder tactics is Manager Li Ang! He can be said to be the true master tactician of the side attacking midfielder tactics. Now, Inter Milan is the best team to use the side attacking midfielder tactics! "
The Italians loved to study tactical topics the most, and they had always been proud of it. They believed that every Italian coach was a master tactician, and that any Serie A coach could easily beat the rough coaches in the Premier League.
However, now, the Italians, who had always been proud, were full of admiration and praise for Li Ang.
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The TV program used one of Silva's breakthroughs to explain in detail.
"Silva's two moves perfectly exemplify the characteristics of an attacking midfielder. He picked up the ball from the flank and then moved the ball to the middle. It may seem like the most ordinary technical move, but it's the essence of the attacking midfielder's playing style. Many offensive cores are used to planning attacks from the side. Once the forward space is blocked, a good way to distinguish whether they are a side attacking midfielder is to see whether the player will choose to dribble the ball sideways. A side attacking midfielder with strong personal ability will attract a lot of defensive attention. Even if it is just a sideways movement, it will still lead to changes in the opponent's defensive formation. At this time, the side attacking midfielder who walks sideways is observing the gaps in the changes in the defensive formation. After perceiving the opportunity, he immediately plans an attack. It is the same method of adjusting the offensive rhythm. The side attacking midfielder's sideways movement technique and the team's next offensive step are very tight, not giving the opponent any breathing time to set up the defensive line. "
"It is not only David Silva. In fact, Juan Mata is the beginning of the side attacking midfielder tactics under Li Ang. Mata's performance in this position is also very outstanding. The influence of side attacking midfielders like Juan Mata and David Silva on the field is unparalleled. The movement when they dribble the ball — whether it is the seemingly boring sideways movement or the vertical movement that directly penetrates the opponent's gap — has a huge impact on the offensive rhythm of their own side. In the just-concluded Derby Milan between Inter Milan and AC Milan, Li Ang created a record of the bilateral attacking midfielder tactics. This is a crazy tactic, but it is amazing … This is really a crazy manager with a genius idea. This Milan Derby is bound to become a classic game that many people focus on studying. His far-reaching impact and significance are very exciting. " Special guest, gold medal commentator Ferrari, was full of praise for this set of tactics and Li Ang's genius coaching ability.
"After receiving the ball on the side, pull the ball toward the ribs and the middle, constantly reading the opponent's defense in the sideways dribbling, and complete the handling of the ball while leading the teammates to complete the run. The rise of the side attacking midfielder caters to the decline of the classical attacking midfielder and the era of the multi-core layout. Its deep use of the space in the ribs leads the development of football tactics to a deeper level. The side attacking midfielder tactic widely exists in the 4231 and 442 formations. In the 433 formation, which uses the possession tactic and the winger tactic as the core, the side attacking midfielder also has a lot of room to play. The tiki-taka tactic adopted by Barcelona and Spain is the side attacking midfielder tactic. This tactic is very similar to Li Ang's Inter Milan tactic. In fact, we have always thought that Barcelona's tiki-taka tactic to some extent borrowed from Li Ang's tactical play when he was at Sporting de Gijón, and Li Ang's Inter Milan tactics in the 20052006 season also had a profound impact on Barcelona. "
"Barcelona's tiki-taka tactic, fundamentally, imitates Li Ang's Li-On tactic! Li Ang is a real master tactician, a real super genius manager! "Ferrari said at the end of the program.
This program, as well as Ferrary's words, caused a huge reaction in Europe. The Catalan media, in particular, were very dissatisfied with this.
They firmly refused to admit that their tiki-taka tactic imitated Li Ang's Li-On tactic. They even said that Li Ang learned the Li-On tactic from Cruyff's tactics when he coached Barcelona. So, to be precise, Barcelona was Li Ang's teacher!
The words of the Catalonia media and Barcelona people caused dissatisfaction among the Inter Milan fans and Li Ang's fans. The Internet and the media began to bustle.
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Li Ang did not participate in the debate for the time being.
He would only fire when he was free. Now that he was busy, he did not have the leisure to argue with the Catalonia people.
The side attacking midfielders tactic was very important in Li Ang's tactical system. Among them, the side attacking midfielders tactic was even crazier. It required the whole team to work together and put in a lot of hard work. This was because the switching frequency and speed of this tactic was very fast. If one was not careful, they would fall into chaos. This meant that other than Modric, the team still had the other two core players, Mata and Silva. This was the three-core tactic. This was crazy! Perhaps other than Li Ang, no other manager would dare to imagine and implement such a tactic. For many managers and even some famous managers, the dual-core tactic was a difficult problem, let alone the crazy triple-core tactic!
Therefore, except for some special games, Li Ang could not use this tactic often. Therefore, this meant that Mata and David Silva could both play as side attacking midfielders. The role of the two players could be rotated. However, once one of the players was injured, there would be hidden dangers. Li Ang had to plan ahead and find a replacement.
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