Chapter 6: Defeating Westhoff

The overwhelming pressure from the media and fans instantly created a sense of urgency felt throughout the entire organization of De Tockmost.

Ajax B2 team took the lead in the first half with a goal from forward Ruud, assisted by Sneijder. However, in the second half, Arjen Robben made a series of breakthroughs on the left flank, then cut into the penalty area and skillfully equalized for Groningen using his individual ability. Yet, just before the end, Sneijder's goal allowed Ajax to regain the lead.

... ...

On a scale of 100 points, a score of 13 is indeed quite poor; however, the progress made is truly commendable.

"Who?" Ye Qiu asked in confusion

He allocated the remaining 4 reward points, putting 2 points into assessing strength, 1 point into motivation, as these are his most urgent needs at the moment. The final point was added to charm, after all, no one can resist becoming a heartthrob, can they

Relatively speaking, the approach of the Amsterdam Evening Post can be considered polite. In contrast, the renowned journalist Schurter Moser from one of the three major Dutch newspapers, the "Common Daily", directly wrote a commentary asserting that Ajax's three consecutive victories this season are filled with coincidences and randomness, yet they have bewildered everyone's eyes

As Ye Qiu was gazing at the large team emblem, he suddenly noticed that someone had appeared beside him without his awareness

Ye Qiu wandered around the store and ultimately chose three books

At this point, Van Praag extended his hand, gently wiping the emblem on the wall, as if trying to remove the nonexistent dust from it, while saying, "This is Ajax!"

If it were in the past, Ye Qiu would have certainly considered it nonsense, but now he has acquired a certain level of foundational knowledge about football. He understands that this statement is undoubtedly classic, as it almost articulates all the contradictions present on the football field

Perhaps, after this defeat, it will awaken the short-sighted management of Ajax to some extent

Just as Ye Qiu was filled with surprise and curiosity, Fan Pulage asked again: "Do you know about the Trojan War?"

Ye Qiu deliberated for a long time over three books, all of which were excellent works that any head coach must study meticulously. However, there is a time for everything; at this moment, defense is not the most important aspect for him, but rather how to arrange his troops.

Upon entering the study room and directly opening this book, I saw two sentences written on the title page of the book

However, there was not much reaction within Ajax regarding the victory of Team B2, as someone overshadowed Team B2's achievement and drew all the attention away.

Saki's defense builds upon Herrera's defensive system, incorporating additional elements. The system regards him as one of the true masters who has transformed defense into an art form. At the same time, he possesses his own unique understanding of tactical pressure, which is complemented by his extensive knowledge.

The inept Waters should thank Cruz, as fortunately his ability to seize opportunities is so poor that he only managed to score one goal and provide one assist for Feyenoord. If he had been a bit more adept at capitalizing on chances, Feyenoord could have easily returned a 6:0 against Ajax at the Arena!

It seemed as if Fan Pulage could see through Ye Qiu's thoughts, and he chuckled, "You don't need to guess. Every day after your training ends, I pass by here. I enjoy taking walks in the deserted Detokmost, and I relish that feeling"

History is akin to a rebellious and extreme child; when it favors someone, one cannot see their faults within history. Conversely, when it dislikes someone, it becomes exceedingly difficult to uncover their merits.

However, due to this devastating defeat of the first team, the entire Ajax organization has become filled with anxiety, significantly diminishing the previous wager between Ye Qiu and Westerveld.

Shame! Feyenoord suffers two defeats to Ajax in one day

Adding the phrase "The strongest aspect of an opponent is often their weakest vulnerability" made Ye Qiu suddenly realize many things; he finally found the leverage to compete with Westhoff

Waters' deployment of his players obscured his true intentions, particularly his excessive reliance on the defense, which granted Feyenoord's attacking front an incredibly spacious opportunity. The tall and robust Argentine forward, Cruz, rampaged freely within Ajax's penalty area, yet Waters failed to implement any effective measures to contain him throughout the match

Van Praag suddenly burst into laughter, as if hearing Ye Qiu's question made it even more convincing.

It is precisely for this reason that optimizing the allocation of player resources has become the most important task for a head coach, which is what we commonly refer to as tactical formation

One week later, at one of the stadiums in De Toekomst, Ajax B2 welcomed Groningen B2.

Upon reaching this point, Ye Qiu directly purchased this book

Ye Qiu was immediately captivated by the opening of the article. Although he had limited knowledge of tactics, he found the remarks to be exceptionally unique and incisive. It could be said that they succinctly articulated the core purpose of football tactics, which is the optimal allocation of resources among the players on the field

Although they lost a match, Ye Qiu seized this opportunity to unify the players' thoughts, at least ensuring that they no longer resisted his training methods. They became more engaged, displaying a strong determination as if they were fighting with their backs against the wall

Having won his first match in life and completed a system task, Ye Qiu was rewarded with 5 reward points. He decided to purchase a book from the system store to further enhance his tactical knowledge, as his ambition was to become a bishop and a book practitioner. Without a rich tactical foundation, this was simply impossible.

Of course! Ye Qiu must have heard of it

Ye Qiu found it somewhat strange why Fan Pulage would say these things to him

This indeed surprised him; how could he appear here

For him, Amsterdam is a foreign city, filled with a group of unfamiliar people. As he walks from the training building to the entrance of De Tokomost, he sees nothing but strange foreigners along the way. They either wear expressions of schadenfreude or display an air of indifference. No one approaches him to ask a few concerned questions.

Therefore, at times, tactics can indeed be very difficult to comprehend and enigmatic

When the central area becomes overly congested, the more spacious flanks begin to emerge as the main battleground for the team; conversely, when the flanks are excessively emphasized, the central area will become a critical point of contention. As all teams start to prioritize defense and the trend of concentrating forces in the front line emerges, when all teams begin to gather their forces in the front line, the back line will start to play a crucial role.

My father once told me that when he chose Michels, he never thought it would be successful. However, at that time, he believed one thing: that revolution was destined to be achieved through bloodshed in exchange for success. Therefore, in the early stages of Michels' coaching, he also experienced growing pains and failures. Yet, he later succeeded, and everyone revered him as a deity

Regarding such a result, Ye Qiu did not feel surprised, nor was there anything particularly worth celebrating, as the opponent's strength was inherently inferior to Ajax. Nevertheless, he still gave the players high praise, commending them for demonstrating considerable progress during the match. He expressed hope that they would continue to work hard, emphasizing that they must not become complacent and must keep pushing forward.

This book by Herrera discusses defense. The system recognizes Herrera as a historical master who has greatly advanced the chain defense strategy. He possesses some very unique insights into this defensive system, which profoundly influence all subsequent head coaches. The depth of this influence is not much less than that of Michels' total football.

Especially after just losing the first match he ever led independently, Ye Qiu felt an even greater chill in his heart

In his previous life, Ye Qiu could be considered a homebody; apart from work, he spent most of his time in his small dwelling. He had never been in a romantic relationship from childhood to adulthood. Therefore, after his reincarnation, he could also patiently stay in a hotel room, focusing on self-improvement.

After completing these tasks, Ye Qiu had exactly 5 reward points left and directly entered the store

This time, after speaking, he turned and left, leaving Ye Qiu with his back.

A person whom I both love and hate, but... After a moment of silence, he changed the subject and said, "If there is a chance in the future, I will slowly tell you more!" Then he sighed deeply, "Young man, you are only 25 years old, you still need to learn more, such as learning to accept failure, learning to bravely face challenges, and learning to seize opportunities in adversity

"You know about Achilles, right?" After Ye Qiu nodded, Fan Pulage continued, "During the Trojan War, after Achilles died, the Trojans went mad trying to seize his body and strip him of his armor. In this critical moment, King Ajax of Salamis wielded his spear, repelling wave after wave of enemies, guarding Achilles' body, and ultimately succeeded in driving the Trojans back to the city, returning Achilles' body to Greece"

... ...

One is "Detailed Analysis of Chain Defense" written by Helenio Herrera, the founder of the great Inter Milan era; another is "Defense and Pressure on the Football Field" written by Sacchi; and the last one is "On the Spear and Shield of Tactics" written by Beckenbauer

Van Praag first paused in surprise, then chuckled and shook his head, saying: "This is indeed a portrait of a person, but it does not belong to the club; rather, it belongs to Greek mythology"

August is typically the hottest month in Amsterdam, but by September, while the daytime temperatures do not differ much, one can truly feel the chill of the cold front descending from the Nordic regions after sunset

Playing at home, coupled with two weeks of acclimatization, the players of Ajax B2 have become more adept at controlling the game, particularly in applying the rhythm and habits of running, receiving, and passing that they developed during training, which they executed with even greater familiarity in the match

... ...

Do you know who the person on the Ajax emblem is

From Jaap van Praag to Michael van Praag, the spirit of Ajax has been passed down from generation to generation

Relatively speaking, the news of Van Persie leading Feyenoord B1 to a narrow 1:0 victory over Ajax B1 has unfortunately become a backdrop to the first team's dismal defeat, yet Westhoff did not appear in the newspapers

We also need to know that, excluding the goalkeeper, a team can only arrange 10 players. However, the combined activity range of these 10 players cannot completely cover the entire field. In any situation, any tactics employed by any team will always leave some space that can be exploited by the opponent

However, for Ye Qiu, this defeat did not come as a surprise; it was merely a matter of time. Moreover, it had nothing to do with him. For him, the most pressing matter at hand was the wager scheduled for two months later.

The previous sentence serves as a positioning of football tactics, while the latter is filled with paradoxes

Ye Qiu fell silent; he understood that every prestigious football club possesses its own historical heritage. Clearly, this is the heritage of Ajax, as well as the spiritual legacy in the hearts of countless Ajax supporters

The store at https://m.hetushucom.com offers a wide variety of items, all closely related to head coaches. For instance, it features unique insights from renowned football coaches, as well as critiques of exciting tactical formations and analyses of classic tactical matchups. These resources greatly benefit the tactical development of a head coach

All Ajax fans surely remember the 31st round of last season, where at the Arena, they achieved a resounding 6:0 victory over the champions Feyenoord, forcing this traditional powerhouse, which had just secured the league title, to lower its proud head at the Arena. However, four months later, Feyenoord redeemed itself with a perfect victory at the Arena!

There are no infallible tactics in this world, but good tactics can assist the head coach in mastering the probability of winning

In the eyes of all football enthusiasts, Michels represents total football, embodying the sacred and inviolable. However, now, as expressed by Van Praag, Michels turns out to be just an ordinary person.

From this perspective, Beckenbauer's book is more suitable for his current needs

Ye Qiu's training regimen originally possessed a strong practical nature. Nowadays, in such youth team competitions, the pressure from opponents is not significant, allowing the players to operate in a more relaxed environment. As a result, they are able to execute their skills with greater ease, beginning to reveal some effectiveness, although there are still quite a few mistakes.

This news became the front-page headline of the Amsterdam Evening Post the next day, and the entire city was enraged by two defeats within a single day, particularly regarding the match in the fourth round of the league, where Ajax lost 0:2 at home to Feyenoord, which infuriated all Ajax fans throughout the city

It was similar to the match between Ajax B2 and Groningen B2, where Robben was the key player for the opposing team. However, his position on the left flank allowed Ajax to create two goals, as while he posed a threat in the attacking phase, he also caused problems defensively due to his minimal involvement in defense

This is the commentary given by the system on Beckenbauer's book, but the specific content is not provided.

Yet in his heart, he felt a slight increase in warmth

If you think that losing a match would discourage me and that I need you to comfort me, then you really underestimate me!" Ye Qiu muttered to the back of Fan Plage, feeling indignant.

Every person familiar with the rules of football knows that the length of the goal is three times its height, and the distance from the penalty spot to the goal is one and a half times the width of the goal. By analyzing this set of data along with a series of match statistics, we will find that the scoring rate for penalties is approximately three-quarters. Isn't that quite remarkable

Many people enjoy fabricating a history and origins for football tactics, but in my view, the history of football tactics is a history of exploration and the spatiality of books, filled with incredible cycles

"Who says Ajax is full of warmth?" As Ye Qiu stepped out of the door, he glanced back at the Ajax team emblem beside the entrance, which seemed to depict the head of an old man wearing a hat. This suddenly sparked Ye Qiu's curiosity; could this be the portrait of Ajax's founder from a hundred years ago?

After a pause, he smiled again, "The reason I am telling you this is that during the meeting that morning, I suddenly felt that your courage and insight were remarkably similar to that of someone else."

The score of 2:1 was maintained until the end of the match, and Ye Qiu achieved his first victory in his coaching career

"Aias means 'eagle' in Greek, and his name is Ajax. Our club's founders named the club after him and used his likeness as the club's emblem. From the moment they established this club, they infused it with a soul, which is that, regardless of how poor the results may be or how harsh the environment may be, we must possess an unwavering desire to win"

Upon hearing the sound, Ye Qiu suddenly turned around and discovered that it was none other than the club president, Michael Van Plag.

Upon seeing this, Ye Qiu suddenly felt that the doubts he had retained in his mind while watching some basic football textbooks had suddenly become clear. This was because Beckenbauer's words succinctly pointed out the essence of the constant changes in tactical formations.

In the past half month, he has reviewed a large number of books and materials related to football, and in addition, he previously paid to purchase two masterpieces by Michels and Cruyff from the system's store, which has elevated his tactical knowledge to 13 points

This is how football matches are; victory and defeat are merely separated by a thin line, yet the difference is akin to that between heaven and hell. The victor is a king while the vanquished is a bandit; this truth is vividly exemplified in the world of football

The strongest aspect of an opponent is often also their most vulnerable weakness

... ...

Football tactics, in some respects, represent a game between the individual and the collective. Beckenbauer, to a certain extent, is a player who has integrated the individual and the collective to near perfection. Later, he became a great coach, so his understanding of football and tactics is worthy of study and contemplation by any head coach

He shook his head, "Isn't it the portrait of someone from the club's history?"

This is also the first time he truly has confidence in being able to defeat Westhof in the realm of professional football tactics

Although it was merely a match for the youth team, Ye Qiu learned from the lessons of the previous game. Before the match, he specifically looked into the situation of Groningen B2 and discovered that Arjen Robben was surprisingly in this team. What was even more critical was that this guy was the star player of the team and would be starting.