The first Premier League match of the new season was, of course, very important for Sunderland.
As the saying goes, all things are difficult before they are easy.
Whether the first match is played well can have a crucial impact on the entire season's progress.
Many times, if the start is good, the team may become full of confidence and then advance triumphantly;
But if they suffer a defeat right from the start, their morale might drop significantly, leading to continuous losses…
Fans who have played similar football manager games must have felt this way.
So, Zhao Zhao naturally attached great importance to this first match.
More importantly, this was his first official match after assembling this new team during the summer transfer window, making it even more crucial.
If they played well, any pre-match doubts about him would vanish.
But if they didn't play well…
The pressure on him would be immense.
And their opponent in this match, Southampton, was not weak this season.
They finished eighth in the Premier League last season and also reached the League Cup final, which can be said to be an excellent achievement.
Perhaps it can also be said that they and Everton are currently the best teams in the Premier League, second only to the BIG6.
Although their French Coach Pierre still left after the season, his replacement, the Argentinian Pellegrino, was no ordinary person.
Pellegrino's coaching career began at Valencia, then he returned to Argentina to Coach for three years, and last season he led the weak team Alaves to a ninth-place finish in La Liga and reached the Copa del Rey final, a result that truly surprised many people.
Therefore, many people were also looking forward to him leading the Saints to another miracle this season!
And within this Southampton team, there were, of course, many formidable players.
On the defensive line, the center-back pairing was the future "World's Best Defender" Van Dijk + Japanese international Maya Yoshida, possessing strength, speed, and experience.
In the midfield, there was Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, who once played for Bayern Munich, and Southampton's outstanding academy product Prowse.
On the attacking line, there were good players like Serbian international Tadić and Italian international Manolo Gabbiadini.
Facing such a strong opponent, Zhao Zhao naturally dared not be negligent.
Before discussing targeted training for the next few days with the coaching staff, he also activated the long-unused match simulator and played Southampton once with the lineup used against Espanyol.
The match began, with both teams using a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Sunderland attempted to pressure Southampton's defense early in the match, but their efforts were all nullified by the opponent.
In the 15th minute, Sunderland's left winger Sancho broke through on the flank and crossed, but Southampton's goalkeeper Forster rushed out in time and collected the ball.
In the 36th minute, Southampton's midfielder Prowse launched a quick counterattack, but Sunderland's defender Ruben Dias tracked back in time, neutralizing the attack.
In the 43rd minute, Sunderland's midfielder Rodri attempted a long-range shot from outside the box, but the ball was safely caught by Southampton's goalkeeper Forster.
At the end of the first half, neither team scored, and the score remained 0-0.
In the 70th minute, Sunderland's forward Defoe received a through ball from a teammate, but he lost his balance after being bodied off by Van Dijk and his difficult shot went wide of the post.
In the 85th minute, Southampton's forward Manolo Gabbiadini received a cross in the box and headed towards goal, but the ball was bravely saved by Sunderland's goalkeeper Pickford.
In stoppage time, Sunderland earned a corner kick opportunity, but ultimately failed to convert it into a goal.
The referee blew the final whistle, and the match ended in a 0-0 draw between Sunderland and Southampton.
Match simulation ended, current simulation points: 9.
"It really isn't easy to play against," Zhao Zhao mumbled, rubbing his head as he looked at the lines of text flashing before him.
A draw against a mid-table team like Southampton, from the perspective of avoiding relegation last season, was actually acceptable.
But this season, Zhao Zhao had higher goals, and this was also a home game, so Zhao Zhao would not be satisfied with such a result.
"So, where's the problem?" Zhao Zhao recalled the simulated match.
Neither team scored, which meant both defenses performed well.
The main problem, then, lay in the offense.
And specifically, for individuals…
It felt like Defoe was still being marked out of the game by the opposing center-backs.
Throughout the simulated match, Defoe almost disappeared within the defense formed by Van Dijk and Maya Yoshida.
His only appearance in the highlights was when Van Dijk used his strong body to shoulder him, causing him to almost lose control of the ball.
Although Defoe tried his best to shoot in the end, it clearly no longer posed any threat.
"What if I try having him drop back a bit?" Zhao Zhao pondered.
Perhaps in the original tactical arrangement, Defoe's position was too advanced.
This made it relatively easy for Southampton to mark him if they assigned someone to do so.
After all, although Van Dijk at this time was not yet the "World's Best Defender," he was already very strong; otherwise, he wouldn't have been bought by Liverpool in the winter transfer window for a record-breaking 75 million pounds for a defender in world football!
So, the key was to find a way for Defoe to escape Van Dijk's entanglement to unleash the power of this new captain.
The match began, with both teams using a 4-2-3-1 formation.
...
...
...
The referee blew the final whistle, and the match ended in a 0-0 draw between Sunderland and Southampton.
Match simulation ended, current simulation points: 8.
"Damn, this is really tough, the game and the score haven't changed at all." Zhao Zhao felt a bit flustered now.
His simulation points were not abundant; he couldn't possibly use them all up just playing Southampton. How would he play against the BIG6 later!
Looking at the situation just now, even though Defoe dropped back, he didn't manage to draw out Van Dijk and Maya Yoshida.
And whenever Defoe pushed forward from the midfield, Van Dijk would immediately stick to him.
Because Van Dijk was very strong physically, and his speed was also not a disadvantage, coupled with his excellent anticipation and tackling ability, Defoe really couldn't gain any advantage against him.
Even Defoe's few attempts to dribble past him were intercepted by Van Dijk!
"Damn it, this guy is really incredibly good." Zhao Zhao felt a bit helpless.
Of course, this couldn't be blamed on Defoe.
In fact, Van Dijk even set a record in the Premier League: for 539 consecutive days and 50 consecutive Premier League matches, not a single player managed to successfully dribble past him!
Although some people say Van Dijk's defense is "as long as you retreat fast enough, no one can get past you," there are so many defenders in the Premier League, why couldn't others do this?
This statistic alone is enough to illustrate the strength and terror of Van Dijk's defensive ability.
"If only there was a way to avoid his defense. Or, even a trade-off would work!" Zhao Zhao rubbed his head, then looked at a piece on the tactical board:
"Hmm, I think I've found a way…"
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"I think we should stick with the main framework we used against Espanyol; it's safer that way."
At the tactical preparation meeting attended by all coaching staff members, Alan Tate said this.
He believed that, based on the six pre-season warm-up matches, the youth-dominated lineup had no major issues when playing against League Two or lower-tier League teams; in fact, their attacking talent could be displayed even more fully.
But when facing EFL Championship teams like Wolves and Nottingham Forest, they seemed a bit lost.
Both in terms of results and process, the lineup that blended experienced players with youth, used against Espanyol, was currently Sunderland's strongest force.
Considering that Espanyol also fielded their main players in that match, and their eighth-place finish in La Liga last season was similar to Southampton's, it was better to use that lineup to deal with such a strong team.
And Alonso and Breswell held similar views.
From Southampton's playing style, they were actually somewhat similar to Espanyol.
They also preferred using a 4-2-3-1 formation and tended to play more on the ground—because their starting center-forward Manolo Gabbiadini was not the type of player who liked to contest aerial balls.
Therefore, from every perspective, using the lineup that could handle Espanyol to deal with Southampton was a very suitable choice.
However, when Zhao Zhao spoke, he immediately voiced his opposition:
"No, I will not use this lineup, otherwise we won't win."
The coaches looked at Zhao Zhao with some surprise.
Mainly because Zhao Zhao said it so definitively, which made it feel a bit strange.
The game hadn't even been played yet, how did the Coach know that this lineup definitely wouldn't win?
Zhao Zhao, however, had already picked up the tablet on the table and swiped a few times, and a series of match videos began to appear on the large screen in the conference room:
"Look, this is Southampton's first match against us last season, where they defeated us 4-0."
"In this match, our center-forward Defoe was completely marked out by Van Dijk, with not a single shot on goal throughout the game."
"Now look at this one, this is our second-leg match against them, the score became 0-1, we still lost, and still didn't score."
"In this game, our defense was a bit better, but our offense still showed no improvement, and Defoe was even substituted early in the 65th minute."
"And let's look at another match, this was Southampton's away game against Manchester City last season."
"Facing a strong opponent, Van Dijk still locked down Manchester City's center-forward Aguero, leaving him scoreless, and the match eventually ended in a 1-1 draw, with Manchester City only equalizing through a goal from substitute youngster Iheanacho."
"From these videos, can you see any problems?"
The coaches exchanged glances, and Alan Tate was quick to answer: "Southampton's center-back Van Dijk performed exceptionally well, preventing both Defoe and Aguero from performing at their expected levels, and he was the biggest contributor to their victory."
"Exactly." Zhao Zhao nodded in approval, then asked, "So what do Defoe and Aguero have in common?"
Alonso pondered for a moment and replied: "They are neither tall nor strong, their speed is above average but not super fast, their flexibility, agility, and goal-scoring instincts are all excellent, and their shooting techniques are superb."
Zhao Zhao nodded again:
"Yes. They are all players with obvious strengths and weaknesses, so on the field, they must utilize their speed and agility to subdue the opposing defenders."
"But the problem is, although Van Dijk is tall and strong, he is not clumsy. His recovery speed, reaction speed, and anticipation are all very strong."
"This leads to Van Dijk, when facing them, often being able to defend against this type of forward by utilizing his greatest advantage—his strong physique."
At this, Breswell looked enlightened: "Ah, I understand now. Coach, your meaning is that if we use Defoe as a center forward, he might fall into the same predicament as last season. After all, even Aguero found it difficult to get past Van Dijk's defense, and Defoe, being older and a year older, would find it even more difficult."
"But…" Alan Tate said, "If we don't use Defoe, who else can we use? Anichebe has already left, we can't possibly use that 17-year-old Norwegian kid Haaland, can we?"
"BINGO!" Zhao Zhao gave Alan Tate a thumbs up. "Congratulations, you've found the correct answer."
"Huh?" Alan Tate's mouth dropped open, but by then Zhao Zhao had already opened the next video.
"This is a match from last season when Southampton played Everton. Everyone knows Everton's center forward, it's the tall and strong Lukaku, who was also bought by Manchester United this season."
"Although, strictly speaking, Lukaku is not a traditional target man; he prefers to dribble and sprint, or run into open spaces to receive passes from teammates."
"But his height of 191cm and weight of over 90kg mean that he is not easily pushed off the ball in the center forward position."
"And that's indeed the case. In this match, he did not fall behind in multiple confrontations with Van Dijk; instead, he used his physical battles in the front field to create opportunities for his teammates."
"Everton ultimately won this match 3-0 against Southampton, and Lukaku also scored a goal, earning him the Man of the Match award."
"This also proves that players like Lukaku can cope with Van Dijk's defense."
"So, the question is, who in our team is most like Lukaku right now?"
Everyone chorused: "Of course, it's Haaland!"
This was almost the only answer.
They are similar in height, similar in weight, and even their playing styles are somewhat alike.
Both use their heavy-tank bodies to push forward like bulldozers!
Perhaps… Coach Zhao was really right, Haaland is the only answer to dealing with Van Dijk?
At this point, Zhao Zhao asked the two fitness Coaches beside him: "How is Haaland's physical training this month?"
Lafuente and Sergi Perez exchanged glances, then Lafuente replied: "He trains very hard, his weight has recently increased to 92kg, and his corresponding muscle groups and core strength have all improved to varying degrees. He's practically a beast now!"
Zhao Zhao nodded with satisfaction, then said to his assistant Coaches:
"So my plan is to have Haaland start this match, to let him engage in a beastly physical battle with Van Dijk!"
"Although he may not reach Lukaku's level, that's not a big problem. As long as he can utilize his physical advantage, that will be enough to give Van Dijk a headache."
"Of course, to accommodate such a change, I will also make some corresponding adjustments in other positions of the lineup."
Zhao Zhao had now made himself very clear, and his reasoning, combined with last season's match footage, was well-founded. The Coaches could only nod repeatedly, indicating their understanding.
Indeed, only a beast can defeat a beast!
Even if Haaland and Van Dijk, these two fierce beasts, ended up battered and bruised, it would still create more opportunities for Sunderland's other players.
"First, I'm going to start Foden as a right winger, and Khazri will move to the center, playing as an attacking midfielder."
Zhao Zhao began to take some pieces off the tactics board, replace them with others, and move them around.
"Having Sancho and Foden on either side of Haaland can effectively help him distract the opponent's defensive attention, while Sancho's wide breakthroughs and Foden's cutting in and shooting are also excellent scoring methods for us."
"Another very important reason for using such a forward combination is that when Sancho, Haaland, and Foden are on the field at the same time, their coordination is smoother and more intuitive. I think everyone should have observed this."
"The two wingers can support Haaland from the flanks, and while Haaland is battling Van Dijk, they can unleash their attacking abilities!"
"As for the midfield and defense, we will still use the same lineup as against Espanyol, because after solving our attacking problems, we also need to focus on defending against Southampton's offense!"
Zhao Zhao said, then pointed to the piece representing Southampton's player on the tactics board, at the very center position:
"Ward-Prowse. This young player became a core player for Southampton last season, and he is very important in Southampton's tactical system."
"He has strong ball shielding and carrying abilities, and he's also good at passing and long-range shooting. So, we must control him."
"If we give him enough time to think, if we let him comfortably pass the ball into our backline, then he will control the tempo of the match."
"And when he has the tempo of the match, the entire Southampton team can launch attacks against us from various directions, thus controlling the initiative of the match."
"Especially Manolo Gabbiadini in the front, if he can comfortably receive through balls from Ward-Prowse, then we'll be in big trouble."
Alonso and Alan Tate, including Breswell, all nodded in unison.
Of course, they knew who the most threatening player in the Southampton squad was.
"So, I will have Cattermole mark him. Why not Rice? Because although Rice is technically stronger and has better driving ability, his aggression is not strong enough right now, and his defending is not decisive enough."
"Our vice-captain, however, can perfectly complete the defensive task. And I will also have the wingers and full-backs on both sides assist in marking their central midfielder."
Zhao Zhao said, then moved a piece on the tactics board:
"For example, when Ward-Prowse receives the ball here, I will have Foden press their center-back Maya Yoshida from the outside, cutting off the field to try and win the ball."
"At this point, Ward-Prowse might try to pass to the full-back Cédric, and then Cattermole will move to Ward-Prowse's position, pressing Ward-Prowse along with Rodri."
"At the same time, our full-back Robertson will also move to the connecting line between Ward-Prowse and Cédric."
"At this point, if their Van Dijk is tied up by our Haaland, then Ward-Prowse will only be able to pass back to the goalkeeper. We will have broken their attack and, on the contrary, gained an opportunity to continue pressing high up the field for a shot."
"Of course, Cattermole's excessive fouling might be another issue, and I will make him pay attention to that."
"After all, Ward-Prowse's direct free-kick ability is quite impressive…"
As Zhao Zhao explained the tactics for both offense and defense in this match, the Coaches finally understood Zhao Zhao's intentions.
It seemed that everything about this match was under Zhao Zhao's control.
So, the tactical training for the next few days would proceed accordingly!
During this period, Zhao Zhao also went to talk to Defoe alone.
This was, of course, about him being a substitute.
Defoe was, after all, the team's top scorer and top star, as well as the newly appointed captain. Starting the first match as a substitute certainly needed to be discussed clearly.
However, Defoe was a very professional player.
"Coach, I have always admired your tactical arrangements, and I won't complain about being a substitute. The team's victory is the most important thing!"
Of course, Zhao Zhao's analysis of their technical characteristics and his deep understanding of tactics were also important reasons why Defoe was convinced.
He also recalled the fear of being dominated by Van Dijk last season…
And when the time came to August 11th, the day before the official match, Zhao Zhao announced the starting lineup for the next day to the team.
This lineup, of course, surprised many people.
Haaland and Foden were actually starting!
In fact, similar to the Coaches' views, the players also believed that the friendly match against Espanyol might have been the team's main lineup.
So, it wasn't surprising that players like Ben White, Rice, and Brahim Díaz were not in the starting lineup.
But the starts of Haaland and Foden truly astonished people.
Especially Haaland!
It should be known that his most direct competitor for that position was Captain Defoe.
An England National Team member, the team's top scorer, the most famous, the highest valued, and also the highest-paid in the team!
And Haaland was even the most inconspicuous among the new signings this season, after all, his transfer fee was only a mere 500,000 Euros!
Therefore, for Haaland, securing a starting position would obviously be more difficult than for others.
Thus, when Haaland heard that he was starting, he couldn't help but freeze.
It took him tens of seconds to react, looking left and right at his teammates, trying to figure out if he had misheard.
And after announcing the list, Zhao Zhao also pulled Haaland aside for individual guidance:
"Tomorrow's match, you absolutely must not be afraid of Van Dijk. Isn't he physically strong? You are stronger than him! Push him, hit him, make him fear you!…"
Only then did Haaland awaken as if from a dream, excitedly saying: "Wow, I'm really starting! Thank you, Coach, for your trust in me! I will definitely perform well tomorrow! Van Dijk, right? Just watch me knock him around!"
Zhao Zhao smiled and patted Haaland's head:
"Very good, I like that aggressive spirit in you! Of course, you can't get too carried away. You can eat anything on the field, just don't eat cards… Okay, and don't eat other people's shoulders. Ears are also out!"