strictlysupreme Chapter 494 Going to London
Chapter 494 Going to London
Chapter 494 Going to London
London?
A charming city, of course, as long as it doesn't rain in London, otherwise it can feel a bit depressing.
Dortmund came to London just in time for a rainy day. Through the rain, Dortmund soldiers got a glimpse of a corner of London. The passionate battle the day after tomorrow will start at the famous Stamford Bridge, and everyone is looking forward to it.
Klopp asked the accompanying staff, "Where is Stamford Bridge?"
The staff member took out his mobile phone and pointed, "This".
"That's pretty far."
Klopp is not worried about traffic jams, because for so many years, no team has ever been unable to catch up with the game due to traffic jams in London, but Klopp does not have enough confidence in London's traffic.
After arriving at the hotel, Klopp felt a little annoyed. Everything in London seemed to be wet, including the air. Such a climate is obviously not a good thing for the German team.
Everyone knows the climate in the UK. It doesn’t rain very much, but it doesn’t stop at once. People who have watched the movie "Fame" should be deeply impressed by this. As soon as the protagonist arrives in the UK, the coach asks him to play a match in the mud.
It might be commonplace for kids in England, but it's not easy for players from other countries.
"What's the weather like tomorrow, the day after tomorrow"?asked Klopp.
"It's all raining",
"That is, it must be a rainball"?
The assistant nodded.
Klopp shook his head helplessly, "The last game against Atletico Madrid was held in the sunniest country in Europe, and this game was held in the wettest country in Europe. Is UEFA playing me?"
"Jurgen, I suggest training in the last few days to let the players wear spikes to adapt to the weather in London in advance",
Klopp shook his head, "We are a fast attacking team, wearing spikes will slow down the speed."
"That's better than slipping and hurting"?
"Let's see when the time comes, I think the situation may not be so bad."
Klopp is troubled here, but Chelsea has regained its vitality. After the coaching change, Chelsea's performance has risen steadily, and "Pato" introduced during the winter break has slowly begun to integrate into the team, which makes Hiddink very happy.
Four years ago, Chelsea's soldiers tasted the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the history of the Allianz Arena. It was also the most glorious moment in the history of the Chelsea club.
In fact, after Hiddink replaced Mourinho, Chelsea's tactics did not change much, but Hiddink made the dressing room atmosphere better. In fact, as long as there is no internal trouble, Chelsea's lineup is still very strong in Europe.
Take a look at their staffing - Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Willian, Pedro, which one is not a big role.
Although Abramovich did not inspect before the game, everyone knew that in this turbulent season, the Champions League was the last honor the team could strive for. Even if the boss didn't say anything, everyone worked hard to at least score goals at home.
Before the game, the London police issued an unprecedented warning that German fans are not advised to go to England to watch football, because historically, nothing good will happen if British fans and German fans are together, but Dortmund fans don't care.
This made London’s police in charge of game security feel like they were facing a formidable enemy. The heavily armed London police maintained order on the streets, especially around the Stamford Bridge Stadium.
*****
In addition to the weather, Dortmund has another headache for Uncle Zha, and that is Wang Kong's suspension. Wang Kong is Dortmund's main midfielder this season and has won the trust of Klopp. The absence of the Chinese midfielder in this game will indeed bring great difficulties to the team.
Klopp has several options, Weigel, Gentle, or the veteran Shaheen.
But Klopp found it difficult to make up his mind. After all, the position of the midfielder is too important for a team.
In the end, Klopp still decided to trust Shaheen. Although Shaheen is weaker in confrontation, he has rich experience. In the semi-finals of the Champions League, standing on the court without weak legs is the number one priority.
In fact, there is no suspense about the starting lineups of the two teams. Apart from Wang Kong, Dortmund's side is the same, and Chelsea's side must also be those people.
"Jurgen, do you still like London"?
"This place is more humid than my washing machine",
Hehe laughed at the scene.
"Looks like the weather in London is helping Chelsea too," said one reporter.
Klopp shook his finger, "Not necessarily, the Germans are not afraid of head-to-head."
Then the reporter also asked Hiddink, "Why have you been here for a few months, but you still use Mourinho's tactics"?
Hiddink has heard this question countless times since he took office. To sum it up, he has no creativity and is completely based on the legacy left by "Mourinho".
In the past, Hiddink laughed it off, but today Hiddink decided to answer, "If I want to show my real skills, then the boss needs to give me a long-term contract. You know, I am currently on a temporary contract."
This answer is very ingenious. Since I praised myself, even if I didn’t show my real ability to lead Chelsea to the semi-finals, it was also a relief for my team. After all, it’s okay to lose, I was just making soy sauce temporarily.
Klopp heard the mystery, and thought: "An old fox is an old fox. Hiddink has been in European football for decades, and he is indeed capable."
Unexpectedly, the reporter didn't understand these words, and someone asked stupidly: "Then Abramovich will give you a long-term contract"?
Hiddink chuckled, "I have to ask the club owner."
This press conference seems to be attended by two people, but it is not, because there is one person who cannot be bypassed, and that is Mourinho. Magic Bird and Chelsea seem to be inseparable forever.
"Jurgen, some people say you are the craziest head coach in Europe other than Mourinho, what do you think?"
"Would it? I think I'm a little more handsome than Mourinho."
Hahaha, although this answer is nonsensical, it amused many reporters and friends on the scene, because Klopp is obviously self-defeating.
"I think Jose is a great head coach. It's a pity that I can't play against him. I hope I will have a chance in the future."
"Have you studied Mourinho's tactics?"
"I have not specifically studied Mourinho's tactical thinking, but I know that Mourinho is a coach who attaches great importance to defense, so it is not easy for us to score goals in this game."
The next question is for Hiddink, "Would you use Costa?"
"Why not? Just because of some of his scandals"?
In fact, what Hiddink really wants to say is, "The scandals about Costa are not all hyped up by you journalists who are afraid of chaos in the world."
"My only consideration for using a player is his state in training. I don't need to consider other things. That is the job of the FA."
Costa has been portrayed by English reporters this season as a new generation of villains, and it seems that this image is still deepening, so many teams especially like to take advantage of this. The NBA has a tactic called cutting the center tactic, which is fouling the opponent's center and disrupting the rhythm of the game.
And now there is a similar tactic in the UK, that is, the tactic of cutting Costa, using his hot temper to deliberately tease him, so Costa has received a lot of red cards this season.
British journalists are very bad. Asking this question is actually a pun. It means that Klopp, will you also adopt the "costa hacking tactic"?
But Klopp pretended he didn't understand and didn't interrupt from beginning to end.
There is another problem that cannot be avoided, and that is the weather. According to the weather forecast, there will be rain during the game tomorrow, and it may not be small. This is also a variable.
"The weather is beyond my control. If it is drizzle, it will have no effect. If it is heavy rain, it is indeed a problem for Dortmund."
Hiddink said: "The drainage facilities at Stamford Bridge are great. This is not Italy. Please rest assured that no matter how much rain there is, the ball will not float."
Everyone laughed. The drainage facilities of many stadiums in Italy are very backward. When there is heavy rain, water will accumulate. Hiddink is referring to this.
Finally, when it came to tactical issues, the coaches of both sides began to play Tai Chi and hesitated. Klopp said that it must be a wonderful game, and Hiddink also agreed with Klopp's words.
*****
On the match day, Klopp on the bus looked out the window. The weather forecast was very accurate, and it was indeed pouring rain. The assistant beside him asked, "Is it true that you don't want to change your spikes in this weather?"
"No, I feel that the lawn conditions at Stamford Bridge are very good."
"But"?
"No but",
Klopp has also played football himself. He knows that the foot feel of long spikes and short spikes is different, especially in high-level games, the details often determine success or failure, so Klopp will not let the players change spikes unless it is a last resort.
During the warm-up before the game, Klopp asked the players in the front field to make a sudden turn and stop to see if they would slip out, but the effect was good, but Klopp also knew that the lawn was still intact before the game, but after the game, as the players continued to step on it, the situation must be different.
Klopp called Li Qiao and Royce over, these are the two with the best skills in the team, and Klopp uses them as a benchmark.
"Remember, if it really doesn't work, tell me right away, and I'll let everyone change their shoes."
(End of this chapter)