Football: I can see player entries.

Chapter 176 A Game of Hidden Agreements

For a struggling team that has been playing in the Premier League for many years, conceding a goal is not a big deal; they often find themselves in this situation.

What really frustrated the opposing coach was that Burton substituted Ibrahimovic at the start of the second half and put Murphy up front.

At the same time, everyone retreated to their own half of the field.

Should a team switch to a counter-attacking style after taking the lead?

It has a Muslim feel to it.

This classic tactic has been included in textbooks, but most head coaches don't like it.

Especially when the opponent uses it.

Playing like this against strong teams is understandable, but isn't it a bit excessive when facing weaker opponents?

"It's okay, most of their players don't meet the requirements for drop defense."

"We still have a chance..."

That's the only way the opposing coach could console himself.

However, he clearly misunderstood Li Yanqing's intentions.

He pulled the formation back not just to defend, but because Justin had broken out with the ball again.

We still treated them as sparring partners.

"This bastard!"

"Isn't that a bit disrespectful to the opponent?"

"Complain about him! You must complain about him!"

Now, not only the opposing manager, but even the fans can see what Burton is doing.

Fortunately, the match was played at home, and Burton's fans had a numerical advantage, which allowed them to suppress the opposing team's protests.

"Li, isn't what we're doing a bit inappropriate?"

"How about we just play normally now?"

"Justin could easily get hurt if he angers his opponent."

Lehmann was more concerned about the players' physical condition.

They have quite a few fragile players on their own, and if they offend too many people, it's hard to imagine what they'll encounter on the field.

"It's okay, just keep playing like this."

"This is the best way to help them improve their strength as quickly as possible."

"There's no time for them to grow up slowly."

Li Yanqing's expression was somewhat helpless.

He didn't want it to be like this, but there was nothing he could do; the time the club was giving him was becoming increasingly limited.

"Don't worry, it's not like this in every game."

"We only play like this against teams that are fifth or sixth from the bottom."

"Why is it fifth or sixth?" Lyman asked, puzzled.

In terms of form, teams in the relegation zone are definitely easier to deal with.

Furthermore, the fourth-to-last team is also not in the relegation zone and has been excluded.

"Because if you push them too far, they'll really risk their lives."

"Only those weak teams with nothing to play for are our targets."

"And the closer we get to the end of the season, the more opportunities there will be."

"Playing a game like this is more effective than training for two months."

After Li Yanqing finished speaking, he looked at Justin on the field.

He wasn't just saying that randomly.

Justin, who struggled to dribble past opponents in the first half, is now doing quite well.

“Without desires or wants…” Lyman glanced at Li Yanqing with some surprise.

That's true. Although the second half of the season has just begun, some teams have already confirmed that they are unlikely to make it into the top seven.

So it doesn't really matter what the specific ranking is, because the money split is about the same for everyone.

They are willing to accept anything as long as the team is not relegated in the end.

This can also be considered a form of "fixed match".

But it seemed like this was the first time the other side had shown this kind of attitude towards the competition in front of him.

Shouldn't there only be two attitudes: "fight with all your might" and "give up directly"?

This style of play is good, but if you're not careful, three points can easily turn into one...

As for Crystal Palace, their players are maintaining a pretty good mentality.

When they found it difficult to win the game, they didn't mind the team losing by a narrow margin of 0 to 1.

After all, their goal is simply to avoid relegation, and the current situation is still very favorable.

Before the 80th minute was up, the opposing coach had completely given up and simply substituted two young players to give them some experience.

The match ended in a peaceful atmosphere...

Burton secured three points and achieved their goal of developing their players.

This made Li Yanqing even more determined to use these unambitious teams as practice subjects.

The people who find it hardest to accept it are the fans.

It's mainly the opposing fans.

They felt like they had paid to watch a practice match, only to have to accept the fact that their team lost.

This is very uncomfortable!

As for their own fans, it doesn't matter, since they won the game anyway.

Li Yanqing had to fabricate an excuse in the media to explain.

"The players were physically exhausted in the second half of the season, so this was a last resort."

"We have many veteran players in our team, and sometimes we need to use this tactic to alleviate the team's fatigue."

Anyone with a little professional knowledge can tell that this is utter nonsense.

If they're fatigued, why not just let the veterans take turns resting?

Letting young players play as starters can still train them and give everyone a great game.

Burton has no injured players, and although their squad may seem small, it is definitely enough.

For Li Yanqing, it didn't matter, as long as he wasn't accused of making this arrangement on purpose and was given an explanation that others could barely accept.

As for whether they believe it or not...

That's not important; fans will naturally defend the club's reputation.

In order to put some pressure on the young men in the team, Li Yanqing no longer cared about anything else.

"nailed it."

Lars Bender has agreed to join the club.

After the match, he received a message from Barker.

It's unclear whether this is good news or not, because they paid a premium for this player.

The total price is £45 million...

This figure surpasses Anderson's £40 million, breaking their historical record once again.

But Li Yanqing was still in a good mood.

The premium is only around ten million, and the most gratifying thing is that the player himself is willing to come.

This proves that the team's influence has further increased.

Lars Bender, who is 28 years old, should be able to stay with the team for four or five years if he doesn't suffer any major injuries.

He and Baselli will be the guarantee of the team's midfield strength.

"Don't rush, the player requests to report to the team again in a week."

"After all, it's going abroad for him, so there are some things he needs to prepare for."

"By the way, I didn't ask before, why didn't you consider his brother, Sven Bender?"

"I think Sven is more capable than his brother..."

Barker knows the two brothers well; they are both defensive midfielders with excellent stamina and defensive skills.

"Barker, are you kidding me?"

Li Yanqing didn't answer, but instead gave him a look as if he were an idiot.

"Uh, okay, actually I'm just analyzing it from a technical perspective this time."

"I'm a former player myself... so it's no wonder I'm interested in this."

Barker smiled; this time, he had indeed asked the wrong question.

Sven Bender plays for Borussia Dortmund, and it's obvious to anyone with a brain that even 50 million wouldn't be enough to buy him...