blogombal Chapter 54 New Season Recruitment
Chapter 54 New Season Recruitment
The office fell silent instantly.
Moyes gestured for Ye Xian to sit down, then poured him a glass of water. "May I call you by your name, Ye?"
"Yes, Mr. Moyes," Ye Xian said with a smile.
Moyes laughed: "Please call me by my name too, David."
"Okay, David."
Strictly speaking, Moyes's statement is problematic.
"Ye" is the surname, and "David" is the given name.
However, this is difficult to explain to the British, so never mind.
After they were seated, Moyes got straight to the point: "Ye, the club has already communicated with me. You're effectively the team manager, with the authority to make transfer decisions, while I remain the nominal head coach. To be honest, in all my years as a coach, this is the first time I've encountered such a division of labor. I'd like to hear your thoughts on how we should cooperate going forward."
Ye Xian took a sip of water, his expression calm and his tone steady: "David, I understand your concerns very well. First of all, I want to make one thing clear: I'm not here to seize power, but to work with you to lead Everton out of its predicament and improve its performance."
He put down his water glass and looked firmly at Moyes: "You've been at Everton for six months now, familiar with the league's pace and the players' characteristics. I hope you will continue to be fully responsible for the daily training coordination. My focus will be on building the tactical system, making transfer decisions, and optimizing the squad. We will each do our part, complement each other, and have the same goal—to make Everton stronger."
Upon hearing this, Moyes' tense expression eased slightly, the probing in his eyes gradually faded, and a hint of approval appeared.
He nodded slightly: "Very good. What I was most worried about was the unclear division of labor and responsibilities. Since you put it that way, I am fully willing to cooperate with your work. However, I would also like to remind you that the intensity of the Premier League far exceeds that of Asian competitions. The characteristics of the players and the pace of the league are different from what you have encountered before. We will need to communicate more about subsequent tactical adjustments and player recruitment."
"Of course." Ye Xian smiled, then smoothly brought up the issue of the roster. "Before coming here, I had a basic understanding of the team's current lineup, but not in detail. I'd like to hear your opinion: in the current roster, which players are the core and indispensable, and which are redundant players that can be cleared out?"
When it comes to the team's lineup, Moyes seems to have been well-prepared.
He took a player roster from the drawer and handed it to Ye Xian: "This is the team's current first-team roster. The core players are mainly concentrated in the midfield and defense, but the age structure is too old, and their stamina and explosiveness are insufficient. The forward line has weak scoring ability, and there is a lack of impactful players on the wings; there are also a few players who do not meet the team's tactical needs, have a very low appearance rate, but their salaries are not low, so they can be considered redundant players..."
Ye Xian took the list and began to carefully read through it.
In fact, he already had his own ideas before he came, especially the list of players to be recruited.
However, we should first see what Moyes thinks.
"I agree with you." Ye Xian looked up at Moyes. "But first, I'd like to know, what tactical style do you think is most suitable for our team in the new season?"
"Uh... I only know how to use 4-4-2." Moyes scratched his head a little embarrassedly. "I've only been a coach for a few seasons."
"Excuse my bluntness, but this style of play is too rigid and not flexible enough." Ye Xian stood up, walked to the tactics board, and set up the chess pieces.
「我更喜欢用4-2-3-1或4-3-3这样的阵型。」
"I think the 4-2-3-1 formation is the most balanced at present. The two defensive midfielders can form a defensive barrier in front of the four defenders, making it extremely strong in preventing counter-attacks."
"At the same time, three attacking midfielders can effectively cover the frontcourt, including the flanks, preventing the lone striker from being isolated."
"The 4-3-3 formation is more offensive, and the midfield is usually composed of two attackers and one defender, or two defenders and one attacker, or even three defenders. It is flexible in configuration and can also achieve full coverage in the midfield."
"In terms of pressing down on the flanks, the two wingers and full-backs can launch overlapping attacks, making 2-on-1 situations on the flanks a common occurrence, allowing for easy breakthroughs and crosses or cut-in shots."
"These two formations also have something in common: they can achieve the tactical goal of high pressing and rapid transitions..."
听着叶贤解释着4-2-3-1和4-3-3阵型的优点，莫耶斯听着不断点头。
He can understand these principles now.
Even while watching the Chinese team's matches in the World Cup, he was thinking about the use of these formations and found that they were indeed more advanced than the 4-4-2 formation used by many teams now.
but……
Moyes voiced his concerns: "But our current squad doesn't seem to meet your requirements. Especially the forwards' pressing and cutting inside. Our main striker, Kevin Campbell, is already 32 years old..."
"So this is what we need to do next," Ye Xian said with a smile. "I hope to rejuvenate the team and bring in some talented and hardworking young players so that they can better fit our new tactics."
As he spoke, he turned and tapped the tactics board:
"First of all, I need a midfield maestro who can control the tempo and make good passes. Li Tie is good, and Gravesen is certainly very strong, but he still doesn't meet my requirements."
"Then there's a main center forward who can hold his own and make runs, and one or two dynamic wingers. They all need to be able to adapt to multiple positions on the front line, to switch positions, and to press high up the pitch."
"The center-backs in the back line are alright. David Weir and Alan Stubbs are very experienced, and with Li Weifeng, it's enough. It's just that the attacking power of the full-backs is a bit weak, and I will consider strengthening them."
"And then there's the goalkeeper..."
Moyes said, "You've noticed too? Our first-choice goalkeeper last season, Paul Gerrard, really didn't perform well, so I'm already preparing to have the management make an offer to Arsenal for their second-choice goalkeeper, Richard Wright, although it's a bit expensive..."
"How much?"
"It could cost £500 million."
"Huh? That's too expensive!"
"So I was hesitant before..."
"Don't buy it, leave this to me. I've already set my sights on a young Czech man. He's only 20 years old, but very steady, and the price shouldn't be too high."
Moyes looked surprised: "You've noticed Czech players? Which English club does he play for?"
"No, he's still in Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic," Ye Xian replied. "He just helped the Czech Republic win the U21 European Championship, so I noticed him. Since he's not very well-known yet, his price certainly won't be too high."
"Okay." Moyes nodded.
After this conversation, Moyes also realized that Ye Xian was not only talented, but also well-prepared!
Not only do they know all of Everton's players, but they have also planned out their tactics for the new season and even have a list of potential signings for each position!
Moyes increasingly felt that his decision to stay by Ye Xian's side as the nominal head coach was probably the right one...
I feel like I've learned a lot from today's "lesson" alone!
Just then, there was a gentle knock on the office door, and Winters' voice came through: "The two coaches seem to be having a pleasant conversation. The meeting is ready; you can go over there and chat with us!"
Ye Xian and Moyes exchanged a smile and stood up at the same time.
In fact, not only has Moyes approved of Ye Xian, but Ye Xian is also very satisfied with Moyes.
This conversation and the list provided show that Moyes also has his own ideas and is fully prepared for the new season.
Clearly, Moyes's continued presence will greatly help Ye Xian's preparations for the new season!