Chapter 771: Youth Training Must Go Abroad
On November 5th, Manchester City welcomed Middlesbrough at home.
This team, originally developed from a wooden ball club, has experienced ups and downs, finally reaching its peak in the early 21st century.
Not only did they win the League Cup in 2004, but they also reached the final of the UEFA Cup in 2006, only to lose to the UEFA king, Sevilla.
After a brief moment of glory, Middlesbrough slowly declined, spending several years fighting in the Championship after relegation. They only returned to the Premier League at the beginning of last season, so their goal this season remains avoiding relegation.
Some notable players in this team include former Barcelona goalkeeper Valdés and former Real Madrid player Negredo, who joined on loan.
At the start of the game, the away team launched a surprise attack. Ramirez and Negredo cleverly combined, with the former shooting into the far corner of the goal from inside the penalty area, giving Middlesbrough an incredible lead.
However, the Sky Blues quickly adjusted their mentality and stabilized. Just 10 minutes after conceding, Wang Feng provided a pass to Stones, who delivered a cross into the box. Inside the penalty area, Sané headed in to equalize the score.
In the 37th minute, De Bruyne's through ball penetrated the defense, and the Chinese superstar timely initiated an offside trap, then calmly chipped the ball into the net from close range.
After scoring, Wang Feng gestured for Silva to come over and celebrate with him. "It's your excellent finishing touch!" De Bruyne couldn't hide his excitement. "Huang always boasts about his shooting skills. Why doesn't he learn from his seniors?"
Wang Feng chuckled. De Bruyne and Huang Hu, this pair of teasing friends, always complained about each other's techniques in front of him, but in reality, they had a very good relationship. They had achieved many glories together and the Belgian always hoped to partner with the Chinese youngster again.
In the 70th minute of the second half, David Silva lofted a ball into the box, Sané headed it back, and Aguero volleyed from close range near the penalty spot, further extending their lead.
The final score was locked at 3-1, as the Sky Blues secured their third consecutive victory since losing to Everton.
During this period, besides the vigorous Manchester City, Liverpool also surged with five consecutive wins, rising to second place on the table, just two points behind Manchester City.
Chelsea and Arsenal maintained steady performances, closely following the leading group, while Tottenham struggled in both the league and Champions League, dropping from second to fifth. Manchester United remained lethargic, sitting in sixth place.
The outline of the Premier League BIG6 is basically revealed.
On the international break in November, the Chinese team arranged a match, the fifth round of the 12-team group stage, hosting Qatar at home.
With four victories already secured, the Chinese team comfortably topped the table. Therefore, Lippi mainly focused on training new players this round, giving many U23 players the opportunity to play.
Although there is no mandatory requirement for U23 players to go abroad, it is a condition for entering the national team.
Among these players, the most eye-catching newcomer is Wang Yanlin, the starting midfielder for Malmo, the Swedish champions.
This 19-year-old youngster came from the Inter Milan youth training camp. He quickly secured a starting position after joining Malmo a year ago. His dream is to establish himself in one of the top five leagues like his predecessors.
During the game, Wang Yanlin provided an assist to help the Chinese team take the lead. Unfortunately, they couldn't hold onto the victory until the end, as Qatar equalized in the second half.
1-1, both sides shook hands and settled for a draw.
Although the winning streak did not continue, the excellent performance of the young players was very reassuring. More and more people understand why youth training must go abroad.
In fact, reaching this conclusion was not easy. With the vigorous development of the football industry domestically, clubs like Hengtai have emerged as champions of Asia.
Therefore, many people question whether players they have cultivated, such as Deng Hanwen, Li Xuepeng, Huang Baiwen, and Yu Hanchao, are really inferior to a group of young players from the youth training system?
And what about veterans like Feng Xiaoting and Gao Lin, who have won the World Cup, can't they re-enter the national team?
Wang Feng didn't say much about this, but he internally organized a match between foreign young players and these players. The entire process was not made public, so they could play without reservation. The results were shocking.
The double-digit difference made these players seem like amateurs who didn't know how to play football, beaten to the ground and stripped of their armor. This is the team that China is most proud of.
Without foreign aid, they are nothing. The gap in levels between the Chinese Super League, China League One, and China League Two is not that big.
"Why do I invest so much money in Genk and Inter Milan every year? Domestic youth training is long gone, and they can't rise up even if you give them another hundred years." Facing the senior management, Wang Feng bluntly stated his opinion.
Returning from their respective national teams, Manchester City players did not return to Manchester but instead gathered directly in London to prepare for the 12th round of the Premier League against Crystal Palace.
This is a club located in the southern part of London. Their home ground, Selhurst Park, can accommodate 26,000 spectators.
Established for over a hundred years, they have always fluctuated between higher and lower levels of leagues, with the longest record being four years without relegation in the top league.
Since their promotion to the Premier League in 2013, this season marks Crystal Palace's fourth Premier League campaign, equaling their club record. If they further succeed in avoiding relegation, they will create a new achievement.
Perhaps for the big clubs, this achievement is simply not worth mentioning, but for small clubs, any breakthrough result is worth remembering.
The most notable star in Crystal Palace is undoubtedly the Belgian striker Benteke, who arrived in London from Liverpool this summer for a club-record fee of ￡32 million.
This 25-year-old player in his prime suddenly chose to leave the big club, causing quite a stir in European football. However, Wang Feng believes he is a rational person.
Klopp's overall tactical approach at Liverpool did not suit the Belgian, and Benteke could not seek a regular starting position. Continuing like this would only waste his youth.
Other clubs, including Arsenal and Juventus, have offered him higher salaries, but only Crystal Palace could guarantee him a starting position, so he ultimately chose the Eagles.
It is worth mentioning that what Chinese fans most like to talk about regarding Benteke is commentator Zhang Jun's swearing. Once, during his time at Liverpool, he missed an open goal chance, and Zhang Jun, a fan of the Reds, couldn't help but curse privately.
Moreover, there are rumors about him and domestic clubs, including Beijing, Hengtai, etc., preparing to introduce this former big club striker, with the highest bid reaching ￡40 million.
After the start of the game, the Manchester City players' tiredness from traveling had not yet fully recovered. In the first half, Benteke was brought down by Silva in a high-speed breakthrough, giving the home team a chance for a set-piece in the attacking half.
McArthur took the free-kick, sending the ball into the box. Ward, who joined the attack unexpectedly, headed the ball into the goal, piercing Bravo's ten fingers.
Although the Sky Blues continued to strengthen their attacks afterward and completely dominated the game, they couldn't break through Crystal Palace's defense until the 84th minute.
Wang Feng dribbled past two defenders in the opponent's half, then made a back pass into the penalty area. Aguero volleyed fiercely near the penalty spot, finally equalizing the score.
This result held until the end of the game, as the Sky Blues only earned one point.
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