reporter Jia Yanfeng reports Once upon a time, the Zhejiang team became a low-key but dazzling fighter in the league with its tenacity and unity. Not admitting defeat and not giving up, they have won third place in the league and a lot of respect from the outside world in the past two seasons.
However, Zhejiang seems to have lost its rhythm in the 2024 season. At the end of the first ten rounds of the league, they ranked eighth with only 13 points. This result did not meet people's expectations for them. The
league has already had a difficult start, but it will get even harder on the way. The Zhejiang team still needs to face the test of the AFC Champions League. Once passed, they will become a two-front operation. Will this be the last straw for them, or the spark that unlocks their potential? No one can predict it.
At this moment, fans of the Zhejiang team still hope that the team can reverse the predicament and regain its glory. And is head coach Jody also confident? Let's hear what he has to say.
◆ "Football": Thank you for accepting my interview. The current situation of the team does not look ideal. When the situation is not very favorable, many coaches will choose to remain silent. It's very courageous that you are willing to face the media at this moment.
Jody: Thank you for understanding. It is true that our results have fluctuated compared to the previous two seasons, but this does not mean that we are in a difficult situation that is difficult to get out of. In the world of football, there are no winning generals and every season presents unique challenges. Fans and the outside world have higher expectations of us. This is their recognition of our performance in the first two seasons, and it is also an encouragement and challenge to us.
Based on the team's current points and rankings, if it was our first season to be promoted to the Chinese Super League, everyone might easily accept it. After all, we were the newly promoted team at that time. But in the past two seasons, we have not appeared as a newly promoted team, so after two seasons, everyone's expectations have increased, which is normal. Our goal is to keep improving, but we also have to be aware that any team will go through ups and downs.
◆ Can you understand it this way? Do you think the team is not so bad that it is unacceptable? Is the current performance fluctuation still within an acceptable range?
Jodi: The first question is, yes, the results are not ridiculously bad; the second question is, this does not mean that we can accept the status quo calmly. In many games in the past, we have made some mistakes that we should not have made, and many details can be done better. If we easily let go of those mistakes that we should not have made, it will be equivalent to adding support to the decline in performance. .
◆ The two teams played a lot of games last season. The first place was Shandong Taishan. They had no days off all year round, which is equivalent to two seasons directly connected together; the second place was Zhejiang team. You had a holiday later than other teams. One month. Is it because of this that the team's preparation time has been compressed, thus affecting the state of this season?
I don’t know the specific situation of Shandong Taishan and cannot comment, but as far as our team is concerned, I don’t think the AFC Champions League is the key factor causing fluctuations in our results. In fact, it is rewarding for us to participate in such a high-level international competition.
What really affects our performance is ourselves. In the past three years, we have been focusing on building a complete, stable and mature modern football tactical system. At present, most of the players on the team, especially the main players, about 80% have been playing in the team for a long time.
This situation is like a double-edged sword. The advantage is that the players are familiar with each other and can show excellent understanding during the game. But the disadvantage is that as time goes by, the physiological age of players increases, and no matter how scientific training is, it cannot resist the aging of physical functions; at the same time, opponents will understand us more and more deeply, and they will gradually formulate More targeted strategies to limit us place higher demands on us.
Even though we achieved similar results, the difficulty of the competition actually increased with each passing season. If we cannot make changes in details and make the original tactics more precise and perfect, then our combat effectiveness will definitely trend downward.At times, it is understandable that we may be overpowered by opponents we have defeated before. Because our efforts will also stimulate our opponents' desire to become stronger. Therefore, when the opponent becomes the suppressing party, we must also have a peaceful mind. Only through such mutual stimulation and competition can we make progress together, and our results and the results of Chinese football will get better and better.
◆ There is a view that after Musiekui left, the team has never added a shooter who has contributed as much as him. Last year, although Mu Xiekui was no longer the absolute main force, he still scored 18 goals and was the team's top scorer (Leonardo scored 10 goals in Changchun and 9 goals in Zhejiang). Is the lack of a leading shooter the reason for the team's decline in performance this season?
still isn't. We have players with the ability to score goals, but we are currently in a period of transformation of the team's tactical system. This transformation process requires everyone to adjust and adapt.
I mentioned earlier that 80% of the players on our team have not been replaced in the past three years, and the positions of the core main players have always been relatively stable. I have made some adjustments this season. Some of the original absolute main players have now become rotation players or substitutes. Although some players are still main players, I have changed their positions and put forward new requirements. Some players have no positions. changes, but I adapted them to their specific requirements.
I do this because we have to change. Otherwise, if everyone sees us always playing with the same tactics, we will definitely win fewer and fewer games. Our playing style will not change much, but there will definitely be differences in the use of personnel and some detailed requirements. This takes time to get used to, and everyone is still in the process of adapting, so there will be ups and downs in performance.
In addition, both the coaching staff and the club will communicate with the players to make them deeply aware that the challenges of the game will increase, so they must work harder and be better prepared to withstand pressure. Maybe everyone understands the truth, but it still takes time to truly combine it with practical actions.
Counting the year we made the leap to the Premier League, it can be said that our results for three consecutive seasons were okay, so the players may be confused because of this - they have indeed put in enough efforts in the past three years, and they have also used their hard work to achieve a series of successes. performance, but now the performance has declined. There may be an attribution process, and I hope this process can be shorter, but I understand and allow players to have their own ideas. Eventually, we will get back to thinking on the same page, just like we did in the past.
◆ "Football": In a series of books you recommended to me in the past, an author named Pep Mari wrote this: "An excellent team will be interfered by some external factors when encountering difficulties; A truly great team, when faced with a crisis, is more focused on solving its own problems. "Are these two sentences appropriate for me to describe your expectations for the team at this moment?
Jody: You surprised me. I didn’t expect you to pay so much attention to the books I recommended to you. Yes, although none of us dare to put ourselves side by side with greatness easily, we all have the power and freedom to move closer to great achievements and the direction of greatness. In the information age, it is impossible to say that anyone can be completely immune to interference from external information, but who can filter out suggestions that are beneficial to their own development from complex information, instead of just making subjective conjectures or questioning, it means that This choice is another step closer to greatness.
◆ Sometimes greatness and insignificance are in the same thought, just like some people say that heaven and hell are only separated by a wall. When the team's defense is repeatedly beaten by opponents, you still insist on your usual ground passing and controlling style. If someone raises such a question, how would you answer?
I accept all doubts and respect different opinions, but I will stick to the choice I have made. In fact, in the past few years of coaching in China, I have not changed at all. Between reality and adhering to ideals, I make a balance rather than a compromise.I have been working hard to simplify some complex tactical routines to make them more suitable for the characteristics of Chinese players, and I have seen the results in the past few years.
In the past few years, the complexity of the tactics that Chinese players can execute has exceeded my expectations, and Chinese players still have the potential to rise. However, this rising process becomes more difficult as time goes by, and the rewards for the efforts and expectations are not there. It will be just as productive as it was early in the process. At this time, players need to have their own judgment and beliefs, as well as external understanding and encouragement.
The general direction of my tactical philosophy will not change, but many of the details are flexible. My experience tells me that the football concept I advocate is beneficial to the long-term development of Chinese football, including the national team.
◆ I would like to hear more about this. Usually head coaches who coach in the league will not mention the national team easily, because it may cause countless topics and be interpreted in various ways, so everyone is afraid to avoid it.
Maybe you will think that the results of the team I lead are not ideal, and I also consider the affairs of Chinese football and the national team. This is ridiculous. But as a long-term member of the Chinese professional football field, and as a coach who is so supported and trusted by Zhejiang Club, I have the responsibility to do something within the scope of my knowledge. Of course, the opinions I express are my own. Even though I have worked here for many years, I still cannot claim that I have fully understood Chinese football. What I see and advocate is based on my judgment. Just as I disagree with the logic that many people often tell me, Spanish football is not suitable for Chinese people because it is too complex and technically difficult. That's what they think they know about Spanish football, but they don't.
Barcelona's style has indeed made Spanish football popular around the world, but in fact the essence of football advocated by Barcelona is that it requires participants to constantly think based on changes on the field, constantly dismantle the troubles caused by their opponents, and at the same time constantly put pressure on their opponents. . The tactics advocated by Spanish football are more inclusive, using overall cooperation to digest the ultra-high physical or technical requirements of other tactics on individual players. Understanding this perspective requires players to understand the complexity of football and its underlying logic.
◆Is the complicated stuff of really suitable for Chinese players? You must know that our youth training is inherently weak, and most people are accustomed to standard answers rather than creating answers.
For example, when we played in the AFC Champions League, we went from being unadapted to adapting, from losing to winning, and finally made a little progress in the team's performance in the AFC Champions League group stage. This negligible progress is actually based on the fact that our team members are good at thinking and thinking constantly, so that they can have the ability to solve complex problems when they encounter them. Therefore, I firmly believe that Chinese players have the ability to understand Spanish football tactics as long as they work hard.
No matter how you study cultural courses in school, there are really not so many standard answers and the only correct answer on the football field. In my opinion, Chinese characters are the most complex characters in the world, so I have always felt that the Chinese people are smart enough. How many miracles have you created over the years? As long as you find the right direction and have enough patience and confidence, you will be able to achieve something.
◆ "Football": So what do you think are the main changes in the league this year?
Jodi: This year’s league is more difficult to play. The number of 18 teams has become 16. Some good players have been dispersed to various teams. Many teams have become stronger. This situation actually started to happen last year. . This year's five-foreign-aid policy has also increased the uncertainty of the outcome of a single game between teams competing for the championship and relegation teams.
◆ Many people are worried that the team will play in the AFC Champions League in the second half of the year. Based on the current team's status and staffing, what will be the outcome of the two-front battle? At present, the team always fights with two and a half foreign players (Evra always comes on as a substitute in the second half). Other teams often use four or five foreign players, and the strength of the opponents in the AFC Champions League is much higher than that of the Chinese Super League. What will you do? make change?
I still prefer to think about problems that can be solved at the moment.The future is accumulated by every step the team takes now. Speaking of the absence of foreign players, we are not the only team. Many teams have difficulties of one kind or another. We do have our difficulties, but few teams have it really easy. I have always encouraged players not to complain and complain, but to be grateful, because no matter how difficult it is, the club's management team and logistics team never give up their efforts and are not negative. They tried every means to raise financial support without any complaints or passive waiting. They always gave me comfort and hope, and also communicated with me some situations that must be accepted and understood in reality.
We, who have achieved pretty good results for three consecutive seasons, may have higher goals and pursuits, and increase investment in various aspects. However, the reality is that we have chosen a more rational and longer-term strategy. In the same way, I will not make any more predictions or worries about what will happen in the AFC Champions League in the future. The most important thing is to play every game well first.
◆ I think you are an interesting and amazing instructor. You don’t blame others and don’t make excuses for yourself. If the reason is attributed to the fact that the team does not have more funds to supplement personnel, which leads to the inability to enrich the tactical system, causing the tactics to be gradually dismantled by opponents, and leading to a decline in performance, perhaps it is simpler. Now you can also prepare for the AFC Champions League in advance. Difficulties paved the way, but you didn't do it, and you threw away all the excuses that came to your door.
This may be what people often call stubbornness. When encountering problems and difficulties, there are many complicated factors that are not completely under my control. I am accustomed to thinking and solving from myself first, and solving my own problems first before talking about others. Sometimes luck comes unexpectedly. What is luck? It is when opportunity happens to meet your ability. For us now, there is no other choice but to strive to be better.
