I AM the Football Star

Chapter 248: Chapter 87: A Top Defender Can Steal From Opponents—and Teammates

”Welcome to San Remo. I’ll help you integrate into the team quickly.” Lu Yang extended his right hand.

Becher’s looked at Lu Yang, clasped his hand, and exerted a little force: ”Thank you for your kind intentions. I also hope to bring something different to San Remo.”

Listening to their conversation, teammates with relatively high emotional intelligence and intellectual quotient within the team were already breaking into a sweat.

Lu Yang’s words implicitly pointed out his protagonist status.

I help you, understand?

Becher’s response reflected his confidence; he believes the existing structure of San Remo will not constrain him, whether in terms of play style, tactics, or relationships within the team.

This is the absolute confidence of a player with Star Level capability.

After this, the rest of the team sparsely expressed their welcome to Becher’s arrival.

In the afternoon, an intra-team training match.

Lu Yang didn’t play; he stood on the sidelines, paying attention to the dynamics on the field with Sotu.

Becher’s held the ball and, after trying out the defense, easily bypassed the substitute’s defensive player.

Then, he continued his streak in the large penalty area flank, maneuvered further, and finally entered the penalty area, scoring a tricky near-corner goal.

”How is it?” Sotu asked.

”His personal capability is indeed quite strong.” Lu Yang replied.

”What do you think of this shot?” Sotu asked again.

”If it’s an advantageous situation with many offensive opportunities, then after the first dribble, a shot attempt can be made in the flank area.” Lu Yang said, ”If the team is behind or offensive opportunities are hard to come by, then after the first dribble, attracting the opponent’s encirclement and passing the ball to Sogel, who is already open, or to Bai Zhami, who is making an off-ball cut at the large penalty area arc on the other side, are more threatening options.”

”He avoided a long shot outside the large penalty area for safety. However, he later did something more risky than a long shot, going one-on-two in the penalty area before attempting an extreme shot.”

”This entire offense indeed seems strong, but the overall idea is contradictory. That shot was very forced; if our opponent is a high-level team’s goalkeeper, it would likely be saved.”

”Of course, being able to complete a full shot in such an environment shows that his personal ability is indeed beyond question.”

Lu Yang didn’t overly disparage Becher’s but also didn’t praise him.

Players like Becher’s with this style of play and ability, Lu Yang has seen before.

The first star of the Star of Italy Team, Sevajos, advocates this kind of wing core playing style.

This season, in Ligue 1, Monaco’s Sevallios is getting more playing opportunities.

Next season, another wing core in their team will surely be bought at a high price. At that time, Sevajos will enter a stage of skyrocketing statistics, and in two or three years, he is estimated to be traded into a top club for at least More than 30 million.

A promising future indeed.

But before this, Sevajos also played as a substitute for a considerable time and with non-core tactics.

”He doesn’t trust his teammates.” Sotu said sharply, ”He is willing to do some simple passes with teammates, but in key moments, he only believes in his personal ability, whether in dribbling or shooting.”

”This is one of the habits developed by small team cores. Sometimes, it hinders their further growth. This is not something that can be changed in a short time.”

”At such times, very direct instructions are often needed to make him pass the ball, for example.”

”But... such instructions will make him very uncomfortable.”

”I will tactically require him to cooperate more with teammates in the offense as much as possible. But when truly on the field, the only person who can control and remind him will be you.”

”This might affect the relationships between you, especially... if he doesn’t acknowledge your status.”

Lu Yang didn’t speak and just informed Sotu of some news: ”Arthas said he wants to renegotiate my contract with the team recently. I blocked him...”

Sotu was taken aback.

Block it for what?

While renegotiating the contract after only half a season might make the player seem a bit greedy, but... this decision was made under the team’s initial ’unfair’ situation, theoretically speaking, reasonable.

”I told Arthas to negotiate properly with the team in the summer. I don’t want there to be players in the team with a higher salary level than mine, outside of veteran stars joining freely as their retirement.” Lu Yang squinted his eyes, ”I don’t mind if someone has a higher salary than me, but I don’t want this to make them mistakenly think they can challenge my signal.”

”At that time, Mr. Russell will certainly understand this point.”

This summer, Lu Yang will ask San Remo for a high salary to prove his status within the team.

To avoid people around Mr. Russell thinking Lu Yang is too cheap and believing the team has ample salary to sign stars who may not meet the team’s or Head Coach’s requirements.

Sotu frowned and asked: ”What do you want to do?”

Lu Yang said: ”In the next match, I’ll let Becher’s play the football he wants. If he truly can shoulder this responsibility, then in the subsequent matches, I will cooperate with him as I do with Morici.”

”But if he can’t, I hope he will properly follow the team’s tactical arrangements.”

All are football players.

If you challenge Lu Yang, you can only compare on the field.

What Lu Yang has led the team to achieve, if Becher’s can also achieve it, then he indeed deserves core treatment.

But if not, then he should stay where it’s comfortable.