Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions
Chapter 126 - 117: The Tang Long Effect Sparks a Ratings Frenzy, Coppa Italia Final to Premiere in China Soon!_2

Chapter 126: Chapter 117: The Tang Long Effect Sparks a Ratings Frenzy, Coppa Italia Final to Premiere in China Soon!_2

In the last match against Udinese, Tang Long’s performance in the holding midfield position caught Mancini’s eye!

And when Kovacic was moved from defensive midfielder to attacking midfielder, his impact, dribbling speed, and determination to go forward played a crucial role in changing the course of the entire game!

Therefore, in the upcoming match against Sassuolo, Mancini decided to continue using this tactic.

At the same time, Mancini made certain tweaks to this tactical setup.

Gualin needs to rest for a week due to a leg strain, leaving only Medel to pair with Tang Long in the defensive midfield.

Mancini instructed Medel to always run around Tang Long, providing the necessary support, just like Gattuso protected Pirlo.

Meanwhile, Mancini decided to deploy full-backs Yuto Nagatomo and Santon in the match against Sassuolo.

He required them to push forward quickly in the game, stretching the formation to the flanks, ready to receive long passes from Tang Long at any moment.

In Mancini’s tactical plan, if Tang Long is in the defensive midfielder position, then his distribution from the back is crucial to winning the game.

The key point lies in opening up the flanks!

Especially the advancement of the full-backs.

Only with the full-backs advancing can the midfield and forwards push up together.

With all three lines advancing in unison, putting relentless pressure on Sassuolo, there’s no worry about not winning the match.

Mancini closely supervised assistant Herrera’s explanations and execution of this tactic on the sidelines.

The players were very enthusiastic, and the training effects in the practice match were quite good.

"Hmm, indeed, with Tang Long dropping back, the ball movement in the midfield and defense became smoother, and the attack had more layers. It’s a brilliant move."

Mancini smiled.

In fact, Mancini is a very egotistical Italian!

During his playing days, he was synonymous with being rebellious.

He repeatedly had conflicts with the national team’s head coach at the time.

With Baggio in the past and Del Piero and Totti later, the position of false nine was highly competitive in Italy during that era.

Mancini, thinking highly of himself, was dissatisfied with his role as a substitute. During a turbulent period of internal conflict with the national team management, he often publicly vented his anger about his marginal role, criticizing the upper management, which greatly disappointed those in power.

As a result, even though he was formidable at Samp and Lazio and won two League Champion titles, his appearance count for the national team remained only at 36 matches, with 4 goals.

After becoming a club head coach, the arrogance from his playing days continued into his coaching career.

Many times, even Mancini himself thought, "I’ve won every championship during my playing days, became Florence’s head coach at just over 30, and I’m handsome, the dream of many Italian women. Can any of you players compare even to a strand of my sweat?"

Whether it was at Florence, or later at Lazio, Inter Milan, or Manchester City.

Apart from his only cherished player Balotelli, any other player who dared to oppose Mancini was destined for a bad end!

Especially any dissent over tactical concepts, which was absolutely not tolerated, this was Mancini’s weak spot. Gualin at the start of the season had been heavily punished for this.

However, Tang Long’s self-initiated tactical adjustment in the last match unexpectedly impressed Mancini!

In the debriefing meetings before and after the match, Chiwo’s detailed video analysis gave Mancini a deeper understanding of the underlying significance of Tang Long’s strategy.

After understanding, Mancini was even more puzzled!

He truly felt that 18-year-old Tang Long, in such a tense game, could remain calm, making first-class tactical analysis and judgments, which was simply incredible.

At least in terms of in-game management for that match against Udinese, Mancini indeed couldn’t compare to Tang Long.

Mancini was both curious and puzzled, and even felt a tiny bit of fear!

Hiss...

Could it be that he couldn’t read the game better than an 18-year-old kid?

After all, I am the manager of Inter Milan.

Mancini couldn’t understand it.

Why in that match against Udinese, Tang Long could think of dropping back himself and pushing Kovacic forward, but he couldn’t think of that?

Could it be that 18-year-old Tang Long had already shown the potential to become a top-notch coach?

"No no no, this must be impossible!"

Mancini immediately denied this thought.

He even found it a bit ridiculous~

As Chiwo said, for an 18-year-old player to understand the coach’s instructions and execute them without errors—this was already quite remarkable!

Many players spend their entire careers without achieving this.

There are players who show coaching potential during their playing days.

But most of them are in their late thirties.

After four or five hundred high-level matches, players have a deeper understanding of tactics and gradually improve their game-reading abilities.

And by spending extended periods with high-level coaches, they also gain education in tactics.

Mancini himself is a prime example.

At 36, after concluding his career at Lazio.

He was appreciated by the then-head coach Eriksson and became Lazio’s assistant coach.

And a year later, he took charge of Florence’s first team, thus beginning his journey as a renowned Italian coach.

And Tang Long, at merely 18 years old, was only half Mancini’s age back then.