The Catfish Effect! Tang Long Had Manchester City's Players Competing Against One Another!

Yaya Toure returned home after Thursday's training session, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

His mind kept replaying the scenes from Wednesday night's game against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Tang Long's outstanding performance, especially in the defensive midfield position.

Toure was completely baffled!

Why did this young player, who just turned 19, deliver such an outstanding performance in his first time playing as a defensive midfielder?

Just that one curving pass from his very first touch of the game, which assisted Agüero, Toure couldn't even manage one of in a whole year;

Not to mention that attack just before the end of the first half, where the midfielder dribbled past three players and scored!

When Toure was five years younger, he possessed this unparalleled ability to launch long-range attacks, but now at 32, he has lost that ability.

"Daddy, Daddy, come play with us!"

Toure's four children gathered around, two sons and two daughters.

Toure immediately forced a smile and played with the child.

He is a father and tries his best not to bring work-related worries into his family and personal life.

As someone from Ivory Coast, Africa, Toure serves as a role model for many players in terms of family discipline.

He has never been involved in any scandals with women, and he rarely goes to places like bars and nightclubs where trouble is likely to break out.

Due to his religious beliefs, he abstains from alcohol and smokes.

That's why, at the age of 32, he can still hold his own in Manchester City's midfield.

But with the arrival of Tang Long, who can play in multiple positions in the attacking third, he posed a real threat to Toure!

In particular, Toure is in the final year of his contract, and his contract renewal is not going smoothly.

Just now, on his drive home, his agent called him and said that Manchester City's request for a two-year contract extension is under internal discussion, and there is no clear answer yet.

"If they haven't provided you with a written contract by November of this year, Toure, I'm sorry, but I'll have to find you a new job!"

November?

That leaves only a month and a half.

Watching the four children playing happily around him, Toure's heart tightened, and sweat began to bead on his forehead.

A sense of responsibility as a father bound him so tightly that he could not move.

Let alone whether he can find a job with a similar salary elsewhere after leaving Manchester City and maintain his quality of life;

If we were to leave this city, or even leave UK to play football abroad, the issue of our children's schooling would be a real headache!

After all, they were doing very well at the local school in Manchester, made many new friends, and often brought them home to play.

If I were to suddenly leave this place, the children would be heartbroken.

The current Toure is like the old Ranocchia.

After getting married and starting a family early, the responsibilities of family life make it easy for someone to leave a city to play for another team, which sometimes depends on more than just personal career development choices.

Children, wife, and the whole family are also important parts of their career plans.

Just then, Toure's phone rang.

"They want money! They want money! The damned devil is here demanding money!"

Upon hearing the phone ring, Toure slumped back on the sofa, covering his face with his hands.

This was a ringtone he specially set for the mayor of his hometown Ivory Coast.

Because every time this local official found Toure, his purpose was always the same: to ask him for money.

Some say they want to build a highway, some say they want to build a reservoir, and some say they want to build a hydroelectric power station.

Even more outrageous, the mayor once called him and asked him to Toure some financial support, saying that civil servants' salaries could not be paid and thousands of people were waiting for food.

"Good heavens, not only do I Toure, have to support my entire clan of about 200 people, but also your more than 1,000 officials, right? What is your government doing? Are you just trying to fleece me?"

For a fleeting moment, Toure really wanted to block all these people's phone numbers, and then live a carefree and happy life in UK with his wife and children!

However, for various unspeakable reasons, this idea can only remain an idea.

Who told him to be born in Africa, in the Ivory Coast?

After dinner, Toure handed the children to his wife and went to his study to carefully study Tang Long's performance in the previous match on his computer.

If Tang Long consistently plays as a striker or attacking midfielder, it won't matter to Toure.

But he has already performed exceptionally well in the defensive midfield position. It remains to be seen whether Pellegrini will permanently retain him in this position, perhaps as a precaution.

Toure needs to seriously study his competitors.

As the 90-minute match began to be recorded, Toure watched it carefully, slowing down to analyze every shot that involved Tang Long.

The more Toure looked, the more astonished he became; his heart pounded faster with each glance!

By reviewing the video footage, he discovered many unique aspects of Tang Long that he hadn't noticed while playing on the field.

The first is the sense of anticipation regarding space.

Toure discovered that Tang Long's spatial predictions were extremely accurate, and that he always moved one step ahead of others, securing the most advantageous spaces first.

For example, in the 12th minute of the first half, after Toure received the ball, two opposing midfielders immediately came to press him.

At this moment, there was an opening on Toure's right.

Before the two defenders could close in, and before he could even move after receiving the ball, Tang Long began to move towards the center.

After receiving the ball, Toure began dribbling towards the right side of the open space in order to get rid of his opponent;

With his height and long legs, he could easily dribble the ball into open space with just two steps, drawing two defenders over as well.

At this point, the middle lane is empty!

Years of experience made Toure instinctively look towards the mid lane, where he spotted Tang Long.

With a flick of his right foot, the ball found its way to Tang Long's position.

With just a simple pass and a dribble, the seemingly casual cooperation between the two players not only evaded two defenders but also created an opportunity to advance the ball forward.

Toure thought to himself, "When I was playing, my mind was completely focused on dribbling into open spaces. It wasn't until later that I started to observe and discover Tang Long's open space in the middle. This time, reviewing the play, I didn't expect that he had already moved to that position before I even started dribbling. It seems he had anticipated that position would be a potential receiving space."

Before joining Manchester City, Toure had already achieved great success at Barcelona, serving as a key central defender for the Dream Team III Barca.

He was already well aware of Guardiola's emphasis on the art of spatial division in training and matches.

But seeing Tang Long running this time really surprised him!

At that moment, he suddenly remembered his Barca midfield teammate Busquets!

"Tang Long's grasp and control of space is exactly the same as Busquets'. He can predict the next move of the situation at least three steps in advance based on the situation on the field."

Thinking about this, Toure became even more curious.

Busquets is a top-class defensive midfielder who was developed through the traditional La Masia youth academy and is a crucial metronome connecting the midfield and defense for Barca;

Tang Long comes from China, a football wasteland. How could he possibly be as strong as Busquets in terms of spatial anticipation?

Driven by curiosity, Toure continued watching Tang Long's videos.

He discovered that Tang Long not only had a great talent for spatial anticipation, but also knew very well when to put pressure on the opponent in the defensive midfield position!

In the 32nd minute of the first half, Kolarov received the ball on the left wing and had a one-on-one duel with the opposing midfielder.

Kolarov's body is fine, but his dribbling is a bit rough.

His strong run down the wing was immediately blocked by the opponent, who then intercepted the ball.

Everyone else at Manchester City paused for a moment, but Tang Long was the first to start moving, followed by Sterling rushing back from the attacking third.

Before the opposing player could turn around, the two players immediately surrounded him. Tang Long poked the ball out of bounds, completing a successful on-the-spot pressing and defense!

"Hmm, I remember that ball, I think I do," Toure muttered to himself. "I was on the right side of midfield at the time, unable to get past them, so I dropped back a step to prepare to defend. Tang Long was on the left, and as soon as Kolarov lost the ball, he didn't retreat, but immediately called Sterling to press him."

"He did a great job. Pressing on the spot is the essence of possession-based tactics. Passing without pressing is fake possession." Toure couldn't help but give Tang Long a thumbs up in his heart.

Both teams played with great fighting spirit in the first half, but in the second half, Monchengladbach Mönchengladbach's momentum began to wane.

Although Tang Long was substituted around the 60-minute mark, Toure reviewed the video and found that Tang Long did not relax in the short 15 minutes of the second half and performed exceptionally well in controlling the area!

Because the video was viewed from a God's-eye view, Toure, sitting in front of his computer, could observe Tang Long's passing and positioning on the field much more clearly than during the match.

Although the opponent had given up the fight, Tang Long did not reduce his running in midfield, frequently weaving through the passing lanes between the center-backs, defensive midfielders, and the two wing-backs.

In particular, whenever Ranocchia gets the ball, Tang Long will always be in position for the most logical passing lane.

Through their frequent runs into triangular formations, Manchester City maintained firm control of the ball in their own half.

Even though the opponent had just substituted a young player, the young man refused to give up and tried to win the ball back several times by himself, but his attempts were completely neutralized by the team's passing and control.

"He and Ranocchia are a match made in heaven, one a ball-playing center-back, the other a ball-controlling defensive midfielder. With these two on the pitch, Manchester City's control in the backfield is definitely a level above last season."

Toure rubbed his bald head and said sourly, "Why can't Kompany and I achieve this kind of effect?"

It was already 11 p. m., and after reviewing the match, Toure was still unable to calm down.

He felt that, as the older brother who was 13 years older than Tang Long, he was even inferior to this young man in some aspects of ball skills!

How did he manage to do that?

He's so young. Logically speaking, skills like spatial anticipation and pressure application should be developed through long-term competition!

But Tang Long has only played a few games, so why does he act like a 30-year-old player?

As the night wore on, Toure grew increasingly uneasy and anxious, his mind in turmoil, like an ant on a hot plate, making it even harder for him to fall asleep.

I glanced at my wife, who had fallen asleep early after receiving the homework.

Toure tiptoed out of bed, took off his pajamas, changed into a tracksuit, and went to the villa's basement.

Here, he built a small gym specifically for himself.

Since he couldn't sleep anyway, Toure decided to get up and do some physical exercises.

It seemed that only by doing this, by taking action and working hard, could he alleviate the anxiety and unease he felt due to Tang Long's outstanding performance.

Toure, who used to sleep until 7:30 every day, woke up at 6:30.

Under his wife's surprised gaze, he quickly finished his breakfast and drove to the training base.

When he arrived at the base, it was not yet eight o'clock.

The old gatekeeper greeted him in surprise, "Hey, why are you here so early today?"

"Oh, I'm just dropping my child off at school, that's why I came early."

Toure concealed his desire to practice an extra hour ahead of schedule.

Manchester City's morning training session starts at 9:30 and lasts for an hour and a half.

The players usually start arriving at the training ground around 9 a. m.

Toure arrived an hour early so he could go to the gym for an extra workout.

At 32 years old, he understands very well: the key to his improvement now lies not in his football IQ or skills.

In this respect, he is already world-class.

The key is to maintain your physical fitness, improve your stamina, and stabilize your muscle strength.

Looking at the quiet Manchester City training ground, Toure, breathing in the fresh air, felt a surge of pride. "Heh heh, some of you are probably just waking up, while I've already arrived at the training ground and started extra training. The early bird catches the worm, and God will surely favor those who work hard like me!"

After changing his clothes, Toure went straight to the club's gym.

Although Toure has a small gym at home, it is far inferior to the gym that Manchester City Football Club built at great expense, which is considered the best in England.

It is said that Manchester City invested a total of Pound Sterling 15 million in this gym, and all the equipment is the best in the world.

There's also an ultra-low temperature cryotherapy chamber inside, where the temperature can be lowered to -100 degrees Celsius or below!

Extremely low temperatures can narrow the blood vessels of athletes who are briefly exposed to them (usually for a maximum of 3 minutes), slowing blood flow and metabolism. This can also help reduce symptoms such as pain, swelling, and inflammation in athletes.

As soon as Toure entered the room, he heard a loud "clang"—the sound of a barbell being put on the rack.

Looking around, there was another person inside—it was Delph.

"Delph, why are you here so early?" Toure was suddenly surprised.

He didn't expect that when he arrived at the training base an hour early, some of his teammates had already started training.

Manchester City players never seem to have the habit of training in advance; many players arrive at the training ground at the last minute.

Delph was also covered in sweat at this point.

Toure guessed that he had done at least two sets of bench presses.

Seeing his team's senior Toure arrive, Delph quickly got up from the bench press rack, wiped his sweat with a towel, and said apologetically:

"Sigh, there's nothing I can do. I haven't been getting much playing time lately. I've been left out of the latest England for the UEFA European Championship qualifiers. If this keeps up, my chances of winning the UEFA European Championship next year are gone!"

"Oh, then you'd better keep it up," Toure said with the air of someone who'd been there before. "For a young player like you, the UEFA European Championship is a huge stage to showcase yourself and increase your market value. There's a huge difference between being able to play and not being able to!"

Delph pouted, looking rather unhappy.

"Young? I'm already 26 this year. If I can't play in this UEFA European Championship, I'll be over 30 next year. And there's the World Cup in 2018. If I can't play in next year's UEFA European Championship, I think my national team career should be over."

There were only two people in the huge gym, and Delph and Toure started chatting, complaining about Tang Long.

"Brother Toure, although we're both defensive midfielders, to be honest, the reason I came to Manchester City from the Aston Villa this summer was because the club told me I could be a rotation player in that position."

"What I didn't expect was that Pellegrini would rather drop Don from the attacking midfield position to play as a defensive midfielder than let me, a proper defensive midfielder, play!"

"Sigh, I've been with the team for almost two months and only made one substitute appearance. If this continues, I'm afraid our chances of winning the UEFA European Championship next year are completely gone."

Why is Tang so annoying?

Delph grew increasingly angry as he spoke, his chest heaving violently!

"He can play in three positions: attacking midfielder, defensive midfielder, and striker. Isn't that taking away everyone else's jobs? Brother Toure, when will I be able to play as a starting defensive midfielder like you? I feel like there's no hope for the future!"

Upon hearing Delph's words, Toure was immediately displeased.

He began to lecture Delph, speaking from experience.

"How could you think like that? You're only 26, the prime of your career. If you're not getting playing time, look for the reasons within yourself and train harder! Don't blame Tang Long; he's capable, that's why he gets to play!"

"Don't be fooled by my current status as a starter at Manchester City. Back when I played for Barca, the whole team was full of superstars. Guardiola liked to field a midfield trio of Xavi, Iniesta, and Busquets, which relegated me to center-back. Everyone goes through that!"

"Keep up the good work, young man!"

Toure and Delph gave each other a high five. "You came an hour early for extra practice today, which shows you're not giving up and still have ambition! Keep up the extra practice!"

Toure stepped onto an elliptical machine, ready to stretch his muscles and do some warm-up exercises.

But then he heard Delph behind him suddenly say:

"Brother Toure, you're here so early for extra training, are you afraid Tang Long will take your spot?"

Toure was taken aback, his face flushed red, and he hurriedly said:

"No, no, that's not true! You just practice, why are you worrying about this? I just had a lot of energy today, woke up early, so I came to stretch my legs!"