In the world of football, sometimes there is really only a "little bit" between success and failure.
Former national football coach Horton knows this very well.
When recalling the days of coaching in China, Horton's eyes revealed a trace of regret, but more of an expectation and blessing for Chinese football.
Loss and frustration: that little bit of regret
"When the Chinese Football Association dismissed me, I was lost for more than a month. Horton admitted.
During that time, it was as if he had fallen from the world of football to the bottom.
Not because his coaching ability was questioned, but because he felt that the time given to him by the Chinese Football Association was really too "a little".
Whenever a team is one step away from success, it always falls short for various reasons. That frustration made Horton almost want to give up on his beloved football career.
Confidence and hope: those good players
Although his coaching career with the National Olympic team did not qualify as expected, Horton is full of confidence in the future of Chinese football.
He mentioned that there was a group of very good players at that time, and their potential and strength should not be underestimated.
Horton firmly believes that as long as given enough time and opportunities, Chinese football will definitely be able to emerge on the future World Cup stage.
The controversy over the substitution of training: the choice of quantity and quality
In Horton's view, training by game is not the best way to improve the team.
He believes that the level of the Chinese league is already quite good, and the players also participate in various cups and other competitions every year, and the number of matches is already quite considerable.
If you overdo the warm-up matches, it can lead to excessive fatigue and injuries to the players, affecting their performance in official matches.
Therefore, he is more inclined to improve the overall strength of the team through targeted training and technical and tactical drills.
Warm-up strategy: the choice of strong teams and weak teams
Regarding his successor Milou's preference for a strong team to warm up, Horton understands but does not fully agree.
He explained that he usually chooses underdogs to warm up in order to help Chinese players build confidence.
In Houghton's view, the atmosphere of skepticism in Chinese football is too strong, especially before the tournament, and the players often lack self-confidence.
Therefore, he believes that players should be given more confidence in winning, rather than letting them experience too many failures and setbacks.
After all, in Asian football at that time, the Chinese team still had a certain competitiveness.
The future of Chinese football requires us to work together
Today, Chinese football is experiencing unprecedented changes and challenges.
But no matter how the future changes, we must not forget those who have worked hard and sweated for Chinese football.
Horton is one of them. His story and experience let us see the bits and pieces and growth trajectory of Chinese football.
Of course, if Chinese football wants to truly rise in world football, it still needs the joint efforts of each and every one of us.
Whether it is players, coaches or fans, they all need to contribute their part to the future of Chinese football.
Only in this way can we make Chinese football truly strong, make "a little" regret a thing of the past, and make "a little" hope a reality.
Finally, I want to say: Chinese football, come on!
We look forward to seeing you shine on the World Cup stage in the future!
At the same time, I would also like to thank those who have worked hard and sweated for Chinese football, your dedication and perseverance have allowed us to see the hope and future of Chinese football.
Let's cheer for Chinese football together!