Reporter Jia Yanfeng reported that once upon a time, the Zhejiang team became a low-key but dazzling fighter in the league with tenacity and unity. Not admitting defeat and not giving up, they have won the 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 10 rounds of the league, they finished eighth with just 13 points, a result that fell short of expectations.
The league has had a tough start, but more difficult is still on the way. The Zhejiang team also needs to face the test of the AFC Champions League, and once passed, they will become a two-front battle. Will this be the last straw that crushes them, or will it be the spark that sparks their potential? No one can predict.
At this moment, the fans of the Zhejiang team are still looking forward to the team turning the tide and reviving its glory. And is the head coach Jody also full of confidence in his heart? Let's hear what he has to say.
◆
Jody: Thank you for your understanding. It's true that our results have fluctuated compared to the previous two seasons, but that doesn't mean we're in a difficult situation to get out of. In the world of football, there is no such thing as a winner, and each season has its own unique challenges. The fans and the outside world expect more from us, which is a recognition of our performance in the previous two seasons, but also a motivation and challenge for us.
In terms of the team's current points and rankings, if it was our first season in the Chinese Super League, it might be easy for everyone to accept, after all, we were promoted at that time. But we haven't been promoted in the last two seasons, so after two seasons, expectations have been raised, and that's normal. Our goal is to keep improving, but we also have to be aware that any team has its ups and downs.
◆
Jody: First question, yes, the grades weren't ridiculously bad; Second, this does not mean that we can accept the status quo. In the past many games, we have made mistakes that we shouldn't have made, and many details could have been done better, and if we let go of mistakes that we shouldn't have made, we would have added to the decline in our results.
◆
I don't know the specifics of Shandong Taishan and can't comment, but as far as our team is concerned, I don't think the AFC Champions League is a key factor in the fluctuation of our results. In fact, it is a bonus for us to participate in such a high-level international competition.
It's ourselves who really influence our results. Over the past three years, we have been focusing on building a complete, stable and mature modern football tactical system. Most of the current squad's players, especially the main players, are 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 are able to show a good chemistry in the game. But the disadvantage is that with the passage of time, the biological age of the players increases, and no amount of scientific training can resist the aging of physical functions; At the same time, our opponents will know more and more about us, and they will gradually develop more targeted strategies to limit us, which will put higher demands on us.
Even though we achieved similar results, the difficulty of the race actually increased as each season went by. If we can't make changes in the details, and if we can't make the original tactics more precise and perfect, then our combat effectiveness will definitely show a downward trend. Sometimes, we can be overwhelmed by opponents we have won before, and that's understandable. Because our efforts will also inspire the opponent to become stronger. Therefore, when the opponent becomes the suppressive side, we also need to have a calm 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.
◆
Still not. We have players who can score goals, but we are currently in a period of transition to a team's tactical system, and this transition process requires everyone to run in and adapt.
As I mentioned earlier, 80% of our players have not been replaced in the past three years, and the position of the core and main players has been relatively stable. I've made some changes this season, and some of the original absolute mainstays are now rotational players or substitutes; There are some players who are still the main players, but I have changed their position and put new demands on them; There are some players whose positions haven't changed, but I've made adjustments to their specific requirements.
I'm doing this because we have to change, otherwise you see we're always playing with the same tactical content and we're going to win fewer and fewer games. Our approach to play will not change much, but it will definitely be different in terms of personnel use and some detailed requirements. It takes time to get used to it, 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 aware that the game will be more challenging, so they must put in more effort and be more prepared to resist pressure. Maybe everyone understands the truth, but it still takes time to really combine it with practical actions.
If you count the year we were in the race, we could say that we had three seasons in a row, but the players might be confused because they have put in enough effort in the last three years and have put in a string of results with hard work, but now the results have slipped. There may be an attribution process and I would like it to be shorter, but I understand and allow the players to have their own ideas. Eventually, we'll go back to the same idea, just like we used to be.
◆
Jodi: You surprised me, I didn't expect you to pay so much attention to the book I recommend to you. Yes, although none of us dare to easily put ourselves side by side with greatness, we all have the power and freedom to move closer to the direction of greatness and greatness. In the information age, it is impossible to say who can be completely free from the interference of external information, but who can filter out suggestions that are beneficial to their own development from complex information, instead of only subjectively speculating or questioning, means that this choice is one step closer to greatness.
◆
I accept all doubts and respect different opinions, but I stand by the choices I make. In fact, I haven't changed all the time I've been coaching in China over the years. Between reality and adherence to ideals, I make a balance rather than a compromise. I've been trying to simplify some of the complex tactics and make them more suitable for the characteristics of Chinese players, and I've seen results in the past few years.
Over the past few years, the complexity of the tactics that Chinese players have been able to execute has exceeded my expectations, and there is still potential for Chinese players to rise, but the further the upward process progresses, the harder it becomes, and the effort and expected rewards will not be as fruitful as they were at the beginning of the process. At this time, players need to have their own judgments, their own beliefs, and they also need external understanding and encouragement.
The general direction of my tactical philosophy will not change, but a lot of the details are flexible. My experience tells me that the football philosophy I advocate is beneficial to the long-term development of Chinese football, including the national team.
◆
You may think that the results of the team I led are not ideal, and I still think about Chinese football and the national team, which is ridiculous. But as a member of the long-term professional football scene in China, and as a coach who is so supported and trusted by Zhejiang FC, I have a responsibility to do something within my knowledge. Of course, the views I have made are only personal. Even though I've been working here for many years, I still can't say that I fully understand Chinese football. What I see and what I assert is based on my judgment. As I disagree with the logic that many people often tell me, because Spanish football is too complex and technically difficult, so it is not suitable for the Chinese. That's what they think they know about Spanish football, but it's not really like that.
Barcelona's style has indeed made Spanish football popular all over the world, but in fact, the essence of football advocated by Barcelona is to require participants to constantly think according to the changes on the field, constantly dismantle the problems caused by the opponent, and constantly put pressure on the opponent. The tactics advocated by Spanish football are more inclusive, using the overall cooperation to digest the ultra-high physical or technical requirements of other tactics for individual players. To understand this view, players need to understand the complexity of football and its underlying logic.
◆
Take our AFC Champions League as an example, from not adapting to adapting, from losing to winning, and finally got a little improvement in the team's results in the AFC Champions League group stage. This insignificant improvement is actually based on the fact that our team members are usually good at thinking and constantly thinking, so that they can have the ability to solve complex problems when encountered. Therefore, I am convinced that Chinese players have the ability to understand Spanish football tactics, as long as they are willing to work hard.
No matter how you learn about culture in school, there really aren't that many standard answers and only one correct answer on the football field. In my opinion, Chinese characters are the most complex script in the world, so I have always felt that the Chinese are wise enough. How many miracles have you performed over the years? As long as you find the right direction, have enough patience and confidence, you will be able to achieve something.
◆
Jody: This year's league is more difficult, 18 teams have become 16, some good players have been spread across the teams, and a lot of teams have strengthened, which has 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 the championship and relegation teams.
◆
I'm still more inclined to think about the problems that can be solved at the moment. The future is built up by every step of the team's present moment. When it comes to the absence of foreign players, we are not the only team, many teams have difficulties of one kind or another. We do have our own difficulties, but there are few teams that are really easy. I always encourage the 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 have never given up on hard work and have never been negative. They tried their best to raise funds for support, without any complaints, without passive waiting, always giving me comfort and hope, and also communicating with me about situations that must be accepted and understood in reality.
We who have achieved good results for three consecutive seasons may have higher goals and pursuits, and should invest more in all aspects, but the reality is that we have chosen a more rational and long-term strategy. In the same way, what will happen to the AFC Champions League in the future, I will not make more predictions and worries, and the most important thing is to play every game well first.
◆
This is probably what people often call a kind of stubbornness. When I encounter problems and difficulties, there are many intricate factors, and they are not completely under my control, I am used to thinking and solving them from myself first, and solving my own problems first before talking about other things. Sometimes luck comes unexpectedly. What luck is, is that the opportunity just meets your ability. For us today, there is no other choice but to strive to be better.