"Is he showing weakness?"
When Mourinho received news from Naples, he uzzled.
No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like Gao Shen was g fidence. But at the same time, Gao Shen didn't strike him as someone who would show weakness before a game.
"I holy think he's up to something," said Vils-Boas, shaking his head.
He refused to believe anything Gao Shen had said.
After all, history had provehing, anyone who trusted Gao Shen's words before a matded up regretting it.
Mourinho aking it seriously. Gao Shen didn't e across as trustworthy, he looked sly and calg. If Gao Shen had been a pyer, Mourinho wouldn't have wanted him on his team for anything.
"I think he's preemptively covered everything you could say," Baresi added with a wry smile.
Mourinho blihen looked at the transcript of Gao Shen's pre-match press ference. After reading it carefully, he couldn't help but ugh bitterly.
"That bastard," he muttered. "He really did say everything I wao say."
What kind of strategy was this?
Say everything the oppo might say in advance, leaving them speechless.
Mourinho had po make the defending champions the ter of attention, to hype up both teams' strengths, fire up his own pyers, and put pressure on Naples.
But now?
Gao Shen had already taken the initiative to address everything.
Defending champions? Gao Shen brushed it off as irrelevant, g st season's title gave them no advahis year, if anything, it added pressure.
Seriously, who talks like that?
It was as if Gao Shen was standing there, saying to Inter Min: e on, hit us! We're just defending champions, nothing special! Just don't hit my face.
Could Inter Min even muster the same fighting spirit?
That was the question.
"What am I supposed to say now?" Mourinho asked, geroubled.
He couldn't bring himself to praise Gao Shen and hat just wasn't his style.
But showing weakness before a game? That was even further from his character, especially as Inter Min's manager.
Vils-Boas, Faria, Baresi, and the others exged ghey had no answer either.
It seemed Gao Shen had turned himself into an imperable fortress, making it hard for Inter Min to strike.
Especially with all the pre-match media buzz.
---
The Italian press was left stunned.
The buildup to the Italian Super Cup a match pitting defending champions Naples against Inter Min, and Gao Shen against Mourinho had dominated headlihe csh of personalities alone promised fireworks.
But surprisingly, there were none.
At the pre-match press ference, Gao Shen actively downpyed his team's ces. He cimed the title of defending champions didn't mean much, praised Inter Min as the stroeam in Italy and even in Europe and called Mourinho the best coa the ti.
Was that analysis of an oppo? Or the speech of aruck fan?
Meanwhile, Mourinho's own press ference offered little fuel for troversy. Despite beiedly pressed by reporters, he only gave dry, superficial ents about Naples and Gao Shen, choosing io focus on his own team.
He stressed the importance of Inter Min's performance, deg:
"This match at the Meazza is my first official game as Inter Min's coach, our first official match of the new season, and it's for the Italian Super Cup.
We will not let the trophy leave the Meazza!"
His words were firm and filled with vi, but that was it.
The media, expeg a verbal sparring match, were left disappointed.
La Gazzetta dello Sport ented on the unusual dynamic, expining that both managers' low-key approaches were likely strategic.
Naples, after all, was missi key pyers who were away at the Olympics, including their two maier-backs. In such circumstances, how could they realistically pete?
"Gao Shen's decision to stay humble suggests he isn't fident about this match," the paper wrote.
"However, acc to sources, Naples may switch to a 4-3-3 formation and adopt an aggressive pying style. Gao Shen's pre-match remarks could be an attempt to lull the opposition into pcy."
Oher hand, La Gazzetta pointed out that Inter Min was fag its own challenges. Four of their ter-backs were still rec from injuries, leaving their deferetched thin.
"In this match, Cambiasso is likely to partner with Burdisso iral defense. But the real test will be whether they handle i, st season's Serie A top scorer."
The paper also hat Zidane, now part of Gao Shen's coag staff, had been personally w with pyers on their shooting a-piece teiques.
"With Zidane's guidance, i could pose a signifit threat to Inter Min's defense."
In his n, Sacchi assessed both teams' vulnerabilities. He pointed out that while both sides had defensive issues, Naples was in a more precarious positioo their absences, particurly in midfield.
"Biglia's absence is a major blow," Sacchi wrote. "He was one of Naples' best pyers st season and the bae of their midfield."
He also highlighted the absence of Di Maria on the left wing, which would undoubtedly impaaples' attack.
"Whether it's Callejon or Mertens filling in, they don't bring the same level of threat as Di Maria," Sacchi added.
Given these factors, Sacchi specuted that Gao Shen's subdued approach before the game likely stemmed from the team's unfavorable circumstances.
"Naples may adopt more pragmatic tactics for this Italian Super Cup," he cluded.
---
When Mourinho first joined Inter Min, he announced he would adopt a 4-3-3 formation—a tactic he had used to domihe Premier League with Chelsea.
Since Gao Shen had taken over Napoli, the debate about outdated tacti Serie A had bee a hot topi Italian football. But that discussiely faded after Naples cimed the double st season, proving that modern tactics could thrive in Italy.
The media even begaing that several Italian teams had subtly started experimenting with advaactical cepts, following Naples' lead. Still, many remained hesitant.
Under Mani, Inter Min had stuck tid 4-4-2, a system critics bmed for the team's inability to pete at the highest level in Europe. Mourinho, however, made it clear from day ohat he inteo moderer Min's approach.
The club's transfer activity backed this up. They spent tens of millions of euros on Roma winger Mani and Porto winger Quaresma, signifitly bolstering their attag options.
As the Italian press put it, Inter Min had upgraded from a "shotgun" to a "on."
Previously, pyers like Cesar, Sori, and an aging Figled to provide sistent width and creativity. Now, with Mani and Quaresma on the wings, Inter Min's attack looked far more dynamic.
Some fans dismissed Quaresma as a flop, pointing to his struggles at Bara. But his resurgen the Puese Primeira Liga proved otherwise. Critics who uimated him, the media argued, clearly hadn't been paying attention.
In Serie A, strong wing py was essential. Both Roma and Naples had demonstrated this repeatedly. Inter Min's relian underperf wingers st season severely limited their attack, particurly when Figo and Sori were past their best and Cesar was insistent.
But with Mani and Quaresma, the situation had ged.
On the left, Mani paired with Maxwell; on the right, Quaresma linked up with Mai. The bination was enough to excite any Inter Min fan.
And, of course, there was still the veteran Figo, whose experience could be invaluable. The thought of Figo ment Quaresma oniamed "the Figo" was a tantalizing prospect.
But before the match, Mourinho shattered those fantasies.
her Figo nor Quaresma appeared iarting lineup. Quaresma didn't even make the squad.
The decision raised eyebrows.
Was Quaresma being eased in slowly? Or was Mourinho simply unwilling to take a gamble in such a high-stakes game?
Adding to the intrigue, Mourinho's lineup included two strikers: Ibrahimovi? and Balotelli.
So much for the promised 4-3-3.
Goalkeeper: Júlio César.
Defense: Maxwell, Burdisso, Cambiasso, Mai.
Midfield: Stankovi?, Muntari, Zai.
Forwards: Mani, Ibrahimovi?, Balotelli.
The formation hi flexibility, capable of shifting to a 4-4-2 with Mani, Stankovi?, Muntari, and Zai in midfield.
How exactly Mourinho inteo deploy his team, however, remained unclear.
Even Gao Shen hadn't expected this setup.
AnnouChey new books:
☆DC: Rise Of The Kryptonian Tyrant
☆GOT/ASOIAF: Ruler Beyond the Ice
☆Drift Of The Multiverse
Check my profile, under Series.
Junkdog
