Chapter 11 Mind Mentor

Leverkusen Club.

Excited commentary blared from the television.

Woller frowned. "That kind of powerful long shot from that distance... puts a heavy burden on the ankles and the inside of the thighs, and can lead to many potential complications and injuries. I don't want..."

He didn't finish.

Although he wielded considerable power in the club,

he never interfered with the tactical arrangements of the coaches of Leverkusen's various youth teams.

Even though he had once coached the German national team to a World Cup runner-up finish.

His assistant handed him a report.

He said earnestly,

"Boss, Li's physical indicators are all normal. Regarding his aphasia... no problems were detected with his cerebral blood vessels or nervous system. Bayer Group's Dr. Harken and the club's medical team... suggest using medication..."

Woller raised his hand to interrupt. "Do you know what side effects those damned drugs can cause? Since there's no related hidden illness, then he doesn't need treatment. I didn't start talking until I was 13!"

The assistant looked awkward and added, "Boss, Dr. Harken believes Li needs weekly psychological counseling, but the cost..."

Li Kang on the TV screen showed no joy after scoring, his expression as calm as ever.

He's even more serious than Balotelli...

Woller pondered for a moment, then nodded. "That's a good suggestion. Money is no problem. Leverkusen will pay for it."

"Have that old man Harken send the most expensive one... what are those professionals called again? Oh! A mind mentor!"

.........

Borussia-Park stadium.

Mönchengladbach fans didn't leave immediately, but sang the Foals' team song in unison, encouraging the players.

Leverkusen teammates crowded around, excitedly ruffling the black hair of the goalscorer.

Li Kang only felt some numbness in his calf and instep.

The burden of the arc shot + instant kill actually required the injury immunity module to gradually recover for a short time!

He still hadn't figured out the trigger conditions for the legendary modules.

It seemed that each module had a different triggering environment.

Then why were both Ballack's and Raul's modules triggered at the same time?

Papadopoulos grinned. "Li! You're really amazing! If I had passed it to Son, I definitely wouldn't have gotten this assist!"

Kramer said, "That's because you shanked the pass!"

He inadvertently saw Baumjohann in the distance and sighed inwardly: it seems that the Schalke 04 youth players from the mid-2000s all had some kind of mental issue.

....

"Xhaka..."

Baumjohann lowered his head, his voice sounding somewhat dejected.

Xhaka put his arm around his shoulder. "You did great. It's more my fault. There's still the second half! Let's play well and we'll definitely win!"

Sommer loosened his gloves.

On the way off the field,

he looked at Leverkusen's number 10 in the distance.

That guy's long shots are even more threatening than some Bayern midfielders.

.....

Leverkusen locker room.

Dino reviewed the details of the first half with the players.

Old Man Toppmöller and the coaching staff discussed the adjustments for the second half.

Although they were leading by one goal,

everyone felt that Mönchengladbach was tricky at the moment.

Not the weaklings they had expected before the game.

Their new coach, Schubert, had reaped the tactical fruits of Favre's six-game losing streak.

.....

Mönchengladbach locker room.

Schubert finished explaining the tactics for the second half.

He took a sip of bottled water and asked, "Baumjohann, repeat your task."

Baumjohann looked serious, paused for a moment, and replied, "I'm a central midfielder in the second half!"

Schubert nodded with satisfaction.

Then he said to everyone, "We've had a six-game losing streak to start the season. No Champions League team in the top five leagues is more miserable than us!"

"You all did great in the first half!"

"Today is my first official game as the interim coach of Mönchengladbach... and maybe my last."

"We have nothing to lose! Let's tell our opponents that this is Borussia-Park!"

There were no grand words.

But the interim coach, who had been promoted from the youth team in a crisis, made the Mönchengladbach players feel excited.

....

"Welcome back, viewers."

"We are now broadcasting the sixth round of the 2015/16 Bundesliga season."

"The second half of Mönchengladbach versus Leverkusen!"

"The players from both sides have returned to the field, and neither coach has made any substitutions."

-[Have you noticed that the Bundesliga teams these two seasons are all so strong, making Bayern the king of losing bets?]

-[The Bundesliga's European points have surpassed the Premier League. Unlike La Liga, which relies on two super teams, it's because a large group of mid-table teams have been winning back points in the Champions League and Europa League in recent years.]

-[The fortunes of the top five leagues cycle back and forth, and in a few years they will shift back to the Premier League.]

-[Li Kang won't stay at Leverkusen for long, right? Like De Bruyne from Wolfsburg last season.]

-[He definitely won't transfer in the winter window. Li Kang has played in the Champions League this season for Leverkusen. Even if he transfers to a top club, he won't be able to play for his new club in this season's Champions League. Leverkusen has a good chance of advancing to the round of 16.]

....

With the referee's whistle,

the second half began.

Mönchengladbach had possession.

Drmic passed the ball to Raffael.

The players on both sides quickly ran on the green field.

From a God's-eye view,

Li Kang noticed that Mönchengladbach's formation had changed again.

Baumjohann's position was pushed forward.

Dahoud left the left wing and retreated to form a parallel position with Xhaka.

Double holding midfielders... rotating to bring the ball out from deep?

This was a formation he had never seen before.

Is the tactical innovation in modern football too competitive?

....

The pace of the game was extremely fast.

The Mönchengladbach players were all like they had taken Viagra.

Xhaka and Dahoud's rotation and distribution ability overwhelmed Leverkusen's midfield and defense.

Baumjohann transformed into a bulldozer, and in coordination with Raffael's running and stretching, forced Leverkusen to strengthen their defense in the middle.

That makes the wings even worse.

Drmic pulled to the left wing. He was strong and familiar with every one of Leverkusen's old teammates.

Herrmann was not only good at breaking through, but also showed amazing organizational skills on the right wing.

As space was compressed,

Leverkusen had to retreat to the thirty-meter zone and endure the opponent's frantic siege.

At Borussia-Park Stadium, tens of thousands of Mönchengladbach fans sang the Foals' team song in unison.

So what if we've had a six-game losing streak?

We just have to play with momentum!

.....

At the edge of the field,

Schubert put on his green baseball cap again.

His expression was not relaxed.

Nor did he gesture wildly.

He only occasionally directed Baumjohann's movement.

He now represented the Mönchengladbach team's attitude: composure!

On the other side,

Dino was extremely nervous.

"Boss! That Schubert guy... has some tricks up his sleeve!"

Old Man Toppmöller crossed his arms over his chest. "Shut up, watch carefully, take notes, and absorb his strengths! Hmm... disregarding the players' individual abilities, just from a tactical level, this style of play is very effective against Barca!"

.......

Saint Barthélemy.

Favre, who was unemployed at home, was also watching the game.

"Schubert, you idiot! The double holding midfielder rotation tactic is what I used to deal with Guardiola! You're using it to deal with Toppmöller, who's best at counter-attacks!"