The locker room was in a low mood. Everyone sat in their seats with their heads down, each of them extremely disappointed and even a little crushed. In the first half alone, the opponent scored three goals, and they were trailing by two goals. Their morale was low.
Michael Carter sat in his seat, feeling the depression of others. Even the optimistic Arnold had lost his initial joy at this moment. His face was full of disappointment, and his eyes were almost red! Watching the team he believed in being beaten into a sieve was indeed a bit cruel.
Bang... There was a loud noise as Klopp pushed the door open angrily. Obviously, as the head coach, he was very dissatisfied with the first half's result. The strength of the two sides was not much different. It shouldn't have played out like this. This is not the strength that Liverpool should have now.
Seeing the angry Klopp, the players felt even more depressed. Especially Emre Can, the culprit who made frequent mistakes and conceded two goals, almost buried his head in the ground.
"This is not your strength!" Klopp shouted. "What did you play in the first half? Emre! Are you a woman? Were you squeezed dry last night? My grandma's legs are harder than yours when she plays football! Does your jersey match yours?"
Klopp came in and started to vent his anger. He was originally a hot-tempered person, never restraining his temper. When excited, he showed great passion, and when angry, he would curse. It's just a new generation of the hairdryer treatment!
After cursing, Klopp asked the assistant coach to pull the tactical board. Bang bang bang... He hit the tactical board roughly with his hands.
"Everyone, pay attention..." Klopp continued. "We'll change the tactics in the second half! Switch to 4-3-3! Chamberlain retreats to the midfield! Salah pulls to the side! Focus on Salah's side; the opponent's defender Delph is obviously in poor condition! Exploit the gap between him and Otamendi! Remember high pressure! Pressure their passing space, and counter-press when you lose the ball! Don't let them control the passing rhythm in their comfort zone; bring the rhythm to me! Don't let them pass the damn football... Do you understand?"
Klopp passionately instructed the tactics. Finally, he yelled at all the players.
"Understood!" Everyone said in unison.
At this time, Salah, who had been unable to hold back for a long time, was ready to make a proposal to Klopp. But before he could speak, he heard Klopp call Michael's name.
"Michael!" Klopp waved to Michael, indicating that he should come to his side. Michael hurriedly got up and went over, and Klopp grabbed his neck.
"I wanted to give you a good debut environment and a perfect debut!" Klopp confessed. "But those bastards in Manchester City just don't want us to be comfortable! I need you now!"
Klopp felt guilty. Emre's performance made Klopp very dissatisfied. He now only had Michael as a defensive midfielder to replace him. So he could only send Michael onto the field. This may sacrifice Michael's debut or even ruin it. If things go wrong, there will be huge pressure from public opinion on Michael.
"I'm ready to stand by at any time!" Michael was ecstatic. He thought the debut he had was going to be lost! He didn't expect it to be a sudden turn of events. Is the situation stressful? A failed debut? He is confident in his ability. Moreover, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. He is playing against the wind. There is no more perfect debut than turning the tide against the wind!
"Good!" Klopp patted Michael's shoulder heavily. "You'll play later, and move forward. I'll let Wijnaldum help you fill in the position! Use your defense and stealing ability to suppress their attack! Remember to steal the ball and start a counterattack on the spot. You have a certain long pass ability, so you can make more long passes!"
"Also! The most important point! Let Aguero be invisible in the second half..." Klopp is holding a grudge. In the first half, Aguero scored a hat trick and dared to slide in front of him. Can our old Klopp tolerate it? You are provoking me, so I will give you a big gift!
"Understood!" Michael nodded firmly.
"Okay! Go warm up!!"
---
The second half began. Players from both sides returned to the field one after another. Klopp made a direct substitution in the midfield. Emre was pressed on the bench. He looked at Michael, who was whispering to Salah, and he was unconvinced!
Why should a young player wear the No. 10? Why should he replace himself? It is true that his performance was poor, but is that guy better than him? He admitted that Michael's performance was indeed great in the team training match. But this is a formal match, and Michael is completely unaccustomed to the rhythm. He wants to take a closer look to see how Michael was kicked by Manchester City!
On the field, Michael didn't know that Emre was waiting to see him fail. He was being pulled by Salah to receive instructions. At this moment, Pharaoh was like a child who was bullied and asked for help. He held Michael with one hand and pointed at Aguero with the other, and kept stirring up trouble.
"That guy is Aguero!" Salah said. "He was crazy in the first half! He even slid on his knees in front of the coach to celebrate! You must teach him a lesson! Just treat him like a training match... Uh...you have to be more ruthless than me! You have to dominate him! Steal from him! Make him collapse! And you must also use language! Break down his psychological defenses!"
Salah instructed word by word. He is always gloating over others' misfortunes, and he never thinks things are too big. He also wants others to know how he has been these days! It's too miserable! So he has to make others even more miserable, so that he can soothe his wounded heart.
Michael couldn't help laughing out loud. He raised his hand and ruffled Pharaoh's afro curly hair. It feels good!
"Pay attention to the empty space on the right and my pass. I will make a long pass as soon as I have a chance!" Full-level basic skills are really amazing. But long passes can't be done as you wish, so I can only ask Salah to pay more attention to his passes, so that he can stop the ball more easily.
"No problem! If you give me an assist! I'll treat you to a meal!" Salah agreed with a smile.
---
The players from both sides stood still. The fans in the stands also noticed Klopp's substitution at the first time. Emre sat on the bench. Their new No. 10, Michael, came on!
"Can we change that kid at this time?" a fan questioned. "That's ridiculous! We are behind now, we need players who can fight immediately and change the situation!"
"Damn! It's over now! That kid will be defeated by Manchester City!" another fan lamented.
There were also some female fans who saw Michael's appearance clearly through the big screen. They got excited for a moment! Girls! Visual animals! If you look handsome, you will get their favor.
"Wow! So handsome! Is that our new player?" one exclaimed.
"So handsome! So handsome! Does he have a girlfriend?" another asked.
"What's his name? So handsome!"
"We in Liverpool have our own Beckham, no! He's more handsome than Beckham!"
"Our new No. 10? I want to be his girlfriend!"