Chapter 276: Inter's Biggest Weakness

If football is a war, it's often not just the battlefield that determines victory or defeat.

Before the battle even begins, both sides must make the most thorough preparations.

With a passionate declaration of war, Gao Shen had managed to unify his coaching staff, aligning their thoughts and strategies. Over the next few days, they would focus on making the best preparations for the match against Inter Milan.

At the same time, Gao Shen also began to have more frequent conversations with his players.

As the head coach, it was crucial for him to ensure that the players understood his thoughts and the reasoning behind his decisions. For example, why not opt for a defensive approach and counterattack when facing a stronger opponent like Inter Milan? Wouldn't that be safer?

Gao Shen's answer was simple: he wanted to show that Napoli had confidence.

The 0-3 loss last season had been a huge psychological blow to the team.

It wasn't just the players or coaching staff who were affected, Gao Shen himself had been deeply shaken by that defeat.

Now, whenever Napoli faced Inter Milan, there was an invisible psychological pressure weighing down on everyone.

But if they allowed that pressure to persist, what would happen in the future, if and when Napoli and Inter Milan fought for the Serie A title? At that crucial moment, every little thing would be tested strength, morale, fighting spirit, willpower, everything.

Just look at Manchester United's legendary comeback in the 1999 Champions League final. That fighting spirit, that unshakeable belief, was built over years of overcoming adversity.

Many people wondered why Arsenal always seemed to fall apart in critical moments against Manchester United. While fatigue was a factor, it was also clear that Arsenal lacked the confidence that United had built up over time.

Wenger, for all his brilliance, wasn't a manager known for his strong, imposing aura. The Arsenal teams he created were known for their beautiful football, but they lacked the mental toughness to see things through when it mattered most especially after the departure of key players like Patrick Vieira. The team's spirit declined sharply after that.

Arsenal's fall from title contention wasn't solely because of the construction of a new stadium. It was also a reflection of their weakened mentality.

Napoli, under Gao Shen's guidance, needed to forge their own strong character. Gao Shen wanted to instill his own personality into the team. That's why, against Inter Milan, they had to fight.

Had it been another team, perhaps one with similar or weaker strength compared to Napoli, Gao Shen might have opted for a defensive approach. But against Inter Milan, he wanted to attack.

He wanted to rebuild the confidence that had been shattered by that 0-3 defeat.

…

Some players understood Gao Shen's reasoning and fully supported him. Others understood it but remained hesitant. And then there were those who didn't fully grasp the idea but were still willing to give their all.

This was normal.

In a team of dozens of individuals, it was impossible for everyone to completely align with Gao Shen's mindset.

Players came from different backgrounds, grew up in different environments, and had unique personalities. That would inevitably influence their behavior and reactions.

What Gao Shen could do was explain his vision to them and lead by example.

He didn't need every player's full approval or wholehearted support. What he needed was their action, he needed them to execute his plans and do their jobs well.

After talking with the team, Gao Shen was confident that they would step up to the challenge.

With the players onboard, it was time to focus entirely on preparing for the match.

Inter Milan was undoubtedly a strong team, but every team, no matter how powerful, had weaknesses.

For example, last season, Inter Milan's attacking lineup was incredibly luxurious. With strikers like Ibrahimovic, Crespo, Adriano, Cruz, and Recoba, competition for spots was fierce. At one point, Adriano even had a fallout with Mancini.

This season, Recoba had left, Adriano was in the cold, and Cruz though often overshadowed was earning more playing time due to his efficiency. Crespo, on the other hand, seemed to be fading.

And then there was Suazo, the high-priced signing from Cagliari. His performances had been disappointing, failing to replicate the form he showed last season.

Mancini had experimented with pairing Ibrahimovic and Suazo up front, but the results were underwhelming.

Recently, Mancini had begun focusing the team's offense around Ibrahimovic, establishing him as the clear attacking focal point.

In the last three matches, Ibrahimovic had scored five goals and registered an assist.

But that shift also presented a new problem.

…

"Suazo's incompatibility with Ibrahimovic has been proven. The most likely forward partner for Ibrahimovic is Cruz," Gao Shen said, pointing to Cruz's number on the tactical board. He placed Cruz alongside Ibrahimovic at the front of Inter's 4-4-2 formation.

Inter Milan's lineup was fairly predictable:

Goalkeeper: Julio Cesar.

Defense: Chivu or Maxwell at left-back, Samuel and Cordoba as the center-backs, and Maicon on the right.

Midfield: Cesar or Solari on the left, Vieira and Stankovic in central midfield, and Figo on the right.

Forwards: Cruz and Ibrahimovic.

"Ibrahimovic is now the focal point of their attack," Gao Shen continued. "This has stabilized their offense, but it's also created another issue—Ibrahimovic himself."

Gao Shen tapped on Ibrahimovic's number on the board.

As the legendary German defender Franz Beckenbauer once said, the strongest player can often be a team's biggest weakness.

A team built around one star player has a clear vulnerability.

For Inter Milan, everything revolved around Ibrahimovic. If Napoli could neutralize him, Inter's entire offensive system would suffer.

"We can see from Ibrahimovic's heat maps over the past two seasons that his movement is actually very limited," Gao Shen explained, pulling up a series of visual charts on the screen.

"Ibrahimovic has never been a player who enjoys running off the ball. Back at Ajax, he had a public falling out with Van Gaal because he didn't want to track back or press. He believed that as a high center-forward, it wasn't his job to run around like Kluivert."

"When he moved to Juventus, he was a little more team-oriented under Capello, but he never fully changed."

So what was Ibrahimovic's biggest problem?

Simply put, his greatest strength, his extraordinary technical ability was also his greatest weakness.

For a player of his size and physical presence, Ibrahimovic should have been a dominant force in the air, bullying defenders and using his body to win battles. Instead, he preferred to play with finesse, relying on his touch and technique.

He could use his size to overpower defenders, but he didn't. He chose to rely on skill instead.

This worked well when defenders didn't put him under much pressure.

But when the intensity ramped up, like in the Champions League, Ibrahimovic's limitations were exposed.

"Almost all of his movements are designed to benefit himself," Gao Shen said. "He's an incredibly self-centered player. At Juventus, he couldn't fully express that, but at Inter Milan, especially this season, there's nobody to hold him back."

Mancini had structured the entire team around Ibrahimovic's preferences.

"Since they can't get Ibrahimovic to adapt to the team, they've made the whole team adapt to him," Gao Shen continued.

And that was why Ibrahimovic had been flourishing this season.

Knowing this, Napoli's defensive strategy became clear: they needed to cut off Ibrahimovic's supply of passes.

If Ibrahimovic wasn't receiving the ball, he couldn't hurt them.

It was difficult stopping a player of Ibrahimovic's caliber was never easy but it had to be done.

Inter's entire offense revolved around Ibrahimovic. If Napoli could restrict his influence, they could disrupt Inter's entire attacking system.

In addition to Ibrahimovic, Napoli would also need to pay close attention to Inter's wingers, Figo on the right, and either Cesar or Solari on the left. Both flanks were dangerous, especially Figo, who remained a potent threat despite his age.

"Last season, Inter's left flank was Solari, but this season it's been Cesar," Gao Shen pointed out.

Mancini's tactical system this season had been relatively simple: a three-man midfield for the Champions League, and a 4-4-2 formation for Serie A.

From this, it was clear that Inter Milan were prioritizing the Serie A title.

And as the results had shown, once Inter Milan had settled into their rhythm, they were nearly unstoppable in Italy.

But Gao Shen was convinced that Napoli could execute their game plan and cause Inter problems.

…

After studying Inter Milan's tactics, Gao Shen and his coaching staff began tailoring their training sessions accordingly. They simulated different match scenarios, preparing Napoli to face various challenges.

There was still a full week before the match against Inter Milan, and aside from giving the players a day off, Gao Shen had ample time to refine the team's tactics. He planned to hold three focused training sessions, each designed to sharpen specific aspects of Napoli's play.

Napoli's starting lineup was mostly set. The only question mark was Biglia.

Biglia had almost fully recovered from his injury, but his ability to play would depend on his physical condition closer to the match.

In Gao Shen's tactical plan, he wasn't counting on Biglia. If the Argentine wasn't 100% fit, someone else would take his place.

"I want both Pastore and Valencia in the matchday squad," Gao Shen instructed.

His coaching staff exchanged surprised glances but quickly nodded in agreement.

Pastore had shown promise, but Valencia had struggled to adapt to Serie A's defensive intensity.