Bisik felt a piercing gaze land on him, and his heart trembled instantly!
Who is Bisik?
He’s Inter’s set-piece coach.
In recent years, the coaching staff of Serie A teams has been keeping up with the trend, focusing on progress.
Many Serie A clubs have copied Premier League teams by appointing a dedicated set-piece coach.
Their role is to guide players on how to kick set-pieces and defend against them.
Against this backdrop, Englishman Bisik transferred from Watford in the Championship to Inter Milan two years ago.
This guy indeed has his own set-piece tactical theory.
But to say how skilled he is — not very. Otherwise, how could he still be mingling in the Championship at over 40?
The reason he ca to Inter, with his annual salary doubling from 80,000 British Pounds to 160,000 Euros, is entirely due to his connection with the forr head coach Mazzari!
This guy is Mazzari’s brother-in-law, ca to Italy to rely on his brother-in-law.
Since Mazzari was fired by Inter last year.
Brother-in-law Bisik has lived in fear every day!
Afraid that once his support collapses, he’ll also be sent packing.
Can’t get such a high salary at other clubs like at Inter!
Mancini stared at him intently and asked:
"Bisik, I’ve been with Inter for two months now, and haven’t interacted much with you. I heard that you’re the set-piece expert invited by the club from England, specializing in set-pieces. Set-pieces are not really my forte, there’s a question I’ve been wanting to ask you."
I want to ask you, in the set-piece attacking strategy you instilled in the players, what’s Tang’s position?"
Bisik nervously swallowed and awkwardly said:
"Re-reporting to the head coach sir, in my set-piece attacking strategy, Tang needs to guard the arc, marking the second, second point ball of the opponent’s counterattack."
Bisik conveyed his aning with stuttering, English-accented Italian.
After honestly answering, Bisik felt uneasy inside.
He knew Tang Long did not execute the set-piece attacking strategy he instilled during training in the match against Bologna.
That’s why there was the header clincher in the 83rd minute!
Ever since Tang Long scored that header, Bisik felt a sense of unease.
"Tang didn’t stand where I designed, yet he scored. Doesn’t this an my set-piece strategy has a problem? Oh dear..." Bisik worried inexplicably post-match.
Mancini nodded.
He tapped ash into the ashtray.
"Don’t be nervous, Bisik. You can continue in English, I coached at Manchester City, my English is very good, I understand."
But Bisik was indeed quite nervous~
So much so that he didn’t grasp Mancini’s aning and instead repeated verbatim in English what he just said in Italian.
Several coaching staff mbers who understood English looked at Bisik like he was an idiot.
The boss wants you to continue, and you keep repeating what you’ve said, what are you doing? Brainless?
Mancini smiled slightly.
"Oh, I see. Dear Mr. Bisik, since you positioned Tang at the arc top to fend off second-point counterattacks, why did he rush into the penalty area? At first, I thought it was your deliberate tactical arrangent!"
Several coaching staff mbers also laughed!
Chiwo gave Bisik a disdainful look as well.
Bisik, already nervous, was drenched in sweat after being laughed at by everyone, his little heart pounding~
He seed to foresee his termination letter.
Then, alone with his luggage, holding a ticket to England in the biting cold, he walks towards the airport...
Bisik babbled incoherently, explaining that Tang Long wasn’t good at headers, was sowhat redundant in the crowded penalty area, but soone had to be at the arc top, so after much consideration, he decided to place Tang Long in that position among the starting lineup, and so on.
After speaking, he pulled a tissue from the table and wiped his forehead sweat, then gave Mancini an awkward smile.
Seeing Bisik in such a sorry state, Mancini jokingly teased with everyone.
"Mr. Bisik looks quite hot, he’s English. Coming to warm Italy makes him sweat easily. It seems he’s better suited to working in England’s cold weather."
The eting room erupted with a burst of laughter!
Boom!
Bisik instantly felt thunderstruck!
What’s this about?
Isn’t this implying they want back to England!
Oh no...
Bisik felt hopeless.
It seems he can’t continue as Inter’s set-piece coach.
Mancini glanced at his watch, then placed the cigar in the ashtray and quickly and sternly said:
"Bisik’s right, in set-piece offense, soone must be at the arc top; otherwise, we’re prone to counterattacks, a lesson I’ve learned quite a few tis!
Placing Tang at this position is equally unproblematic, as he analyzed, among yesterday’s starters, only Tang is best suited to be there.
As the team’s set-piece coach, Bisik has diligently fulfilled his duty.
Alright, it’s getting late. Everyone prepare for the morning training, eting adjourned!"
Rattle——
The sound of chairs scraping as people stood.
Mancini passed by Bisik and gave him a firm pat on the shoulder.
Left alone confused in the large eting room.
...
After clinching victory, securing three points, and achieving four consecutive wins.
Tang Long noticeably felt a change in his teammates’ attitude!
He changed clothes and walked down the slope from the dormitory to the field, coincidentally eting a few local Italian players walking together from the team.
Team captain Ranocchia pointed at Tang Long, making a two-handed waving gesture:
"Look, our hero is here, woo!"
Santon, Dambrosio, Andreolli also greeted Tang Long enthusiastically.
Tang Long actively joined them, with laughter and chatter all the way.
Along the way, they also encountered a few from the South Arican group.
Colombian Gualin still coldly avoided eye contact with Tang Long, exchanging greetings with Ranocchia.
But Chilean midfielder del looked at Tang Long with much friendlier eyes, even nodded at him.
A team’s locker room is like this, this sort of change reminded Tang Long of what Chiwo once said to him:
"Tang, in the world of soccer, the only thing that can earn you respect is your skills; it doesn’t matter which country, race, or cultural background you co from, the only thing that can make you stand firm is the skills you display!"
Everything speaks of strength!
Mancini stood with hands behind his back, silently watching the players sweat on the training field.
As head coach, he actually wouldn’t co to the field for every regular training.
Sotis he just watches from the office in the tall building, deploys key points, and lets the first-team coaching staff execute them.
But today, Mancini specially went downstairs to the field.
His eyes were fixed on Tang Long.
Half an hour later.
Mancini called Chiwo from the field to his side.
"Boss, any orders?"
"I thought a lot this morning but still don’t understand, go ask Tang, in yesterday’s match which header goal, why did he initially break away from Bisik’s set-piece tactical deploynt and resolutely rush to the far post, go ask him, how exactly did he judge, I watched the video repeatedly, it feels like he predicted it in advance! Ask him what’s the basis for this move."
"Uh, you should ask Bisik, he’s the one responsible for set-piece tactics, he was a bit nervous in the eting room this morning, perhaps didn’t explain so details clearly."
"Bisik knows crap! This connection, once his brother-in-law Mazzari finds a new job, he’ll have to leave sooner or later."
Chiwo smiled, "Why don’t you ask Tang yourself, shall I call him over?"
Mancini quickly stopped Chiwo, then awkwardly smiled and whispered to him:
"Don’t you understand? If I ask him personally, wouldn’t it show that I, as head coach, lack competence? Hurry up and ask him, report back imdiately, I’m waiting here for you."
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