“Oh? You played a match today? What was the result?”
Mr. Wang, at this moment, was chatting leisurely with the two, like an elder.
“Against Tottenham, we won 5-2.”
“That’s excellent. Tottenham is a strong team. To score 5 goals against them, you young people certainly have a knack for offense.”
Mr. Wang nodded, clearly approving of their coaching performance.
“You’ve done very well. I’m quite surprised that Cambridge United is now ranked eighth. But with today’s win, your ranking will probably go up a bit, won’t it?”
When Mr. Wang said this, Huang Hao and Li Jianqin were even more surprised.
A top figure managing hundreds of millions in assets actually knew Cambridge United’s Premier League ranking!
Seeing the two dumbfounded, Mr. Wang’s face was even more wreathed in smiles.
“Hahaha, after all, our group sponsors your stadium, so of course, we have to care about your performance.”
The two, too astonished to speak, could only nod vigorously.
“Are you interested in trying out for the Head Coach position of the national team?”
Mr. Wang’s words, spoken without any change in tone, instantly exploded in Huang Hao’s ears, making him spring to his feet!
Huang Hao stared at Mr. Wang in shock, just as he had when he was appointed Head Coach of Cambridge United.
But Mr. Wang seemed unhurried, still smiling as he looked at Huang Hao.
“Thank you for your high regard, Mr. Wang. I’m just a Head Coach of a small team, and today’s achievements are inextricably linked to the Cambridge United players who have fought alongside me every step of the way.”
“With my current abilities, I’m afraid I’m far from qualified to be the national team’s Head Coach.”
“What’s the difference between Cambridge United players and Chinese team players?”
Hearing Huang Hao’s refusal, Mr. Wang still seemed unhurried, continuing to question Huang Hao.
“Cambridge United’s players have almost all grown up with me. In the locker room, I have absolute control. Even if I’m wrong.”
Huang Hao didn’t hide anything, directly stating the truth.
Huang Hao’s words were not wrong. Even if he were to parachute into any top club now, with a squad several times more luxurious than Cambridge United’s, Huang Hao might not achieve the same success as he has with Cambridge United.
Besides dedicated research into tactics, control of the locker room is also one of the most crucial aspects of coaching in modern clubs.
For example, Duiković and Fu Lado of the Chinese National Team, with their dual coaching, led to a split in the locker room, laying the groundwork for future performance instability.
Mr. Wang waved his hand, signaling Huang Hao to sit down.
“Just a joke. I don’t have that much power right now.”
If the person in front of him wasn’t his childhood idol, Huang Hao would probably have cursed and walked away.
But facing Mr. Wang, he couldn’t get angry and could only scratch his head awkwardly, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“However, the issue you raised is indeed correct. Young man, being down-to-earth is very good.”
“Let’s talk about business.”
Hearing this, Li Jianqin and Huang Hao straightened their backs and pricked up their ears.
“Although I withdrew from Dalian, I still want to do something for Chinese football. Originally, my plan was to send many children to Spain for professional training. The plan was to send out over 20 children each year, for ten years. Every year, we estimated it would cost at least 200 million.”
Mr. Wang held up two fingers to the two, recounting his former ‘Stars of Hope’ plan.
“Now, if our players want to go abroad, they can only learn from Japan’s method, by providing sponsorship and subsidies to the other party, but what they get is just perfunctory.”
“I don’t know how effective it will be if I spend ten years doing this.”
For some reason, as Huang Hao listened to Mr. Wang’s narration, his eyes felt a bit sore.
This elderly man, nearing sixty, although he left in a fit of pique and ended an era, still maintained his deep love for Chinese football after all these years.
“You two are quite remarkable, and you’ve forged a path I never expected.”
“So, I want to make an additional investment, directly using this money to invest in your youth training.”
Mr. Wang, having finished his reminiscence, directly stated his idea.
Youth training!
The two words spoken by Mr. Wang once again startled Huang Hao, but on second thought, it was indeed the most reasonable approach.
“We have never had a team in a top foreign club that we could discuss the future with. More often, it’s just commercial behavior.”
“So I hope you two can take on this responsibility. You’ve taken an amateur team to the Premier League in a few years, and I believe that if there are good prospects, I can also see hope here with you.”
“Back then, Milutinović’s success made me naively think that changing a coach would change Chinese football, but years have passed, and Chinese football is still stagnant.”
“This is also my last attempt. I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
Huang Hao didn’t speak immediately but carefully observed Mr. Wang. Time had, after all, left its mark on him mercilessly.
After more than twenty years, it was truly remarkable that he could still maintain his passion for football.
“Thank you for your trust, Mr. Wang. Li Jianqin and I will go back and start upgrading the club’s youth training, striving to build a youth academy to provide better conditions for these children.”
“Additionally, Sun Ge, Sun Jihai, and I have also discussed this topic. He is also entrusting friends to find some good prospects. Perhaps because the club is in its rising phase and Sun Ge is still playing, this matter has stalled a bit for us.”
Upon hearing Sun Jihai’s name, Mr. Wang seemed to fall back into memories. When he was at Wanda, Sun Jihai was still a rising star.
“Jihai is very good. Your cooperation will definitely be even better.”
“Regarding the funds, I will arrange for my son, Sichong, to liaise with you. He has lived in England for many years, and since you are all young people, you will surely get along. I won’t interfere with the specifics; you two will handle it.”
This time, Huang Hao didn’t hesitate at all, nodding solemnly. After bidding farewell to Mr. Wang, the young man who had greeted them upon their arrival at the hotel appeared again, respectfully escorting Li Jianqin and Huang Hao out of the hotel.
Looking at the starry sky of Cambridge, neither of them was in a hurry to leave.
“Feifei, I feel like the responsibility on my shoulders has grown heavier. Unconsciously, it seems we are no longer just pursuing our own goals.”
“That’s right. I never thought in a million years that I would be so closely related to the future of Chinese football.”
Li Jianqin also shed his usual flippancy and became serious. “After all, the English Football Association’s policies are very strict right now, so we need to think this through carefully. But where there’s a will, there’s a way. We’re definitely doing this!”
With that, the two bumped their fists together, their eyes filled with determination.
“But speaking of Mr. Wang, such a big boss, he didn’t even treat us to a meal. Come on, I’ll treat you to some skewers.”
According to the English Football Association regulations, the lowest age group for youth academies is U9. Above that, each age group has a team, up to U17 and U18, which are combined.
Therefore, children initially signed to youth academies range in age from 8 to 16. Contract terms are generally reciprocal: children must maintain good conduct and attend training on time.
The club, in turn, is responsible for providing high-level training, professional physiotherapy teams, clear development plans for the children, and opportunities to participate in various competitions.
However, this only applies to local children or those from around the club. If younger players are brought in from China, a series of issues also need to be resolved, such as accommodation, schooling, and daily living care.
Even worse, the English Football Association currently stipulates that British clubs cannot sign contracts with foreign players under 18 years old.
This means Cambridge United could easily put in a lot of hard work only to have others reap the benefits.
However, with Dong Fangzhuo as an example, Huang Hao was filled with confidence about this path. Even if a 'Star of Hope' was truly poached by others using the rules, as long as it could contribute a little to the future of the national team, it would fulfill one of Mr. Wang’s long-cherished wishes.
February is already a short month, but Cambridge United’s schedule was extremely packed.
From tomorrow, the 7th, until the 28th at the end of the month, Cambridge United would first play four Premier League matches, followed by an FA Cup Round of 16 match.
It was evident how heavy the match load was, and Huang Hao’s previous rotations were also in preparation for this difficult schedule.
Looking further ahead, on the 28th, they would play Manchester United at Park Stadium, which would be a tough battle. Then, by mid-March, Cambridge United would visit Stamford Bridge to challenge Chelsea!
Manchester United was currently undergoing a transition period between old and new players. Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure had led to a decrease in Manchester United’s overall firepower, and Van der Sar’s injury resulted in an unstable defense.
Chelsea, under Carlo Ancelotti, displayed powerful attacking prowess and maintained a perfect record against Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool, with bright prospects for winning the title. However, the “Wife-gate” scandal and an aging defense significantly impacted Chelsea.
After the afternoon’s training session, Lynn attended the pre-match press conference. Journalists from Fleet Street inquired about Cambridge United’s starting center-backs for tomorrow’s match, as De Vrij and Van Dijk’s performance in the last game had put them in the spotlight.
Huang Hao dismissed such questions, stating, “We may not be perfect, but we are definitely not the worst. It’s normal for player performance to fluctuate. Manchester United and Arsenal also have matches during a season where they concede three goals or lose quite badly. I won’t be like a startled bird, questioning my players because of one match. That’s right, Van Dijk and De Vrij will still start tomorrow’s match because I believe they will perform better.”
Given West Ham United’s recent poor form, the media was interested in what strategy Cambridge United would adopt tomorrow.
Playing away, Cambridge United usually adopted a balanced, moderate tactical strategy rather than being too aggressive.
However, with the current instability in the defense, no one could say for sure whether Huang Hao would change his strategy.
Regarding this, Huang Hao said, “We will not underestimate any opponent, even if West Ham United has only won one of their last six matches, we will not take them lightly.”
West Ham United’s last six matches were indeed quite dire.
They won against Portsmouth at home in Round 19, lost to Tottenham Hotspur away in Round 20, lost to Wolves at home in Round 21, drew with Aston Villa away in Round 22, finally managed a draw away against the bottom-of-the-League team Portsmouth in Round 23, but then drew at home against Blackburn in the last round.
In their last six matches, West Ham United lost 3, only managed to get 4 points against the last-place team in the League, and scored only 4 goals in those six matches.
This caused West Ham United to slide down the League table to 16th place, only 6 points above the relegation zone.
West Ham United’s Head Coach, Zola, began to face a crisis of confidence. His overly idealistic playing style made West Ham United seem to have little future.
Huang Hao remembered this clearly: when Zola’s West Ham United visited Park Stadium, he made the match extremely open and wild. On the field, both sides attacked and counter-attacked, making for a truly exciting and entertaining spectacle.
However, the final result was a loss for West Ham United. After a thrilling battle, ending in defeat would always make both players and fans uncomfortable.
This was the insurmountable chasm between idealism and reality.
To say that other Premier League Head Coaches had no ideals would be somewhat contemptuous.
Whether they had the ability was another matter, but they certainly had aspirations.
But why do so many teams resort to defensive tactics when facing top clubs?
Is it because they lack ideals?
Of course not, but rather they simply lack the capital to compete with top clubs.
No results means no big returns, and no big returns means no capital to grow stronger. This gradual process is how many mid-to-lower-tier teams gradually become stronger. However, if a gamble in the transfer market ends in failure, it becomes a vicious cycle, seemingly trapped forever, unable to ever overthrow the dominance of the top clubs. This is also why the major landscape in top Leagues remains unchanged for so long.
To achieve results, one must be cautious when necessary. The consequence of not being cautious is a thrilling match for a short while, but failure at the end of the season, leaving people in misery – either the Head Coach gets sacked or players become disheartened and leave to seek other opportunities.
Thus, Huang Hao was genuinely curious about what kind of stance West Ham United’s Head Coach Zola would adopt at home to face Cambridge United in tomorrow’s match.