Reverse.

Chapter 73 National Team Roster
"I say, the training list for the national team competition will be announced on Friday. There are still two days left. Are you ready, Lao He?"

As the door of the Chinese national team's head coach's office was pushed open, the voice of national team leader Shen Dongsheng floated in from outside.

Then he saw He Zhenyong and assistant coach Cai Bokang turned their heads and looked at him.

"Hey, everyone is here?"

Shen Dongsheng didn't expect Cai Bokang to be there too, but he was not embarrassed. He nodded to Cai Bokang first, then reached out to He Zhenyong and asked him for the list.

He came to urge He Zhenyong, but he didn't expect He Zhenyong to actually pull out a piece of paper from the table and hand it to him.

Shen Dongsheng took it and took a look, it was the national team roster for the two World Cup qualifiers.

"Huh? You've already drafted it? I thought you were going to dwell on it until the deadline."

He Zhenyong didn't say anything. Assistant coach Cai Bokang beside him laughed and said, "What's there to worry about? Compared to the last game, there's only one more player, Wang Lie."

"I just thought you would be obsessed with Wang Lie for a long time..."

This time it was He Zhenyong who answered him: "Wang Lie has scored nine goals in six games and also had two assists. What's there to worry about with this performance? He couldn't even play a whole game under Heldon before, so we didn't recruit him. Now that he's doing so well in Tyne, it would be unreasonable not to recruit him."

Shen Dongsheng nodded repeatedly: "That's right. But have you thought about how to arrange Wang Lie and Chi Zhen?"

He Zhenyong and Cai Bokang looked at each other, and in the end it was Cai Bokang who answered the national team leader: "Not yet..."

Shen Dongsheng frowned: "Then by recruiting Wang Lie back, isn't that like recruiting a time bomb for yourself?"

"It's not that bad actually." Cai Bokang explained. "We were just talking about it. We haven't figured out how to arrange for Wang Lie and Chi Zhen at the same time, but Lao He didn't get nothing from this trip to England. Wang Lie asked this question directly, and Lao He also said that he hadn't figured it out yet. Wang Lie said something at the time..."

Shen Dongsheng nodded: "I know. He said that he would use his performance in the more than one year before the World Cup to make Lao He dispel his concerns and make a decision."

"Yes. So I think Wang Lie said this because he didn't intend to let us express our opinions right away. He must know that the performance in these few games is not enough to convince us. As long as he doesn't ask us to come up with a plan right away, we can take our time and observe Wang Lie's performance in the future... After all, Wang Lie is already 38 years old, and no one knows whether his performance in the past month is a flash in the pan or normal..."

Cai Bokang raised a very realistic issue.

Even though Wang Lie has been in great form recently, scoring goals in consecutive games and seems to be invincible.

But in fact, he is a veteran who has passed his 38th birthday.

A true veteran.

In the world of football, it is not incredible to have outstanding performance at this age, but it is a bit incredible to have sustained, stable and consistent outstanding performance.

Because it requires physical support.

The physical fitness of a 38-year-old player is definitely not comparable to that of a 30-year-old player.

In fact, before Shen Dongsheng came, Cai Bokang and He Zhenyong were talking about the next round of the league. McNeill probably wouldn't let Wang Lie play the whole game. Because Wang Lie had to go back to China to participate in the national team competition, and the journey was tiring and required a lot of physical strength. McNeill must be worried that the 38-year-old Wang Lie couldn't stand such a torment.

If it weren't for the World Cup qualifiers, the club would have to release Wang Lie unconditionally. Cai Bokang estimated that McNeill would not even plan to let Wang Lie go back...

He must also be worried that Wang Lie would lose his form once he went back.

In fact, He Zhenyong was troubled about how to arrange Wang Lie and Chi Zhen. Was it because he preferred Chi Zhen?
of course not.

Is it true, as rumored online, that Chi Zhen is He Zhenyong’s illegitimate son?
Nonsense!

The bottom line is that He Zhenyong doesn't know how long Wang Lie, who is getting older and will be 38 this year and 39 next year, can maintain this state.

Whether he lets Chi Zhen or Wang Lie be the core, as the head coach, his ultimate goal is to pursue victory.

No matter who is the core, as long as the team can win.

Then why did they replace Wang Lie from the core position and replace him with Chi Zhen?

Isn't it because the Chinese team didn't perform well in the 2035 Vietnam-Malaysia-Thailand Asian Cup? They were eliminated in the top and went home in one round of the knockout stage?

The failure in the Asian Cup has fully exposed the problem that the Chinese team urgently needs to be updated. No one can pretend not to see it like they did after the Saudi World Cup.

If you just want to upgrade... you have to replace Wang Lie first.

Because he is old, he can no longer lead the national team forward. At the next World Cup, at the age of 39, he may not even be able to enter the national team.

Since the players have to be replaced anyway, it is better to do it now rather than waiting until before the World Cup. There is still time for the Chinese team to go through the pain period of replacement.

So the Chinese Football Association took the opportunity of changing coaches to let He Zhenyong, a well-known "honest man" in Chinese football, play the bad guy.

There is nothing wrong with the Football Association’s thinking and operations, it is very normal.

The new national team built around Chi Zhen just caught up with the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup.

Currently, the schedule of the top 12 matches is already halfway through. The Chinese team has four wins and one loss in five games, with twelve points, ranking first in Group A.

Except for the 2:3 loss to Iran away from home, the Chinese team defeated all other opponents in the same group.

包括1:0主场赢卡塔尔，2:1客场赢泰国，2:0主场赢朝鲜，1:0主场赢澳大利亚。

Wang Lie was still in the team when they lost 2:3 to Iran away.

Before that game, domestic media and fans were very dissatisfied with He Zhenyong's decision to let Wang Lie play as a substitute, and called for Wang Lie to start against a strong enemy like Iran.

He Zhenyong readily followed the advice and really let Wang Lie start.

As a result, the Chinese team lost 2:3 to Iran away from home, and lost for the first time in this round of matches.

After the team lost, the voices online clamoring for Wang Lie to return to the starting lineup became much quieter.

So in the fifth round of the top twelve matches in November, He Zhenyong did not recruit Wang Lie into the national team at all.

His reasons were so convincing that they could not be refuted.

At that time, Wang Lie was suppressed by Heldon in Sofia and had few opportunities to play. His competitive state was a mess, which was also proved in the away game against Iran in October.

In that game, Wang Lie started and played for 70 minutes, but had no goals or assists.

China's team scored two goals, one was scored by Chi Zhen and the other was assisted by Chi Zhen.

Chi Zhen of the national team and Chi Zhen of the club even have different positions on the field, and their roles are naturally different as well.

Chi Zhen in the club is more like an offensive participant, while Chi Zhen in the national team is a scorer and offensive finisher.

Although they lost the game against Iran, Chi Zhen's outstanding performance gave He Zhenyong the courage and confidence to "keep Wang Lie out".

So, in the crucial match between the Chinese team and Australia last November, He Zhenyong ignored the voices of the media and fans and refused to call up Wang Lie who could not play in Sofia United.

The Chinese team, without Wang Lie, beat Australia 1:0 at home thanks to Chi Zhen's goal. Meanwhile, Iran was upset away from home and was tied 1:1 by Thailand.

The Chinese team took this opportunity to regain first place in the group with twelve points.

The results of the final 12 proved that the Chinese team with Chi Zhen as the core is still very combative, and at least it is not a big problem to qualify for the World Cup - now that the final 12 is more than halfway through, the Chinese team ranks first with 12 points, and the third-placed Australia has 8 points.

As long as you can get the top two, you can directly qualify.

At worst, if we get third in the group, we can still play in the play-offs.

The Chinese team is six points ahead of Qatar, which is fourth in the group.

He Zhenyong trusted Chi Zhen, and Chi Zhen did not disappoint the old coach.

Even without Wang Lie, this national team is still a top-notch team in Asia.

But if the tactical core is replaced by Wang Lie... Even if Wang Lie has been in excellent form recently and won the direct dialogue with Chi Zhen.

But who can guarantee that Wang Lie can maintain this state in the next year and three months?
Especially since he turns thirty-nine next year.

To put it bluntly, age is Wang Lie's biggest problem.

In the world of football, 38 or 39 years old means no future.

It means that no one dares to bet on such a veteran.

If Wang Lie was 33 years old now and in such condition, the Chinese team's coaching staff might not be so conflicted - they would definitely promote Wang Lie to be the regular player and let Chi Zhen assist him!
After listening to Cai Bokang's explanation, Shen Dongsheng felt that there was really no good solution at the moment and could only leave it to time.

He said: "Fortunately, the two World Cup qualifiers this time are not against Iran and Australia... We still have time and opportunity to continue observing."

Shen Dongsheng actually said this helplessly.

In the two top-12 matches in March, the Chinese team first challenged Qatar away and then returned home to face Thailand.

Although it is not as strong as Iran and Australia, Qatar is also at home and cannot be underestimated.

But there is no way. If he doesn't say so, does the national team coaching staff have to come up with a solution immediately?
After sighing, Shen Dongsheng asked again: "Will Wang Lie start this time?"

Since Wang Lie was put on the bench, the Chinese team's starting lineup has undergone several adjustments and is now relatively stable.

The current Chinese team plays 442. In the frontcourt attacking lineup, the starters are Chi Zhen and center Tan Xingchang.

Tan Xingchang is currently the main center of the Chinese national team and Chi Zhen's regular partner.

Of course, before Chi Zhen came to power, he also partnered with Wang Lie. As a center, Tan Xingchang's scoring ability is average, but his ball-playing ability is good.

In the Bundesliga team Forsfeld, Tan Xingchang is used as a tactical fulcrum center.

The same is true in the Chinese national team.

In He Zhenyong's tactics, Tan Xingchang is just a supporting role for Chi Zhen.

Chi Zhen is a left midfielder for the Scots, but in the national team, he plays as a forward.

He has the ball and the right to shoot in the frontcourt, and his position is relatively flexible, and he is not required to be fixed in the front.

After all, Chi Zhen is very good with the ball.

In this way, the Chinese team needs a real center like Tan Xingchang to be at the forefront.

Tan Xingchang can suppress the opponent's defense line in the front, will not compete with Chi Zhen for shooting opportunities, and can create opportunities for him. He is simply Chi Zhen's golden partner.

In response to Shen Dongsheng's question, Cai Bokang said: "He will not start in the first game against Qatar. He has just returned to the team and his physical fitness is also a problem."

Hearing this answer, Shen Dongsheng was a little surprised: "You really dare not let him start?"

Cai Bokang said: "I will tell Wang Lie."

Cai Bokang and Wang Lie had a good relationship, and it could even be said that Wang Lie respected Cai Bokang very much.

So when He Zhenyong knew what the Football Association wanted him to do as coach of the national team, he immediately contacted Cai Bokang, who was the head coach of the Chinese Super League team, hoping that he could be his assistant coach.

Cai Bokang didn't want to come at that time, until he heard the real purpose of He Zhenyong looking for him. After considering it for a few days, he finally agreed to help He Zhenyong.

He Zhenyong wanted to use the good relationship between Cai Bokang and Wang Lie to let Cai Bokang restrain Wang Lie and make him less resistant and opposed to his replacement plan...

Cai Bokang didn't like doing this personally, but from a rational point of view, he knew that He Zhenyong had to do it.

After the failure in the Asian Cup, the Chinese national team must change its blood.

In order to change blood, Wang Lie must be captured.

For the benefit of the national team, he could only hope that Wang Lie could still recognize his face...

Shen Dongsheng did not ask questions like "Why can't we play 433, letting Wang Lie and Chi Zhen appear on the court at the same time, on the left and right?" because he knew the answer himself.

The reason is simple. Neither Wang Lie nor Chi Zhen are used to playing on the right side.

When Wang Lie was young, he was a right-footed player. He started out as a left winger. As he got older, he gradually moved from the wing to the center. His position on the field also gradually transitioned from left winger to forward, and finally he was almost fixed at the center forward position. Although he no longer has a significant heel and can use both feet, he is still not used to playing on the right.

He only occasionally makes a cameo appearance on the right side and doesn't stay there often.

Chi Zhen rarely goes to the right side even for guest appearances.

Even if we play 433, Wang Lie still has to be in the middle.

In this way, Tan Xingchang would be sacrificed.

Although he got Cai Bokang's promise, Shen Dongsheng was still a little worried: "Will Wang Lie really agree to your arrangement? You know, he is in very good condition recently..."

Cai Bokang answered him: "The club's situation is the club's situation, and the national team's situation is the national team's situation. I will explain it clearly to him."

But Shen Dongsheng's frown still did not relax, and it was obvious that he was not convinced.

Cai Bokang became a little impatient when he saw this, and asked directly:

"Old Shen, what are you worried about? Are you worried that Wang Lie will play passively because he doesn't accept the coaching staff's arrangement? Are you worried that Wang Lie will have a conflict with Chi Zhen and cause an internal conflict?"

Shen Dongsheng quickly waved his hands to deny: "Uh, no. I don't have this idea... I'm just worried that Wang Lie might have some ideas in his mind..."

Cai Bokang didn't care about him. He knew that the national team leader didn't dare to do anything to him because he played an important role - as long as the problems between Wang Lie and the national team were not resolved, his role as "Wang Lie's emotional stabilizer" would still be indispensable.

So he doesn't have to worry about offending the national team leader. There are things that others dare not say, but he dares.

So he interrupted Shen Dongsheng:

"Wang Lie will definitely have some thoughts in his mind. He is a human being, not a machine that can only execute programs. I can even tell you now that he will definitely not like the arrangement of him being a substitute. I can also tell you that he will definitely accept this arrangement.

"Have you forgotten? No matter what, Wang Lie always puts the interests of the national team first. Otherwise, how could he have obediently sat on the bench before? You don't really think he was doing it for my sake, do you? There are many rumors that he is dissatisfied with this arrangement, but he has never criticized Coach He in public."

"Uh..." Shen Dongsheng was speechless. His worry just now made him look like "judging others by one's own standards"...

But I have to say that Cai Bokang is right.

Wang Lie was deprived of his core position and even lost his main position, which indeed caused a huge public opinion storm and caused undercurrents in the national team's locker room.

But Wang Lie never became passive in training and competition because of this.

Although his unhappiness was written on his face, when He Zhenyong asked him to play as a substitute, he sat obediently on the bench. He did not criticize the head coach's arrangement in front of reporters, nor did he make sarcastic remarks on his personal social media account.

It’s just that Wang Lie’s personal influence is so great that even if he doesn’t say anything, there will naturally be many people who will speak up for him.

So it seemed that he and Chi Zhen were incompatible in the national team, and there was no peace between them.

After the discussion between Taien and Wang Lie, He Zhenyong also supported his assistant coach's statement:

"In fact, after I went to Tain and talked to Wang Lie this time, I felt that he had changed a little... He might not be so resistant to playing as a substitute. The competition between him and Chi Zhen will not affect our next two games.

"My biggest worry is about the future... We have to find a way out. We can't just keep putting up like this. It would be fine if Wang Lie doesn't perform well in the future, but if he can really continue his performance over the past month, then I think his patience is limited."

"What about the dual-core?" Shen Dongsheng wisely did not continue to talk about Wang Lie's attitude problem, but raised a new question.

After He Zhenyong and Cai Bokang exchanged a glance, the latter explained to the national team leader: "Dual cores also have priorities. And the dual cores are usually one in the frontcourt and one in the backcourt. I have never seen two forwards as dual cores. Their positions are too close and their playing styles are similar, which will lead to disputes over ball possession. When attacking, teammates don't know who to pass the ball to and who to play around..."

"Oh..." Shen Dongsheng suddenly realized, then frowned: "So, it is indeed a difficult problem."

Cai Bokang suddenly said: "Actually...it's not that there is no solution."

Shen Dongsheng and He Zhenyong looked at him at the same time.

Cai Bokang said: "If Wang Lie can really keep up this performance, then give him the core again and let Chi Zhen assist him."

"I'm afraid Chi Zhen doesn't want to?" Shen Dongsheng asked.

"You have to be willing even if you don't want to. Who made Wang Lie in better shape? When Wang Lie was not in good shape, he was the core, and Wang Lie accepted it even if he didn't want to. If Wang Lie continues to perform like this in the future, why can't he accept the arrangement of playing as a supporting role for Wang Lie? You have to accept it whether you like it or not. This is the Chinese national team, and everything must be based on the interests of the national team. Wang Lie can consider the interests of the national team, and of course Chi Zhen can as well." Cai Bokang spoke very firmly.

Shen Dongsheng said, "But you also said that Wang Lie has to keep performing like this. He is already 38 years old. I think it will be difficult for him to keep performing like this."

Cai Bokang sighed: "Yes, he is already 38 years old... He told Lao He that he would prove himself with his next performance. Even I can't figure out where he gets so much confidence..."

Shen Dongsheng said: "But in other words, if he can't show a convincing performance next time, then of course he won't be able to compete with Chi Zhen, and our tactics, personnel configuration, etc. will not change, so it seems that there is no need for us to worry about it?"

He Zhenyong spoke up: "So, let's wait and see. This is a good opportunity for us to take advantage of the national team competition to closely observe his training conditions. Perhaps we can discover something."

Cai Bokang and Shen Dongsheng both nodded, agreeing with He Zhenyong's statement.

Wait and see.

※※※

"… Breaking news. At 5:30 this afternoon, the Chinese national team announced the rosters for the two final twelve matches in March on its official website and official Weibo. Wang Lie, who was not on the roster in the last game, has returned…"

After seeing the news, Zhao Zhou waved his fist excitedly.

Then quickly take a screenshot of the news and post it on your Pili Pili feed:

"Brothers, didn't I say this during the live broadcast? I said that with Wang Ge's performance, if He Zhenyong still wants to continue to be the head coach of the Chinese team, he will definitely recruit him! Am I right?! Look! Look! The king is back! Chinese team, your king is back!"

Less than ten minutes after he posted this update, a large number of excited Wang Lie fans flocked in, filling his comment section with enthusiastic messages.

Not only on Weibo, but also on Weibo, many related topics about Wang Lie's return to the Chinese team's roster also made it to the hot topic list.

Of course, this will inevitably be accompanied by the "cyber war" between Wang Lie's extreme fans and Chi Zhen's brainless fans.

After all, Wang Lie has returned to the national team in his recent form. Anyone who is not a fool knows what impact this will have on Chi Zhen...

※※※

"…It is not surprising that Wang Lie has returned to the national team. Since he moved to Tyne, he has scored nine goals in six games and has two assists. Such outstanding performance naturally impressed the national team coach He Zhenyong. He Zhenyong once said that in the national team, no one has special privileges, and the competent ones take the place. So now Wang Lie is that 'competent one'."

Chi Zhen read the article analyzing Wang Lie's return to the national team, and his eyes finally fell on the word "capable".

Those who can...

※※※

PS, sorry, forgot to set up automatic updates...

(End of this chapter)