The Godfather of Football

Knock~knock~knock~

The sound of knocking on the door made Ye Qiu, who was sitting in front of the computer and chatting on QQ with his son and daughter far away in Xiamen, raised his head, shouted, "Come in!", and then made a pose to his daughter and son in the computer camera. Grimace, said goodbye and turned it off.

Entering the scene is Phil Jones, a 20-year-old English native who has performed very well in the past period.

"Phil, sit down!" Ye Qiu pointed to the chair opposite his desk and said with a smile.

"Thank you, sir!" Phil Jones walked over after closing the door, pulled out the chair in front of the desk and sat down, but he didn't dare to lean back like Ye Qiu did. He looked a little reserved because he didn't know Ye Qiu's What does Qiu mean by coming to him?

Just after the morning training session, Roland Schepas announced the punishment of Pogba by the coaching staff. The French teenager was punished by the coaching staff with an internal two-game suspension for missing the morning training session. This punishment came out Later, Ye Qiu made an appointment with Phil Jones in the afternoon, which made the Englishman a little uneasy.

Is it also because of the League Cup?

"Phil, how are you feeling lately?" Ye Qiu asked with a smile, showing no sign of settling scores with Qiu.

"Very good, sir. I have played in several games in a row. I feel I have gained a lot!" Phil Jones smiled a little reluctantly, but his tone was sincere, because he was a substitute in the game against Stoke City. After coming on the field, he scored twice.

Sometimes when he thought about it, he couldn't believe it and couldn't figure out why he scored like that.

It felt as if he didn't score the goal himself, but the ball bounced into the goal after hitting it by itself. In short, until now, he still can't figure out why he was able to score, and Mauro Tasso Ty told him that when he figured it out, it would be a career leap.

Some people can't understand it all their lives, and they play football in confusion all their lives, good and bad. But some people understand it from birth, so they seem to be very stable, very mature, and have a stable career. Climbing uphill, progress is obvious.

"Continuous appearances are very important for young people, even if they are coming off the bench. To be honest, I am very satisfied with your performance in the recent period, not because of your two goals, but I think you are really good on the court. Excellent performance, both offensively and defensively!”

After hearing this, Phil Jones laughed for the first time, because he knew that Ye Qiu meant what he said, "Thank you, head!"

I still remember that when Phil Jones first came to Tottenham Hotspur, his skills were not good, and his passing and receiving ability was not strong. Moreover, he seemed to be brave enough at the time, but not delicate enough. It was a bit like He flew wildly, ran around everywhere, and sometimes made his team's formation a mess. Phil Jones felt embarrassed every time he thought about it.

But he trained very hard. He knew that except for his basic skills, he could not meet Tottenham Hotspur's requirements in anything else, so he practiced, practiced like crazy, and was determined to practice it. As a result, his skills have improved now. Now, his ability to touch the ball has improved, and even his ability to read the game on the court and his awareness of integrating into the team's offense and defense have also improved.

Originally, he was more inclined to play as a central defender, but Ye Qiu placed him in the midfield. Even in the midfield, he did not play as a defensive midfielder, but as a central midfielder. Phil Jones himself once had a conflict over this, feeling that Why do you play as a midfielder yourself?

But the facts proved that Ye Qiu and the coaching staff's initial positioning and choice of him were right.

Nowadays, he is becoming more and more skilled at playing as a central midfielder. Not only his skills and awareness have improved, but more importantly, he has begun to learn how to play the game, how to position himself on the court, and how to cooperate and respond to his teammates. This makes He's getting better and better in midfield.

According to what Ye Qiu told him back then, as long as he plays in the central midfielder and retreats to the midfielder or even to the central defender in the future, he will be able to do it with ease. But if he can't play in the central midfielder, then even if he can't play in the central midfielder, then he will be fixed. In the central defender position, he is also a reckless man.

Looking back now, Phil Jones has to admit that Ye Qiu was right. He has shaped himself well and helped him complete his career plan, making continuous progress.

"Phil, you know, the team has notified your agent, and we are ready to talk to you about a contract extension!"

Phil Jones nodded, "I heard my agent say yesterday, sir, please don't worry, I hope to stay in the team!"

"Very good, this is also the reason why I came to talk to you today. I hope you can understand my thoughts and requirements for you!"

Phil Jones nodded to show that he was listening.

"Do you know? The reason why I chose you was because I thought you were very malleable. You have a temperament that belongs to English players, a tenacious and unwilling temperament, and I was thinking, Techniques, passing skills, and consciousness can all be cultivated, but a person’s character is difficult, so I decided to introduce you!”

It didn't cost Tottenham Hotspur much to acquire Phil Jones, but now, the England international is already the hottest new star in the UK. With his outstanding performance at Tottenham Hotspur, at least There is no way to run away with 20 million euros, but Tottenham obviously have no intention of selling.

Not only Phil Jones, but also many young players in the team, Ye Qiu, do not intend to move, because these are the treasures he left to Mauro Tassotti and his successors. As long as this group of young players is there, Tottenham Hotspur's banner cannot be defeated. At least in the next ten years, with this group of people, Tottenham Hotspur can still sweep Europa.

"I'm very happy to see you make it this far!" Ye Qiu affirmed Phil Jones' efforts and progress with a smile.

Phil Jones kept nodding, "I'm also very grateful to the boss and the team."

Ye Qiu smiled, stood up from the office chair, and walked out of the desk area, "I talked to the management this time. We plan to offer you a weekly salary of 50,000 pounds, and you will sign for five years, and there will be There are some clauses that guarantee that when you play a greater role in the team in the future, the team will give you sufficient increases in salary and bonuses.”

Tottenham Hotspur took the initiative to talk about the contract extension, otherwise Phil Jones's contract would still be long, and now Phil Jones's weekly salary is only 25,000 pounds, and it has suddenly risen to 50,000 pounds, which is equivalent to double the contract. This almost proves that Tottenham Hotspur attaches great importance to him and affirms him.

Of course, if you want to compare with Messi's maximum weekly salary of 150,000 pounds, Phil Jones is still far behind. But the problem is that only Messi in the team has reached 150,000 pounds, and Ribery only has 100,000 pounds. Forty-five thousand pounds a week.

Tottenham Hotspur's salary structure is actually very clearly divided. Everyone can clearly know their position. Once you perform well, or you perform well for a sustained period of time, the team will consider promoting you. The salary structure is like an upgrade.

The highest salaries are undoubtedly the two superstars, Messi and Ribery. They are the top stars in the team, with the highest salary and the highest commercial income. Their annual income is at least 30 million euros.

The second level of income mainly comes from several core players of the team, such as Thiago Silva, Pirlo, Cavani, Cech and others. Their salary is around 100,000 pounds per week, but every year They all also have quite good business income, so the overall income level is considered high among professional players.

The third tier is a weekly salary ranging from 50,000 pounds to 90,000 pounds. It currently includes Ramsey, Vidal, Kompany, Kyle Walker, Marcelo, Hazard and Neymar, but if If Musai, Vidal, Kompany and others renew their contracts, it is estimated that they will directly enter the second income level.

The fourth tier includes some young players from youth training and young rookies who have just joined the team. Their income is generally between 10,000 and 50,000 pounds. These players have basically established themselves in the first team, but their salaries are relatively low and their commercial income is also high. , but not high. On the contrary, if they are willing to work hard and the team performs well, the bonuses will be relatively generous.

Of course, there is another level that includes young players from youth teams and reserve teams. Their salaries are basically less than 10,000 pounds. The weekly salary of most promising stars is around 1,000 pounds.

Phil Jones originally belonged to the fourth gear, but now he has been promoted to the third gear. Once he continues his current outstanding performance and makes greater contributions to the team, then in the next two or three years, if he renews his contract, it will basically be It's either the third-tier maximum salary or the second-tier salary. These are all to be expected.

"Thank you, sir!" Phil Jones nodded to Ye Qiu in thanks.

Ye Qiu smiled and walked right next to Phil Jones. The Englishman wanted to stand up, but he signaled that he didn't have to.

"Actually, I came to you today for another thing, that is, I hope you can play more and better roles in the locker room. Do you understand what I mean?"

One characteristic of the Tottenham Hotspur locker room that Ye Qiu is in charge of is that everyone is equal. Even the young players who have just been promoted from the youth team have the same status as the superstars. No one is inferior to the other. No one is nobler than anyone else.

The result of everyone being equal is that no player in the locker room has any privileges.

But the first team has as many as 25 people. If you include the players who play for the first team, the number often reaches about 30. These people come from all over the world, with different religious beliefs, different living habits, and different educational backgrounds. , different life goals, they live and compete in a locker room where everyone is equal, and some problems will inevitably arise.

This requires the emergence of another type of player, that is, the lubricant of the locker room.

For example, Franck Ribery, the Frenchman's extroverted personality makes him very popular in the locker room, while Marcelo, Phil Jones and others are also very extroverted, which allows them to have more words in the locker room. Ribery, for example, can decide what song should be sung on the team bus, and everyone else always obeys.

This is a result that has evolved naturally over a long period of time. Just like every time Ribery gets on the bus, he shouts, "What song do you want to listen to today?" Most people will say, "You decide." Then there is the matter of Ribery.

But apart from this kind of power in the dressing room, Ribery has no privileges.

Ye Qiu noticed a very interesting phenomenon. Phil Jones is very popular among young players. This has something to do with Phil Jones's character. Moreover, he is also a local player, so of course Ye Qiu hopes that he will perform well. More and bigger effects.

"I understand, thank you, boss!" Phil Jones knew that this was also Ye Qiu's reliance and cultivation on him.

You know, usually the people who play a huge role in the locker room are often the captains of the team. For example, Ribery is one of the vice-captains of the team. This is a concept that is formed naturally. Ye Qiu asked everyone to vote. No one was surprised that he was elected. It was unexpected that he was not elected.

So Ye Qiu encouraged him so much, just to focus on cultivating him.

"In the future, when you deal with the relationship between you and your teammates in the locker room, you should look at the problem from a higher perspective. Every teammate has his own different past, different experience, different beliefs, and different personality. You need to make yourself more tolerant and know how to respect and forgive."

Holding a grudge is a taboo for an excellent manager. The reason is very simple. Holding a grudge will give you a preset position. Then you will be biased when looking at the problem, and it will be difficult to be fair and just when dealing with the problem. This is a taboo for excellent managers.

"There are many management books in our library. Go and read more. They are helpful!" Ye Qiu patted Phil Jones on the shoulder and encouraged with a smile. He has always been very active in encouraging his players and club employees to study and add value to themselves.

"I know, thank you, boss!" Phil Jones thanked again.

Ye Qiu smiled, "Nothing to do, go and have a rest!"

"Okay!" Phil Jones stood up and turned to leave.

After sending Phil Jones away, Ye Qiu thought of another player, Pogba. This kid has a difficult personality. I don't know if he can accept the two-game suspension I gave him this time?

But the problem is, if Pogba misses the team's training session and the coaching staff doesn't give him a little color, wouldn't that be equivalent to giving him privileges? Who will be convinced in the locker room in the future?

"Young people nowadays..." Ye Qiu thought of Sandro. This Brazilian is also difficult to deal with. His favorite thing is to play guitar. He plays with a guitar whenever he has nothing to do. If you play well, it doesn't matter, but the problem is that you play too badly. Isn't it a waste of life?

There are so many people in the team, each of them has their own different personalities and preferences. As a head coach, a large part of his energy is actually invested in the management of the locker room. As long as the locker room is in place, the team can perform stably and have combat effectiveness.

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The annual Christmas carnival was held in Tottenham with great fanfare.

With the smooth progress of the renovation of Stratford Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur will move south to central London in half a year, and White Hart Lane will be transformed into an athletics stadium. Tottenham Hotspur and the London City Council failed to reach an agreement on the leasing and renovation of White Hart Lane.

But the Christmas carnival will continue to stay in Tottenham. This event, which has been held for many years and has had a certain influence on fans all over the world, has been included in the development plan by Northumberland County Council and Haringey District Council, and will be supported in the future.

With the participation of more and more fans and tourists, and with the attention and participation of more and more sponsors, the influence of the Christmas carnival is also increasing. Even if Tottenham Hotspur moves south to central London in the future, this carnival will still be named Tottenham Hotspur, and the team will continue to play the role of manager and organizer.

This season, Tottenham Hotspur played one less round than other Premier League teams because of participating in the Club World Cup. So far, they have played 17 games, 15 games and two draws, and scored 47 points, ranking first in the Premier League standings.

The second-ranked team is Benitez's Liverpool, with 15 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in 18 games, accumulating 46 points, one point behind Tottenham Hotspur, while Ferguson's Manchester United scored 43 points, Manchester City and Chelsea both had 39 points, and Southampton, Newcastle and West Ham United all had 30 points.

After participating in the Christmas carnival, the next day, Tottenham Hotspur challenged the black cat Sunderland away. As a result, Tottenham Hotspur stunned everyone in this game, winning 7:1 away from Sunderland. Messi performed a hat trick and also had two exquisite assists. Tottenham Hotspur performed very eye-catchingly.

This shocked everyone, because after the last big win over Stoke City, Tottenham Hotspur won another big win over Sunderland in this round. The performance of Tottenham Hotspur was amazing, especially the 15 goals scored in two rounds. This offensive power was amazing.

But just three days later, Tottenham Hotspur returned to their home court to welcome Reading, the relegation favorite team currently ranked second to last in the Premier League. Although Tottenham Hotspur rotated, they still won 5:1 at home. Drogba started the game and had three assists, performing an assist hat trick. Reading's entire defense line had no way to deal with him.

Messi made one pass and one shot, Hazard scored twice, Vidal scored in two consecutive rounds, and Ramsey also scored a goal.

After scoring 20 goals and conceding 2 goals in three league games, everyone was surprised to see that Tottenham's gun barrel was boiling hot. Many people even took their benches and bought peanuts, waiting to see how Lambert's Aston Villa would collide with Tottenham's still smoking gun barrel. You know, this team eliminated Tottenham in the League Cup.

In Ye Qiu's words, revenge must be taken. Everyone firmly believed that as long as Tottenham played well in this game, it would not be a problem to beat Aston Villa away from home.

But what was somewhat surprising was that after halftime, Tottenham Hotspur took over the game and had 63% of the ball possession, but still failed to break Aston Villa's goal.

Is it true, as Lambert said, that Tottenham Hotspur's goal-scoring form was exhausted in the first three rounds?