Football Dynasty

Chapter 592 592: First Training Session

Wembley—the very place the Red Devils have loathed for generations. United have enjoyed countless glorious moments here, yet for many fans who oppose them, this ground is where their resentment is loudest. Even when United players wear the national jersey, sections of the Wembley crowd still chant songs mocking and jeering them.Today, they became the laughingstock.

A colossal joke.

After the match, Arsène Wenger said the result showed that Arsenal were "ready for the season," though he admitted the defence had struggled at times to cope with Yorke.

"It's psychologically important to beat United, especially after the great run they have had," he added.

Meanwhile, Alex Ferguson suggested the defeat showed that Manchester United needed more games to reach full readiness, "particularly in the second half." He also felt that traveling "halfway across the world" during pre-season had not helped their preparation.

United's new goalkeeper, Mark Bosnich, received mixed reviews in the English press. The Sun questioned his positioning and described his kicking as "poor."

Bosnich himself admitted, "My kicking has been atrocious and, generally, my distribution from the back has to improve."

The two best teams in the league clashed, and thanks to this, José Mourinho had already begun shaping his tactical plans.

Today marked the first official training session of the season. José Mourinho, Antonio Pintus, and Rui Faria would lead the session.

It was 9 a.m. on the training pitch. As players made their way onto the field, they greeted the coaching staff with smiles. The veterans, as usual, couldn't resist cracking jokes at the newcomers' expense.

"Hey, boss!"

"Antonio, you look younger!"

"Big boss, you're here too!"

Ricahrd attended the session as well. It wasn't unusual for him to be there, but today he seemed especially in high spirits. After two months away from the players in training, it felt strange to see them all back—lively, energetic, and ready to train. His smile lingered longer than usual.

Last season, Ronaldo had suffered a knee injury at the start of the campaign, but the two-month break had clearly done him well. His performance as the Copa America top scorer proved it. Other high-risk players, like Woodgate, trained separately to avoid strain.

Looking over the neatly lined-up squad, Antonio Pintus smiled mischievously. "I'm glad I still recognize you all."

The newly promoted players didn't fully understand the comment, but the veterans' hearts tightened.

He turned to Mourinho. "Alright, let's get started," he said, stepping aside.

Immediately, Silvino Louro, the goalkeeping coach, began pushing a small metal cart across the pitch. On it sat a stack of odd-looking masks—rubber-and-plastic prototypes with straps and tiny vents.

"These are for your endurance drills today," Pintus explained. "Not everyone will use them at once. Start slow, focus on your breathing, and keep your form."

The players raised their eyebrows. 'What the hell is this?' they wondered.

Players put on the masks one by one. The fit was snug, and the restricted airflow immediately made jogging feel heavier.

Pintus instructed: "Focus on controlled breathing. Short, shallow breaths will tire you fast. Inhale deeply, exhale fully. Keep your movements smooth."

Jogging turned into light shuttle runs, with players noting the difference instantly.

Ronaldo grimaced but kept pushing; Henry's lungs burned slightly. Only Zambrotta laughed, saying, "Feels like running underwater!"

Goalkeepers wore slightly different masks, more vented, allowing them to move explosively without losing too much oxygen.

Richard also joined in during the warm-up, keeping his pace slow and focusing on maintaining proper form—of course, without the mask. The masks forced players to think about energy conservation. Quick sprints were limited, so they had to rely on sharp, precise passing rather than running blindly.

Once warmed up, the team moved into small-sided possession games—5v5 on a condensed area of the pitch.

The forwards—Ronaldo, Henry, and Trezeguet—gathered beside Rui Faria, who crouched slightly, hands on knees, explaining the half-court scrimmage.

"Attacking team starts with six, defending team five," Rui Faria said, gesturing toward the layout.

"Observe positioning, passing lanes, and movement off the ball."

PHWEEEE~

The whistle blew and the six attackers immediately began probing, Ronaldo darting to the right wing while Henry checked inside.

A quick one-two between Okocha and Stankovic opened a tiny gap in the defense, and Ronaldo slotted the ball past Gattuso, who had come across too slowly.

First point scored.

"Good! Quick, sharp, eyes up!" Rui Fariai called, clapping as the attackers reset.

Players rotated in short, high-intensity sprints wearing the masks. Each sprint ended with a slow recovery jog, still with the mask on.

"Remember," Pintus instructed, "In a match, your lungs burn; your legs tire. Learning to maintain technique under fatigue is key."

Players like Zambrotta and Stankovic handled it naturally, but others, like Pirlo and Trezeguet, struggled at first before quickly noticing patterns in their breathing and movement.

The masks stayed on for a half-court scrimmage. Soon, one player from the attacking side was pulled back.

Now it was 5v5.

As Ronaldo darted between defenders, Pintus and Mourinho shouted feedback: "Use space! Don't overcommit! Protect your energy!"

Ronaldo then miscontrolled a pass from Henry, the ball rolling toward Pirlo, who calmly played it back to Gattuso. The defenders regrouped, adjusting their runs, and after another clever sequence, the ball found the net again.

Rui Faria shake his head. "Notice how the numbers change mid-play," he said. "In a real 90-minute match, attackers won't always have an advantage. Adapt, read the space, know your teammates' positions."

Trezeguet glanced at Ronaldo, eyebrow raised. "Only two forwards now? Interesting…" he muttered, clearly intrigued by the challenge.

The game shifted again: four attackers—Pires, Stankovic, Henry, and Ronaldo—faced five defenders.

On the defensive side, Terry sat deep as a pivot, while Gallas, Zambrotta, Pirlo, and Gattuso formed a tight line.

Even with the numerical disadvantage, the attackers tried to move fluidly. Pires's first pass to Henry was slightly heavy, rolling out of bounds.

"Too heavy! Eyes up! Use your first touch!" Mourinho barked from the sideline.

Pires gestured with his hand to indicate he understood, but the cumbersome mask was truly annoying him. He moved along the sideline, observing, pointing, and correcting small missteps, as if every detail mattered.

Ronaldo shrugged off a defender and attempted a curling pass to Henry, but Gattuso intercepted it.

"Control the tempo! Don't force it!" Rui Faria shouted, sprinting alongside the pitch to give immediate feedback.

Mourinho's gaze swept across the field. "Look at Dejan! Good movement! But you must communicate—always! Don't leave your teammate isolated!"

The defenders weren't passive either. Terry barked instructions, Zambrotta stepped up to cut passing lanes, and Pirlo orchestrated the midfield, making precise interceptions. Even when outnumbered, they forced the attackers into mistakes, teaching them the subtle lessons of space and timing.

After another turnover, the attacking team reset, taking a moment to catch their breath.

"Notice how fluidity disappears when you're outnumbered," Rui Faria said. "Now think: how do you create space? How do you combine runs without losing structure?"

Mourinho crossed his arms, nodding. This situation tested the players' ball control, positioning, and off-the-ball movement.

"Not in easy situations, but when you adapt, when the numbers are against you. Learn to read the game. Every touch, every glance, every run counts."

Ricahrd, standing just off the pitch, nodded as he watched the players struggles by this new training equipment. Respiratory training masks weren't commonly seen in sports—they are extremely expensive. He spent around US $35,000 for one unit, which means he spent nearly US $400,000 on them.

Professional clubs did not use these modern training masks as part of standard conditioning. It was Pintus who suggested using them as often as possible during training, mainly because he wanted the squad to remain focused on traditional endurance methods while gradually incorporating this advanced tool.

But thanks to this, they could already see which players thrived under pressure and which didn't. To be honest, it seemed that tactics didn't matter much anymore in this kind of training.

After it was the defense team's turn to use the masks, the attackers finally breathed a sigh of relief. The situation had changed—especially for the front three. With no restrictions on them, they played comfortably.

Ronaldo darted between two center-backs, receiving and distributing passes before immediately repositioning, scanning for new opportunities. Henry moved laterally behind the defensive line; when he drifted wide, Trezeguet filled the central position. Stankovic's movement covered practically every area.

The three newcomers—Joe Cole, Carrick, and Owen Hargreaves—watched in awe. They hadn't fully grasped how impressive the first squad was, but what they could see was clear: each player had a well-defined, cohesive role. Not only did they make intelligent off-the-ball runs to create space, but their timing and choice of movement demonstrated a strong understanding of their teammates, patiently probing every weakness in the defense.

"If we want to strengthen individual dribbling skills," Rui Faria announced, "we'll play this game in a smaller area, with three forwards against five defenders."

The scrimmage continued with relentless intensity. As Mourinho spoke, Pires attempted a delicate through ball threading between the attackers. Terry anticipated perfectly and intercepted. Without hesitation, he passed to Zambrotta on the wing—but Stankovic immediately closed him down.

Rui Faria clapped his hands, drawing the players' attention. "This exercise shows not only how to adjust to different attacking numbers but also how to recover possession after losing the ball. You need a systematic approach—a plan everyone understands."

He paused, pointing to the replay in his mind. "Take that last sequence. One attempt to win the ball back failed, but the next forced a quick decision. Freeze the moment: Zambrotta had Stankovic closing in on him. Passing to the center was risky. Stankovic was pressing the backline, leaving Zambrotta no choice but to pass. That is a successful localized defensive system—pressure, positioning, and awareness all working together."

"What should we do in that situation?" Carrick suddenly asked.

Mourinho was taken aback at first, but then he nodded with quiet approval. "Even when numbers are against you, you can force the opponent into mistakes and regain control."

"There are many options," Rui added. "The two center-backs could drop back to provide support; Zambrotta could pass it back to the goalkeeper; or, if he had better vision, he could play a long ball across to the other flank, where the nearest teammate was unmarked. In matches, most players would typically just clear the ball without thinking. While that is a choice, it's certainly not the best one—especially if it's a blind clearance. If the opponent organizes a second attack while your defense is still unprepared, it can be dangerous."

After Stankovic intercepted successfully, he played a direct through ball to Pires, who had managed to evade the offside trap. While Mourinho was still speaking, Pires calmly slotted the ball into the net.

"Hey, Andrea, Gennaro, you guys were a bit lackluster just now, weren't you?!" Mourinho called out with a grin to the two midfielders.

The two sheepishly scratched their heads, while Zambrotta raised his hand to apologize to his teammates.

With everyone in a relaxed mood, it was hard to avoid a sense of complacency.

In mid-season training, most of the staff would have been relentless in critiquing them. A relaxed mentality after a successful defensive stop is quite dangerous; players must remain vigilant against the opponent's quick counterattacks, which can be far more lethal.

This scrimmage, with changing numbers on both sides, helped the players stay sharp and adaptable as the dynamics of the game shifted rapidly. If defensive training were emphasized, they would remove even more defenders, teaching players to defend in situations like 4v5, 4v6, 3v4, or even 2v4 and 3v5. These exercises directly tested their positional awareness, coordination, and defensive skills.

Joe Cole was buzzing. He saw many aspects of the game that he hadn't witnessed in the U17 team. The runs made by Stankovic and Pires left him in awe—also Trezeguet. This off-the-ball movement ability takes at least a couple of seasons of training to develop; it's not merely about having the stamina to run around wildly without observing teammates' movements.

Soon, Mourinho waved over Lucio from a distance, inviting him to join the scrimmage to add more defenders.

Now, it had turned into a 4v6.

Once Lucio came on, he matched up against Ronaldo, preventing him from organizing the attack comfortably. After setting a solid defensive structure with their six players, the defenders created layers and systems, making it difficult for the four attackers to build an effective attack.

Pires managed to beat Gattuso but was then precisely tackled by Zambrotta. The four defenders quickly regrouped to regain possession, yet their flowing, extensive ball movement allowed them to successfully complete ten passes, winning that round.

"Anyone want to step up and try?" Mourinho asked the three newcomers with a smile.

All three nodded eagerly, ready to showcase their skills. He allowed Joe Cole to enter the game, making it 5v6.

He positioned himself as a left winger. On his first touch, he tried to demonstrate his technical skills but lost control of the ball when Lucio pressured him during a feint, leading to a swift clearance by the defending side, who subsequently completed ten passes and secured the win.

Joe Cole wore a disgruntled expression, while Lucio shrugged in resignation. He thought the kid was too soft.

With one defender off, Gattuso was subbed out for a rest, and the game continued at 5v5.

Joe Cole's performance was dismal; even with equal numbers, he was too eager to impress. Every time he received the ball on the wing, he lost it within five seconds, even when attempting to dribble.

Lucio consistently blocked his path, leaving him helpless. "Too weak!" he muttered under his breath.

Henry and Trezeguet stepped in to support him on the left, further testing Lucio's defensive positioning—but the combined wall of Zambrotta and Lucio proved too strong.

If this went on for long, Joe's confidence would take a serious hit.

"Don't be discouraged. You're all still young; obviously, there's a gap between your abilities and theirs," Mourinho advised.

If one were to rate the three newcomers on a scale of ten, Joe Cole's technical abilities would fall between 5 and 7, while his physicality and team awareness likely wouldn't even reach 3. Even a simple shoulder challenge from Lucio could knock him off balance.

Time soon passed. Everyone got their turn with the masks, but among the three newcomers, only Carrick and Hargreaves adapted quickly. That was understandable—they preferred to sit deeper, focusing on passing and tackling rather than dribbling explosively like Joe Cole. Joe, meanwhile, struggled to adjust, constantly running out of breath and losing control when trying to take on defenders.

As the session drew to a close, it was time for cooldown and debrief.

Masks came off, and players immediately noticed how much easier normal breathing felt. Sweat glistened on their faces, and lungs heaved as they appreciated the simple act of unrestricted air.

Pintus gathered the squad. "This was just a taste. Conditioning under restricted oxygen improves lung efficiency, teaches patience, and forces you to think faster when tired. If you can perform here, you'll perform under pressure in any match."

The players didn't fully understand the medical or physiological details behind it, but they knew one thing: the training from now on was going to feel even harder.

A collective sigh escaped from the squad. Some sank to the ground, rubbing their calves and shoulders, while others leaned against cones, catching their breath.

Joe Cole looked particularly deflated, mentally replaying every lost ball and failed dribble. He stretched, scanning the pitch with a half-smile.

"At least now I know why you all call him Pintus the perfectionist," he muttered to Lampard, who laughed and nodded in agreement.