The so-called winter break doesn't actually mean that the team gets to rest during this time.

  Although Serie A isn't like the Premier League, which has an intense and packed schedule around Christmas, after Christmas, teams still start anizing training camps. Given limited financial resources, Napoli chose to remain in Volturno.

  During the training camp, Gao Shen and his assistants were studying and discussing their uping match against Roma every day.

  Roma's head coach, Luo Spalletti, had adopted the so-called "wolf pack" tactic for his team.

  In fact, every team's tactics have certain iances.

  Take Real Madrid, for example. The Real Madrid team coached by Capello still carried deep imprints from the system that Gao Shen had built, so many people criticized Capello, g that he hadn't escaped Gao Shen's shadow and didn't show the strength of a world-css coach.

  But they failed to sider that the pyers were rgely the same. The team had achieved great success under Gao Shen, and their individual abilities and teical characteristics had been maximized.

  After Capello took over from Gao Shen, he had to incorporate those strengths and advantages. How much could the tactics really ge?

  The biggest differeween Gao Shen's te Napoli and other managers is that he pletely overturhe framework of the eeam and started from scratch, creating a team entirely of his own design.

  It's easy to imagihat when Gao Sheually leaves Napoli, his successor will remain in his shadow because they will i his "legacy," and the club won't allow them to dismantle and rebuild everything from scratch.

  Simirly, there is a certain logic that be followed when studying Roma's tactical evolution.

  When Capello was coag Roma, he led them to a Serie A title. Many fans still praise Capello's Roma, believing that the team pyed with a proactive style, unlike his usual defensive approach.

  Iy, if you study it deeply, it's still very much Capello.

  Why?

  At Capello's peak, Roma employed a 3-5-2 formation. At that time, three tral defenders were still popur in Serie A.

  The system featured three tral defenders, four midfielders, Totti in the pymaker role, and two strikers up front Batistuta being the main striker, with Montel, Cassano, or Delvecchio rotating in.

  Capello's style of py at the time was somewhat simir to a Christmas tree 4-3-2-1, where the team banced offense and defense.

  The attag trio would push forward, while the seven pyers in the back provided defeability. de and Cafu were fullbacks who ofteed as midfielders.

  Even Roma's current winger, Mani, started as a fullbad came in to repce Cafu. He eventually became an offensive winger.

  This clearly shows that Capello's tactics were primarily defense-oriented.

  And in Capello's system, one pyer was crucial Totti.

  The reason why Ai's Christmas tree formation worked was because of Pirlo's long passes and the es between Seedorf and Kaka. For Roma, it was Totti who pyed that pivotal role.

  Capello's tactical system brought out the best in Totti's abilities, and those years marked the peak of Totti's career.

  After Capello left, no matter how Roma's tactics evolved or were adjusted, ohing remained stant Totti.

  After Spalletti took over Roma, the team's anization and tactics tio revolve around Totti.

  Totti is Roma's core strength, their ace. Who would be foolish enough to discard their ace at the start of the game?

  Spalletti's Roma faced a different situation pared to Capello's Roma they didn't have a top-css striker anymore.

  Batistuta, Montel, Cassano, and Delvecchio were all gone.

  Club president Franco Sensi was no longer willing to spend big like he did at the turn of the tury, making it difficult for Roma to sign high-level strikers.

  So, what did Spalletti do?

  He adjusted the team's tactid pushed Totti further forward.

  Totti is incredibly versatile.

  The attack still revolved around him. When he dropped deeper, the midfielders behind him would push forward. When he moved to the fnks, the wingers would make diagonal runs behind him, creating a system that appeared striker-less but, iy, allowed ao bee the forward a wolf pack tactic.

  The key to this tactic was that the pyers had to be able to run.

  Pyers like Vuic, Taddei, and Mani all attacked by supp Totti.

  Roma's fast-paced movement and off-the-ball runs created more attag opportunities.

  At its core, though, it all revolved around Totti.

  ...

  "Away at Roma, we o keep Totti under trol. We 't let him have free rein," Gao Shen said, rubbing his hands in the coach's office.

  This year, winter in Italy articurly cold. Even with the heating on in the office, the cold air seemed to seep up from the floor, causing everyoo shiver.

  Gao Shen was doing alright, but the older members of the staff, like Carlo and Bueura, were ed up tightly.

  "We 't rely on man-to-man marking. That won't suit our overall tactical system. We o maintain our iy as a team and create a 'cage' for Totti, trapping him within it," Gao Shen expined.

  As he made a grasping motion with his hand, he noticed that his fingers were a little stiff from the cold.

  Iy, Gao Shen rarely assigns individual man-marking roles during matches, preferring to rely oactics.

  For example, back when he was at Real Madrid, when they faced Bara and defended against Ronaldinho, although Arbeloa was tasked with marking him, it rimarily because he was in the right position. The team's overall defensive system was the key.

  Against Totti, Gao Shen inteo employ a simir strategy.

  Man-marking has its advantages, but it also disrupt the team's deferucture.

  Whether it's necessary depends on the coach's decision.

  In Roma's case, Gao Shehat assigning a pyer to mark Totti directly would be problematic.

  "I think we'll have an advah our passing and possession. We exploit that and fora to e out and py," Guardio suggested.

  "Exactly!" Gao Shen poi Guardio, praising him for being on the same page.

  When it es to "wolf pack" tactics, it sounds nice, but if you think about it critically, it's just non-stop running and pressing essentially, full-field chaos.

  As the name suggests, Roma isn't a very solid team.

  De Rossi is still somewhat insistent, and the partnership between Chivu and Mexes in defense isn't particurly strong. In this case, if Napoli trol possession not to the level of Bara's mastery, but just enough to dictate the rhythm Roma will be in trouble.

  "It's all up to you," Gao Shen said with a smile, looking at Borrell.

  Borrell, one of Gao Shen's assistants, was exceptionally capable, and Gao Shen had plete trust in him.

  "Don't worry, I'll take care of it," Borrell chuckled.

  Guardio watched in admiration.

  Since arriving in Naples, Guardio had noticed that Gao Shen had surrounded himself with an exceptional group of assistants.

  Carlo, for example, was more than capable of managing a team on his own. Bueura, meanwhile, was one of the best physical trainers in European football. Lucas had a keen sense for numbers and data analysis. Borrell was great at training pyers in teical skills, ball trol, and even defense.

  And Llopis, the goalkeeper coach, was certainly no slouch either.

  After joining Gao Shen's coag staff, Guardio was amazed at Gao Shen's ability to scout not just pyers but also assistants.

  Each assistant was highly petent.

  Take Borrell, for example. Guardio couldn't uand why a coach of his caliber wasn't more promi in Bara. Why wasn't ailizing his talent?

  In the end, Guardio realized it was simply the nature of w fiant club.

  From Van Gaal to Rijkaard, every head coach had their ow of assistants. Bara itself had many homegrown coaches, all lined up waiting for their opportunities.

  Just like this time, after Ten Cate left, Rijkaard needed an assistant. The first person Bara thought of was Guardio. Why? Because he was a Bara legend.

  After finishing st seasoy-handed, if Guardio returned, it would help ease the pressure on the ma. Fans, beiional, preferred to see the club treating their legendary pyers well.

  After Guardio deed, Bara chose Neskens instead. And what happened?

  Now, Bara's dressing room was in chaos.

  Sometimes, big clubs like Bara and Real Madrid implode due to internal flict.

  The result of this hierarchical system is that talented individuals like Borrell are forced to leave and find opportunities elsewhere.

  ...

  After finalizing their tactics against Roma, Napoli's mae started to roar bato life.

  On one hand, the team used the winter break to recharge, rebuild their energy for the sed half of the season, and improve the pyers' fitness, aiming to perform better as the seasressed.

  Oher hand, they began preparing to faa. Besides the points discussed in the coag meeting, Gao Shen also emphasized the o shore up Napoli's right fnk, which had bee their Achilles' heel.

  Everyone khat Napoli's left wing was the main attag force. The bination of Gervinho and Vargas on the left had bee Napoli's most potent attag on this season, but the right wing roving to be problematic.

  Garrid Grava weren't ideal, which made it difficult for Sáo reach his full potential.

  Starting with Juventus, almost every team fag Napoli had begun targeting their right fnk.

  What made things worse was that Roma's left side articurly strong. Pyers like Mani and Vuic were adept at attag down that fnk.

  At the same time, Gao Shen was reading Spalletti's book iactical library, as well as Ferguson's book.

  Why?

  He remembered that in this season's Champions League knockout stage, Maer United had reversed Roma with a stunning scoreline, pying an unfettable match.

  Gao Shen wao know: How had Ferguson's Maer United mao ralize Spalletti's Roma?

  ...

  On January 10, the sed half of Napoli's season officially kicked off.

  The team, which had been preparing for a long time, set out on the m of match day, heading to Rome, 200 kilometers away.

  Gao Shen and his squad were ready to take on the Red Wolves at the Olympic Stadium.