Chapter 245 238: Opportunity

Ajax's 2-0 away victory against Eindhoven sent shockwaves through the entire Dutch football world.

After nine league matches, Ajax's recent two-game winning streak propelled them rapidly up the standings. They soared directly into sixth place with fifteen points, now only seven points behind second-place Eindhoven.

Feyenoord secured another big win this round, 4-0, overtaking Eindhoven to lead the Eredivisie table with twenty-five points.

Meanwhile, Feyenoord's two forwards, Kalu and Kuyt, occupied the top two spots on the top scorers list with nine and eight goals, respectively.

Heerenveen's center forward Huntelaar, along with Heise Linke and other players, were tied for third with six goals each.

Yang Yang had scored four goals so far this season, performing even better than he did last season, but he was still ranked outside the top ten on the top scorers list.

Even so, in addition to his four goals, Yang Yang also had four assists. He had also scored one goal and provided one assist in the Champions League, and netted another in the European Super Cup. With a total of six goals across all competitions so far this season, he was Ajax's top scorer, already surpassing his entire goal count from his six months with the first team last season.

While statistics couldn't fully capture a player's performance, they did, to some extent, prove Yang Yang's progress.

More importantly, Yang Yang's goals had directly led to five victories for Ajax, making every single one of them crucial.

With his brace against Eindhoven, Yang Yang once again made everyone fully aware of his importance to Ajax, elevating his fame and influence to a new level.

The morning after the match against Eindhoven, before the training session began, a group of twenty to thirty Ajax fans gathered at De Toekomst. Many of them wore Yang Yang's number eleven jersey and held banners, watching the training from outside the wire fence of the training ground.

This was the first time fans had ever come to show their support for Yang Yang in person.

It was also the first time this had happened since the two superstars, Van der Vaart and Ibrahimovic, had left the team.

...

...

Ajax's managing director, Ali Van Eeden, accompanied the Dutch National Team's head coach, Van Basten, on a walk from the Amsterdam Arena all the way to De Toekomst.

As head coach of the National Team, Van Basten's record was quite impressive.

In the World Cup qualifiers for Germany, the Netherlands first defeated the Czech Republic 2-0, followed by a 2-2 away draw against Macedonia and a 3-1 home victory over Finland. It was safe to say that Van Basten's journey as the national team's coach had gotten off to a satisfactory start.

And today, he had come to De Toekomst to observe the form of the Ajax players.

As Van Basten entered De Toekomst, accompanied by Van Eeden, he happened to spot the group of enthusiastic fans.

This took both Van Basten and Van Eeden somewhat by surprise.

"I didn't expect Yang Yang to be winning over the fans like this."

At the mention of Yang Yang, Van Basten couldn't help but recall the first time he had met him last summer.

Van Basten still paid close attention to the young player who had once delivered such an eye-catching performance under his management.

"The team really does need someone like him right now," Ali Van Eeden said with a smile.

Van Basten nodded slightly.

"We're more concerned about whether the local fans will accept him. You know, for many years now, our leaders have always been homegrown players from our own youth academy."

According to UEFA regulations, Yang Yang would of course be considered an Ajax youth product, but by a stricter definition, he wasn't.

He didn't even technically count as a youth player from Almere.

The reason was simple: he had only been in the Netherlands for two years.

Ajax's standard-bearers have always been from the direct line of its youth academy, from Cruyff to Bergkamp to Kluivert.

Previously, during the struggle for the Ajax captaincy between Van der Vaart and Ibrahimovic, the club's management had unhesitatingly chosen Van der Vaart, because he was one of their own.

But things were completely different now.

The current Ajax squad had more and more foreign players. Although the local players still dominated the locker room, their influence had been greatly diminished, especially after Van der Vaart's departure. A new-generation standard-bearer had yet to emerge.

Sneijder was originally a suitable candidate, but his personality and his position on the pitch held him back.

As for Ryan Babel, whom many had been optimistic about, he was now completely overshadowed by Yang Yang's brilliance.

"Times have changed. Van Gaal's reforms changed many things, setting our club on a completely new path of development. It also allowed us to see clearly the evolution of the European Professional League in this new era."

Van Basten chuckled. "Over the past few years, players like Qi Wu, Litmanen, Escude, and Galasek have all served as team captain, and they all led the team very well. It just goes to show that keeping up with the times and making appropriate changes is a good thing."

Ali Van Eeden clearly agreed with this sentiment, but...

"These things have to be taken slowly."

Van Basten frowned, but he quickly understood the underlying issue.

Like all powerhouse clubs, Ajax had a deep and rich history, having produced countless star players and legends over the years. Many of them still wielded considerable influence in the media.

The war of words between Van Gaal and Cruyff last season was a prime example. The former held the reins of power at the club, while the latter controlled public opinion.

"You're right. Take it slow. Becoming a standard-bearer isn't something that happens overnight. At the very least, he has to prove he has the ability, the willingness to take on that responsibility, and most importantly, the leadership."

You can't just become a team's leader because you want to. If you don't have the skill, it's impossible. If you have the skill but no support, it won't work. And even if you have skill and support, it's still not enough without leadership.

Take Eindhoven's captain, Van Bommel, for example. He wasn't necessarily the most skilled player on the team, but his leadership was universally acknowledged.

This was also thanks to Eindhoven's long-term investment in his development, which allowed him to cultivate the air of a leading player.

"Given the current situation, I'm afraid we'll have to contact Raiola again very soon," Van Eeden said with a wry smile.

The last time he negotiated Yang Yang's contract renewal, he'd had more than his fair share of dealings with Raiola, and it had been an absolute nightmare.

And judging by the current situation and Yang Yang's performance, Ajax would probably have to put another contract renewal on the agenda.

...

...

"Why arrange a five-on-five small-sided game at the end of training?"

Van Basten asked Ronald Koeman and Luther Carroll curiously from the sidelines of the training pitch.

He was a novice when it came to coaching, so he was curious about many things.

Generally speaking, teams don't schedule intense group scrimmages mid-season, mainly due to the risk of injury.

Training at a match-level intensity is fine, but only on the condition that you can effectively prevent players from getting injured.

The first team has over twenty players, with two or three competing for every position. In this kind of small-sided game, one careless moment could lead to an injury, and who's to say what really happened then?

That's why Van Basten was so curious.

"The locker room atmosphere is excellent," Ronald Koeman explained. "There's competition among the players, of course, but it's well-managed. The local and foreign players get along harmoniously. The team's atmosphere is even better than last season, and there's a good sense of trust among the players."

"Yang Yang missed the preseason training camp, and we have quite a few new players on the team. Small-sided games are an effective way to build their chemistry and coordination, and the players have responded well to them."

Van Basten nodded repeatedly, but he began to read between the lines.

The conflict between Ibrahimovic and Van der Vaart had been a hidden problem in the team's locker room for the past two seasons. Back then, the locker room was even divided into the Local Faction, led by Van der Vaart, and a foreign faction, led by Ibrahimovic.

But with the departure of the two stars, the atmosphere inside the Ajax locker room had, contrary to expectations, become much more harmonious.

As far back as last season, Van Basten had heard that Yang Yang, despite being a foreign player and close friends with Ibrahimovic and the others, also had a great relationship with local players like Van der Vaart and Sneijder. It now seemed that the current situation was hugely beneficial for him.

"The kid's fundamentals have become really solid, and his skills have improved a lot," Van Basten praised with a smile.

Luther Carroll chuckled. "He even recently asked to add more strength training. He's been coming to the gym an hour early every day."

"Oh?" Van Basten looked intrigued. That kind of commitment really tested a player's perseverance and determination.

'What a pity.'

'If Yang Yang hadn't already played for the Chinese National Team, Van Basten would have seriously considered calling him up to the Dutch National Team. He and Robben on the wings... The Netherlands' attack would be a whole level stronger than it is now.'

'Too bad he chose his home country.'

...

...

When team training ended, Yang Yang walked off the pitch, panting, and saw Van Basten waving at him with a smile from the sidelines.

"Hey, Marco, long time no see." Yang Yang walked over immediately.

"Yeah, it's been a while," Van Basten said, sizing up Yang Yang's physique with interest. He nodded. "Hmm, you've made progress, but it's not enough. A stronger body will allow you to be even more in your element on the pitch."

"I know. I'm working on it," Yang Yang said with a smile.

"So I've heard. Keep up the good work. There's a great opportunity right in front of you. You have to work hard to seize it."

Yang Yang vaguely understood what Van Basten was implying. He was aware of his own standing on the team and Ajax's current situation.

In truth, he hadn't really thought that far ahead. But if things did reach that point, it would be pretty great for him.

Afterward, Yang Yang chatted a bit more with Van Basten, asking him some questions about training and matches, and Van Basten held nothing back in his answers.

As a former legendary star, a single sentence from him could often solve a problem that had been troubling Yang Yang for a long time.

After finally saying goodbye to Van Basten, Yang Yang didn't head straight back to the locker room. Instead, he went to a corner by the wall and did another half-hour of basic training by himself.

By the time he returned to the locker room, it was already completely empty.

Yang Yang was used to this. After he showered and went to his locker to change, he noticed an unread text message on his phone. It was from Su Xiaomei back in China.

"Happy birthday, Yang Yang!"

A warmth spread through Yang Yang's heart as he read it. Only then did he remember that today was his birthday.

He couldn't help but smile.