Chapter 252 245: Is It Time Now?

Inside the Super Training, Yang Yang was tirelessly practicing his dribbling.

Old Ice had virtualized an area in the middle of the training ground. On the surface, it looked completely ordinary, but it was actually divided into many small square grids.

When Yang Yang dribbled the ball within this training area, the training ground would randomly simulate a defender's actions in one of the small grids next to him—be it a physical press, a slide tackle, or an interception... The simulation was so vivid, it was as if he were in a real match.

At the same time, another small grid would randomly light up near Yang Yang. According to Old Ice, the lit-up grid represented Yang Yang's optimal choice when facing the virtual defender. Yang Yang had to, in the shortest time possible, dribble past or shake off the defender and enter the lit-up grid.

Regardless of success or failure, the training ground would immediately refresh after the allotted time, randomly generating a new defender and a new lit-up grid.

This training was a bit like playing a game of Whac-A-Mole.

The difference was, in Whac-A-Mole, you use a hammer to hit the moles that pop up, whereas in the training ground, Yang Yang had to dribble past or shake off a defender to get into the lit-up grid.

And whether he succeeded or failed, the Super Training gave him no time for reflection or hesitation. It refreshed round after round, leaving Yang Yang with no time to think about anything else, only to endlessly accept the challenges.

The entire training program lasted for thirty minutes.

This was a brand-new training program Old Ice had just introduced today. He said it could train Yang Yang to move more flexibly through various defensive environments and to transition between actions more quickly and nimbly.

Although it was only his first time doing this kind of training, Yang Yang could clearly feel its difficulty and significance.

How should he put it?

In this training area, he was always facing imminent defensive pressure. He had to react instantly within a tight space and in a very short amount of time. This not only placed high demands on his reaction speed and footwork frequency but also further trained his control and use of his own body.

According to Old Ice, this was just the preliminary training. The strength of the defenders would continuously increase, the pressure would mount, and it might even randomly generate two or more defenders.

For Yang Yang, this was incredibly valuable training.

Understanding how rare this training opportunity was, Yang Yang was completely engrossed, not daring to slack off for even a moment. Plus, he was tireless in the Super Training, so he spent the entire thirty minutes buried in hard practice.

Only when Old Ice called a stop did he feel a sense of relief, surprisingly feeling a kind of mental fatigue.

It was an after-effect of prolonged, intense concentration. A little rest would fix it.

「 」

"And that was just Eredivisie-level defensive pressure. If it were any stronger, I don't think I could handle it," Yang Yang said with a wry smile.

By his count, his success rate was less than fifty percent, and he made frequent mistakes.

Even in a real match, Yang Yang wasn't confident he could achieve a one hundred percent success rate in one-on-ones against Eredivisie defenders, let alone in such a high-intensity and extremely complex, variable training environment.

"Take it slow. This is just the beginning," Old Ice said flatly.

"The human body is a marvelous thing. You feel like the pressure is immense right now because you haven't adapted yet. Once you do adapt, it will no longer be enough for you, and we'll just have to increase the training intensity."

Yang Yang nodded. He understood this from deep experience.

Back when he was still at Almere, the training plan he had set for himself seemed incredibly intense. But looking back now, he had to admit it was all child's play.

And the difference was Yang Yang's own progress.

"Starting today, the strength of the defenders in your daily one-on-one training will be raised to the European Level."

Yang Yang's heart leaped with joy. He hadn't expected another upgrade so soon.

But after the initial surprise, he did some mental calculation.

If he remembered correctly, his sparring opponents had been upgraded from the Eerste Divisie to the Eredivisie level last December. A full year had passed before he was promoted from Eredivisie to the European Level. This showed that improving one's strength became progressively harder.

But he also understood that the world of soccer was a pyramid. The higher you went, the stronger the players, the fewer their numbers, and the harder it was to reach the top.

More importantly, the higher you climb, the greater the demands not only on a player's skill but also on their mental fortitude.

Looking back at his time in Almere, Yang Yang could clearly feel how much he had changed.

He was now more confident, more resilient, and calmer in the face of challenges.

Old Ice had once said, "Without a strong spirit to support it, even the strongest body is just an empty shell."

Yang Yang was now increasingly able to appreciate the truth of that sentence.

Because of this, he never dared to slack off in the slightest.

He now had only one goal: to get stronger.

To make himself even stronger!

He didn't want a repeat of what had just happened in the Champions League. He wanted to bring victory back to the fans who supported and adored him; he didn't want to let them down.

At this thought, Yang Yang's spirits soared, and he stood up again.

"Come on, Old Ice. Next training exercise."

「 」

While Yang Yang was engrossed in his grueling training in the Super Training, in reality, he was on a flight from Tokyo, Japan to Amsterdam.

After playing in the Toyota Cup, Ajax would return to Amsterdam and immediately disband for the break.

The team had originally told Yang Yang he could leave from Tokyo and return directly to China, but he ultimately rejected the club's offer and flew back to Amsterdam with the team because he had made an appointment with Winston Bogard.

He wanted to continue strengthening his physical conditioning throughout the entire winter break and get his body into optimal shape.

He hoped to perform even better in the second half of the season, to be more outstanding, and to lead Ajax in a comeback against Eindhoven, while also making a significant impact in the UEFA Cup.

Having been knocked out of the Champions League, Yang Yang felt a deep sense of guilt and self-blame. He hoped the team could have a good run in the UEFA Cup.

And all of this required him to play even better and reach an even higher level of form.

Yang Yang was "sleeping" while the other players sat in their seats, telling jokes in small groups. Captain Galasek and Heitinga were holding the Toyota Cup, and from time to time, one could hear teammates muttering about Yang Yang's Toyota car.

That was the prize for the Toyota Cup's best player.

Sitting in the front row, Ronald Koeman leaned over and glanced at the players behind him, his eyes lingering on Yang Yang, who was "sleeping" with his eyes closed. He sighed inwardly with emotion.

At the start of the season, he and the team had been planning for Yang Yang to take over next season at the earliest. Therefore, the technical team and coaching staff all believed they should heavily support Wesley Sonck this season to guarantee the team's offensive efficiency.

But unexpectedly, Yang Yang's rate of progress far exceeded everyone's expectations. So far, he had scored eleven goals and provided eight assists in the Eredivisie. This performance record absolutely stunned everyone.

Even Luther Carroll, who was his biggest supporter, couldn't have imagined it. It was simply astonishing.

But everyone was also very worried. After all, the league season was only halfway through, and Yang Yang had been extremely fatigued lately. Not to mention all the back-and-forth travel, he was often playing two matches a week. Everyone worried he wouldn't be able to hold up in the second half of the season.

At the end of the day, he was only eighteen years old.

Even a mature star player might not be able to withstand such intense match pressure, let alone someone his age.

"Earlier, Winston told me that Yang Yang wanted to hire him as a private coach during the winter break. I've already approved it."

Jan Kruitenberg said softly.

He was the head of Ajax's conditioning department, and the fitness coach, Winston Bogard, was his subordinate.

As for coaches taking on private jobs during the league break, the club generally didn't get involved, since they were all on vacation during this period.

"From Winston's tone, Yang Yang is truly determined this time. He hopes to maintain his training during the winter break, adjust his condition, and continue his excellent performance from the first half of the season into the second."

After hearing this, Ronald Koeman and Luther Carroll both saw the admiration in each other's eyes.

Whether it came to self-discipline or sheer hard work, Yang Yang had always been a model for the other players on the team. They never had to worry about him.

Moreover, Yang Yang was a player with an incredibly strong desire to win, and his fighting spirit in matches was beyond question.

A player like that was exactly what any head coach dreamed of having.

"I suggest we allow them to use the gym and training equipment at De Toekomst," Luther Carroll proposed.

Ronald Koeman nodded. "Alright. We'll notify Winston Bogard about this after we get back. Better than having problems at some outside gym."

Ajax was, at the very least, more professional in this regard and had invested more in it.

"I'm thinking, should we adjust the team's tactics?" Ronald Koeman said with a frown.

Luther Carroll and Jan Kruitenberg both immediately caught the unspoken meaning behind Ronald Koeman's words.

Further increasing Yang Yang's tactical role in the team was not only a topic that the Ajax technical team and coaching staff had been constantly discussing, but also one that the media and fans were hotly debating.

According to the analysis of the Ajax technical team and the conclusions reached by the coaching staff, if they wanted to maximize Yang Yang's attacking power and threat on the field, they should take Wesley Sonck out of the left wing and put Pinaar in.

In midfield, having Galasek and De Jong as a double pivot would, on one hand, ensure the backline remained Stable and allow the two wingers to attack with more confidence, while on the other hand, it would also unleash the attacking potential between Sneijder, Pinaar, Charisteas, and Yang Yang.

The coaching staff had considered this formation before, but Wesley Sonck had come to the team with a high price tag. Benching him now would basically mean he'd end up like Victor Skora and the others: either on the bench or leaving the team.

Besides, at the start of the season, Yang Yang hadn't shown the kind of strength and skill he had now. How could the coaching staff have been confident enough to make that change?

'But is now the time?'

"I think it's feasible," Luther Carroll said, supporting Yang Yang's promotion.

Jan Kruitenberg also nodded. "The only concern now is his stamina and condition."

"Then let's keep it under wraps for now. We'll observe him for a while after the winter break," Ronald Koeman said cautiously.

The professional league was no child's play; no one dared to be careless.