Chapter 695: Half Time Break (I)

Honestly, the atmosphere inside the locker room was quite strange. Usually, they would be ecstatic to celebrate a win even though it was still in the middle of the game, some even being bold enough to enjoy a cold can of beer from outside. However, this time, nothing could be heard in the room, all waiting for the result of which devil won the conversation outside.

Yeah, it was none other than Higo and Frohling, as the head coach couldn’t help but call the boy immediately, not even giving the goalkeeper any chance to take a breather. Even though they did it privately outside of the locker room, Higo’s voice rose instantly, allowing anyone to hear the conversation clearly.

"What do you want me to do, Sensei? You asked me to protect the goal, and I did so quite well! But I cannot do everything alone! It is like I played against 15 or 16 players at the same time here!"

The defensive line inside the locker room couldn’t help but blush, knowing that the boy was talking about them. If it was in the middle of the game, they might be angry due to the tension there. However, now that they were able to sit down and think clearly, not a single one of them could blame Higo for snapping at them like before.

"I know, and I will make sure their thick brain will understand about that." Frohling’s voice could be heard after that, enough to make some guys, especially those who kept making mistakes, shudder instantly. "Still, you cannot just snap in the middle of the game like that! You are the last defensive line of our team; you cannot lose against your emotions!"

"Then, do fucking something!"

"What do you want me to do, for Fuck’s sake?!"

Everyone was so tense when the argument broke out between those two. They all were so afraid that it would create a bigger crack in the team, one that forced everyone to pick a side. While they were still annoyed at Higo for scolding them mercilessly in the middle of the game earlier, that didn’t cloud their judgement that the boy was one hell of a goalkeeper, and the team would suffer a lot if a rift opened between him and the head coach.

After this, those two spoke in a lower tone, probably trying to get calmer and not get carried away by their temper. However, if anything, this only made the players inside the locker room more tense. Then, once the conversation was over and the head coach opened the door, everyone straightened their back instantly, knowing that they were up for a good scolding.

"So... I guess you should be able to hear our conversation, right?" The head coach asked with a blank face.

"Um... Yeah?" Some idiots near the coach answered the rhetorical question with a weak tone, forgetting one principle when facing a furious head coach: Nod and keep quiet. The guys couldn’t help but curse, wanting to find out who the fuck had such a loose mouth like that.

Unfortunately, the coach heard the response clearly as he just gave a light nod. "Good. Then, I don’t need to repeat things here. I have asked Higo to get into the pitch first and calm his head, but you have to admit that he is not wrong, right?"

Some guys like Juan Miranda and Ozan Kabak were so stiff, getting ready for any insult coming at them.

"Oh, no, don’t worry, there would be no hair-dryer treatment right now. I also made a mistake that put us in a very uncomfortable situation here." Frohling said immediately when he saw the guys’ uncomfortable expression. "It seems that I overestimated you guys too much, forcing you to play a high-level possession game when most of you are not capable enough of doing so."

This... This was like a huge slap on everyone’s face.

Honestly, it would be better if the coach just spat on them, scolded them, or even said something harsh here. At least, that meant the man still hadn’t given up on this style yet, just thinking that a few adjustments could fix things up.

However, right now, the coach seemed to be giving up this approach completely, and the reason was enough to make everyone uncomfortable.

It wasn’t like they were staunch supporter of possession football. No, as a team that hadn’t performed well this season, Schalke didn’t have any right to be picky about style. The most important thing was to win the game first, and they would be willing to abandon the possession style that forced them to build up from the back if the coach asked them to.

However, being told that they abandoned it because the players were not good enough to pull it off definitely hurt their pride. Unfortunately, even if they wanted to defend themselves or make an argument, everyone also realized that there was a reason why Frohling accepted Higo’s idea to give up this approach.

"So... What are we going to do now?" Suat Serdar, the team’s goal scorer and also captain, asked cautiously.

Frohling pondered for a moment before finally coming up with an idea. "Now, besides Morita and Weston, anyone on our own half who carries the ball has to pay attention to two things. First, how many people are coming at you, and second, how far they are from you. If you get pressured by two or even more players, or if they are already three steps in front of you, don’t hesitate! Put safety as your first priority, or find Weston or Morita in the middle, understand?"

"Yes, Sir!"

The players there, especially those two whose names were mentioned, nodded solemnly. They knew that things would be different next, and they had to be ready for everything in the second half.

"This is just an emergency adjustment for this game, and I will revise our overall strategy after today is over. However, for now, I just want one thing! Secure the lead and win today’s game!"