CHAPTER 335: CHAPTER 265: WHO’S MISSING, WHO’S EMBARRASSED! TROUBLEMAKERS EMERGE AFTER A BIG WIN!

Although Gracie’s latest technological product from the University of Manchester helped Tang Long alleviate the pain in his lower back injuries.

However, this is only a temporary solution, not a cure.

To fundamentally prevent such injuries, it’s not only necessary to recover from this current injury but also to strengthen muscle training.

After training that day, assistant Rein called Tang Long to the head coach’s office, and in front of Pellegrini, placed a report on the desk.

"Tang, your lower back muscle inflammation and your difficulty adapting to the high-intensity confrontations of the Premier League are closely related. I noticed right from the first round that you were struggling quite a bit in your duel with Gualin. But in England, every team has a player like Gualin, some have several, especially the lower-middle teams; they play traditional English long ball football with rough technique but rely heavily on their physical prowess."

Tang Long picked up the report.

This was a report about his own body, combining analysis from over 90 minutes of gameplay across two Premier League matches, signed by the fitness coach and medical officer.

Rein then took out an iPad and opened the electronic version.

"This electronic version also contains relevant videos, I’ll send them to you later, recording all your physical confrontations in the two matches."

Rein began analyzing.

"You’ve done well in some areas, like utilizing your dribbling agility to avoid collisions and timely passing to divert the opponent’s attention."

"But sometimes, when it comes to those inevitable fifty-fifty balls, your confrontation intensity isn’t enough. Unlike against Tottenham’s Gualin, look here..."

The footage displayed was of Tang Long being hit on the shoulder by Gualin.

This was Tang Long’s first time seeing the replay; he only remembered not feeling much at the time, but after the game he noticed a bruise on his shoulder.

"Gualin’s body is like a rock; you really can’t move him," Tang Long said.

"That’s why he can play defensive midfield in the Premier League. Look at our team, Yaya Toure, Fernando, Fernandinho, they all have similar builds," Rein said.

The footage continued, showing Gualin colliding with Yaya Toure right after confronting Tang Long.

Facing Toure, who is slightly taller than him, Gualin showed no fear and even knocked Toure over.

"In Serie A, such powerful clashes would stop the game to protect the players, and a cautious referee might even issue a yellow card," assistant Rein continued. "But in the Premier League, to ensure game continuity and boost viewership rates, this is not a problem, because fans love watching this kind of rugby-style confrontation and dislike frequent disruptions due to fouls."

Tang Long contemplated quietly; he remembered when playing at Inter, Gualin often complained about referees penalizing him for fouls, and because opponents would fall easily during confrontations, he frequently clashed verbally and physically with them, accusing them of diving, earning him the reputation of being a reckless person.

Now, Gualin’s recklessness in Serie A had become an advantage in the Premier League, making him a solid defensive midfielder!

Different leagues have different officiating styles, which subtly influence team tactical arrangements and players’ interpretation of confrontations.

Some actions don’t matter if they are right or wrong; they’re correct in the Premier League but wrong in Serie A, and vice versa.

Seeing Tang Long deep in thought, Pellegrini assumed he had been hit emotionally and softly comforted him:

"Rein’s reminder is meant to point out areas for improvement for you, Tang, don’t worry too much. It’s natural that Gualin’s frame and muscle dimension are larger than yours; even our strongest player, Yaya Toure, can’t gain an advantage over him, not to mention you. Plus, I’ve noticed your determination in confrontations; you never back down from fifty-fifty balls, showing your resolve!"

He then told his assistant Rein, "Although the Premier League emphasizes physical confrontation, technical players do receive extra protection from referees; Silva is less physically endowed than Tang, yet he has played in the Premier League for so many years. Tang has just arrived here, and referees aren’t familiar with his playing style yet. I’ll do my best to emphasize protection for Tang in pre-match and post-match conferences."

Rein quickly nodded in agreement, "You’re right, boss. Yaya Toure can’t do it, so Tang certainly can’t. We shouldn’t push him too hard. My suggestion is to design a special physical enhancement program for Tang, to help him better adapt to the Premier League and reduce injuries like muscle inflammation."

Pellegrig said, "Exactly, that’s the idea. Tang, you were signed by the club for a record transfer fee, and I’m mentioning this not for pressure but to remind you that your health is very important for us. You see, we have the next away game against Newcastle, which you might miss out on."

Walking down from the office, Tang Long looked up at the misty sky.

This is typical England weather, even if it’s not raining, it’s rarely sunny—dismal and far less bright than Southern Europe’s Italy, currently basking in the hot Mediterranean sun.

Having just escaped the media storm triggered by the Milner incident, Tang Long was now struck again by injury.