"What made you so posh!"

Just after stepping off the field, Mourinho immediately confronted Bale with this remark.

Bale was stunned on the spot.

The others seemed unsurprised.

This was just Mourinho's nature. No matter how well he usually got along with you, if you performed poorly in a match, he would speak his mind bluntly.

Moreover, Bale's performance in the first half was indeed far from impressive.

Not only did he play too selfishly, but there were even times when the attacking rhythm was disrupted on the right flank.

What should have been a fast-paced attack slowed down as soon as Bale received the ball.

By the time he looked up to assess the situation, the substitute team's players had already all dropped back into defense.

Mourinho's anger was understandable.

However, Bale seemed flustered, and after the initial shock, he felt somewhat wronged.

He had tried his best to adjust his attitude and actively integrate into the team.

For this match, he had prepared thoroughly, running several times more than usual and showing great initiative.

But if the overall coordination wasn't working, what could he do?

After all, he had just joined the team!

Feeling resentful, Bale went to sit alone in a corner.

Suker glanced over but didn't go to comfort him. After joining a top-tier team, certain things couldn't be done according to one's whims.

A mistake was a mistake!

The head coach would point out the error and provide guidance on how to correct it. How well the player implemented it was up to them.

Sure enough, Mourinho took his notebook, walked over to Bale, and crouched down.

He began explaining the key issues and also told him how to correct them.

But... Bale seemed somewhat unreceptive.

Suker, Srna, and others also saw this scene.

Srna couldn't help but laugh; "Useless pride!"

Apart from a few clever players like Suker, others who joined Real Madrid would go through this process.

Being able to join Real Madrid was itself a symbol.

Every player here was a key player for their former club.

They were used to being the tactical focus, so it was natural for them to show an arrogant attitude during play.

That was fine!

As long as you could deliver performance matching that attitude, no one would care.

No matter how arrogant or foolish you were, as long as you could win matches, it was all good.

But once problems arose, you had to be prepared to have your pride shattered.

After Mourinho finished speaking, he stood up and left.

He had done all he could. Whether Bale could take it in and whether he could grow from it were Bale's choices.

Mourinho was no nanny; he wouldn't hold their hands and tell them exactly what to do.

"Faria is about to make an appearance!"

Srna said with a grin.

Suker and the others also shook their heads and laughed.

Mourinho and Faria were long-time partners, and the two cooperated very smoothly.

One played the bad cop, the other the good cop.

First, Mourinho would criticize fiercely, then Faria would step in to comfort the player.

It had to be said that Srna and the others had all been handled this way.

Sure enough, Faria walked over to Bale.

"José's tone was harsh, but I hope you don't take it too personally. He only criticizes like this the players he pays attention to!"

Under Faria's gentle tone, Bale couldn't help but look up.

"He pays attention to me?"

Faria shrugged; "When we played against Tottenham last season, he already paid a lot of attention to you. He said you have great potential. Let me tell you a secret, do you know about the vacant number 7 at Real Madrid?"

Since Raúl left, Real Madrid's number 7 had been vacant.

It should have been Suker inheriting the number 7 or number 10 jersey.

But Suker wanted the number 9 jersey, so the number 7 had been waiting for its next owner.

Hearing this, Bale's eyes lit up; "I can wear number 7?"

"That depends on your performance." Faria smiled and continued, "But you also have to admit that you had many problems in the first half."

Bale pursed his lips; "I just wanted to perform!"

"But you should trust your teammates," Faria said gently. "I know that at Tottenham, if you didn't perform, it was very hard to win the match, right?"

Bale quickly nodded; "Yes! So I always pushed myself to improve!"

"Football is a team sport. Individual strength can't influence the overall situation. If you want to perform, you need to integrate into the team even more. Players like Suker, Kaká, Alonso, and Benzema are all incredibly strong. I believe you can cooperate well with them."

Having said that, Faria extended his hand with a warm smile. "In the second half, I look forward to seeing your wonderful performance."

Bale lowered his head and thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and firmly shook Faria's hand.

"Just you watch!"

Faria returned to Mourinho's side.

Mourinho glanced at Bale and saw him actively preparing.

"Calmed him down?"

"All settled!"

Faria smiled and said, "Sometimes, dealing with players doesn't require being so tough. After a poor performance, their mood is already low. You can warmly encourage them with a few words!"

Mourinho waved his hand; "I can't do that! I don't like players who make mistakes!"

Faria shook his head.

This was just Mourinho's character.

Soon, the second half was about to begin.

Suker and the others returned to the pitch, and Bale kept taking deep breaths, constantly reminding himself to pay more attention to his teammates' positioning.

Peep!

The whistle blew, and the match started again.

Facing the substitute team's attack, the main team first dropped back, preparing to withstand the offense.

Suker and Bale stood on the two wings.

Suker did not continue to drop back, and Bale, seeing this, thought for a moment, then immediately crossed the midfield line and dropped back to support.

Seeing this, Suker showed a faint smile.

On the sidelines, Mourinho also nodded slightly.

This guy Bale was finally getting it.

He was indeed a key player at Tottenham!

But at Real Madrid, everyone had to create chances for Suker!

Under intense pressing, Bale and Arbeloa together won the ball.

Bale passed it back to Kaká.

Then, Bale pointed ahead of him and turned to sprint forward.

He wanted Kaká to pass the ball into the space ahead of him.

But at that moment, Kaká pulled the ball toward the left and immediately drew his bow.

Bang!

The ball landed in the space behind Marcelo.

"Dammit!"

Marcelo immediately turned and ran.

But at that moment, Suker was also sprinting forward.

Marcelo could hear the hurried footsteps behind him, like the steps of death gradually approaching.

"Damn it! Accelerate!"

Marcelo gritted his teeth and sped up.

But the next second, a figure rushed past him from the side.

It's over!

Marcelo's heart sank.

He saw Suker reach the ball first, knock it toward the center, and complete the evasion.

After breaking into the penalty area, Suker immediately took a shot.

Just as Suker was about to shoot, Casillas actually retreated toward the far post.

Bang!

The ball flew toward the far corner.

"Curling to the far corner, as expected!"

Casillas quickly dove to save it.

Bang!

The ball was tipped out by Casillas's one-handed save.

"What the?"

Suker looked over in surprise.

He remembered that before he took the shot, Casillas was still at the near post, which was why he chose to curl it to the far post.

"YES!!—"

Casillas stood up and punched the air vigorously.

Suker jogged over.

"You knew I was going to curl it to the far corner?"

Casillas smiled; "I've been your teammate for two years now; I've picked up on some of your habits."

Suker grinned.

At that moment, Ramos ran over and gave Casillas a strong hug.

"Captain! Well done!"

"Keep a clean sheet against Suker!"

Suker curled his lip.

In your dreams!

Once Bale stopped slowing down the tempo, Real Madrid's counterattacks returned to normal.

At the same time, the focus of the attack began to shift to the left wing.

The substitute team was forced into defense. Faced with Suker's fierce attacks, they could only be pressed back into their own half, struggling to organize effective counterattacks.

Moreover, Suker was putting in the effort!

Tap!

Suker lightly chipped the ball behind him, then quickly turned, keeping Marcelo behind him before he could react.

When the ball landed, Suker executed a double stepover move to get past Ramos and passed it back across the goal.

Bang!

Benzema kicked the ball onto the crossbar!

Ding!

The ball flew out of bounds, and the substitute team escaped danger.

But by then, they were already in disarray.

Ramos, who had been boasting about keeping a clean sheet against Suker just moments before, now turned to complain to Casillas, "Why did you have to provoke him!"

Casillas was also somewhat helpless.

He had only blocked one shot, and Suker had started going all out with dribbles and attacks. What could he do?

On the other side, Bale was panting heavily.

But his eyes were shining brightly.

This felt completely different from Tottenham.

At Tottenham, they relied on him to create chances on the wing, with Crouch looking for shooting opportunities in the center.

This meant Bale had to perform; otherwise, the attack wouldn't materialize.

But at Real Madrid, it was a multi-point attack.

Five positions!

Left wing, left inside channel, center, right inside channel, right wing.

All five positions could serve as attacking points, and each player had the ability to score.

At this moment, Bale finally understood why Tottenham had lost so badly.

In fact, he felt that in that match, they hadn't even pushed Real Madrid to their limits.

"That's enough!"

Mourinho nodded and shouted toward the pitch, "Suker! Switch to the right wing!"

Suker glanced back at Mourinho and immediately nodded in understanding.

Next, the main team's attacks continued down the left wing, but Suker would make long passes to switch play when necessary.

Suker's precise long passes fully utilized Bale's speed.

Srna had been able to contain Bale earlier because Bale preferred to go it alone.

But now that Bale was seeking cooperation, Srna found it much harder to restrict him.

Bang!

When Srna moved toward the wing, Bale noticed that Pepe wasn't closing in on Srna's side, which gave him an opportunity.

Bale made a deep dribble, and with his powerful explosiveness, he immediately started sprinting.

Bale was accelerating!

With lightning speed, he quickly created distance.

Srna was not slow, but he was still half a step behind Bale, and the gap gradually widened.

Bale dribbled again, accelerated with his feet, and widened the gap to a full step.

At that moment, Bale went down the wing and crossed.

Bang!

The ball flew toward the center.

But the pass wasn't well executed; it curled inward toward the left acute angle.

"I—"

Bale was about to raise his hand.

At that moment, Suker suddenly appeared at the acute angle of the penalty area.

He looked up at the ball, positioned himself sideways for a shot, and as the ball dropped, his right foot slammed into it.

Bang!

The ball rose slowly, almost without any spin, and flew straight into the top left corner of the net.

Swish!!—

The ball went in.

Suker's volley helped the main team equalize.

"Oh my god!"

Bale clutched his head.

Even though his pass was poor, Suker still appeared in the perfect position, and that volley was simply too impressive.

What kind of shooting skill was that?

On the sidelines, Mourinho also nodded slightly.

Indeed, once Bale was unleashed, it was difficult for Srna alone to mark him.

If even Srna couldn't handle Bale one-on-one, there were few in the entire football world who could.

In terms of tactical choices for Bale, Mourinho believed he had made the right decision.

"Continue!"

After scoring, Suker excitedly shouted.

With some time left in the match, Suker began fiercely knocking the defense.

Finally, Suker broke into the small penalty area, feigned a shot, and poked the ball through Casillas's legs into the net.

"How was the first day of the scrimmage?"

After the scrimmage ended and Mourinho announced disband, Suker find Bale and asked.

Bale pursed his lips and said seriously, "It's hard to keep up with the rhythm. The counterattack tempo is very fast, and you have to make quick decisions and passing choices during the counterattack. That's really difficult!"

In fact, for the goal Bale assisted, he had almost no time to think; he just crossed toward the center.

But luckily, the ball reached Suker's position.

In fact, neither the offense nor the defense had anticipated this ball.

Even Suker himself hadn't expected it.

But what impressed Bale was that such a sudden pass, Suker could still adjust and deliver a high-quality shot.

This fully demonstrated the gap between the two.

Bale clenched his fist tightly.

He thought he still had a long way to go to catch up to Suker.

Over the next two weeks, Real Madrid continuously held intra-squad matches.

Bale also quickly adapted to Real Madrid's rhythm and constantly made adjustments.

On July 30th, Mourinho announced that Real Madrid would begin pre-season warm-up matches.

"Our first warm-up match opponent is Arsenal!"

Hearing this, everyone looked up in surprise.

They weren't surprised that Arsenal was the warm-up opponent.

They were surprised that Mourinho had managed to schedule a match with Arsenal.

During the pre-season last year, Real Madrid had tried to schedule a match with Arsenal, but Wenger had declined.

Wenger was apparently annoyed with Mourinho.

But unexpectedly, this time, he had accepted.

"I can't believe it's Arsenal!"

Bale said, "But Arsenal's overall form should be pretty poor now, right?"

After the betrayals of Fàbregas and Nasri, everyone thought Arsenal's form would be very unstable.

But Suker knew that this Arsenal team would not sink into decline.

Even though Fàbregas was gone.

In this season, van Persie would break out.

Van Persie's form would carry Arsenal through the entire season, and their strength wouldn't diminish much.

"It's normal for us to play Arsenal. After all, the boss always wants to find a team that plays possession football," Srna said.

Real Madrid's opponent in the league was Barcelona, so they constantly tested their ability to counter possession-based football, which was also to seek assurance.

On July 31st, the entire Arsenal team arrived in Madrid.

The Fàbregas incident was still hotly debated, and Arsenal was naturally the focus.

When the Arsenal team walked out of the airport, reporters swarmed around them.

"May I ask, how does Arsenal view the Fàbregas transfer incident?"

"Regarding this transfer, how did Arsenal make its decision?"

"Professor, is Fàbregas still your beloved player?"

Faced with these pointed questions, Wenger silently moved forward.

Through the television, Suker also saw this scene.

Wenger's face looked even more aged, and there was a trace of weariness in his eyes.

Suker remembered that a few years earlier, when Arsenal had gone 49 games unbeaten, reached the Champions League final, and achieved other results, there was a bright light in Wenger's eyes. Although he was aged, he was full of vigor.

But now, Wenger tried to straighten his back, yet he gave off a feeling of being tired and done.

"Tsk tsk... How could Fàbregas be so heartless?" Srna shook his head.

He put himself in Wenger's shoes, imagining himself as Bešić.

If he did something like this, he would probably feel guilty for life.

"But looking at it from another angle, his choice wasn't wrong," Bale said. "Arsenal has indeed lost its competitiveness. They can barely secure a European qualification spot in the league, but that's their limit. It's hard for them to challenge for the league title like they used to!"

Suker nodded.

This statement wasn't wrong. Even if Fàbregas had stayed, he would have been like Ballack, a guardian during Arsenal's drought period.

But then again!

The manner of leaving was problematic!

It made him worthless!

It brought shame to his old club!

This was the root cause of the incident.

On the other hand, the entire Arsenal team arrived at their hotel in Madrid.

After arranging for the players to check in, Wenger finally went to his room to rest.

Wenger sat by the window and slowly let out a sigh.

Even now, thinking about that incident made his heart ache with anger.

But there was nothing he could do.

At that time, Arsenal indeed needed money to repay loans.

Anger could never solve problems.

He had simply made a choice that was beneficial for Arsenal.

Of course, now he wasn't so sure anymore.

But regardless, what happened had happened.

Now he needed to stabilize the team.

Due to Fàbregas's departure, the entire team was becoming restless.

Although he had found a replacement for Fàbregas, the players' minds had become complicated.

Before, he could motivate them with championships.

But now, faced with the temptation of higher salaries elsewhere, Arsenal couldn't offer that, and Wenger felt he would lose more players.

What he had to do was figure out how to make this deal good.

To avoid another transfer saga like Fàbregas's.