Chapter 10: Are You a Playmaker Midfielder? I Think I Am
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In the early hours of August 9, Beijing time, the opening round of the 2015-16 Eredivisie season featured a match between Feyenoord and Utrecht.
An hour before the match began, Chinese fans had already been camped out on the official Royal Dutch Football Association website.
They were hoping to see one name on the team roster.
But it never appeared.
“Where’s Mongo? I stayed up all night just to see this?”
“If Mongo’s not playing, I’m not buying a Utrecht jersey!”
“Erik ten Hag, useless!”
“Forget it, Tang Ye is not on the roster. There’s no point watching this game.”
“Wait, let me check how strong Utrecht is. If they’re weak, maybe Tang Ye still has a chance to play.”
As the match started, it was still Wang Chao’s “Happy Bean” live broadcast.
Compared to a friendly match involving teams from the Eerste Divisie, the Eredivisie drew more than twice the usual viewers, yet apart from the loyal “Bean Warriors,” there was hardly anyone in Wang Chao’s stream today.
The reason was simple.
That man’s name was not on the roster!
“Damn it!”
Wang Chao was angry. He had just spent 599 yuan on an official jersey, only to be shown this?
Although he said this with frustration, Wang Chao noticed one other player.
Amrabat, who had been promoted to the first team alongside Tang Ye!
If he can make the starting lineup, then one day our Mongo can too!
“Alright, let’s just watch the match first…”
The referee blew the starting whistle. Facing the formidable Feyenoord, ten Hag set Utrecht up in a 5-3-2 formation.
Five defenders meant to seek victory through solid defense.
The camera cut to the visiting team’s bench. Ten Hag was watching the pitch with a serious expression. His bald head gave him an almost otherworldly aura of authority.
“Beep, beep beep—!!!”
The match ended with Utrecht losing 1-3 away to Feyenoord.
“Shit, I knew it!”
Wang Chao was furious. More than ten days ago, when ten Hag brought Tang Ye up to the first team, Wang Chao had thought this guy was a capable coach.
If you had put Tang Ye on the pitch, losing wouldn’t matter—Chinese fans would still support you.
But how dare you leave my Mongo back at the training base?
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Prepare for online abuse!
After the match, at the press conference, ten Hag was in low spirits after the defeat. To ease his own feelings when facing reporters, he chose a way of speaking that made him feel better.
“Actually, we were the real winners of this match.”
“They (Feyenoord) played excellently, but our players missed three golden opportunities.”
Looking seriously at the reporter in front of him, ten Hag said, “I believe the score should have been 3-4 or 3-5, not 3-1. We missed too many chances.”
After hearing ten Hag’s words, the reporter nodded and asked the next question: “Before the season began, you brought a 16-year-old from the second team to the first team. This sparked widespread discussion among fans.”
“A 16-year-old joining the first team—is he a prodigy?”
Ten Hag didn’t answer immediately. He paused briefly, then replied, “We almost won this match. The victory should have been ours.”
“…”
…
Three days after the match, at noon, just after finishing morning training, Tang Ye carried a tray and found Zaka sitting in a corner, walking straight over.
“Tang!?”
Zaka’s eyes widened. Since ten Hag had pulled Tang Ye up to the first team as a training partner, they only met once every two or three days.
After Tang Ye set his tray on the table, Zaka asked curiously, “Why are you eating here?”
“I’ve been late too many times. Erik won’t let me into the first team cafeteria anymore.”
Tang Ye dipped some fries into ketchup and put them into his mouth.
“Ah?”
Zaka seemed to hear something unbelievable: “They won’t let you into the first team cafeteria? What about training?”
“Training’s normal. I’ll go back after lunch.”
As he spoke, Tang Ye picked up the pineapple burger on his tray.
“Damn, who invented the burger and fries? It’s so damn good!”
“…”
Zaka was about to say eating this stuff won’t help you grow taller but suddenly remembered something.
“Tang, can you stand up for a moment?”
“Stand up? Okay.”
Tang Ye put his half-eaten burger back on the plate and stood up as Zaka asked.
“Solke, what’s up?”
Zaka stood too, examined Tang Ye carefully, then concluded, “You really have grown taller—I’m sure of it!”
“That’s great!”
Tang Ye smiled. “Solke, you know, some idiots in the first team keep tackling me every day. I’m gonna eat more burgers, grow taller, and take them down!”
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Back in the first team after lunch, ten Hag didn’t have the players start warming up immediately. Instead, he gathered everyone together.
In this Dutchman’s philosophy, the afternoon is when the mind is clearest, so he liked to review the previous match with the team then.
“Do you know why we lost?”
“Because we couldn’t get the ball out from the back!”
Van der Gag pulled over a small tactical board. Ten Hag took a marker and began sketching, vividly reconstructing the situation from two days ago.
Utrecht’s defenders had the ball in their own half, while Feyenoord’s three forwards aggressively pressed forward.
At this moment, Utrecht’s midfielders should run back to support, but neither RamseLar nor Amrabat had the ability to control the ball properly.
“If you want to attack, fine, but you at least have to get the ball from the defenders’ feet to the forwards’ feet to score!”
Ten Hag angrily tapped the board. “We need the midfield to support the defenders, then pass the ball to the forwards. Only then can our attack function.”
“Why can’t we get the ball out when their forwards press us? Because we don’t have midfielders who can control the ball!”
“That’s why we lost!”
Losing the very first match of the season unleashed ten Hag’s temper, and none of the players dared to speak.
Then, someone raised their hand from the group. Everyone turned to look.
“Um, Mr. Erik… I think I’m a controlling midfielder.”
???
“You’re a controlling midfielder?”
Ten Hag frowned. “Are you sure you’re a controlling midfielder?”
He actually didn’t know Tang Ye’s exact position.
This guy who just wanders around on the pitch is actually skilled at ball control!?
Uh…
Tang Ye thought carefully.
Although he wasn’t quite sure what exactly his role on the pitch was, he had read his scout report, which seemed to say he was a controlling midfielder.
So he answered.
“I think I am.”
…