If football computer game Football Manager was looking for a spokesperson, William Still should be considered.
This 30-year-old coach is not well-known, but he led the Ligue 1 team Reims this season, twice blocked the attack of Paris Saint-Germain, the home and away games, and even since he took office on October 13 last year. , leading 14 battles without a single defeat.
He said frankly that he got a lot of his teaching knowledge from playing “Football Manager”.
Text: Hu Su
Airwave has 40 years of experience and has been in sports media for more than 20 years. He loves football and loves to tell football stories.
I love Football Manager
“Like an ordinary kid, I like to play “Football Manager” very much.” Although the parents forbade Steele from overindulging, he used to “play the baize” from 10 pm to 4 am , very crazy; but, “The craziest thing is that I only realize now that (this game) is so close to reality.”
Because he liked playing “Football Manager” so much, Steele had determined to become a football coach when he was a child, and the first team he coached was as an assistant coach in the Preston North End U14 youth army. Only 17 years old.
The coach who was fined 25,000 euros every time he led the team
Although his parents are British, he was born in Belgium, so he returned to Belgium to start his coaching career. He successively worked as an assistant coach in Lierse, Beerschot in the second group of Belgium and Standard Liege in the first group , and was once promoted to head coach in Lias, when he was only 24 years old.
Last year, Steele returned to Reims as the deputy of Oscar García (Óscar García), but the team’s record was low. Garcia was fired in mid-October, and Steele took over. At this time, he was only 30 years old and became the top five The youngest coach in the league, “It’s so ridiculous!” Even he mightn’t help laughing at himself. What’s even more absurd is that he hasn’t obtained the UEFA professional coaching qualification (pro license), which violates the rules of Ligue 1. Therefore, every time he leads the team in a game, the team will be fined 25,000 euros.
Twice out of tricks to force a draw with PSG
Fortunately, Steele did not live up to the expectations of the club. He had served as the caretaker leader long before Garcia was fired, and the opponent in the first game at that time was PSG. Facing the European class bully with a total worth of 900 million euros, the “bagasse price” Reims drew 0:0 with his opponent. Reims’ total worth is only 70 million euros, and there is still “moisture” in it. Arsenal took Folarin Balogun (Folarin Balogun) to account for 14 million euros; Balangen’s goal drew PSG once more 1:1.
“I asked the players to try their best to stimulate the opponent (PSG), disturb them with pressing kicks, fouls, and small movements, forcing them to reach the critical point. Even if it is a small foul, they have to rush to the ball to argue. Good.” The survival rules of a small team facing a giant class, Steele did not learn it from “Football Manager”, but from his short football career, “I am a defensive center, not fast, running 100 meters It will take regarding 10 days (laughs); but I can run non-stop, I know that my opponent hates me, not only because I am so popular, but also because I can do all kinds of “cha-cha moves”, so my mother sees I often feel awkward playing games (laughs once more)”.
However, following watching the Reims game, you know that Steele has more than these tricks. When they faced PSG for the second time, their offense was very active and well-organized. They shot 17 times, more than PSG at home. 5 times.
One of the secrets of Steele’s success is “ultra-competitive drills.” It turns out that in normal training, players will be graded according to their performance. At the end of the month, the player with the lowest score will treat the whole team to a meal.
Steele also understands at this stage that “Football Manager” is just a game following all, “(in the game) I can buy any player I want, and arrange him to play in any position; the reality is that if I arrange a striker Go to fight Longmen, I should be fired.”
He also used Balangen as an example: “In the game, he is just a player I bought; but in reality, you have to see him as a person. How does an Englishman integrate into French culture? Who does he usually talk to? What can I do to make him comfortable, how can I let him be himself in daily practice?”
Under the leadership of Steele, the 21-year-old Balangen has performed very well this season, including a hat-trick once morest Lorient last week. He has scored 14 goals, surpassing McBabbe, Max, Neymar and other famous players Temporarily ranked first in the Ligue 1 scorer list; now Arsenal fans are looking forward to his return to the team next season, coach Adidas will have happy troubles in front line selection.
Landing in the Premier League is also Steele’s expectation, “If there is a chance to return to England, this is undoubtedly a dream come true”; will it be West Ham, his favorite coach in “Football Manager” in the past?