Coverage and Location

The Spring Festival holiday is quietly coming to an end.

The festive atmosphere of the New Year still lingers in the streets and alleys of the small town, and the Spring Festival couplets on every household are still bright red, but Wu Bin's training pace has not slowed down at all.

With only one day left before his return to the team, he went to the stadium before dawn as usual.

The sweat from the morning exercise soaked through my training clothes, and every technical movement became more and more skillful.

After completing several sets of sprints, Wu Bin rested briefly on the sidelines and then took out his phone.

He wanted to ask the big shots a question.

He has realized in the past few days that his defense still has a significant weakness.

When playing pickup football, the opposing team has several experienced veterans on the field.

Seeing that the opponent had a strong defensive midfielder like Wu Bin, they never dribbled the ball, always passing it out with one touch, and often making wide-ranging passes.

This caused the ball to fly around the court frequently, making it difficult for Wu Bin's strong defense to be effective.

He can defend the area in front of him, including easily intercepting players who are dribbling forward, but he has difficulty covering the entire field. Once the opponent makes a wide-ranging pass, gaps easily appear in the midfield.

If this is the case in amateur football, then if you encounter more experienced and accurate professional players in professional football, wouldn't you also be completely outmaneuvered?

Therefore, we need the experts to clarify things.

[@IamplaysFootball]: Everyone, how can I improve the defensive coverage of my defensive midfielder? I feel like I have a weakness in this area.

This time he didn't have to wait long.

Soon, Rijkaard's profile picture lit up, and a new message appeared before his eyes.

[Frank Rijkaard]: @I'm a football player haha, have you realized it yourself? Actually, this is the advanced course I was preparing for you to learn next. You should have laid a solid foundation by now, and I can show it to you.

Following the message, a document titled "Special Training on Defensive Midfielder Coverage and Positioning" was sent to the group.

Wu Bin was overjoyed and quickly clicked to open it.

The defensive midfielder's coverage of the field is of course very important.

Why is Kante called "the insurmountable obstacle"?

Besides his outstanding defensive ability, it's also because of his very wide coverage.

There's a saying that says 70% of the Earth is covered by water, and the remaining 30% is covered by water.

This is the most vivid praise for Kanté's vast defensive coverage area on the football field.

But Rijkaard was no less skilled than Kanté when he played football.

He is a true all-around coverage king, with his height, long legs, and top-notch anticipation. Playing as a lone defensive midfielder, he can cover the entire area between the two penalty areas, acting as a defensive barrier, distributing the ball, and making runs into the box.

Moreover, even if Kanté were to come and mentor Wu Bin now, he would still be no match for Rijkaard.

Even setting aside his football skills, just considering his ability to lecture, given Kanté's introverted personality, it's already quite an achievement if he can even explain himself clearly...

Rijkaard, on the other hand, is a coach who has actually led a team to a Champions League title!

The moment Wu Bin opened the file, a familiar golden light enveloped his entire body, and the spacious and bright virtual green training field reappeared.

Rijkaard, dressed in a black training suit, stood tall and straight in the center of the field.

He cut to the chase, his tone firm and resolute: "The biggest problem with your current defense is your rigid thinking."

Wu Bin immediately stood up straight, listening attentively with focused eyes.

"Your current area of ​​control is limited to your own defensive midfield area, which is the core area of ​​your team's midfield. You have built this area into your defensive wall, but you have also trapped yourself."

Rijkaard paced slowly, marking an area on the field with his foot as he spoke. "Football is a team sport, and everyone has their own responsibilities, but that doesn't mean you have to be tied to a fixed position."

Wu Bin frowned and asked softly, "Mr. Rijkaard, do you mean I should expand my defensive area, even covering the entire field?"

"No, no, no." Rijkaard waved his hands repeatedly, his tone carrying a gentle smile. "This is not something a human can do. You are a defensive midfielder, focused on midfield defense. How could you possibly cover both the attacking and defensive areas at the same time? That would only exhaust all your energy, ultimately leaving you unable to defend one area while neglecting the other."

"Then what should I do?" Wu Bin asked anxiously. He vaguely understood the problem, but he couldn't find a solution. It was like being separated from someone by a thin layer of paper.

Rijkaard stopped, pointed to his head, and said solemnly, "Abandon fixed zonal thinking, and rebuild your defensive map with yourself at the center—that's the importance of positioning."

He walked to the center of the field, gestured for Wu Bin to follow, and continued explaining: "What you need to do is not to rigidly defend one area, but to constantly adjust your position and change your defensive range while running. You are not always chasing a fixed area, but the ball. Make sure that no matter where the ball is moved, it falls within your defensive range."

Wu Bin followed in Rijkaard's footsteps, walking slowly across the field, pondering his words repeatedly in his mind, but still feeling somewhat lost, his brows furrowing even more deeply.

Rijkaard noticed his confusion, smiled slightly, and raised his hand.

Two teams of players appeared on the field instantly, and the simulation of offense and defense began.

The attacking players have a wide range of passing options, sometimes shifting the ball to the left wing, sometimes to the right wing, and sometimes making a through pass to the middle.

Rijkaard, on the other hand, always stayed on the expected path of the ball, his steps were calm and composed. He did not seem to run hard, but he always managed to stand in key positions in advance, firmly bringing the ball's movement area into his defensive territory.

"See that?" Rijkaard stopped and looked at Wu Bin. "Don't let a fixed position rigidify your thinking. Let go of it, be bold in anticipation, and move around. But all of this is based on the ability to observe, anticipate, and read the game—you need to be able to see the opponent's passing intentions in advance, predict where the ball will land, and understand the rhythm of the game. Only in this way can you achieve true coverage and become a mobile defensive wall."

Wu Bin nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite, and stepped forward to try to simulate a defensive scenario, following Rijkaard's demonstration.

He stared at the virtual attacking player, trying to anticipate the passing route and adjust his position, but at first, he was always a beat too slow to react.

They either couldn't keep up with the pace of the ball's movement, or they ran into position but missed the best opportunity to intercept. After struggling for a short while, they were already panting and covered in sweat.

"Don't rush, take your time." Rijkaard stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and patiently corrected him, "You're too impatient. You always start running only after the ball has been passed, which is too late. Remember, the core of positioning is anticipation. The moment the opponent lifts their foot to pass the ball, you need to judge where the ball will land, start running in advance, and get there in one step. This way, you can conserve energy and expand your coverage area."

He demonstrated again, slowing down his movements and explaining as he ran: "Look, the opponent has the ball on the left wing and is looking towards the center. This is a signal that he's about to pass the ball. You need to move towards the center in advance to block his passing lane. If he moves the ball to the right wing, you don't need to blindly chase after him. Instead, you should guard the central pivot and cover the right wing, letting your teammates initiate the first wave of defense while you cover from behind. This way, you can move in and out in a balanced manner and provide comprehensive coverage."

Following Rijkaard's instructions, Wu Bin tried again.

This time, he stopped running blindly and instead calmed down to carefully observe the movements and eyes of the virtual attacking players, trying to predict the passing route and adjust his position in advance.

At first, mistakes will still occur, either due to misjudgment or incorrect positioning.

But he didn't give up, trying again and again, adjusting again and again. Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking his training clothes, and his legs ached terribly, yet he still gritted his teeth and persevered.

Rijkaard patiently guided him throughout, correcting his positioning and running rhythm from time to time, pointing out his problems: "You need to be more decisive in your predictions, don't hesitate; your positioning should take into account your teammates, don't fight alone; your running should be efficient, don't do unnecessary back-and-forth runs."

After an unknown amount of time, Wu Bin gradually found his rhythm.

He is no longer bound by fixed areas, but moves freely on the field with himself as the center, choosing his position in advance by anticipating the opponent's passing route.

No matter how the opponent moves the ball, he can keep up in time, firmly controlling the ball's movement within his defensive territory. Furthermore, with his precise positioning, he can intercept the opponent's pass in advance, making his defense both relaxed and efficient.

"Very good, just like that!" Rijkaard looked at his progress with an approving smile. "Remember this feeling, don't be rigid in your thinking, open yourself up, use your brain to defend, use anticipation to cover, and you can truly become a top-class defensive midfielder."

Wu Bin stopped, panting heavily, his face covered in sweat, but with an undisguised joy and sense of accomplishment.

He finally understood the core of coverage and location selection; the mystery that had troubled him for so long was finally solved.

"But training isn't over yet," Rijkaard waved again. "You still need a simulated game to test all the lessons you've learned recently. It's not just about defensive coverage, but also stamina, physicality, interception techniques... see if you've truly mastered these skills!"

The players on the field quickly disappeared, and even the training ground vanished.

Instead, a noisy stadium has sprung up!

A real competition arena!

Standing on the field at this moment are two complete 11-man teams.

One team wore red and black jerseys, while the other team wore white and red jerseys.

Wu Bin recognized him at a glance.

It's AC Milan versus Ajax!