The God of Football Starts With Passive Skills-Chapter 69 - 40: Flexing Muscles, Fighting for a Starting Spot! Wang Shuo: Coach, I’m So Desperate to Score
Wang Shuo felt an instant connection with him and replied without much thought, "Everything."
"Everything?"
"Yes, muscle structure, body fat, size, resistance, flexibility, explosive power, strength... I want it all!"
Tuchel was stunned.
’Isn’t that a bit greedy?’
’Or maybe he just doesn’t understand how difficult physical training is?’
But Wang Shuo’s counter-question left Tuchel speechless.
"I’m a forward. I should be training all of these, right? At the very least, I need to strengthen them a bit so I’m not at a disadvantage."
Tuchel was at a loss for words.
Because he, too, felt that what Wang Shuo said made a lot of sense.
’Thinking back, if I had this kind of awareness and the dedication to see it through when I was young, would I have struggled just to get playing time for the Germany U-19 National Team?’
Oh, right. Tuchel was a center-back when he played.
At 1.9 meters tall, he was as skinny as a rail and at a huge disadvantage in physical confrontations.
He was the type of player who had neither the strength advantage of a tall player nor the speed and agility of a shorter one.
As a result, his professional career was a complete mess.
His only advantage was his sharp mind.
But a sharp mind without the physique to back it up was useless.
Thinking of this, Tuchel found himself agreeing that Wang Shuo made perfect sense.
"Well said! Keep it up, I support you!" Tuchel gave the spirited young man a thumbs-up.
As they saw Kramny and Tuchel off, Wang Shuo, Subotic, and Schürrle started chatting about the new U19 head coach.
Their only impression was that he had supposedly done a good job with the Stuttgart Youth Team and had led Augsburg II to excellent results last season, which was why he was qualified to coach Mainz U19.
"I’d always heard he had a terrible temper, but he seems fine now," Schürrle said, shaking his head.
Wang Shuo and Subotic deeply agreed.
...
As always, Busenkel arrived at the gym punctually at 8:30 AM.
He had a strong sense of punctuality and was never late or one to leave early.
Although this special training was prepared specifically for Wang Shuo, Subotic and Schürrle were also young players in whom the club had high hopes, so Busenkel gave them his full attention as well.
The gym training began with some simple warm-up exercises.
This was followed by push-ups, sit-ups, and some stretches.
The real intensity began with 20 minutes of cycling, then weightlifting, and finally, a 30-minute run on the treadmill.
The session concluded with post-workout recovery.
The entire session was tightly scheduled, with a set rest period between each exercise.
Even Wang Shuo was pushed to the point of crying out in exhaustion.
This was because he still hadn’t drawn any body-enhancing Passive Skills.
Now he finally understood why everyone hated the gym so much.
Since the Mainz facility didn’t have a swimming pool, Busenkel suggested that Wang Shuo and the others go learn to swim elsewhere.
Swimming, after all, is also very beneficial for football players.
This put Wang Shuo in a bit of a predicament.
Having grown up in the mountains, he was a complete landlubber and couldn’t swim at all.
"Then go sign up for a class and learn!" Busenkel gloated inwardly.
’I’ve finally found Wang Shuo’s weakness!’
After finishing their gym workout, the three of them took a short break and went outside to find Kramny.
The focus of Kramny’s special training was Wang Shuo.
It wasn’t just about helping Wang Shuo improve, but more importantly, teaching him more in-game techniques.
It also involved correcting his flawed and incorrect movements.
Kramny had been a right midfielder with strong attacking abilities during his playing days. He had been on the national youth squads since he was a boy and once came close to being selected for the Germany National Team.
As a player who came out of the methodical German youth training system, his technique was bound to be textbook-perfect.
Improper technique not only increases the risk of injury, but more importantly, fails to produce the desired results.
Take Wang Shuo’s Shooting, for example.
The reason his shots often lacked power and accuracy was not just due to insufficient muscle strength, but also because of problems with his form.
Some of his movements for generating power were simply wrong, so he often failed to put enough force behind his kicks.
Kramny intended to completely correct these issues for Wang Shuo over the summer.
At the same time, he would also teach him how to play the game better.
Being a "good boy" on the football pitch puts you at a huge disadvantage.
Using the rules to your advantage, pushing them to their very limit to defeat an opponent—this is what every professional player does.
For example, how to make better use of one’s hands.
You can’t use your hands in football, of course, but they are still an indispensable weapon on the pitch.
And then there’s the butt.
Don’t laugh.
When shielding the ball, your butt can be a huge asset.
The youth training Wang Shuo had received back home was, in truth, severely lacking when it came to the finer points of the game.
This was also the biggest weakness of the Huairun Football School’s youth program.
After coming to Europe, Wang Shuo had already learned a great deal, and his understanding had been further forged through the crucible of real matches.
Now, Kramny was giving him a relatively complete and systematic overview of it all.
Even though it was just a short session, and only about using his hands while shielding the ball, it was packed with practical advice.
He also came to a clear realization: even though he was a top product of China’s youth system, and even though Coach Gao had introduced advanced European training philosophies, there was still a massive gap between them and Europe when it came to the fine details.
The areas of in-game experience and technique, for example.
Wang Shuo decided he would definitely call home that night to have a serious talk with Coach Gao about this.
