After leaving the laboratory, Ethan walked toward the training ground with Essien, asking him questions about the Meditation Chamber experiment along the way.
Essien answered each one and said he believed the Meditation Chamber could have a genuine training effect.
It had been his first time using it, so he was not yet fully accustomed to the experience. He believed that after several more sessions, he would gradually begin to feel its benefits.
After parting with Ethan, Essien immediately ran toward the indoor football hall.
He had also grown fond of indoor football. He believed that controlling the ball in a confined space could improve his reactions, decision-making, and passing ability.
Those qualities were essential for a midfielder, especially someone like Essien, who was not content with being used solely as a defensive player.
Ethan believed that Essien possessed considerable attacking potential.
The coaching staff also regarded him as a complete midfielder capable of contributing both offensively and defensively. However, his attacking ability had not yet fully developed, while his defensive qualities were already strong, which was why the club currently used him in a deeper role.
According to Mourinho's long-term plan, his ideal tactical system would feature a technically gifted, quick, and prolific attacking focal point up front.
On either side, there would be two dangerous wingers capable of cutting inside, crossing, and breaking down the opposition's defence. Behind them would be an attacking midfielder who could make sudden forward runs through the centre and direct the team's attacks.
Such a four-man attacking unit could raise New Manchester United's offensive strength to an astonishing level.
If all four players developed a complete understanding and their movement flowed naturally, what defence could stop them?
The two full-backs would also need to be complete players, capable of contributing in both attack and defence. The demands placed on them would be extremely high.
As for the centre-backs, they needed a certain degree of mobility.
Hangeland was slightly lacking in that regard. He was extremely strong and excellent in the air, but his pace and mobility were not particularly impressive.
Because Mourinho required the team's shape to retreat as a unit when defending, even greater demands were placed on the two deeper midfielders.
They had to hold their positions while also providing cover for the full-backs. As a result, those two roles were crucial within Mourinho's tactical system.
Ideally, both players would also be capable of distributing the ball and organising play.
New Manchester United's current squad was not yet capable of playing that system perfectly.
Mourinho was not foolish enough to force his ideal tactics onto unsuitable players. Instead, he adjusted his approach according to the personnel available.
The current shape was closer to a 4-3-3, which became a 4-5-1 when defending, rather than Mourinho's ideal 4-2-3-1.
Of course, the same principle still applied.
For a New Manchester United side built around constant off-the-ball movement, no player's position was ever completely fixed.
Based on the current squad, Juninho and Senna would undoubtedly occupy two of the three midfield places.
Essien and Alou Diarra would compete for the remaining position, while De Rossi would serve as their main backup.
In attack, Mourinho was focusing most of his attention on developing Drogba.
To help the Ivorian improve, Mourinho had specifically instructed Moniz to provide him with additional training after the regular sessions.
Curtis, Terry, Ishmael, Michael Johnson, and John Obi Mikel were also taking part in the extra work, with Čech in goal.
Ethan stood beside the pitch and quietly watched them train.
According to Mourinho's development plan for Drogba, the striker was still only in the first stage.
His physical attributes were exceptional. His power was astonishing, he possessed considerable pace, and his acceleration was excellent.
Combined with his respectable technique, he was almost the perfect target man and focal point for an attack.
Drogba had played that role for several years in France and was already comfortable receiving the ball with his back to goal.
However, Mourinho demanded far more from him than his previous clubs had.
During Moniz's sessions, particular emphasis was placed on Drogba using his body to pin the defender behind him and create space.
His teammates would then adjust their movement around him.
At that moment, Drogba had to make a decision.
Should he turn and continue the attack himself, or lay the ball off to a teammate?
The first option was essential for a top centre-forward.
A striker capable of holding off a defender before turning with the ball was almost always an elite player.
That alone demonstrated how difficult such a seemingly ordinary movement could be during a match.
According to the coaching staff's observations, Drogba still needed to improve his ability to turn while playing with his back to goal.
However, New Manchester United currently used him as an attacking focal point, so the most practical option was to have him pass after receiving the ball.
That required Drogba to develop strong awareness and observation.
This was why Mourinho and Moniz frequently stopped training to remind him to raise his head before playing the ball.
For now, much of Drogba's additional work focused on that habit.
Once he could integrate smoothly into the team's attacking play, the next stage would be improving his ability to receive the ball and turn.
Even during the current sessions, Moniz repeatedly reminded Drogba that when he pinned a defender behind him, he had several possible directions in which to move, and there was often more space around him than he realised.
The purpose was to prepare him for further development.
Even that would not represent Drogba at his most dangerous.
According to Mourinho and Moniz's plan, Drogba would become truly formidable once his close control improved and he gradually relied less on direct physical confrontation.
Instead, he would use more refined control and movement.
At that point, whether he was holding off a defender, turning to dribble or shoot, or laying the ball off as a target man, he would be able to do so comfortably.
Even against defenders who could match or exceed him physically, Drogba would still be capable of overwhelming them.
He could then charge through the opposition's defence with unstoppable force and completely disrupt its organisation.
Of course, the current Drogba was still far from the player Mourinho envisioned.
For now, he needed to rely on his physical strength, creating space and combination opportunities for his teammates.
Michael Johnson was a highly intelligent player.
His movement into space was excellent. Whenever Drogba held off a defender, Johnson could usually identify the correct area in which to receive the ball.
His passing was also distinctive, and he possessed a reasonable level of defensive ability. As he grew older, his physical condition continued to improve.
In Ethan's previous life, Johnson had often been compared with Gerrard, although his passing ability was arguably more refined.
John Obi Mikel, meanwhile, was naturally an attacking midfielder, but he lacked pace.
He had excellent technique and was very good at carrying the ball forward from deeper positions, but his style was no longer ideally suited to the demands placed on a modern attacking midfielder.
The coaching staff therefore intended to develop him into a complete midfielder capable of contributing in both attack and defence.
After all, his physique was excellent. If he could improve defensively, he could also become a formidable midfielder in the future.
On the training pitch, Ethan watched Drogba repeatedly receive passes from his teammates, control the ball, attempt to turn, and lay it off.
Every movement was practised over and over again, and Drogba approached the work with great determination.
Ishmael was also repeatedly practising his control and turning while being marked by Terry.
His technique was better than Drogba's, but he was weaker in physical duels, so Terry's close marking forced him into numerous mistakes.
By contrast, once Drogba pinned Curtis behind him, the defender could barely make a move.
To help the players improve, Moniz stood between the two groups and repeatedly stopped the exercises.
He instructed Drogba and Ishmael on how to create and exploit opportunities, while also advising Curtis and Terry on how to anticipate and defend in those situations.
For Michael Johnson and John Obi Mikel, the focus was on the timing of their passes into the centre-forward, as well as the direction of their late runs and movement into space.
Both players were still very young, so the coaches could not demand too much from them yet.
Under Schmeichel's guidance, Čech repeatedly worked on his positioning and goalkeeping technique.
Whenever Drogba or one of the others created a shooting opportunity, Čech reacted immediately and attempted to make the save.
The extra training was demanding, but Ethan believed their effort would eventually be rewarded.
Every one of them possessed talent.
What they had lacked was the right environment to push them toward further improvement, and New Manchester United was now providing exactly that.
Keep working hard, lads. You are the future of this club!
Ethan watched the session for around half an hour before turning and leaving the training ground.
...
After three preseason friendlies, the calendar entered August.
New Manchester United's 23 first-team players were completing their final preparations at the Newton Heath training base while also preparing for their last friendly, the Newton Heath Cup, which would take place on August 4.
During this period, Mourinho not only worked on correcting the problems exposed during the friendlies, but also subtly reinforced the club's history and values among the players.
At the very least, every member of the squad, whether they had been at the club the previous season or had only just arrived, understood the significance of the Newton Heath Cup.
It was a friendly contest between two brother clubs and also an event held in support of charity.
Granada Television had arranged to broadcast the match live.
It was said that advertising slots before and after the broadcast had attracted enormous interest from businesses, demonstrating the level of public attention surrounding the competition, particularly after New Manchester United's visit to Africa.
All 14,000 tickets had sold out.
The stadium was packed with supporters and surrounded by a sea of red.
Flaming red banners decorated with green and gold waved continuously throughout the stands, while the supporters had been excited from the moment they entered the ground.
The players from both teams were equally enthusiastic, especially those of New Manchester United.
Inside the home dressing room, the story Gareth Turner had told the previous year at the Butcher's Arms Ground was heard once again.
This time, however, it was repeated in the dressing room at the City Ground.
Although every player had already heard the story countless times, hearing it from Curtis gave it a different meaning.
Curtis had personally witnessed New Manchester United's journey from the beginning to the present day.
He was now the club's longest-serving player and was regarded by his teammates as its most loyal figure after Gareth Turner, Darren Lyons, and Karl Marginson had retired.
When the story of a club called the Red Rebels came from Curtis, it naturally carried a special emotion.
Filled with gratitude, the players left the dressing room and entered the tunnel.
They repeatedly embraced the Droylsden players beside them and exchanged friendly greetings, even though they were about to become opponents.
At that moment, football had neither enemies nor allies.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)