On the training ground the next day, Zhao Zhao, with a whistle in his mouth, constantly shouted at the players doing group training:
"Run, everyone! Run!"
"Remember our 20-zone principle; you need to form triangular support in every area. Don't stand still!"
"Januzaj, what are you doing? When you're double-teamed, don't just try to break through; you can pass the ball wide or back!"
"Anichebe, don't be lazy! If you lose the ball, immediately press to win it back!"
"Come on, quickly go up and press, force the opposing defenders to make mistakes!"
The players on the training ground were sweating profusely, diligently training under Zhao Zhao's supervision, ensuring every point he demanded was done perfectly.
They also noticed that their boss's tone was particularly stern today, and his demands were exceptionally strict.
Of course, they didn't know this was mainly because Zhao Zhao no longer had the system simulator's boost.
Although Zhao Zhao was still confident of beating Swansea, he indeed needed the players to perform their best!
In the latest course, Zhao Zhao had learned Klopp's high-press tactics, and he believed that these tactics, with his players in peak physical condition, could indeed inflict fatal damage on a fatigued Swansea.
However, this tactic also placed higher demands on the players' positioning and teamwork, requiring even stricter training!
Of course, for the Sunderland players, they mostly believed that Coach Zhao Zhao suddenly became 'fiercer' because he felt the pressure brought by the relegation situation.
In the recently concluded Premier League Round 35, Sunderland, playing with a second-string lineup, suffered a crushing 0-5 away defeat to Chelsea, leaving their points total unchanged at 32.
But their relegation rivals had all exploded!
Hull City, ranked 17th, drew 0-0 away to Southampton, who had performed excellently this season, bringing their points total to 34.
Swansea, previously ranked 19th, also drew 1-1 away to Manchester United!
This brought their points total level with Sunderland, at 32.
And due to Sunderland's crushing defeat, Swansea overtook Sunderland on goal difference, moving to 18th place. Sunderland dropped to 19th.
Even Middlesbrough, ranked 20th, or last place, pulled off a minor upset.
With goals from Negredo and Chambers, Middlesbrough drew 2-2 at home with Manchester City!
This raised their points total to 28, still retaining a glimmer of hope for survival.
In other words, among the four struggling teams at the bottom of the table in this round, only Sunderland lost; the other three teams all earned points!
With only three matches remaining in this Premier League season, the relegation battle has entered a white-hot stage.
And in two days, Sunderland will welcome Swansea, who are level on points, to the Stadium of Light.
In such a life-and-death battle, the losing side can almost declare their relegation fate!
No matter who is the Coach, when in such a situation, he will undoubtedly feel immense pressure bearing down on him!
"Even the boss is under this kind of pressure, so we really need to work harder!" the players all thought.
As players, they naturally also hoped to remain in the Premier League.
Aside from not wanting to lose, many players had clauses in their contracts with the club, such as salary reductions or even contract terminations upon relegation, making relegation a lose-lose situation.
After all, once in the EFL Championship, the team's income would drastically decrease, and in most cases, they couldn't afford these stars who earned tens of thousands of euros per week.
But what about successful survival?
For the club, it almost meant a guaranteed income of 100 million euros!
The Premier League, as the most commercially successful and profitable League in the world, is truly something else.
Although there might still be new players arriving and old players leaving at that time, this would be a normal transfer effect, different from the feeling of 'fleeing' from a relegated team.
Just as Coach Zhao Zhao said, having a relegation experience doesn't look good on a resume!
So everyone was united with Zhao Zhao, and their training these past few days was exceptionally hard.
On the other hand, after losing to Chelsea, everyone was also holding their breath, wanting to prove themselves once again!
The public opinion has already started to shift in recent days.
"Zhao Zhao feared Chelsea and directly gave up the match."
"Sunderland's morale is low, and their relegation prospects are bleak."
"Genius Coach? Cowardly Coach!"
"Zhao Zhao only defeated Conte in the post-match handshake."
And on Sky Sports' Premier League program, Gary Neville also made a strong statement:
"Haha, I said long ago that Zhao Zhao's Sunderland was just a flash in the pan."
"I just thought they would at least put up a fight at Stamford Bridge; I didn't expect them to surrender directly!"
"In contrast, Swansea played such an amazing game at Old Trafford."
"Although my old club Manchester United not winning the game made me unhappy, I still have great respect for this Swansea team."
"As for the upcoming head-to-head relegation battle, I'm certainly backing Swansea!"
It can be said that the media's predictions for this match were overwhelmingly one-sided; everyone believed that Swansea had a greater chance of winning, even at Sunderland's home ground!
And when interviewed by reporters, Swansea's Coach Clement was also full of confidence:
"Swansea is ready! Since we didn't fall behind against Manchester United away, we will definitely perform even better against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light!"
"Coach Zhao Zhao is just a clown who was thrown into the spotlight by chance; he doesn't really have any true ability."
"I even suspect he bribed many media outlets to build momentum for him, including Coaches like Guardiola."
"The purpose of this is so he can gain more fame, and even if he gets sacked later, he can get a new position based on his deceptive skills."
"It's a pity, he's about to reveal his true colors now. And poor Sunderland is about to be relegated under his leadership!"
Regarding Clement's highly aggressive remarks, the outside world could actually imagine them.
Aside from being a direct competitor in the relegation battle, Clement's resume also determined that he couldn't have any good feelings towards Zhao Zhao.
This English Coach was born into a football family but, like Zhao Zhao, did not have a professional playing career.
When he was still a sports teacher, he studied coaching courses and obtained a UEFA A coaching license, and in 1995, he joined Chelsea as a youth team Coach, later becoming an assistant Coach for the first team.
After that, he moved to teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Bayern; although he served as an assistant Coach, he accumulated a wealth of coaching experience.
In 2015, he became Derby County's Coach, and this year, he took over from the sacked Bradley midway through the season, becoming Swansea's Coach.
It can be said that Chelsea was the most important stop on his path to becoming a professional Coach, and he has always had a special affection for Chelsea Football Club.
In the previous match, Zhao Zhao and Chelsea had some unpleasant incidents; although they did not escalate into violent conflict, it was enough for Clement to view Zhao Zhao as an anomaly.
Moreover, as a Coach who, like Zhao Zhao, didn't come from a 'traditional' background, Clement also wanted to prove that he was the best in this category!
However, Zhao Zhao was too lazy to respond to Clement's remarks.
He only said one sentence to the reporter:
"Less talk, see you on the field!"