José Ingenieros, a prominent Argentine thinker from the early 20th century who was highly praised by former Real Madrid midfielder Redondo, once wrote a book titled A Mediocre Man.
In the book, the author analyzed two contrasting personalities who were involved in Argentina's university reform movement at the time.
One was a pitiful man; the other, an idealist.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez once referenced this work to describe his current right-hand man, Pellegrino.
The two share a very close relationship, one that began when Pellegrino joined Valencia to play under Benítez. They have much in common, similar interests, and most importantly, they're both deeply rooted in idealism.
Benítez once famously said that if given eleven robots, he could win every match.
The idealism in that statement was unmistakable.
And as if to validate Benítez's belief, after Pellegrino joined the coaching staff, Liverpool finished second in the league last season, narrowly losing the title to Manchester United.
Benítez had nothing but praise for his assistant, the former centre-back, crediting Pellegrino's defensive training as a major factor behind Liverpool's strong performances across all competitions.
As for his former assistant Paco Yestarán…
This Spaniard, who had once been a favorite among the Liverpool dressing room, left the club after a falling out with Benítez. He initially joined Real Sociedad as a sporting director, but after less than a month, moved on to Benfica as a fitness coach, and returned to Valencia this past summer in the same role.
Without Benítez, Yestarán lost the spark he once had.
Benítez has spoken highly of his current assistant Pellegrino, saying that aside from his weak English, he's nearly the perfect assistant coach.
As a result, Benítez entrusted Pellegrino with full responsibility for Liverpool's defensive training this season and the Argentine has not let him down. Under his guidance, Liverpool have become one of the best defensive sides not just in the Premier League, but in all of European football.
Even in the 13th round of the Premier League, hosting Manchester City at Anfield, Benítez's side demonstrated exceptional defensive organization, repeatedly frustrating Manchester City, renowned for having the strongest attacking force in Europe.
In the first 45 minutes alone, Manchester City took 16 shots, yet still couldn't find a way past Reina. After switching sides in the second half, City continued to press forward aggressively.
By the 60th minute, Gao Shen even brought on striker Giroud in a direct attempt to boost the attack.
But it still had no effect.
…
"What a pity. If Fernando were available, we'd have had a real chance."
Standing in front of the home dugout at Anfield, Benítez kept his eyes on the pitch, analyzing both teams while also lamenting Liverpool's current situation.
Before the match, he had believed Fernando Torres would be able to play. The medical staff had assessed him and deemed him fit.
But unexpectedly, Torres approached him and said he still didn't feel right.
In the end, Benítez had no choice but to let him sit out.
If Torres had played, Benítez was certain that Gao Shen would not have dared to attack so boldly.
Pellegrino agreed with Benítez's judgment. "Manchester City are playing very well. Gao Shen may be young, but he definitely has something... and—"
The Argentine paused for a moment. Seeing Benítez turn to look at him with curiosity, he smiled and added, "He's nothing like you. I don't know where those rumors even came from."
Benítez also found it amusing.
"When he managed Real Madrid, he used a 4-2-3-1 formation and played extremely conservatively."
"I heard Capello once scolded him for being too conservative," Pellegrino chuckled.
Capello, already famous for his defensive approach, had found Gao Shen overly cautious. That alone said it all.
"In truth, he wasn't conservative he was pragmatic. At that time, Real Madrid needed to play that way. And when he played Arsenal away, or in other key matches, he could be ruthless going forward."
After a brief pause, Benítez turned his gaze to Gao Shen, standing in front of the visiting bench.
"He's just a realistic, pitiful man."
This was another archetype from José Ingenieros's book.
If idealists are oil, then realists are water.
The two simply cannot mix.
So it was quite rare for Benítez not to harbor resentment toward someone like Gao Shen.
After all, he openly despised Mourinho. The reason for his fallout with assistant coach Yestarán stemmed from a moment when Yestarán was seen laughing and shaking hands with Mourinho, something Benítez couldn't tolerate.
"Tonight, his fake winning streak ends here!" Benítez said coldly.
Pellegrino nodded. Given the current situation, Manchester City truly had no effective way to break through Liverpool's defense.
With the double pivot of Biglia and Mascherano, Gerrard and Kuyt in front of them, and a defensive line of Insua, Daniel Agger, Skrtel, and Carragher—plus Reina in goal—Liverpool's defensive formation could stand up to any team, whether in the Premier League or across Europe.
Even Guardiola's Barcelona.
"Keep a close eye on Insua. Biglia's already on a yellow, so the cover on that side will be weaker," Benítez warned.
If there was a weakness in Liverpool's defensive setup, it had to be the Argentine left-back Insua.
Due to Aurelio's frequent injuries, Insua had gradually secured his place in the squad this season. However, his flaws had also become increasingly apparent, especially today. Up against Robben, he struggled, having been beaten and cut inside several times by the Dutch winger.
Fortunately, Biglia was there to cover well. But the Argentine midfielder had also picked up a yellow card while helping defend Insua.
On the opposite flank, Carragher had also received a yellow after being repeatedly attacked by Hazard.
It could be said that Manchester City's offense had still put Liverpool under significant pressure.
Pellegrino heard Benítez's concern and immediately shouted reminders to Insua.
At that moment, Manchester City launched another attack down the right.
Robben dribbled past Insua and cut inside before suddenly laying the ball off wide to the right. Zabaleta surged forward on the overlap, caught up with the pass, and whipped in a low cross, only for the ball to deflect off Daniel Agger and out of bounds.
Corner kick.
Once again, Manchester City failed to pose a direct threat inside Liverpool's box.
…
"Go with the fourth plan!" Gao Shen instructed.
Carlo immediately relayed the message to the players on the pitch.
Rakitic jogged over to the right corner flag to take the set piece.
All of Manchester City's tall players poured into the Liverpool penalty area, crowding an already packed box with even more height and presence.
Liverpool's defense had its own aerial threats in Gerrard, Agger, Skrtel, and Carragher, all physically imposing. But their midfielders and Insua were relatively shorter. The Argentine left-back, standing at 1.80 meters, was already positioned at the near post.
In comparison, Manchester City still had a notable height advantage.
David Luiz, Kompany, and Javi Martínez were all tall, and Gao Shen had just brought on target man Giroud. With four players around the 1.90-meter mark, their aerial presence in the box was formidable and intimidating.
In set-piece defense, the near post and the center of the six-yard box were the two most critical areas. But it was also vital to have players covering the space between them to support those positioned at the key points.
Insua marked the near post, Carragher held the central spot in the six-yard box, Gerrard and Agger served as auxiliary protection, and Skrtel was stationed at the far post.
This configuration had been used throughout the game whenever Manchester City had corner kicks.
Benítez's zonal marking system had been drilled over several seasons, producing a strong mutual understanding among the defenders. But occasionally, due to injuries, absences, or rotation, coordination would break down.
So far in tonight's match against Manchester City, however, Liverpool had not made a single mistake.
Initially, Gao Shen wanted to target Insua at the near post, but Liverpool were clearly prepared. Daniel Agger provided solid backup for the Argentine left-back.
Even though Carragher looked a little flustered in the six-yard box, he hadn't made any critical errors.
As a result, Manchester City's earlier corners had come to nothing.
Now, Gao Shen was ready to execute the fourth plan.
…
Upon receiving the signal, Manchester City's players quickly moved into position, each with clearly defined responsibilities.
There was precise coordination: one player attacked the near post, one aimed for the center, another targeted the far post.
Liverpool's defenders immediately sensed the shift in movement and braced themselves for what felt like a siege.
Gerrard stood in the box, prepared to provide cover at Manchester City's key target area. At the same time, he shouted to rally his teammates.
"Come on! We are the invincible Liverpool!"
Gerrard's roar ignited the atmosphere in the stands, and the fans responded with thunderous cheers.
The players could feel the strength from both their captain and the crowd, and their spirits surged.
"Come on!" they shouted in unison.
Referee Phil Dowd organized the players inside the box, then slowly stepped back, whistle in mouth.
At the corner flag, Rakitic raised his right index finger, signaling the play to his teammates inside the area.
The whistle blew, sharp and clear. The Croatian midfielder took a quick run-up and struck the ball toward the near post. The cross lifted slightly into the air, curled inward, and dropped with a sharp arc toward goal.
Near post!
Everyone recognized it instantly.
Gerrard reacted first and charged forward.
But the Manchester City players, who already knew where the ball was going, were quicker.
Giroud took one step forward, leaped high, and met the ball perfectly, winning the aerial duel.
His header redirected the ball toward the back of the six-yard box.
At that moment, Carragher had stepped forward, Skrtel was locked in a battle with David Luiz at the far post, and only Mascherano remained in the middle and left side of the six-yard box.
(To be continued.)