Chapter 66
Villa Park welcomed guests from Wolverhampton.
"It's cold, everyone should keep warm." Wei Le sat in the press conference room and greeted reporters with a smile.
"Thank you for your concern!" The reporters smiled and expressed their gratitude.
Aston Villa, which was just relegated as the second-best team in the Premier League last season, did not show an attitude of striving for a strong upgrade this season. So far, it is still ranked in the lower middle of the league.
In the past September, Aston Villa faced five opponents and drew.
In October, the offensive situation did not change. First, it lost to Preston, and now it faces Wolves at the top of the standings. Head coach Bruce seems very friendly.
Wei Le certainly has no reason to find fault, so this press conference is very relaxed and happy.
Writing in his seat, Wei Le first straightened his name tag, then unscrewed the thermos cup, took a sip of hot water, and said to the audience, "Drinking more hot water is good for your health."
"We don't like to drink hot water, we drink this." One of the cheerful reporters raised a cup of hot coffee in the air, clinked a cup with Wei Le in the air, and laughed.
Wei Le has indeed added young power to the general "aging" group of coaches in the English Championship. In this game, Aston Villa's head coach Bruce is 56 years old. Although he looks energetic, he has a head full of white hair.
Before, Newcastle United's head coach Benitez was 57 years old.
Reporters are used to facing old men in suits and leather shoes but most of them are wrinkled and stern. Now that Wei Le has taken office, he is friendly and basically does not embarrass reporters. He is not handsome, but he can be said to be regular. He is also 1.8 meters tall and looks very handsome.
Wei Le doesn't like to wear suits. In summer, he just puts on a team training shirt to direct the game. In autumn, he changes into more casual clothes such as hoodies.
Today, Wei Le wore a gray hoodie. His Asian appearance and sharp edges are very suitable for this dress. These reporters who are used to seeing old men like Wei Le, a young man.
When Wei Le just took office, some reporters suspected whether he was a relative, but soon, he told reporters the answer with his results. In fact, the results are the most convincing. The Wolves, which ranked in the middle and lower reaches last season, will naturally be questioned.
Wei Le is not without temper. He is also angry when he is suspected, so he has his own way to fight back. At the beginning of the season, the Wolves have been winning, and the ranking has directly jumped to the top. But every time the reporter praised the Wolves and Wei Le, Wei Le seriously stated that the team's goal is to avoid relegation.
As a result, Wolves and Newcastle were tied in the ranking battle, but the gap between Brighton, which ranked third, and these two was also quite large. Wolves and Newcastle United basically monopolized the top two places so far.
As a result, Wei Le still firmly stated that the team's goal is to stay in the league.
Do you think this is infuriating?
But there is nothing we can do about it. Who told you reporters to say that we can only stay in the league this season? Then I will do as you wish.
Although the reporters were amused and helpless about this, the public opinion environment at the beginning of the season was actually a bit harsh for this young man who had just crossed the threshold of professional coaching. In fact, some of them also knew that the doubts about Wei Le before the start of the season were actually unfounded.
However, in any case, although Wei Le's counterattack was a bit embarrassing, it was actually not very harmful. Reporters have been through many battles in the media industry and have seen all kinds of storms. They have been scolded by coaches at press conferences.
Wei Le is not the kind of soft persimmon who doesn't know how to fight back when being beaten, nor is he the kind of mad dog who bites people and won't let go.
Now, they regard Wei Le's counterattack as some small jokes between them. In fact, later, when Wei Le mentioned "relegation" again, the press conference would burst into a tacit laughter. There was even a reporter who took the initiative to ask Wei Le at the post-match press conference whether he was still seeking relegation this season.
Wei Le would nod seriously and agree. Then after a few seconds of silence, it was usually the reporter who couldn't help but start laughing first, and then Wei Le couldn't hold it anymore.
In addition to Wei Le's obsession with this matter, when reporters asked other questions, as long as they were not principled issues, Wei Le seemed very cooperative. Unlike those old-timers who like to intrigue, Wei Le's cheerful personality is very likable, and gradually, he and the media have become familiar with each other.
But familiarity is familiarity, and it is still necessary to ask.
"We noticed that you made a large-scale rotation in this game." A reporter asked, "YouWhat is the intention of doing this? "
"It's very simple." Wei Le spread his hands, "If we don't take a break, Jota and others will protest that I'm exploiting them. The players who played together before are very tired and need to adjust. This is a normal rotation adjustment, nothing more."
"Then the players you send up now rarely played before. Will sending players with less strength affect the result of the game? Isn't this arrangement a bit disrespectful to Villa?"
Wei Le shook his head, "If I don't respect Villa, I will choose to withdraw directly."
"I don't quite agree with what you said. Every player has different characteristics. My team does not have an absolute level division between the main force and the substitute. Every player has the right to show his talent, and I am also happy to see some changes in my team."
The reporter nodded and sat down. Another reporter raised his hand and stood up after agreeing.
"You once mentioned that you would expand the team's lineup. How far has this matter been done now? "
Wei Le scratched his head and said with a smile, "There are still two months before the window opens. If you can, can you suggest to the English Football Association that we move the window opening time forward a little, such as directly to November, so that I can reveal more information to you."
The reporter laughed. Of course, he didn't have that ability. Wei Le meant that it was too early to ask this question now.
"But the signings are already in progress." Wei Le continued before the reporter sat down, "I can't tell you who it will be, how many there will be, but you can write it down."
Wei Le asked with a smile, "What are you reporters best at?"
"What?" The reporter who didn't sit down asked curiously.
"Make it up!" Wei Le laughed. The reporter couldn't help laughing after hearing this. Wei Le must still be upset about the fact that he made it up that he was a relative.
"The last question." The press officer prompted.
Someone didn't raise his hand below, but asked loudly to the stage, "Then is your goal this season still to avoid relegation? "
"Absolutely true!" Wei Le said seriously.
In a cheerful atmosphere, Wei Le left the press room. One day later, Wei Le and the team returned here, and the game was about to start!