Mourinho once famously said:

  "Without eggs, there's no omelet. The quality of the omelet depends on the quality of the eggs."

  "Some eggs are just more expehan others, but those more expensive eggs make better omelets."

  This analogy perfectly expins the retionship between a head coad his pyers.

  The head coach is the chef, the pyers are the eggs, and the game itself is the omelet.

  If a chef wants to make a top-tier omelet, good eggs are often essential. Of course, having quality eggs doesn't guarantee a great omelet. That's where the skill of the chef makes the difference.

  Siaking charge of Inter Min, Mourinho has been tweaking and experimenting with his tactics.

  While most people might not fully grasp his iions, Gao Shen, who had closely followed Mourinho's jour Inter Min, uood his thinkier than most. Deep down, Mourinho wao deliver better, more advanced football but he ime to make it happen.

  His return to Mani's 4-3-1-2 formation wasn't just a tactical adjustment. It was a promise with reality, simir to his reciliation with pyers like Cruz and Adriano. Yet, it was also sistent with Mourinho's characteristic pragmatism.

  The 4-3-1-2, with its three defensive midfielders, is ideal for solidifying defensive anization. It also suited Inter Min's squad, who were already familiar with the system. It wasn't surprising that Mourinhht it back.

  Still, there were noticeable differences between Mourinho's version of the 4-3-1-2 and Mani's.

  The first key difference was Muntari. Mourinho gave the Ghanaian midfielder almost plete freedom to roam the left half of the pitch.

  This meant that Muntari could push forward to joiad drop back to reinforce the defense. His range of movement made him a critical pie Inter Min's midfield.

  Iingly, Muntari wasn't even Inter's first-choice signing in the summer, but under Mourinho, he had bee indispensable, especially after his standout performance against Juventus. Gao Shen articurly impressed.

  Mani likely wouldn't have been able to utilize Muntari as effectively as Mourinho did.

  The sed difference was Mai.

  The 4-3-1-2 formation naturally leaves the fnks exposed, but Mourinho addressed this on the left with a bination of Maxwell and Muntari. On the right, Mai carried the responsibility almost single-handedly.

  Mai's dribbling and attag runs created sistent threats. He wasn't tent to stay on the fnk, often cutting diagonally into the penalty area to create even more danger.

  During Mani's time, Mai had also been a focal point on the right, but he wasn't as effective or iial as he was under Mourinho.

  Another major adjustment was Mourinho's use of a double-ter-forward system.

  On the surface, this wasn't new—Mani had also used two strikers. But Mourinho's approach was fually different.

  He sidelined Crespo aroduced Adriano, pairing him with Ibrahimovi?. Mourinho even began grooming young Balotelli, although he believed Balotelli still cked sistend efficy.

  While Crespo's finishing ability was undeniable, he represented an eion of strikers, the kind that had thrived in Serie A's defensively oriented system. Pyers like Crespuet, Batistuta, and Inzaghi had flourished in that era, but the game had since evolved.

  Strikers of that mold were heavily reliant on the service they received. The eeam had to py around them, which limited tactical flexibility.

  Modern strikers o offer more.

  Take Ibrahimovi?, for example. He had both the physicality and teical ability to dominate defenders, hold up the ball, and create time and space for his teammates. Crespo couldn't do that. Ibrahimovi? could—and often did so with excellence.

  Adriano, too, had once been a prolific goal scorer. Although he was no longer in his prime, his physical strength still allowed him to hold off defenders, trol the ball in the final third, and create ces for his teammates. He could also score when the opportunity preseself.

  Mourinho's double-striker system was a plete departure from Mani's. Even the underlying philosophy had shifted.

  For Mourinho, the primary role of his strikers wasn't to scoals but to create opportunities by holding up the ball and occupying defenders. This was remi of the role Drogba had pyed under Mourinho at Chelsea.

  Of course, whether or not they scored after that depended on their individual ability.

  By using both Ibrahimovi? and Adriano, Mourinho added yers of uability to Inter Min's attack. Against Juventus, Gao Shen observed how the two strikers alternated between pulling wide and dropping deep.

  Whenever oriker moved out of position, the other would remain in the penalty area, keeping the defense on edge.

  No defensive line would find it easy to hawo such strikers.

  Even Gao Shen had to admit: Mourinho's "omelet" was excellent.

  That said, there were sacrifices. Pyers like Mani Jr., Quaresma, Crespo, and even new signing Pandev seemed destio lose prominen Mourinho's evolving system. Meanwhile, Moutinho could still step in for Stankovi?, and Lucio had firmly established himself as the erstone of Inter's defense.

  …

  After their match against Real Madrid, Gao Shen and his coag staff finally found time to prepare specifically for Inter Min.

  For example, Gao Shen focused oralizing Mai by assigning Di María to mark him.

  Di María's tactical discipline, speed, and dribbling ability made him the perfect pyer to tain Mai. His main task was to stay tight on the Brazilian defender whenever he had possession, preventing him from advang past the halfway line.

  Gao Shen didn't eve any offensive expectations for Di María in this match. His sole priority was to suppress Mai.

  Rakitic received a simir assig.

  "Your job," Gao Shen said sternly, "is to mark Muntari and stop him from crossing the halfway line. If Muntari gets a ake a threatening pass or shot, it'll be on you."

  Rakitiodded seriously. "Don't worry, boss. I won't let you down."

  As for Inter's two strikers, they were naturally the biggest threats and the primary focus of Napoli's defensive pn.

  "They like to drift wide, right?" Gao Shen asked rhetorically. "Wheher Ibrahimovi? or Adriano moves to the fnk, the ter-bad full-ba that side must work together to close them down. Meanwhile, the defenders oher side must cut off their e."

  "I only have one request: don't let Ibrahimovi? and Adriano link up effectively, especially near or inside our penalty area."

  "Ibrahimovi? likes to take the ball at his feet but is slow to act. Force him to stay outside the box. Adriano's weakness is his right foot. When he receives the ball with his back to goal, focus on denying him space to turn onto his left foot for a shot."

  To reinforce these points, Gao Shen had the coag staff aargeted training sessions, including drills where left-footed pyers mimicked Adriano's movements to help the defenders prepare.

  These teical details, Gao Shen believed, could directly impact the oute of the game.

  …

  Beyond these tactical adjustments, Gao Shen also made a point to unicate with his pyers, both in team meetings and one-on-one versations.

  He emphasized how pivotal this match could be, not just for the Serie A title race but for the team's trajectory in the sed half of the season.

  "If we win this game," Gao Shen expined, "our lead will extend from two points to five points. That cushion will ease the pressure on us in the league and give us more room for error."

  "It will also allow us to better manage our schedule, like how roached the A match earlier."

  Gao Shen also reminded his pyers of the bigger picture:

  "We've already secured a spot in the Champions League knockout stage. Teams that succeed in both the league and Europe often have a clear advantage domestically. Now, I want you to look beyond the league, to the Champions League round of 16, the quarterfinals, and maybe even further."

  "If we win this match, it will strengthen our position in the league and boost our fiden Europe. But if we 't beat Inter Min, how we hope to pete with the top teams in the Champions League?"

  What Gao Shen didn't tell his pyers was that he believed Inter already had the strength to challenge for the Champions League title.

  Nor did he reveal his growing ambition. After esg the group of death and finishing top, his fidence had soared. He was beginning to dream of achieving even more.

  But he didn't o say it aloud. His pyers felt the same way.

  The league was a marathon; the Champions League rint. Bang the two required perfect execution.

  If Napoli stumbled in the league and allowed Inter Min to overtake them, it would iably affect their performan Europe.

  "I don't know how far we'll go this season," Gao Shen admitted didly. "I don't know if we'll st until the end in the league, the Champions League, and the cup. I'm not a god!"

  "But I do know this: opportunities favor those repared. If we're not ready, we won't succeed. And if we 't succeed, then maybe we don't deserve to be champions!"

  He paused, letting his words sink in before finishing with a sharp vi:

  "But I believe none of you agree with that!"

  As he looked around the room, Gao Shen saw the fire in his pyers' eyes, their determination unmistakable.

  Napoli had never been a team that backed down.