Emperor of Football: Julien De Rocca

The referee's whistle had barely faded when the intensity exploded across Colney's pitch. From the opening seconds, players from both nations surged forward with the unrestrained enthusiasm that only youth football could generate.

Stuart Pearce stood motionless on the touchline. His instructions had been clear: maintain defensive discipline, allow France U21 to exhaust themselves in possession, then exploit the spaces left behind with England's traditional strengths, play long balls and aerial attacks.

The plan was vintage Pearce—pragmatic, direct, and utterly rigid.

Yet the French youngsters refused to cooperate with this tactical blueprint.

Their fluid passing and constant movement disrupted any attempts at establishing a settled rhythm. The match receded and flowed like a tide, neither team able to impose their preferred tempo for more than fleeting moments.

England U21 persisted with their aerial assault, launching cross after cross from the flanks, as they sought to exploit any momentary lapse in French concentration.

Crystal Palace's Zaha rose repeatedly to meet these aerial challenges as he battled for supremacy in the penalty area. Around him, his teammates lurked like predators, ready to pounce on any loose ball or defensive mistake.

But they had calculated without the presence of Mangala and Raphaël Varane. The French center-back partnership neutralized wave after wave of English attacks. Mangala's raw power complemented Varane's elegant timing, creating an almost impenetrable barrier that frustrated England's most dangerous moments.

Minutes passed in a blur of frantic action, yet the scoreboard remained unchanged. Both teams had created half-chances, moments of promise that ultimately dissolved into disappointment.

The initial adrenaline that had driven both sets of players began to recede, replaced by the reality of physical exhaustion.

As the pace inevitably slowed, clearer tactical patterns emerged from the chaos.

England U21 gradually established dominance, their midfield group of four working in harmony to control the central areas. Yet for all their possession, it was France U21 who carved out the clearer opportunities.

The formation boards might have showed matching 4-4-2 systems, but the tactical reality was far more different.

Pearce had deployed four genuine midfielders, creating a solid foundation that prioritized control and stability. Mombaerts, by contrast, had let four attacking players, sacrificing defensive security for creative unpredictability.

On the touchline, both coaches maintained constant dialogue with their assistants. Mombaerts gestured as he assessed his team's performance.

"Griezmann and Lacazette's movement is exceptional," He murmured to his assistant, his eyes never leaving the pitch. "They're performing at the level we hoped for. Yes, they've missed some absolute chances, but their overall contribution is exactly what we need.

Mangala and Varane are also impressive—the defense is holding firm. While Mangala has the physical attributes we value, his positional awareness still needs refinement. Varane, however, combines physical gifts with tactical intelligence."

Fifty yards away, Pearce was conducting a similar evaluation of his own players.

High above the action, Arsène Wenger stood on the platform alongside his long-time assistant Patrice Bergues. The Professor's attention was naturally drawn to the Arsenal players scattered across both teams.

Yet satisfaction was not the emotion present on Wenger's face. Instead, there was disappointment as he focused on one particular figure in white.

"Lansbury's creativity has been completely diminished," Wenger observed. "All that natural ability, that spark we once saw—it's as if it's been systematically coached out of him."

Patrice, who had witnessed countless such conversations over their years of collaboration, understood the deeper implications.

Lansbury had once been hailed as Arsenal's next breakthrough star, a player whose technical gifts had prompted Wenger to predict greatness. Yet several seasons of stagnation had proven that talent alone was insufficient without the mental fortitude to handle pressure.

"His loan spell at West Ham hasn't provided the development we'd hoped for," Patrice acknowledged. "He's struggled for consistent game time even at that level."

"Nottingham Forest has made inquiries about his services," Patrice continued.

Wenger replied directly, "If they're offering over one million euros, approve the transfer. We cannot afford to hold onto players who aren't progressing."

During this friendly match, Wenger had decided Lansbury's future.

Their discussion was interrupted by a sudden eruption of noise from the pitch below..

England U21 had broken the deadlock.

The goal had originated from France's own attacking ambition. A misplaced pass in the final third had gift-wrapped possession to the English midfield, where Henderson's experience shone through.

The Liverpool midfielder's first touch was sublime, his second even better as he slipped a perfectly weighted pass into the path of his teammate Sterling.

Sterling's explosive pace had always been his greatest weapon, and now it carved through the French defense like a blade through silk. His acceleration left Sébastien Corchia, France's right-back and captain, grasping at shadows as he desperately tried to recover.

Then he cut inside and scored!

Thirty-eight minutes on the clock, and England U21 had secured a 1-0 advantage through a moment of individual brilliance.

English players applauded on the pitch.

Seeing Henderson and Sterling's combination, Wenger couldn't help but say, "Unfortunate that Liverpool secured both of them,"

France U21 players' morale was hit. In the remaining minutes, although they organized some counter-attacks, the effects were limited.

They nearly conceded another goal to Sterling's pace on the counter-attack.

On the substitute bench, Julien had been watching the match intently. Sterling's pace was indeed impressive.

"Julien, go warm up."

Just as Julien was absorbed in watching the match, an assistant coach called him.

"Right!"

Julien immediately put on his substitute bib and went to warm up on the sideline.

He was not alone in his preparations. Several other teammates joined him in the warm-up routine. England's bench was similarly active, with Pearce planning his own tactical adjustments for the second half.

The sight of substitutes preparing drew Wenger's attention from the main action. His eye scanned the warming players, recognizing some faces while others remained anonymous. It was then that one particular figure caught Patrice's notice.

"That kid there—I remember we almost signed him three years ago," Patrice said. "I didn't expect him to progress to France U21 level."

Wenger's curiosity was immediately piqued. "Which one?"

"The tall, thin white player," Patrice clarified, pointing directly at Julien. "Julien De Rocca. Some French media outlets have been following his progress recently—apparently he's been rising through the ranks quite rapidly."

Wenger's mind immediately recalled the relevant memories. Although he had seen countless players and signed or wanted to sign many, his memory was excellent.

"Ah yes, the boy from Lille's youth academy," Wenger's voice carried a note of recognition. "Exceptional dribbling ability, if I recall correctly. We almost brought him to Arsenal, but after he joined Chelsea, we lost track of his development."

There was genuine melancholy in Wenger's voice as he contemplated another "one that got away"—the eternal regret of every coach who had ever identified talent only to see it slip away.

But now, this disappeared talent was preparing to reappear in front of his very eyes. Combined with the recent media reports about Julien's rapid rise, Wenger felt a familiar stirring of interest.

As the halftime whistle approached, Mombaerts was already planning his tactical adjustments. His conversation with Julien was brief.

"Julien, when you enter the match, you'll replace Brahimi on the right wing, Focus on linking up with Griezmann—use your dribbling ability to draw multiple defenders. If you can break through and create a clear chance, you may shoot, but for safety, look to pass to Lacazette or Griezmann."

So, the instructions were: Be the catalyst, not necessarily the finisher. Create chaos in the English defense, but trust your teammates to capitalize on the opportunities.

"Understood, coach."

"Go on then, and good luck."

Before entering the field of play, Julien tapped his studs against the sideline. Then, with a deep breath that seemed to expand his chest beyond its normal capacity, he stepped onto the pitch.

This was it—his U21 international debut, unfolding on an ordinary afternoon.

Unlike at Bastia, where he had been the focal point of attacking moves, here he was assigned a supporting role. Mombaerts' instructions had been tactfully phrased, but the subtext was unmistakable: use your breakthrough ability to occupy defenders, but leave the finishing to others.

For three minutes, Julien was a spectator. The ball seemed to avoid him, drawn to other areas of the pitch by the natural flow of play. He made the right runs, positioned himself correctly, but remained invisible to the action.

But when he first touched the ball, he immediately drew gasps of amazement from everyone present.

Julien received a pass from Coquelin in the center. Facing Henderson's charging tackle, Julien executed a stepover, shaking off Henderson on the spot.

After taking two steps forward, he passed the ball to Griezmann's feet.

"Excellent!"

Wenger couldn't help but acclaim Julien's escape. He could immediately see that Julien's ball control was genuinely good—his first touch showed no rustiness, and his movements were silky smooth.

But the sequence was far from over. France U21's attack maintained its momentum, with Griezmann pushing forward through the central channel while Julien instinctively made his supporting run.

When Griezmann's advance was eventually blocked by English defenders, he found himself with a decision to make. The safe option was a simple pass backward, maintaining possession while regrouping.

But after a moment's hesitation, he chose the more ambitious alternative—a pass to Julien, who had drifted into space on the right flank.

Julien received the ball. Danny Rose came to press him, with Chamberlain following behind.

His supreme ball control talent was fully displayed at this moment.

Julien suddenly stopped, avoiding Chamberlain's tackle from behind, then dropped his shoulder and feinted toward the right wing.

Danny Rose immediately followed.

Chamberlain hesitated for a moment without immediately moving. In that split second between the two defenders, Julien flicked the ball to the left, slipping through the gap between them.

He had shaken off both players and completed his cut inside!

The gasps from the sideline were audible even above the sounds of the match.

Such an escape drew gasps from players and coaches on the sideline.

Seeing such skill in a U21 match was extremely rare!

Wenger focused all his attention on Julien. Dribbling alone wasn't enough—he needed to see how Julien handled what came next.

How a player handled the ball after creating space was the ultimate test of their footballing intelligence. It revealed their vision, their decision-making, their ability to convert individual brilliance into collective success.

However, the next moment directly ignited Wenger's desire to sign Julien again.

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