"He's a ghost now," Arne Slot said, his voice a calm, analytical hum as he pointed at Cole Palmer's icon on the tactical tablet. "He is no longer a defensive anchor. He is a free-roaming number 10, looking for the exact same pockets of space that you are, Leo." He looked at Leon, his expression one of deep, professional respect. "The second half is not a game of systems. It is a duel between you two. The team that wins this duel, wins the match."
He then looked at his midfield anchor, Wataru Endō, a quiet, tireless engine of a player. "Endō," he said, his voice firm. "Your job is no longer to just screen the defense. Your job is Cole Palmer. Everywhere he goes, you go. You are his shadow. You will not give him a single, easy touch. Understood?"
The Japanese international just gave a single, firm, and utterly reliable nod.
