T1 has finally put an end to their disappointing streak with a smooth 2-0 victory over the bottom-ranked DragonX. However, this win also unlocks many new shadows within this team.
In a post-match interview after defeating DRX, captain Faker admitted that he has had ideological disagreements regarding the team’s playstyle direction with coach Daeny. Moreover, according to the Demon King, it seems that even after achieving a victory, this still does not satisfy him.
Speaking about the two losses against Liiv SANDBOX and Nongshim RedForce, Faker believes the main reason was the overall poor performance of the team, and secondly, the difficulty in adapting to the new strategy in the match against NS.
Faker also reported that he is “not coordinating well with his teammates”, so he chose to: “Only act when the timing is right.”
Additionally, Faker shared about the lengthy 70-minute match against NS: “I thought that if the team played a bit more proactively, perhaps the result would be better? But the coach said that what we did was good enough. I believe that is the direction the whole team is heading towards, so I will try to think positively about adapting to it.”
Faker’s interview responses were quickly dissected, revealing many details that showcased the discord between his thoughts and those of the rest of T1, including coach Daeny. It seems that the strategy the coach wants to pursue is to prolong the games past the 30-minute mark, utilizing the time when the carries are adequately equipped before engaging in fights, while Faker prefers his team to play more aggressively.
Daeny praising the players after the “sleepless” 70-minute tussle with NS is one example; while Faker continuously called for establishing fights, other T1 members only defended their towers.
The question arises: in the two mentioned directions, who is right and who is wrong? T1’s lineup in that game fundamentally cannot play late-game, as the effectiveness of Lucian and Sett would completely diminish over time, while NS possesses a much better teamfight lineup, with Nocturne for picks, strong counter-combat abilities, and Tahm Kench providing solid protection for carries, along with two extremely powerful champions for area damage: Rumble and Varus.
Dragging the game into the late stages was a mistake for T1, but engaging in a situation that is increasingly “no hope” clearly shows that this team is playing too passively.
The haunting memory of the horrific first game seems to have completely clouded Faker’s judgment in the second game, as he made a crucial error that allowed Gori to solo-kill him in the mid lane even while having Renekton’s ultimate available.
Faker stated that he was too impatient, wanting to accelerate the pace of the game. Another question arises: in his interview response, Faker said, “he only takes action when the timing is right.” What does that mean? It means that Faker has lost command of the team. He was originally the main caller, so the right timing should be chosen by him, but Faker’s answer implies that he now has to follow his teammates’ calls.
In summary, Faker does not want T1 to become JinAir Green Wings, as the passive late-game playstyle of that team was inherently ineffective, not to mention that T1’s roster does not permit it. Winning against DragonX means nothing when this team is already too weak, and the two previous losses exposed all of T1’s weaknesses. Losing lanes, poor objective control, while adopting a late-game strategy is nothing short of self-sabotage. If fans know that Daeny praised his students for “holding on” against Nongshim RedForce for 70 minutes, many would likely be left in tears.
Perhaps Faker no longer possesses top-tier form and frequently makes more mistakes, but his experience and sacrifice for the collective cannot be denied. Faker affirmed that if his teammates believe that is the best approach, he will not hesitate to follow. However, after a spring season of piecing together the roster and testing numerous strategies, the late-game strategy of the coach and T1 players has not shown the necessary effectiveness, unless their goal is not to win the championship or secure a slot at Worlds.