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Chapter 205 The Dream of Winning the League

After seeing Pisano drop back to provide support, Lenny Isara moved forward.

After making a forward run, he turned back to ask Pisano for the ball.

However, Pisano, who was in charge of dealing the cards, did not deal the cards to him, but instead chose to pass them to Cabella, who had also retreated.

Ultimately, Tyne's attack was initiated by Cabella dribbling the ball up the court.

Seeing Cabella come up, Isara ran back to his defensive midfield position.

When Cabella was surrounded and pressed, and couldn't get the ball out on his own, he wanted to find a teammate to support him.

Turning around, I realized that neither Isara nor Pisano had come up.

He could only risk passing the ball forward, trying to find Wang Lie.

But at that time, Wang Lie was being closely guarded by two Witton Hill players.

Wang Lie found it very uncomfortable to pick it up.

Although he retained possession of the ball, he did not have any better attacking opportunities.

So they passed the ball back.

At this point, Pisano, who was the one who dealt the cards first, finally arrived late.

The scene is frozen here.

Rayan Kochea, holding the remote control, turned to the coaching staff in the multimedia room and said:
"After McNeil brought on Cabella in the second half, this happened three times—once before this and once after. When the two attacking midfielders dropped back, the defensive midfielder Isara was supposed to make a forward run, which was probably part of McNeil's plan. But the run didn't work. Why?"
"Did Isara misunderstand the coach's tactical intentions and make an inappropriate decision at an inappropriate time, causing the more experienced Pisano not to pass the ball to him? Or was there some other reason?"
"Besides, this attacking sequence also exposed some other problems with the Tyne midfield partnership, such as Isala going up and then quickly retreating – he may be worried about the team's defense. Pisano doesn't quite trust his performance in attack, but does he also not trust Pisano and Cabella's defensive abilities?"

"And Pisano was too slow to move up after passing the ball. If he had moved up to support earlier, perhaps Cabella wouldn't have had to risk passing the ball to Wang... So why was he so slow to move up? It's unlikely to be a matter of stamina, since he's only played fifty minutes. What made him hesitate to make a decisive run forward? Was he unclear about his responsibilities in that position?"

"It seems like this is due to a lack of understanding between the three midfielders. I also saw some media criticizing Tyne's performance in the second half of the new midfield combination after the first round of matches. They believed that Tyne's poor performance at the start of the second half was due to the three midfielders playing independently..."

"But I think the root cause lies in the new tactics McNeil has prepared for the team. The midfield problem is just a symptom."

"McNeil tried to use a positional approach in this Tyne team, but he forgot that the team's midfield was almost completely overhauled this summer. His ideal Tyne midfield trio came from three different teams, and not only were they unfamiliar with each other, but they were also not familiar enough with the other Tyne players. The positional approach places high demands on players in each position; they must accurately understand the manager's tactical intentions and the tasks of their own position, and try to make analytical decisions based on changes in the game situation."

After giving his coaches a brief analysis, Kochea played several more clips, which appeared in the 47th, 50th, and 56th minutes. As he pointed out, Tyne's midfield pairing experienced about ten minutes of disarray after the start of the second half.

"...If you only look at the score, 4:0 seems to mean that Tyne won a resounding and complete victory over Wittonhill. Most of the game also seems to be like that...but the devil is in the details."

After Kochea finished showing these clips, he said:
"What I just showed was only the problem of the three midfielders, but as the core position of a team, the midfield problem is not just a midfield problem. After all, the team needs to operate around the midfield, whether it is attack or defense... so the midfield problem can easily become a problem for the whole team."

"From the very beginning of the second half until Wang scored, a period of thirteen minutes, Tyne didn't play well, and at one point they were in a very dangerous situation. If Wittonhill had been able to seize one of those opportunities and score, the course of the game would have definitely changed... But unfortunately, Wittonhill was too weak, or rather, they were overwhelmed by the goal they conceded six minutes into the game and the momentum of Tyne's home fans."

"Furthermore, it's because Wang is strong enough; he single-handedly led the team out of danger. Once he scored that goal, the situation completely reversed. Wittonhill completely lost confidence and fighting spirit, while Tyne smoothly weathered the chaotic period."

"But the problems Tyne exposed in this game cannot be improved in just one week. Their next league match is against us. If we can put more pressure on them when their midfield is in disarray, will the final result be different?"

※※※

"Ha, Robbie, you actually used this as your phone's background image?"

In the miners' bar, the owner, Theo Collins, couldn't help but laugh when he saw Robbie Dixie's phone screen light up.

It wasn't that he was looking at it on purpose, but Dixie kept turning on the screen, which naturally attracted the attention of others.

So everyone saw the new background image on his phone.

Dixie was delighted that someone had finally discovered his carefully prepared "Easter egg," so he immediately unlocked his phone and showed it to everyone:

It was a very ordinary screenshot, completely unsuitable as a phone background image because it was filled with tiny icons and numbers.

It will conflict with and interfere with the images and text of various apps displayed on it, making it difficult for people to find the focus at first.

The only reason this screenshot became Dixie's phone background image is because it's a screenshot of the current Premier League standings.

In this screenshot, the team at the top of the league standings is Tyne!
They, along with Brighton White Hill, Clayton Sports, Hackney Knights, Sofia United, Helingham FC, and Sendham United, all won their matches this round of the league and are tied with three points.

However, due to a goal difference of four, they are currently ranked first due to their superior goal difference.

Fans of traditional powerhouses like Clayton Sports, Scorsese, and Hackney Cavaliers would likely scoff at Dixie's actions and laugh at Tyne's fans for being so unsophisticated.

So what if we're at the top of the league table?
What's there to be happy about in just this one round, the first round of the league?
The league can't end after just one round, can it?
What's so great about winning the first round of the league?
What a country bumpkin!
As Robbie Dixie showed his phone screen, he said to his boss, Collins, "Theo, I think you should print this out and hang it on your bar's wall!"

Jon Berg, who habitually banters with his old friend, teased him: "Have some guts, Robbie, this is only the first round..."

Dixie retorted: "So what? Let me tell you, Jon, don't be like those Manchester and Liverpool idiots online! For those big club fans, it might be a small step, but for me it's a giant leap – this is the first time in my life I've seen Tyne at the top of the league – not counting the Championship!"

He's right, and it's not just him; there's not a single Tyne fan who can still drink and chat in the Miners' Bar these days.

This is truly a rare scene in Tyne's team building history - in fact, Tyne has never been ranked first in the Premier League, not even once in a single round.

In terms of the history of the English top flight, the last time Tyne appeared at the top of the league table was in the 1957-1958 First Division season.

They topped the league table three times during that season, ultimately finishing fifth. That same season, Tyne won the Europa League's predecessor, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.

That was the most glorious season for Tyne's team.

It was indeed a very, very long time ago; even Jon Berg, the oldest person in this group, hadn't been born yet at that time.

No one hasn't seen Tyne at his most glorious—though that glory wasn't actually that great...

Berg smiled slightly: "How about..."

Just moments before, Dixie had been so aggressive, but upon hearing this opening, he immediately waved his hands repeatedly, interrupting Berg's "spellcasting":
"No! No bet! No bet!"

Berg ignored him and chuckled, "Who wants to bet with you? I mean, how about this, instead of just hanging up the first round of the league standings, print out every time Tyne appears at the top of the league standings and hang it on the wall, how about that?"

The bustling bar suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked at him with unspeakable expressions.

Dixie paused for a moment before exclaiming, "Well, Jon! I thought I was radical enough, but you're even more radical than me!"

Berg laughed and said, "I'm a conservative, and I think you're too conservative."

Everyone laughed, and no one mentioned Berg's suggestion again.

They all knew it was just a joke he and Dixie made during a playful argument, and no one took it seriously.

He only came up with an even more absurd suggestion because he wanted to mock Dixie's initial one...

The so-called "using magic to defeat magic".

As expected, Dixie didn't mention what he had just said again, showing that the effect was very significant.

They were happy that Tyne was at the top of the league table, but their happiness didn't go that far...

It usually lasts until the next game.

Whether they can still be happy depends on the result of the next game.

※※※

Robbie Dixie stood with his hands behind his head in the stands at Ashton Road Stadium.

It's halftime, but he's standing there, motionless, like a statue.

He was surrounded by fans of Tyne, just like him.

In this area reserved specifically for away fans, "statues" can be seen everywhere.

The stands opposite them were mostly empty, with many Clayton Sports fans having left their seats to buy a beer, grab some snacks, and relax.

Above the sparsely populated stands is the stadium's large screen.

It displayed the team logos, team names, and scores of both teams.

The first half has ended, and it's now halftime. The score is 2-0, with the home team Clayton Sports leading.

However, the score does not fully and objectively reflect the performance gap between the two teams in the first half.

Actually, Tyne played quite well at the beginning of the game, putting up a good fight against the defending champions on the road.

Vitini and Wang Lie each had a shot that threatened Clayton Athletic's goalkeeper Nathan Daye in the first fifteen minutes.

But after that, Tyne found it difficult to mount an effective offensive.

The home team, Clayton Athletic, gradually took control of the game and the pace of the match.

In the 28th minute, Tyne conceded the first goal.

The goal conceded was unremarkable; after Clayton Sports completely controlled the game, their superior teamwork and constant pressure on Tyne's penalty area eventually led to Tyne's defensive lapses, resulting in a missed opportunity for Clayton Sports midfielder Kevin Zimmer to score. However, after conceding the first goal, as Clayton Sports became increasingly comfortable, Tyne began to show signs of collapse. His players became increasingly aggressive in defense, resorting to fouls to stop their opponents.

In the 33rd minute, just five minutes after the first goal conceded, center-back Luca Helic, making his first official start for Tyne, tackled Clayton Athletic striker Eninho in the penalty area, not only giving Clayton Athletic a penalty but also receiving his second yellow card of the match, resulting in a red card and his dismissal from the field!
Kevin Zimmer himself took the penalty and calmly converted it, scoring his second goal of the match. He has now temporarily tied Wang Lie in the top scorer standings.

Trailing by two goals and with one less player, Tyne has been forced into a desperate situation!
With one less center-back, McNeil had to replace Cabella, one of the midfield trio, with Claire Onee, a center-back who previously played for Clayton Athletic.

Then Wang Lie was moved back slightly from the forward line to become a free agent in the attacking third.

Vitini and Ribeiro, the two wingers, moved inside and played as forwards.

Tyne's formation also changed from the 4-3-3 of the starting lineup to 4-2-1-2.

McNeil didn't substitute Ribeiro, but instead substituted Cabella, clearly hoping to maintain the ability to launch counter-attacks as much as possible.

However, in actual matches, Tyne, playing with one less player, struggled to compete against Clayton Sports, who were at full strength and in top form.

Their only hope is to avoid conceding another goal before the end of the first half.

"It feels like Witton Hill from the last round wore our jerseys and played these 45 minutes of the game..."

Jon Berg shook his head and muttered.

His casual remark aptly summarized Tyne's performance in the first half.

Just like in the first round when they played Witton Hill, except this time it was Witton Hill, and Clayton Athletic became the team they played in the last round of the league.

Before the match, they were still dreaming of defeating Clayton Sports away from home and staying at the top of the league standings.

Now that they've woken up from the dream, they're drenched in a cold sweat:
Tyne's opponent in this match is the defending champion, and on their home turf no less! How much did we drink to think we could beat a team that has won four consecutive league titles at home?!
※※※

"That penalty was the turning point of the game. It seemed somewhat accidental, but looking at the course of the match, it was also inevitable. Because before the foul, Helic already had a yellow card, and he would inevitably be targeted by Clayton Athletic. In the long run, he would inevitably be unable to focus on one area and make mistakes..."

During halftime, in the studio, commentator Zhao Chuanfeng was analyzing for Chinese fans watching the first half highlights why Tyne's performance in this match was so different from their performance in the previous league game, like two completely different teams.

"McNeil's starting lineup for this match was significantly different from the first league game. The central defensive pairing was entirely new, with Katic and Helic partnering up, and the midfield trio was also completely new. On paper, it was indeed the strongest lineup Tyne could field. However, the actual performance fell short of expectations. Similar to the warm-up matches, the midfield operation was problematic; the midfield triangle wasn't functioning well, making it difficult for the whole team to play well..."

"Actually, Tyne had the same problem in the last league match against Witton Hill. After Cabella came on in the second half, the new midfield trio performed worse than in the first half... But back then they were facing a Witton Hill team that had been completely overwhelmed, while now they are playing away against the defending champions, so naturally there will be a completely different result."

"Clayton Athletic exploited Tyne's weak midfield, applying extreme pressure to score and then quickly extend their lead. This tactic essentially took control of the game. Tyne did try to fight back, but it was futile. Clayton Athletic's overall strength is very balanced, with no obvious weaknesses or vulnerabilities. They are especially good at playing with a lead; once they take the lead, they are very stable..."

As Zhao Chuanfeng said, the biggest characteristic of Clayton Sports is their team football, with virtually no glaring weaknesses in any position. They are also remarkably consistent, a consistency unlike that of typical English teams.

Whether in a single match or in a league, once they establish an advantage, they will enter their most comfortable rhythm.

In the previous two Premier League title races, both Scorsese and Hackney Knights had consistently led Clayton Sports in the league.

Even so, Clayton Sports did not fall behind in the fierce competition. On the contrary, they kept close behind their top-ranked rivals, patiently waiting for them to make mistakes.

And if their opponents make a mistake, they will seize the opportunity to overtake them in the standings. Then they will firmly grasp their destiny in their own hands until they win the final championship.

Rayan Kochea's coaching philosophy is really well-suited to the marathon-like, long-running nature of league competitions.

In cup competitions where one or two matches are needed to determine the winner, Clayton's performance is less than stellar.

This is why Rayan Kochea has managed Clayton Sports for seven seasons since the 2030-2031 season, only winning the Champions League in his first season and then failing to win any titles since.

Even though they have achieved absolute dominance in the league, they just can't win the Champions League anymore.

Luo Jin asked, "I don't think McNeil is blind to the problems caused by the midfield combination, right? So why is he still insisting on using this inadequate solution in this match?"

"It's normal to field your strongest lineup against the defending champions. After all, with the same personnel last season, Tyne still lost to Clayton Sports here. So McNeil might want to try something new..." Zhao Chuanfeng tried to offer his guess.

Luo Jin sighed: "But it seems that this attempt was not successful!"

※※※

Luka Hertic, who was sent off with a red card in the 33rd minute, has been in the locker room for almost 20 minutes.

In the footage of hidden cameras set up by 2M Media, Hlitch, who had just returned to the locker room, appeared extremely angry about being sent off.

After entering the locker room, he threw the shin guards he was holding onto the ground, angrily cursing in his native language.

However, this emotional outburst did not last long. Soon, Heric sat down in front of his locker, put his hands on his thighs, and covered his face.

Hearing the crisp sound of sneakers' cleats hitting the marble floor outside, Heric stood up from his seat, waiting somewhat awkwardly for the locker room door to open.

After the door was pushed open, Vitini came in first. He was also very angry and cursed a few times.

Then he went straight to his seat and plopped down, without exchanging any words with Helitch throughout the entire process, as if he hadn't even seen Helitch.

After him, the other players entered the locker room one after another. Each person's reaction was different. Some were angry, some were frustrated, but they basically ignored Helic. He just stood there awkwardly in front of his position.

Only Vice-Captain Elliott Goetz walked up to Helitch and gave him a hug.

“That goal wasn’t your fault, Luca. Anyone in that position would have to foul. It was our team’s fault that gave Eninho the opportunity to get the ball there…”

While holding Helich, Goetz whispered in his ear.

However, the hidden camera couldn't record that sentence; it could only show that Goetz hugged Helitch for a longer time than usual.

As Goetz embraced Helich, Wang Lie walked in from outside.

When he came in, he neither threw his shin guards nor kicked away his water bottle. Instead, he walked straight to his seat with a sullen face, sat down without saying a word or moving, like a statue.

The camera lens seemed to capture the aura of "keep away" emanating from him.

The team's defensive midfielder, Lenny Isara, who came in next, was about to walk to his seat, but he was stunned when he saw Wang Lie right next to him.

Fu had previously warned that being around Wang could lead to burns.

As a result, after transferring to Tyne, he never found it difficult to get along with Wang. Yes, that's true, he has high expectations in training and matches, but considering Wang is the captain, isn't it normal for him to have such expectations?
What is there to worry about?
Until now.

In his eyes, the person sitting next to him didn't seem to be Wang Lie, but rather a huge fireball radiating intense light and heat.

So he hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should go over and sit down.

He was genuinely afraid of getting burned...

In the end, perhaps feeling that standing there would be even stranger—he didn't want to attract the attention of that "sun"—Isara still gritted his teeth and sat down next to Wang Lie, though he moved a little further away when he sat down.

This seemed to make him feel safe.

The substitutes, led by assistant coach Varro, were still warming up outside when head coach McNeil closed the door and addressed the eleven starters who had returned to the locker room:

"Forget all the things I taught you in training. The situation doesn't allow us to play like we used to. In the second half, we need to play more simply, go straight for the attacking players, and push forward if possible... We're down a man, so each of you needs to run and work harder than usual, pressing them from the start! We must score as soon as possible... I know it's difficult, but we have no other choice."

After speaking, McNeil stared at the tactics board in silence for a few seconds, seemingly deep in thought.

Then he changed his tone and said:
"This summer, the team underwent a significant overhaul, bringing in new players for many positions. A month and a half isn't enough time for us to gel, and everyone needs time to understand the new tactics. We will face many challenges and difficulties in the upcoming matches, like today's game. Our weaknesses were analyzed by the opponent, and we weren't lucky..."

"But this is an inevitable step for our team to mature, because some challenges are unavoidable. We can't always wait until everything is perfectly prepared before taking on a challenge; otherwise, we'll likely struggle to achieve anything significant this season. There's never a time when we're truly ready; there will always be unexpected events. The only constant is our courage and determination to face problems head-on. All the subjective and objective reasons I just mentioned cannot justify our defeat. I hope everyone can step up their game in the second half. We still have forty-five minutes left; let's fight to the very end!"

After he finished speaking, he looked at Wang Lie again, but the latter remained motionless, sitting firmly in his seat.

So he called on him: "Your Majesty, is there anything you would like to say?"

Wang Lie, who seemed to be in a different time and space from everyone else just now, seemed to have been awakened.

He slowly raised his head, looked at head coach McNeil, and nodded, saying, "Yes."

Then he got up from his seat and walked to the center of the locker room.

After he left, Lenny Isara found that the temperature around him had indeed dropped—he could swear to God that he felt it was real, he really felt like there was a heat source missing next to him!
Then look at Wang Lie. After walking to the center of the locker room, he pointed to his feet and said to his ten teammates:
"About five months ago, we lost to Clayton Sports here. I still remember it vividly: when I returned to the locker room after my urine test, I almost thought I was in the morgue—it was so quiet. Everyone seemed to be still reeling from the defeat and unable to leave the game."

“At that time, Clayton Sports was stronger than us, so it was reasonable for us to lose to them. But after losing that game, we all felt resentful.”

"That was the only game I lost in Tyne. And since that game, Tyne hasn't lost a single game. Looking back now, it was probably that defeat that ignited our competitive spirit. Defeat, in turn, became an opportunity for us to grow."

"But I feel that after a summer, we've become stronger than before, both in terms of skill on paper and mentally. I believe we're stronger than we were five months ago. So why should we still lose? Why must we use failure to force us to grow and mature? I don't understand. All I know is that I won't accept it!"

Wang Lie's tone was relatively calm when he spoke earlier, but when he said the last sentence, he suddenly raised his voice, as if a hammer had been slammed into a drum, making a loud noise that startled everyone.

"I don't accept defeat, not even a glorious defeat, not even a defeat that's only natural... whatever the defeat may be, I won't accept it!! Let's go and tell Clayton Sports that we are not who we were five months ago, and neither are they!"

After his resounding words, Wang Lie took a deep breath, calming his emotions and tone.
"Like the boss said, tell us to play simpler in the second half, and once we win the ball, just give it to me."

He poked his chest with his thumb.

(End of this chapter)