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Chapter 216 While it's hot
"...Tayne managed a 3-3 draw against Clayton Sports despite being down to ten men, making it the most talked-about match of the round and the focus of post-match discussions. I saw that Tayne fans online were very proud and excited, and I understand their excitement, after all, it was indeed a very exciting match."

"But as a professional football commentator, I still have to pour some cold water on them at this time... Of course, Tyne fans might think I'm deliberately looking for an angle to criticize their team. But no matter what they think, some things still need to be said. After all, this is my professional ethics as a football commentator."

"To put it simply, somewhat counterintuitively, Tyne's performance in these two rounds has not been as good as everyone thought. On the contrary, beneath the glamorous surface of an undefeated record in the first two rounds lies the biggest hidden danger of this team, a powder keg that could explode at any moment!"
"Don't rush. If you are an objective and rational Tyne fan, I believe that after reading what I'm about to say, you will wholeheartedly agree with my point of view."

"Now I ask all Tyne fans to carefully consider the entire match against Clayton. Why did Tyne play so poorly in the first half? Was it because they were down to ten men? Before Helic was sent off, were Tyne and Clayton evenly matched? Helic's foul resulted in a penalty, and he received a yellow card. But does one yellow card warrant a red card? How did he get his other yellow card?"

"Okay, looking back, I believe every objective and rational Tyne fan should admit that before Helic was sent off, Tyne's overall performance was far from good; they were completely dominated by Clayton Athletic. Let me put it bluntly—Tyne, with one less player, actually performed better than Tyne with a full complement of players. Doesn't anyone find that strange?"

"What caused this counterintuitive phenomenon? Of course, it's what I repeatedly mentioned during preseason training—Tyne spent too much money on signings this summer. Each signing was excellent, and none of them were unknown players. But how do you mold so many key players from their respective clubs into a cohesive unit when they come to a new team?"
"With so many new players joining the team, Tyne's head coach McNeil is still trying to implement entirely new tactics, essentially overturning the style of play that Tyne insisted on last season. He could have maintained stability by relying on the existing squad and playing style, but now with so many new players and completely new tactics, everyone has to re-understand and adapt to them. It would be a miracle if Tyne's performance was good after the league started..."

"However, Tyne's 4-0 victory over Witton Hill in the first round of the league, and the fact that they had a player sent off in this round, have masked Tyne's underlying structural problems, diverting attention from the real issues. Especially in the match against Clayton Athletic, it seemed as if all of Tyne's problems stemmed from having a player sent off in the 33rd minute..."

"But in reality, Tyne performed even better in the second half after being reduced to ten men. Because of the lack of players, McNeil couldn't stick to his new tactics, and Tyne was forced to adopt a simple and direct style of play. The result was surprisingly good. Putting aside those complicated tactics and letting the players perform simple combinations is the most suitable for this cobbled-together 'mercenary' team."

"So I think if McNeil hasn't been blinded by the performance of holding Clayton to a draw with ten men, then what he should do now is abandon his original obsession, refer to the second half against Clayton, and make the team's tactics simpler and more direct. Since Wang is in such good form, then as long as we try to get the ball to Wang in the game, and then the other players create space for Wang, create opportunities for Wang to shoot and score, wouldn't that be enough?"

Someone forwarded Lawrence Dadomor's latest masterpiece to the group chat and exclaimed, "How did Dadomor suddenly change his tune? He's actually starting to say nice things about Brother Wang?"

As soon as Xiao Cheng saw the title of the article, he knew what it was about, because he had already read it beforehand. He didn't expect that someone would share it in the group.

So he quickly typed out the analysis for the group members:
"What do you mean by praising someone? He seems objective, neutral, and professional, but in the end, he still reveals his true colors. You think he's praising Brother Wang, but actually, he's trying to undermine him. That way, if Tyne loses a game later, he can say that Brother Wang didn't score, or scored too few goals. Basically, he's forcibly linking the team's performance to Brother Wang. Unless Tyne keeps winning and remains undefeated, he'll always have a reason and angle to criticize Brother Wang. It just fits this idiot's usual style. I don't even need to read the whole article, or even just the AI ​​summary, to know exactly what he said. It's like a leopard can't change its spots; the stench of excrement emanates from his mouth as soon as he opens it."

※※※

“Look, Cesar, that’s the use of a guy like Dadomo: whatever he says, you can’t go wrong if you do the opposite of what he says. He says we should make the tactics simpler and more direct, give the ball to the king, and let the king handle the battle alone, so we absolutely must not listen to him, ha!”

McNeil laughed as he spoke.

César Varo was also laughing.

However, he knew his partner was joking and that the decision wasn't actually based on Dadom's article.

After all, the sun doesn't actually appear when a rooster crows...

Tyne's coaching staff already knew that in the last game against Clayton Sports, the team performed better overall and had a more fluid attack in the second half despite being down to ten men.

Indeed, some coaches have suggested that the team could continue playing the same style of play as they did in that half.

But McNeil rejected it.

He also held a special internal meeting with the coaching staff to unify their thinking and tell everyone that they should not change their established goals and the new tactics they had been practicing for a month and a half just because of their excellent performance in the first half.

If we were to switch to a simple and brutal approach at this point, we would be going backwards.

The match against Clayton Sports was unique and is not a reliable reference.

After all, we can't always expect Wang Lie to have a breakout performance in every game, nor can we always expect Tain's players to maintain enough focus and fighting spirit in future games.

Humans are not machines; their physical condition and mental state can change at any time.

If you put all your eggs in one basket with one player, the outcome of the game can easily be affected by fluctuations in that player's form.

What's the point of having a coach then?

Why not just tie a dog to the coach's bench?

In essence, tactics are about maximizing the potential of each player, making the best players perform even better, and minimizing the weaknesses of the team.

If Wang Lie's form fluctuates, the tactics can cover for him – even Wang Lie himself probably can't guarantee that he will be at his best in every game.

The tactic of "giving the ball to Wang Lie" is only a special tactic used in special situations.

Since it is special, it cannot be used as a conventional weapon.

Therefore, Dadomo's article may seem objective and neutral, but it is actually satirizing Wang Lie's individual heroism.

Tyne's tactics for the next game against last season's runners-up, the Scorsese, have already been determined.

We will still use new tactics and a new lineup.

Apart from Hlic, who is suspended due to a red card, the starting lineup will not be significantly changed.

What they need now is to use actual matches to refine their teamwork, rather than changing the starting lineup every game to showcase the head coach's creativity.

Of course, in addition to official matches, the team will also arrange more training matches during training sessions to allow players to familiarize themselves with their respective positions and responsibilities in this new tactic in an environment that is as close to actual combat as possible.

For example, this week they arranged a training match between the team and the reserve team.

As for the team's internal scrimmages, those are almost a daily part of training sessions.

To McNeil's delight, the players' understanding and chemistry seemed to have improved after the match against Clayton, resulting in excellent training outcomes.

As Wang Lie said, that match seemed to become the team's "coming-of-age ceremony," bringing everyone together.

Especially the midfield trio.

Isala, Pisano, and Cabella come from three different teams and are not familiar with each other. Pisano and Cabella are a little better off, at least they both speak Spanish, play in La Liga, and have faced each other on the field before, so they know each other's characteristics to some extent.

Pisano's English was alright, but Cabella's English was limited to basic listening; she could only speak Spanish.

Isara previously played in Ligue 1, and his English vocabulary was quite limited, aside from his native French.

This is also one of the important reasons why they didn't have enough chemistry on the field before - without communication, how could the three of them form a smooth and efficient midfield?

Now, after a tough competition, they have begun to develop a "comradeship" forged through life and death, and their language learning may have yielded some progress... In short, during training and matches, they often shout to remind each other.

For example, when Isara is about to go up, he will call out to remind Pisano or Cabella.

Similarly, when Pisano drops back to the defensive midfield position, he tells Isara that he can make a forward run.

In addition to this simple exchange, the three of them gradually began to communicate more deeply in the locker room using simple English vocabulary.

Renzo Pisano, whose English was relatively the best, took on the important task of translation.

Of course, thanks to advanced AI technology, they use translation apps on their phones to help when they really can't figure it out.

To be honest, whether they can understand each other's languages ​​is just an excuse. What they really need is for each other to be genuinely willing to get closer and understand each other.

The match against Clayton provided a great opportunity for them to "break the ice" with each other.

At the very least, they can use that match as a "starting point" when exchanging ideas:
"Lenzo, that long pass you made to the king was absolutely brilliant!"

"I also have to thank you for your accurate prediction and decisive tackle, Lenny!"

"Sigh, you two both played crucial roles in that match. I, on the other hand, could only be a spectator..."

"Don't be discouraged, Sergi. I know your abilities. You gave FC Madrid a lot of trouble when you were at Sporting Basque Country. I believe you will soon show your strength here."

"That's right, I really admire your footwork. There were some balls I didn't even understand, how did you manage to bring them out of the crowd..."

……

And so the conversation started, and they could talk about many things. The three of them even arranged to have a meal together...

Just like a lyric goes:

Strike while the iron is hot to succeed.

Some things just have to be done while they're hot.

Doing it before the initial enthusiasm cools down yields the best results and achieves twice the outcome with half the effort.

This is what is called an "opportunity," just like when a couple goes on a date to see a horror movie or visit a haunted house.

※※※ “Oh dear, a reporter captured images of the Pisano, Isara, and Cabella families having dinner together…”

Liu Zhong, who was looking down at his phone, suddenly spoke.

Guo Xuequan, who was sitting across from him waiting for his food, nodded: "I saw it too."

Liu Zhong speculated, "I remember after the first two games, there were rumors online about discord among the Tyne midfield trio, right? They were probably deliberately leaked to the media to prove that the three of them were perfectly fine, weren't they?"

"That's somewhat true." Guo Xuequan confirmed Liu Zhong's guess: "After all, some rumors get more and more outrageous as they spread. If we don't make a statement, it might really affect the upcoming matches. I think this approach is actually very good. It's not too deliberate, and it lets everyone know that the three of them are actually fine. After all, if it were just the three of them eating, it could be said to be just putting on an act, but since they all brought their families, it shouldn't be an act."

In fact, rumors of discord among Tyne's three new midfielders had already surfaced after the first match, and the details noted by Clayton Sports manager Rajon Kochea were also noticed by others.

However, the fact that Tyne's 4-0 victory over Witton Hill was so dazzling, coupled with the buzz surrounding their league-leading position, overshadowed all these issues.

This aligns well with the consistent principle of the football world—victory solves everything; as long as you win, no problem is insurmountable.

However, after drawing with Clayton Sports in the second round, the attention on Tyne's midfield trio has increased significantly.

Even though Wang Lie single-handedly saved the team, it once again proved that his title of "King of Adversity" was well-deserved.

Some people might not be able to help but ask: "Then why did they suddenly find themselves in such a desperate situation?"

This question will immediately draw everyone's attention to Tyne's midfield.

Before Helic's second yellow card, Tyne was consistently on the defensive. There were many reasons for this, but the most obvious one was the lack of coordination among the midfielders.

So while praising Wang Lie's individual heroism, people also didn't forget to point the finger at Tyne's midfield.

Considering their lack of passing and defensive positioning during the match, isn't this solid evidence of a conflict among the three midfielders?
In just one day, similar voices began to emerge in greater numbers.

Some people criticized Pisano, Isara, and Cabella on social media. Others created various long and short videos to analyze the details of their performances during the match, using this to prove that there were indeed conflicts between them.

With such momentum, even those who initially doubted the three's relationship were starting to switch sides.

If such a "rumor" becomes something that everyone is spreading and confidently asserting to be "true," then the "rumor" is no longer a "rumor" but will become the "truth" in everyone's collective memory.

The old saying that "rumors stop with the wise" is completely inapplicable now.

With the development of information networks, rumors spread so fast that they don't even have time to be recognized by "wise people" before they become a monstrous wave that sweeps away countless "fools" and crushes any "wise person" who dares to refute them along the way.

Furthermore, AI technology extracts information and data from the internet. If a piece of fake news spreads widely online, when someone uses AI to search for related information, the AI ​​will give a positive answer. In this way, users will be misled by the AI, believe it to be true, and spread rumors as if they were the truth.

After such repeated cycles, the history in people's memories will become unrecognizable.

In Guo Xuequan's view, whether this was intentional on the part of the club or an unintentional act by the three individuals, the overall effect of the publicity was quite good.

After all, he and Liu Zhong both saw the message at the same time.

He concluded by saying, "...If Tyne can win, then the rumors of conflict among the midfield trio will naturally fall apart, and no one will spread them anymore."

"But Tyne's next opponent is the Scorsese."

Guo Xuequan said, "That's a really good opponent."

After saying that, the two looked at each other and laughed.

They were clearly reminded of the game last season where Tyne beat the Scorsese 3-2 at home, a game that left them with wonderful memories.

After laughing, Liu Zhong remarked, "Speaking of which, the time before this match between Tyne and the Scouts was much quieter than the last time their two teams played each other."

Before the match started, as media reporters, we were all waiting for Scorsese and Tyne and Wang Lie to start a war of words.

After all, Skos and Wang Lie had a lot to settle, and were absolute "sworn enemies".

There was no prior animosity between Scorsese and Tyne, but they lost to Tyne away last season, which created a grudge – don't they want revenge this season?
Before the match, the Scottish team was eerily quiet.

The team did not start any verbal battles, and the players did not talk about any past grievances with Wang Lie.

Moreover, not only the Scorsese team and players, but even the local media in Liverpool, where Scorsese is located, rarely remained calm and restrained when facing Wang Lie.

Before the two sides met last season, fans on the other side had created various related topics and argued about them on social media platforms, which even led to an "internal strife" incident.

In comparison, the situation before this competition was indeed "calm and peaceful".

Guo Xuequan quipped, "Perhaps after Wang Lie shattered Clayton Sports' reigning champion aura with a hat-trick, the Scotts and Liverpool media suddenly woke up and realized that angering Wang Lie usually doesn't end well..."

"Things have calmed down a lot in China compared to last time."

“That’s normal. Before, the Crown Prince wanted to seize power ahead of schedule, but now the Emperor has directly suppressed him. So the people around the Crown Prince will naturally quiet down a bit…” Guo Xuequan said. “Besides, the Crown Prince’s performance isn’t exactly good right now, and the Emperor is at the height of his power. The Crown Prince’s fans don’t have the confidence to argue with people online, so the atmosphere seems more harmonious.”

Hearing Guo Xuequan say this, Liu Zhong curled his lips: "If the peace on the internet is achieved by sacrificing the performance of one player, then I would rather the fans of both sides keep arguing online like last season, at least it shows that both players performed very well."

Although he emotionally leans more towards Wang Lie—after all, they are about the same age and he practically grew up watching Wang Lie play football—as a Chinese journalist, Liu Zhong is much more clear-headed than those brainless fans online. He hopes that every Chinese player will perform well.

After all, football is a team sport. If we want to achieve outstanding results and make history in next year's World Cup, we can't rely on Wang Lie alone.

Chi Zhen is the most talented and capable player after Wang Lie, and his performance and form are directly related to the Chinese team's prospects in the World Cup.

Therefore, he absolutely did not want the competition between Chi Zhen and Wang Lie to be a "zero-sum game," but rather a "win-win" situation.

In the first round of the Premier League, Wang Lie scored twice. Although Witton Hill, where Feng Qiyuan plays, lost the game, his performance was also commendable. Of the three Chinese players currently playing in the Premier League, only Chi Zhen has been criticized.

Especially when compared to Sonny Dean's outstanding performance, Chi Zhen's performance seemed all the more appalling.

In that match, Chi Zhen's Scotts were held to a 1-1 draw by Kensington away from home. Dean scored a beautiful goal to help his team secure a draw.

But in fact, the Scorsese could have prevented Kensington from equalizing – if Chi Zhen had seized that almost open goal opportunity in the 51st minute, the score would have been 2-0.

Kensington's morale will likely be severely damaged, and Dean's chances of scoring the equalizer with a spectacular long-range shot are probably slim.

At that moment, Chi Zhen received a long pass from teammate Ryan Boissière, made a beautiful run to beat the offside trap, dribbled past the onrushing Kensington goalkeeper Pablo Gorkin, and then kicked the ball over the crossbar...

Because of that final shot error, Chi Zhen was ridiculed by many after the match.

What about "world-class forward runs, European-level dribbling past goalkeepers, and neighborhood-level shooting"? What about "I could do that too!" "My grandma is amazing"...

Although Scorsese defeated Bournemouth 3-1 in the second round, Chi Zhen's performance was mediocre and not particularly outstanding.

In fact, his performance was quite average and would be considered acceptable under normal circumstances, but who could blame him when Wang Lie suddenly became a god in that round of the league?

Compared to this, Chi Zhen seems like someone just standing on the side of the road...

Given this behavior, Chi Zhen's fans can only keep a low profile for a while now, and they wouldn't dare to provoke Wang Lie's fans like before.

So it seems much quieter on the Chinese internet now—but it's only relatively quiet, since Wang Lie's fans are anything but quiet...

The fact that the two fan groups have fought to this extent means that it's no longer just a matter between the two players. In fact, how the two players act is no longer important to their extreme fan groups.

"I wonder if the match against Tyne will motivate Chi Zhen to perform even better... I heard a rumor," Guo Xuequan said to Liu Zhong, "Although Wang Lie is currently the core player of the national team, it seems that Chi Zhen hasn't given up on competing with Wang Lie for that position..."

Liu Zhong was surprised: "Really?"

Guo Xuequan smiled slightly: "According to well-informed sources who wish to remain anonymous..."

Reporters always have "informants" who can provide them with exclusive leads. Guo Xuequan, as a well-known CCTV football reporter, has been in this circle for many years and must have his own unique network of connections. So, just by saying that, Liu Zhong immediately believed him without bothering to find out who the "unnamed" informant was.

But he still found the news unbelievable: "Is Chi Zhen really that brave?! It doesn't seem like something he would do..."

He then frowned: "Hiss... I suddenly realized, could it be that Gil wouldn't let Chi Zhen start in this match?"

Guo Xuequan was stunned when he heard this. He hadn't thought about this question before, but after Liu Zhong brought it up, he realized that what the other party said was entirely possible!
After all, Chi Zhen's performance in the first two rounds of the league was not exactly good...

(End of this chapter)