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Chapter 267 The Useless League Cup

Before the referee blew the final whistle, Meler Shapman stood motionless on the sidelines, like a statue.

He maintained that posture for five or six minutes.

Only after hearing those three heavenly whistles did his body sway slightly, and he came back to life.

He then turned and walked toward the away team's bench, preparing to shake hands with the head coach of Sedham.

The commentator exclaimed, "Match over! After a hard-fought battle, Sofia United have finally defeated Sendham 1-0 at home! After rumors of his dismissal surfaced, Meler Shapman has regained control of his destiny with a victory!"
"To be honest, Sofia United didn't play well in this game, otherwise they wouldn't have won by a single goal. But in these crucial moments, winning is more important than winning beautifully..."

When Shapman shook hands with the Sendham manager, the latter said "congratulations," but his expression, tone, and eyes revealed his resentment and displeasure.

Shapman fully understands this.

The better team in this match was actually the away team, Sedham, whose performance was dominated by various statistics.

Sadham had a whopping 19 shots on goal, while Sofia United only managed 8. Sadham also had 4 shots on target, twice as many as Sofia United.

Sideham had ten corner kicks, while Sofia had four.

Sedham had 67% possession, while Sofia had 33%.

Sedham United made 741 passes, while Sofia United made 221.

Sedham's pass completion rate is 88%, while Sofia's is 67%.

……

Looking at these data comparisons, and putting yourself in their shoes, if you were the Sendham manager, you would also be very dissatisfied and unhappy about losing this game.

So all he could do was comfort them, saying, "You did a great job..."

However, given his position, saying that always sounds like he's mocking the other person.

Shapman realized this too, so he added, "I mean it..."

Well, it sounds more like mockery.

So the Sendham manager didn't give Shapman a friendly look and turned to leave.

Shapman watched his companion's retreating figure and scratched his head.

Fortunately, he didn't chase after them to explain, otherwise the other party might have turned hostile on the spot.

He turned around to go up and celebrate the victory with his team, but as soon as he turned around, he saw that most of the Sofia players had already come off the field, and their celebration did not last long.

This made Shapman, who wanted to go up and celebrate with his teammates, feel a little awkward. He could only turn back and walk towards the players' tunnel.

The players' tunnel at Redstone Stadium is different from other stadiums; it's not in the exact center of the main stand, but rather at the angle between the main stand and the side stands.

Shapman had to walk past the main stand.

Throughout his journey, Sofia fans in the stands constantly roared and shouted at him:

"We shouldn't have won!"

"How dare they win with such a terrible performance?!"

We don't want those three points!

"If I were you, I would have resigned long ago!"

"You don't deserve Sorford United!"

Shapman heard the roars because they were really loud and right next to him.

But he pretended not to hear, walking straight past the disgruntled Sofia fans into the players' tunnel.

Meanwhile, in the VIP section above the presidential platform, club general manager Jonathan Hall did not smile despite the team's victory.

After all, he couldn't just fire the head coach after the team had won.

That would be a huge risk for him, as he would draw all the attention that should have gone to the head coach onto himself.

no need……

But at the same time, this victory also helped Hall out of a tight spot.

Jonathan Hall's phone kept ringing from last night until the start of the game this afternoon.

He was bombarded with messages and calls from various media reporters asking for his opinion on Conor Cauley's commentary, his opinion on that video, and his opinion on the likes and shares by Tyne players Vitini and Ribeiro...

Although he had ignored it, he knew that if Sofia United lost this game, he would not be able to avoid the media's questions.

However, after winning, he can hide himself away and let the legends and fans speak up for Sofia United spontaneously.

The three-game winning streak in the league and the League Cup can also give supporters of Sofia United the confidence to fight back.

It can greatly reduce the stress you experience.

That's why Jonathan Hall had that complex, ambiguous smile after the game, a reflection of his inner turmoil.

※※※

On Monday evening, after having dinner and cleaning up the kitchen, Tang Lin returned to his room to prepare for his studies.

Then he heard the landlord, Mr. Berg, call out to him from the living room: "Don!"

He ran to the stairwell and saw Mr. Berg standing in the entrance hall, holding a hat, looking like he was about to go out.

"I'm just letting you know I'm going to a bar, so you don't need to worry about me."

Upon seeing Tang Lin, Mr. Berg said this.

Tang Lin then asked, "Do you need me to pick you up?"

Mr. Berg shook his head: "No need, I won't drink too much. I'm just going to watch the League Cup draw."

"Huh, are we drawing lots today?" Tang Lin asked, somewhat surprised.

"Yes, the draw will be broadcast live at 7:30 tonight. Everyone agreed to get together and see which team we'll be drawn against in the fourth round."

The League Cup concluded all third-round matches last week, and the sixteen teams that have advanced to the fourth round have been determined.

Only six teams remain in the lower leagues.

Which team Tyne is drawn against could very well determine how far he can go in this season's League Cup.

As a Tyne fan, it's natural to pay extra attention.

"Do you want to go see it, Tang?" Berg asked Tang Lin.

Tang Lin shook his head: "I won't go, I still need to review. Just tell me the final result when you come back."

Although he's a Tyne fan, his primary identity is that of an international student. His studies are more important.

Besides, it's just the League Cup draw, not the Champions League draw. He wasn't particularly concerned about who Tyne would face in the League Cup.

He didn't care much about the wins and losses in the League Cup.

The last League Cup match was Tyne's first League Cup game of the season, but most Tyne fans wouldn't have cared much if it weren't for the story of Exeter United fans asking for help. Otherwise, the fans at the Miners' Bar wouldn't have called on everyone to go to the stadium to watch the game.

This precisely illustrates that not many Tyne fans actually care about the League Cup – they might have cared in the past because they could only participate in domestic competitions, and the League Cup and FA Cup were very important competitions besides the league.

But now that Tyne can participate in the Champions League, who cares about the League Cup?

Tang Lin felt that Mr. Berg's claim that everyone should get together to watch the League Cup draw was just an excuse.

I guess that's what these old men tell their families, but actually they just want to get together, drink, and brag.

Tang Lin was confident that no one would drink too much. After all, there was no competition, so everyone's emotions wouldn't be too high.

It was just a group of people getting together to chat, brag, and have a few drinks.

He might only have one drink in a whole night.

For these men in their sixties and seventies, having someone to talk to and have some fun with is actually more beneficial to their health.

While alcohol is certainly not good for you, it's probably even worse for your health to keep them at home watching TV...

Therefore, Tang Lin did not expose Mr. Berg's excuse.

Berg didn't try to persuade Tang Lin to come with him, knowing that Tang Lin was a student and his studies should be his priority. He nodded, put on his hat, and turned to leave.

After watching the landlord leave, Tang Lin returned to his room, sat down at his desk, put on his headphones, turned on some music, and quickly immersed himself in the world of knowledge.

※※※

Inside the miners' bar, people kept coming in; they were all neighbors living nearby, and all fans of Tyne.

Tang Lin guessed correctly; most people came because they could chat with their old friends.

When they meet, they raise their glasses in greeting, but they don't actually down their drinks in one gulp. Instead, they take a sip of crisp, light beer, put down their glasses, and continue chatting.

Unlike the Chinese who need to have snacks with their drinks, these British people just drank plain.

Since there's no need to eat side dishes, each person only needs one glass, so it can last a long time. Only when watching a game, or when emotions run high, will people drink in large gulps, sometimes even spilling their drinks everywhere in their excitement. This is also when the bar sells its best drinks.

Today's gathering is ostensibly to watch the League Cup fourth round draw together.

But the most talked-about topic is actually Tyne's current ranking in the Premier League.

After all the Premier League matches concluded yesterday, the standings for the seventh round of the season have been finalized.

With Clayton Sports losing 1-2 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, only Tyne and Hackney Knights remain unbeaten in the league.

However, Hackney Knights drew with Waltham in the North London derby in the last round of the league.

In addition, they were held to a 2-2 draw by Heringham FC at home in the third round.

So, although he is undefeated like Tyne, he has fewer points than Tyne.

As a result, Tyne now sits atop the league standings with nineteen points.

Moreover, unlike before, we don't have to be tied with Clayton Sports on points, but only have a better goal difference to surpass them.

They are now the undisputed number one in the league!

There are now six screenshots of the league standings on the wall of the Miners' Bar.

This means that in the seven rounds of the league, Tyne was in first place for six of them.

Such a wonderful start to the league season is something even the most fervent and extreme Tyne fans couldn't have imagined.

But now it has actually happened.

These six screenshots on the wall are the best proof.

Robbie Dixie looked at the stickers on the wall, then at his phone screen. He had previously used a screenshot of the leaderboard as his phone's background image, thinking it might be a once-in-a-lifetime moment, and wanted to keep it as a memento.

Who would have thought that after the first seven rounds, Tyne held the top spot in the league for six of them...

When Dixie topped the list for the second time, he also changed his background image to the latest league ranking.

And so they were replaced one after another.

This is now the sixth background image.

Upon seeing his phone's lock screen, Jon Berg, who was standing next to him, laughed and said, "Shouldn't you create a folder on your phone specifically for these pictures?"

Dixie unlocked his phone, opened the photo album to show him, and there really was a folder named "2037-2038 Season Standings".

"I've been prepared for this for a long time!"

Berg smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

Ryan, who was standing next to him, asked, "If this continues, will we definitely qualify for the Champions League next season?"

Although they've only played one Champions League match, Tyne's fans have already begun to enjoy following the team on their European campaigns.

So this is what life was like for fans of those BIG6 powerhouse clubs in the past?

It’s so cool!
Jon Berg poured cold water on Ryan's enthusiasm: "Don't think about the end of the season right now, enjoy the present."

Dixie said, "Regardless of the final result, I unilaterally declare this season the best in Tyne's history! I'm satisfied..."

He finished speaking, took a sip of beer, and then let out a satisfied groan.

Everyone in the bar was chatting excitedly about the present and dreaming about the future.

It wasn't until the League Cup draw announcement appeared on television that their attention gradually shifted to the League Cup.

People started speculating about which team they would be drawn against.

"It doesn't matter who we draw. The only purpose of the League Cup is to give substitute players a chance to play..."

"Actually, I think the team should give up on the League Cup. We're competing on two fronts this season, so there's really no need to waste our energy on the League Cup..."

Robbie Dixie's words immediately garnered support from the vast majority of fans.

Tyne fans are living the good life now; they not only look down on the League Cup, but also consider it a burden...

However, Dixie is not wrong.

Fighting on multiple fronts requires making choices. With Tyne's strength, if they don't make choices, they may be dragged down by fighting on multiple fronts. Don't be fooled by their current first place in the league; they are only two points ahead of the second-placed Hackney Cavaliers.

This two-point lead is negligible and insignificant throughout the season.

We certainly can't give up on the Champions League, and we can't give up on the league either.

This definitely means we'll have to fight on two fronts.

Then we have no choice but to give up on domestic cup competitions.

FA Cup... Tain fans have differing opinions, after all, the FA Cup has a more important historical status and significance. Before the Premier League, the FA Cup was once the most important.

In comparison, the League Cup, with its lack of long history and lowest status, would naturally be the first to be disliked.

Of course, giving up doesn't mean playing passively and intentionally losing the game.

Instead, they fielded a reserve team. If they could advance, they would; if they were eliminated, no one complained. They treated it as a training opportunity for the reserve team and didn't make any demands on their performance.

So Tang Lin was right. These people weren't there to watch the League Cup draw at all; they were just looking for an excuse to get together for drinks and conversation.

However, while it may be an excuse, it doesn't mean they have no interest in who their opponent will be in the next round of the League Cup.

Therefore, when the lottery officially began on the television, everyone quieted down and focused on the television screen.

Compared to the highly ceremonial Champions League draw, the League Cup draw seemed rather perfunctory.

In the studio, two hosts take turns giving a brief introduction to how each team advanced to the round of 16.

Because of the story of Exeter United, when introducing Tyne, we talked a little more about him.

The article highlighted the campaign initiated by Tyne's fans.

This delighted the Tyne fans at the Miners' Bar: "Ha! We're on TV!"

After introducing the sixteen teams, there were no artistic performances or award ceremonies.

There wasn't even a live audience; the two hosts started drawing lots right in front of the camera.

The League Cup draw is completely random, with no avoidance rules.

However, the Tyne fans didn't seem to care; they remained calm and didn't appear as anxious as they would be during the Champions League draw.

Come on, anyone can come.

If you win, you advance to the quarterfinals; if you lose, you go home.

It doesn't matter...

Everyone continued watching the live stream while drinking and chatting.

When Sofia was drawn, they were still making comments:
"Oh dear, I wonder if Shapman can even hold on until the League Cup..."

The fourth round of the League Cup is in early November, which is still a month away.

But rumors about Mailer Shapman's dismissal are flying everywhere, sounding as if they were true.

Tyne fans used to look up to the powerhouse Sofia United.

But ever since that 9-0 defeat last season, plus that recent video incident, everyone has been treating Solskjaer United as a joke.

The conversation was filled with undisguised banter and teasing.

There was also a hint of schadenfreude.

Amid this joyful atmosphere, Sofia United's opponent in the League Cup Round of 16 was also drawn.

"Tyne." The host couldn't help but laugh out loud when he announced the name.

The miners' bar fell silent, everyone staring blankly at the television screen.

After a series of animations, Tyne's name did indeed appear in the list of opponents for Sofia United.

Upon realizing it was true, the Tyne fans in the bar erupted in a huge cheer:
"Kill them!"

"Hahaha! What a great lot! An absolutely wonderful lot!"

"Well done, FA! You know what we want to see!"

Amid cheers, Robbie Dixie raised his hands and shouted, "Get ready to grab tickets, guys! Let's get to Redstone Stadium and avenge the King!"

He received a warm response from everyone: "For the King!"

what?
You say the League Cup is meaningless, and winning or losing doesn't matter?
That's with other teams.

We must win the game against Sofia United, we can only win!
(End of this chapter)