Team Spirit

Chapter 170 (1.1 words) Arsenal is the team that beats everyone? The Europa League is better than the Champions League!
The match then entered halftime.

Valencia is now in a very passive position.

The aggregate score is now 2-3, with them trailing by one goal.

However, due to the away goals rule, they need to score two goals to take the lead.

Therefore, they must find a way to attack.

Baraja ultimately made his name in the defensive midfield position, and under his guidance, Valencia's proactive attacking quality was not high.

Vincent is probably the only player the team can count on.

Meanwhile, Vincent was talking to Marchena.

Vincent: "My calf feels a bit uncomfortable, a little tight, and I'd like to see the team doctor."

Marchena waved his hand: "Don't even mention it. All they did was suggest you see a psychologist. I heard the hospital our team's medical staff works at is owned by the husband of the mistress of one of the club's higher-ups..."

Dartford locker room.

Lu Kai circled Valencia's three forwards with his pen: "In the second half, we need to focus on marking their forwards."

"It has to be close-quarters and intense. As long as it's not in dangerous areas like the top of the arc, take them down if necessary, don't worry about getting cards or cost-effectiveness."

“Essien, their forwards drop back to receive the ball more often. Between chasing them and the defensive midfield position, we can lean towards the former.”

After all, the purpose of a defensive midfielder holding his position is to prevent others from easily breaking through from the middle.

But if there's no one in front of the opponent, then it doesn't matter whether you shoot through or not.

"Barton, Toure, you can participate in the attack, but if one of you goes up, the other has to come down." This is Dartford's standard operating procedure, as Lu Kai said.

Especially when attacking down the left flank, Barton often drops back to assist in defense, while Toure pushes forward to provide finishing options in the middle or on the right.

"The person who goes up, together with the striker, will press them in the attacking third." Lu Kai drew a few crosses. "The goal is not to directly steal the ball, but to force their defense to quickly pass the ball to the attacking third and launch long balls."

Logical closed loop.

It's impossible to completely prevent Valencia from attacking; the key is to guide their attacks in the direction you want Dartford to attack.

In addition, this tactic also mainly targets the weakness of the opponent's midfield core Baraja, who is not good at directing the attack.

If Aimar were to play instead, Dartford would be in a slightly more troublesome situation, as Essien would be tied up with Aimar.

Soon, the second half of the game began.

In the 53rd minute, Valencia launched a direct attack down the right flank, but Ferut failed to find an opportunity and passed the ball back to Baraja.

Baraja passed the ball directly into the penalty area, looking for the far post.

Vincent arrived at the right time, but Duff easily suppressed him and cleared the ball with a header.

Heading tactics are not something Valencia's forwards excel at.

In the 57th minute, Navarro was under pressure and made a long pass on the left to Vincent. Vincent used his speed to successfully intercept the ball and deliver a cross.

Angulo in the middle lane was unable to jump due to Lescott's pressure.

Ferut, positioned at the back, successfully suppressed Ashley Young and secured the point.

But this also disrupted their footwork, resulting in an awkward attack that resembled a block shot... and the ball flew into the stands.

Ashley Young smiled slightly.

Easily defended!

"Hey Young, you need to work harder. Don't let him get the position he wants so easily." Lescott, seeing Ashley Young struggling to defend, shared some tips from a top English center-back.

Ashley Young grinned, then turned his head and his face immediately darkened.

Need your guidance?

Does he really think he's Ferdinand?

Even if the real Ferdinand came to my Green Gun, he would still have to respectfully call me "Vice GOAT"!
As transfer rumors swirled, Ashley Young increasingly felt that some of his teammates didn't respect him enough.

But actually, he has sensitive skin.

He's always been like that; it's just that he thinks others have become more valuable and has gradually become arrogant.

In the 64th minute, Valbuena made a series of changes of direction on the right side, using his agility to successfully break into the penalty area before passing the ball laterally to Toure.

Unfortunately, the ball was misplaced and passed behind Toure.

Sissoko immediately confiscated the football.

Toure quickly gave chase.

Sissoko felt the pressure and made a long through pass to Ferut, who had dropped back to receive the pass.

In this counter-attack, Dartford's central and midfield areas were quite vulnerable, and Sissoko's pass easily penetrated Dartford's midfield.

However, Essien closely marked Ferut, preventing Ferut from turning after receiving the ball and forcing him to continue dribbling back.

Just as Ferut was thinking about how to get rid of Essien and continue passing the ball forward, Essien suddenly accelerated from the side and made a close-range sliding tackle, poking the ball away.

Ferut and Essien fell to the ground, but that wasn't a foul.

Gilardino, who was also involved in the defensive recovery, regained possession of the ball, turned around, picked up the ball, and accelerated, making a very decisive move.

Baraja stretched out his leg but failed to clear the ball; instead, he hooked Gilardino.

Gilardino staggered forward.

Dartford players raised their hands, indicating a foul.

Given that it's not far from the edge of the penalty area, this would be a very dangerous free kick, and Baraja would likely get a card.

Baraja pretended nothing was wrong, but he didn't dare to continue pulling Gilardino.

But in that moment of relaxation, Gilardino successfully regained his balance, but instead of straightening his body completely, he used his swaying posture to suddenly fire a shot outside the arc before falling to the ground.

Everything was done to save time.

Swish!
The football hit the left post of the goal and bounced in.

Canizares was powerless to do anything.

"GOAL! Four to one! Dartford have blown the game out of control!"

"Their pressing was too much for Valencia to handle."

"It seems Benitez is still young and is at a disadvantage in his battle of wits with Alfred."

"Okay, Alfred yawned. Looks like he's lost interest in the game. Maybe it's a subtle form of sarcasm, but I don't believe Alfred would actually be sleepy in such an important game."

Ten Hah's lips twitched.

He didn't believe it at first, until he heard the snoring just now.

Valencia made a substitution.

Forward Oliveira replaced Sissoko.

Intensify the attack.

Oliveira is a truly legendary player. His legend lies in the fact that despite his mediocre performance at Valencia, he was sold to Real Betis for a paltry three million pounds at the end of this season.

Then the following season he scored a whopping 22 goals in La Liga, more than Valencia's four main strikers combined.

Others score goals to win, but he scores goals to humiliate his former team.

He later joined AC Milan, but his sister was kidnapped and was only safely ransomed five months later.

In addition, he holds the record for the fastest goal in the world, having scored just 2.8 seconds into the game in 1998.

One coach called him a "striker without any weaknesses".

However, this kind of evaluation often implies that the striker has no highlights.

In the 71st minute, Oliveira, with his abundant energy, successfully made a run down the right flank and delivered a low, triangular pass.

Albelda's volley hit the crossbar and bounced away.

For a moment, people were unsure whether this was still Valencia's home ground.

The opponent hit the post and scored.

It hit the crossbeam and bounced out.

You're siding with outsiders, aren't you?

This offensive play was also related to Ashley Young's poor defense.

In his pursuit of offense, he positioned himself too high.

Dartford subsequently made adjustments as well.

Crouch replaced Gilardino, who had a good performance today.

Amorim replaced Barton, who had a yellow card and was also physically exhausted from cleaning up Ashley Young's mess.

Ashley Young is very satisfied with this substitution.

This is the secondary GOAT status.

Although the problem lies with him, the remedy is to replace him with a more physically fit nanny.

"Let them exploit the defensive gaps on Ashley Young's side and reduce the number of attacks initiated from Vincent's side." Lu Kai conveyed his defensive advice to players such as Amorim and Lescott.

Compared to Oliveira and Ferut, Vincent's attacks were actually more incisive and lethal.

Unfortunately, Lu Kai's tactic of "exposing his own weaknesses" did not work.

Ashley Young: Who's short again?

Or perhaps Vincent was too aggressive, running a full-on solo down the left flank before cutting inside the penalty area and unleashing a powerful shot.

Duff was unable to dodge and was hit in the arm.

The referee immediately awarded a penalty kick.

Duff explained that he did not mean to obstruct.

The referee also expressed his understanding.

However, these days the rulings on handball are much stricter. In many cases, it's considered as a mere touch, without taking into account factors such as expanding the defensive area or whether there was a deliberate intention to use the handball.

Vincent then withstood immense pressure and converted the penalty himself.

The score of this match is 2-4, and the aggregate score over two legs is 3-4!

Finally, cheers erupted from the fans in the stadium.

The Bat Legion is rising again!
Vincent gave them a glimmer of hope!
Vincent didn't celebrate; instead, he rushed towards the goal to retrieve the ball.

Valencia, its heritage remains.

Seeing that Ashley Short wasn't working, Lu Kai simply replaced him.

Ribery enters the game.

Lu Kai moved to left-back, freeing up Essien and the defense so they could shift to the right and double-team Vincent.

In the 83rd minute, Vincent was immediately double-teamed as soon as he received the ball.

But he still forced a cross-court pass.

Baraja followed up with a long-range shot.

Kasper tackled him.

Oliveira had a chance to get a rebound in front of the goal, but the ball bounced a bit high, so he used a double volley.

As a result, they kicked the football into the stands.

Meanwhile, his follow-up shot was offside.

In the 88th minute, Oliveira, in an attempt to salvage his performance, tried to dribble past Lu Kai and enter the penalty area.

Unfortunately, Lu Kai is not Ah Duan.

After making a precise interception of Oliveira, Lu Kai launched an attack with a long pass.

Ribery received the ball on the left, dribbled forward, and cut inside past Torres.

But there are still two defenders on this side.

Ribery then went down to the byline... It's fake.

He still cut inside.

He skillfully delivered a cross pass while surrounded by three defenders by changing the rhythm of the ball.

The "Rhythm Master" has already begun to show its talent.

Unfortunately, there were no teammates to support him in the middle of the penalty area.

Oliveira, who quickly chased back after losing possession, happened to be just outside the penalty arc, picked up the ball, turned around, and dribbled forward.

He feigned a pass, then accelerated and outmaneuvered Amorim.

That was a very clever move.

But he had just run back, and even with his abundant energy, he was already running out of strength.

The control of the ball was a bit lacking, and the touch was a little too high.

Essien's defensive judgment was very accurate; instead of retreating, he advanced and poked the ball away first.

Amorim, who was just a clown a moment ago, now receives the ball just outside the penalty arc. After a quick glance at the situation, he finds an excellent passing route and completes a through pass.

Crouch received the ball, turned, and faked a shot – a series of fluid movements.

The main reason is that no one expected this 2.02-meter tall guy to use a fake shot.

After dribbling past Pellegrino and entering the penalty area, Crouch unleashed a powerful shot without any interference.

Canizares was defeated by the tall man.

"GOAL! Five to two!"

"Crouch's footwork is quite good; it's hard to imagine that a big man could have such delicate technique."

"The last person who could do this was Zlatan Ibrahimovic."

These days, there are quite a few tall guys with outstanding footwork skills.

However, to be fair, while this style of thinking looks impressive, its actual effectiveness is not outstanding.

No matter how good a tall person's footwork is, they can't be as good as a shorter person with good footwork.

Since they used your tall stature, they must want your physical advantage.

Therefore, it's not very meaningful for tall players to focus on footwork and technical skill.

However, if the big guy is developed in terms of speed, then the cost performance is extremely high.

So, big men who want to prove their strength shouldn't rely on technique, but on speed, physique, heading ability, and shooting skills.

Even with his dazzling footwork, winger Lukaku is not as threatening as when he's charging forward, or even when he's backing down the ball.

In the end, the score was 5 to 2.

"Congratulations to Dartford! They have achieved a great self-transcendence and reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals!"

"It's very difficult to come back from behind in an away game, but they played a great game."

"I have to say, did Dartford get some kind of extra boost when they were top of the league? They turned Valencia into Arsenal!"

Hey, you know what I mean!
Dartford also eliminated Arsenal in the FA Cup with this score.

Both teams are also the top teams in their respective leagues.

Even the scenes were somewhat similar, both featuring extreme attacks down the left flank.

Valencia just made more mistakes than Arsenal.

……

Sky Sports: "Another 5-2, another league-leading performance? Green Guns reverse Valencia's lead, mistaking the bat for Nana!"

Marca: "Real Madrid, consider this? Real Madrid's defense is in serious trouble without Makelele, while Dartford's three midfielders are all excellent!"

BBC: "Datford are unstoppable! Their rise is a result of the Premier League's poor decisions last summer; those transfer managers missed out on so much!"

Daily Sport: "The more Dartford wins, the more they lose. After being dismembered last year, they won't play dead. This summer, they will be completely dissected!"

Mundo Deportivo: "Valencia lost to a mere winner, disgracing La Liga. We suggest La Liga strip them of their title-winning rights this season!"

Valencia's devastating defeat served as a heavy blow, reinforcing the leadership's assessment of Benitez—that he lacked real talent and was merely reaping the rewards of others' efforts.

They officially rejected Benitez's request for a pay rise and his list of potential signings.

The two sides have agreed to part ways at the end of the season.

The story of the Bat Corps ended prematurely before it reached its climax.

There are countless stories like this in Dartford's rise to prominence.

After all, the rise of one legend means the fall of another, and the brilliance of one myth means the decline of countless kings.

This season's UEFA Cup belongs to the "Big Three" leagues.

The teams that made it to the semi-finals are Newcastle United (Premier League), Dartford (League One), Inter Milan (Serie A), and Barcelona (La Liga).

With this squad strength, even if they swapped places with this year's Champions League semi-finalists, no one would think it wouldn't be good.

This year's Champions League semi-finalists are Chelsea from the English Premier League, Porto from the Portuguese Primeira Liga, Monaco from Ligue 1, and Deportivo La Coruña from La Liga.

Chelsea and Newcastle are ranked third and fourth in the Premier League, respectively. Newcastle is a long-established powerhouse with a much bigger reputation than Chelsea, which is known for its big money.

Both Dartford and Porto are popular teams, but Dartford's success is based on their legendary history and incredible title wins, while Porto's success is based solely on the arrogant and outspoken Mourinho.

The difference in quality is immediately apparent!

Monaco's victory over Real Madrid, thanks to their loan signing Morientes, is widely celebrated.

However, Inter Milan, as one of the most watched clubs in the world in recent years, has a much stronger influence than its counterpart.

While Barcelona's performance in the past two years hasn't matched that of Deportivo La Coruña, their foundation remains strong. By mirroring Real Madrid's success, they've still earned the title of a top club, their status subtly surpassing Deportivo's.

Moreover, after their consolidation this season, they are on a scoring spree, surpassing Real Madrid, who at one point led them by as many as 15 points, and are now fiercely competing with Deportivo La Coruña for second place in La Liga.

Therefore, many media outlets believe that this year's UEFA Cup is far more prestigious than the Champions League.

Another source of this argument is that...this year is the first year after the Champions League was reformed.

The second round of the Champions League group stage was changed directly into a knockout stage.

UEFA is definitely not happy, because with several fewer matches, ticket revenue will naturally be swept away.

However, the major clubs felt that this meaningless second round of group matches made the schedule too long, and after a negotiation between the two sides, the current reform was finally implemented.

The results of the reforms aren't very good, so naturally some people are jumping up and criticizing them.

In fact, if the reforms turn out well, the other side will be praising the Champions League while also verbally attacking the original opponents.

So modern news is all about you criticizing me, me criticizing you, and then getting uninformed people involved.

Among the Europa League semi-finalists, Inter Milan and Barcelona are considered the favorites.

The former still boasts a strong lineup and a prestigious reputation.

After experiencing chaos at the beginning of the season, the latter found its form during the winter break, rebounded from its lowest point, and is currently extremely strong in La Liga, with a crazy winning streak and hardly a loss.

Based on the usual group draw, no one wants the two English teams to meet, because that would prevent them from reaching the final.

But right now, the English are the ones who most want to pair Newcastle and Greenstrewn together, because that would at least guarantee one team a place in the final.

Unfortunately, UEFA's group draw was unfair.

Newcastle United vs. Inter Milan.

Dartford, on the other hand, drew Barcelona.

Barcelona fans flocked to the Sagrada Familia to give thanks to Jesus for giving them the chance to crush Green Gunner and Lu Kai.

They've been waiting for this day for years.

Barcelona fans have been very unhappy with Lu Kai ever since he defeated two La Masia prodigies, Iniesta and Sergio Garcia, in his early years.

Their media also frequently speaks ill of Lu Kai.

At first, they were indeed successful, after all, at that time, Mundo Deportivo and Daily Sport were definitely more prestigious than Dartford.

They say Lu Kai has no talent, and even if he scores goals until his boots are smoking at the seventh level, it's still not worth mentioning.

However, in the past two years, with Lu Kai leading the Green Gunners to a full-scale rise, they have become a legend in the hearts of England fans.

Lu Kai turned the criticism of "lacking talent and having poor technique" into "You don't know anything, I call this playing like Lu."

Can you believe that the market price of La Masia products has been impacted, while English youth training has become highly sought after?

Later, the rivalry between Lu Kai and Ronaldinho ended in a bizarre situation where Lu Kai won completely. But the stars that Barcelona acquired, even if they were a pile of shit, would be better than your chocolate, not to mention that Ronaldinho really is chocolate.

Therefore, with Ronaldinho leading Barcelona to a complete resurgence, if you were to ask what Barcelona still has unfulfilled wishes... it wouldn't be whether they can win the La Liga title this season, given the huge hole they dug themselves in early on, the odds are indeed too low. They only have one wish... to utterly crush Lu Kai!
This completely silenced the Green Gun Army online.

Because if you don't occupy the good things, you'll occupy the bad things.

If the arrogant Green Gun Army were no longer online, then all that would be left is me, the invincible Salamander fan!

Therefore, after this group was drawn, the UEFA Cup's popularity immediately surpassed that of the Champions League, which was quite unexpected.

The Barcelona fan forums are buzzing with activity:
"I've waited so long and finally it's today. I've dreamed for so long and finally my dream has come true!"

"Finally, I can let the kids run wild! Hahaha!"

"Before, Green Guns acted arrogantly because they were at a lower level and we couldn't deal with them. Now it's finally time to teach them a lesson!"

"So Dartford's participation in European competitions was a mistake; they should stay in the gutter forever!"

"Actually, it's the same for them to get promoted to the Premier League. If they don't make it to the Premier League, they can still brag about occasionally beating strong Premier League teams. But once they enter the Premier League, they'll be getting thrashed by Premier League teams every day, and the fans probably won't be able to accept that."

"They have no idea about the pressure of top-level leagues. They steal a few championships in cup competitions and think they did it all because of their own ability!"

"Honestly, if it weren't for Manchester United and Arsenal pulling each other along, and Newcastle, Leeds United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Tottenham fighting tooth and nail, would they even have a chance in the EFL Cup or the FA Cup?"

"They are typical opportunists who are just trying to ride the coattails of a big team."

However, an ID called "Promoting National Prestige" couldn't hold back any longer and criticized: "But don't you Barcelona only know how to ride on Real Madrid's coattails? They are the Galácticos, what are you but pieces of scrap metal?"

"How many championships does Lu Kai have? And what championships do you guys have?"

"In the end, you guys just haven't moved on from the Cruyff Dream Team era!"

"You guys don't even dare to throw money around like Real Madrid; at least you could be called 'Sacramento's money'!"

The forum moderator immediately and permanently banned the account.

The account's history will be made public.

Everyone noticed that the posts were all about Barcelona transfers, and many were recommending that Barcelona buy a player named Ashley Young.

And so, Ashley Young became one of the most hated players by Barcelona fans, second only to Lu Kai.

On the other side, Ashley Young was also furious.

Given his history of leg amputation, it would be difficult for him to find a good buyer in England, where there is serious discrimination in this area.

This is also the fault of Alf and Morgan, both Dartford assistant coaches, who proved that players with broken legs are not very useful.

Therefore, Ashley Young set his sights on his overseas market, creating many accounts to promote "Ashley's Winning Philosophy," with Barcelona being one of his sales outlets.

But these red and blue people are going too far, they beat up Lu every day.

Ashley Young also has a conscience.

He drinks a cup of milk tea every day, has a barbecue every week, a milk tea party every month, and goes to nightclubs several times a season. Who gave him this glamorous lifestyle?
Jiang Mengyun: Huh? Wasn't it given to you by your part-time job?
If even the GOAT is humiliated by Barcelona, ​​then what does his GOAT status even mean?
Ashley Young wasn't stupid; he understood that only when the king was valuable could the lesser kings' value rise accordingly.

Are you going to ban my account?
Just wait!

After this series ends, you'll be begging Ashley Young to join you!

……

April 18th, English League One, Round 42.

Dartford drew 1-1 at home.

Lu Kai drew another yellow card.

Preparing to challenge Barcelona.

Others may not know the true strength of this Barcelona team, but how could he not?

If last year's Porto match was Dartford's toughest hurdle in the UEFA Cup, then...

So this year's hurdle is Barcelona.

To put it bluntly, this Barcelona team has been at its peak since the winter break this season.

The second generation of Barcelona has taken off.

As for Eto'o, Deco, Giuly next year, and the rising stars like White and Messi, although they are all world-class stars, those are just minor details.

The key to the Dream Team Barcelona is this: as long as Ronaldinho adapts to the team and the team plays around him, then they should be prepared to win games and titles.

Unfortunately, they are now facing the second generation of Barcelona.

Ronaldinho also officially met the support of the team at the peak of his personal skills and tactics, and entered his strongest state.

In one year, Lu Kai honed the world's sharpest left-handed knife.

Ronaldinho, however, also donned the Phoenix Gold Cloth for himself.

In this match, Ronaldinho will certainly not repeat the mistakes of Paris.

April 22, Camp Nou Stadium.

More than 90,000 fans came to witness Ronaldinho's legendary performance.

They wanted to see Lu Kai's reputation ruined.

At the start of the match, both sides were evenly matched and posed a significant threat.

In the 25th minute of the first half, Ronaldinho provided a clever assist, and Saviola broke the deadlock and scored the first goal.

In the 28th minute, Lescott made a mistake and scored an own goal.

Dartford were down by two goals and their morale was low. They were completely outmaneuvered by Barcelona and were being pressured.

I finally made it to halftime and got back into shape.

In the second half, Ronaldinho entered a flow state and scored a spectacular goal in the 58th minute.

Three to zero.

With Barcelona leading by three goals at home, the outcome of the match was no longer in doubt.

The players' mentality gradually changed.

On the Barcelona side, the players became arrogant.

The players on the Green Guns side were filled with resentment.

In the 65th minute, Ashley Young made a relentless tackle on Saviola, but was then pulled to the ground by Saviola.

Feeling unsatisfied, Saviola "inadvertently" stepped on Ashley Young's calf, causing the latter to scream in agony.

There was no particular reaction from the crowd; Barcelona fans were incredibly forgiving of their player and didn't think it was anything special.

Although Morgan was the first Dartford player to retire due to injury, the first seriously injured player Dartford players saw was Ashley Young.

The image of his deformed calves is still vivid in everyone's mind.

Barton immediately erupted, charging straight at Saviola and delivering a flying kick.

Camp Nou exploded instantly.

Fans have been hurling insults at Barton, and now they know that violent fouls are reprehensible.

The two sides fought fiercely.

The game was interrupted for a while.

In the end, both Saviola and Barton were sent off with red cards.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, their European campaigns this season are over, as their malicious fouls will obviously be severely punished.

He will be suspended for at least three games.

If the impact is even more severe, it could be even worse.

This foul heightened the tension on the court.

In contrast, players on the losing side are more likely to act irrationally.

In the 72nd minute, Gilardino, who had just come on, elbowed Puyol in the face during a header challenge, drawing a red card. Puyol, who was already injured, was forced to leave the game.

Gilardino argued that he had no intention of hitting Puyol in the face, but that Puyol was simply shorter.

However, this explanation only angered the Barcelona players, leading to another large-scale confrontation and shoving match between the two sides.

Dartford has nine players, while Barcelona has ten; Barcelona clearly has the advantage.

Garcia Luiz and Xavi then scored in quick succession.

Former Dartford player Sherry provided the assist.

In the 88th minute, Ashley Young, with bloodstains on his calf, received a one-two pass from Lu Kai and broke into the Barcelona penalty area.

Barcelona midfielder Gerard had no choice but to commit a foul.

Red card + penalty kick!

Ashley Young limped as he handed the football to Lu Kai.

Lu Kai did not let his sacrifice go to waste, scoring the penalty.

Five to one!

Barcelona thrashed Dartford at home!

After the match, Barcelona celebrated wildly, Catalans celebrated wildly, and even Spain benefited from it.

Because that green-striker who defeated the top teams in the Premier League and La Liga has finally been strangled by the Barcelona team!
Barcelona is the strongest!

Mundo Deportivo: "League One teams are easily defeated; Barcelona says they should have won more after a 5-0 thrashing!"

"Daily Sports: Lu Kai tops the UEFA Cup scoring charts with a penalty kick, so how about we call him Lu the Penalty?"

Marca: "The Green Gun has been defeated at Camp Nou, and Ronaldinho's Barcelona is now unstoppable!"

AS: "Real Madrid must make significant signings, and it is recommended that they join forces with Lu Kai to jointly curb the terrifying Barcelona next season!"

The Barcelona Tribune: "Is Ashley Young brain-dead? We've already stopped playing, and he takes the opportunity to sneak into the penalty area thinking he's so great?"

"Ashley Young is a football beggar. He got a penalty, but what good is it? It doesn't change the fact that they're already out!"

It's one thing for the Spanish media to criticize them.

Some media outlets in England, which usually keep a low profile, immediately dropped their pretense and began attacking Lu Kai and Dartford.

BBC: "The crushing defeat to Barcelona was no accident; Dartford's arrogance was the root of everything! Let me tell you about Lu Kai's ten deadly sins!"

Under the filter of darkness, the BBC meticulously revealed all the things they hadn't said about Lu Kai over the past two years.

After all, the smear articles had been written long ago, but they dared not publish them before due to the prevailing trend. Now it's the perfect time to thoroughly settle scores.

"If you make a lot of money but don't invest it, the team will only get weaker and weaker."

"Restricting players' emotional issues violates the most basic human rights."

"The low-salary-high-bonus model ignores the players' sense of security."

"The strict investigation into players' drinking at nightclubs and other activities has deprived them of their freedom."

"The strict point-based system stifles players' imagination and creativity."

"Too many matches have led to a neglect of the players' physical health."

"His arrogant attitude and overly ambitious goals made everyone hate this uncontrollable X factor!"

"Losing to a Spanish team has put the Premier League at a disadvantage in the race to become the world's best league!"

It's clear that the BBC has accumulated a lot of resentment.

Green Gunners fans suddenly felt like "rats in the street," hated by everyone.

Of course, there are still people in this world who do the right thing.

Kicker published a professional analysis to discuss the score of this match.

They believe the gap between Dartford and Barcelona is not as large as the scoreline suggests.

Before the first goal, the two sides were on the same level, with Dartford even having a slight advantage.

Saviola's goal changed the game.

But more importantly, Lescott's own goal completely changed the game for both sides.

Kicker also believes that this match is very similar to Dartford's matches against Valencia and Arsenal, all of which are matches where the score is greater than the actual difference in the strength of the two sides.

In other words, Valencia and Arsenal are not much worse than Green Gunners, and Green Gunners are not much worse than Barcelona.

This is a very rational, accurate, and factual statement.

However, it was met with malicious negative reviews from fans in Catalonia, and was ultimately forced to be removed from the platform.

All that remains is that boastful article titled "Barcelona is invincible and will create a miracle comeback to win La Liga this season."

But professionals understand that no matter how strong Barcelona is this season, they can only rank behind Valencia.

Their points total no longer allows them to win the championship.

There have indeed been a few championship miracles in recent years, but most of them have happened to Dartford, not Barcelona.

House seemingly endless rain.

Due to Dartford's tight schedule, they have not been able to find a time to schedule their rescheduled matches.

However, for the sake of fairness, the rescheduled match must be played before the 46th round.

After much back and forth, the match was finally scheduled before the second leg between Dartford and Barcelona.

With the previous round of league matches added to their schedule, Dartford are facing a grueling schedule.

Two draws mean that Dartford are still top of League One, but West Ham United have closed the gap to just one point.

It has a feeling that things are about to collapse.

The Times disagreed with Dartford's scheduling for these two league matches: "Clearly, Dartford are still holding back in the league."

"They still have hopes for European competition and are trying to make one last push at home."

"But there has never been such a dramatic comeback in the history of the UEFA Cup semi-finals, especially against Barcelona."

This also represents the view of most rational media outlets.

Dartford definitely made the wrong choice this time.

However, when faced with similar questions during an internal tactical discussion at Dartford, Lu Kai's response was: "Precisely because the opponent is Barcelona!"

"They have a great tradition of being overturned."

Ten Hach was completely dumbfounded.

He went through all of Barcelona's matches over the past few years and didn't see any major comebacks.

Did Lu Kai remember it wrong?

Boom boom boom!
Lu Kai tapped the whiteboard to signal everyone to focus, and said, "First of all, the center forward! Barcelona doesn't have a center forward right now."

"Kluivert has been sidelined with injury for a long time, and Barcelona even said some time ago that they would 'order' Kluivert to return to the field, but Kluivert refused."

"Barcelona fans therefore call him an expensive piece of trash. His time with Barça is clearly over, and he definitely won't be able to play against us."

"With Saviola suspended, they only have Sergio Garcia. He's a young player, not very good, not even as good as Iniesta."

This comparison is based on their skill levels in their respective preferred positions, and Sergio is still too inexperienced.

“Of course, they might also use Luis Enrique as a center forward. Rijkaard has always been conservative in his selections, so this is very likely,” Lu Kai said. “But Luis Enrique can’t play center forward, just as he can’t use center forward.”

"Our real chances are still in midfield."

Lu Kai drew another circle, highlighting Edgar Davies: "Barcelona's rise in the second half of the season largely stemmed from Davies' arrival."

"He completely liberated Ronaldinho and Xavi."

“But Davies is not eligible to participate in the UEFA Cup, so Motta has to fill that position. Motta is very good, but he has too many injuries. He missed the last game due to injury, and Gerard replaced him.”

"Next time we face him, I reckon Rijkaard will have him play injured. Our center forward should attack him. Since their coach doesn't care about his players' health, we don't need to worry about them! Get him out of there!"

If Motta gets injured, then Iniesta will be the only player available for Barcelona.

While the Harry-White duo will undoubtedly be renowned in the future, they are practically a freebie at this stage. The two of them combined are no match for Toure on the defensive end.

Toure's defensive abilities are significantly worse than those of Lu Kai and Essien.

Overall, although Dartford lost Gilardino and Barton in the last game, Dartford had replacements for both players, or even better versions of them.

Saravio and Gerard are key players in their respective positions, and these positions are also crucial to Barcelona's tactical system.

Because Ronaldinho's liberation requires the help of players in these two positions.

Ten Hag's expression was complicated: "But this is just theory after all. The probability of us beating Barcelona in the second leg is not low, but it is almost impossible to win by four or even five goals and reverse the situation to advance!"

boom!
Lu Kai slammed his hands on the table, scanned the crowd, and said in a low voice, "People are always forgetful, especially about bad experiences."

"I feel it is necessary to remind you that the current situation is the norm for Dartford over the past few years."

"Look at our level, what makes us think we can take beating Chelsea, Arsenal, Valencia, and Barcelona for granted?"

"This season we have won over the media and made them dress us in gold."

"But I believe our players, including everyone here, will not forget how many scars are on our bodies beneath our coats."

"Never forget the past, that's our unwavering motivation!"

"Perhaps in the future, the name Dartford will mean victory. But for some time now, it has only meant comebacks!"

"This ability is etched deep within our souls; now, it's time to awaken it!"

Everyone present nodded in agreement. Surrounded by the media, they almost thought their team was something extraordinary.

In fact, they were just little penguins.

Despite being the dominant species in the Antarctic food chain, they have never truly reached the top level.

All those teams can lose, so why does Dartford seem to have lost the world just because they lost a crucial game?

Isn’t this normal?

Only by truly accepting their defeat can they learn from those lessons in the next game and pursue that slim chance of winning.

When the meeting ended, only Ivanka remained.

She turned off the camera that had been recording: "Lu, do we really have to do this? If we fail to turn things around after this pre-match promotional video is released, we will become a laughing stock in the football world forever."

Lu Kai looked at Ivanka and said, "If we don't film, won't we become a laughing stock if we lose the game?"

"Even if this promotional video can only give our players a slight boost, in a game where everyone is giving it their all, that slight boost could be the deciding factor."

"Just like Ashley Young was still running hard in the final moments of the game, trying to win a penalty."

"Until the next ninety minutes are over, none of us know what the significance of this penalty will be!"

"I am the decision-maker for this project, and I will bear any public opinion that may arise."

Ivanka swore that Lu Kai truly shone brightly at that moment.

She felt she couldn't contain herself any longer: "Lu, actually, what you said earlier about no one knowing what's under our coats is true, because I'm not wearing anything under my coat today. I think maybe we could..."

Lu Kai looked at Ivanka with surprise.

Ivanka slowly closed her eyes and leaned closer.

Don't speak, just kiss me...

"Then you must be careful not to catch a cold! After all, you still have to edit the video overnight, distribute it to various channels tomorrow morning, give interviews to multiple media outlets at noon to promote the Green Gun spirit, and cheer everyone on with the stadium commentators in the evening, bringing a wonderful football feast!"

The thought of Ivanka's schedule for the next sixteen hours made Lu Kai feel like he was being a bit inhuman, exploiting this American princess too much.

Under these circumstances, how can we let her work hard and worry about other things?

In the face of competition, all beauty is just a paper tiger.

Lu Kai's mind was now filled with nothing but Barcelona's formation and Ronaldinho's buck teeth.

That time in Paris, those buck teeth finally closed up, and Ronaldinho couldn't smile.

This time, Lu Kai hopes the outcome will remain the same.

Ding!
Two news alerts popped up on Ivanka's computer.

Mundo Deportivo: "To celebrate their team overtaking Deportivo La Coruña to rank second in La Liga, Barcelona players had a celebratory dinner and then went to a nightclub. It seems that only those who love to have fun can win."

Diario Sport: "Play when you should play, play when you should play – Ronaldinho's attitude towards life is something everyone should learn from! True genius isn't forced out, it's innate!"

Lu Kai laughed: "You can always say you're right after winning, but if everything could be solved with just a few words, Barcelona would have been number one in the world long ago."

Ivanka received the keyword: "Huh? Just say something? Lu, I..."

Lu Kai quickly left the meeting room.

Women transform into another kind of being at night.

(End of this chapter)