Chương 174: Unexpected Injury!
Mass Release because I've been neglecting this novel for a while.
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"This kid is integrating into the team faster than we thought!"
In the stands, Moyes frowned and spoke to his assistant.
He came to the stadium today mainly to observe two people.
One was the Chilean engineer Pellegrini's tactical style and on-field management abilities.
The other was to evaluate Lin's match condition.
Moyes already had data on Manchester City's other players, but these two were relatively unfamiliar to him.
Neither had previously coached or played in the Premier League, so it was unclear if they could adapt to the league's pace and style.
So far, Pellegrini's tactics seemed standard.
He used a 4-4-2 formation that almost every Premier League coach knows.
The match was still young, so Moyes hadn't yet seen enough of Pellegrini's on-field adjustments and substitutions to judge his abilities further.
But Lin was different. Just from the first half, Moyes already believed that Lin could integrate into the Premier League without a problem.
No wonder people called him the third player after Messi and Ronaldo; he certainly had the ability.
Thinking this, Moyes instructed his assistant:
"Get the tapes of his matches in the Bundesliga and the Spanish national team. I need to study him closely!"
Although football is a team game, the influence of a superstar on the field is undeniable.
A superstar can often change the game with a moment of brilliance.
Take Messi, for instance. No one could predict that a simple pass from Busquets would allow him to break through Real Madrid's entire defense.
Such moments belong to the flashes of brilliance from superstars.
Even if Messi was given the same chance again, he might not recreate the miracle.
But as long as they're on the field, these miracles can happen, and you have to guard against them.
The assistant was surprised. Moyes held Manchester City in high regard!
They were just a nouveau riche club, so why take them so seriously?
"The times have changed. Manchester City is not the same as before!"
Seeing his assistant's casual attitude, Moyes emphasized:
"Don't underestimate them. I don't want to taste the bitterness of defeat due to underestimating our opponents. We're new at Manchester United, and we need to be cautious in every game, especially in the derby against Manchester City. Its importance cannot be overstated!"
Thinking about their current situation at Manchester United, the assistant immediately perked up and nodded firmly:
"Don't worry, David. I'll get it done!"
...
After scoring, Lin ran to the sidelines, placing his hand to his ear, asking for applause from the Manchester City fans.
Even without this gesture, the fans wouldn't hold back their applause and cheers.
Seeing his actions, the fans cheered and clapped even more enthusiastically, raising the noise level significantly.
"Lin, great job, keep it up!"
"Lin, score another one!"
"Lin, get a hat trick!"
Hearing the fans' cheers, Lin smiled and waved at them, giving them an okay gesture.
This response made the fans even more excited.
Some fans close to the field even tried to climb down from the stands to join Lin in celebration.
However, they were quickly pushed back by security guards who were on high alert.
It seemed Manchester City had anticipated the match's excitement and hired over a thousand security personnel to maintain order.
In retrospect, it was money well spent!
...
Manchester City fans were ecstatic over Lin's goal.
But Newcastle fans were far from happy.
Looking at the player wearing the number ten blue jersey on the field, Newcastle fans couldn't hide their envy.
They once had a super striker under Kevin Keegan, the all-time leading scorer in Premier League history and the record-holder for most goals in a season—Alan Shearer.
However, Alan Shearer had long retired, and Newcastle's glory days were gone.
Just a few seasons ago, they experienced the low point of relegation to the Championship.
Rebuilding the team seemed a distant dream, while Manchester City, once struggling alongside them, had now risen.
This left Newcastle fans envious and jealous, wondering when they would have such luck.
"We can't let that kid score freely!"
"Right, we have to stop him!"
Newcastle players were frustrated, even angry, having conceded a goal within six minutes and hearing the opposing player promise a hat trick.
This was intolerable!
Although Newcastle wasn't as strong as Manchester City, they weren't pushovers!
Even if they couldn't win, they would stop the number ten from scoring more goals.
With renewed determination, after the restart, Lin immediately felt the difference.
Newcastle's defense became tighter, using frequent fouls to halt his progress.
Realizing their strategy, Lin quickly adapted.
He reduced his ball possession and increased his passing frequency, relying on his teammates to help him shake off defenders.
This tactic soon paid off. With Newcastle focusing more on Lin, their defense against other Manchester City players weakened.
In the 21st minute, David Silva moved forward, and after three consecutive one-twos with Lin, he broke into the box.
With the ball at Lin's feet, he feigned a shot from the edge of the box.
Newcastle's players saw him as a bigger threat than Silva and prioritized defending him.
Center-back Taylor and defensive midfielder Gouffran both rushed toward Lin, intending to surround him and kill the attack before it reached the box.
Seeing their reaction, Lin adjusted quickly, passing the ball to Silva just before they closed in.
Newcastle's defensive shape had already been disrupted, and Lin had drawn enough attention. If Silva could shake off his marker, he'd have a one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
"Stop him!"
Seeing Lin manage to pass in such a tight space, Newcastle's defenders were terrified.
They were too close to the goal. If Silva got the ball in the box, he could shoot and score.
With just 20 minutes into the game, conceding another goal would eliminate any chance of a comeback.
They had to stop this attack!
Mbemba felt the pressure. He saw Silva, like a slippery eel, breaking into the box and quickly judged the distance.
It was a 50-50 ball. He couldn't be sure he'd reach it before Silva.
So Mbemba decided instantly, sliding in with his studs up towards Silva.
Mbemba's plan was clear: if Silva tried to receive the ball, he'd risk injury. If he avoided the tackle, he'd miss a great scoring chance.
Mbemba intended to scare Silva off, making him abandon the opportunity.
With Manchester City leading, Silva, a high-paid, promising star, logically shouldn't take such risks.
In their duel, as Mbemba showed his studs, he believed he had the upper hand.
But to Mbemba's surprise, Silva hadn't noticed his tackle.
All Silva thought about was not wasting Lin's assist, missing Mbemba's dangerous move.
By the time he realized the danger, it was too late!
Tweet!
The sharp whistle blew, and the Etihad Stadium was in an uproar.
Countless Manchester City fans craned their necks, not caring about the referee's decision.
They only wanted to see if David Silva was injured.
Though Silva wasn't Manchester City's top star, he had brought the club an FA Cup and a league title in his three seasons, being named the team's best player in 2011-2012.
Before Lin joined, Silva was the most beloved player among Manchester City fans.
Now, seeing their hero kicked down in the box, countless fans were worried!
"David, get up!"
"David, don't be injured!"
"Ugh, ugh, ugh!"
Some fans anxiously called out to Silva, hoping he'd hear them and stand up.
But seeing him stay down, some more emotional fans couldn't hold back their tears.
Manchester City's manager Pellegrini, seeing Silva down and not getting up, immediately stood from his seat.
He quickly walked to the sidelines, trying to assess Silva's condition.
Silva was a key player, crucial to their attack.
The season had just begun; they couldn't afford an injury now!
In the Etihad Stadium's box, the big boss Mansour, who flew from the Middle East to watch the game, saw Silva down in the box and jumped up, cursing with an F-word.
How could they dare to foul so blatantly?
If they could do this to Silva, they could do the same to his billion-pound superstar!
Imagining Lin getting his leg broken made Mansour shiver.
No, he couldn't let this happen. He had to protect Manchester City's players!
In that moment, Mansour decided to petition the FA for player protection policies.
Without such policies, top stars would be increasingly reluctant to play in the Premier League.
Superstars like Ronaldo and Messi left the Premier League partly because of such reckless fouls.
No superstar would risk their career-ending injury to play here!
Because Ronaldo and Messi went to La Liga, the Premier League lost its status as the world's top league to La Liga in recent years.
If this continued, the Premier League might even fall behind the Bundesliga or Serie A.
Mansour believed that once he explained the stakes, the FA would respond!
...
On the field, Manchester City players rushed to Newcastle's box, anxiously surrounding Silva.
The team doctor ran onto the field with a medical kit, checking Silva's injury.
Lin was furious. Being the closest City player to the incident, he witnessed Mbemba's foul.
In his anger, he shoved Mbemba hard, demanding an explanation.
Mbemba wasn't one to back down, raising his fist to teach Lin a lesson.
But Newcastle players quickly restrained him, fearing he'd be sent off.
Even Mbemba didn't expect such a reaction. He had only meant to scare Silva off the ball, not expecting him to run into the tackle.
It was just a match; did he have to go so hard?
The referee wasn't
interested in excuses. A studs-up tackle without hitting the ball was a serious foul.
Even in the lenient Premier League, such fouls couldn't be tolerated.
He issued Mbemba a yellow card.
The decision stunned Mbemba and the fans.
Everyone expected a red card, but the referee issued a yellow instead.
A chorus of boos filled the Etihad Stadium as fans voiced their displeasure.
Unmoved, the referee recorded the yellow card and signaled for Manchester City to prepare for a penalty.
The team doctor, looking serious, signaled for a substitution and called for a stretcher to carry Silva off.
"Lin, I'm sorry I couldn't finish your pass!"
On the stretcher, Silva still blamed himself for wasting Lin's pass.
His words made Lin's eyes water with guilt.
Holding Silva's hand, Lin said:
"David, rest and recover. I'll avenge you!"
"Okay, I'll wait for your good news!"
With that, Silva was carried off.
As Silva was stretchered off, Lin glared at Mbemba.
At that moment, his anger peaked.
The desire for revenge was overwhelming!
Newcastle, prepare to pay!
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