Chapter 148: Goals for the New Season! That Man Who Covers 30% of the Pitch
Goalkeepers: Neuer, Begović
Defenders: Pepe, José Fonte, Thiago Silva, Maicon, Piszczek, Leighton Baines, Marcelo, Vincent Kompany
Midfielders: Yaya Touré, Matić, Modrić, Rakitić, Matuidi, Aaron Ramsey
Forwards: Džeko, Lewandowski, Lambert, Di María, Gareth Bale, Walcott, Eden Hazard
This was the 23-man first-team squad for Bayswater Chinese's new season.
The team's average age had risen from 21.125 last season to 21.82—
making it the highest since Yang Cheng had taken charge.
Yang Cheng was quite satisfied with the current squad.
Healthy internal competition kept everyone on their toes.
And although the team would be playing on multiple fronts this season,
Yang Cheng believed this lineup was enough to compete.
After a week of preseason training at Brent Training Center, the team began a round of friendlies around London.
The first summer friendly was against Millwall, located on the south bank of the Thames.
This showed the club's focus on that region—
a hotbed for English youth development.
Bayswater Chinese's satellite training center was also located in that area.
These friendlies helped strengthen relationships with local clubs, laying a foundation for future cooperation.
After Millwall, they faced Crystal Palace in the second match—
another South London club from the Championship.
For Bayswater Chinese, the venue didn't matter much.
All these games were away, after all.
But for clubs like Millwall or Palace? It was a big deal.
Take Millwall:
Their stadium capacity is 20,000, and a friendly against Bayswater Chinese sold it out.
That was £400,000 in ticket revenue.
And Bayswater Chinese took none of it.
For a club like Millwall, which had annual revenue below £4 million, this was a massive injection.
This kind of goodwill gesture wasn't rare among Premier League clubs.
For instance, Arsenal regularly played summer friendlies against nearby Barnet in Colney.
Back in 2003, Yaya Touré even had his Arsenal trial in a match against Barnet.
In a competitive scouting environment, clubs were eager to strengthen ties with local teams.
Yang Cheng continued with his usual approach: two different lineups in each half.
But this time, the starters and youth players were mixed together.
The goal was to observe how everyone performed in different combinations.
And the players? They gave everything.
In the 11th minute, Walcott broke through the defense and fired a shot in the box.
Beautiful buildup—terrible finish. It sailed over.
Lewandowski followed up with a smart chip, just barely missing the far post.
Later, he assisted Rakitić on a breakaway—but the Croatian got tangled up and was caught by the keeper.
Bale delivered a wicked low cross that nearly resulted in an own goal.
Then hit the crossbar from a free kick.
Yang Cheng nodded in approval.
"This kid really has a gift for set pieces. We should develop that," he told Brian Kidd.
Bale was truly something when it came to free kicks.
Most importantly, he wanted to practice them.
In the 43rd minute, Walcott suddenly popped up on the left, cut inside onto his right foot, and curled one beautifully into the top-right corner.
1–0.
It was a gorgeous strike—
lovely arc, clean rhythm.
"Still a bit too big on the last step. Took four before shooting," Kidd noted.
"If this were the Premier League, that ball wouldn't have gone in."
As defensive pressure increases, space gets smaller.
Needs work.
After subs at halftime, the team's performance dipped.
Millwall nearly equalized.
But in the end, Bayswater Chinese won 1–0 against the Championship side.
…
Next up: three more London-based friendlies.
They beat Crystal Palace 2–1,
then Brentford (a League One side) 2–0 in Hounslow,
and finally Leyton Orient 3–1 in East London.
All these games were coordinated with the club's youth development strategy, especially in relation to their satellite centers.
After four matches in London, the team flew to Germany.
First stop: Stuttgart—a match arranged by sponsor Mercedes-Benz, who also paid an appearance fee.
Yang Cheng kept the two-lineup system.
But in the first half, the starters underperformed.
The two best chances came from Džeko assisting Walcott—
but "Little Tiger" squandered both.
Yang Cheng had played Walcott on the left and Di María on the right—
but it didn't seem to click.
He made changes at halftime.
Then came an early goal… conceded.
But Bale, Lewandowski, and Ramsey all scored to seal the comeback.
Bale had one goal and one assist—a standout.
Ramsey's goal came from a Marcelo interception and cross.
The Welshman chest-controlled it near the penalty spot and volleyed it in left-footed.
A stunning strike.
Final score: 3–1 to Bayswater Chinese.
…
After Stuttgart, the team headed to Munich for a clash at the Allianz Arena with Bayern.
Bayern had been in electric form all summer—an attacking juggernaut.
Just before playing Bayswater, they had thrashed a 2. Bundesliga team 11–1,
with Toni Kroos scoring a hat trick.
Yang Cheng wanted to test his team's defensive structure against such relentless attacks.
Flashback to last season's match vs. AC Milan:
Ancelotti, the tactical troll, played ultra-defensive counterattacks—and it frustrated Yang Cheng to no end.
There weren't many answers to that kind of strategy.
That inspired him.
This season, with Bale and Walcott on the wings, Bayswater Chinese needed space for their pace and dribbling.
What about the back line?
Yaya Touré had developed an impressive long pass.
Modrić and Rakitić could also spray the ball.
And in defense?
Pepe and Kompany had strong passing skills—
which was exactly why Yang Cheng signed them.
Pepe, for example, had an 88% pass completion rate last season.
And his long ball percentage?
A total of 286 long passes, 201 successful—an impressive 70% success rate.
After Vincent Kompany arrived at the club, Yang Cheng asked Gianni Vio to analyze his data.
Just as Yang expected, the Belgian's pass success rate was similar to Pepe's, and his long passing wasn't far off either.
However, in aerial duels, Kompany still lagged behind Pepe.
The real outlier in the squad was Thiago Silva.
The Brazilian center-back had a consistently stable pass accuracy, always above 90%—
for a central defender, that wasn't just good—it was borderline absurd.
To give context: in 2024, Piqué and Van Dijk were widely regarded as the benchmark for ball-playing defenders.
And even they mostly hovered around Pepe's level—
peaking at around 90% accuracy.
But Thiago Silva? He maintained over 90% with ease.
When it came to long passes:
Piqué was usually around 60–65%.
Van Dijk fluctuated—less than 55% during his Southampton days, around 60% at Liverpool, peaking at 62%.
Of course, this had something to do with team style.
For instance, Barça traditionally avoided long balls.
Even so, Pepe and Kompany were clearly underrated as distributors.
No wonder fans misunderstood.
In Yang Cheng's past life, Pepe had partnered with Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid.
Ramos was flashier and more aggressive in distribution, once hitting an 80% long ball rate in the 2013–14 season.
His style inevitably drew more attention, overshadowing Pepe's solidity.
But what about Thiago Silva?
Let's look at the numbers from his first full season at AC Milan in 2009/10:
Passes: 1,625Completed: 1,472Success Rate: 91%Long passes: 292Successful: 226Success Rate: 77%
In 2010/11:
Passes: 1,981Completed: 1,820Success Rate: 92%Long passes: 407Successful: 349Success Rate: 86%
In terms of volume, Thiago Silva was on par with Pepe, Ramos, and Piqué—maybe 100–200 passes off per season.
But in long balls?
He delivered twice as many, with a much higher success rate.
Let's compare to a midfield maestro for reference:
In that same 2009/10 season, Andrea Pirlo had:
2,511 passes2,219 completed88% success468 long balls388 completed83% success
That was Pirlo at his absolute peak.
Another long-passing king, Toni Kroos, hit his passing prime in 2015/16:
2,425 passes2,277 completed94% accuracy262 long passes233 completed89% success
People always said, "Toni Kroos hits long balls more accurately than others pass short."
Thiago Silva?
His passing and long passing made him the "Kroos of center-backs."
And the best part?
He didn't neglect his defensive duties.
Aside from being slightly less dominant in the air due to height, all his other defensive metrics were elite.
Now playing for Bayswater Chinese, a club that emphasized passing and movement, Thiago Silva's game was flourishing even more.
Last season, he was already matching his Milan levels from 09/10.
Yang Cheng was excited to see if he could reach a new level this season.
In this system, pulling the midfield deeper and using long balls from the back could maximize the strength of the wingers.
It could become Bayswater Chinese's most important weapon.
At that point, opponents would face the same dilemma Yang had when playing against AC Milan:
Press high? Get burned by balls over the top.Sit deep? Surrender possession and control.
With Bayswater's midfield quality, they could tear anyone apart.
Eventually, rivals would have only one option left:
park the bus.
That was also why Yang Cheng gave up on Reus and chose Hazard.
If needed, Modrić, Ramsey, Hazard, and Di María could all drive forward with the ball.
Even if they couldn't break through, they'd win free kicks.
But before committing to this setup, Yang Cheng needed clarity.
How much pressure could his midfield really absorb?
So, he started with a trio of Matuidi, Yaya Touré, and Modrić.
In the first half against Bayern, they held their own, with neither side scoring.
In the second half, he brought on Rakitić for Matuidi and continued for 20 more minutes.
Then Matić and Ramsey came on in rotation.
Overall, the team's defensive organization looked solid.
Bayern had few clear chances.
The match ended in a 0–0 draw.
Yang Cheng wasn't disappointed.
For him, this was a defensive test.
If the team could hold firm, it was already a win.
Of course, it was just a friendly.
Interestingly, Yang hadn't planned to greet Toni Kroos post-match.
They'd briefly nodded to each other in the tunnel pre-game.
But after the match, the young German came over, shook Yang's hand, and chatted a bit.
Clearly, he was doing well at Bayern and looked forward to the new season.
He'd played a solid match and hoped to earn more minutes in the league.
"Keep it up, Toni. You have what it takes to become the best midfielder in the world," Yang Cheng said with a smile.
And he said it in German.
Kroos was delighted, thanking him repeatedly.
He could clearly feel Yang Cheng's appreciation.
But for now, his focus was solely on breaking through at Bayern Munich.
Yang Cheng didn't mind.
Let fate decide.
…
After the Bayern match, Bayswater Chinese flew to Florence to face Fiorentina.
The Serie A fourth-placers were flying high after a strong preseason.
They also played attacking football—not overly conservative.
Yang Cheng once again fielded two different lineups, with younger players in the first half.
The result?
A 0–1 deficit after a goal from Giampaolo Pazzini.
But once the starters came on in the second half, Yang implemented his strategy.
Džeko drifted right, received a long ball, cut it back from the byline,
and Walcott beat two defenders with quick footwork before finishing from a tight angle.
1–1.
Then Gareth Bale made a diagonal run behind the defense, collected a Modrić through ball,
saw his first shot saved by Sébastien Frey, but smashed in the rebound.
2–1.
Final score: Bayswater Chinese 2–1 Fiorentina.
…
After Italy, the final stop: Spain, for a friendly against Villarreal.
Yang Cheng went all-out, letting his side engage in a full-blown attacking shootout with the Yellow Submarine.
Manuel Pellegrini had never been a defensive coach, and Villarreal's Latin American style made them the perfect test for Yang Cheng's squad.
But football is often full of surprises…
After opening up the game, neither team could find the net.
It was a wide-open, back-and-forth attacking match with quick transitions, but the deadlock wasn't broken until the 42nd minute, when Villarreal finally scored.
In the second half, at minute 67, Walcott assisted Di María, who equalized.
1–1.
That scoreline held until the final whistle.
…
After completing the friendlies, the team returned to London.
If the four London-based friendlies had felt routine due to the modest quality of the opposition, this European tour, facing four clubs that all finished top four in the Bundesliga, Serie A, and La Liga, had been an entirely different test.
For Bayswater Chinese, it was immensely valuable.
From what Yang Cheng observed, the team was doing quite well overall—but also showed plenty of flaws.
Still, the tour confirmed that Yang Cheng's new tactical direction was correct.
It maximized Bayswater Chinese's strengths.
Yang Cheng didn't intend to abandon the high-intensity pressing that had been their hallmark, but he also aimed to further strengthen their midfield control.
The main tactical variable lay in who would partner Modrić in midfield—Rakitić or Matuidi—as each pairing would bring a different flavor and style. The squad would need to be able to shift and adapt accordingly.
Initially, many—Brian Kidd included—were concerned about the team's outlook for the new season.
After all, they had just lost two core players: Arshavin and Lass Diarra. And they'd also sold Koscielny, a reliable rotational center-back.
It was hard to believe the team wouldn't be affected.
But after four high-quality friendlies across Europe, everyone realized something:
The team's level had not dropped.
It wasn't that Arshavin or Diarra weren't important.
The real difference-maker was Yang Cheng's tactical adjustment.
Of course, some players were inevitably affected.
For instance, Yaya Touré could no longer charge forward as freely as he had when Diarra was covering. Now he had to be more cautious.
As for the right flank, Maicon's situation had actually improved.
In the past, with Arshavin cutting in, Maicon had to cover the entire right side alone.
Now, with Walcott, Bale, or Di María playing wide, Maicon had support.
He no longer had to carry the whole flank on his own.
…
Meanwhile, in France, scout Emmanuel was driving his Citroën westward from central Paris.
He exited at Nanterre, heading south into Rueil-Malmaison.
East of the historic Château de Malmaison, near the border of Rueil-Malmaison and Suresnes, there was a well-known golf course.
North of the course, he turned onto Avenue Alexandre Maistrasse.
Number 21.
Suresnes Youth Sports Club.
A historic athletic association, said to date back to the 1930s, founded by a Brit named Paul Finch.
It hadn't always been about football—it started with athletics—but that branch had since shut down.
Today, they also ran an archery center.
The club was surrounded by buildings. From south to north, there were three football pitches.
The northernmost one included a track.
The central pitch had a full-sized field on the west and an indoor hall and archery range on the east.
The southern field was the opposite: pitch on the east, parking lot on the west.
At the southern edge of the grounds sat a row of low buildings—the club offices.
Emmanuel parked right outside.
As soon as he stepped out, someone recognized him.
"My God, what brings you here?"
Pierre Viel, the club's deputy general manager, greeted him from the open office door.
"Just came to see you, my friend," Emmanuel said, smiling.
Pierre Viel was a friendly older man, always dressed in Suresnes' signature blue Puma tracksuit.
"Oh—by the way, I pushed that kid you told me about last time," Emmanuel said.
Pierre's eyes lit up.
"Someone's interested?"
"Sort of."
"I knew it! That kid has real potential. Sure, he's short, and everyone says he's too small for pro football—even I thought so at first. But he won me over."
"You know, he's just 17, but he's incredibly mature. Lost his father at 11.
He works hard, lives tough. He even picks up garbage to help his family make ends meet."
"You've told me all this before," Emmanuel interrupted, a bit impatient.
"You pitied him, but weren't sure if he'd make it as a player. So you gave him odd jobs around the club."
The old man was good—but he did love to ramble.
Maybe it was just age.
Pierre laughed awkwardly, clapped Emmanuel on the shoulder, and led him into the office.
Together, they met with club president Jean-Pierre Périnel—father of a 24-year-old footballer.
Every time they met, Périnel would bring up his son's career.
Emmanuel had met him—Damien Périnel.
A 1.87-meter center-back, also capable of playing right-back.
Talented, but unlucky.
He had gone from Suresnes to Amiens' academy, then to Ligue 2 side Créteil, then to Clermont, which got relegated.
By 2006, he had moved to third-tier Boulogne.
Not because of poor play—Créteil and Clermont had both been delinquent on wages.
So a promising defender got dragged into lower-league purgatory.
Mention Boulogne, and most fans today would think of Franck Ribéry.
Ribéry had shined at Bayswater Chinese, then transferred to Bayern for a record fee.
"I was at Boulogne not long ago," Périnel laughed.
"They're still kicking themselves. Missed out on hundreds of thousands of euros."
Had they accepted Ribéry back when he returned home without a club, they would've earned a cut of his future transfers.
Emmanuel chuckled too.
By now, clubs around Paris all knew—he was Bayswater Chinese's full-time scout in France.
And he felt proud of what the club had achieved.
"Don't miss this one," Emmanuel said.
Périnel and Viel exchanged a look, their eyes lighting up.
For a small club like theirs, even a tiny cut of a big club's deal could fund them for years.
"Wasn't Pierre the one who told me about N'Golo Kanté?" Périnel asked.
Viel nodded.
"Kanté's got insane explosiveness," he said. "And because of how hard his life's been, his stamina is unreal.
His balance and core strength are top-notch, and he can change direction effortlessly."
Périnel began pitching hard.
"Well, I'm here today to officially notify you that Bayswater Chinese has decided to invite N'Golo Kanté for a trial."
"Seriously?" Pierre Viel shot to his feet, stunned.
"Bayswater Chinese?" Périnel was even more incredulous.
That… that was the reigning Champions League winner!
And they wanted to invite Kanté?
"You think I'd drive all the way out here just to pull your leg?" Emmanuel said with a grin.
He pulled a fax out of his briefcase, detailing all the terms of the trial.
Since it was a formal invitation, all of Kanté's travel and accommodation costs in London would be covered by Bayswater Chinese.
He would live at the Brent Training Center during the trial, which would last two months.
Pierre Viel skimmed the fax and shook his head in disbelief.
"I still can't believe it. Why would a club like Bayswater Chinese look at Kanté?"
"I don't know the exact scouting criteria," Emmanuel replied, "but I'm guessing it's related to Lass Diarra or Claude Makélélé."
"You mean…" Périnel wasn't entirely sure.
"Lass Diarra just transferred to Real Madrid, right? He's only 1.73 meters tall—just four centimeters taller than Kanté. And Makélélé was also a short midfielder."
Pierre Viel nodded. "Kanté has really solid fundamentals. His footwork is excellent."
Of course, "excellent" here was relative to youth training standards.
In actual matches, under real physical pressure, it was anyone's guess.
"Anyway, just let him know. Have him get in touch with me, and I'll arrange the trip to London."
"No problem." Pierre Viel was excited.
He had always thought of Kanté as a poor but hardworking kid—disciplined and resilient.
That's why he gave him a part-time job at the club, helping him earn a little extra money.
Now that Kanté had a chance to join a world-class team like Bayswater Chinese, he couldn't be happier.
And for Suresnes, it was a huge deal too.
If Kanté joined Bayswater Chinese, they could use that for major PR.
After seeing Viel off, Périnel pulled Emmanuel aside. He wanted to know more about Bayswater Chinese.
He was thinking—if Emmanuel could get someone like Kanté into such a big club, could he perhaps recommend his son, Damien Périnel, too?
"He's already 24," Emmanuel said, amused.
Périnel chuckled awkwardly and regretted not making this connection sooner.
If he'd befriended this scout earlier, maybe his son could've gotten a shot in the Premier League.
Still, if Kanté made it, that would already be huge.
…
Back in London, Yang Cheng had no idea what was happening in Paris.
To him, this was just another phone call.
He had notified Gary Worthington to bring Kanté in for a trial. Later, Gary called him back:
N'Golo Kanté would be arriving in London shortly.
Kanté was just 17, not even a professional yet.
So Yang Cheng's plan was to place him in the youth academy first.
He called Matt Crocker, the head of youth development.
"I think he has the potential to become a great defensive midfielder—like Lass Diarra or Makélélé."
As for how to train him?
Yang Cheng didn't give any directives.
Matt Crocker was the real expert. He knew how to develop players.
And Yang Cheng's call would certainly make sure Kanté got proper attention.
After all, this was the future "30%-of-the-pitch" man.
But Yang Cheng didn't dwell on it long.
He returned to the meeting room where Brian Kidd, Gianni Vio, and the rest of the staff were waiting.
It was the final prep meeting before the first semi-official match of the season—
the Community Shield.
The hot topic? Midfield selection.
With Lass Diarra gone, the choice came down to Rakitić or Matuidi.
The coaching staff was split.
Rakitić was a well-known technical midfielder with a long-standing reputation in Europe.
Matuidi, though decent with short passes, was mainly a defensive powerhouse.
Both had excellent coverage and work rate.
But defensively, Matuidi and Lass Diarra had different styles.
Diarra was a pure ball-winner—last season, he averaged 3.9 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game.
Matuidi averaged 2.8 tackles but 3.4 interceptions and 1.9 clearances.
Tackles are targeted at the opponent's possession.
Interceptions are about cutting off passing lanes.
Rakitić, by contrast, posted just 1.7 tackles and 0.9 interceptions—
on paper, nowhere near the same level.
Yet Yang Cheng backed Rakitić to start.
"In terms of ball recoveries," Yang said, "Lass Diarra had 6.2 per match, Matuidi 5.6, but Rakitić had 6.6. So his overall defensive contribution is not weak."
"Ball recoveries" mean regaining possession—by any means, not just tackles or interceptions.
Some recoveries happen when one player pressures the opponent into an error, and another recovers the ball.
Others come from blocking shots that rebound to teammates.
Even constant man-marking, pressing the opponent until a mistake is forced and someone else collects the ball—
all count.
So recovery stats reflect team effort and defensive awareness in small zones.
In short, even if Rakitić's raw defensive actions weren't flashy,
his contribution to team recoveries was excellent—better than both Diarra and Matuidi.
There were others like him.
Modrić, for example, averaged 6.2 recoveries per match.
Back in Yang Cheng's previous life, Xavi and Iniesta had similar profiles in Guardiola's Barcelona.
Their tackles and interceptions, even combined, didn't match their recovery numbers.
Usually, players who posted high tackle numbers also had good recovery stats—
but interceptions were less predictable.
Still, there was a key difference:
Interceptions are cleaner.
If successful, they immediately lead to counterattacking chances.
Tackles, meanwhile, often lead to follow-up challenges or duels.
In terms of transition efficiency, interceptions are superior to tackles.
One more thing worth saying—many fans often complain that Manchester United players don't seem that impressive individually. Their stats aren't eye-catching, and yet Ferguson always wins titles, and their defense is consistently outstanding.
But that's not just about tactics.
United has always had a complete off-the-ball movement system, stretching back to the 1990s.
Defensively, they rely heavily on players' constant movement without the ball to cut off passing lanes.
That's why their defensive stats don't stand out, but their players run tirelessly.
It's also why Berbatov struggled at United.
Ferguson probably thought he could mold him into something different—that's why he paid big money.
But once Ferguson retired, no one could carry on that system.
In short, every defensive metric has its place—but they are only references.
One thing is clear: in the coming years, the ultimate goal of defense will be to recover possession as quickly as possible.
That's why ball recovery stats are becoming increasingly valued.
Take Kanté's breakout season, for example:
9.2 recoveries per game.
That means, over the course of an entire season, he was regaining possession once every 10 minutes.
Yes, that was his full-season average.
So when Yang Cheng saw N'Golo Kanté's name in the club's scouting database,
his first reaction was: sign him now!
And for the new season, Yang Cheng had his own benchmarks.
Whether it was Barcelona's treble-winning team or Real Madrid's classic midfield trio, when the team's tactical structure was stable,
their three midfielders generally contributed around 17 recoveries per match.
It would vary slightly, but not by much.
Looking at his current options:
Yaya Touré and Modrić were untouchable.
Whether Rakitić or Matuidi filled the last spot, both could replace Lass Diarra.
That said, Rakitić created far more chances per game than Matuidi.
His long-passing accuracy was over 70%, too.
…
After hearing Yang Cheng's breakdown, even the cautious Brian Kidd had no objections.
"Matuidi can always come on when needed."
As for the Community Shield, Yang Cheng wasn't too concerned.
Because United's situation was a mess.
Yes, they'd gone unbeaten in their summer friendlies.
But the only decent result was a 0–0 draw with Juventus at home.
United's preseason was chaotic.
They went on a tour of Africa, first to South Africa, then to Nigeria.
In Nigeria, Carrick and Rooney were both knocked out by an unknown virus.
The club had thrown every medical test at it—but to this day, they still didn't know what they'd caught.
So they just gave them every possible vaccine: malaria, yellow fever, hepatitis...
Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, was recovering from ankle surgery and would miss the start of the league.
Hargreaves, Park Ji-sung, and others were dealing with recurring knee injuries.
Ferguson was furious.
He believed the club had only gone to Africa because the commercial department wanted to make money.
Now they'd returned with half the squad sidelined.
Who could he even complain to?
Still, before the Community Shield, Ferguson was as confident as ever.
"I'm done worrying about injuries.
We can still compete in the Premier League with what we have.
We've got experience, and we've got hunger."
As for the match against Bayswater Chinese?
"It's an official friendly," he said bluntly.
Yang Cheng agreed.
"The Community Shield isn't a true competitive match."
"But we'll still try our best to win."
"That's our Bayswater Chinese mentality—we don't give up any match, any trophy."
And Yang Cheng had always followed through on that belief.
He was especially happy Ronaldo stayed at United, choosing not to transfer to Madrid.
If he'd gone, how would Mijatović have had £30 million to buy Lass Diarra?
"I'm really glad he stayed," Yang said.
"He's one of the best players in the world, and him staying in the Premier League is great for the league—and for the fans."
Would Ronaldo's presence make United stronger?
"We're never afraid of a challenge."
"On the contrary, we welcome strong opponents—because challenges make us stronger."
As for his goals for the new season, Yang Cheng kept it vague.
"Some say we're weaker now."
"But I think that's a misunderstanding."
"This year, we're going to win everything we lost last season."
…
August 10th, Wembley Stadium.
Community Shield: Bayswater Chinese vs. Manchester United.
In the 13th minute, Van der Sar rushed out of his box to beat Džeko to the ball and sent a long pass forward—
behind Bayswater's backline.
Tevez, Berbatov, and Nani surged forward.
But Bayswater's defense recovered rapidly.
Pepe got ahead of Berbatov, shielded the ball, and passed to Thiago Silva.
Silva received the ball near the top-left of the box.
Without hesitation, he took a touch forward to dodge Nani, then played a long pass.
And in that very instant—
A red blur streaked down the right like a lightning bolt,
ripping through United's defensive line.
Onside.
Vidic and Ferdinand were left for dead.
The entire stadium was lit up by his speed.
Walcott blazed past, brought the ball down on the run, entered the box,
and when Van der Sar rushed out—
A slick fake.
The keeper bit hard.
Walcott sidestepped, coolly slotted into an empty net.
The crowd erupted.
Just 13 minutes in, Bayswater Chinese took the lead with a brilliant counterattack and off-the-ball run.
90,000 fans roared in approval—most of them Bayswater Chinese supporters, now going wild for Walcott.
Yang Cheng was beaming on the sideline, clapping and shouting praise.
He even turned to Thiago Silva, giving him a big thumbs-up.
That long pass had been perfect.
They hadn't used long balls much before—so no one had noticed.
But suddenly, Yang realized:
Yaya Touré can hit long passes.
Thiago Silva can hit long passes.
Was this a little too luxurious?
Granted, their long balls were mostly vertical.
What Bayswater Chinese still lacked was a player like Toni Kroos—someone adept at both vertical and horizontal long passing.
Lateral balls stretch the defense.
Yang Cheng was excited just thinking about the possibilities.
As for Ferguson…
When Yang turned to glance over at the opposing bench,
the United manager's face was a storm cloud—
clearly furious to concede so early.
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