Are You a Ball-Playing Midfielder? I Think I Am

In the early hours of August 9, Beijing time, Feyenoord faced Utrecht in the first round of the 2015–16 Eredivisie season.

As early as an hour before kickoff, Chinese fans had begun camping on the Royal Dutch Football Association's website.

They wanted to see one person's name on the squad list.

But they didn't.

Where the hell is Brother Meng? I stayed up all night for this?

If Brother Meng doesn't play, I'm not buying a Utrecht jersey!

Erik ten Hag is useless!

Forget it, forget it. Tang Ye isn't in the squad, so there's no point watching this match.

Wait, let me see how good Utrecht are. If they suck, Tang Ye might still get a chance to play.

The match began, and it was once again Wang Chao's Huanledou livestream.

The Eredivisie drew far more viewers than a friendly involving a second-tier team, but apart from those loyal Bean Warriors, there was hardly anyone in Wang Chao's stream today.

The reason was simple.

That man wasn't in the squad!

"Damn it!"

Wang Chao was a little angry. He had just spent 599 on an authentic jersey, and this was what he got?

But even so, Wang Chao noticed someone.

Amrabat, who had been promoted to the first team alongside Tang Ye!

If he could make the starting lineup, then one day Brother Meng could too!

"Let's... first take a look at this match..."

The referee blew the opening whistle. Facing the powerful Feyenoord, ten Hag had Utrecht line up in a 5-3-2 formation.

Five defenders—they needed to seek a chance at victory through stability. The camera cut to the away bench, where ten Hag watched the pitch with a stern expression. His shiny bald head gave him an almost inhuman air of authority.

"Beep, beep beep—!!!"

The match ended. Utrecht, playing away from home, lost 1–3 to Feyenoord.

"Fuck, I fucking knew it!"

Wang Chao was furious. More than ten days ago, when ten Hag had brought Tang Ye into the first team, Wang Chao had thought the guy was a capable, renowned manager.

If you put Tang Ye on the pitch, losing wouldn't matter. Chinese fans would still support you.

But you actually dared to leave Brother Meng at the training ground and not bring him along?

Just wait to get cyberbullied! After the match, at the press conference, ten Hag did not feel good about the loss, so when facing the reporters, he chose a way to make himself feel a little better.

"Actually, we were the winners of this match."

"They played very well, but our players failed to convert three excellent chances."

Ten Hag looked seriously at the reporter questioning him. "I think the score should have been 4–3, or 5–3, not 3–1. We missed too many chances."

After hearing ten Hag's words, the reporter nodded and asked his next question. "Before the season began, you brought a sixteen-year-old player from the reserve team into the first team. This decision has sparked widespread discussion among the fans."

"Joining the first team at sixteen—is he a genius?"

Ten Hag did not answer immediately. He fell silent for a moment before saying, "We nearly won this match. Victory should have belonged to us."

"..."

At noon on the third day after the match, Tang Ye, having just finished morning training, carried his tray over to Zaka, who was sitting in a corner.

"Tang!?"

Seeing Tang Ye approach, Zaka's eyes widened. Ever since Tang Ye had been dragged into the first team by ten Hag as a training partner, he only got to see his friend once every two or three days.

After Tang Ye put his tray on the table, Zaka asked in confusion, "Why are you eating here?"

"I was late too many times, so Erik won't let me into the first-team cafeteria anymore."

Tang Ye dipped a fry in ketchup and put it into his mouth.

"Huh?"

Zaka looked as though he had heard something unbelievable. "He won't let you into the first-team cafeteria? What about training?"

"Training is as usual. I'll go back after lunch."

As Tang Ye spoke, he picked up the pineapple burger from his tray.

"Damn, which genius invented burgers and fries? They're fucking delicious!"

"..."

Zaka had wanted to say that eating this stuff would keep him from growing taller, but then he remembered something. "Tang, can you stand up for a moment?"

"Stand up? Okay."

Tang Ye put the burger he had bitten into back on his tray, then stood as Zaka asked. "Zaka, what is it?"

Zaka stood up as well and carefully measured with his hand before coming to a conclusion. "You really have gotten taller, I guarantee it!"

"That's great!"

Tang Ye smiled. "Zaka, you know, there are a few idiots in the first team who tackle me every day. Once I eat more burgers and grow taller, I'll beat the shit out of them!"

After returning to the first team at noon, ten Hag did not have the players begin warming up right away. Instead, he gathered everyone together.

In this Dutchman's view, the afternoon was when people's minds were clearest, so ten Hag liked to review the team's previous matches then.

"Do you know why we lost?"

"Because we couldn't get the ball out of our own half at all!"

Mitchell van der Gaag brought over a small tactical board. Holding a marker, ten Hag squeaked away on it, successfully recreating the situation from the match two days earlier with a few simple drawings.

Utrecht's defenders had the ball in their own half, and then Feyenoord's three forwards all charged forward.

At times like this, Utrecht's midfielders should have dropped back to offer support, but neither Ramselaar nor Amrabat had the ability to receive the ball.

"If you want to attack, you at least have to get the ball from the defenders' feet to the forwards' feet before you can score!"

Ten Hag angrily tapped the tactical board. "We need the midfielders to support the defenders, then get the ball to the forwards' feet. Only then can we get our attack going."

"Why couldn't we play the ball out as soon as their forwards pressed us? Because we don't have a midfielder who can control the ball!"

"That's why we lost!"

Losing the first match of the season had brought out ten Hag's temper. Not one of the gathered players dared to speak.

At that moment, someone in the crowd raised his hand, and everyone turned to look.

"Um, Mr. Erik... I think I'm a ball-playing midfielder."

???

"You're a ball-playing midfielder?"

Ten Hag frowned. "Are you sure you're a ball-playing midfielder?"

Come to think of it, ten Hag still did not know Tang Ye's exact position.

This guy who only knew how to wander around the pitch was actually good at controlling the ball!? Uh...

Tang Ye thought carefully about it.

Although he did not really understand what exactly he was supposed to do on the pitch, he had read his scouting report, and it seemed to say that he was a ball-playing midfielder.

So Tang Ye gave his answer.

"I think I am."