The Battle for Starting Spots Intensifies! Tang Long Keeps Getting Better, While Someone Loses His Cool and Downs Water Like Crazy!
Standing in the players' tunnel, Tang Long could already hear bursts of cheers, like a gust of wind, sweeping in from the end of the narrow passage.
On the way to the court.
Tang Long suddenly remembered two fragments!
Both of these incidents occurred during a home game against Genoa when he was playing for Inter Milan.
The first segment is about Icardi of the Argentine BBQ Gang.
At the time, after Tang Long assisted Icardi to score, everyone thought it was just a fluke that the shot had gone wrong.
But Icardi asked him, "Did you do it on purpose, or accidentally?"
Tang Long saw half trust and half confusion in Icardi's eyes.
Clearly, this center forward, with his top-tier positioning awareness in Serie A, has a significantly higher understanding of passing and movement routes than his teammates.
The second segment is about Ranocchia of the Italy gang.
Icardi's winning goal was made with a penultimate pass from Tang Long.
He was tackled hard by two Genoa center-backs after passing the ball!
Afterwards, everyone on the field celebrated wildly around Icardi, who had scored the winning goal.
However, only his teammate Ranocchia, took the initiative to come over and ask Tang Long if he was injured.
Tang Long thought to himself, "When I was promoted from Inter Milan's youth team to the first team, I was a nobody, and my strategy was to firmly cling to Icardi's coattails. Now, the only player in Manchester City with a similar status to Icardi is Agüero. Although I'm a new signing, as the highest-paid signing in history, my relationship with Agüero is collaborative; it's not a matter of one clinging to the other's coattails. However, Agüero is the core of the Spanish-speaking Faction, and gaining his trust is crucial for me to establish myself. As for captain Kompany, his personality and methods are similar to Ranocchia Inter Milan's captain; I just need to continue with the previous approach."
Sterling was also a starter, walking in front of Tang Long in the team.
Looking at Xiao Kuailing, whose butt was sticking out high and who habitually pinched her pinky finger, Tang Long had already made his plans.
"Sterling is a rising star in England. His move from Liverpool to Manchester City has taken his career a step forward, and he carries the expectations of the entire Britain. He has distinct strengths and weaknesses; he excels at dribbling, but his weakness is shooting. If he can score a few more goals, it might boost his confidence in his shot. The English-speaking Faction n't as powerful as the Spanish-speaking Faction or French-speaking Factions. Giving Sterling some benefits will also help to sow discord among Milner's supporters, letting them argue amongst themselves first."
Tang Long had already devised a strategy to defeat them one by one.
At that moment, Milner took the lead, walking past the team and heading towards the substitutes' bench.
As Sterling passed by Tang Long, he grabbed Milner's arm, wanting to say a few words to him;
But Milner ignored him completely, turned his hand away, and continued walking with his head down.
"Hey, buddy..." Sterling pursed his lips. As a member of the English-speaking Faction, he had originally wanted to say a few words of comfort to the senior national team player who wasn't in the starting lineup, but who knew that the other guy ignored him. It seemed that Milner was in a really bad mood.
Seeing Milner's downcast and sullen expression, Tang Long smiled slightly.
It's only the second round of the league, and you've just returned to your home stadium, and you've already been stripped of your starting position.
Anyone would be anxious in that situation. I would be anxious too.
But don't worry, Milner, after this game, I'll not only make you anxious, I'll make you despair.
Want to compete with me for the starting attacking midfielder position? You'd better have the ability!
As the Manchester City players entered the pitch, the stadium DJ announced the starting players' numbers one by one.
"Nanbo 10, Aguero!"
The audience erupted in the loudest applause!
Blue Moon fans gave the highest cheers to last season's Premier League Golden Boot.
Since his €40 million transfer from Atlético Madrid to Manchester City in 2011, excluding his first season when he was injured, he has averaged around 30 goals per season, and last season he won his first Premier League Golden Boot!
Mancini once said that a team that wants to win a championship must have a striker who can score around 20 to 25 goals per season.
Agüero is Manchester City's goal-scoring guarantee and Manchester City most powerful weapon in their quest for the Premier League title!
"Nanbo 9, Tang!"
The second-best applause after Agüero's erupted in applause!
The intensity of the fans' applause clearly shows whose performance they are looking forward to.
As the club's most expensive transfer in history, the 18-year-old Tang Long carries immense pressure. This pressure won't lessen because of his youth; on the contrary, it will become even heavier—won't the club overpay at such a young age?
Tang Long's performance in the first round of the league temporarily suppressed these opinions.
Back at home, can Tang Long continue his performance from the last round, or even shine brighter? The fans' applause is both an encouragement and an expectation for Tang Long!
Manchester City's starting lineup for this match: 4-2-3-1
Agüero
Sterling / Tang Long / Silva
Yaya Toure / Delph
Kolarov / Kompany / Ranocchia / Sagna
Joe Hart
Compared to the previous round, Pellegrini made two changes, starting new signings Tang Long and Delph, replacing Milner and Fernando respectively.
West Bromwich Albion Starting XI: 4-4-2
Berahino / Lambert
McClean / Morrison / Fletcher / Gardner
Brunt / Lescott / Dawson / Chester
Myhill
In the first round of the league, Manchester City visited White Hart Lane and suffered a Tottenham Hotspur three-pronged attack from Tottenham in the opening stages.
Returning to their home ground, how could they possibly let the visiting team have an easy time?
Manchester City transformed into an axe-wielding gang, unleashing a barrage of attacks on West Bromwich Albion's players.
Manchester City finished second last season with 24 wins, 7 draws, and 7 losses in 38 rounds, making them a title contender.
West Bromwich Albion, with 11 wins, 11 draws, and 16 losses, is ranked 13th, more than enough to avoid relegation but with no hope of moving up the table.
Pellagrini had originally planned to score in the first half, believing that once they got there first, the chances of winning the game would be practically guaranteed.
But to my surprise, the goal came way too fast!
Just five minutes into the game, new signing Delph effectively neutralized the slow-moving Fletcher.
He was smaller than the former Manchester United star, but his tenacity was no less. As a new signing, he fought extra hard for the ball, his thigh was being held up by Fletcher so that his body was suspended in the air, and his other foot was still trying to hook the ball.
"Help me out!"
Just when Fletcher thought he had the kid under control, his defensive midfield partner Yaya Toure arrived at Delph's call!
With a shoulder charge reminiscent of a rugby player, he sent Fletcher and Delph, who were entangled and practically one body, flying!
After being knocked down by Guarin in the last round, Toure was furious. He considered himself the strongest midfielder in the Premier League, how could he let a nobody from Serie A steal his thunder?
Fortunately, both the opponents and teammates crashed into each other.
Tang Long saw the referee put the whistle in his mouth, hesitate for 0.5 seconds, then wave both hands and raise them to indicate that the game should continue. Looking at Fletcher and Delph lying on the ground, groaning in pain, Tang Long gasped in shock.
Hiss...
When Toure went berserk, he only cared about throwing explosives into the crowd, regardless of whether they were friend or foe.
It's thanks to the Premier League's lenient officiating standards that things turned out this way; if it were in Serie A, they would probably not only blow the whistle but also issue a yellow card.
Tang Long quickly retreated, pulling out from the attacking midfield position to shake off the opponent's defensive midfielder and get close to Toure.
This is a very clear form of body language, Toure giving himself the ball and then seeking cooperation.
Meanwhile, Sterling on the left and Agüero on the right, lurking near the opponent's penalty area line, are beginning to switch positions.
Silva on the right wing made a straight run, drawing away a full-back.
Everyone is running, everyone is moving, and the players' positions are constantly changing. The key is whether the passing and running are in sync. At the moment of coordination, not only should the passer and receiver have the same mindset, but the players who participate in the second stage of the attack must also keep up. Everyone must move forward with similar ideas. Otherwise, a mistake in one part could bring the entire attack process to an abrupt halt!
At this moment, Manchester City's players seemed to have transformed into a sophisticated machine, proceeding in an orderly and methodical manner.
Toure passed the ball to Tang Long. After turning around, Tang Long advanced towards the space left by Silva on the right wing. When he looked up, he saw Sterling crossing positions from the left wing.
"Again!" Tang Long silently thought to himself.
He passed the ball to Sterling, then moved back towards the center.
Agüero, who had been switching positions on the left flank, made another diagonal run into the center, forcing West Bromwich Albion center-back Lescott, who was marking him, to make another ten-meter sprint.
Meanwhile, Silva, who made a deep run down the right flank, resolutely refused to tuck inside, instead staying firmly in the right side of the penalty area. My goal was to draw away a full-back, preventing him from covering or participating in the central defense.
Slap! Slap!
After a quick two-footed pass, Sterling passed the ball to Tang Long. Tang Long glanced at Agüero, who had just recovered, and then stepped to the left with his left foot, pretending to pass the ball to Agüero.
West Bromwich Albion centre-back Lescott played for Manchester City for five years and only Manchester City last summer. He has experienced firsthand the ability of the team's star striker, Agüero.
He quickly lunged forward, attempting to avoid being offside.
Unexpectedly, Tang Long's move was just a feint. Whether it fooled Lescott or not was secondary; the important thing was to fool Dawson, the other center-back who was marking Sterling!
Originally, he was going to kick the ball to the left wing with his right foot, but at the moment of contact with the ball, he subtly twisted his ankle, changing the contact from the instep to the outside of his foot, similar to a Reverse Flip Flap, and flicked the ball to Sterling on the right wing!
Sterling was stunned!
Dawson was stunned!
Although both were stunned, Sterling reacted faster than Dawson, recovering from his dazed state much more quickly.
England's king of the buttocks twisted his rear end, turned and received the ball sideways, and before Dawson's blocking leg could arrive, he unleashed a powerful shot!
Sterling's shots have a certain characteristic.
He knocked your perfectly good single-handed attack away;
A close-range, difficult kick is even more effective!
The football was pinned down and steadily nestled into the bottom left corner of the goal!
Manchester City took the lead after just 6 minutes, 1-0!
Sterling scored Manchester City's first home goal of the new season, with Tang Long providing the assist!
"Haha, I scored with my first shot! I'm dying of laughter!"
Overjoyed, Sterling jumped dramatically into Tang Long's arms.
The Etihad Stadium erupted!
The blue and white waves of people surged once more!
A goal in just 6 minutes! This £35 ticket was definitely worth it!
The fans chanted Sterling's name!
In the last round, Sterling wasted three clear-cut chances, earning him the insults of being called useless by the Expeditionary Army fans and the laughter of being called trash by the home fans.
In this round, Sterling scored with his very first shot, once again becoming a prized possession for the home fans and silencing the away fans instantly.
This is football!
Off the field.
Milner, who was on the bench, seemed distracted and couldn't concentrate on the game.
Suddenly seeing that Sterling had scored, I immediately cheered loudly. After all, Sterling is an important new signing for England this season, and he is also an attacking striker.
But when someone praised Tang Long's assist as truly brilliant, saying it had fooled them all.
Milner was taken aback, only then realizing that the one who assisted his national team teammate Sterling was actually the China man who had taken his starting attacking midfield position!
Milner's face darkened, and his hands, which were about to clap, froze in mid-air before slowly falling. He snatched a bottle of water from his teammate and began gulping it down.
(The author was already writing furiously when, an hour before leaving for his wife's parents' house, he realized he'd left his laptop at the office. He thought, "There's no computer at my parents' house, and I'm not used to writing on my phone. What am I going to do? It'll be too late to go back to the office to get it, and my wife is glaring at me!" So, he gritted his teeth, disassembled his desktop computer at home, loaded it into his car, and drove back. Hehe, there's always a solution to every problem, and nothing can stop him from writing!)