Not Bad at All, Premier League-The Drama Was a Lot of Fun!

Ranocchia has never been a high-profile person.

Back when he was Inter Milan's captain, club legend Bergomi subtly remarked in an interview with Italian media that Ranocchia's tone of voice didn't quite match his height.

Since arriving at Manchester City, the former Inter Milan captain has shed his status as the leader of the Nerazzurri dressing room and become an ordinary Manchester City player.

Arriving in a foreign land, he tried his best to restrain himself and keep a low profile, always offering a polite smile to each of his Manchester City teammates.

But just now, Milner made an extremely amateurish and irresponsible dribble, causing the team to pull one back. This goal was completely unnecessary!

Ranocchia was instantly enraged. He strode towards Milner, utterly bewildered. "I've called you several times to pass the ball! What are you dawdling about? This is our own penalty area, not the opponent's! Are you even a professional player?"

Milner has a typical UK appearance: a large head, a thick nose, and a big face that turns red when he sweats, making him look like he's drunk.

Having played for Manchester City since 2010, he considers himself a veteran and has seen it all. He thought to himself, "I admit I didn't handle the ball well, but even captain Kompany didn't say anything to me. What right do you, a new Italy, have to criticize me? When I was playing for Manchester City, you were probably playing in some backwater in Italy!"

Tang Long stole my starting position, and now you 'Ranocchia to attack me too? Good grief, are you teaming up against me?

Milner pressed his chest against Ranocchia was a full 20 centimeters taller than him, stood on tiptoe, craned his neck to look up at him, and in a moment of impulsiveness shouted:

"What, you want to fight? You Italy are cowards when it comes to fighting. You FXS guy, go find your grandfather Mussolini!"

Upon hearing this, several West Bromwich Albion players stared at Milner with wide eyes, their expressions filled with disbelief.

This is UK, you really dare to say anything, buddy!

Aren't you afraid of being suspended?

Kompany rushed over in a panic, covered Milner's mouth, forcibly dragged him away from Ranocchia, and said to him, "If you shout any louder, you're retired right here, you idiot!" He then nervously glanced at the referee, but fortunately the referee had just turned around and seemed not to have heard Milner's words.

On the contrary Ranocchia, the other party involved, smiled dismissively, waved to Milner with his back turned, and walked away.

Based on his years of playing experience, he knew that people who resort to such low-level personal attacks on their teammates were extremely low-class and just slackers; there was no need for him to stoop to their level. Milner definitely wouldn't stay at Manchester City for long.

They were leading 2-0 and almost secured all three points.

Suddenly, the tide turned dramatically. West Bromwich Albion unexpectedly pulled one back, and the mentality of both teams underwent a subtle shift!

West Bromwich Albion thought, "Losing one is the same as losing two, so I might as well go all in and bet everything. Maybe I can turn a small loss into a big one and steal a share."

After all, Milner's brain went blank on that play, and who knows, there might be another Manchester City player who goes blank too!

The West Bromwich Albion team's entire team's taxi morale indicator instantly turned into a full red arrow!

Meanwhile, within Manchester City, opinions began to diverge.

Agüero, Sterling, and other attacking players felt that since the opponent had pushed forward, they should attack even further, exploit the gaps behind them, and quickly make the score 3-1 to completely extinguish the opponent's counterattack!

However, defensive players like Delph and Kompany believed that with only ten minutes left in the game, it was more important to defend for those ten minutes as long as they worked together. They thought that pushing forward and engaging in a direct attack would only play into West Bromwich Albion's hands. They were afraid that West Bromwich Albion wouldn't push forward!

Fortunately, at this crucial moment, the experienced Manchester City manager Pellegrini stabilized the situation.

He ordered the players to drop back appropriately, making the distance between the three lines more compact. At the same time, Agüero, who was at the forefront, must not retreat. He must at least hold back one or two defenders to prevent the entire backline from pushing forward without any restraint.

Tang Long, who was substituted off the field, was incredulous at the sudden turn of events.

A seemingly perfect situation was turned around by a single, amateurish mistake by Milner, which completely altered the mindset of both teams.

He was watching the game when he heard Pellegrini angrily say to assistant coach Rayne, "I really can't stand Milner anymore, Rayne. We have one last substitution, let's just take Milner off!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Long was immediately delighted.

Milner's approach already made the show incredibly efficient.

If this change were to happen, the entertainment value would be off the charts! No wonder it's the Premier League! It's way more fun than Serie A.

But assistant coach Rayne said, "Boss, don't get agitated. You can't make substitutions like that! Milner was only brought on in the 65th minute, and then substituted again in the 80th minute. That's practically a death sentence for him at the club. You absolutely can't do that!"

As a professional player, Tang Long understood what it meant when a substitute player was brought on and then substituted off again because he failed to meet the head coach's requirements.

This not only means that the head coach has embarrassed himself, but it also means that even if he has embarrassed himself, I don't want to see him on the field anymore!

This requires immense courage from the head coach, and also demonstrates extreme disappointment with the player.

Tang Long suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Milner; some things simply cannot be made up for by effort alone.

However, Milner refused to believe it!

Why should my position be taken by a foreigner? Can't we native England establish ourselves in Manchester City?

In the 88th minute, Milner managed to create a chance through his fierce tackling!

This time, he's at odds with West Bromwich Albion's Yacob again.

These two are like sworn enemies; they're both really into each other.

Yacob wasn't without opportunities to pass the ball, but like Milner, he simply refused to pass, instead protecting the ball and attempting to use his body to knock his opponent aside. The muscles in their shoulders and backs collided back and forth, each displaying their masculine traits.

However, this time, Milner still demonstrated his extensive experience as a disruptive force in the attacking third.

Taking advantage of Yacob's momentary loss of balance, he hooked his foot around the ball, which then brought Yacob down to the ground!

"You can't beat me, kid!"

Milner burst into laughter and whistled away with the ball.

West Bromwich Albion have gone all out, with their entire formation pushed high up the pitch. Sterling on the left and Agüero on the right have both made runs out of position, giving either of them a chance to shoot.

Despite Milner's apparent indifference towards Sterling in the locker room, as a fellow member of the English-speaking Faction, Milner, even if it's for his own sake, has to look out for his younger brother Sterling.

He chose to pass to Sterling!

Sterling gets the ball and dribbles inside, he's one-on-one with the goalkeeper!

Sterling's shot went wide!

Sterling was holding his head.

He was about to offer Milner a sincere apology when Milner stepped forward and pressed his forehead against Sterling's little head.

Sterling, standing at 172cm, is one of the few Manchester City players shorter than Milner.

Milner, who used to look up to Ranocchia, now looked down on Sterling with disdain, saying, "You wasted my assist, you're such a waste, Sterling!"

Milner must be furious. If Sterling had scored that goal, he would have gotten an assist, which would have made up for the mistake that caused him to concede the goal earlier, and Manchester City would have been able to completely kill the game.

Sterling was sprayed with saliva by Milner, his face reeking of bad breath. He silently wiped his face, then wiped it on his jersey, standing there awkwardly.

At that moment, Sterling suddenly remembered his old friend Gerrard from Liverpool.

Even if he squandered every opportunity on the Captain Gerrard, the other player would only criticize him a few times after the game, never during the game. He would never spit on him or call him a piece of trash.

It was only Agüero's shouts that brought Sterling back to his senses and got him involved in the defense.

Her eyes were full of grievance as she ran, gritting her teeth.

Ultimately, Manchester City withstood West Bromwich Albion's relentless attacks and defeated the visiting West Bromwich Albion 2-1, securing their first home win of the new season and achieving two consecutive league victories.

The first round was 3-2, the second round was 2-1. Although the games were thrilling, the results were still pretty good. Pellegrini breathed a sigh of relief and shook hands with the West Bromwich Albion manager with a smile.

As a coach, you're always happy when you win; no one frowns when they win.

However, the Manchester City fans at the stadium were not having it!

Fans spend thirty or forty pounds to watch the game live, not for the tactics and techniques, but simply for the excitement and spectacle!

They dominated the game for the entire match, but then their performance turned into a disaster in the last ten minutes – a complete flop.

And Milner, what's he doing? My grandma was in that position, and she knew to pass it out. If that wasn't possible, at least clear the ball. Stop pretending to be a dribbling expert; you don't have the skill, you know that, right?

So when the Manchester City players came down to the stands to thank the fans, the applause was mixed with a significant number of boos!

No need to ask, it was Milner who was booing.

Ranocchia looked at Milner and thought the guy was really bold, daring to come and thank the fans with the whole team. No need to say more, the fans really should thank you!

After the match, Pellegrini brought Tang Long to the press conference.

Pellegrini brought Tang Long to the post-match press conference after the first home game of the season, which shows how much he values this new China signing.

Having already spent a season in Serie A, Tang Long is adept at dealing with reporters.

He knew what they wanted to ask, and he knew what answers the reporters wanted to get behind their provocative questions.

"What's the difference between the Premier League and Serie A? The Premier League is faster-paced, more physically demanding, and emphasizes the individual player's skill level, while Serie A places more emphasis on overall tactics and teamwork."

"Will Manchester United regret not getting me? De Bruyne is a very good player, and he deserves to play for Manchester United."

"Will Icardi come to Manchester City in the future? Sorry, you'll have to ask the club's management. I don't know anything about transfers."

"Adaptation period in the Premier League? As you said, new signings all need an adaptation period when they come to the Premier League, but I don't think it will take long. I gave my answer on the pitch."

"My relationship with Ranocchia? We're teammates, but more like brothers. It's a rare and precious bond to continue playing alongside him in the Premier League."

When asked about Kompany, Tang Long was full of praise, claiming that Kompany is the anchor of Manchester City's defense.

"Ranocchia often told me," Tang Long added, "that partnering with Kompany was the best thing about him as a center-back. He didn't have to worry about the stability of the defense at all and could boldly push forward, something he couldn't do in Serie A."

The reporter then asked, "How would you rate Milner's performance?"

A few scattered laughs rang out from the crowd.

Pellegrini, who had been smiling the whole time, suddenly frowned.

Seeing the head coach's expression change, the press officer simply ignored it, saying, "Next question, please!"

However, the reporter from the Manchester Evening News refused to hand the microphone back and insisted that Tang Long answer the question.

This is getting interesting.

The other reporters all looked at Tang Long with great interest, wanting to hear his answer.

As everyone knows, Tang Long's arrival at Manchester City was directly aimed at taking Milner's place.

In the opening match of the first round of the Premier League, Milner was substituted in the 60th minute, but he didn't even Tang Long, who replaced him, and just walked back to the bench.

How could the British media, always quick to jump to conclusions, overlook this detail?

In the second round of the league, back at home, Milner made another major mistake. Everyone can take this opportunity to see what Tang Long has to say.

They were hoping to get some explosive information out of the 18-year-old.

Tang Long was well-prepared for this question.

"Milner is an excellent midfielder; the players who play for Manchester City are all top-class. He has a strong desire to win. It's a pity that Milner could have had an assist if Sterling hadn't missed the goal. It's such a shame."

The reporters seemed lost in thought, then bent down and furiously scribbled on their laptops, delivering the latest firsthand reports after the match.

Pellegrini, standing to the side, narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at Tang Long, thinking to himself, "He managed to extricate himself with just a few words, dragging Sterling into the fray and then pushing Milner into it as well. He turned the conflict between Tang Long and Milner into a conflict between Milner and Sterling. This tactic of shifting the conflict is quite something. Although this kid is not yet 20 years old, his meticulousness is truly impressive."

This week in the Premier League, top teams all secured victories.

Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool all secured three points.

Manchester United are currently in first place due to goal difference.

Manchester United secured a narrow 1-0 away victory against Stoke City, with Red Devils Icardi scoring a golden goal in the 78th minute of the second half – a near-decisive win!

And the one who provided the assist was none other than De Bruyne, the backup option Manchester United had brought in after failing to acquire Tang Long!

His through ball after dribbling past two players was like a mother feeding her child, practically handing a biscuit to Icardi.

In the post-match mixed zone interview, De Bruyne, like Tang Long, was asked some pointed questions, but his questions were even more pointed and left no room for maneuver.

"Kevin, you and Tang, one was the Serie A's best midfielder last season, and the other was the Bundesliga's best midfielder. If only one of you can be selected as the Premier League's best midfielder at the end of this season, who do you think it will be? You can't both be selected; it has to be one of you!"

De Bruyne's face darkened. "Damn British media! I've only just arrived in the Premier League, and you've already dug a pit for me, forcing me to jump in. How insidious!"

His face darkened slightly, and he prepared to turn and leave without saying a word.

Unexpectedly, Icardi, passing through the mixed zone, suddenly hugged him and then said to the camera:

"It has to be De Bruyne. Don is indeed an excellent player, but he's not as good as the current De Bruyne."

"Oh, how do you know?" The reporters rubbed their hands excitedly, having finally caught a big fish.

"De Bruyne is the kind of person who can create miracles. His football philosophy is completely in sync with mine. Although we've only played two official matches together, it feels like we've been playing together for ten years. Dom's passing variations and accuracy are not as good as my teammate De Bruyne's. I've played with both of them, and that's my honest feeling!"

(One more chapter is being written. I'll try to post it before midnight, but no later than 1 a. m.)