Observation Lv1

Observation Lv1 "This kid's got something, huh?"

Evans, the Yellow Team center forward who had just finished the assist, was the first to come over. He high-fived Maël with a smile. "Nice play. Didn't expect the team to bring in a long-shot taker in this summer window."

"Yeah, that gives the team another attacking pattern."

Midfielder Janu Hans arrived right after him. As usual, he celebrated with a high-five and a hug, grinning freely. "We'll be counting on you in those tough breakthrough games from now on!"

Most people did not naturally harbor malice toward strangers. In many cases, they even took the initiative to show a friendly side.

Especially when they felt you had strength.

"Thanks."

Maël thanked them with a smile. He did not act modest, and even deliberately put on a calm look, as if the goal had not surprised him at all.

When you came to a new environment and started competing and socializing all over again, you had to generously display your strengths and make others think you were strong.

Only then could you gain equal treatment and respect in the future.

After dealing with everyone who came up to celebrate, Maël turned and walked back toward his own half. Only when he met Gilbert's eyes did he reveal a held-back grin of pure satisfaction.

There was the thrill of scoring in a Championship-level training match, and also the surprise and delight of getting such a good chance right from the start and taking it!

A little more confidence in his own future rose within him too.

Next, I have to show as many of my strengths as possible.

Maël had an idea in mind. Since he had gotten off to a good start at his new club, he might as well fight to take it one step further.

First impressions were extremely important. He had to work hard to etch all of his advantages firmly into the coaching staff's minds.

Whether that was the current head coach, Kevin, or Gareth Speed, whom Joelson had said would soon take over the position.

Of course, he was not overly confident either.

Aside from Long Shot, his other skills were only at Lv2 for now. In front of Championship players, they definitely did not count as advantages.

For example, strength and bicycle kick, two abilities commonly used in one-on-ones. If he used them carelessly and kept messing up, it would instead run counter to his goal.

But. Cross was absolutely usable.

This ability could be linked to his teammates' performances.

As long as he found lots of chances to send the ball into the penalty area, even if it was not especially accurate, a pass of roughly decent quality could still be headed in by a teammate through sheer happenstance.

If he could get another assist and put up a goal and an assist, then today's training match would definitely be perfect for him! "Maël, an Arsenal academy U17 product."

By the side of the pitch, Sheffield United manager Kevin flipped through Maël's information sheet. "No stats in the Youth Team League. Chief Scout Joelson brought him back after watching a Friendly Match."

He looked up at Maël, who had just scored, and interest rose in his eyes. "Very interesting lad."

Beside him, Gareth Speed nodded slightly, a gratified look appearing on his face. "When Joelson told me about his situation, I was actually a little hesitant too, but in the end I still trusted his eye.

"Looking at it now, the heavy-cannon talent written in his scouting report is real, and very obvious."

Kevin pursed his lips in approval, admiration welling up in his heart. "He hasn't even had his seventeenth birthday yet. Even if he doesn't break through this year, his future is still wide open. Shame we only have him on a one-year loan."

As if he knew what Kevin was about to say, Gareth Speed lowered his head, unwilling to make eye contact with him.

Sure enough, Kevin shook his head with a faint sigh of emotion and said, "It's also a shame that I'll soon be leaving this team."

Those words plunged every member of the coaching staff into silence. The awkward lull lasted more than ten seconds before someone finally broke it.

"The Board of Directors should still look at your results in the new season."

An assistant coach spoke with a complicated expression. "If you can hold on, they might not necessarily terminate your contract."

"Don't be ridiculous."

Kevin was still shaking his head, holding no real hope. "The fans don't know, but as coaches, how could we not know? This group simply can't play in the Championship.

"Other than Robert, Lotton, Evans, and Janu Hans, who else has Championship-level ability? "Professional leagues are cruel and fierce competition. A lot of the time, you can't pin your hopes on reputations. Forget loaning academy players from Everton and Arsenal—even if we loaned someone from Real Madrid's academy, so what?"

He still wanted to say something else, but a figure walked in through the entrance to the training ground.

It was Joelson. He had been assigned to organize documents today, and once he finished, he hurried over right away.

"How's it going?"

Joelson glanced at the players moving quickly, observing Maël's and Gilbert's conditions with slight nerves.

"One-nil to the Yellow Team."

Gareth Speed took over and gave him a satisfying answer. "Maël scored with a Long Shot."

"Really?"

Joy quickly rose in Joelson's eyes, and he clapped his hands hard. "Brilliant!"

Bang!

On the pitch, Maël found an opportunity on the left flank, shifted the ball onto his right foot, and sent in a Cross.

The quality was barely usable, but after it flew to the center of the penalty area, a Red Team defender leapt up and headed it clear, so it did not create much of a threat.

That was actually already enough. He only had to show that he had the ability to create chances with crosses.

Maël jogged back calmly, then began moving quickly along the left flank, constantly slipping into the blind spots in the opposing wide midfielder's vision.

Even though, most of the time, his teammates would not pass him the ball, he still ran forward whenever he had the chance, sparing no effort.

What the Proficiency Panel gave him was definitely not only those skills, but also the habits of focus and giving everything he had!

For the time being, he could not get past the opposing wide midfielder with breakthroughs or Explosive Dribble, so he could only keep making runs and harassing him to create crossing chances for himself.

This was an English Championship team, one of the best few dozen teams in all of England.

Maël had to take them seriously. He had to give everything.

And so, with absolute focus, he watched the movements of the opposing wide midfielder, as well as the way the ball was circulating, constantly adjusting his position to create space to receive a pass.

Skill: Observation Lv1

Proficiency: (21/300)

Effect: You have begun trying to use your brain to read the match and observe the situation on the field, but because you have little match experience and have not gone through extensive video analysis, you are still at the most basic level.

Maël, in the middle of running, froze slightly for a moment, then returned to normal. A new skill had awakened again. And it was a very special mental skill.

"Initial proficiency of 300, the same as physical skills."

A few flashes of excitement passed through his eyes. Observation—or rather, the ability to read the game—could greatly improve a person's performance in a match.

Those famous master-level players in history were not only peak artists in a certain craft, but also experts who had thoroughly understood the game of football.

Moreover, this ability might not be like technical and physical skills, which required deliberate practice.

As long as he was in a fast-paced match, he could train it at every moment.

It was equivalent to automatically grinding proficiency.

"Looking at the effect description, maybe analyzing videos can also improve it."

Maël cared quite a lot about this ability. He immediately made a plan: when he was tired from training other skills during the day, he could watch more match footage after going home at night and learn how other football masters understood the game.

Withdrawing his thoughts, he focused his attention back on the pitch.

Just then, the opposing attackers produced a brilliant two-on-two combination down the flank, using smooth, consecutive first-time passes to cut through his side's defensive line and complete a cross.

Bang!!

A figure charged into the box from outside the penalty-area line and leaped high, powering a header at goal.

Smack! Robert, the team's starting goalkeeper, instinctively punched out and knocked the ball back into the Goal Area.

But the red team's striker did not miss the chance to follow up. With a poke of his toe, he prodded the ball into the net, scoring the equalizer.

One-one!

Both sides were back on the same starting line.

Maël smiled. It was not that he lacked a sense of collective honor.

It was just that the one who had completed that first crucial headed effort was Gilbert.

It was easy to imagine that this kid's header would likewise leave the coaching staff with quite a good impression.

Could it be that Gilbert had really trained up his ability to attack the ball by training with him every day?