Chapter 177: A Sudden Turn, Unexpected Injuries!
"This kid is integrating into the team faster than we imagined," Moyes frowned in the stands, addressing his assistant.
Today, he came to the stadium mainly to observe two people.
One is the tactical focus and adjustment capability of the Chilean engineer Pellegrini.
The other is to evaluate the playing state of Lin Quan.
Moyes has information on the other Manchester City players, but these two are somewhat unknown to him.
Neither of them had trained or played in the Premier League before, so it is unclear if they will adapt to the pace and style of the league.
Now it seems that Pellegrini's tactic is quite standard.
The 4-4-2 he chose is something most Premier League coaches would use.
Besides, the match has just started, and he hasn't seen how Pellegrini handles tactical decisions and player changes, so he can't further assess his capability yet.
But Lin Quan is different.
With just the performance he has had in the first half so far, Moyes has no doubt about whether he can integrate into the Premier League.
No wonder they call him the third after Messi and Ronaldo; he really has that ability.
Thinking of this, Moyes ordered his assistant beside him: "When we get back, find the videos of his matches in the Bundesliga and the Spanish national team. I want to study him carefully."
Although football is a team game, the role of a superstar on the field cannot be ignored.
Often, a superstar only needs a flash of brilliance to change the outcome of the match with their individual skill.
Like Messi, no one could have imagined that a simple pass from Busquets could allow him to break through Real Madrid's entire defense.
This kind of performance is what is called the brilliance of superstars.
Even if you asked Messi to do it again from the same position, there would be no guarantee he could create such a miracle.
But as long as they are on the field, there is a chance they will create such miracles, and you have to be prepared for that.
The assistant was surprised, Moyes really has a high opinion of Manchester City!
Aren't they just a bunch of newcomers? Why does he think so highly of them?
"Things have changed, Manchester City now is different from before," Moyes saw his assistant's lack of attention and added emphatically: "Do not underestimate them. I don't want to taste the defeat for underestimating the opponent. We have just arrived at Manchester United, every match needs to be handled carefully, we can't make mistakes, especially in matches like the city derby against Manchester City, the importance of that is emphasized a thousand times!"
Thinking about their current situation at Manchester United, the assistant immediately became alert and nodded firmly: "Don't worry, David, I'll take care of everything."
...
After scoring, Lin Quan ran to the sideline and put his hand next to his ear, seeking applause from the Manchester City fans in the stands.
Even if he didn't actively seek applause, the Manchester City fans wouldn't hold back their cheers and ovations.
So when they saw his gesture, the fans burst into applause and cheers, instantly increasing the volume throughout the stadium.
"Lin, well done, keep it up and beat them!"
"Lin, score another!"
"Lin, get a hat-trick!"
Hearing the fans' cheers, Lin Quan smiled and waved to them, making the "ok" gesture with his hand.
This response excited them even more.
Some nearby fans almost wished they could jump from the stands to join the celebration on the field with Lin Quan.
But as they were halfway there, the security guards at the venue pushed them back, alert as if facing an invading enemy.
Manchester City seemed to have anticipated that this game would be very exciting, so they hired thousands of security guards to maintain order.
Now it seems that the money spent was not in vain.
...
Manchester City fans were thrilled with Lin Quan's goal.
But Newcastle fans on the opposite side were not happy.
The Magpies fans looked at the number ten player in the blue shirt on the field and couldn't hide their envy.
In their day, under the leadership of Kevin Keegan, they also had a superstar goal-scorer, the record holder for the most goals in Premier League history and the record for goals in a single season, the Premier League's goal king, Alan Shearer.
But Alan Shearer had long retired, and Newcastle was no longer what it used to be.
A few seasons ago, they even experienced the lowest point in their history by being relegated to the EFL Championship.
The team's resurgence seemed far away, while Manchester City, who once fought alongside them in the lower half of the table, was now silently rising.
This made the Magpies fans feel both envious and jealous, wondering when their own good fortune would come.
"We can't let that guy score at will!"
"Yes, we have to stop him!"
The Newcastle players were frustrated and even angry. Just six minutes after the start of the match, they had already conceded a goal, and the guy who scored the goal even promised a hat-trick to the home fans.
It's really unbearable!
Although our strength is not as good as theirs, Manchester City, it doesn't mean we are easy to bully!
Even if we can't win this game, we must stop the number ten on the other side from continuing to score.
Under this intense hostility, when the game resumed, Lin Quan immediately felt the difference.
Newcastle became much stricter in their defense and often resorted to foul tactics to stop his advances.
After realizing the other team's defensive strategy, Lin Quan made immediate adjustments.
He began to reduce the frequency of receiving the ball and increased the frequency of passing, passing the ball to his teammates as much as possible, using their help to get rid of the defenders.
This tactic soon paid off, as Newcastle focused more on defending Lin Quan, which naturally weakened their marking of the other Manchester City players.
In the 21st minute of the match, David Silva broke free and assisted, combining three times with Lin Quan to enter the area.
At that moment, the ball was at Lin Quan's feet, who was ready to shoot from the edge of the penalty area.
Newcastle's defenders thought he was a greater threat than David Silva, so they prioritized marking him.
Central defender Taylor and midfielder Guffran, without hesitation, headed towards Lin Quan, trying to close his attack on the penalty area line.
Seeing the other team's choice, Lin Quan quickly adjusted his approach. Before the defenders got too close, he passed the ball to Silva through a small gap between the players.
Newcastle's defenders were already out of position, as Lin Quan had drawn enough attention. Now, Silva just had to get rid of the defenders around him to have a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper.
"Stop him!"
Seeing that Lin Quan could pass the ball in such a tight space, Newcastle's defenders were quite scared.
The distance to the goal was too short; if a player from the other team received the ball in the penalty area, he could shoot directly at the goal.
Now, with only 20 minutes of play, if they conceded another goal at this moment, it would be impossible for them to recover points in this match.
So, they definitely had to stop this attack from the other team.
Mbemba felt the weight on his shoulders, saw Silva running towards the area like a cunning eel, and quickly calculated the distance between him and the ball.
This was a split ball, and he wasn't sure if he could beat David Silva to it.
So Mbemba made an instant decision. Without hesitation, he slid to the ground, showing his studs towards Silva.
Mbemba had a well-calculated plan. If you picked up the ball, you might be injured by me, and if you didn't pick it up, you would lose a great attacking opportunity.
He hoped this kind of tackle would scare the other team and make them hesitate to receive the ball.
Now Manchester City was leading on the scoreboard, and the other team had a superstar with a high salary and unlimited potential.
From a logical standpoint, David Silva shouldn't take such a risk.
So in the confrontation between the two, the moment he showed his studs, he had already secured his undefeated position.
But what Mbemba didn't expect was that Silva didn't even see his slide.
All he had in mind was not to waste Lin Quan's pass, and he didn't immediately notice Mbemba's danger.
When he finally realized the danger and tried to dodge, it was already too late!
Piiii!
The sharp whistle echoed, causing an uproar in the Etihad Stadium.
Countless Manchester City fans stretched their necks, not caring about the referee's call on this play.
They just wanted to confirm if David Silva was hurt or not.
Although David Silva is not Manchester City's main star, since joining the club three seasons ago, he has led Manchester City to win an FA Cup, a Premier League trophy, and was named Manchester City's best player of the season in the 2011-2012 season.
It could be said that, before Lin Quan's arrival to the team, the favorite player of Manchester City fans was David Silva.
But now, this team veteran had been brutally taken down in the penalty area of the other team.
This worried countless Manchester City fans!
"David, get up!"
"David, don't get hurt!"
"Waaaah!"
Some fans shouted anxiously towards David Silva, who was lying on the grass, hoping he would get up after hearing their voices.
But seeing that he didn't get up immediately, some more sensitive fans couldn't hold back and began to sob.
Seeing that David Silva was taken down by the other team and didn't get up immediately, Manchester City's head coach Pellegrini quickly got up from the bench.
He quickly approached the field, trying to find out Silva's condition.
Silva is an important member of the team and his role in the attacking front is very important.
He can't afford to get injured at the start of the new season!
In the box at the Etihad Stadium, the big boss Mansour, who flew from the Middle East to Manchester especially to watch the game, suddenly stood up when he saw David Silva down in the other team's penalty area and cursed with the F-word.
How dare they, how dare they commit such a blatant foul?
Today, if they can foul David Silva, tomorrow they could treat the superstar who spent millions of pounds to bring back in the same way!
Thinking about the terrifying scene where Lin Quan had his leg broken by the other team, Mansour couldn't help but shudder.
No, I can't let these things happen and do nothing, I have to do something to protect Manchester City's players!
At that moment, Mansour had already decided to file an appeal with the FA, asking them to implement a policy to protect football stars.
If a protection policy like this is not implemented, the Premier League's attraction to superstars will likely weaken more and more.
Superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi don't want to stay in the Premier League simply because of the brutal fouls of Premier League defenders.
What superstar would be willing to risk their professional career to play in the Premier League?
It is precisely because Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi went to La Liga that in recent years they have been surpassed by La Liga, losing the throne of the best league in the world.
If this situation doesn't change, it is not ruled out that the Premier League will continue to decline and be surpassed by the Bundesliga or even Serie A.
He believed that if he made the danger clear, the FA would give a response.
...
On the field, Manchester City players rushed to the Newcastle area, anxiously surrounding Silva.
The Manchester City team doctor also hurried over with a medical bag to start checking his injury.
Lin Quan was angry. He was the Manchester City player closest to the incident and had witnessed the entire criminal process of Mbemba.
Furious, he went directly to confront Mbemba, pushing him hard and asking why he did it.
Mbemba was not someone easy to deal with either. Seeing Lin Quan coming over, he raised his fists to teach him a lesson.
But Newcastle players saw that the situation was not good and feared he would be sent off directly, so they quickly grabbed him from behind.
In fact, Mbemba was also a little surprised. He didn't expect the other to be so stubborn.
He just wanted to scare him off and make him give up the opportunity, but didn't expect the other to go directly at him.
Is it really necessary to fight so desperately for a mere match?
The main referee wouldn't give him a chance to explain. With studs up in the penalty area and without touching the ball, this, in his opinion, was a very despicable foul.
Although Premier League refereeing is quite lenient, they cannot tolerate such fouls.
Therefore, he showed Mbemba a yellow card.
This sanction left both Mbemba and the Manchester City fans in the stadium stunned.
Including Mbemba himself, everyone thought it would be a red card, but the main referee raised the yellow card, seemingly wanting to punish severely, but in reality only giving a yellow card, what's up with that?
Boos flooded the Etihad Stadium, and the fans expressed their dissatisfaction with the referee with concrete actions.
The referee did not back down, after recording the yellow card, he indicated to the Manchester City players to prepare for the penalty kick.
The Manchester City team doctor approached the field with a serious expression, but after checking David Silva's injury, his expression became even more serious.
He signaled from the sideline, indicating a player change for the team, while calling for a stretcher to carry off the injured David Silva.
"Lin, I'm sorry, I couldn't take advantage of the opportunity you created just now!"
On the stretcher, David Silva was still blaming himself, regretting wasting Lin Quan's pass.
This sentence made Lin Quan feel a lump in his throat, full of guilt.
Grasping David Silva's hand, he said:
"David, take care and recover well, I'll get revenge for you!"
"Yes, I look forward to your good news!"
After saying that, he was carried off on a stretcher.
And after Silva was carried off on a stretcher, Lin Quan looked back at Newcastle's left-back, Mbemba.
At that moment, his fury reached its peak.
The desire for revenge was extremely strong!
Newcastle, prepare to die!
(End of chapter)
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