Scolari is Out!
Gao Bo saw the news on his phone after returning to his apartment from the bar.
His thoughts wandered as he silently hung his coat on the rack, then sat on the sofa, staring into space.
Without his involvement, Scolari's dismissal date should have been a month later. Clearly, Gao Bo's triumph with Luton over Chelsea had led Abramovich to fire the Brazilian coach almost a month earlier than in the timeline of his previous life.
For a moment, Gao Bo felt a pang of guilt. Without his intervention, the Brazilian coach could have worked for another month before losing his job...
The news of Scolari's dismissal quickly overshadowed the media's coverage of Adam White over the past two days. Now, everyone was fixated on Chelsea's hunt for a new manager, leaving little attention for a second-division club like Luton.
Gao Bo quickly shook off the thought. Football was a world of winners and losers, and sympathy was reserved for the latter. Instead of being pitied, Gao Bo preferred to keep winning, even if it meant being disliked.
The news of Scolari's dismissal also buried another story: the draw for the FA Cup fourth round. Upsets had been abundant in the third round—most notably Manchester United losing 1–0 to Leeds United at home, ending their run. Liverpool had drawn away at Reading, forcing a replay. Of course, the biggest shock came when Chelsea were eliminated by Luton, a second-division team taking down a Premier League giant.
The draw for the fourth round matched Luton against Preston, a Championship team, with Luton playing away. For Luton fans, hopes were high—they had already beaten Chelsea, so why not Preston?
Gao Bo, however, was far more cautious. He instructed Linsen to focus on gathering intelligence on Preston, knowing full well that no victory was guaranteed in football. He always approached games with the utmost seriousness.
After witnessing the effectiveness of the "cards" during the Chelsea match, Gao Bo was eager to see what new cards would appear. With the Chelsea victory completed, he had earned the chance to draw a green card. Though the draw was random, Gao Bo decided to use it now despite his usual skepticism about his luck.
The football card system's interface appeared.
Gao Bo glanced at the experience bar—he had gained 2,000 experience points for defeating Chelsea and was now just 3,000 points away from leveling up to Level 3. Leveling up would unlock another card slot, which would prove invaluable in managing the team.
"Use the random green card draw?"
"Yes!"
After a brief flicker on the screen, Gao Bo received his card:
[Training Card (Green)]: Enhances the effect of special training on basic skills by 15%. Can be applied to one designated player.
Gao Bo frowned.
To be honest, he had hoped for a match card, ideally one with a game-changing effect similar to the green card that boosted dribbling by 15%.
Instead, he got a card that seemed better suited for youth academies than professional first-team players. Gao Bo sighed in disappointment but resolved to save the card for potential use in training sessions.
---
The team's brief vacation passed quickly. When Gao Bo returned to the training ground, the staff greeted him with newfound admiration.
"Is there something on my face, John?" Gao Bo asked, noticing the intensity of John Aston's gaze.
John, the team's assistant coach, beamed. "Scolari is out!"
"I know," Gao Bo replied, waving him off.
"I still can't believe how powerful you are, Gao! That's Scolari, the World Cup-winning coach! And you got him fired..." John circled Gao Bo in amazement.
"He's outdated, John," Gao Bo said, flipping through his calendar. "His methods no longer suit the modern game."
John glanced at the neatly written schedule in Gao Bo's hands—though he couldn't read the Chinese characters, he could tell it was a detailed plan for the day's training.
John admired Gao Bo's meticulousness. The coach had everything planned, down to the minute, for every training session. Under his leadership, the team ran like a well-oiled machine.
"There are a lot of people lingering around the training base lately," John remarked.
Gao Bo looked up knowingly. Scouts and agents were swarming around the team like vultures. Luton had become a goldmine in their eyes, especially after the media's sensational coverage of Adam White, whom they were already comparing to England's next Rooney or even Messi.
"Vardy, Charlie, Adam, and Kanter—they don't have agents yet, right?" John asked.
"Not for long," Gao Bo replied, shrugging. "With their abilities, it's only a matter of time."
For now, Gao Bo was adamant: no discussions with agents until the end of the season. Most of the players' contracts still had at least three years left, so there was no rush.
---
As Gao Bo walked out of his office, he glanced at the dreary gray sky and the light drizzle that had likely persisted all night.
The English weather didn't bother him as much as the challenges ahead. Scouts, agents, and transfer rumors were inevitable distractions, but Gao Bo was determined to keep his team focused.