Chapter 131 I'm just a football player...
After the game.
The Roma players were resting in the locker room. Although they were in high spirits, several of the starting players had consumed too much energy, especially those who had just played against Sassuolo a few days ago and played most of the game today. They were unwilling to take even one more step.
Joao was also very happy that although there was no victory, the team still showed resilience in the face of adversity.
Especially the two new players. After Cesco came on the field, the team had a fulcrum to stand on in the frontcourt. When the midfield organization was unfavorable, they could directly kick a high ball over the midfield to find him.
In addition to his role as a fulcrum, his positioning, heading and shooting abilities were all very surprising, and he brought his good form in training into the game!
And facing a big team like Tottenham!
Such a perfect performance!
Although Wu Lei did not do much on offense during regular time, his tireless running and pressing, as well as his screen for Cesco during the penultimate corner kick, were all eye-catching.
Not to mention the final equalizing goal, which alone was enough for Roma fans to compose a song for him.
Then there is Chen Xiaoliang. This kid is getting better and better. I don't know where he practiced this magical cross, and when combined with Cesco's header, it is simply a deadly weapon for sieges.
When Cesco gets stronger and has better physical confrontation ability, this move can become the team's main offensive routine.
But when he looked at Karsdorp, João had no idea.
What to do? What to do if it's cold...
I can only hope that he can improve slowly.
At the same time, at the post-match press conference, Conte came on stage first!
Reporter: "Before the game, it was said that Chairman Levy asked you to win, but the game was tied at the last minute. I wonder if this will increase your pressure."
Conte: "I don't have any pressure, and the president has never said anything similar to me, and I don't know if the president is satisfied, but I am very satisfied with the team's performance today, but I am not very satisfied with the result. But I know that the insidious villain is very satisfied because he stole a point here and he will be very proud of it."
Reporter: "What happened when you shook hands with Mourinho after the game?"
Conte: "Haha! I don't know! You have to ask him, maybe he was scared of my team and his body was stiff, maybe he admired me too much, anyway, he grabbed my hand and wouldn't let go!"
Reporter: "You just mentioned that Mourinho stole a point. Do you think Roma didn't deserve this draw?"
Conte said: "Roma has many excellent players who could have played more entertaining high-level football, but unfortunately, their management hired an amateur coach who has never played football.
His tactic was to place a bunch of people in front of the goal to defend, then kick the ball long and let the forwards find a way to score a goal on their own. If he couldn't steal the ball, it would be a one-shot deal. If he couldn't, then the score would be a draw.
I used to be a professional player, and I respect the players of Roma. For them, this point is the best reward for their unwillingness to give up, but for Mourinho, he doesn't deserve it at all."
Reporter: "Today Roma scored 3 goals with 9 shots . What do you think of your team's defense? Why did they adjust the midfield to three central defenders?"
Conte: "I have not been in charge of the team for long and need to try different styles of play in different games. I believe that anyone with normal eyesight can clearly see that our players completely dominated the field today.
It's just that some people are too lucky. A magical goal that shouldn't have happened at the last moment saved him, just like his coaching career, which has always been saved by the players. "
After saying that, Conte stood up and left the press conference room!
Ten minutes later, Mourinho came with his unique confident smile!
Reporter: "Just now, Tottenham coach Conte said a lot about you at the press conference. Did you hear it?"
Mourinho opened the water bottle in front of him, took a sip, and then shook his head: "A university professor will not pay attention to what a primary school student is saying."
Here it comes!
The reporters' flashlights lit up!
The recorder is standing upright!
This week's news depends on him!
Compared to Conte, who has a hot temper and is straightforward even when he scolds, Mourinho obviously has more tricks! He is better at beating around the bush, making indirect attacks, and making diversions!
Not to mention the last-minute equalizer today, even if they lost, he could make a comeback at the press conference!
The nosy reporter repeated what Conte said.
Mourinho smiled contemptuously: "I have to apologize for what I said just now. I said he was a primary school student. Obviously I was wrong. He can't even do the most basic primary school mathematics. He is illiterate."
Mourinho then raised his finger and said, "Come, look at my calculations."
He pointed to the reporter: "You also said that Tottenham had 22 shots tonight and scored three, and we had nine shots and scored three.
Anyone who has graduated from elementary school can figure out that our higher shot conversion rate means we have a higher offensive efficiency, while their lower goal conversion rate means we have better defense.
Otherwise you can't explain why they couldn't score more goals after 22 shots."
Being able to describe low ball possession and fewer shots as high efficiency!
This is simply irrefutable logic!
Super tricky angle!
The reporters couldn't help but nodded!
Mourinho continued:
"Oh, maybe that's a question that should be discussed between men, but he's obviously not a man enough to discuss that.
Besides, he said I was lucky, but I only know that luck only favors those who work hard.
As for him, the titles he won in Italy were obviously problematic, and this is not what I said, he was banned for match-fixing, and a real man would not do such a dirty thing. "
The media quickly recorded and organized the information, and everyone rushed to edit it in order to release the latest, fastest and most eye-catching news as soon as possible.
A reporter: Mourinho ridiculed Conte for not being a man
B reporter: Mourinho said Conte is illiterate
Reporter C: Mourinho sang "What Kind of Man" to Conte
The reporter asked again: "Why did you change the formation to 4-2-3-1 in the second half when the defense was at a disadvantage?"
Mourinho: "I know that the guy who doesn't know elementary school math will definitely make adjustments at halftime because we successfully restricted them in the first half. Kane is a genius. I am lucky to have coached him. He deserves to go to a bigger club and win some championships.
His goal in the first half was phenomenal. Our players tried their best to defend, but he was still able to shoot after losing his balance and falling to the ground. I can say that no one could have stopped that goal.
In addition, he contributed two outstanding performances in the second half, one goal and one assist.
Some coaches should be thankful that they can put a super player on the field and then score goals without doing anything."
Reporter: "So who do you think performed best on the field today? Kane?"
Mourinho: "Of course, he is one of them. But for me, Cesco played very well, Wu Lei also played very well, he was very dedicated, Abraham was also very good, but he lacked some luck, and of course Pellegrini, I think every player gave everything."
Reporter: "What about Chen Xiaoliang? He saved the team twice today and had an assist. Isn't he on your best list?"
Mourinho: "No, he's not here, if he comes in then there won't be any doubt about who is the best.
I can tell you responsibly that what he did today was just his normal performance. He is still far from his ceiling, and as long as he maintains his current development trajectory, he should be compared with the best players on this planet or in the history of this planet. "
Reporter A: Mourinho believes that Chen Xiaoliang's performance far exceeds that of other players on both sides
Reporter B: Mourinho is full of praise for his star player, saying he will be the best in the world
Reporter C: Mourinho thinks Kane is just a younger brother to Chen Xiaoliang
The "complete victory" of the press conference made Mourinho feel like he was in spring breeze.
Although Verona, the next opponent, is well-rested, they are a veteran mid-to-lower-tier team in the league and are experts in relegation.
Verona Football Club, whose full name is Heras Verona Football Club, is simply called Verona because there is another team in this city whose full name is Chievo Verona, and they are usually simply called Chievo.
Verona's recent form is very bad, having gone 12 Serie A games without a win.
Especially in the last three home games, they have conceded at least two goals and their defensive strength is simply a mess.
After four rounds of league matches, Verona only got 1 point in the 3-3 draw with Genoa, and lost the other three games, namely 1-0 away to Bologna, 1-3 at home to Inter Milan, and 2-3 at home to Sassuolo.
Currently with 1 point, they are ranked 18th and in the relegation zone.
Moreover, in their last 18 matches against Roma, Roma has remained unbeaten for 17 times, which can be said to be a complete gift-giving team.
Mourinho believes that Roma, which has been in great form recently, has no reason to lose to this bottom-ranked team.
Everyone returned to the hotel to rest overnight and prepared to fly directly from London to Verona early the next morning.
As an absolute main force, Chen Xiaoliang has been given a separate room in the club's hotel to ensure that the main force has a good rest.
It was already past 11 o'clock when he returned to his room that day. He lay on the bed tiredly, but still did not forget to open the system panel.
He was surprised to find that the superstar mission he received in the game did not disappear, nor did it show failure, but continued to proceed.
[Superstar Mission: Win 5 confrontations with Harry Kane]
[Task progress: 3/5]
It seems that this mission can continue in the last group match in December!
Next is the mission reward for this game.
We didn't win, nor did we keep a clean sheet, and lost a lot of skill points.
Fortunately, this season there is a BUFF that doubles the European competition rewards, and Tottenham's reputation is above 8,000, making it one of the most famous teams in Europe. The reward coefficient is 2, which can be doubled.
Unfortunately, in the post-match ratings, Kane, who scored two goals and had one assist, was still named the best player of the game, and his score of 9.2 was only 0.1 lower than Kane, and he missed the 5 skill points of the mission reward.
[Enter the roster for the next game] [Reward: 1 skill point]
[Next game appearance] [Reward: 2 skill points]
[Score/Assist in the Next Game] [Reward: 2 Skill Points]
He finally assisted Wu Lei's equalizer, so he had a basic bonus of 5 skill points, plus two double bonuses, for a total of 20 skill points!
Adding the 76 points accumulated before, I now have 96 points, which is only a short distance away from 100 points to unlock the next skill!
He has already decided which skill to unlock by then!
Everything was done, and fatigue and loneliness surged into his heart. He had been busy with competitions and traveling around in recent days and had no time to get in touch with Helena, so he called.
The two chatted for a long time. Apart from gossip, what Chen Xiaoliang was most concerned about was when Helena would be able to return to Rome.
However, Helena told him that Erica's injury was quite serious. It was abnormal bone hyperplasia caused by long-term wear and tear on the knee. She would have to continue receiving treatment for a while to see the effect. If the effect was not good, she might have to retire.
Upon hearing this news, Chen Xiaoliang's heart sank.
After all, for an athlete, health comes first. No matter how talented you are, how good your skills are, or how big your platform is, if you encounter injuries, you can only leave it to fate.
In this case, we can only continue to separate the two places.
Chen Xiaoliang, who had nothing to do
Reese’s text message: “Here are some new cooperation invitations. The quotations are good and the brands are influential. Take a look when you have time and tell me your choice.
The first batch of Reds from the other two partner academies will arrive in Glasgow soon and Dave will have a special report on that.”
Chen Xiaoliang: "Let's talk about it after I get back to Rome. I'm really tired."
Reese: "Well, take care of yourself and don't get hurt."
Erica's text message: "Calling my sister again, why didn't you call me? (Angry)"
Chen Xiaoliang: "Why are you calling? Get well soon and come to Rome. I'll take you out to play~"
Erica: "Will you play with me alone? (shy)"
Chen Xiaoliang: "If you don't take good care of your injuries, be careful that your sister and I will push your wheelchair to play with you."
Erica: "I know, I know. My sister, my sister. I know my sister. Hum (sad)."
Next is a pile of unread text messages.
Lily Ella Gerard's unread text message 1: "I recently learned how to arrange flowers. I took a picture to show you. Do you think it looks good?"
Lily Ella Gerrard's unread text message 2: "The weather in Liverpool is really bad. I really miss the days of vacationing on the beach in Ajaccio."
Lily Ella Gerrard's unread text message 3: "I want to come to Rome to watch the game, is that okay with you?"
Lily Ella Gerrard's unread text message 4: "I just watched your game at home. You played really well. Go to bed early. I wish you a good dream. Good night."
Lily Ella Gerard's unread text message 5: "I still can't help but send it to you. This is the photo I took today."
In the attachment, there is a photo of her wearing exquisite women's clothing, standing on the street in the rain with an umbrella and looking back.
It is indeed beautiful, but there is no smile, but rather a little expectation and a touch of sadness.
Sigh… How should I reply to this message… I am getting deeper and deeper… God… I am playing the role of a back waist, not a harem…
Gerrard's text message: "Boy, good job (thumbs up), the more you play, the better you get. If you work hard, you should be able to surpass me in another 10 years."
Chen Xiaoliang: "Boss! I miss you so much! I'd be lucky if I could achieve half of what you have in my life! Hehe.
I have always been following your games! I can only say that you all are great! Keep on killing the Celtics in the new season! (Come on)"
Gerard: "You are still so good at talking. By the way, I may have some new changes. I will tell you when they are finalized. Keep it confidential."
Chen Xiaoliang: "Wait for good news!"
Gerard: "Oh, right... well... send Lily a text message or call her when you have time, just say a few words."
Chen Xiaoliang: "Boss! I'm a little sleepy, I'm going to sleep first!"
Barisic’s text message: “Baby, the boss praised you in front of us again. It can be seen that he really wants you to be his son-in-law (smirk).
The guys miss you, don't forget us now that you are famous. But think about it, we are playing in the Europa League and you are playing in the UEFA Champions League, it seems that we are better. "
Chen Xiaoliang: "Get lost, who still remembers you (arrogance)."
Barisic: "Hurry up and find a chance to come to Glasgow. I know you have an old lover here (smirk)."
Chen Xiaoliang: "You, wait for me (kitchen knife)."
Barisic sent a video of Rangers players chatting in the locker room after the game and talking about Chen Xiaoliang. Morelos, Tavernier, Goldson and others were bragging to their new teammates this season, saying how perverted and wild Chen Xiaoliang was at the time, how he tackled Kento Hideo Kusanagi without calling it a foul, and how he headed the ball over Maguire to shock Ferguson.
Although McGregor and Davis Sr. didn't say anything, they were leaning against the locker and grinning.
As he watched, Chen Xiaoliang's eyes suddenly became moist...
Shen Mengyu's text message: "Brother, I watched your game tonight. You are getting better and better at playing football! I am happy for you! (Fireworks) (Fireworks) (Fireworks)"
Chen Xiaoliang quickly checked the Scottish Women's Premier League standings.
The Celtics won all four games and ranked second. Shen Mengyu scored 1 goal and had 2 assists.
"Sister, you are a great player! You have a chance to win the championship! I miss you so much (crying), I don't even have anyone to chat with recently. It's a pity that there is a league the day after tomorrow, so I can't go to Glasgow."
"My dear brother, I heard that Helena went back to Germany for something. I know you are lonely, so I will come to see you (witty)."
"Okay! You must come~ (love heart)"
Kaia Gerber's text message: "I just watched your game on the computer! Although I don't understand it very well... but you are really amazing! I'm in Guam recently and will go to Rome next month. I will come to see you! (heart) Attached is a recent work photo (smirk)."
Chen Xiaoliang opened the attachment...
Oh my god! They are all model photos at the beach!
Beautiful! She is indeed beautiful! She is indeed the daughter of a supermodel! A new generation of supermodel!
The lighting, the outline, the lines, the framing, the post-rendering...
Which man wouldn’t be tempted by this?
No, no! There is a game the day after tomorrow! You have to concentrate! Trying to do both art and sports will lead to trouble! You must have the ethics of a professional player!
Amitabha…Form is emptiness, emptiness is form…
Taishang Laojun...hurry up and obey the command...
Hallelujah...
Allah I praise you!
Chen Xiaoliang quickly turned off the photo...
But I pressed save before closing it...
It took a while before I returned to my rational state...
Next, he saw an unread text message from Portman.
Oh shit!
What does today mean?
A rhythm of one wave after another?
I'm just a player, not a fashion icon!
He specifically checked to see if the text message had any photos attached, and only opened it after confirming that there were none.
Portman: "When will we meet? Don't forget our promise, the new prince of Rome."
Holishet!
He texted Riise: "Why is that female journalist from Turin still looking for me? Didn't you get her?"
Reese replied immediately: "I want to fuck her too, but she only wants to fuck you! You should deal with her and yourselves! (Contempt) (Contempt) (Contempt)"
Depend on!
"Wait for me to return to Rome." Chen Xiaoliang replied to the reporter who was very happy.
Soon I received a reply: "Okay, it's a deal."
As a reporter for Turin Sports Daily, Portman sent another news link. In the odds of the European Golden Boy Award, Chen Xiaoliang has ranked third with the current odds of 13.5, ahead of the fourth place, Bayern Munich's Musiala's 16.
But there is still a long way to go before the first place, Pedri of Barcelona's 2.5, and the second place, Bellingham of Dortmund's 7.
After all, he not only performed well in the La Liga, but also shined in the European Cup. With the support of the dual platforms of Barcelona and the Spanish national team, he is indeed something that Chen Xiaoliang cannot compare to.
Teacher Wu’s text message: “Xiao Chen, when will you return to Rome? We still have a lot of classes to go.”
F*ck... there are people who are urging me to go to cram school...
What are you going to do...My Italian is better than that of my Italian ancestors...
But then I thought, I'll be lonely when I get home...
Cesco is a silly boy who only thinks about football. He even plays Pro Evolution Soccer when he has free time. His level is so low that he can beat him with one hand.
David would live with his son who was studying at the university in Rome when he was free, cooking for him and washing his clothes. After becoming a widower, his son was everything to him, so he would not disturb the reunion between him and his son.
Lei Ge also has a sister-in-law and two children. They are a happy family, so it is not convenient to always ask him to chat.
After thinking about it, even if it is a language class, it would be great to have a beautiful woman to chat with.
Chen Xiaoliang: "Hello, Teacher Wu. I will be back in Rome in three days. I will have training during the day. If you are free in the evening, you can come to class. Thank you."
Wu Mi: "Okay, see you in three days."
Unread text messages from unknown contacts.
What is this?
"Processing invoices..."
Depend on!
sleep!
The next morning, after breakfast, the whole team went directly to the airport and took the first flight to Verona.
Although the record is good, Mourinho is a battle-hardened coach after all. Having just experienced two big battles against Sassuolo and Tottenham Hotspur, and having to play again just one day apart with no rest time at all, playing continuously will undoubtedly greatly increase the players' fatigue and risk of injury.
For this purpose, he specifically asked Joao to arrange for the previously punished young defender Calafiori and another outstanding student of the youth training team Trippi to travel from the Trigoria base to meet up with the team in Verona.
In the starting lineup, Mourinho continued to adopt a rotation strategy.
The goalkeeper is still Patricio, the right back is replaced by young player Calafiori, the central defenders are still Mancini and Ibanez, Smalling is resting, and left back Binya starts.
The lone defensive midfielder is Cristante, who only played for a short time in the last game, while Veretout and Chen Xiaoliang were both rested.
The two midfielders are Pellegrini and Zaniolo.
Right winger Wu Lei, left winger Abraham, center forward Marayol.
Mourinho believes that this lineup is enough to win away from home, especially the substitutes who are rotated in. In his plan, they will show particularly positive performances in order to fight for the starting position.
The third team in the league played away against the second-to-last team in the league, especially when playing against two strong teams, Lazio and Tottenham, they equalized the score before the end of the game to avoid defeat. Roma's excellent performance this season made Verona fans feel that the home team is in danger.
At 18:00 on September 19th, Italian time, the Marco Antonio Bentegotti Stadium, which can accommodate 42,160 people, had an attendance rate of about 80%. Obviously, the home team's poor record made the fans lose interest in coming to watch the game.
So much so that there were six or seven thousand fans in the stadium who came for Roma and Mourinho.
The referee blows the whistle and the game begins!
From the first second, Roma took the initiative!
