Chapter 18 "Please Explain This Roster of Eighteen Players!"

While Liverpool's players were still warming up, Martin O'Neill was already sitting on the podium at the pre-match press conference, being bombarded by questions from reporters… or rather, being bombarded was a more appropriate description.

All of their questions were focused on one thing.

"Mr. O'Neill, how do you explain this eighteen-man roster?"

"Mr. O'Neill, what are your considerations for continuing to send out the entire reserve team?"

"Mr. O'Neill, is using the reserve team to face Tottenham Hotspur, who are sending out their main squad, a deliberate abandonment or an underestimation of the opponent?"

"Mr. O'Neill, Mr. O'Neill. What will happen if you lose the FA Cup final by using the reserve team..."

……

All sorts of questions related to the roster were thrown at Martin O'Neill.

Since O'Neill had agreed to Chen Hero's approach, he was naturally mentally prepared to face the reporters' questions.

Because if he didn't know the inside story, he would be as surprised as the reporters and have many strange ideas popping up in his mind, eager to get them verified.

It was the same feeling he had when he first heard Chen Hero's request.

So today, he understood the reporters very well and was not dissatisfied with their repeated questioning.

At the same time, he had prepared an answer.

The answer was not difficult, nor was it mysterious, and there was no need to lie.

The answer was to tell the truth.

However, he couldn't say that it was Chen Hero's decision, otherwise, where would he put his face as the head coach? The whole world would know that he, as a head coach, couldn't decide who should participate in the FA Cup final...

"Because I believe that the reserve team, having participated in the FA Cup matches all the way, should not be abandoned in the semi-finals. Since they fought hard to earn the qualification for this semi-final, they should be the ones to participate in the semi-final. The principle is simple: whoever puts in the sweat, reaps the rewards."

The reporters below the stage were stunned after hearing his answer.

No one had expected beforehand that Liverpool would send out the same lineup as in the previous matches because of this!

Out of respect for the reserve team players… they made such a bold decision.

After coming back to their senses, some people admired and supported Martin O'Neill's decision because it was a very humane move, and the significance of this decision even transcended football.

But there were also many people who questioned this seemingly showy decision.

Their thoughts were much more complicated than others. They even considered in an instant whether this was a double-edged sword for O'Neill.

He could highlight his humanity and also give up the FA Cup in a logical way—if Liverpool lost to Tottenham in the semi-finals, they believed that many Liverpool fans would not blame the team because such a decision would have shaped the Liverpool reserve team players into respectable heroes. Since they were heroes, would you dare to criticize heroes even if they failed?

Of course, they couldn't criticize them. Not only could they not criticize them, but they also had to praise their performance, thank them for their contributions to Liverpool, and tell them: "You may have lost, but you are glorious. We will always be proud of you!"

What a great idea!

No one would criticize O'Neill for suddenly giving up the FA Cup at this crucial moment. They would only applaud and cheer for O'Neill's humanistic move. At the same time, they would also take the initiative to help O'Neill and the reserve team find excuses for losing: "They are, after all, the reserve team. It is normal for them to be inferior in skills..." "Even a hero is not a superman..." "They have already done enough. They performed very actively in the game. So what if they lost? They lost the game, but they won the world!"

A reporter raised his hand and stood up. He asked: "Mr. O'Neill. Did you consider when you made this decision that these reserve team players you sent up might be completely defeated by their opponents in the semi-finals, suffer a defeat, and lead to the team ultimately missing out on the FA Cup final, or even missing out on the trophy?"

The reporter's words were sharp, and the question hit the nail on the head. Those reporters who questioned O'Neill in their hearts almost couldn't help but applaud and cheer.

He was right! Since you said this was to thank the reserve team players, if the final result is a failure, is this considered thanks?

Letting the reserve team players, whose strength is obviously weaker than their opponents, face powerful opponents on the field, enduring torment, being ridiculed and slaughtered by them, is this a reward for their previous efforts?

Liverpool originally had a chance to win the championship, but because they ultimately lost the game, they missed out on the championship, making them suffer the great pain brought about by this failure. Is this considered a thank you to them?

Although the reporter did not ask these questions, the other reporters roared them out in their hearts for him.

In their view, Martin O'Neill was not expressing gratitude. He was clearly pushing the reserve team into a fire pit! This was hypocrisy!

Waving the banner of humanity to do things that destroy humanity!

The reporter thought that his sharp question would make Martin O'Neill speechless and unable to answer.

But Martin O'Neill's answer surprised him, greatly surprised him!

"I didn't think about failure." O'Neill said.

At this moment, facing the arrogant reporter, Martin O'Neill seemed to be possessed by Chen Hero.

"I think you have all forgotten one thing. There are two great teams in Merseyside, one is Liverpool, and the other is Liverpool Reserve Team." O'Neill repeated Bill Shankly's famous quote at the press conference. "I don't think the Liverpool Reserve Team is weaker than Tottenham, otherwise, we wouldn't have made it to the semi-finals."

The reporter immediately said: "Chen Hero..."

"Yes, yes. I know." O'Neill nodded repeatedly, interrupting the reporter, "I know, you want to say this. But football is a team sport, and Hero is very powerful, but he can't win the game alone. In the last game, against Birmingham, if the whole team hadn't recovered its form, wouldn't Hero have been useless as well? Seeing your performance, I am even more grateful for my decision. Because I don't want the media to only focus on Hero after every FA Cup game and ignore my other players. For me, whether it is the first team or the reserve team, they are all Liverpool players."

Martin O'Neill initially wanted to respond to the reporter, but as he spoke, he seemed to convince himself, and he began to think of many things he had overlooked before.

When every FA Cup game was won, the media praised Chen Hero and touted Chen Hero, claiming that Chen Hero alone determined the outcome of the game. But few people mentioned his teammates, those reserve team players. It seemed that all the credit for winning belonged to Chen Hero.

Then why should the reserve team bear the responsibility for losing?

He felt that he seemed to understand Chen Hero's feelings.

When he led the first team players to fight on the field in the League Cup semi-finals and finals, the reserve team players could only sit in front of the TV or in the stands.

When the first team players raised the League Cup trophy, what were the reserve team players in front of the TV and in the stands thinking?

Would they feel wronged? Would they feel unwilling?

No wonder Hero would rather confront him than do something so unexpected.

He, the coach of Liverpool, seemed to consider the overall team more than Chen Hero, a player… He was helping him solidify the team's internal morale!

He stared at the reporters under the stage and said: "I am not disrespecting Tottenham. I respect them very much. They are a very powerful opponent. But I still want to say that in this game, we Liverpool must win, definitely win."

※※※

"...I am not disrespecting Tottenham. I respect them very much. They are a very powerful opponent. But I still want to say that in this game, we Liverpool must win, definitely win."

The TV screen showed O'Neill's press conference, and he said these controversial words to the camera.

Assistant coach, who was also the reserve team coach, Clarke said to O'Neill: "You are a news focus now, Martin."

O'Neill shrugged and said nothing.

"Are you so confident in them?"

O'Neill then said: "Isn't it the responsibility of a coach to have confidence in his players?"

Clarke was asked back.

Yes, this seems to be a very normal thing… If the coach expresses his concerns at the press conference and is not optimistic about these people at all, how can he lead the team forward in the future?

"I feel that my support for them was not enough before, so I want to make up for it a little now."

Hearing Martin O'Neill say this, Clarke smiled.

※※※

How many Liverpool players would turn on the TV to watch the pre-match preview on this important night before the game?

None at all.

The Liverpool reserve team players were very excited before this game. They went around visiting each other, chatting, and groups of three or five people gathered together to look forward to what might happen in tomorrow's game and how they should perform.

Some people also chose their own special ways to calm their minds and slowly calm their nervous hearts.

No one knew that Martin O'Neill had strongly supported them at the press conference.

Even Chen Hero didn't know. He made an excuse to enter the dungeon and continued to bury himself in hard training, really seizing the last bit of time…

Even though the outside world was in an uproar over what Martin O'Neill said, they still didn't know. But what if they did know?

In the end, they all fell asleep with tension, excitement, and anticipation.