Chapter 1 The Media Changes Its Tune

After the game, all the news media changed their tune. The wind shifted, and they were all praising and fawning over Chen Yingxiong.

As for the matter of him having gone to Italy to enjoy himself a couple of days ago... it was never even mentioned!

Everyone was praising Chen Yingxiong's brilliant performance, saying how beautiful and important his two goals were, and that Liverpool had gotten him for seven million pounds, which was a steal!

Chen Xing, that Chinese boss, was a real genius, actually knowing to use his personal connections to dig up Chen Yingxiong... One must know that countless wealthy and influential clubs have been keeping a close eye on Chen Yingxiong!

After Chen Yingxiong joined Liverpool, Liverpool would finally usher in its own great revival!

There were many such praises, making Suarez's hands tremble.

The newspaper made a rustling sound in his hands, alarming his wife, who was busy in the kitchen.

Sofia came out and, seeing her husband like this, knew what was wrong.

"I said, why are you still struggling with this matter? Why do you have to compete with him? What's there to compete about? What's so good about it? I think he treats you pretty well, like a friend..."

"What do you know!" Suarez glared at his wife. "This concerns a man's dignity!"

But clearly, Suarez had no dignity in front of his wife, so Sofia was not afraid of Suarez's glare at all.

She muttered, "Men's dignity is so boring!" Then she turned and walked away.

Suarez raised his head and watched his wife's back disappear into the kitchen before lowering his head again, looking at the news about Chen Yingxiong in the newspaper.

He treats me like a friend?

Isn't that why I'm trying so hard to get close to him!

No, I have to keep my distance! Lest...

Lest what? Suarez didn't say it in his heart, because he vaguely felt that this would not be a good outcome for him.

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"Hey, Luis! Want to go somewhere to relax tonight?" Chen Yingxiong patted Suarez on the shoulder.

Suarez shook his head. He just said he wanted to keep his distance from Chen Yingxiong, so how could he agree?

But seeing Chen Yingxiong's disappointed expression, he seemed a little unbearable, so he made an excuse instead of refusing outright: "Uh, it's like this, I promised Sofia that I would take her shopping tonight..."

Chen Yingxiong smiled and snapped his fingers: "You truly are a good man who fears... loves his wife!"

Suarez rolled his eyes: "Don't think I don't know what you mean!"

Chen Yingxiong simply didn't bother to hide it, and he laughed heartily. After laughing, he patted Suarez on the shoulder hard: "Alright, go keep your wife company!"

Although Suarez didn't want to participate in their activities, he still wanted to check whether Chen Yingxiong would go out to play—he still didn't believe that going to nightclubs so frequently wouldn't affect Chen Yingxiong's state. Although he had gone before, he had only gone once, and he felt that the number of times was too small, and there was no effect.

"What about you guys?"

"We're going to have fun!"

Chen Yingxiong's answer made Suarez very satisfied, and he smiled and patted him back: "Have fun! Have a good time!"

"You're not coming..."

"I'm not coming, but you guys can have fun!"

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When Chen Yingxiong, Martin Škrtel, and Adam Johnson were at a bar together that night, Chen Yingxiong suddenly asked about Suarez: "What do you guys think of Luis?"

"What's wrong, Hero?" Adam Johnson was puzzled. He had come to the team with Chen Yingxiong, so he was not very familiar with Suarez.

Martin Škrtel had worked with him for half a season and knew something about Suarez. "He's a good person, very enthusiastic and cheerful. As long as he's there, the atmosphere in the locker room won't be too bad. But what do you want to do, Hero?"

"I want to just add him in. Let's start a Liverpool branch of our Eat, Drink, and Be Merry Club!"

Škrtel clapped his hands. "That's a good idea, ha!"

Adam Johnson naturally agreed with both hands as well.

Chen Yingxiong raised his glass: "Wishing the Eat, Drink, and Be Merry Club's Liverpool branch a successful establishment!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!!"

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Suarez was observing Chen Yingxiong's situation. The next day at training, Chen Yingxiong still arrived on time, and there was no sign of fatigue on his face. Adam Johnson, on the other hand, was still yawning.

He felt strange. Did Chen Yingxiong really go? He didn't look like it...

After playing all night, he can still be so energetic?

That's not scientific!

Later, the media reported photos of Chen Yingxiong entering and exiting a bar, confirming that Chen Yingxiong had really gone.

However, everyone only reported this as a simple matter of the players' private lives, and it did not involve anything about the state of the competition and professional ethics.

Because through that League Cup match, everyone knew that whatever Chen Yingxiong did, it really didn't seem to affect his condition.

Since this was the case, then there was nothing to say. Continuing to dwell on this topic would only be self-inflicted humiliation, giving Chen Yingxiong a chance to continue slapping them in the face.

Dalglish naturally also learned about Chen Yingxiong going to bars and nightclubs again from the news media. However, he had already reached an agreement with Chen Yingxiong before. As long as Chen Yingxiong could guarantee his condition and score goals, he wouldn't care what he did, as long as he didn't break the law—but then again, even if Chen Yingxiong broke the law, he still couldn't do anything about it...

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In the weekend's league match, Liverpool challenged West Bromwich Albion away from home, and the team eventually won away from home with a score of 2:0. Charlie Adam scored a penalty in the match, opening the scoring for the team. Chen Yingxiong then used a header in front of the goal to help the team secure the victory.

Although he went to the bar, he continued his goal-scoring performance in the league with a goal. As of this game, Chen Yingxiong had scored six league goals, plus three League Cup goals.

The season had only started for two and a half months, and Chen Yingxiong had already scored nine goals for Liverpool. Although his goal-scoring efficiency was not as crazy as last season, these nine goals were still very valuable. Chen Yingxiong is now tied for the top spot in the Premier League scorer list with nine goals, along with Agüero and Rooney. In the League Cup, his three goals also put him temporarily in first place on the scorer list...

Such results are enough to make people ignore the news and gossip about him off the field.

All the Liverpool fans were very happy, thinking that Chen Yingxiong was the club's most valuable acquisition, and now everyone no longer missed Torres at all. Seeing that Torres was unable to score goals for Chelsea, many Liverpool fans ridiculed his behavior of rushing to leave Liverpool so eagerly.

Everyone believes that as long as the team has Chen Yingxiong, Liverpool's resurgence is really not an unrealistic dream.

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However, everyone soon discovered that the situation was not as optimistic as they had imagined...

Liverpool then had a two-game winless streak—in the eleventh round of the league, they were held to a draw by Swansea at home, and neither side was able to score a goal.

In the twelfth round, they lost to Chelsea away from home with a score of 1:2. Chen Yingxiong scored his seventh league goal of the season in the match, but it still failed to prevent the team's defeat.

After the game, he looked very helpless. He had tried his best in the game, but it was still useless. He always felt that there was an unspeakable awkwardness to Liverpool's tactics. He was not a tactical expert, and his tactical literacy was not good enough to be a midfield master, so he couldn't say one, two, three, four, but he just felt uncomfortable.

He couldn't say exactly where he felt uncomfortable.

If he couldn't say it, naturally someone would help him say it.

"...Dalglish's on-the-spot command is terrible! In the game against Chelsea, he didn't make his first substitution until the eightieth minute, and then he quickly used up all three substitution spots, but none of these substitutions had any effect..."

"Liverpool's tactics are unstable and somewhat vague. It's been almost half a season, and no one knows what style of football they are playing..."

"Dalglish seems very melancholy. He has a center forward like Chen Yingxiong who is excellent at headers and strong, but he lacks wingers who can send the ball to his head from the wings. He is neither willing to abandon Chen Yingxiong as a high point, nor is he willing to give Adam Johnson a chance... I simply cannot understand this old man's stubbornness..."

"With two consecutive winless rounds, the ranking has dropped to eighth place, not only is it getting further and further away from the Champions League, but it is also getting further and further away from the Europa League... I think Dalglish should give Liverpool fans an explanation!"

Such criticisms were frequently seen in newspapers and television programs after Liverpool lost to Chelsea, and they were endless.

Dalglish also felt tremendous pressure.

The only thing he can still rely on now is the support from fans and the team's internal bigwigs. He has completely fallen out with Liverpool's senior management, and now he is holding his breath to win games, win championships, and put Niang in his place. He feels that as long as he can win the championship and lead the team into the Champions League, it will be the most powerful counterattack against Niang. When he has such capital, he will go to Chen Xing and ask him: "Me and that kid Niang, who do you choose!" and it will seem more confident...

To achieve good results, he must rely on Chen Yingxiong... He knows that Chen Yingxiong has a good relationship with Niang, but he is not worried. Players naturally pursue championships, honors, and fame, and he and Chen Yingxiong have the same goals in this regard.

How to maximize Chen Yingxiong's offensive power is a headache for Dalglish—of course, he knows that he must strengthen the wing attack. In fact, his Liverpool also pays more attention to the wing, after all, he is an old-fashioned coach, and the coaches at that time paid more attention to wing tactics. In the past, the English football world was full of wingers.

But it is difficult for a clever woman to cook without rice!

If there is no one, how can he make full use of the wing? Downing, whom he wanted, didn't come, but he got Adam Johnson, whom he didn't want very much... Thinking of this, Dalglish gritted his teeth with hatred!

You outsiders! As expected, if people who have no affection for Liverpool manage this team, Liverpool will never want to have a day to come out on top!

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Book number: 2271393