Chapter 319
The atmosphere in the bar became increasingly heavy. On TV, the sports channel was replaying the highlights of the game.
Li Lei's figure appeared on the screen again and again, each time accompanied by the cheers of Manchester City fans and the sighs of Chelsea fans.
"Enough, stop watching!" A fan couldn't help shouting, "I can't stand seeing Li Lei score for other teams, it's too hurtful!"
The bar owner came over and comforted everyone, saying: "Brothers, I know this is hard to accept."
"But this is football, players come and go, we can't always be nostalgic."
"But Li Lei is different," said a fan, "He used to be our hope and our future."
"Now, he has become our nightmare."
"I know, I know," the boss sighed, "but we have to look forward, Chelsea still has many excellent players, and we still have Mourinho."
"Believe me, the Blues will make a comeback."
The fans fell silent. They knew the boss was right, but at this moment, the pain of losing Li Lei was still so vivid.
On TV, Li Lei was being interviewed after the game.
He talked about his transfer and his new life in Manchester City.
"I am grateful for my days at Chelsea," Li Lei said, "but now I am a Manchester City player."
"I will do my best for this team, just as I did for Chelsea."
The fans stared at the screen with mixed feelings.
They knew that Li Lei no longer belonged to them.
But deep down, they still hoped that one day this young man would be able to put on the blue jersey again and fight for them.
Maybe this is just an unattainable dream.
But for Chelsea fans, dreams last forever and hope lasts forever.
The next day, the morning sun shone through the office window and sprinkled on Guardiola's desk.
The Manchester City coach was frowning and carefully studying the player statistics in front of him.
The data will not lie, and Li Lei's outstanding performance in the past two games is clear at a glance.
"Li Lei, Li Lei, or Li Lei..." Guardiola muttered to himself.
Yes, this young player from China has become the new favorite of Manchester City, and fans are eagerly discussing his every touch and every goal.
But Guardiola knows that this is not the Manchester City he wants.
In his blueprint, Manchester City should be a multi-point blossoming team, and the offensive threat should come from every position and every player.
Instead of being like now, the offensive focus of the whole team is on Li Lei alone.
"If the opponent snipers Li Lei, what should we do with our offense?" Guardiola asked himself.
With Li Lei's current performance, the opponent will inevitably make special tactical deployments against him.
Once Li Lei is restricted, Manchester City's offense may be paralyzed.
Guardiola leaned back in his chair, his eyes deep.
Maybe it's time to make some changes.
Maybe he needs to limit Li Lei's ball holding time and encourage other players to participate more in the offense.
Only in this way can Manchester City become a truly strong team.
Outside the window, cheers from the players came from the training ground.
Guardiola stood up and walked to the window.
He saw Li Lei running on the field with a sincere smile on his face.
The young man was trying his best to integrate into the team, and his enthusiasm infected everyone.
A smile appeared on Guardiola's lips. He had a difficult problem to solve.
But he believed that with his coaching experience and wisdom, he would be able to find a balance point.
A balance point that can not only bring out Li Lei's characteristics, but also allow the whole team to participate in the attack.
He turned around, strode out of the office and walked towards the training ground.
The morning sun shone on him, seeming to foreshadow a promising future.
On the training ground, Li Lei was still running and working hard. He didn't know that he was about to face new challenges.
The sun was shining, and Manchester City's training ground was full of vitality.
The players were conducting group confrontation training, and Li Lei's blue team was fighting fiercely with the red team.
Li Lei firmly controlled the ball, he cleverly dodged the opponent's tackle, and then quickly passed the ball to his teammate in front.
"Good shot, Li!" Teammate Phil Foden exclaimed, and Li Lei smiled and continued to concentrate on the game.
A few minutes later, Li Lei got the ball again.
This time, he decided to break through by himself, passed two defenders in a row, entered the penalty area, and then decisively shot and scored.
"Beautiful! Li Lei!" Teammates cheered.
After completing the goal, Li Lei celebrated with them and his face was full of smiles.Filled with bright smiles.
After the training, the players gathered together to discuss the game just now.
"Li, you are in great shape today," Kevin De Bruyne said, "Your breakthrough and shot are simply perfect."
Li Lei smiled modestly: "These are all opportunities created for me by my teammates. Without everyone's cooperation, I can't do anything."
"Don't say that, Li," Raheem Sterling put his arm around Li Lei's shoulders, "Your talent and hard work, we all see it, you are our pride."
Li Lei looked at his teammates gratefully. He could not have achieved what he has today without this united group.
"Hey, Li," Alvaro Morata came over and said mysteriously.
"I heard that Guardiola intends to reduce your ball holding time and increase the participation of others. What do you think?"
Li Lei was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said: "If this is the coach's decision, I believe it is for the good of the team."
"I will continue to go all out, whether it is holding the ball or running, I will do my best."
Morata nodded approvingly: "You are always so positive, Li."
"I believe that under the leadership of Guardiola, we will definitely create miracles."
"Of course," Li Lei said firmly, "We are Manchester City, nothing is impossible, let us work together to win more honors for Manchester City!"
Teammate cheered in unison and put their hands together.
"Manchester City! Manchester City! Manchester City!"
The cheers echoed on the training ground, and the blue moon flag shone in the sun.
England in August is scorching.
Manchester City players are running and sweating in the scorching heat.
They just finished a strong dialogue with Chelsea, and with Li Lei's outstanding performance, they had the last laugh.
But Guardiola is not satisfied with this, this is just the beginning of a long season.
To truly stand at the top of the Premier League, Manchester City needs to keep moving forward.
