Chapter 36

Although this was only England's first qualifier, a draw, or even a loss, would not significantly impact their early qualification, as the other teams in the group—Northern Ireland, Poland, Azerbaijan, and Wales—were all considered weak. However, due to the hype created by Joe the Cannon before the match, Eriksson felt he had to win this game.

Eriksson's face was stern, his sharp chin etched with disappointment. He immediately used England's third substitution, replacing Chelsea's central defender John Terry with Birmingham City's forward Emile Heskey! At that moment, Eriksson deeply missed the injured Wayne Rooney. If Rooney were in the team, the selection of players wouldn't be as tight as it was now, right?

The substitution was met with a chorus of boos from the crowd.

Terry's expression was grim. After being substituted, he didn't even shake hands with Eriksson, sitting down next to Frank Lampard on the bench. In a fit of anger, he grabbed a towel and threw it to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of phlegm.

The big screen at the stadium subtly cut to a series of shots: the expressions on the faces of Lampard, Owen, and Terry were almost identical, their actions the same—crossing their arms, turning their heads, and coldly watching the events on the field.

This was intolerable!

The players who were substituted were all from Chelsea! The captain, the vice-captain, and the main striker!

Eriksson had no time to soothe the players' emotions. His attention was entirely focused on the game, his tightly clenched fists sweating: "Just one goal, I only need one more goal! Then I can beat Joe the Cannon!"

Ironically, after equalizing, Austria adopted Eriksson's earlier strategy, substituting two attacking players for two defenders, clearly aiming to hold the score until the end of the match!

Time ticked by, and despite the deafening cheers of the Austrian fans, even though Beckham's trademark curling free-kicks were still mesmerizing, Joe Cole's dribbling was still brilliant, and Gerrard's shots were still powerful, the Austrian defense was as impenetrable as the Maginot Line during World War II. They could only circle around, unable to break through!

Adding to the frustration, Emile Heskey, the Birmingham City forward who was brought on, was in poor form and missed several good chances. Finally, after three minutes of added time, the match ended, with Austria holding a strong England to a draw at home!

The media from England who were present were stunned. Had Joe the Cannon been right again? In this first match, Eriksson really couldn't secure all three points against Austria. The "pro-Joe" journalist from The Times, however, laughed to himself. He had chosen to believe Joe Wanxian, and had already completed his article before the match ended, ready to be published on the website. This would be the first-hand report in all of England!

After the match, almost none of the England players treated Eriksson with the usual courtesy, not even captain Beckham, who only nodded formally, showing no warmth.

At the post-match press conference, both managers and captains appeared.

Wherever Beckham was, he always drew the attention, even though the manager was the main focus of the press conference.

"… We played well for most of the game, but… we made many fatal mistakes in the final moments, which led to us not winning. However, the atmosphere within the team is very good, with no issues. In the next match against Poland, we will definitely secure all three points!"

Beckham's voice was not particularly pleasant, sounding a bit shrill, but his handsome appearance made up for it. Almost all the media directed their questions to him.

The journalist from The Times, eager to stir up trouble, asked, "Mr. David Beckham, what fatal mistakes did you refer to? Was it James' low-level mistake, or… the poor substitutions?"

Beckham glanced at Eriksson, seeing his dark expression, and quickly tried to defuse the situation: "We are a team, and any mistakes are shared by the entire team. One point is better than none, and the England team is not in the dark."

This evasive answer annoyed the journalists, and someone immediately pushed the topic further: "I have a question for both Mr. Eriksson and Mr. Beckham, but I think Mr. Beckham is better suited to answer. In the second half, we saw a very interesting scene on England's bench: Owen, Lampard, and Terry, the pillars of Chelsea's attack, midfield, and defense, were all substituted and sat on the bench. What was the reason for this? Was it tactical… or because of Chelsea's manager, Joe Wanxian?"

Upon hearing this question, Beckham instinctively leaned back, not wanting to answer. But seeing Eriksson's stony silence, he had no choice but to speak up: "Everyone in the England team is very talented. Substituting anyone… is just a tactical decision. No one wants to go against the team's interests. As for Joe Wanxian… I'm sorry, I don't know him well, but of course, he is an excellent manager."

Beckham's vague answer almost put the journalists to sleep, but the last sentence caught everyone's attention, revealing a major news story! Almost instantly, the journalists had their next big headline:

"Eriksson Hit by Cannon Again, Beckham Praises Joe Wanxian."

"Beckham Signals Change, England Manager on the Brink?"

"Eriksson Exhausted, Beckham Supports Wanxian!"

"Joe the Cannon, New England Manager?"

...

Sports news and entertainment news are the same; they care more about shock value than truth. Joe Wanxian becoming the England manager? That was a joke. Not only had he only won four official matches, but he was still under contract with Chelsea, making it impossible for him to take on the England job.

After the first qualifier, the entire English peninsula was united in calling for Eriksson's dismissal!

Under normal circumstances, a draw in the first away match would be acceptable and wouldn't cause such a huge reaction. However, Joe Wanxian's pre-match predictions had infuriated the English media, and the outcome had indeed followed his predictions.

The English media, having lost face, directed all their anger at Eriksson.

In an interview with London TV, Joe Wanxian downplayed his miraculous prediction, looking somewhat uncomfortable: "I hope Eriksson doesn't play with England's fate. Terry, Lampard, and Owen are England's best players. Without them, England would be soulless."

"From your tone, it seems you hope Eriksson will lead England to better results. As a fellow manager, would you offer him some good advice?"

Joe Wanxian answered without hesitation: "Of course. Although I don't like Eriksson's coaching style and ability, as an Englishman, I desperately hope he can lead England further. As for advice… England's front line has Joe Cole, Owen, Lampard, Beckham, and soon, the returning Rooney. This is a terrifying attacking combination. So I hope England's attack… can be even more intense!"

"Like the relentless attack you lead at Chelsea, right?"

Joe Wanxian shrugged: "Every manager has their own style, but I can confidently say that my football philosophy is the best in the world! If Eriksson can humbly learn from me, he could lead England to victory!"

The white female journalist, hearing Joe Wanxian's shameless words, felt dizzy. Eriksson could be his father's age, and still learn from him? She forced a smile and continued: "You made a stunning prediction about England's match against France in the European Championship, and the result against Austria was also unexpected. Mr. Wanxian, can you predict the outcome of the away match against Poland on September 9th?"

Joe Wanxian furrowed his brow thoughtfully and said slowly: "Normally, with Eriksson's ability, it would be difficult to beat Poland without Rooney. But after this interview, if he learns from my tactical ideas… England can secure a narrow victory in Poland!"

"Learn from your tactical ideas? A narrow victory?" The journalist thanked him and hurriedly left, fearing she would be overwhelmed by his bold statements. It was… too shocking!

Historically, on September 9, 2004, England beat Poland 2-1 away, with goals from Defoe and an own goal from the opposition, securing three points.

But the shameless Joe Wanxian was unwilling to let Eriksson take all the credit. He wanted to claim the glory for himself.

"You, Eriksson, could lead England to victory against Poland? Humph, wasn't it because of my psychological tactics and the tactical ideas I shared in the London TV interview? All of England's fans know it!"

Since he fell in love with cheating in football, Joe Wanxian's face had become increasingly thick-skinned.