Chapter 61

At the 81st minute, Dafu, with the ball on the right flank, faced the pressure from two opposing defenders. He feinted to create an angle and passed the ball to Rooney, who was in peak physical condition and form, just outside the penalty area, well within his shooting range. To ensure a goal, he employed a basketball tactic—drive and dish!

With the defenders drawn to Rooney, Lampard found himself with a wide-open space in front of him. Seeing the ball passed through the defenders by Rooney, Lampard noticed that the opposing goalkeeper had come out to block Rooney's shot. At that moment, Lampard decisively chose to chip the ball over the goalkeeper!

"The ball is in, incredible! In the 81st minute of the match, Chelsea's brilliant team play tore through West Ham's concrete-like defense. Lampard's shot was full of imagination, a chip from the edge of the arc, leaving the goalkeeper who had come out to block the shot with no chance but to watch the ball sail in!"

Lampard, who had a lackluster performance in the match, was finally awakened by the arrival of Rooney and Makelele. He declared his worth with a stunning world-class goal: "The boss made me Chelsea's deputy captain, and I deserve it!"

"An exciting match, Chelsea's tenacity has equalized the score. Although Coach Joe may not be able to maintain a perfect record, his remarkable in-game tactics are enough to challenge the world's top coaches. Look at his calm and composed demeanor on the sidelines; we can't help but marvel at his magical touch. Of course, Alan Pardew's ability to draw a level match with Joe at Stamford Bridge for 90 minutes is also worthy of respect across Europe."

Lampard's goal was like a hailstone from the sky, landing directly on West Ham's manager, Alan Pardew. It was late October in London, and the temperate maritime climate made it not cold, but Alan Pardew, dressed in a suit, shivered uncontrollably.

He threw the water bottle to the ground and couldn't resist kicking it away. He knew that if this trend continued, West Ham would surely lose the match!

Since the League Cup is a single-elimination tournament, if the match was tied after 90 minutes, it would go into extra time, and if still tied, to a penalty shootout. However, Alan Pardew didn't even consider that much. Given the team's current state and Chelsea's explosive form, he realized that West Ham's League Cup journey was over.

Sure enough, West Ham didn't even make it to extra time. In the 89th minute, Makelele, like a god descending, finally found an opportunity after a series of tackles and passed the ball, allowing the substitute striker Rooney to score again! With his second goal, Rooney helped Chelsea take the lead!

After the match, reporters from The Times interviewed the two key players who helped Chelsea take the lead, Rooney and Makelele.

"Hello, can you tell us what tactics Mr. Jowanxian set before the match that completely changed the game for Chelsea?"

Rooney and Makelele exchanged glances, both seeing a hint of hesitation in each other's eyes. Finally, Rooney, who was closer to Jowanxian, answered without hesitation: "The boss said we had been playing around with them for over 70 minutes and couldn't keep indulging them, so he sent us on."

The reporter's spine went cold, and his face changed: "From what you're saying... Mr. Jowanxian didn't take West Ham seriously at all?"

Makelele grinned, showing a few white teeth: "Our boss said that in the entire European football scene, against any team, he can play them like monkeys."

The reporter immediately broke out in a cold sweat, thinking he needed to delete this part of the interview. If it got out, The Times' sales might increase, but if it angered Roman Abramovich and he stopped commercial cooperation with The Times, that would be a big problem.

On October 30th, the 11th round of the Premier League began, with Chelsea visiting The Hawthorns to face West Bromwich Albion. West Bromwich Albion had a terrible season, with only 8 points after 10 matches, placing 16th, just one point away from the relegation zone.

In this match, Jowanxian fielded his strongest lineup, using Source 1 only for Kaká. The team still put on a dominant performance, winning 7-0. Rooney scored twice, Kaká twice, and Joe Cole, Lampard, and Owen each scored once.

After 11 rounds, Chelsea had 33 points, continuing to lead the league table. Arsenal, who were second, might have expended too much energy in their away win against Manchester United in the previous round. Playing at home at Highbury against 18th-placed Southampton, they were held to a 2-2 draw!

Although Arsenal remained unbeaten in 11 matches this season, the two draws put them 4 points behind Chelsea.

However, the selection of the October Manager of the Month sparked strong doubts in England. It was not Jowanxian, who led Chelsea to four consecutive wins in October, but David Moyes, who led Everton to three wins and one draw!

Jowanxian knew Moyes well. It wasn't because Moyes had turned Everton from a weak team into a strong one over 11 years, nor because he had been named the Premier League Manager of the Year three times. It was because he was the man who replaced Sir Alex Ferguson as Manchester United's manager in the future!

As someone who had been through it, Jowanxian knew that Moyes' performance at Manchester United couldn't compare to Ferguson's. He was destined not to be a top club manager, especially criticized for his slow in-game adjustments.

After 11 matches, Everton had 7 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses, with 23 points, surpassing Liverpool to sit third in the league, a commendable achievement. But was Moyes really better than Jowanxian?

When the result was announced, the media erupted with criticism. Kaká, who won the Player of the Month, publicly stated that Jowanxian was the best manager in October and would be the best manager of the Premier League this season. He hoped the club would quickly extend Jowanxian's contract to secure this talented young manager with a long-term deal.

Kaká's comments caused a stir, not because of his opinion on the October Manager of the Month, but because of the issue of Jowanxian's contract.

The media suddenly realized this was a perfect topic for hype. Within 24 hours, all of Europe began to focus on Jowanxian's contract extension.

"Jowanxian has seven months left on his contract, but he doesn't seem eager to discuss an extension with Chelsea. It's said that Chelsea has proposed negotiations multiple times, but Jowanxian wants to increase his current £1 million annual salary to £15 million, a demand even a Russian oil tycoon can't accept." — The Times.

"Jowanxian, after showing his arrogance and lack of respect, has now revealed his greedy nature! According to reliable sources, he plans to leverage the team's excellent performance to demand a salary five times that of Ferguson, the highest in the world, around £14-16 million. No club can afford such a demand." — The Daily Mail.

"Barcelona is already far behind Mourinho's Real Madrid in the league, and Laporta has lost faith in Rijkaard. The Black Swan seems good at playing but lacks the management skills of Mourinho. Whether in the Dutch national team or in Rotterdam, he has not achieved significant success." — Marca.

"Last season's Chelsea manager, Ranieri, now leads Valencia, but he falls far short of Benítez's level, and the La Liga title race has become a two-horse race. It's rumored that Valencia has offered Jowanxian a three-year, £18 million annual salary, but Jowanxian is too greedy, and this offer, though high, may not satisfy him." — Confidential Network.

...

If Jowanxian was previously at the center of English media attention, now he stood at the pinnacle of European football. Almost every media outlet and major club reported on his rumored moves. Even the usually calm and professional German media and Bayern Munich club reported that Jowanxian was interested in joining them.

Almost overnight, Jowanxian found that, following the "Legendary Figure" segment, the contract extension controversy had ignited his reputation across Europe!

However, this young manager, who had so many flaws, was a bit frustrated: "When did I ever talk about a contract extension with the club? And a £15 million annual salary? I'm not crazy; it's 2004, not 2034, and salaries aren't that high yet!"

But thinking about it, the one-year contract with a £1 million annual salary was indeed a bit meager. Sitting in his office, he put down the newspaper, picked up his phone, and called his agent, Ye Xuan: "Hey, I think it's time to talk to the club about my contract. Maybe it's time for a change?"

Ye Xuan's voice was cool: "I know, I'm already in talks."

"Huh? Already in talks?" Jowanxian was taken aback, a bit annoyed. This Ye Xuan didn't even consult him, her employer, about such a big decision. He frowned: "What are you talking about? Do you know what I want?"

"Requirements? Of course, the higher the salary, the better!" Ye Xuan said matter-of-factly.

Jowanxian was momentarily stunned: "You... what salary are you asking for?"

Ye Xuan replied calmly: "£300,000 per week, about £15 million annually."

"Blimey!"

Jowanxian's forehead was covered in black lines. It turned out the media reports weren't baseless; this little girl was the source of all the negative news! £15 million, a salary higher than the combined salaries of Ferguson, Wenger, and Benítez, no wonder even The Times, which was usually close to him, called him greedy!