Chapter 68

After Newcastle United's manager, Samson, turned red with anger, as if he had just performed a monkey show, the referee finally blew the whistle, and the game resumed.

The fans were the most adorable. Even though Newcastle was already trailing 3-0, with little hope of advancing to the next round, they still cheered and encouraged the players with all their might. Samson, however, watched the game with a serious expression, especially his fearful gaze fixed on the tall Chelsea striker, who seemed to stab into his heart like a knife. The slight white hair at his temples made him look somewhat exhausted.

Cech's performance was not particularly outstanding, but as a goalkeeper, he could receive the ball, distribute it, and even head the ball for a pass, occasionally completing a shot. To Samson, this was simply a fairy tale!

The game had completely entered Chelsea's rhythm. On the sidelines, Jowan Xian wore a black, slim-fit Armani coat, hands in his pockets, his handsome face and robust physique making him look like a model advertising the Armani coat. The head of Armani's marketing department, seeing this on the screen, was almost moved to tears, thinking, "A raise, he must get a raise! Jowan Xian's dedication is the conscience of the industry!"

Samson's tactical arrangements in the second half were even more decisive, focusing on a strong attack. Everyone could see that Chelsea had a significant advantage in set-piece plays, especially with a tall player in the penalty area, making their attacks more fluid. Samson was almost in despair; Chelsea's lineup was too strong, and Cech's presence in the penalty area seemed as threatening as Alan Shearer's.

Although Shearer was aging, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. How could a goalkeeper like Cech, who started his career as a goalkeeper, compare with England's greatest striker?

Newcastle's offensive capabilities were never weak, especially since the signing of Alan Shearer, their target had even been the league title! With no other choice, Samson had to go all out, even though it seemed futile.

Unfortunately, a determined Lampard, a goal-hungry Cech, and a bulldozer-like Rooney brought irreversible destruction to Newcastle's defense!

At the 58th minute, Stoke Park intercepted the ball in the midfield and sent a through pass. Cech, who was nervous, did not attempt a shot but passed the ball to Duff, who was unmarked. Duff did not waste this opportunity and scored with a powerful shot...

At the 78th minute, Cech, who had been brought on as a substitute and was highly expected by Jowan Xian, finally seized an opportunity to score. Rooney crossed from the wing, and Cech, using his height advantage, headed the ball powerfully. Although the angle was not sharp, the ball's speed was fast, and Given, who was close by, made no attempt to save it...

The score on the field was now 5-0!

No matter how adorable the fans were, they could not bear the continuous humiliation. Some held their heads in despair, some left the stadium, and others directed boos and chants of "Resign!" at Samson.

Jowan Xian looked at the opposing bench with sympathy and saw Samson's ashen face. He sighed and walked to the fourth official, asking seriously, "Mate, do you think... I'm being too harsh?"

The fourth official was stunned and could not say a word.

Jowan Xian sighed again, shouting loudly on the sidelines, "Cech, who told you to score? A goalkeeper scoring like a forward, isn't that a slap in the face? Do you think Newcastle is an amateur team? Mr. Samson will resign in anger!"

The fourth official: "..."

Samson: "Cough... cough..."

Jowan Xian glanced at Samson, wiped his cold sweat, and exhaled, "At least it's not blood. If you really spat blood, I would be very sad..."

The final score was 5-0, with Rooney scoring 2 goals and providing 1 assist, earning him the man of the match. However, Rooney was not the most eye-catching player of the game, as Chelsea's goalkeeper, Cech, stole all the limelight.

After the game, almost all the media on the scene rushed to Cech, wanting to interview this astonishing goalkeeper, or rather, forward!

In previous matches, Cech had always been a supporting role and rarely received such treatment from the media. The sudden change left Cech unprepared, and he said shyly, "The reason I played as a forward was due to the boss's... Mr. Jowan Xian's temporary arrangement. In fact, I haven't played as a forward for ten years. However, I am very happy to have scored 1 goal and provided 2 assists in 45 minutes.

Actually, I don't want to comment on my performance on the field. I just want to say that Mr. Jowan Xian is a very magical manager, with incredible adaptability and command on the field. If I were the club chairman, I would sign a lifetime contract with him immediately, even if his salary reached 15 million pounds. For the club, this would be the most cost-effective contract."

Cech's words were measured and did not contain any explosive selling points. The media quickly shifted their focus to the media darling, Jowan Xian!

It cannot be denied that whether you like him or hate him, as long as the newspapers publish news involving Jowan Xian, sales will definitely increase; conversely, if an issue does not feature Jowan Xian, the newspaper will definitely be unsold.

However, neither of the managers attended the post-match press conference. Newcastle's manager, Samson, likely went straight to the hospital due to the lopsided score; Jowan Xian, now famous, had developed a flair for grandeur and had not attended press conferences for a long time, leaving such duties to his assistant, Boas.

Maintaining a sense of mystery would keep the media chasing after him! It must be said that Jowan Xian had a deep understanding of the media world.

However, outside the stadium, a flat-headed young reporter from The Times found Jowan Xian, clearly having a good grasp of his movements. "Hehe, Mr. Jowan Xian, can I ask you a few questions?"

Jowan Xian glanced at him and, without waiting for him to ask, said while walking, "I hope you at The Times will do a big promotion after you return! In the first half of the game, I noticed that Samson was sitting on the bench with his eyes closed, sleeping. This was a minor insult to me, but a major violation of a manager's sportsmanship! To teach him a lesson and correct the bad风气 in our football community, I sent Cech to play as a forward to break down Newcastle's defense! I believe that with this lesson, Mr. Samson will not dare to sleep on the bench again, at least not when playing against me."

The reporter's mouth dropped open in surprise. This Jowan Xian was standing at the pinnacle of football, looking down on other managers. Do you... think you are the godfather of football? Even Sir Alex Ferguson would not speak to Samson in an educational tone.

As if by coincidence, after a few steps, he encountered another reporter, this time from The Sun! The Sun usually published negative stories about Jowan Xian to attract fans, so its sales were always high. Jowan Xian frowned and treated the reporter as if he did not exist, passing by coldly.

The Sun reporter hurriedly caught up, wearing a fawning smile, and said, "Mr. Jowan Xian, our sports section has a 'Peak Figures' column, and we would like to invite you for an interview. This is a great opportunity to make you famous worldwide, Mr. Jowan Xian, please consider it?"

Jowan Xian indeed stopped and said coldly, "The 'Peak Figures' column? Hmph! Is it more popular than BBC's 'Legendary Figures'?"

The reporter's face turned red, and he shook his head sheepishly but said with some pride, "But this is a newspaper, and we pay for articles!"

"Oh..." Jowan Xian nodded in realization and said coolly, "Go back and tell your editor to bring five million pounds, and I will consider working with The Sun."

"Ah... ah? Five... five million?" The reporter no longer dared to follow Jowan Xian, his face stiff.

The fourth round of the 2004-05 English League Cup ended, with Fulham, Chelsea, Watford, Portsmouth, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool advancing to the fifth round, which is the quarter-finals. Chelsea will play away against Fulham on December 1st, while the highlight match will be Manchester United hosting Arsenal at home.

After the fourth round, football media clearly divided into two camps, with the main focus still on Chelsea's manager, Jowan Xian.

"Bold Substitution Yields Surprising Results, Jowan Xian Teaches You How to Adapt!"

"The Distance Between a Goalkeeper and a Forward — Jowan Xian!"

"The Conscience of English Football, Using Actions to Reform the 'Sleeping' Culture!"

"Jowan Xian Strikes Again, Targeting Managerial Ethics."

The media supporting Jowan Xian extensively reported on the unexpected results of his shocking substitutions, using the most lavish language to praise his ability to use players. They also praised his role as an industry model based on the interview with The Times, even with Armani's official website publishing a major news article titled "Jowan Xian, the Conscience of the Industry!"

Of course, The Guardian and The Sun continued to take the opposite stance, using alternative perspectives to attract attention. Especially The Sun, whose sharp tongue was as venomous as a cobra!

"Greedy and Insatiable": "While demanding a huge annual salary from the club, he actually asked for 5 million pounds as a reward for a regular interview. Such a large sum was not even spent when our reporter interviewed North Korea's Kim Jong-il last year! From his attitude towards money and women, it is clear that Jowan Xian should be called Jowan the Greedy..."

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