Chapter 93

On December 31, 2004, Jowan Xian finally reappeared at Chelsea's Cobham training ground, and the players greeted him with cheers. However, two players were by his side: one rugged and handsome, the other with flowing blonde hair; one over thirty, the other just twenty, they were Roy Keane and Fernando Torres!

For Roy Keane, the Chelsea players were no strangers. This Premier League ironman was undoubtedly one of the most low-key and legendary figures in the past 20 years. His joining Chelsea was not only a tactical and personnel boost but also brought passion, strength, and mental fortitude. The former Manchester United captain revealed his towering presence with just one sentence: "Guys, this is my second stop in my career, and I hope to create a greater myth here than the 1999 Manchester United!"

Torres grew up in the Atlético Madrid training camp, almost winning all the honors he could at the youth and junior levels. He had shone in Spain from an early age, so his family and agent had long anticipated this outcome, encouraging him to learn English for greater future development. On his first landing in England, Torres appeared somewhat shy and said in not-so-fluent English: "Hello everyone, I am Fernando, and I hope to achieve victory and win championships with you!"

Compared to the famous Roy Keane, Torres was relatively unknown in England. The cheers were not as intense as when Keane introduced himself. Captain Terry, seeing Torres' awkward expression, quickly stepped forward and gave him a warm hug, encouraging him: "Blond boy, you are the cornerstone of Chelsea's revival, keep it up!"

Ramos, also a Spaniard, quickly came over to embrace Torres and spoke a long string of words in Spanish.

Jowan Xian waved his hand and loudly declared: "Alright, now I announce that Keane and Torres are officially part of our team. Everyone should treat them with kindness! They are players I personally recommended, and if anyone dares to bully the new players, well, you'll bear the consequences!"

A naked threat!

Roy Keane, however, smiled and said: "Just don't bully that Spanish kid, my fists... well, most people don't dare to mess with me."

"Ha ha..."

The simple welcome ceremony ended, and Jowan Xian wanted to hand the team over to Boas. However, at this moment, Terry, Lampard, and Joe Cole, the dressing room leaders, approached Jowan Xian. Terry whispered: "Boss, I think we need to have a meeting within the team!"

"Hmm?" Jowan Xian was a bit puzzled. What was going on? Seeing the serious expressions on their faces, he couldn't help but look at Boas. You, have you been causing chaos in the dressing room while I was away?

Boas, however, looked bewildered and shook his head at Jowan Xian.

He had coached three matches: a 4-0 win over Norwich, a 1-0 win over Aston Villa, and a 2-1 win over Portsmouth. Although the matches were tough, they still maintained the team's winning streak. He didn't understand what was wrong with these captains.

"Alright," Jowan Xian nodded firmly.

After Terry, Lampard, and Joe Cole spoke, Jowan Xian finally understood the reason for this impromptu meeting. With the winter transfer window approaching, it was confirmed that Gudjohnsen and Geremi would leave the team in the winter. The media was reporting that Chelsea was interested in at least 10 players and would make big moves in the winter!

There were comings and goings, and a team could only have about 20 players, so some Chelsea players were anxious. They were worried about being sold and losing their positions to new arrivals. Although Chelsea's performance was excellent, they still lagged behind top clubs like Manchester United, Barcelona, and Real Madrid, and the players hadn't yet realized the intense competition they would face.

Ramos, at 18, had already shown the leadership that would make him the captain of Spain and Real Madrid after Hierro, Raul, and Casillas. With Jowan Xian's nod, he stood up and said solemnly: "Chelsea is a strong team, especially with such an excellent manager like our boss. We can certainly create a dynasty like Manchester United, AC Milan, and Liverpool! However, to improve, the team must constantly buy and sell players! We have grand goals, so we must work harder in training and impress the manager and fans with our performances, not complain in private. That's not what men do, that's what cowards do!"

Since Jowan Xian took over Chelsea, the atmosphere in the dressing room had been a bit cold during the initial friendly matches. However, after the first league match, a big win over Manchester United, the dressing room became unusually harmonious. This was the first time he faced such a tricky situation.

Fortunately, the captain duo of Terry and Lampard, the pillars of Chelsea's rise, wanted to nip this negative trend in the bud. This meeting indeed contributed to the team's atmosphere.

In the future, the dressing rooms of major clubs often saw significant unrest, but under the leadership of these two English captains, Chelsea developed steadily and quietly. Even the notorious "friend's wife" scandal had little impact on Chelsea's dressing room. This was particularly evident when Di Matteo and Benítez took over mid-season. Under the efforts of the two captains, the team united, overcame various difficulties, and won the Champions League and Europa League, becoming a legend in European football.

Seeing Jowan Xian's stern face, Terry stood up again and said: "In the last two matches, we won by just one goal. Although we still got 3 points, this isn't the Chelsea we know! The complaints off the pitch are affecting our performance on the pitch! I know who is complaining, but I won't tell the boss. After all, we are teammates. I only hope that you can rediscover the joy of football at Chelsea."

Lampard nodded and said: "That's right. We called this meeting to prevent the situation from escalating and causing unrest in the dressing room. We are a team with common goals and responsibilities, so I hope we can fight together as we did in the past few months. No matter who joins the team, they are our friends, here to help us achieve the quadruple!"

Most of the players were looking down, only Rooney and Johnson were laughing. Jowan Xian wasn't sure who Terry and Lampard were referring to.

Jowan Xian lightly coughed, and the atmosphere instantly became very quiet.

Jowan Xian remained seated, not standing up like the others. He tapped his knee and said calmly: "In my team, I only want to hear one voice: fight and win! Your duty is to perform your best on the pitch, and I will handle all the off-pitch issues! However, it seems that some of you are not satisfied with my philosophy..."

Jowan Xian's voice was stern, and his expression was cold: "If anyone wants to leave the team, you can tell me. Like Makelele, I will approve your transfer request. But if anyone causes trouble in the dressing room, don't blame me for not recognizing you! I won't hold past issues against you, but from now on, I want peace in the dressing room. If anyone continues to cause trouble or affects other players, don't blame me for sending you to the reserves, where you'll never play again!"

"Makelele applied for a transfer?" Everyone was shocked, looking at him in disbelief. Makelele, looking like he had swallowed a bitter pill, could only nod.

"I wasn't here for a few days, but I know someone must have confronted my assistant Boas. I hope this person steps forward and apologizes," Jowan Xian said casually, but his voice carried a hint of menace.

The silence lasted for a while, and then Duff finally stood up and bowed: "I'm sorry, Mr. Boas, I shouldn't have complained when I was substituted."

Boas smiled, and Jowan Xian waved his hand and said calmly: "I'll say this again: the coach is the authority in the team, whether it's the head coach or the assistant! No more excuses! Also, we will indeed sign a few players in the winter to strengthen the bench. Of course, if anyone performs poorly and loses their starting position, that's only fair."

"Yes, boss, we understand!" Everyone took a deep breath and responded in unison, led by Terry.

Jowan Xian stood up, hands behind his back, and said loudly: "Alright, start training! And I don't want the media to know about today's meeting! Oh, and Terry, come here for a moment."

Boas resumed training, and Jowan Xian asked Terry with a frown: "Who exactly is spreading rumors and affecting morale?"

Terry scratched his head and laughed: "Actually... I don't know who started it, but everyone in the team is saying that you will sign many players, and no one's starting position is safe. I think this situation needs to be controlled, or it will greatly affect morale. So, I discussed it with Lampard and Joe Cole."

Jowan Xian patted his shoulder and praised: "Good job, you've handled this well. I chose the right person to be captain."

Terry laughed: "Boss, why do I see in the newspapers that you went on vacation with a beauty these past few days, not to see Owen?"

Jowan Xian blushed: "Get lost, go train!"

Watching Terry run off, Jowan Xian narrowed his eyes. Terry was the captain, Lampard was the vice-captain, Joe Cole was the third captain, and Bridge was the fourth captain. The dressing room atmosphere should be the responsibility of all four, but this time... Bridge was missing.

The result was obvious.

"Left-back?" Jowan Xian's lips curled.

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