Chapter 98

In the first FA Cup match of the season, Chelsea was already leading 7-0 after just 45 minutes. In the first half, Torres completed a hat-trick, Roy Keane and Güiza each scored a goal, and Lampard scored twice. It was clear that the match had lost all suspense by halftime.

"After 45 minutes, Chelsea had already taken a big lead. Chelsea will advance to the next round without any doubt. I think Mr. Wan Xian can now substitute some of the key players to conserve their energy. Before the match, many media outlets questioned Torres's ability, but we have seen that Torres has unparalleled football talent, like an elegant matador on the green field, with golden hair even more beautiful than Britney's! Of course, Grosso's assist and Güiza's goal also well demonstrated their strength. Mr. Wan Xian's keen and decisive judgment is truly commendable!"

After the 15-minute halftime break, the commentator indeed saw substitutions at the start of the second half and said smugly, "You see, I told you. With such a big lead in the first half, Mr. Wan Xian would definitely make substitutions. After all, Chelsea will face a very important match in four days, the League Cup semi-final against Manchester United. Since Chelsea's 6-1 thrashing of Manchester United, the old manager has been determined to take revenge. This winter, he brought in the flying Dutchman, Robben, significantly boosting the team's strength. That match is bound to be a focal point."

"Oh, my God!" the commentator exclaimed, looking incredulously at the electronic board held up by the fourth official, and said in disbelief, "Number 31 Oliveira off, Number 10 Joe Cole on, Number 19 Scott Parker off, Number 22 Kaka on! Chelsea has made two substitutions, and they are... actually not taking off the key players, but bringing them on! What is Joe Cole doing? Is a 7-0 score not enough for him? Does he... does he want to completely crush a semi-professional team?"

The Scunthorpe players, seeing Joe Cole and Kaka come on, all closed their eyes in pain, their faces ashen. Their coach also looked livid, glaring at Joe Wan Xian. You can bully people, but not like this! We are just a third-tier amateur team!

However, the fans in the stands were not about to let that happen. Seeing that Joe Wan Xian was still holding the offensive banner high and not turning the second half into garbage time, the fans who had been thinking of leaving were suddenly re-energized, waving their blue flags and jumping in the stands.

In the 52nd minute, it was Kaka's individual performance. He brought the ball from midfield, accelerated to shake off two defenders, and then skillfully dribbled past two more. He then calmly pushed the ball into the net from the edge of the small penalty area, further extending the lead.

Torres, using Source 1, clearly did not want to let down the stage specially created for him by the boss. Five minutes later, he scored a goal almost the same way as Kaka, but with more intricate footwork, showcasing the finesse of Spanish football.

A quadruple, after Owen, Chelsea had another player who scored four goals in a single match!

In the 60th minute, Grosso broke through on the wing, and instead of crossing, he used his excellent footwork from his days as a playmaker to continue the breakthrough. Finally, he gently passed the ball across the small penalty area, and Güiza finished it off, changing the score again.

Just one minute later, Chelsea attacked again. Lampard made a precise through ball, and Joe Cole, cutting in from the wing, scored with a volley, making the score 11-0!

In the 70th minute, the Kaka storm came again, scoring with a trademark right-footed curling shot...

In the 79th minute, Roy Keane scored with a long-range shot from nearly 30 meters. In the 82nd minute, Johnson scored, and in the 88th minute, the artist-like Torres scored the final goal of the match, making the score 15-0!

The biggest massacre in FA Cup history was thus born, but Joe Wan Xian did not show any joy. He shook hands with the opposing coach with a serious face and said, "Your team's defense is good; we only scored 15 goals. Congratulations!"

This almost made the other coach spit out a mouthful of blood.

Torres, who scored five goals in this match, naturally became the focus of the media, and Joe Wan Xian was also cornered by reporters at the players' tunnel.

"Mr. Wan Xian, can you comment on this match?" The reporter knew that Joe Wan Xian would not appear at the post-match press conference, so he quickly asked the key question.

Joe Wan Xian answered while walking, "The players' performance today was average. I thought we could score at least 20 goals!"

"Don't you think it's undignified for a big club to bully a weaker team?"

Joe Wan Xian paused, then said coldly, "100 years ago, Britain conquered the world with its warships. Ten years ago, America also invaded Iraq. Are you talking to me about dignity?"

"That was for the betterment of the people!"

"I am for the enjoyment of the fans!"

Joe Wan Xian walked away.

The four teams for the League Cup semi-finals have been determined: Liverpool, Watford, Chelsea, and Manchester United. Chelsea will face Manchester United in the first leg of the semi-final on January 13th at home, Stamford Bridge.

Manchester United's manager, Ferguson, was very confident about this match. He said with a red face, "This winter, we have signed two outstanding players, Robben and Geremi, making our attack more lethal and our defense more solid. After observing Chelsea for half a season, I have found their weak points. In the next match, we will definitely crush Joe the Cannon at Stamford Bridge!"

"Can you briefly evaluate Arjen Robben? I heard that last summer, Joe the Cannon made several offers, but Robben did not choose Chelsea. Why did he come to Manchester United?"

Ferguson smiled, "Robben is a talented player, the most gifted Dutch player since Cruyff. He is only 20 years old, and his combination with Ronaldo on the wings will be invincible! He also has great ambitions and aspirations, knowing that Manchester United is the true big club, while Chelsea is just a nouveau riche, at most a few months of glory, ultimately not making the cut."

Upon hearing Ferguson's words, Joe Wan Xian couldn't help but sneer and immediately called the transfer manager, Joris Noe, "How is it going?"

Joris Noe seemed to be in a good mood and laughed, "I'm in Amsterdam. The club has accepted the 7 million pound transfer fee, and I am negotiating the contract with his agent. However, Mr. Wan Xian, Rafael raised a question that I couldn't answer."

"Oh? What question?"

Joris Noe said, "You know, after Zivkovic left Ajax, Rafael, as the captain, had to make sacrifices and drop back to defend, which overshadowed most of his attacking talents. He is actually more enthusiastic about the playmaker position. What position will he play in Chelsea?"

Joe Wan Xian laughed, "Tell him not to worry, I will make sure everyone is used to their best! Also, finalize this transfer as soon as possible. I want him to debut in the next League Cup semi-final!"

"Ah? So rushed?"

Joe Wan Xian's lips curled, "We can't let Ferguson and Robben steal the show at Stamford Bridge, can we?"

Sure enough, on January 10th, Chelsea's official website announced another major signing. After the captain of Atletico Madrid fell, the captain of Dutch Ajax also joined Chelsea: "Chelsea has reached an agreement with Ajax to sign the team's captain and midfield core, Rafael van der Vaart, for 7 million pounds! They have signed a five-year contract with a weekly salary of 30,000 pounds. He will wear the number 23 shirt for Chelsea in the second half of the season."

Ajax had already been eliminated from the Champions League this season, and they were far behind PSV in the league. Van der Vaart had no objections to the transfer.

Joe Wan Xian held a special press conference with Van der Vaart. They were the same age and stood together like brothers, but from their expressions, it was clear that Van der Vaart was in awe of the now hottest young manager in Europe.

After displaying Van der Vaart's number 23 shirt, they sat down to answer reporters' questions.

"Mr. Van der Vaart, we know that Real Madrid's Beckham chose the number 23 because he admires Michael Jordan. Are you also a fan of Jordan?"

"Who is Jordan? The Playmate of the Month?" Van der Vaart was taken aback and then shook his head, "My idols have always been Dutch football's godfather, Cruyff, and the perfect center-forward, Van Basten, so I prefer the number 14+9."

Joe Wan Xian couldn't help but laugh. Basketball in Europe is like football in America, a barren land. This Van der Vaart actually mistook basketball's emperor Jordan for the playmate Jordan, which was both amusing and ridiculous.

"Mr. Wan Xian, we know that Chelsea's front line is already talent-rich, with Rooney, Kaka, Lampard, Joe Cole, and Torres... Why did you still sign Van der Vaart?" The question was asked by the flat-headed young reporter from The Times, with a very friendly tone.

Joe Wan Xian smiled smugly, "I want Sir Ferguson to understand that the most talented Dutch player since Cruyff is not Arjen Robben, but Rafael van der Vaart!"

The entire room was stunned, and the noise lasted for several seconds before it quieted down. The reporters finally understood that this young manager had signed Van der Vaart to educate Sir Ferguson.

"Everyone knows that in the 2003 Golden Boy Award, our Rafael rightfully won, while Arjen was only second. Last summer, I considered signing Robben, but I found him to be physically fragile and prone to injuries, so I did not sign him. Unfortunately, Sir Ferguson only saw his strengths and ignored his weaknesses..."

Joe Wan Xian seemed casual, but his words were directly aimed at Ferguson, exciting the reporters. Since Ferguson received his knighthood, he has had an unparalleled status in English football, and even Wenger speaks carefully. Only this Joe the Cannon frequently makes shocking statements, making people look forward to his next move.