Thank Goodness We Have Lin!

"Manchester City has made another substitution. They've taken off Jovetić and brought on number 10, Lin."

"Pellegrini, that substitution came too late! The regular time is almost over, and now he expects Lin to score in the last few minutes?" Iruk Yoj expressed his frustration. Why not make the change earlier?

With the game nearing its end, the substitution timing seemed insufficient, and it looked like City would be dragged into extra time by their opponents. Medraawd commented, "It seems Pellegrini wanted to rest his main players more, but this plan might have backfired."

"Yeah, even though City played with half their starters, those who did play have been on the pitch the entire time and might still need to play extra time. This will be a huge drain on their energy."

"In two days, they have to play Sunderland away. With this kind of energy drain, City's Premier League performance could be affected!"

Seeing Lin come on without warming up only fueled their criticism of Pellegrini. "Pellegrini is too greedy, trying to win everything but might end up with nothing!" Medraawd nodded in agreement, "Even top clubs with deep squads have to prioritize; how much more so for a team like City, which is relatively new to the top tier?"

"The League Cup and even the FA Cup are expendable. They should focus on the Premier League and Champions League!"

"Yes, for City to be recognized as a true top club, they need to win more league titles and go further in the Champions League."

Far away on the pitch, Lin couldn't hear these criticisms. He supported Pellegrini's decision to compete in the League Cup because every win could earn more points. In the match against Chelsea, Lin had used a spectacular bicycle kick goal, a skill he purchased for 30 points from the system's shop. After spending those points, he had only 10 left. With City's busy schedule, Lin's stamina was being seriously tested. To avoid having to conserve energy like Messi often does, Lin needed to upgrade his stamina talent quickly. Currently, his stamina talent was at level 3, worth 30 points, and upgrading to the next level required 70 points. It seemed impossible to gather that many points before the end of the season. So, he aimed to save up 20 points to upgrade his stamina talent to level 4, which would significantly improve his stamina and recovery speed, helping him handle the intense schedule.

For the sake of those points, they had to win this match! 

"Lin, are you okay playing without warming up?" Aguero was concerned about Lin suddenly exerting himself and possibly getting injured.

"No problem. Time's short; we need to finish this game quickly and avoid extra time!"

"I understand," Aguero nodded firmly. If they could finish early, no one would want to play an extra 30 minutes.

"Watch out, their number 10 is on. Keep an eye on him; don't let him spoil our plan!" Seeing Lin enter the game, the Wigan players immediately heightened their vigilance. Lin's reputation had grown with his performances in the Premier League and Champions League, even among Championship teams. Although Pellegrini had kept Lin on the bench initially, Wigan still saw him as the biggest threat in their tactical plans. With their successful marking of Aguero earlier, Wigan planned to use the same strategy on Lin. However, they soon realized that this approach wasn't working as expected. Due to Lin's dynamic positioning, it was challenging to contain him with man-marking or zonal defense. Lin, unlike Aguero, could organize plays, dribble, and score, making him a versatile threat.

On his first touch, the defenders chose to block his path to prevent him from dribbling or shooting. Seeing them not close in, Lin sent a through ball, piercing Wigan's defense, but Aguero was flagged offside as he received it. The Wigan defenders were terrified, realizing Lin's dangerous ability. They couldn't give him space to pass, so they stuck closer. However, Lin deftly maneuvered past a defender with a slick move, breaking into the penalty area. The Wigan players rushed to block him, but Lin calmly lobbed the ball to an unmarked Aguero, who slotted it home. 1-0! City finally broke the deadlock in the 89th minute.

The Wigan players were crushed. After holding out for almost the entire match, a single mistake had undone all their efforts. They felt incredibly disappointed. In the end, thanks to Aguero's goal, Manchester City narrowly won at home, advancing to the next round of the League Cup. However, City's performance was not impressive, and there was no celebration afterward, especially among the starting players who quickly retreated to the locker room.

Wigan's players were disappointed at first but soon bounced back, realizing that exiting the League Cup early might actually be beneficial. It allowed them to focus on their league campaign and aim for promotion to the Premier League. 

"Lin, can we swap jerseys?" After the match, Wigan's midfielder Jordi Gómez approached Lin, asking somewhat sheepishly. Like Lin, Jordi came from Barcelona's La Masia academy. However, Jordi hadn't made a name for himself and left Barcelona's youth team after his contract expired in the 2007-2008 season due to his average talent. Since then, he had moved between several teams in different leagues, struggling to secure a regular starting spot. This struggle left him feeling inferior, especially compared to Lin, who was nearly ten years younger yet had achieved so much more.

"Of course!" Lin was initially surprised to hear someone speak to him in Spanish but then realized it wasn't unusual, as Spanish midfielders were popular worldwide. Swapping jerseys with Jordi, Lin also shook his hand, encouraging him: "Keep it up, hope to see you in the Premier League next year!"

"Thanks for the encouragement, and good luck in leading your team to the World Cup next year!" Jordi, feeling a bit more confident after Lin's kind words, mustered the courage to wish him well. Lin nodded, made a fist gesture of encouragement, and quickly returned to the locker room with Jordi's jersey.

...

In the League Cup, the Premier League teams mostly advanced as expected, except for Liverpool and Manchester United, who faced each other in the third round. This time, United, playing at home, won 1-0, avenging their earlier defeat at Anfield. The League Cup didn't attract much attention, and media coverage was minimal. However, since City was involved, some criticism followed the match. The usual complaints resurfaced, suggesting that City relied too heavily on Lin. The critics argued that without Lin's crucial contributions, City might not have won.

"This Manchester City team feels a lot like Barcelona."

"People often question whether Messi is a system player and if he could survive outside Barcelona."

"I think this game answers that question!"

Although a tabloid, one newspaper's analysis seemed quite reasonable. "Indeed, Barcelona without Messi is unrecognizable, struggling to attack without a focal point, much like City in this game without Lin."

Fans who followed both Barcelona and Manchester City found this perspective relatable.

"So, we can conclude the debate about Messi being a system player: Yes, Messi is a system player, but he's the one who defines the system. Without him, Barcelona's system falls apart!"

"And City is gradually becoming like Barcelona!"

...

"Becoming like Barcelona? Is that a bad thing?"

Upon hearing the discussions, City fans were excited rather than worried. Barcelona had been the most successful club in recent years, winning two Champions League titles and reaching several semi-finals in the past five years. If City could emulate Barcelona's success and become a top team, City fans would be thrilled. So, they dismissed the criticism, thinking: With Lin as our superstar, why shouldn't we rely on him? There's nothing wrong with that! Before the eleventh round of the Premier League, they organized a 5,000-strong fan group to travel to Sunderland, ready to support their team.

Sunderland felt the pressure of hosting such an unbeaten team. They parked the bus, deploying a defensive setup with only one forward and everyone else defending. They weren't aiming to win, just to secure a point against City. Breaking down a compact defense is a global problem, and City struggled to penetrate Sunderland's defense. In the second half, fatigue from their busy schedule began to show, with several City players looking tired. Despite Pellegrini making substitutions, they couldn't break the deadlock. As the game reached the 80th minute, the score remained 0-0. Sunderland even subbed out their lone forward for another defender, clearly aiming to hold the scoreline.

The home fans at the Stadium of Light didn't seem disappointed by their team's defensive approach. Instead, they felt proud, singing their team's anthem and applauding each successful defensive effort. They might have booed their team's conservative play against a lesser opponent, but against a team like City, who had the league's best attack and were unbeaten so far, being cautious was understandable.

"That's despicable!"

"Totally shameless, playing like this at home!"

"So cowardly, so disgraceful!"

City's traveling fans were furious, hurling insults at Sunderland's tactics. They were not just worried about the game's outcome but also concerned about City's upcoming matches. If Sunderland's tactics worked and they managed to take a point from City, other teams, especially the lower-tier ones, might follow suit and park the bus against City. If every team started doing that, City's future games would become extremely challenging.

As the game seemed destined for a goalless draw, Lin stepped up. In the final minute of regular time, City won a free kick near the penalty area. Lin

 decided to take it himself, contemplating two options: a knuckleball or a dipping shot. The knuckleball had a higher scoring chance but was harder to execute, while the dipping shot was easier but less effective. After weighing his options, Lin opted for the riskier but potentially more rewarding knuckleball.

After setting the ball, Lin took several steps back. Seeing Lin step back so far, Sunderland's goalkeeper felt a sense of impending danger. He sensed something bad was coming! But sensing danger didn't mean he could stop it.

As the referee blew the whistle, Lin sprinted toward the ball. One step, two steps, three steps, he adjusted his steps and powered up. Thwack! The ball deformed from the impact, producing a woosh sound as it soared high into the air. The Sunderland players in the wall jumped, trying to block the shot, but the ball was too high for them. Was the shot going over?

Seeing the ball fly so high, the Sunderland players thought it was going out. But just as they thought it was going too high, the ball suddenly dipped, falling straight into the goal before the goalkeeper could react!

The stadium fell silent. The Sunderland fans were stunned, their chants caught in their throats. With Lin's last-minute free-kick, City snatched a victory at the death! Including the League Cup assist for Aguero's late goal, Lin had now been crucial in two consecutive last-minute wins for City.

On the sidelines, Pellegrini hugged his assistants in celebration after seeing Lin score. The City players on the field went wild, rushing to Lin and piling on him in celebration. In that moment, they and the City fans shared the same thought: Thank goodness we have Lin!