The Greatest Manager of All time

"Robert Badenberg! Swansea have equalized at home! They still lead by four goals on aggregate!

"My goodness! Just how many unknown but capable players does Swansea still have hidden away?

"We originally thought Lynn's lineup today showed disrespect toward the opponent, but who would have imagined that every player he sent onto the pitch would be so full of energy and fighting power?

"This attack began with a brilliant individual display from Ibrahimović, who beat two defenders, then slipped the ball diagonally into the space behind centre-back Danny Thomas. At that moment, what did we see?

"Nelson and Badenberg both exploded past the defensive line with eye-catching speed. Two Swansea players charged toward goal together!

"After that, everything became simple. Once Julian rushed off his line, Nelson served Badenberg the perfect pass, and Badenberg easily pushed the ball into the empty net!

"Well done, Swansea! This youthful storm is simply stunning!"

After scoring, Badenberg went to the corner flag area. He had an ordinary appearance, even somewhat ugly, yet he struck a cool pose to celebrate his goal.

On the touchline, Red-and-White Army manager Dean Smith shook his head slightly.

He had not expected it. He absolutely had not expected Swansea to adjust so quickly. In response to Brentford's offside trap, Swansea used Ibrahimović as the focal point, then at the right moment, relied on their two wingers' speed to break through the defensive line and produce such a breathtakingly sharp attack!

Lynn applauded the goal from the touchline.

Nelson and Badenberg were not tall, but both had good speed and explosiveness. Over the past half season, the coaching staff had done their best to develop their strengths.

If it came to a pure race in the Third Division, the only players Nelson and Badenberg might not be able to beat were probably their teammate Villa and Cardiff City's young talent Earnshaw.

After celebrating the goal, the Swansea players returned to their own half.

They high-fived one another, boosting morale, while the Red-and-White Army players were unwilling to accept it.

They had just shortened the deficit by one goal, only for Swansea to stretch it back out again. They were still four goals behind on aggregate, and only fifty minutes remained. Inevitably, some of them began feeling nervous, while others started losing heart.

Lynn walked back to the front of the dugout and sat down.

He seemed calm and composed now, which nearly made Dean Smith spit blood.

The Young Marshal of the Swans was really looking down on people!

At this point, Dean Smith was already stuck with no way back, so he simply shouted for his players to attack harder.

The ball flew back and forth through the air, but Brentford still could not create any threatening shots.

Instead, before the end of the first half, Swansea created danger through a long pass from Poulsen.

He sent the ball toward the left side of the front line. Nelson once again used his speed advantage, rushing past Allampage in one burst before driving deep into the Red-and-White Army's penalty area.

But after controlling the ball inside the box, he hesitated. He could not decide whether to shoot himself or pass to a teammate, though he seemed more inclined to pass.

The problem was, he had run too fast!

Ibrahimović had not yet caught up through the middle. Goalkeeper Julian cautiously came off his line, not looking especially decisive, but still leaving Nelson caught between two choices.

Once Ibrahimović had almost reached position, Nelson immediately squared the ball.

But before Ibrahimović could shoot, centre-back Small slid in from behind at an angle and desperately knocked the ball behind for a corner!

Ibrahimović's raised leg never came down. If it had, he probably would have kicked Small's head clean off.

Nelson stood where he was and scratched his head.

Ibrahimović helplessly pointed toward the opponent's goal, as if saying: 'Shoot!'

Swansea's corner failed to produce a threat, and the referee blew the whistle to end the first half.

Lynn raised his eyebrows, then stood from his seat.

The team had missed a golden opportunity to take the lead.

What a pity.

He turned and walked into the players' tunnel. Behind him, Swansea supporters cheered for the players leaving the pitch.

No matter what, Swansea's performance today still satisfied the fans and made them proud.

After all, the opponent was Brentford, a team in the upper reaches of the Second Division.

If Swansea could hold their own across both legs, it meant that when they entered the Second Division next season, there would be no need to worry about relegation.

Back in the dressing room, Lynn praised the team's performance while also further correcting his tactical design from before the match.

"We need to learn to be smarter. Opponents will keep adjusting their defensive strategies. Some are things we didn't anticipate before the match, and some are changes that happen during the game. We need to learn how to observe and think.

"Although we conceded first in the first half, everyone did very well after that goal. The adjustment came in time.

"Zlatan, you did very well on that goal. The dribble, the pass, the shielding, the timing — all of it was just right.

"Robert and Horatio, your timing when beating the offside trap needs to be more precise. Also, you should be bolder. Don't just stay out wide. And when you're facing the opponent's goal, be confident and decisive. Don't drag things out and make the spectators anxious for you."

After Lynn finished speaking, Nelson himself felt embarrassed.

He knew he had wasted a golden chance. But because Swansea were not on the brink of life and death in this match, none of his teammates blamed him.

After a brief rest, the two teams changed ends for the second half.

Cristiano Ronaldo sat on the bench and kept glancing at the time on the big screen. He badly wanted to know when he would be able to come on.

The Red-and-White Army continued strengthening their attack in the second half.

Swansea, however, had already grown familiar with their attacking rhythm. On top of that, they had two defensive midfielders today, while Cromwell was also a midfielder who contributed defensively. Swansea's defensive shape in settled play really did look almost airtight.

In the 55th minute, Badenberg, who seemed to possess more match intelligence than Nelson, moved into the middle.

After Evra pushed forward and combined with Nelson on the flank, he carried the ball toward the byline.

Badenberg started faster than Ibrahimović and sprinted behind the centre-back.

Evra swept the ball across the face of goal from about ten yards before the byline.

The Swan Sea supporters saw Badenberg arrive in front of the Red-and-White Army's goal, clearly ready to reach the ball first and shoot. Everyone became excited.

Badenberg reached the area near the penalty spot and used his left foot to guide the ball toward goal. Julian rushed out to widen his defensive coverage and, after spreading himself, blocked the shot with his thigh!

Badenberg's eyes filled with disbelief.

He never imagined that ball would fail to go in!

The rebound was not taken by a defender or a forward. Just as Ibrahimović and the Red-and-White defenders all stopped and turned back, everyone saw Swansea's midfield core, the young captain Cromwell, arrive one step later and meet the ball with a first-time chipped shot.

The ball arced over everyone's heads and dropped straight into the Red-and-White Army's goal!

The stands erupted.

Everyone rose to cheer and applaud Cromwell's goal.

"2–1! 6–1 on aggregate!

"Swansea have scored again ten minutes into the second half!

"Badenberg missed the wonderful assist from Evra. His shot was blocked by Julian, but the ball rolled out to Oliver Cromwell, who sent it into the net with a lifted shot. Julian is angrily slapping the grass, complaining about the Red-and-White Army's defense!

"Clearly, Julian had already done very well this time, but he still couldn't stop Swansea from scoring.

"How unexpected. Swansea have rested James Cook, Grosso, Tobias Rau, Villa, and several others, yet they are leading Brentford 2–1 at home!

"It seems there is no suspense about Swansea reaching the Football League Trophy final. And they deserve that final!"

Amid the deafening applause, Cromwell did not run toward the corner flag. Instead, he ran toward the Swansea bench.

Lynn originally thought Cromwell was coming to him, but unexpectedly, Cromwell went to Cristiano Ronaldo, hugged him, and said with a smile.

"I know today is your sixteenth birthday. Happy birthday. This goal is for you."

Cristiano Ronaldo smiled as well.

No matter what, being able to have a friend like Cromwell in a foreign land made him very happy.

The happiest person, however, was Lynn.

He truly felt that Cromwell was a flawless leader. He could serve as a model on the pitch, care for his teammates in daily life, and was himself a training role model who never needed the coaches to push or worry about him.

Having such a captain was simply a gift from the heavens.

The other players arrived a step later and also wished Cristiano Ronaldo a happy birthday.

After they turned and walked back onto the pitch, Lynn turned his head to Cristiano Ronaldo and said, "Go warm up!"

Cristiano Ronaldo's expression changed when he heard this. He put on his shirt with complete seriousness and went to the sideline to warm up.

As he warmed up, the fans in the stands began discussing him.

"Who's that kid?"

"I've never seen him before!"

"I know, I know. He's the young player Lynn brought in last summer. I think he was only fifteen at the time. Looks like he's about to come on!"

"If he comes on, he might break Oliver's appearance record."

"What record?"

"The youngest player to appear for Swansea!"

"Oh, right. Wonder what he can do. It'd be great if he's as good as Oliver!"

"Don't worry. Lynn's eye for talent doesn't miss!"

The Red-and-White Army had already lost some of their fighting spirit.

Their pre-match determination to overturn Swansea had been smashed into nothing by cruel reality.

Their attacks were no longer as firm. Instead, they began focusing more on defense. This caused the distance between their forward line and defensive line to grow too large, leaving the midfield isolated. Simply put, the three lines were no longer tightly connected. They had been torn apart!

That made it even easier for Swansea to dominate midfield.

In the 60th minute, Lynn made his substitutions right on time.

Ibrahimović and Cromwell were taken off together, while James Cook and Cristiano Ronaldo came on.

As Ibrahimović came off, he complained to Lynn, "I haven't scored yet!"

Lynn said to him, "Save your energy for the league match at the weekend."

After James Cook entered the match, he relayed Lynn's formation adjustment to Robert Badenberg.

Swansea returned to a 4-4-2.

Cristiano Ronaldo was arranged as the left forward.

Lynn gave him the freedom to break into the penalty area, almost allowing him to move freely on the left side of the attack.

This was also because Lynn did not want to suppress Cristiano Ronaldo's freedom on the pitch.

For now, he wanted to see Ronaldo's ability to read a real match.

Nelson and Cook played as wide midfielders, while Pedretti and Poulsen supported the center. Swansea's shape became conventional and stable.

After coming on, Cristiano Ronaldo ran actively in the front line.

In his heart, he kept repeating one sentence:

'Pass to me. Pass to me. Pass to me!'

In the 64th minute, Cristiano Ronaldo finally touched the ball in a left-sided attacking position.

Pedretti had won the ball from Hutchinson and passed it to Cristiano Ronaldo.

As soon as he touched the ball, Cristiano Ronaldo stood in place and seemed to adjust his direction in an ordinary way.

At that very moment, in the VIP seats at Liberty Stadium, his parents were already getting excited!

Defensive midfielder Kevin O'Connor saw Cristiano Ronaldo's young age and wanted to give him a harsh welcome, so he immediately charged toward him.

But when he was still two meters away from Cristiano Ronaldo, he suddenly saw Cristiano Ronaldo begin doing stepovers!

Once.

Twice.

Both legs flashed over the ball twice in a row.

O'Connor's brain seemed to short-circuit as he charged straight ahead, while Cristiano Ronaldo used his left foot to knock the ball away and change direction before O'Connor reached him!

He brushed past O'Connor!

A burst of surprised cries rose from the Liberty Stadium stands.

The fans looked in amazement at the young Cristiano Ronaldo controlling the ball skillfully and showing off his technique.

This was something they had never seen before.

Even though Ibrahimović and Villa were both agile, neither had ever displayed such quick, flexible, and flashy footwork like Cristiano Ronaldo!

When he reached a position thirty yards from goal with no one interfering, Cristiano Ronaldo swung his leg and shot!

That shot turned everyone's earlier amazement into silence.

The ball flew high into the stands.

He had blasted it miles over.

After shooting, Cristiano Ronaldo looked at the ball he had struck and was startled himself.

Clearly, he had used too much power and failed to control his technique.

What an embarrassing shot.

From the dugout, Lynn shouted toward shooting coach Aneurin Bevan, "Aneurin, strengthen his shooting training when we get back! Even God laughed at that shot!"

The Swansea fans in Liberty Stadium were still tolerant toward Cristiano Ronaldo. Although no one applauded, no one booed either.

"Those stepovers just now were pretty good."

"Mm. The dribble was beautiful."

"His shooting was just a bit awful."

"It's nothing. Even Shearer and Owen hit ridiculous shots sometimes."

"Exactly. This is his first match. Having those few moves just now is already pretty good."

Today was Cristiano Ronaldo's first appearance, and he still needed to find the feeling of a real match.

Although he ran actively to look for chances, he was clearly not on the same rhythm as the rest of the team.

That made it difficult for him to receive the ball. And every time he did touch it, he would show off a couple of moves.

Unfortunately, it felt as though he was playing his own football alone rather than team football.

Lynn did not go to the touchline to scold him.

He did not want to be too harsh on Cristiano Ronaldo. He planned to slowly correct Ronaldo's small flaws in the future.

The Red-and-White Army did not create any real threat in the final thirty minutes. Swansea had no need to fight the opponent to the death either.

As the match time was gradually worn away, the final whistle finally sounded. Liberty Stadium erupted with deafening cheers.

Lynn stood up and hugged Hughes, then walked toward Dean Smith.

The Brentford manager looked unable to lift his head. After hurriedly shaking hands with Lynn, he ducked straight into the players' tunnel.

Swansea had charged into this season's Football League Trophy final in dominant fashion!