The Greatest Manager of All time

Port Vale continued following their coach's instructions, surrounding and pressing Cromwell.

But they could never get close enough before Cromwell had already passed the ball away.

The distance was too great, and Cromwell had plenty of room to operate.

In the 64th minute, Port Vale decided to commit more players to the press. Right midfielder Ian Armstrong and central midfielder Michael Cummins both charged toward Cromwell, who had just received a pass from Gabbidon.

Before the ball even reached him, Cromwell had already judged the situation. Seeing the opposing players rushing in to close him down, he almost did not need to think before deciding how to handle the ball.

As Ian Armstrong charged at him, a very obvious attacking space opened up down Swansea's left channel.

Cromwell lifted the ball over the top. It flew above Armstrong's head and dropped near the touchline. Armstrong turned and looked back, only to see Swansea's full-back, Evra, who had come on for Grosso, sprinting forward. Evra controlled the ball near the line before accelerating again, and even though Ian Armstrong rushed back at full speed, he was still too far away to do anything!

Defensive midfielder Neil Brisco had to keep watch on Ibrahimović, who was playing as a second striker behind Villa, so he could not casually move out wide to help defend.

At that moment, Tobias Rau and Evra were both moving forward down the left. Evra drove forward with the ball without hesitation, while Tobias Rau was matched up against full-back Ian Brightwell.

Brightwell was caught in a painful dilemma. Beside him, Tobias Rau could break free from his marking at any moment. In front of him, not far away, Evra was charging toward him with the ball, full of menace.

Tobias Rau moved two steps inside, clearing the wide lane for Evra. Brightwell could not cover both ends at once. In the end, he shifted two steps across to stand in front of Evra, preparing to tackle.

But Evra passed the ball to Tobias Rau.

Brightwell clenched his teeth and turned to chase Tobias Rau, but Tobias Rau immediately slipped the ball diagonally toward the byline, playing a one-two with Evra and completely tearing apart Brightwell's defensive zone!

When Evra reached the byline and swept the ball across the face of goal, Brightwell was chasing Tobias Rau into the penalty area. Seeing Tobias Rau had a chance to shoot, Brightwell lost his head.

The pressure from being attacked again and again since the first half, the repeated goals coming from the failure of his side, and now seeing Swansea easily smash through his defense once more — he had truly reached the limit of what he could endure.

He irrationally chose to slide in. Before Tobias Rau could even touch the ball, Brightwell brought him down!

Tobias Rau had already been on guard against Brightwell. When his foot was caught, he took the initiative to fall. It was not acting, but self-protection.

After rolling once on the ground, he ended up kneeling on the grass, facing the referee outside the penalty area. He spread his arms and shouted in complaint, "Hey! How is that not an obvious foul?"

Brightwell heard the referee's whistle and immediately jumped up, rushing toward the official with a twisted expression.

"He dived! He's acting! If I'd really caught him, he'd still be lying on the ground and wouldn't be able to get up!"

But the referee ignored Brightwell's protest. He pointed to the penalty spot, signaling a penalty for Swansea. Then he took a yellow card from his pocket and showed it to Brightwell, before immediately pulling out a red card as well!

Brightwell had received a second yellow and was sent off!

In the Millennium Stadium stands, the Valiants' supporters lowered their heads in disappointment. Many of them shook their heads in confusion.

There was truly nothing to say about their team's performance today.

If the rough tactics could have turned Swansea into cowards, made the Swan Sea afraid to attack, and brought real benefit to Port Vale on the pitch, then perhaps it would have been one thing.

But if those brutal tactics could not stop Swansea, then they only made Port Vale look despicable!

The moment Brightwell was shown the red card, only one thought flashed through the minds of the Valiants' fans.

It was over!

Everything was over!

This time, it was Robert Page's turn to walk to the touchline and negotiate with the fourth official. He talked endlessly, trying to plead Brightwell's case. Although the fourth official's attitude toward him was not as terrible as it had been toward Lynn, he still kept an impartial expression and instead comforted Page, telling him to accept it.

The thirty-three-year-old veteran Brightwell lowered his head and walked off with an ugly expression. Just as he left the pitch and passed Robert Page, Page angrily questioned him.

"Why would you make such a basic mistake? Going into a tackle from behind that easily?"

The irritated Ian Brightwell turned his head and shouted at Page, "Your tactical setup was garbage! You killed us on the pitch! Don't fucking talk to me!"

After saying that, he walked toward the players' tunnel. Before going in, he kicked the wall to vent his anger.

Robert Page was left speechless, clearly not expecting such a reply from the veteran.

Of course, Brightwell's terrible mood was not without reason. Swansea's players were too young!

He was more than ten years older than them. With such an age gap, and after being completely destroyed by his opponents, how could he not feel utterly humiliated?

Looking back now, Port Vale had been smug when Brightwell injured Grosso at the start and forced him off, but that had also left the veteran carrying a yellow card over his head like the sword of Damocles!

That yellow card made him timid and hesitant. It made him hold back, and in the end, during a crucial defensive duel, it caused him to waver and be completely beaten!

So Brightwell could not accept Page's tactical arrangement. Of course, one could also say he was trying to shift the blame onto the manager.

Not far away, Lynn saw the scene of discord between Port Vale's manager and player. He rubbed his nose, smiled faintly, and made no excessive gesture.

Robert Page, after recovering his composure, wore a dark expression. He did not make a substitution. Instead, he signaled for the team to play with a back three. Whether Swansea scored this penalty or not, Port Vale were already hanging by a thread!

Swansea's young captain Cromwell stood before the penalty spot inside the box. He adjusted the ball once, then took five steps back, raised his head, and calmly stared at Port Vale's goal.

Goodlad stood in the center of the goal line. He planned to wait until Cromwell shot before reacting. As for prediction, that was a skill more reliable in the hands of top goalkeepers.

After the referee's whistle, Cromwell began his run-up and smashed the ball from the spot!

The shot was extremely powerful. The ball flew without the slightest spin and flashed into the upper-left corner of the goal!

Goodlad, who had planned to react a beat later, had no response at all. He only took one step backward. By the time his mind caught up and told him to dive, the ball was already in.

After the ball flew into the net, a bright, dazzling smile appeared on Cromwell's face. He ran toward the sideline, then slid on his knees over the touchline, spreading his arms toward the tens of thousands of Swansea supporters in the stands!

"Swansea have scored their third goal of the match through a penalty. The Swan Sea now lead the Valiants, Port Vale, 3–0. The suspense seems to have completely disappeared. Port Vale are three goals down and one man short. How will they face the remaining time in this absolute nightmare?

"In the early stages of the second half, we once saw Port Vale suppress Swansea's attack and prevent them from creating danger. But after Swansea manager Lynn's in-game adjustment, Swansea's attack quickly burst into powerful threat once again, eventually forcing Port Vale full-back Brightwell into a foul inside the box. He was sent off, and Swansea have once again extended their lead through the penalty!

"This may well be Swansea's most stable and outstanding performance of the season. We must remember their opponent is Port Vale from the Second Division, not one of their Third Division opponents. There is a reason Swansea are running away with the Third Division."

Robert Page still stood on the touchline.

He did not shout or clap to encourage the team, but somehow he still gave the impression that Port Vale had not yet fallen.

Lynn stood calmly beside the pitch. He turned back to Emlyn Hughes and said, "Tell Poulsen and Charisteas to warm up."

Hughes called the two players from the bench and sent them to warm up.

After the restart, Port Vale's fighting power dropped sharply. Falling three goals behind threw them into endless despair and fear of Swansea.

They had conceded three goals eleven against eleven. Now it was ten against eleven. Could they still attack?

They themselves understood their own strength.

They relied on fierce hacking and chopping to gain an advantage, but when Swansea did not fear them, and after Swansea had taken the lead, they completely lost confidence in the match.

Port Vale's attacks were nothing more than a light scratch through a boot against Swansea, while Swansea actively continued to build attacks.

In the 68th minute, Villa successfully beat the offside trap in the left channel just outside the penalty area. He received James Cook's forty-five-degree cross from the flank, and everyone thought there was a very high chance Villa would score.

But his volley flew high over the bar!

A disappointed sigh rose from the Swansea fans in the stands, followed by thunderous applause for James Cook's pass and Villa's offside-breaking run. No matter what, the players' performance deserved praise. Loyal fans were always forgiving. They felt Villa was simply lacking some luck today, while his fighting spirit still deserved admiration.

In the 70th minute, Lynn used his second substitution. Poulsen came on to replace Cromwell.

Cromwell's stamina was nearing exhaustion. The match schedule had been very dense recently, and he was struggling after playing so many matches in succession. James Cook, at least, had rotated out for two games.

When Cromwell left the pitch, every Swansea fan in the stadium stood to applaud his performance.

Of the Swan Sea's three goals, Cromwell had one goal, one direct assist, and one attacking move he had orchestrated that led to a decisive blow.

His performance had been dazzling. And every so often, he seemed to become even better. This made every Swan Sea supporter firmly believe that Cromwell would be the leading figure in the rise of the Swan Sea!

After Poulsen came on, Swansea's attacks began launching frequently from both flanks.

Speaking of Robert Page, in order to preserve hope of equalizing, he had not brought on a defender and had not weakened his attack. But a back-three system could not hold up against Swansea's offense.

Swansea stretched the width of their attack from the flanks. Once they entered dangerous areas, if the wide midfielders could not drop back in time to act as full-backs, the centre-backs near the sides had to move out to cover. That created even larger gaps in the defensive line, making it even easier for Swansea's passing combinations to tear through them.

In the 75th minute, Tobias Rau drew the attention of wide midfielder Ian Armstrong in the middle and final third. Evra then actively overlapped and became the first warrior at the front of the attack.

As he drove deep into the wide defensive zone, Andres Lipa was forced to move to the edge of the penalty area to defend. At that moment, Evra cut the ball back to Ibrahimović.

Ibrahimović saw Villa making a diagonal run into the space between Lipa and Michael Walsh. He immediately played a through ball.

Villa moved into the gap and controlled the rolling ball from behind with his right foot. When Michael Walsh rushed at him recklessly, he pulled the ball back, dodging Walsh's pressure. In that instant, Villa's agility and technical advantage inside the box were displayed once again.

Villa's eyes were incredibly calm.

He had taken at least five shots today without producing the desired result, but his mentality had not collapsed. At this moment, watching Goodlad rush out to expand his defensive coverage, Villa firmly drove a shot at goal!

This time, he hit a low ball.

The ball skimmed quickly along the grass toward Port Vale's goal.

Goodlad, running forward, planted himself the instant Villa shot and prepared to make the save.

But the direction of the ball forced him to react instinctively by dropping to the ground.

Still, it was too late.

Too slow!

The ball rolled beneath his lowered chest, then slipped between his legs and into the goal behind him.

The ideal far shore on the green pitch!

"Villa has beaten Michael Walsh inside the box! He shoots — wow!

"The ball has passed through Goodlad's legs and into the goal! That shot was too quick. If it had been even a little slower, Goodlad might have saved it. Even a slight block could have kept it out. Unfortunately, Goodlad has once again become the backdrop for a goal in this match!

"Swansea have sealed the victory! 4–0 against Port Vale!"

The moment Robert Page saw Villa score, he could not help raising his hand to cover his face.

Lynn laughed and applauded Villa. Swansea's bench was relaxed and joyful, with everyone coming out to cheer Villa's goal!

The Swansea fans in the stands had already begun celebrating the championship early.

Before the match restarted, Lynn used his final substitution.

Charisteas came on to replace Ibrahimović.

At this point, Swansea no longer needed to play any 4-3-3. They simply returned to a 4-4-2.

Port Vale's morale had already sunk to the bottom, and their fighting strength was on the verge of collapse.

Charisteas, coming off the bench, did not go through the motions. Under the effect of Super Sub, almost every substitution Lynn made now was not just about letting players burn garbage time. Sometimes, after coming on, they produced brilliant performances instead.

In the 88th minute, after James Cook delivered a beautiful cross from the flank, Charisteas sharply found the landing point inside the penalty area and seized the chance firmly.

He bent slightly and, in a somewhat diving posture, headed the ball with his forehead into Port Vale's net.

Seeing him score, Lynn made an uppercut gesture on the touchline!

Robert Page sat expressionless on the bench.

He had lost this match. Port Vale had lost. The Valiants had been swallowed by the Swan, then shat out whole!

A humiliating defeat!

Even if it was only the Football League Trophy, a competition of limited significance!

Like Brentford, Port Vale had seen their chairman humiliated by Lynn, and their team had been beaten twice by Swansea.

The Valiants' chairman had also been humiliated by Lynn. Now the Valiants had suffered a heavy, shameful defeat that would invite ridicule from the outside world!

When the final whistle sounded, Swansea's players rushed onto the pitch. They raised their hands, cheering and jumping as they celebrated the first trophy the team had won this season.

"The full-time whistle has sounded in the 2000–2001 Football League Trophy final. Swansea have swept Port Vale aside with a stunning 5–0 victory. We have to say, Swansea have created a small miracle as a Third Division club. Starting from the quarter-finals, they defeated teams from higher divisions one after another, and their victories were no fluke. They beat their opponents through genuine strength.

"Their football is exciting to watch, and their performances are unforgettable. We have every reason to believe Swansea's future is worth looking forward to!

"At the same time, congratulations must go to Swansea manager Lynn. At this moment, he has written a new piece of history: the first Chinese manager in European football history to win a trophy!

"The Swan Sea he has built has already proven his coaching ability to the outside world. At the same time, the way he manages the team and interacts with the players has also become a focus of attention. Swansea fans affectionately call him the Young Marshal of the Swans.

"Congratulations, Young Marshal of the Swans. Congratulations, Swansea!"

The match was over.

Lynn did not feel as if he had achieved something enormous, because the Football League Trophy was a stage for second-string players, not a glory worth boasting about.

Even so, he still smiled and took the initiative to walk toward Robert Page, who had displayed such "gentlemanly conduct" before the match.

Because Page had put on an act of friendliness in front of the media before kick-off, he could not exactly glare coldly at Lynn now.

Lynn walked over and took Robert Page's hand, then placed his other hand on Page's arm. From the outside, the two seemed extremely close.

They looked as if they were having a warm, friendly conversation.

In a low voice, Lynn said to him, "Sorry. I won today. But I'll give you another chance. Port Vale definitely won't make the promotion play-offs, so you'll be waiting for me in the Second Division. Next season, we'll meet again in the Second Division. I'll be waiting for your revenge — or perhaps another feast of slaughter, with the Swan against the Valiant."

After saying this, Lynn released Robert Page's hand and walked toward the pitch.

Page worked hard to make his expression look natural and calm.

But when reporters asked him what Lynn had said to him, he still had to hypocritically claim that Lynn had comforted him and that there was no problem between them.