Chapter 134: Backing Down?
At Lin Investments, Pete sat in the general manager's office and answered Lynn's call.
After roughly understanding Lynn's proposal, he fell into thought.
Over the past three months, the company's performance had risen sharply, and much of that was connected to the "insurance contracts" the company had signed with a large number of clients a year ago. Those who had bet on Swansea winning the title or earning promotion had fulfilled their contracts and paid Lin Investments a return five times the original amount. On one hand, this brought the company a large amount of cash income. On the other, it also helped Lin Investments achieve impressive progress in market promotion. During the same period, the company had pushed other investment products to those clients, and business was now flourishing.
After hanging up, Pete thought for a while on his own, then opened his computer and searched for information about Swansea.
He saw that online reports about Swansea were mixed, and the bookmakers were not especially optimistic about Swansea's prospects for the new season.
Risk always came with profit. Investment banking was even more like that. There was no such thing as guaranteed profit without risk.
After thinking carefully, Pete suddenly remembered something.
What had the bookmakers predicted about Swansea at this time last year?
Relegation!
Yet Swansea had not only avoided relegation, they had achieved huge success in League Two and become league champions!
At least this year, the bookmakers had not decided Swansea would be relegated.
He immediately called a team meeting and began drafting an investment plan based on betting on Swansea to win promotion or the title.
The next day, Lin Investments launched its advertisements.
Taxi radio broadcasts, online promotions, text messages, email ads—through every possible channel, they promoted their new "Bingo Moment" project to a massive client base.
For a while, Swansea's local fans were all discussing Lin Investments' new project.
It was the same as last year!
Any customer who had bet on Swansea earning promotion or winning the title could bring their betting slip to Lin Investments and sign an agreement. When the result came out the following year, the agreement would trigger either protection or returns. If the ticket lost, Lin Investments would compensate them for 50% of their principal. If the ticket won, then 25% of the winnings would belong to Lin Investments.
Swansea soon saw another frenzy of bets placed on the club winning promotion or the title. Most of the people involved were old customers who had tasted huge profits last year. This time, their bets were far bolder. Those who had missed out last year and watched others make money with jealous eyes also joined the madness.
British bookmakers were starting to hate Swansea!
After Lin Investments promoted its new project, a huge wave of bets poured in on Swansea. To avoid risk, the bookmakers had no choice but to rapidly lower Swansea's odds for promotion and the title.
Unsurprisingly, before the new league season even began, Swansea's promotion and title odds had dropped to the lowest in all of League One!
The bookmakers could do nothing about it. This year's betting volume was even larger than last year's!
The new season drew closer and closer.
On August 6th, the day before the new season kicked off, Brighton held their pre-match press conference.
As last season's League Two runners-up, Brighton had also earned promotion to League One. Facing a crowd of Fleet Street reporters, Micky Adams was extremely low-key.
"Brighton's first task this season is to establish ourselves in League One. We need to adapt to a league with greater intensity and a higher level. If we can successfully earn enough points to avoid relegation, then we'll see what else we can fight for."
Fleet Street reporters asked him, "In the opening match of the new season, Brighton will host Swansea, your old rivals from last season and your biggest opponent. Do you think Swansea, who were unable to make any summer signings, will cause trouble for the Seagulls at the Community Stadium?"
Micky Adams joked, "Of course they will. The Swans beat us twice last season! It would be stupid to underestimate Swansea just because they couldn't sign anyone. If you've watched Swansea's matches seriously, you'll know they are fully capable of standing firm in League One, even pushing toward the top. To be honest, I think tomorrow's opening match is very dangerous for the Seagulls. We may very well be in trouble at home.
"Brighton did not overhaul the squad in the summer either. We only strengthened slightly, and the gap between the two teams still exists. Swansea have the advantage. There is no doubt about that!"
The Fleet Street reporters looked at one another.
It felt as if Brighton's manager was boosting the opponent's confidence while killing his own team's morale!
One reporter bluntly asked, "After being beaten twice by Swansea, have the Seagulls already lost the courage to face the Swans? Are Brighton surrendering before the match has even started?"
Micky Adams smiled and shook his head. "You don't understand the situation at all. Swansea are genuinely strong. My players and I both know that. Even with home advantage, we may still lose. Fortunately, this is only the first league match, and both teams still need to find their form.
"Also, I want to say this: Lynn is an outstanding manager. He has raised Swansea's fighting strength dramatically. Underestimating him means destroying yourself!"
Whether Micky Adams's words were praise, flattery, or sincere admiration, Fleet Street found them very annoying.
Why had the Seagulls backed down?
At the same time, inside the press room at the Liberty Stadium, Lynn was also holding his pre-season press conference.
Roy Wood from ITV Wales asked him, "The media have listed the most popular promotion candidates in League One this season. They are Dean Smith's Brentford, Peter Taylor's Queens Park Rangers, Alan Pardew's Reading, and Steve Cotterill's Stoke City. Do you think Swansea can compete with these teams for the league title?"
Lynn did not answer immediately. Instead, he fell silent.
Dean Smith. Peter Taylor. Alan Pardew. Steve Cotterill.
The corner of Lynn's mouth lifted as he said, "I look forward to facing them. Although beating them does not necessarily mean Swansea have the strength to challenge for the title, because the league is more about maintaining consistent results over a long period. In truth, in my eyes, Brentford, Queens Park Rangers, Reading, Stoke City, and the rest are no different from the other teams. Beating them is still only worth three points.
"Of course, if they are ranked above Swansea when we meet, then it will be slightly different. We will work hard to win those six-pointers!"
The reporters recorded Lynn's words. Then Cathy Carter asked the second question.
"Ibrahimović has returned to Swansea. What kind of role will he play in the new season?"
Lynn answered without the slightest hesitation.
"He returned to the squad late, so we need to observe his condition further. He will still be an important member of the team this season, but right now, he is not ready."
The reporters revealed thoughtful expressions.
Lynn's two brief sentences carried a lot of meaning.
Ibrahimović was not ready?
What would count as ready?
Everyone understood the unspoken meaning. Ibrahimović's attempt to leave in the summer had inevitably caused a crack in the relationship between master and disciple. How that relationship would be repaired, and how it would develop in the future, remained unknown.
For the final question, Lynn pointed to Rona Whelan from the Daily Express.
She stood up and asked directly, "Swansea's opponent tomorrow is Brighton, an old rival. Given that Swansea beat Brighton twice last season, does that mean Swansea have a strong chance of starting the season with a win?"
Lynn smiled and shook his head.
"If past head-to-head records could be used to predict future matches, then football would lose all its fun, because everyone would be able to predict results correctly. The truth is, teams need to adjust their condition at the start of a new season. When we travel to the Community Stadium tomorrow, we will face a fierce battle. We must take it seriously. As for whether we can start with a win, that is not important. The league is long. There are 46 matches."
After answering Rona Whelan's question, Lynn said goodbye to everyone and left.
The next day, Fleet Street's news coverage overwhelmingly focused on Micky Adams supposedly backing down to Lynn during Brighton's pre-match press conference.
The Welsh media focused on the master-disciple pair of Ibrahimović and Lynn.
The South Wales Argus even placed photos of Lynn and Ibrahimović on the front page, drawing a crack between the two men to suggest that Swansea's master-disciple relationship had fractured.
In the morning, Lynn read the papers while eating breakfast at home. When he saw Fleet Street's reports about Micky Adams's comments, he found it rather baffling.
Had Micky Adams backed down?
Or had he really been beaten into fear?
Maybe.
After two meetings, Micky Adams had suffered two heavy defeats. He had no reason not to soften his stance.
From another perspective, if Micky Adams still talked tough, the outside world would probably think he was overestimating himself.
Lynn did not dwell on it. He followed his routine, and when he led the team by train toward the southeastern coastal city of Brighton that morning, the players chatted excitedly about Brighton. They had also read the day's news and learned that Brighton's manager had lowered his head.
"Micky Adams has finally eaten enough shit."
Danny Gabbidon said it with immense pride. He felt that Micky Adams's submission was Lynn's success, and that made the players feel proud as well.
"Brighton were beaten by us twice last season. Of course he's scared!"
James Cook said with a smile.
Villa said, "First match of the season and it's Brighton again. What a coincidence."
At two o'clock in the afternoon, the Community Stadium was packed.
The Brighton fans in the stands were not pleased with Micky Adams's comments from the previous day. They held up banners that read:
The Seagulls Never Bow!
That was their way of expressing opposition to Micky Adams's attitude.
Before the match, Lynn and Adams appeared by the touchline. The two managers, who had come to know each other through battle, walked toward each other. After shaking hands, Lynn said, "What kind of trick are you hiding?"
Adams looked extremely sincere. "I've already lost to you twice. What else could I say to the media? That the Seagulls can win? With what? If the scorelines from those two defeats had been close, then maybe I could still say something. But what was the reality?"
Lynn patted his arm and said, "Today is a brand-new match. It has nothing to do with the past. But the Swans will still do everything they can to beat the Seagulls. Micky, see you after the match."
Micky Adams and Lynn patted each other's arms, then walked to their respective technical areas.
The two young managers who had stolen the spotlight in League Two last season met again in the opening match of the League One campaign.
When the two starting lineups walked onto the pitch, the stadium commentator was surprised.
"Ibrahimović is not in Swansea's starting eleven! He is sitting on the bench, and there was no pre-match news about any injury. It seems the media speculation was correct. Although Ibrahimović has returned to Swansea, he has already lost Lynn's trust. Or perhaps this is Lynn's punishment for him! Charisteas has replaced Ibrahimović in the starting lineup!
"This will definitely reduce Swansea's strength!"
Ibrahimović sat on the bench, silently staring at the pitch.
He still had not taken the initiative to apologize to Lynn.
He believed his ability was absolutely worthy of a starting place, but once the new season began, things did not develop the way he had imagined.
Charisteas had taken his position, while he sat in the seat Charisteas had often occupied last season.
Ibrahimović remained calm. He knew he was playing a psychological game with Lynn.
It was a question of who would give in first.
Lynn could not retreat. He needed the authority of a manager.
Ibrahimović also believed he could not retreat, because if he did, then Lynn would control him forever.
Ibrahimović had the patience to wait. He would wait until Swansea reached the moment where they had no choice but to need him. Then he would give everything and become the hero!
He would tell the whole world: Lynn, you were wrong!
He should not be on the bench.
Swansea's starting lineup and tactical style were not very different from last season.
Lynn did not have any major reconstruction plans for the team this season. Instead, he hoped that on the basis of maturity, the team would rapidly improve both individual ability and overall fighting strength.
Goalkeeper: Glendor.
Defenders: Gabbidon, Brunel, Friedrich, Tobias Rau.
Midfielders: James Cook, Cromwell, Pedretti, Grosso.
Forwards: Charisteas, Villa.
This lineup had already been built and polished. League One would be the fertile ground for their rapid growth.
Lynn studied Brighton's starting lineup. Compared to last season, there were no major changes.
The formation had shifted to a lone striker, a 4-5-1 that strengthened the midfield.
After the match began, Swansea's performance away from home was neither hot nor cold.
Lynn did not rush anything. He stood on the touchline with both hands in his pockets, watching the game.
Swansea did not have any major problems. The main issue was that after a three-month break, the team had gone a long time without high-intensity competitive matches. Suddenly entering the match rhythm again, the squad naturally needed some time to re-adapt and rebuild their overall sharpness.
Brighton looked similar to Swansea in that regard. Neither side managed to create much danger in the first ten minutes.
Lynn raised his wrist and checked the time. He estimated that after twenty-five minutes, the team would start playing better and better.
But in the 18th minute, after Brighton suddenly launched one wave of increasingly fast attacks after another, they scored!