Chapter 161: Top-of-the-Table Clash!
Christmas was approaching. On the morning of the 20th, Lynn sat in his office writing an email.
It was a Christmas blessing email addressed to all staff. In it, he summarized everyone's hard work and achievements over the past year, and looked forward to all employees continuing their efforts in the new year to build an even more glorious Swansea together.
After sending the email, Lynn took out a stack of documents and began reviewing them.
These were the new contracts he had asked Tony Benn to draft. Most of the players in the team had received one, with varying levels of wage increases. It counted as the club's Christmas gift to the players.
Only players like Cromwell and James Cook, who had just received wage raises and contract extensions in the summer, did not receive new contracts.
On the evening of the 21st, Swansea Football Club held its Christmas dinner at the Marriott Hotel near the docks, which had opened the year before last.
At the event, Lynn personally handed out Christmas gifts to all employees.
A big red envelope!
The lowest was £1,000. The highest went to Tony Benn, Joseph Levin, and Emlyn Hughes, who each received a £10,000 reward.
It could also be considered a year-end bonus.
The players, meanwhile, happily discussed the club taking the initiative to raise their wages and extend their contracts. Even Ibrahimović was no exception and received a new deal.
As long as he signed it, his weekly wage would rise to £7,000, tying him with Cromwell in the squad and placing him second only to David Villa's £8,000 per week. At the same time, he would also receive a £100,000 signing bonus.
No player chose to refuse. The wages Swansea offered were already higher than what non-star players at Premier League level received!
When Christmas arrived, Swansea's official website announced the collective contract renewals of the players. This was definitely news that excited the fans greatly.
The fans had been worried that their treasures would be pried away by other clubs. Now, it seemed the club had done its work properly to prevent talent from being lost.
BBC Wales produced a special report.
"Swansea's Golden Backer Spares No Effort in Building a New-Era Swans!"
The program roughly estimated the total value of the funds Lynn had personally brought into the club, as well as those obtained through external channels, since taking over.
At the beginning of December, Swansea had already officially signed the new stadium project agreement with the British Investment Group and Reno Green's company.
From front to back, after Lynn took charge, he had brought more than £500 million in investment to the club!
Against that background, it was no surprise that Swansea's players were being paid wages comparable to lower-mid-table Premier League clubs.
But all of this revealed one firm signal: Lynn wanted to build Swansea into a top team in European football, and he was full of ambition!
Ben Smith, Fleet Street's authoritative BBC Liverpool reporter who had once reported on Lynn when Swansea faced Liverpool last season, published an article on the first day of the new year.
"Liverpool May Have Missed the Key Man at a Turning Point in Their Fate! Ambitious Lynn Is Building on a Grand Scale in Wales!"
Ben Smith had once described Lynn as "a Chinese fox who had learned cunning!"
Now, he had not changed that view. However, given the financial investment Lynn had brought to Swansea, that was exactly what Liverpool lacked.
He assumed that if Liverpool had accepted Lynn back then, perhaps Lynn would not have become a football manager, but he still could have contributed enormous strength to the club. He might have helped Liverpool become one of the most competitive teams in the Premier League and even Europe, while also spending heavily to bring in top stars.
At the very least, Liverpool would not have needed £500 million. With even half that amount, the situation would have been completely different.
For that reason, he stated that Liverpool might have missed a key figure who could have completely altered their fate.
That person was Lynn.
Most of Fleet Street's media were still mocking Lynn, believing he would eventually suffer a crushing failure.
His methods violated the natural laws of football and would definitely end in defeat.
However, Swansea's image as a rich and powerful club had also begun to sink deeply into people's minds. That easily attracted hatred from other teams, because resentment toward the wealthy was a very common mentality. It could be found everywhere, and football was no exception.
December 26.
Lynn led the team to Berkshire in southeast England to challenge the local football club Reading!
This would be the final match of the first half of the Second Division season, and it was also a top-of-the-table clash!
Before the match, Lynn and Alan Pardew had already lit the fuse for this battle.
In his pre-match interview, Lynn stated that Reading looked decent at the moment, but were a team with no future.
"Perhaps you will say Reading's overall squad is good and that the average age of their players is at its peak. But from another perspective, Reading have already reached the limit of their strength. They will not achieve much. Even if they gain promotion this season, they will struggle every step of the way in the First Division, because the vast majority of their main players no longer have much room for improvement. Once they reach the First Division, they will be eliminated, because they cannot even become the best team in the Second Division. The best team is in Swansea."
Coincidentally, Alan Pardew also dismissed Lynn at his pre-match press conference.
"I haven't paid attention to outside news before, so I've never heard of Lynn. I don't know who he is, and I don't care. It is true that Swansea are top of the table, but they have only taken advantage of everyone underestimating them and stolen many victories. I must say, many teams underestimated Swansea, and Reading will not make that mistake. Although winning tomorrow's match will not make Reading top of the table, we are confident that by the end of the season, we will not only win promotion, but also take the league title. Swansea? If they can stay in the top three, that will already be good enough. If that happens, I will congratulate Lynn. He will have achieved something worthwhile."
When they truly arrived at Reading's home ground, the Madejski Stadium, and the two managers met on the touchline, the smell of gunpowder became even stronger!
Alan Pardew took the initiative and walked over to greet Lynn. Sitting in the dugout without even raising his head, Lynn said, "Go back to your own place. I don't want to touch your filthy hand. After the match ends, we can shake hands as part of the routine. For now, don't stand in front of me pretending to be a gentleman. You think you've already won? You stupid idiot!"
Although Alan Pardew was currently coaching a Second Division team, he would go on to be active in the Premier League in the future. Lynn did not have much goodwill toward this fiery-tempered manager, especially after reading the news today.
There was nothing wrong with provoking each other's clubs. That was a contest between teams.
But Alan Pardew had singled Lynn out by name, and that made Lynn unhappy.
Alan Pardew had not expected Lynn to say that. He snarled at Lynn, "You'd better fucking stand up. I came over to shake your hand because I think highly of you! You filthy nouveau riche bastard!"
Before Lynn could speak, Joseph Levin, sitting in the row behind him, stood up and said to Alan Pardew with a cold face, "You'd better fucking come here. I want to beat you right now, and that's also because I think highly of you! You son of a bitch!"
Joseph Levin's words amused Swansea's coaches and substitutes.
He had basically repeated almost the exact same thing Alan Pardew had said. Seeing that Joseph Levin was very young, Pardew said disdainfully, "This is Reading's territory. You fucking dare touch me?"
Joseph Levin said nothing and walked toward Alan Pardew. Judging from his appearance, he really was going to make a move.
Alan Pardew lost some nerve, because he saw Swansea's other coaches also standing up. Only Lynn remained sitting calmly in the dugout, still with an easy, indifferent look.
Alan Pardew hurriedly dropped a sentence and turned to leave.
"I can't be bothered with you uncultured country bumpkins."
Biwan spat toward his back and cursed, "Coward!"
Lynn's eyes remained calm and undisturbed as he looked toward the pitch. Although he hated Alan Pardew, he did not believe Pardew had come running over to provoke Swansea without thinking.
From the posture and expression Pardew had when he walked over, it was clear that he had not sincerely intended to shake hands with Lynn. The other man obviously had some hidden purpose.
Was he trying to anger Swansea?
Interfere with Lynn's thinking during the match?
Lynn did not know, but he warned himself to keep his head calm and clear.
Managers fought with intelligence and courage off the pitch too, and sometimes their methods were varied and strange.
It was just like when Ferguson and Kevin Keegan fought a war of words. Ferguson belittled Newcastle United and Keegan until they were worth nothing, eventually driving Kevin Keegan almost out of his mind and causing him to lose the title.
The Madejski Stadium was filled with the joyful atmosphere of Christmas.
Because of the New Year, even this top-of-the-table clash seemed less tense.
The starting players from both teams walked onto the pitch, and the fans' passionate cheering began.
"Happy New Year, viewers. During the Christmas holiday period, we have come to the Madejski Stadium. This is the home ground of Reading, who are second in the Second Division table. Today, a highly anticipated top-of-the-table clash will take place here.
"Reading versus Swansea!
"Alan Pardew's Reading have performed steadily and strongly since the new season began. Although their impact has not been as shocking as the youth storm created by Swansea, Reading's results still stand proudly among the league's best.
"Lynn's Swansea, meanwhile, have unleashed a dark-horse storm across the Second Division. As a newly promoted side, they sit top of the table. With the first half of the league season about to end, they lead second-placed Reading by as many as seven points. Such a record is absolutely no accident. It reflects Swansea's extraordinary strength!
"That is why this match is so eagerly anticipated!
"Reading start in a 4-2-3-1.
"Goalkeeper: Marcus Hahnemann.
"Defenders: Graeme Murty, Steve Brown, Adrian Williams, Nicky Shorey.
"Midfielders: Scott Murray, Ivar Ingimarsson, Kevin Watson, Ricky Newman, John Salako.
"Forward: Nicky Forster.
"Swansea start in a 4-4-2.
"Goalkeeper: Glendor.
"Defenders: Balitsch, Gabbidon, Friedrich, Tobias Rau.
"Midfielders: James Cook, Cromwell, Pedretti, Grosso.
"Forwards: Ibrahimović, Villa.
"The final match of the first half of the Second Division season, and also the top-of-the-table clash, is about to begin at the Madejski Stadium!"
As the match was about to start, Lynn walked to the touchline. Alan Pardew stood not far away in the home team's technical area. Both managers looked serious, and both attached great importance to this top-of-the-table clash.
Reading wanted to chase points. If they wanted to overturn Swansea and become league leaders, then they could not afford to slip in this match. If they failed to win this six-pointer, they would also lose momentum to their opponent.
Swansea wanted to sit firmly on the league leader's throne and declare their superiority over the rest. Strong-versus-strong clashes were the most convincing evidence, and they were also very good for consolidating the players' confidence.
No matter what, Swansea at least had to leave the Madejski Stadium intact.
Lynn was still somewhat surprised by Reading's starting lineup.
Alan Pardew had not adopted the traditional 4-4-2 formation. Instead, he strengthened the midfield with a 4-2-3-1. This was clearly an adaptation aimed at Swansea's powerful attack.
This made Lynn's anticipation for the match rise instead. The reason he had said Reading looked decent in the Second Division but did not have much of a future was entirely because of the average age of their main lineup.
Among their starting eleven, ten players were over twenty-six, with the oldest being thirty-two. The only player under twenty-six was their twenty-year-old left-back Nicky Shorey.
Reading's squad was very mature. Put nicely, they were in their prime. From another angle, their ability was only enough to rank near the top in the Second Division. If they wanted to become even stronger, then sorry, but their lost youth told them that was not very realistic.
Still, at this current stage, Reading had solid combat power.
After the match began, Lynn noticed that Reading's formation was indeed a 4-2-3-1. It could even be called a 4-5-1. They placed extreme emphasis on midfield defense and control, surrounding Swansea's attacking organizer Cromwell and preventing him from leisurely passing and organizing attacks in midfield.
At the same time, Reading's defensive strategy after kickoff was to blockade Cromwell through the middle. Before the defensive line had fully settled into a tight shape, the wide defense would use fouls to delay Swansea's flank attacks.
This defensive approach was actually quite effective!
Cromwell rarely suffered defensive pressing pressure from behind during attacks. Today, after the opening ten minutes, Reading's attacking midfielder Kevin Watson tracked back and twice knocked the ball away from Cromwell's feet, leaving Cromwell rather self-critical.
He already had to face the frontal defensive pressure of the opponent's double pivot, and now Cromwell also had to be alert to sneak attacks from behind. The pressure he suffered today was enormous.
Reading's tight defense after kickoff and their strategy of stationing heavy forces in midfield allowed them to temporarily occupy the advantage on the pitch, pressing Swansea and attacking fiercely.
Reading's attacking intent was also obvious. On Tobias Rau's side, Grosso would track back to help defend. But on Balitsch's side, since James Cook's defensive ability was not as strong as Grosso's, that flank was slightly weaker defensively.
That caused Reading to deliberately attack down the left, putting huge pressure on Balitsch!
Veteran John Salako had both physical strength and technique. He alone was enough to make Balitsch dizzy, not to mention that attacking midfielder Watson also came over to help, while defensive midfielder Ricky Newman occasionally stepped forward as well to form a triangular attacking system. Reading's left-sided attack in the front field was full of life!
In the opening fifteen minutes, they organized four effective attacks from the left in succession and created three shots. Unfortunately, not a single one hit the target!