Chapter 1822 - 487: Carroll Plays Like Me
"Yes, but you can also see AC Milan’s character. Rakitic looks like a delicate young man, but after half a season at AC Milan, I feel like I’m seeing a second Gattuso."
The pass wasn’t great.
But for Huang Kaiwen, it’s no problem at all.
[Pires]’s skills are already more than enough, especially after being enhanced.
Noticing it’s a half-high ball, Huang Kaiwen deliberately picked up speed, and by the time the ball arrived, he was already ahead.
At this moment, Huang Kaiwen raised his calf backward, and the ball lightly touched the lower part of his calf, flying from his right side to the front.
Nearby stands erupted with cheers.
The Rossoneri can’t even recall when Huang Kaiwen consciously stopped to control the ball.
As long as the distance allows, Huang Kaiwen always stops the ball while running, which is a lot more difficult than doing it in a static state.
Defending against such a player is undoubtedly more challenging.
Clichy already stuck close, and mid-run, Huang Kaiwen suddenly shifted to the right side of the ball. Clichy hurried to adjust his position, only to find Huang Kaiwen just continued dribbling forward.
This left him inwardly lamenting.
For a player of Huang Kaiwen’s caliber, every acceleration might be followed by a series of movements.
So unless you prepare in advance, you’ll just be passed by.
Realizing Huang Kaiwen didn’t speed up, Clichy felt a bit regretful.
It’s not embarrassing to be overtaken by Huang Kaiwen’s speed; full-backs around the world have experienced it.
But Huang Kaiwen not speeding up and pulling away meant he’d surely find some other way to get past, and Clichy was well aware of this.
As expected.
As the two approached the big penalty area, Huang Kaiwen suddenly stepped left and decelerated again.
Clichy slowed down with him, and Huang Kaiwen immediately tapped the ball forward with his right foot and accelerated towards it.
Koscielny had to quickly cover the left side.
The entire Arsenal defense moved towards the left.
One sudden stop got him past.
This actually made Clichy feel more relieved, at least he wouldn’t look too embarrassed in the post-match review.
As for being left more than a meter behind by Huang Kaiwen, it was of no concern to him; it’s quite normal.
Even though he knew there was no hope of intercepting, Clichy still chased back with all his might.
At least let the fans see that his attitude wasn’t a problem.
Huang Kaiwen dribbled to the baseline, immediately stepped behind the ball with his right foot, and crossed with a low, flat ball using his left foot.
Bam—
This kick was full of power.
Torres timed his start perfectly, and Zulu’s attention was also on the left side, leaving only the young Gibbs attempting a direct tackle. Unfortunately, he was no match for Torres’s speed; Gibbs’s silhouette became the perfect background for Torres, and this powerful shot easily drilled into the left side of the goal. Szczesny couldn’t do anything about it from such a close range.
4:1!
Boom—
"Saint Kevin!"
"Saint Kevin!"
"Saint Kevin!"
The San Siro Stadium was jubilant, still singing the adapted "Glory Belongs to Manchester United."
Manchester United and Tottenham both chose this melody because it’s catchy.
Singing "Target Wembley" when playing in the UEFA Champions League couldn’t be more fitting.
Huang Kaiwen, along with Ramos and Torres, went back to find Rakitic squatting and rubbing his chest on the sideline.
He wrapped his arm around Rakitic’s neck and went to the stand, raising his hand and pointing at Rakitic’s head.
A cheer erupted from the stands.
Indeed.
This goal was crucial, and Rakitic’s aerial challenge was essential.
"Hehe, Huang Kaiwen, Huang Kaiwen, no wonder no former teammates spoke ill of him after leaving the team. Even a scoring Torres came to celebrate with him, yet Huang Kaiwen brought Rakitic to receive the fans’ cheers."
"Indeed, Huang Kaiwen has always been good at considering others’ emotions. Every time I met him, he seemed mature, spoke appropriately, but overcoming cultural differences is truly remarkable."
"During his time in Italy, Spain, and England, Huang Kaiwen was always the most popular player. Some fans even sent emails to our station’s mailbox, asking if Huang Kaiwen might play in the Bundesliga. I think not, hehe."
"Yes, because the name Kevin means ’dumb kid’ in German."
"Clemente decided to make a substitution, aiming to bring off Huang Kaiwen, but Huang Kaiwen asked him to substitute Rakitic instead, so Ambrosini had to go on without warming up."
Huang Kaiwen walked to the sideline with Rakitic.
Ambrosini smiled and high-fived Huang Kaiwen.
Huang Kaiwen helped Ambrosini put the armband on his right arm and said, "Tell them not to concede, it’s okay if we don’t score, just don’t let the away goals become our problem."
"Don’t worry, old man!"
Ambrosini teased.
Huang Kaiwen shook his head with a smile.
These old guys are getting more and more carefree.
After handing Rakitic over to the team doctor, Huang Kaiwen returned to the bench.
Fortunately, Rakitic was not seriously injured, just a bit of a hard knock.
Ambrosini and the others still couldn’t stop Arsenal, and the match ended 4:2.
"Kevin, join the press conference with me."
As soon as the referee blew the whistle, Clemente said.
"Coach, I’m a bit of a hot topic, it might affect your performance."
Huang Kaiwen said with a smile.
"Mainly because I haven’t thought of what to say."
Clemente said.
"Alright then."
Huang Kaiwen nodded and said.
He wanted to give Clemente some spotlight, but since Clemente said so, he couldn’t refuse.
The two of them went to the press conference site together, and sure enough, it was just the professor himself again.
When losing, Wenger rarely brings players to the press conference.
"Arsene, tell us about the key reasons for the loss."
"Kevin, which tactics do you think are more suitable for you, Mr. Clemente’s or Mr. Guardiola’s?"
The journalists are getting smarter.
If they ask who is better, Huang Kaiwen will surely say it’s incomparable.
So this time they asked whose tactics are more suitable.
"Mr. Clemente, are you satisfied with today’s match?"
"Mr. Wenger, why did Sagna get injured, and how serious is his injury?"
"..."
The professor shows no intention of speaking first.
Huang Kaiwen glanced at Clemente, pulled the microphone in front of him, and said, "Mr. Guardiola’s football philosophy follows Cruyff’s lineage, and Mr. Clemente’s tactics are more direct, reflecting the characteristics of English football. I think I can adapt to both. If you must make a comparison, you should compare English and Dutch football. I cannot judge which is better."
The reporters almost all rolled their eyes.
It’s just as expected.
Huang Kaiwen pushed the trouble back to them again.
But this also works, they can go back and spark a media fight between the two countries.
With the fighting power of the English media, the upcoming period will be very lively.
"Did your dribbling lead to Sagna’s injury, was that your intention?"
Asked a reporter.
"Of course not, I never intended to hurt anyone," Huang Kaiwen said. "And he wasn’t tricked into a leg break; it should be an issue with the turf. I deeply regret what happened to Sagna, both he and Clichy are outstanding defenders."
"What do you think of Ivan Rakitic’s performance today?"
A reporter asked.
"It’s not my job to evaluate players, but I can say a few words,"
Huang Kaiwen said. "Ivan has always been an excellent player, you also saw his fighting spirit, but whether it’s him or other teammates, I hope they can protect themselves from injury. We will create lots of opportunities, there’s no need to risk injuries to fight for possession."
Wenger quietly sighed after listening.
He also wanted to tell this to the players, but he lacked the confidence to do so.
"By the way."
With a clearly Merseyside accent, a reporter raised his hand to ask, "Carroll transferred to Liverpool in the winter, but his performance is not that great, do you have anything to say about him?"
If the reporter hadn’t mentioned it, Huang Kaiwen would have forgotten this person.
They are not on the same level and have no major conflicts, so Huang Kaiwen naturally wouldn’t speak harshly.
Huang Kaiwen thought for a moment and said, "I’ve actually seen some of Andy’s games, and in terms of headers, we’re quite similar, but he has some weaknesses in his play. Andy looks very strong, but his lower body is quite unstable, if he wants to develop better, I’d suggest he strengthen his lower body strength."
In the audience, Wenger clenched his fists.
Huang Kaiwen’s assessment of Carroll matched Wenger’s exactly!
Excellent on the ball and insightful, uniting teammates with leadership skills, Wenger even started to understand Puyol’s actions a bit, if possible, he’d also like to directly swap jerseys and take Huang Kaiwen back to London!