Chapter 93: Defending the League Cup! The First Promoted Team in History
What's the most important quality in a top-tier manager?
Tactical intelligence?
The ability to select the right lineup?
In-game decision-making?
Communication with players?
Maybe excelling in any of these areas can make someone a world-class manager.
But to become a truly elite one, those things are just the bare minimum.
The real core?
People.
Courage and responsibility.
Even when facing difficult, painful choices, a top manager sticks to what he believes is right.
Because everything in this world must be done—not chosen.
Take Sir Alex Ferguson, for example.
The feud between Van Nistelrooy and Cristiano Ronaldo had been brewing for years, and Ferguson had been suppressing it the entire time.
He understood Ronaldo's personality—his fierce competitiveness—and deliberately used that tension as a way to push him to improve.
Over the years, Ronaldo became almost obsessively devoted to training, chiseling that muscular physique.
Ferguson simply watched it all unfold, cold and silent.
And now, finally, he'd cast aside Van Nistelrooy to fully support Ronaldo.
Everyone thought Ferguson had lost his mind.
It was easily the most insane decision in the football world.
We're talking about Van Nistelrooy here!
As of this season, he'd already scored 22 goals—undeniably one of the best center-forwards on the planet.
Yet midseason, Ferguson just... dropped him?
Last year, he let go of Roy Keane. But that could be justified—the captain was aging, declining.
But this? Letting Van Nistelrooy go?
Everyone said it was suicide.
Yet Ferguson did it anyway.
Because the moment Ronaldo showed signs of transformation, Ferguson saw the immense potential hiding inside him.
The media's doubts?
Who cared?
Last season, Yang Cheng had insisted on going all-in in both the League Cup and the Championship.
At times, the League Cup even affected their league results—he took endless criticism for it.
But what was the final outcome?
That League Cup run transformed Bayswater Chinese FC—revitalized their spirit, lifted their energy.
Even this season, when facing Premier League powerhouses, neither Yang Cheng nor his players ever flinched.
They fought without fear.
That was the value of last year's League Cup journey.
But again—everything must be done, not merely decided.
What if Ronaldo hadn't panned out the way Ferguson hoped?
What if Bayswater hadn't won the double last season, losing the League Cup and missing promotion?
Then Yang Cheng and Ferguson both would've been labeled as fools.
But would fear of ridicule be reason enough not to take action?
Whether you play it safe or go bold, there's risk either way.
The key is: after making your choice, can you follow through?
And because Yang Cheng and Ferguson were cut from the same cloth, he understood Ferguson's decisions better than anyone.
Which is why, for this match, Yang Cheng's entire defensive plan revolved around one man:
Cristiano Ronaldo.
...
United lined up in a 4-4-2:
Goalkeeper: Van der Sar
Defense: Silvestre, Vidić, Ferdinand, Gary Neville
Midfield: Park Ji-sung, Giggs, O'Shea, Cristiano Ronaldo
Forwards: Rooney and Saha
New signing Patrice Evra started on the bench.
This was clearly a signal.
Ferguson still feared Bayswater's threat down the flanks—especially Ribéry and Arshavin.
Yang Cheng stuck to his tried-and-true 4-3-3:
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer
Defense: Leighton Baines, José Fonte, Škrtel, Maicon
Midfield: Yaya Touré (holding), Lass Diarra and Modrić
Forwards: Ribéry, Džeko, Arshavin
He went full strength.
On paper, United's midfield looked weaker.
Giggs didn't fit well centrally. O'Shea was a defender by trade—playing him in midfield meant limited range and poor passing.
Yang Cheng was confident his side could control the midfield.
On the left, Park Ji-sung mostly helped reinforce the center.
Up front, United focused on winning the first ball.
If Saha went for the initial header, Rooney would hunt for the second ball.
Tactically, this was classic United 4-4-2.
Cristiano Ronaldo, playing right midfield—not right winger—was positioned deeper, allowing him to use his pace to make delayed diagonal runs into the box.
The wing was left for Gary Neville's overlapping runs—a throwback to his years playing behind Beckham.
Yang Cheng made one very specific tactical tweak for this match.
He positioned Lassana Diarra on the left-central midfield role.
His main task?
Stick to Ronaldo like glue.
In United's first attack, Diarra failed to track Ronaldo—and Yang Cheng stormed to the touchline.
"Mission! Mission!" he bellowed across the pitch.
"If you lose your mark again, I'm docking a week's wages!"
Lass Diarra licked his dry lips and stared wide-eyed at his coach.
A whole week?
Boss, just kill me already!
They'd worked together for two seasons now.
Yang Cheng was always fair—both kind and strict—so Diarra respected him deeply.
But now that his paycheck was on the line? Diarra snapped to attention immediately.
He turned his eyes back to Ronaldo, who stood at the far side, impeccably groomed, hair perfectly styled.
Was that his mark?
No.
That was a stack of £50 notes.
"We've been told to shut you down," Diarra whispered to Ronaldo as he closed in.
"So just cooperate, yeah? Ninety minutes will fly by."
He even smiled, thinking he was being friendly.
"I'll be sure to thank you," 21-year-old Ronaldo replied—his face full of disdain, like he couldn't be bothered to respond to an idiot.
...
Soon, as the match resumed, Ronaldo stopped playing around and started taking Diarra seriously.
He had confidence in his speed.
But Diarra was fast, too.
At the very least, he could keep up—enough to make Ronaldo's usual tricks ineffective.
So Ronaldo tried a new approach.
Diarra was only 1.73 meters. Ronaldo stood at 1.86—a full 13 centimeters taller.
Add in all that muscle built from years of training?
Ronaldo was confident in his strength.
He began trying to bully Diarra physically.
But Diarra, though short, was unbelievably agile.
And to Ronaldo's surprise, the Frenchman was strong. Really strong.
They clashed hard once—and Ronaldo didn't come out on top.
Even worse, Diarra was the type of defender who was clingy, dirty, full of little tricks.
If he couldn't win clean, he'd foul you fast.
Gary Neville tried supporting down the flank—but Diarra always had Baines behind him.
That made Bayswater's left side incredibly solid.
The clearest example came in the 11th minute.
United launched an attack down the right. Gary Neville tried a diagonal cross into the box, aiming for Saha.
Škrtel headed it clear.
The ball bounced wide right—and Ronaldo got there first.
Lass Diarra was glued to Ronaldo's back, not giving him the slightest room to turn. He forced the Portuguese forward to keep drifting toward the sideline. In the end, with nowhere else to go, Ronaldo could only turn and fire the ball off Diarra, bouncing it out of bounds.
At that moment, Ronaldo officially dropped his underestimation of Diarra.
Using the ensuing throw-in, Gary Neville hurled the ball back into play. O'Shea sent a long pass into the penalty area.
Rooney battled José Fonte for the header.
The Portuguese center-back got his head to it and cleared.
Yaya Touré claimed the loose ball and, under pressure, shielded it and laid it off to Modrić.
The Croatian began orchestrating the counterattack.
Manchester United's recovery was quick.
Ribéry received the ball from Modrić and tried to drive down United's right flank, but by the time he reached the 30-meter mark, United's defense was already back in place.
With no other option, Ribéry passed it back to Modrić to reset.
Modrić switched it across to Maicon on the right.
The Brazilian, closely tracked by Park Ji-sung, carried the ball laterally toward the center and flicked an outside-of-the-boot pass forward.
Arshavin received it just outside the top right corner of the box, back to goal.
But Sylvain Silvestre was tight on him, not letting him turn.
Maicon made a forward run, hoping to play a crossover combination.
But Silvestre read it well and clipped the ball before Maicon could latch onto it.
Arshavin reacted quickly, shielding the ball and, before Silvestre could lunge again, slipped a pass to Džeko—getting tripped by United's left-back in the process.
The referee immediately blew the whistle, awarding Bayswater Chinese FC a free kick.
The crowd erupted with cheers.
Exactly one year ago, at this very stadium with a capacity of 66,000, Bayswater had played Chelsea in the League Cup final.
That day, only around 10,000 fans in blue and gold filled the stands.
But today, Bayswater supporters covered nearly half the stadium—matching United fan-for-fan.
Gianni Vio once again rushed to the sideline, passionately signaling set-piece instructions.
The TV broadcast caught him mid-gesture—alongside a priceless look on Ferguson's face: disgusted, dismissive... and just a hint of anxiety.
Ever since their Championship days, Bayswater Chinese FC had been deadly on set pieces.
"Let's see who's stepping up—Ribéry is over the ball."
"He starts his run-up..."
"Chaos in the box!"
"The ball's whipped in—near post!"
"Škrtel meets it—heads it across the box!"
"José Fonte with the header!"
"GOOOOOOAL!!"
"1–0!!"
"In a crucial moment, Bayswater's Portuguese center-back José Fonte heads it home!"
"Another set piece strikes again!"
"Set pieces have become one of Bayswater's most lethal weapons."
"United are in trouble now."
"Only 12 minutes in, and the Red Devils are already trailing."
...
Watching his side concede first, Ferguson exploded in rage.
United immediately launched a counteroffensive.
But just two minutes later, Bayswater struck again—this time, on a lightning-fast counter.
Ribéry received the ball centrally in the final third, shook off O'Shea, and was instantly closed down by Vidić.
The Serbian center-back tried to muscle Ribéry off the ball, but the French winger held his ground and drove into the box.
Just before he entered the penalty area, Vidić launched into a sliding tackle, knocking the ball away cleanly—and Ribéry tumbled forward into the box.
Vidić leapt up in panic, shouting that Ribéry had dived.
He pounded his left hand, signaling to the ref that Ribéry had been grabbing it the whole time.
"Slow-motion replay shows that Ribéry indeed had hold of Vidić's left arm—possibly the reason he wasn't shoved off."
"When Vidić went to ground, Ribéry couldn't let go in time and went down with him."
"Referee Alan Wiley waves play on—no foul. A fair decision."
On the touchline, Yang Cheng simply smiled.
He didn't expect a penalty in a scenario like that. Ribéry had been clinging to Vidić the whole way in.
What concerned him more... was Vidić himself.
"Did you notice? Out of the two center-backs, Vidić keeps stepping up into midfield," Yang Cheng observed.
Brian Kidd nodded repeatedly. "I've seen it. Ever since they lost Roy Keane, United's midfield shielding has been weak."
But that left Ferdinand forced to shift inward to compensate.
Silvestre often had to cover for Vidić.
And with Gary Neville frequently overlapping to join attacks on the right...
Yang Cheng's mind was made up.
As long as they continued to dominate midfield, freeze out Ronaldo, and blunt United's attacking threat—Bayswater's counterattacks would finish the job.
United were done for.
...
Ferguson was a world-class tactician.
The moment he realized Ronaldo had been shackled by Diarra and Baines, he adjusted immediately—moving Ronaldo to the left, facing Maicon.
But Yang Cheng countered with an infuriating shift of his own.
He moved Lass Diarra across with Ronaldo.
One goal: suffocate him.
Soon, the young Ronaldo started to crack.
In the 40th minute, after losing the ball under heavy pressure from Diarra, he shoved the Frenchman and was shown a yellow card.
Ferguson could only shake his head from the sideline.
"That little bastard's a menace!" he growled.
Carlos Queiroz sat beside him, exasperated, but said nothing.
Because just days ago, Ferguson had been grumbling about trying to sign Diarra himself.
United's midfield was running on fumes.
After falling out with Roy Keane and losing him, and with Scholes sidelined by an eye injury, United were out of options.
That's why they'd been forced to pair O'Shea and Giggs in midfield.
But that made building up play a real problem.
"If only we had signed Carrick during the winter, we wouldn't be in this mess," Queiroz muttered.
Ferguson shot him a look, but didn't respond.
Of course he knew Queiroz was complaining.
From a tactical perspective, United had to reinforce in January.
Ferguson had wanted to.
But it required money.
Tottenham had jacked up Carrick's price during the window—and United just couldn't afford it.
"By now, it's painfully clear—whoever controls the midfield controls the game," Queiroz added.
Ferguson didn't reply, but Queiroz kept going.
"Chelsea have been consistent for two straight seasons because of their dominant midfield. Lampard and Makelele—and this season, they added Essien. Their midfield's one of the best in Europe."
"And now I hear they're eyeing Ballack to make it even stronger."
"Liverpool's midfield is also top-tier. Gerrard and Xabi Alonso are outstanding. Arsenal's Fabregas is growing fast, and with Gilberto Silva beside him, they've got balance in attack and defense."
Among the traditional Big Four, there was one glaring weak link in midfield.
Manchester United.
"The reason Bayswater Chinese FC has been able to rise so rapidly this season, and stay in the top three of the Premier League, is because of their dominant midfield. Without it, their forward line alone wouldn't be enough to reach this level," said Carlos Queiroz, evaluating the team.
And his assessment matched Ferguson's impression exactly.
This was a team built on strong defense, but their attack wasn't particularly fearsome.
Their current top scorer was Ribéry with 10 goals, followed by Lambert with 9.
But everyone knew—Lambert only bullied weaker sides.
After that? Yaya Touré.
That Ivorian midfielder was the real deal.
Modrić, Lass Diarra, and Yaya Touré—this midfield trio had both finesse and firepower, and they weren't even inferior to Chelsea's.
What's more absurd? They were still young—with incredible potential.
The oldest of them, Yaya Touré, was only 22.
Youth meant development. Improvement. Growth.
And on the bench, Bayswater had strong depth: Gökhan Inler, Andreasen, and Matuidi—all performing well when called upon.
"If their midfield remains stable, there's no doubt they'll keep doing well next season too," Queiroz said with certainty.
Looking at the overall Premier League picture, Chelsea's dominance was bound to be challenged.
The big question now was whether Arsenal could claw their way back into the top four.
And if they could—who'd get pushed out?
Would it be Bayswater Chinese FC?
Judging from their performances this season, that seemed unlikely.
But that's just one season.
"You think we could poach Yaya Touré?" Ferguson asked, his eyes locked hungrily on the Ivorian commanding the pitch.
You didn't need to ask whether he was good or not—just watching him play said it all.
At 22, playing like this? He'd be world-class in less than two years.
"Hard. Unless Yang Cheng loses his mind," Queiroz shook his head.
Ferguson sighed.
He certainly didn't think Yang Cheng was a fool.
Looking at his past signings and sales, it was obvious that Bayswater's squad was growing in strength step by step.
Their results had risen accordingly.
This was a manager who knew exactly what he was doing.
"He started contract renewals around Christmas," Queiroz added. "He proposed raising the top wage in the squad to £20,000 per week. That's clearly to keep the key players in."
Mid-table clubs worked very differently from elite ones.
Big clubs had the leverage to negotiate hard on wages and contracts.
But smaller teams? They needed to lock players down early.
Early renewals helped secure loyalty and extend contract lengths.
So even if a top club came calling, they'd have to negotiate with the team—giving the club leverage in transfer talks.
Unless a player was desperate to force a move, most would sit down and talk it through with the club first.
"Man, I'm envious. £20,000 a week, and these guys are giving their all," Ferguson sighed with a bitter smile.
At United, £20,000 per week was nothing. Not even mid-tier.
Rooney earned £30,000 per week at Everton—at United, that jumped to £50,000.
Vidić came in from Russia already on £25,000.
And that's not even counting the likes of Giggs, Gary Neville, Ferdinand...
Bayswater's highest wage before this had been just £6,000 per week.
Talk about unfair.
But it was clear to anyone paying attention: Bayswater's financial strategy was the smart one.
Step by step, spend within your means.
Now that their wage ceiling had jumped to £20,000, poaching their players just got a lot harder.
...
Second half. Sides switched.
Ferguson made a tactical adjustment at halftime.
Cristiano Ronaldo had been threatening down both wings, but nothing had truly come off.
Bayswater's midfield shielding had stifled United's attacking build-up.
The flanks were closed down—so United's offense had to funnel through the center.
But that made it crowded.
Cris Ronaldo, Rooney, and Saha all needed space—and now they were stepping on each other.
Especially Ronaldo and Rooney. Their positioning conflict was becoming glaringly obvious.
How to distribute space, ball possession, and responsibility between these two young stars? That was Ferguson's dilemma.
At halftime, he tried a new setup.
Saha pulled wide.
Rooney and Ronaldo took freer roles, floating between midfield and the front line.
Saha, with his ability to hold the ball under pressure, would contest first balls.
Ronaldo and Rooney would feed off the second ball.
It worked well in the early second half.
For around 10 minutes, United launched a flurry of attacks.
In the 54th minute, Giggs, Ronaldo, Gary Neville, and Saha combined beautifully.
Rooney got a clean look near goal.
But Neuer was magnificent—diving to save the shot.
United smelled blood.
Yang Cheng reacted immediately.
He signaled Modrić and Lass Diarra to drop deeper and shield Yaya Touré's flanks.
Ribéry and Arshavin were also pulled back.
Bayswater had shifted into a defensive stance, setting up for the counter.
Just three minutes later, Arshavin broke down the right and whipped in a low cross.
A mistake in United's box followed.
Van der Sar rushed off his line—Ferdinand tried to tap the ball back to him.
But the ball flew toward the empty goal.
Thankfully, the long-legged Van der Sar turned just in time and punched it out for a corner.
Everyone watching broke into a cold sweat.
With their attack stalling, Bayswater compressed all three lines.
Ferguson made a decisive call.
65th minute: Van Nistelrooy came on for Cristiano Ronaldo.
In many ways, that was a message.
If Van Nistelrooy wanted to stay, he had to prove he could still be the ace.
But the Dutchman struggled.
Frustrated and prideful, he played like a man with something to prove—but little patience.
In the 76th minute, José Fonte slid in inside the box and dispossessed him cleanly.
Modrić tracked back and won the loose ball, sprinted it out of danger, and passed it ahead to Yaya Touré.
The Ivorian took off like a freight train.
"Bayswater Chinese FC launch a rapid counterattack!"
"He crosses midfield in seconds—no United midfielder steps up to challenge!"
"Let's see how he handles this!"
As Touré entered United's 30-meter zone, the situation turned into a 4-on-3.
Arshavin on the left. Ribéry on the right.
Touré charging through the middle.
Džeko positioned at the edge of the arc, ready to receive.
Ferdinand was the only defender left marking Džeko.
Seeing this unfold, Touré realized the opportunity—especially with Vidić pushing up and O'Shea backpedaling.
"Just like the boss said!"
He passed diagonally to the left, finding Ribéry in stride—and then sprinted forward at full speed.
Džeko, locked up by Ferdinand, made a brilliant decision.
Instead of clogging the channel, he drifted toward the center of the arc—leaving the lane clear.
With Džeko pulling Ferdinand toward the center, a huge gap opened between Ferdinand and Vidić.
Yaya Touré spotted the space instantly and sprinted diagonally behind Vidić.
In that situation, O'Shea had to follow him.
He didn't have time to check what was behind him—he simply tracked Yaya.
If he didn't?
Ribéry could pass it straight through, and Yaya would have a clean shot inside the box.
But just as O'Shea committed, Ribéry faked a pass to Touré, then quickly cut inside and sent a diagonal ball into the box.
O'Shea failed to sync up with Vidić and couldn't intercept.
The ball sliced clean through to the left side of the penalty area.
All this time, Arshavin had been lurking just outside the box, carefully avoiding offside.
Now he darted forward, collected Ribéry's pass, and hammered a shot toward goal.
The ball curved through the air and crashed into the right side of Manchester United's net.
Van der Sar had no chance.
"GOOOOAL!!!"
"Bayswater Chinese FC strike again!"
"It's Arshavin once more!"
"In this crucial moment, the young Russian attacker scores his second goal of the final."
"This could very well be the goal that seals the victory!"
"Let's reintroduce you to the man of the moment—Russia's own Andrey Arshavin!"
The stadium erupted into a frenzy.
Over 30,000 Bayswater fans exploded from their seats, screaming and cheering like madmen.
Last season, in this same stadium, Bayswater had beaten Chelsea.
Back then, only about 10,000 of their supporters had shown up.
But now, they had become one of the Premier League's most competitive teams.
Even against Manchester United, they could go toe-to-toe.
Now, they'd scored two and taken the lead.
On the touchline, Yang Cheng was just as fired up.
A "meaningless trophy"?
Maybe.
But to Bayswater Chinese FC, this trophy meant everything.
They desperately needed a championship to build credibility.
Just like Adam Crozier and Omar Berrada had said before:
The Premier League had massive appeal in Asia, but Bayswater were just a newly promoted side.
They needed silverware.
They needed moments like this to put their name on the map.
...
When referee Alan Wiley blew the final whistle, all hell broke loose.
Bayswater's players erupted in celebration.
The substitutes charged the pitch to join their teammates.
The stands were rocking with applause and chants.
"It's over!"
"Congratulations to Bayswater Chinese FC!"
"Back-to-back League Cup champions—what a statement from this newly promoted side."
"They've survived the brutal Christmas schedule, the winter run, and February's hellish fixtures—and come out stronger."
"Last year, the media predicted they wouldn't survive past January... then it became February... and now March. After this match, they'll probably push the deadline again."
"Yang Cheng's squad isn't perfect—they've still got weaknesses, and they're very young—but they've shown they can go toe-to-toe with the Premier League's Big Four."
"From beating Liverpool 3–0 at home, to now defeating Manchester United 2–0 in the League Cup final, this team has impressed in both the league and cup competitions."
"Most notably, their two winter signings—Maicon and Arshavin—have both made massive impacts."
"They've slotted in seamlessly, and already proved their worth."
"In today's final, both players were once again outstanding."
...
While Bayswater reveled in their triumph, United's players wore expressions of frustration and disbelief.
As a Premier League giant, United rarely took other clubs seriously—
Not even Arsenal, their long-time rivals.
As for Chelsea? In their eyes, just nouveau riche who'd flame out in a few years.
But this season had hit United with blow after blow.
And now, even a promoted team like Bayswater was stepping on their necks.
The proud Red Devils were not taking it well.
Among all the drama, Yang Cheng noticed a particularly telling scene.
Van Nistelrooy didn't stick around.
As soon as the match ended, he lowered his head and walked straight down the tunnel.
He didn't acknowledge any of his teammates.
No one came to speak to him.
He didn't even stop to shake Ferguson's hand.
Yang Cheng let out a quiet sigh.
Van Nistelrooy's time at Manchester United was clearly over.
It was harsh—but that's professional football.
And just as he was reflecting on Van Nistelrooy's fall from grace—
his players swarmed him from behind, lifted him into the air, and threw him up in celebration.
...
"Congratulations, Yang!"
After the post-match celebrations, Ferguson walked over and extended his hand.
"You guys played better. You deserved this title."
"Thank you, sir," Yang Cheng replied respectfully, shaking his hand.
In their past lives, the two had been quite familiar—but now, in this one, they were little more than strangers.
Ferguson was clearly curious about many things surrounding Bayswater Chinese FC—but didn't know how to ask.
Especially when he saw Brian Kidd walking over to join Yang Cheng's celebration, only to awkwardly turn back.
Ferguson's expression turned stiff.
After a quick farewell, he turned and walked away.
Yang Cheng watched him go, then glanced at Kidd hiding back in the dugout—and chuckled quietly.
"Boys will be boys," he thought.
The two old friends hadn't really fallen out.
It was more about past disagreements—clashing views on career paths, differing ambitions.
Ferguson had been furious when Brian Kidd suddenly left to coach Blackburn.
He'd also hated that Kidd sometimes went behind his back to talk to the board.
Kidd, on the other hand, felt Ferguson had become stubborn, stopped listening, and no longer valued his input.
He'd left to prove himself at Blackburn.
Maybe it was no one's fault.
But when Kidd struggled at Blackburn and the media piled on, Ferguson had made a scathing comment that hit hard.
In Kidd's mind, that one comment cost him his job.
Or at least, sped up the inevitable.
Give him more time, and maybe he could've turned things around.
They had never truly fought—never even had a proper argument.
And yet they ignored each other like schoolboys in a sulk.
After Ferguson left, Brian Kidd finally emerged from the dugout.
Then came Adam Crozier and Omar Berrada.
And still absent from the public eye was Xia Qing, the club's CFO.
She used to joke: "I manage the money—I'm afraid of getting kidnapped."
"With this trophy in hand, we'll have way more confidence for our summer tour of Asia!" Adam Crozier declared, full of enthusiasm.
He Wanted the Whole World to See Him Anew!
"I've already called the marketing department. Over the next two or three days, we'll launch a publicity blitz across Asia. With our current league standing, this League Cup title, and the fact we're a newly promoted team, we're bound to generate major buzz among fans."
Yang Cheng smiled and nodded. "This is only the beginning. We still have two fronts—league and UEFA Cup."
Whether speaking to media or fans, his attitude was clear: he would fight Chelsea to the very end.
But after years of managing, he knew full well—the odds of overtaking Mourinho's Chelsea in the league were slim.
Unless Chelsea somehow collapsed...
Which wasn't realistic.
They'd been steady all season—why would they suddenly lose control?
A fantasy novel might write it that way, but football wouldn't.
Yang Cheng's real target was a top-four finish and a deep run in the UEFA Cup.
And no, it wasn't arrogance.
Looking at the remaining 16 teams in the competition, only a few stood out as threats:
Roma from Serie A, Sevilla from La Liga, and Schalke 04 from the Bundesliga.
Hamburg, Marseille, Udinese, Palermo... Yang Cheng respected them—but he was confident.
Zenit, after losing Arshavin, had already crashed out in the Round of 32.
Overall, Yang Cheng believed they had a real shot at the UEFA Cup.
If they could win it, along with the League Cup and finish top four in the league, Bayswater Chinese FC would go down as one of the most legendary promoted teams in Premier League history.
...
There was even a bit of a comedy during the trophy ceremony at the Millennium Stadium.
The FA absolutely insisted that Yang Cheng join the players on stage to receive the cup.
FA Chairman Geoff Thompson himself came down to escort him.
According to Thompson, the FA had taken heavy criticism from fans and media last season.
And with the whole work permit saga for Maicon and the Wembley Stadium leasing deal...
The FA owed Yang Cheng a favor.
So—how could he refuse?
He obediently let Thompson drag him on stage for the trophy lift.
The stadium erupted in applause.
The broadcast camera panned to Ferguson, who had just received his runner-up medal, clapping from below the stage.
Many in the media misunderstood this moment.
Ferguson did hold a coaching license—
But after UEFA reforms, early British licenses were no longer recognized and needed renewal.
Most coaches had gone through the motions of re-certifying.
Not Ferguson.
He flat-out refused.
So he remained one of the few English managers still using a legacy certificate.
The FA and UEFA had long turned a blind eye.
But Yang Cheng?
He didn't even have a license. Never attended a single day of classes.
And that made things complicated.
The FA and UEFA were both deeply frustrated.
Give him the license? He clearly had the qualifications—but the process was bypassed.
Don't give it? He continued managing without certification—and the better his results, the more embarrassing it became.
Some members of the coaches' committee had even publicly said he shouldn't be allowed on the sidelines.
But this was England. Tradition always had exceptions.
The better his team performed, the less inclined Yang Cheng was to take the exam.
What if he failed? That'd be humiliating.
And now, with Bayswater doing so well, the media was circling like vultures, waiting to see if he'd take the test.
So the whole thing?
Just dragged on indefinitely.
...
Back in London, Bayswater Chinese FC held a modest but spirited celebration outside their stadium.
Small as it was, it had everything it needed.
Even a club honors room.
At present, it contained:
– Two League Cup trophies
– One League Two title
– One Championship title
– One Football League Trophy
A small collection—but trophies nonetheless.
After the celebration, Yang Cheng brought the team together for a meeting.
He reminded everyone:
The League Cup title was in the past now.
It was time to reset, refocus, and go all-in for the Premier League and UEFA Cup.
"£5 million in bonuses—the club will pay out, no delays, no deductions!"
His words had barely faded when that same night, players began receiving their payments.
Per the agreed distribution, the club wired each player their share of the League Cup bonus—right on time.
That had always been Yang Cheng's way.
No matter what—it was non-negotiable: wages and bonuses must be paid on time.
Morale in the locker room soared.
After the short break, it was back to business.
Next up—Premier League Round 28, the final match in their grueling stretch of fixtures:
A home rematch against Manchester United.
While the team rested, the British media exploded with more transfer gossip—alongside coverage of Bayswater's League Cup triumph.
The Mirror reported that Ruud van Nistelrooy had decided to leave Old Trafford this summer.
Despite having two years left on his contract, United would likely demand around £10 million.
AC Milan, Real Madrid, and others were already circling.
Meanwhile, German star Michael Ballack had long since decided not to renew with Bayern Munich and would leave on a free transfer.
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, and Chelsea were all chasing him.
The Sun revealed that Ballack had practically finalized a move to Chelsea—he'd join after the World Cup.
"In light of Ballack's expected move to Chelsea, Ferguson has now shifted his focus to Bayswater Chinese FC's Yaya Touré and Lassana Diarra."
"Also on his radar: Spurs' Michael Carrick and Bayern's Owen Hargreaves."
"From this list of four midfielders, United is determined to land at least two—to strengthen their weakest area and mount a serious title challenge next season."
Bayswater Chinese FC offered no public response.
That evening, at Loftus Road Stadium, the two clubs faced off for the second time in just a few days.
This time, Bayswater showed no signs of backing down.
Backed by their home crowd, they attacked United aggressively, creating multiple chances and forcing Ferguson's side to play on the counter.
In the 59th minute, United struck first.
On a quick break, Rooney received a pass from Ronaldo on the right and whipped in a low cross.
Ronaldo, storming into the box, leapt above José Fonte and headed the ball into the net.
1–0 United.
But Yang Cheng responded decisively.
In the 73rd minute, a series of crisp passes between Ribéry, Modrić, and Arshavin tore open United's defense on the left edge of the box.
Arshavin slipped it to Lambert, who unleashed a fierce shot from just outside the D.
Van der Sar parried—
But Ribéry pounced on the rebound and smashed it home.
1–1.
Bayswater wasn't satisfied with a draw.
They kept attacking.
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