Chapter 1 Ended the FA Cup Match

Having finished the FA Cup match, Chen Hero could finally escape the oppressive atmosphere.

He had never bothered to delve into the thoughts of the reserve team players. He was just responsible for playing the games, and everyone was happy and admiring when they saw him. Naturally, they wouldn't expose the negative thoughts in their hearts.

But after the League Cup semi-final, it was the first time he had come into contact with the inner thoughts of these players separated by a wall.

So that's how it is in the reserve team…

He had this thought.

He discovered that it wasn't like the outside world portrayed it, where all Liverpool players regarded Liverpool as their home, nor would they unconditionally sacrifice their own interests. They had their own thoughts and goals. They weren't just cold data in a game. If you treated them badly, they would have emotions.

Contrary to what the outside world said, not everyone was happy that the team had reached the League Cup final.

Chen Hero realized that there seemed to be a high wall built between the first team and the reserve team. On one side of the wall were the first team stars, living under the spotlight, enjoying high salaries and bonuses, and the admiration of many fans. On the other side of the wall were the reserve team players who lacked attention and were rarely noticed. Many of them didn't even know where their careers were headed.

This team had some hope because of his arrival. Because they could play many more games and attract the attention of scouts and the media.

For the first time, Chen Hero began to think about the meaning of him coming to the reserve team and playing in the League Cup and FA Cup with them.

At first, he just didn't want to miss the opportunity to score goals in official matches like the League Cup and FA Cup and wanted to win more honors for himself.

In fact, his idea was very selfish—he didn't consider anyone else at all, he was just doing it for himself.

But now he had more thoughts in his head.

Perhaps it was because he had matured, grown up, and become a captain with responsibilities that Chen Hero was increasingly considerate of others.

But Chen Hero was doing this for the first time, and he wasn't usually the kind of person who was particularly good at this sort of thing. Besides, he didn't have time to think about life all the time; he was very busy.

So, he just kept this matter in his heart and didn't think about it for the time being.

Anyway, he wouldn't be seeing the reserve team players again for a while.

※※※

The next FA Cup match wouldn't be until February 13th, and there were many other matches to be played before then.

On January 25th, in the twenty-third round of the league, Liverpool would challenge Wolverhampton Wanderers away.

Wolverhampton Wanderers put up a tougher fight at their home ground than anyone had imagined—now most of the Premier League teams had a unified idea: playing away at Anfield goes without saying, that's their territory. But when returning to their home ground, they must go all out, not seeking victory, but ensuring a draw, fighting to the death to guarantee a tie. Achieving a draw with Liverpool at their home ground was not a shameful thing.

Wanting to defeat Liverpool at their home ground was the idea of powerhouses like Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea.

We mid-table teams should just honestly take one point.

In fact, being able to get one point at home was already very good, so what else was there to be dissatisfied with? One should be content.

Wolverhampton Wanderers defended desperately at their home ground, not caring about home advantage or face; at this time, being able to survive was good enough.

They almost succeeded.

Because they not only defended desperately, but they also scored a goal.

But the final score was 1:2, and Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing at home, lost the match.

Liverpool still took away three points, although the process was somewhat difficult.

Chen Hero once again became the key player, helping the team score the final goal that secured the victory.

But just like the reporters had thought themselves, Chen Hero performing well in the match was no longer a rare thing. It wasn't worth reporting extensively.

And readers weren't very interested either. Even Liverpool fans now had "aesthetic fatigue" and felt that it was only natural for Chen Hero to perform well, it was a normal thing.

Perhaps only when Chen Hero didn't perform well would the media report it extensively, because that would be newsworthy.

To use a not-so-appropriate analogy, Chen Hero performing well was like a dog biting a man, which wasn't news. Chen Hero not performing well would be like a man biting a dog, now that's news!

Five days later, Liverpool defeated Bolton 2:0 at home, continuing to lead the league table.

The league had already played twenty-four rounds, and Liverpool was undefeated, with twenty-one wins and three draws, accumulating sixty-six points, ranking first with sixty-nine goals scored and only nineteen goals conceded. They were currently the only undefeated team in the entire European league, as well as the team with the most goals scored, the fewest goals conceded, and the highest points.

With such outstanding results, Liverpool's illustrious reputation was no longer limited to England. Although the Champions League knockout stage had not officially started, the entire Europe had already been influenced by Liverpool.

Major European media outlets began to frequently pay attention to Liverpool's movements.

Every day, many reporters from all over the world flocked to Liverpool, hoping to interview Liverpool's coach and stars.

For a time, although Barcelona and Real Madrid were still the two best teams on the planet, they could no longer stop Liverpool's rise.

Many people were clear that Liverpool would be able to threaten the existence of these two super giants.

The reason they had so much confidence in Liverpool, besides Chen Hero and Liverpool's recent record in the past one or two seasons, was mainly Liverpool's foundation as a powerhouse.

Europeans valued lineage. A powerhouse was a powerhouse, and no matter how powerful a nouveau riche was, they would be looked down upon.

So even strong teams like Manchester City and Chelsea, no matter how strong or rich they were, couldn't shake Manchester United's position, let alone shake Barcelona and Real Madrid.

But in their eyes, Liverpool could. Because Liverpool was not only strong, but also had the foundation of a powerhouse; they were a true powerhouse, even if they had declined in the past, they were still a powerhouse. As long as they were given a chance to breathe and rise again, then combined with the foundation of a powerhouse, they could become a real threat to the status of Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Yes, only Liverpool truly had the power to change the current landscape of European football. No other team could.

But to change the landscape of European football, it wouldn't work to just mess around in their own domestic league; they still needed to prove themselves in the Champions League.

Nowadays, economies are globalized, and sports competition can't escape this big trend either. No matter how much you dominate in your own territory, you won't become a king, just like Lyon, the former Ligue 1 champion. So what if they won seven consecutive championships? In Europe, no one paid attention to them, and those real powerhouses never took Lyon seriously.

If Lyon could have won a Champions League title during these seven consecutive championships, then their status would have immediately been different.

Continental competitions and cross-national competitions have an influence that has surpassed a single league.

The glorious days of Serie A's Little World Cup are long gone, and this isn't just a problem for Serie A alone. This is the general trend.

The Premier League is currently the number one football league in the world, but in the face of the Champions League, it is still somewhat lacking. Because the Champions League brings together the strongest teams from several major leagues, and it is a battlefield where all powerhouses can compete and fight. This is somewhat similar to the European Super League concept proposed by the G14 group.

Perhaps Liverpool people will feel that the league title is more important. But everyone else will think that the Champions League is the ultimate standard for measuring a team's strength.

Now that Liverpool people have realized their dream of winning the Premier League, they should also set their sights on a wider stage.

All events in January 2015 have ended, and in February, the Champions League round of 16 is about to begin.

※※※

For Martin O'Neill, the good days were over.

Yes, the easy good days were over.

This sounds strange. It should be known that the schedule is very tight during Christmas and January, so why would Martin O'Neill feel that these are easy and good days?

In January and during Christmas, although the schedule is dense, specific things should be analyzed specifically. In addition to the league, these schedules are all League Cup and FA Cup matches, and these matches can be played by the reserve team, while the first team can get enough rest.

So although the schedule seems very dense, the first team's rest time is guaranteed.

But after entering February, in addition to the League Cup, FA Cup, and domestic league matches that were already there in January, there is also the Champions League knockout stage.

This is a competition that the first team cannot rest for.

What's more, Martin O'Neill now has to face a choice.

Whether to advance on both fronts at the same time, or focus on one side...

And in January, he didn't have to make such a choice.

While Martin O'Neill was pondering the answer, he suddenly thought of another question.

The League Cup has already entered the final, and if Chen Hero insists on playing in the FA Cup, what if they also enter the final?

He said before the season that the team's goal should be to win all four championships, but at the time, he felt that he was too whimsical and too arrogant, so he didn't agree.

But according to this momentum, could it really become the situation that Chen Hero hopes for in the end?

Does Liverpool have the qualifications and ability to compete for the final championship on all four battlefields?

Then should he give up on one or several championships?