Chapter 1 Dalglish Sacked?

Chen Hero was shocked by the news of Dalglish's dismissal. He never imagined that someone with such authority in the team and prestige among the fans would be sacked.

While serving his suspension, he called Chen Xing to ask what was going on.

Chen Xing actually didn't want Chen Hero to get involved in the power struggles at the top. He felt that players should just do their job and stay out of the club's personnel matters.

But Hero was his little brother, so he had to explain to avoid any cracks in their relationship.

"The club needs to move forward, and Dalglish… well… the team's performance under him is too poor. You don't want to miss out on the Champions League every year, do you?" He didn't mention the disagreements between Niang and Dalglish; he didn't think it was good for Chen Hero to hear about such things.

Chen Hero was silent.

Of course, he didn't want to keep missing out on the Champions League. He was well aware of the team's current performance under Dalglish.

The team was currently ranked eighth, further and further away from the top four in the league, and there was a risk of them continuing to slide.

But he thought Dalglish was a very good person, very protective and supportive of him. What impressed him the most was that after he tackled Richards, he was sent off with a red card. At that time, Dalglish took the initiative to hug him on the sidelines, expressing his support. In the locker room, he also talked to him, teaching him how to "take revenge while minimizing the team's losses." This made him feel that the old man was not rigid, but very lovable and approachable.

When he was falsely accused by Richards and embroiled in a racial discrimination scandal, it was also this head coach who unhesitatingly stood up for him.

"But… 'King' Kenny is a good man…" Chen Hero murmured.

"No one denies that he is a good man, but the problem is that the head coach of a team needs more than just good character… The most important thing is ability. Dalglish's coaching ability is no longer up to par. I know you like Kenny very much, and I like him too, or rather… I respect him very much. He is an old man worthy of respect. No one can doubt his love for Liverpool. That's why he chose to resign through negotiation. This is Dalglish's decision, and you have to respect it…"

Chen Hero was completely speechless.

Now that things had come to this, he knew that as a player, his words carried little weight, and nothing he said would make a difference.

He was now regretting that malicious tackle on Richards. Why was the team's recent performance so poor, with two consecutive losses? Wasn't it because he was suspended, and Suárez and Gerrard were injured? Dalglish really had no one to use.

If he hadn't been suspended and was still on the field, he might have been able to help Dalglish and prevent him from being sacked so easily.

But now it was too late.

He felt that he should comfort Dalglish.

After hanging up Chen Xing's phone, he called Dalglish.

It was already past nine o'clock in the evening.

Dalglish's voice sounded a little tired.

The news of his dismissal had been announced yesterday, and only one day had passed. He hadn't recovered from that沮丧ju sang (depressed) and failed mood.

But his fatigue had nothing to do with these things. During the day, he had received too many calls from reporters and friends and family, all asking him what had happened. Dealing with these people made him seem very tired.

He was a little surprised that Chen Hero had called.

"You're not a reporter, Hero. What are you calling for?"

"I heard you're only going to stay until the end of this season…"

"Yes, I've parted ways with the club peacefully. This is my last season at Liverpool." In his words, this Liverpool legend was a little sad.

He knew that once he left Liverpool this time, he didn't know when he would be able to return. Because he was not on good terms with Liverpool's current owner and general manager. The King's pride would not allow him to continue to grovel under his enemies just to get a job.

Perhaps the next time he returned to Anfield, it would be after those two Chinese guys were gone.

Chen Hero didn't know how to comfort the old man. To be honest, he had never been very good at comforting people… He was silent.

Dalglish laughed: "You're the first player to call me, Hero. I've received a lot of calls today, all from reporters and my friends. They all want to know what happened. I thank you very much."

"Why don't I call Chen Xing? I have a good relationship with him. I can put in a good word for you?" Chen Hero's words were a bit childish.

Dalglish laughed even more happily: "There's no need for that, Hero. I know you have a good relationship with him, otherwise you wouldn't have come to Liverpool, right?"

"Uh…" Chen Hero was really embarrassed to tell him that he hadn't originally planned to come to Liverpool at all, but it was just because he had made a bet with someone… The whole world didn't know about this. Many people just thought that Chen Hero was willing to come to Liverpool because Chen Xing had a very close personal relationship with him, and maybe he had promised him a lot of benefits in private.

"But I'm still very grateful that they brought you here. Liverpool needs to rise and revive, and you are the most crucial figure. I know that you've never stayed at any club for a full contract cycle, but this time I hope you can stay at Liverpool for a longer period of time. Stephen (Gerrard) is old, and you see how fragile his body has become? This injury may keep him out for as long as half a year. Liverpool's future can't all be placed on his shoulders. I hope you can support him, help him, and work with him to make Liverpool revive and rise again. I know players have their own choices, and it's their freedom to leave or stay. But I still hope you can stay here for a while longer, at least… bring us a Premier League trophy."

Unexpectedly, in the end, Dalglish was entrusting Chen Hero with a mission. In the phone call, the old man rambled about his love for Liverpool—he didn't directly say how much he loved Liverpool, but just asked Chen Hero to stay a little longer, a little longer, and bring championships and glory to Liverpool. If he didn't love Liverpool, he would never have said such things to Chen Hero. It was like a dying person clutching at a life-saving straw.

In Dalglish's eyes, Chen Hero was Liverpool's life-saving straw.

Now, he could only believe that Chen Hero could bring Liverpool back to its glory.

He reflected for a day and then had to admit that, anyway, relying on him, there was no way to truly lead the Reds back to the level of sweeping across Europe in the 1980s.

What about Gerrard? He was an excellent player, a great captain and leader, but he was already old, and at only thirty-one years old, he was starting to get injured frequently. This was a very dangerous signal. Who knew how many more years Gerrard could last, and whether these frequent injuries would have a bad impact on his form and level?

Chen Hero was only twenty-three years old, and the golden age of his career hadn't even arrived yet. He had plenty of time, and if Liverpool really wanted to revive, they could only place their hopes on the twenty-three-year-old Chen Hero.

Chen Hero was silent for a while and didn't respond to Dalglish's words immediately.

Dalglish thought this was a refusal, and then he laughed mockingly: "Forget it, people get confused when they get old. Look at what I'm saying? Just pretend you didn't hear it… For you, it might not be easy to understand what the name Liverpool means to people like us…"

Chen Hero interrupted him: "I don't know how long I'll stay here, boss. But I think, while I'm still here, winning a Premier League title shouldn't be too difficult… I was just considering how many to win…"

Dalglish on the other end of the phone choked on his saliva, and he coughed violently.

After coughing, he laughed with tears in his eyes: "You're a real bastard, Hero. Liverpool has been chasing the Premier League title for almost twenty years, and you make it sound as easy as eating…"

Perhaps he could tell that Dalglish's mood on the other end of the phone had improved, Chen Hero laughed嘿嘿 hei hei (an onomatopoeia for a chuckle): "I came to Liverpool to win championships. I will definitely not leave here empty-handed." Seeing that they seemed to be having a pleasant conversation, an idea suddenly popped into his head. He wanted to put in a good word for his good friend.

"That, boss… there's something I've always wanted to say to you, but I always felt it wasn't appropriate."

"What is it? You promised to help Liverpool win the league title. Just say whatever you want!" At this moment, the King's aura reappeared in him.

"That is… can you not keep Adam on the bench?"

"Adam? Isn't he always a starter?" Dalglish reacted.

"Uh… I'm not talking about Charlie Adam, I'm talking about Adam Johnson. I know players shouldn't interfere with the head coach's tactics, but if Adam can play, I think it will be easier for me to score… Isn't that also a good thing for the team's performance? Although I don't understand why you always don't give him a chance to play, I think he is very good, and such a good player can help the team. If Liverpool wants to revive, it can't be without such a player…"

Dalglish was stunned as he listened. Of course, he had already decided to do Chen Hero this favor, but it suddenly occurred to him that perhaps his love for Liverpool wasn't as great as he thought?

In fact, he also knew that if Adam Johnson played, it would be easier for Chen Hero to score, and if Chen Hero scored more goals, Liverpool's chances of winning would be greater.

But in order to fight with Niang, he had stubbornly kept Adam Johnson, who could have strengthened the team, on the bench and in the stands. If he had let Adam Johnson play, his results wouldn't have been so bad, right? Maybe he wouldn't have been sacked? Or at least he wouldn't have given the higher-ups a reason to sack him…

In the final analysis, he still hadn't put his love for Liverpool first. In his personal feud with Niang, he abandoned Liverpool, so now Liverpool had also abandoned him.

He sighed: "I'll talk to Adam, Hero."

"Thank you, boss! I really don't want Adam to leave the team after one season. Like you, he is actually a good person!"

※※※

The next day, when Chen Hero was interviewed by reporters, he was asked what he thought about Dalglish's dismissal.

He unhesitatingly expressed his support for Dalglish, hoping that Dalglish could stay: "He is a very good person, and I don't think the team's poor performance should be the responsibility of the head coach alone. If possible, I still hope that he can continue to coach… But… hey, it's not up to me!"

He waved his hand at the end, looking rather disappointed.

Then he shook his head and walked away.