Football Card System

Margis, the old gatekeeper at the training base, turned on his old-fashioned radio as usual after the game started to listen to the broadcast. He turned the volume up to the maximum and sat in the janitor's room, playing games in peace.

"Beautiful!! Kante steals the ball from Robinho again!! Robinho has no way past Kante!!"

The voice of commentator Letkinson came through the radio, and a smile appeared at the corner of Margis' mouth. Even the beard on his chin seemed to stretch.

"This is Kante, our midfield gatekeeper!!"

"Kante!!! Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh, Kante!!!! He's a Frenchman only 1.68 meters tall, but he can seal all the gaps… He can close every opening!"

It was a song created by the fans for Kante, and Margis listened to the sound from the radio while singing along.

Robinho got up from the ground again. This was the third time he had tried to shake off Kante, but all three times, Kante had stolen the ball cleanly! He didn't even manage to win a free kick.

"Kante!! Beautiful defense!!" Letkinson cheered from the commentary booth.

"Unlike Luton's last match against Chelsea, where they played with five midfielders, this time their lineup looks like a 4-2-3-1. But in reality, the three players in front of the two defensive midfielders are hardly participating in the attack. Facing Luton's double defensive midfield lines, Manchester City hasn't even managed to get the ball into a dangerous position!!" Redknapp analyzed.

"Now you see the true strength of Luton, Jamie!" Letkinson, who was clearly leaning towards Luton, commented.

"I really didn't expect Luton's defense to be so well-organized. This proves that Gao Bo's work in Luton has been highly effective. Their win against Chelsea was no fluke." Redknapp admitted, no longer sticking to his earlier prediction.

Before the match, Mark Hughes had thought he was taking Luton seriously enough. But now he realized he had still underestimated this opponent.

Nearly ten minutes had passed since the match began, and Manchester City had only managed one shot—a forced long-range attempt from Bellamy after cutting in from the wing.

Meanwhile, Luton had yet to take a shot. Their lone striker, Vardy, had barely touched the ball. Manchester City's defensive line wasn't pressing too high, and Luton's midfield had been focused on defense rather than launching attacks.

Mark Hughes knew better than to be complacent just because Luton hadn't taken a shot yet. After all, they were only a League Two team…

Gao Bo, on the other hand, was unfazed. The gap in overall strength between his team and Manchester City was still significant. That was why he had deployed five midfielders—to create a solid defensive line in front of his back four.

Especially against Robinho, Manchester City's most threatening player, Gao Bo had specifically assigned Kante to mark him. And so far, it was working. Robinho, whose form had already begun to decline, was completely unable to shake off Kante, who had greatly improved under the influence of the system's enhancements.

But Gao Bo wasn't entirely focused on the match in these first ten minutes. He was waiting to see if the system would give him a task. Against Chelsea, a mission had appeared mid-game, which had led to a surprising turn of events. So he was hoping for a similar opportunity in this match.

Yet, after waiting for nearly ten minutes, the system remained silent.

Gao Bo eventually gave up and turned his full attention to the game.

The match was intense, with Manchester City controlling possession and pushing forward, but they struggled to break through Luton's defensive midfielders.

Luton's five midfielders—Kante, Drinkwater, Kevin Keane, Lewis, and Hassan—all had impressive stamina and athleticism. Gao Bo wasn't worried at all about their ability to keep up their work rate in the second half.

Mark Hughes' strategy relied heavily on Robinho's individual ability. But now that Robinho was neutralized, Manchester City's attack was falling flat.

Manchester City wasn't a team known for intricate possession play. Mark Hughes' system relied more on the front three attackers' individual skills.

With Robinho neutralized and Bellamy only managing occasional crosses from the wing, Manchester City struggled to find a breakthrough. Moreover, their other winger, Elano, wasn't particularly strong in aerial duels.

In this game, Zabaleta, playing as a defensive midfielder, had attempted a few forward runs. But Luton's young center-back Jeffrey had grown tremendously in his defensive abilities. With Gao Bo's encouragement and the team's recent success, the Dutch youngster was brimming with confidence.

As a result, most of Bellamy's crosses were cleared by Jeffrey.

With the central attack nullified and crosses proving ineffective, it was no surprise that Mark Hughes looked frustrated on the sidelines.

After ten minutes, Manchester City had yet to find a way through, and the match remained deadlocked.

Mark Hughes stood at the edge of the pitch, glancing at Gao Bo, who remained calm and composed. He was reminded of Luton's win over Chelsea, where Gao Bo had brilliantly used Adam White as a super-sub to surprise Scolari.

Are you trying the same trick again? You underestimate me, young man!

Compared to the 56-year-old Mark Hughes, Gao Bo was absurdly young…

Mark Hughes decided he wouldn't give Gao Bo the chance to strike on the counter in the second half. He waved to his players, instructing them to push their defensive line forward.

If Luton wanted to clog the midfield, then let's see if they could handle the pressure!

If Gao Bo knew what Mark Hughes was thinking, he would have felt wronged.

His opponent was indeed wary of a counterattack, but Gao Bo hadn't even planned on waiting until the second half.

He had been watching the time closely. According to his pre-match strategy, Manchester City would definitely attack aggressively in the opening minutes. After all, they were a Premier League team—there was no way they would sit back against a League Two side. So his plan was simple: absorb pressure in the early stages and, once City's initial burst of energy started to fade around the 15-minute mark, shift gears and dictate the tempo.

The essence of any good tactic is to make the opponent uncomfortable and yourself comfortable.

Gao Bo remembered the words of a great strategist: "When the enemy retreats, we advance. When the enemy advances, we retreat." In short, his goal was to deny Manchester City any breathing room in this game.

So, almost simultaneously, as Mark Hughes signaled for his fullbacks to push forward, Gao Bo also made a gesture from the sideline.

The game suddenly sped up!

In the 16th minute, Bellamy sent in a cross from the left, and Jeffrey cleared it.

Zabaleta picked up the loose ball outside the box and passed it to Robinho.

Before Robinho could even control it, Kante rushed in and stole it cleanly.

Drinkwater picked up the ball and immediately looked for Vardy.

At this moment, Manchester City's defenders had pushed up to the halfway line, leaving Vardy in the center circle, ready to sprint forward.

Drinkwater played a long ball over the top!

"Luton counterattack!!!"

The stadium erupted in cheers!

Gao Bo rushed to the touchline, clenched his fists, ready to celebrate!

This was the moment he had been waiting for!

Vardy sprinted down the middle, accelerating rapidly!

Kompany chased after him. Though the Belgian defender was fast, he struggled to keep up with Vardy, who had already anticipated the pass and was at full speed!

Vardy controlled the ball in mid-air with his toes, keeping it in his stride so he could continue running at full speed. Kompany could only eat his dust...

By the time Vardy reached the edge of the penalty area, Manchester City's goalkeeper Shay had already rushed out!

Faced with the onrushing keeper, Vardy stayed calm.

With a delicate flick of his right foot, he chipped the ball over the goalkeeper's head.

The ball sailed into the net behind him...

Gao Bo leaped into the air, punching his fist in triumph!

This was his tactical victory. Any head coach would be just as ecstatic to see a match unfold exactly as planned!