Soccer: I’m Building a Giant in the Premier League

Chapter 27: The Genius Coach

The first upset of 2004!

After the third round of the FA Cup concluded, all of Britain was in an uproar.

Every media outlet was frantically reporting on the match at Stamford Bridge.

No one could believe that a team from League Two had managed to defeat the star-studded Chelsea 2–1 away from home.

The Times even published a match commentary, stating that judging purely from this game, Bayswater Chinese's performance was on par with Chelsea's.

"Each side played one brilliant half!"

This authoritative British outlet asserted that the technical and tactical display by Bayswater Chinese was not something a League Two side should normally possess—it was of exceptionally high tactical quality.

"Even against a powerhouse like Chelsea, Bayswater Chinese executed fluent passing and coordinated movement. The players displayed such strong understanding that their performance looked incredibly smooth."

The Times praised Bayswater Chinese for exhibiting a distinct and unique tactical style.

Especially in midfield.

"Martin Rowlands, Luka Modrić, Tom Huddlestone."

"Strictly speaking, Bayswater Chinese's midfield lacks traditional iron warriors."

"But it's precisely this group of technically gifted players that, when facing a midfield filled with stars like Makelele, Lampard, and Mutu, held their ground without looking inferior in the slightest."

"In fact, they played with even more structure."

The best player on the pitch was French winger Franck Ribéry.

This fearsome-looking scar-faced menace rose to fame after this match.

In the first half alone, he tore Chelsea's defense apart—especially the right side, where Melchiot was repeatedly shredded.

Both of Bayswater Chinese's goals and nearly all threatening attacks came from Ribéry's feet.

The omnipresent Sun quickly unearthed the backstory.

Only then did the public learn that Ribéry had been expelled from Lille's youth system and had played in France's fourth and third divisions before joining Bayswater Chinese.

This was his first time showcasing his skills in front of English fans.

Even through television, everyone was stunned by his talent.

The Sun revealed that French national team captain Marcel Desailly and Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele both sought Ribéry out after the game to speak with him—clearly impressed by the French winger.

But the biggest surprise came from The Guardian, which uncovered another secret.

Bayswater Chinese's nominal head coach was Brian Kidd, but in reality, the team was being managed by a 23-year-old Chinese man: Yang Cheng.

Moreover, Yang Cheng was the only son of the club's owner.

That revelation shocked not just Britain, but the entire European football world.

It's common for a head coach without proper credentials to operate behind the scenes while an assistant holds the official title. Even for a name as big as Brian Kidd, this wouldn't raise eyebrows.

But a club owner acting as the actual head coach? Across all of European football, that was unheard of!

What's more shocking—the owner was only 23 years old!

And most outrageous of all—this young owner led his team to topple star-studded Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, playing a style of football that won widespread acclaim!

Once the news broke, media and fans swarmed in like bees to honey.

Yang Cheng and Bayswater Chinese quickly dominated headlines across all major outlets.

A 23-year-old head coach—if that's not a genius, what is?

What Yang Cheng didn't expect was Brian Kidd's interview with The Sun, where he revealed that the main reason he agreed to join Bayswater Chinese as an assistant was Yang Cheng himself.

"We only met once, and I decided to accept the offer."

"His vision for football moved me. He wants to walk a different path."

"I believe he will bring new ideas to English football, helping us see more possibilities."

"In fact, I believe this could very well be our future!"

If anyone else had said this, people would've laughed them off.

But these words came from Brian Kidd—

Current assistant coach of the England national team, one of the architects of Manchester United's Class of '92.

Brian Kidd commands immense respect in English football. His words only brought more attention to Yang Cheng and Bayswater Chinese from both media and fans.

The immediate result was that for their next home match—League Two Round 27 against Rushden & Diamonds—all 5,000 tickets sold out. Scalpers even started appearing.

...

"Brian, that interview of yours totally blew my cover."

In the Bayswater Chinese office, Yang Cheng laughed as he teased Brian Kidd.

But in truth, it was a good thing.

At the very least, the media and fans were now paying more attention to Bayswater Chinese.

Judging by Lin Zhongqiu's beaming expression, ticket sales were clearly booming.

Bayswater Chinese had 11 home games left in League Two. If they could fill the stadium for each one, ticket revenue would see a significant boost.

That would help ease the club's debt burden.

More importantly, if they got promoted to the Championship next season, revenue would jump considerably.

"I was just telling the truth," Brian Kidd replied with a smile.

"These past years, we've all been searching and experimenting."

At this point, his expression turned wistful.

Yang Cheng nodded. "The Heysel and Hillsborough disasters had an impact on English football that no one anticipated."

"Indeed," Brian Kidd sighed, filled with mixed emotions.

The history of football tactics is long and storied.

Each country has developed its own tactical style based on factors like ethnicity, climate, and culture.

Many people associate English football with long balls and aerial attacks.

While that's not wrong, it's an oversimplification.

Put simply, continental European systems often drive play from the center toward the flanks.

As the Italians say: "No matter how strong your wing play is, goals still come from the center."

Thus, Italy rarely produces exceptional wide players.

England's system, on the other hand, pushes play from the wings into the middle.

That's why traditional English central midfielders lack ball control skills.

This tactic emphasizes long balls and crossing to exploit speed on the flanks.

It was this approach that led to England's football glory and their World Cup triumph.

Brian Kidd was a top star during England's golden era.

"But after winning the World Cup, we slumped in subsequent tournaments, and talent development fell behind."

"People started reflecting. We conducted studies across continental Europe."

"We realized that traditional thinking needed to evolve. We had to absorb the strengths of continental tactics."

"For example, we needed to improve control in midfield. Our old box-to-box midfielders had to develop ball-handling skills."

"All of this culminated in a youth academy reform, which brought us success in the late '70s and '80s."

As a proud Englishman and Manchester United stalwart, Kidd couldn't help but feel pride when talking about that era.

Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, Liverpool—English clubs dominated European football.

And English youth talent exploded.

English players going abroad reached its peak in those years.

Although the national team didn't achieve great results, English football was truly in its prime.

"But it all came crashing down with the Heysel disaster!"

"UEFA's ban cut off English clubs from the continent, completely halting our progress."

"The Hillsborough disaster only worsened things."

"The once-invincible Liverpool dynasty fell apart. Top clubs were barred from Europe and shut their doors, entertaining only themselves."

"Shutting ourselves off and poor league management made our youth development and tactics regress to old ways."

Gerrard and Lampard were products of this era.

They were the best of their generation, yet their limitations reflected England's backward youth development.

Before that?

They produced gifted, technically brilliant players like Gascoigne.

People mock the British media for hyping up "geniuses," but isn't that a form of nostalgia for past glory?

"While we shut ourselves in, a revolutionary team was born on the continent."

"Sacchi's Milan brought the most disruptive tactical shift in modern football."

"And we, all of England, missed that revolution."

"When we returned to Europe years later, we were dismayed to find our youth systems and tactical thinking had fallen a full generation behind."

Yang Cheng could understand Brian Kidd's frustration.

After all, Kidd was once among the world's top players.

"These past years, we've all been trying hard. Ferguson may seem arrogant, but he's very forward-thinking and open to learning—so long as you can prove you're better."

"Wenger arrived, then Houllier, Ranieri, Eriksson—they all brought modern continental tactics and management."

"They forced us to see the full extent of our shortcomings—from youth training to tactics to club operations—but they also pointed us in the right direction."

Sensing the heavy atmosphere, Yang Cheng gave a light smile. "Come on, Brian, don't be so pessimistic. At least you guys gave birth to the Premier League—an incredible achievement."

Compared to Serie A, La Liga, or the Bundesliga, the Premier League's emergence was monumental.

Brian Kidd gave a bitter smile.

"But you've seen it yourself. Clubs are drowning in debt, struggling to stay afloat. Even star players are being mortgaged. Who has money for youth training?"

"Forget youth development—just look at training grounds. Out of the 20 Premier League clubs, aside from Manchester United and Arsenal, how many have facilities worth mentioning?"

What Kidd said was true.

Chelsea, for example—their training ground outside Heathrow Airport was run-down and outdated.

Tottenham's was no better.

And those were top-tier Premier League teams.

What about the rest?

That's why the Premier League now welcomed foreign investment with open arms.

They knew that without foreign capital, both the Premier League and English football would be dead in the water.

"Things will get better, Brian," Yang Cheng reassured.

With the influx of foreign capital, the Premier League's rise was inevitable.

Yang Cheng was determined to seize this opportunity and lead Bayswater Chinese to rise with the tide—becoming a top club not just in England, but across Europe and the world!

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