Football: I can see player entries.

Chapter 220 The Tragedy of David Lewis

Li Yanqing had to admit that luck played a significant role in that shot.

It was entirely due to Ibrahimovic's individual ability that he made it in.

But it is precisely because he can poke these seemingly impossible shots into the opponent's goal that he appears so powerful.

That's what makes a top player.

However, West Ham United also has its own top players.

After conceding a goal, Payet started playing like crazy.

He did it for no other reason than to vent his anger for Lancini.

They all knew how much missing the World Cup would affect the player's mentality.

What's past cannot be changed.

But at least against Burton, the team that caused his injury, they didn't want to lose again.

The player's status bar is stirring; "Excellent" seems likely to change soon.

Li Yanqing was terrified when he saw this.

isn't it?

Come again?

He could still recall what Pogba's performance was like when he was in top form.

Almost no one could stop them.

Payet is inferior to Pogba and Ibrahimovic in many ways.

But there is no doubt that he is an absolute top player.

If it really goes off the charts, that would be troublesome.

Is Sun Yan about to be turned into a busy street by the same person again after mastering the technical terms?

That will probably be a psychological shadow he can never erase for the rest of his life.

However, Li Yanqing's prayers were obviously ineffective, because two minutes later, Paye's status bar completely turned into "off the charts".

"Substitute!"

Li Yanqing decisively signaled for a substitution.

He no longer cared about what would happen in the second half; he just wanted to substitute Sun Yan.

It would be a huge loss if our own players were ruined.

Now that Cheng Mengmeng isn't here and Chris is busy, there's no one to be his mentor.

Even if they have to lose, they shouldn't lose in a meaningless match.

"David! Come on!"

David Lewis replaced him, but both he and Sun Yan, who was about to be replaced, were a little confused.

It hasn't even been forty minutes yet!

"Paye will probably play his best in the second half, and I'm afraid Sun Yan won't be able to hold on."

"You're more reliable."

Li Yanqing gave a brief explanation, but David Lewis, unaware of the danger, simply chuckled to himself.

"Don't worry, leave it to me!"

"I'll keep that kid in check!"

Li Yanqing couldn't dampen his players' enthusiasm, so he could only smile, nod, and say "Mm."

It would be a miracle if they could defend against it.

He felt that to defend against a top striker in peak condition, one would need to find a top defender who was also in peak condition.

Otherwise, it will be very difficult.

As for David Luiz's defensive abilities...

It's hard to say.

Fortunately, he is mature enough, and Li Yanqing believes that even if he is beaten up, he will not have any mental problems.

The veterans are much more stable than the younger ones in this respect.

Not only did Li Yanqing make substitutions, he also moved Anderson and Matias back to their wing positions.

This changed their formation to 4-1-3-2.

In the second half, they substituted Ibrahimovic again and brought on a defensive midfielder, which turned them back into their most familiar 4-2-3-1 formation.

Even if Payet is incredibly skilled, his teammates aren't as good as the Manchester United players, so it won't be easy for him to score.

Ten minutes later, the first half ended.

Sun Yan patted his chest, and at that moment, he finally realized how good his head coach had been to him.

David Luiz was beaten three times in just ten minutes of playing time.

He's starting to have some doubts about life.

In the final minutes, he was even using both hands and feet to intercept the other side...

"Enzo, mission canceled. Just focus on defense."

"Then, in the second half I brought on Baselli, and when Payet came over, you guys just surrounded him."

"When you're not in the restricted area, you should foul when necessary."

During halftime, Li Yanqing emphasized tactics in the locker room.

It all boils down to one point: locking down Paye.

I don't need to score goals, I just want to keep the game going until the end.

The players didn't think he was making a mountain out of a molehill; just look at David's expression...

Even with such importance attached to the game, the second half still turned into a solo performance by the opposing team.

David Luiz was on close defense, Enzo was harassing him from the side, Araujo was blocking him in front, and Anderson was helping him from behind.

This defensive method is enough to defend against Messi.

But Payet himself put on an excellent performance, tirelessly breaking into the penalty area even though he would immediately dribble past one player only to be followed by another.

There is no passing lane.

There were no shooting routes either.

All he can do is receive the ball and keep driving inside.

Once you get past all the players, you'll always have a chance to shoot.

"Is this guy... really not just padding his stats?"

"Also, isn't he tired?"

Lehmann has been on the pitch for many years, but it's still rare to see something like this.

Despite his defensive efforts, his teammates kept passing the ball to him.

"At least we don't want to spend money with him."

Li Yanqing shrugged.

For most of the second half, they watched Payet charge in alone.

It's been almost seventy minutes now, and he's been playing for nearly half an hour.

Although there has been little progress yet, it is clear from their formation that West Ham United are pressing closer and closer.

Burton devoted most of his energy to Payet.

The other side only attacks occasionally, and the not-so-strong right winger has already created several shooting opportunities.

They haven't conceded a goal yet, but the situation is critical.

"We've found another problem, Jens."

"We haven't parked a bus in so long!"

Parking the bus was one of Burton's most frequently used tactics when they were still in the Championship.

But after a few rounds of this season, Li Yanqing has relegated this tactic, which Mourinho was most proud of, to the sidelines.

Firstly, the players' abilities are not well-matched, and secondly, their offensive level is strong enough.

In short, it's been a long time since we've spent almost half the game playing defensively.

Moreover, even Murphy didn't stay in the attacking third, but returned to the edge of the penalty area.

That was the only time.

"Yes, so are you going to buy a tough, athletic player next season?"

"Especially our defenders."

Lehmann certainly understood that the team had a big problem when they were playing defensively.

Apart from a few defensive midfielders who are excellent at defense, most of them are strong in attack but weak in defense.

As for the defense, Blind and Justin are definitely attacking players.

David Luiz can occasionally put on a tough defensive performance, provided the opposing team doesn't have any offensive players in overly good form.

Bradford, who starts every game, isn't up to par. He's tough enough, but his technique is lacking.

“We can consider it…” Before Li Yanqing could finish speaking, the commentator’s voice came from the other end.

“gooooooooal!”

"A goal that equalizes the score!"

"Payet made his only successful pass of the game after a long run of attacking play."

"Lanzini received the ball and took a shot!"