Chapter 43: We Were Upset!
Brian Kidd was growing more and more impressed with Yang Cheng.
But at the same time, he was also increasingly confused by him.
Even though they'd worked together for a year, there were plenty of times when he genuinely had no idea what Yang Cheng was thinking.
It was only after the fact—sometimes long after—that the pieces finally fell into place.
Just like now.
Last season, Bayswater Chinese boasted a ferocious attack, but their biggest problem was defense.
The center-back pairing of Koscielny and Roger Johnson was infamous for being reckless and rash.
Yet, Yang Cheng didn't make any defensive adjustments throughout the whole season.
He didn't even try to have the team play more conservatively.
But now, with the club in the Championship—a league with tougher competition, stronger opponents, and more tactical depth—there was no way they could keep playing the same way.
Improving the defense was a must.
The real question was: how?
After selling Martin Rowlands, how would the midfield be restructured?
That became the puzzle staring everyone in the face.
Any other coach would have racked their brain over it.
But Yang Cheng?
His solution was something no one had expected.
He brought in José Fonte.
A young center-back who couldn't even get playing time in Portugal—not exactly a powerhouse signing.
But this guy had a special trait: he was calm, rational, and had sky-high emotional intelligence.
Not only did he get along well in the dressing room, but he also clicked with his teammates on the pitch.
More importantly, the others actually listened to him.
Yang Cheng's 4-3-3 system naturally pushed the backline higher up the pitch. Koscielny was fast, explosive, great one-on-one, and liked to step up aggressively.
The team encouraged Koscielny to press up.
Because with his pace and explosiveness, even if he missed, he could recover in time.
The problem was, Koscielny's aggressive pressing often left him out of position.
From the first preseason match, Yang Cheng and Brian Kidd noticed that José Fonte had a knack for timely reminders during matches, making Koscielny look much more composed.
Interestingly, Yang Cheng tried pairing Fonte with Koscielny, Skrtel, and Roger Johnson—and all the combinations worked well.
But any other pairing among the other three? Not so great.
You had to admire José Fonte's personality—it was a real asset.
Once the backline was sorted, the midfield was next.
When Leon Andreasen arrived, many assumed he'd challenge Huddlestone's place.
The Danish midfielder could play both center-back and defensive midfielder and was known for his defensive ability.
And wasn't Bayswater Chinese's biggest weakness defense?
Everyone assumed the midfield needed bolstering.
And the obvious place to start was the holding midfielder.
But what happened?
Huddlestone, with his superior passing range, remained the starter.
And Martin Rowlands' role? That was handed to Lass Diarra.
The short French midfielder was a relentless runner and a tenacious ball-winner.
Once Diarra was unleashed, Bayswater Chinese's midfield pressure visibly eased.
Even better, the areas where they were regaining possession moved further up the pitch.
And everyone knows—the higher you win the ball, the quicker and more dangerous the counterattack.
It all came together in the opening round of the Championship season away at Reading, where Bayswater Chinese struck first and controlled the entire first half.
Last season's near-promotion contenders, Reading, looked utterly disjointed at home—outplayed and overwhelmed by a newly promoted team that had never even competed in the second tier before.
Watching the match, Brian Kidd couldn't help but be full of admiration.
Yang Cheng's use of Lass Diarra was simply brilliant.
And if he wasn't mistaken, the team also had another player with a similar profile—Matuidi.
Then what about Gökhan Inler?
If Leon Andreasen played the holding role, pairing Diarra ahead of him might be overkill. But in that case, why not partner Inler with Modrić?
Two completely different midfield setups.
Thinking about all this, Brian Kidd looked over at Yang Cheng on the touchline and was filled with wonder.
Other than calling him a genius, he couldn't explain how a 23-year-old—fresh out of university, with no coaching experience and not even a coaching license—could possess such deep tactical understanding.
Just then, Yang Cheng quickly stepped to the edge of the technical area and called out to Diarra.
"Number 15! Shut him down!" Yang Cheng gestured clearly.
Reading's No. 15: James Harper.
Poor guy—he was about to have a rough time.
…
"Reading's looking to launch a quick counterattack."
"A midfield pass—Sidwell receives, and lays it off to Andrew Hughes."
"One more pass, to James Harper."
"Let's see how this develops—Harper with the ball, trying to dribble past…"
"He's dispossessed!"
"Bayswater Chinese win the ball back in the attacking half."
"Once again, it's Lass Diarra!"
"This player is showing excellent defensive work today."
"Diarra pushes forward with the ball himself, leading the counterattack."
"Bayswater Chinese breaking at lightning speed!"
"Reading are scrambling to get back!"
"Diarra runs into Sidwell, who's tracked back well…"
"Passes it!"
"Good ball!"
"Modrić picks it up, lays it off—space on the left side of the box!"
"Ribéry arrives—takes the shot!"
"GOAL!!!"
"Franck Ribéry strikes again for Bayswater Chinese!"
"41st minute of the first half, and the French winger doubles the lead."
"2–0!"
"Reading have had an absolutely dreadful first half."
"So far, they've barely put together a coherent attack—just two shots, both harmless long-range efforts."
"Bayswater Chinese, on the other hand—this newly promoted side is dazzling in their Championship debut, continuing the beautiful attacking style that defined their League Two campaign."
…
As Bayswater Chinese celebrated wildly on the pitch, Steve Coppell stood frozen at the touchline, face dark and full of disbelief.
Behind him, assistant Wally Downs wore the same stunned expression.
They had spent the past month preparing meticulously, crafting specific tactics for this match—and in the end, none of it worked.
It was like having their weapons confiscated and their hands tied, completely helpless.
This was a newly promoted team?
Didn't they say that selling Martin Rowlands and Martin Devaney had severely weakened Bayswater Chinese?
And what about that Lass Diarra kid?
A signing from Ligue 2—how was he this good?
And Dave Kitson…
That guy was really something.
It hurt. A lot.
…
With Bayswater Chinese up 2–0 at halftime, Reading made the first substitutions of the second half.
One of the forwards was replaced during the break to strengthen the midfield.
That barely stabilized things.
But there was no way Coppell was going to accept a home defeat just like that.
So in the 57th minute, he made another change.
Off came center-back Adie Williams. On came 34-year-old striker Shaun Goater.
A Manchester United academy product, Goater had played for Manchester City and joined Reading in 2003. He had been excellent in League One last season.
Coppell hoped Goater's experience and firepower could spark something up front.
Yang Cheng, meanwhile, made no changes, sticking to the first-half tactics and continuing to press Reading.
In the 63rd minute, another turnover in the attacking third. Ribéry picked up the ball, but Diarra's positioning forced him to change direction, and he was fouled by Sidwell.
Bayswater Chinese earned a free kick in a dangerous area.
Yang Cheng and Brian Kidd could only shake their heads.
This wasn't a one-off.
It had happened multiple times in the match.
Diarra's range was immense—which was great.
But Ribéry tended to cut inside and operate in the half-spaces.
If Diarra was smart, he'd avoid Ribéry's area.
But Reading weren't fools either.
After being robbed a few times, they started actively avoiding Diarra.
Flustered, the French youngster began charging recklessly into every area.
"Maybe we should consider moving Modrić to the left," Brian Kidd suggested.
Modrić playing as the left central midfielder was totally viable.
In fact, his right foot on the left side gave him more options.
He'd also be closer to Ribéry—enhancing their link-up.
"Lennon holds width on the right, which gives Diarra more space to operate."
Lennon was still very young, and Yang Cheng had been using him in a simple role.
Young players could get overwhelmed if the tasks were too complicated.
"Let's try it in training. We can test it in the next official match," Yang Cheng said.
While the two were talking, Gianni Vio had already stepped up from the bench, shouting instructions from the sideline, signaling how the team should set up and what routine to follow.
Ribéry, the team's best technician, stepped up to take the free kick.
The Frenchman curled a perfect delivery toward the near side of the six-yard box.
Dave Kitson had started near the penalty spot, but somehow slipped away like a ghost, darting into position.
He muscled past Glen Little and powered a close-range header into the net.
Goal.
3–0.
A brace for Kitson!
He sprinted out of the pitch in celebration, and the entire Bayswater squad followed him, erupting with joy.
Yang Cheng and Brian Kidd couldn't stop smiling, even distracting Gianni Vio on the sideline.
During preseason, Yang Cheng had handed over all set-piece routines to Vio.
And the Italian hadn't let him down.
In the very first game of the season, they scored off a set piece.
Over at the home team's dugout, Steve Coppell looked even more devastated.
Kitson had scored a brace...
And it hurt. Even more.
…
After the third goal, Yang Cheng immediately made substitutions.
Ashley Young came on for Ribéry.
Gökhan Inler replaced Modrić.
These were two of Yang Cheng's most trusted players—key to Bayswater Chinese's core.
The season had just started, but with back-to-back matches coming up, Yang Cheng had to conserve some energy.
With the visitors up 3–0, Reading's morale was shattered.
Coppell had already used two of his subs early and didn't dare make risky moves.
The match settled into a rhythm, with Bayswater Chinese maintaining their control.
In the 81st minute, Lambert replaced Dave Kitson.
In the end, Bayswater Chinese secured a resounding 3–0 away win over Reading.
It was their first-ever match in the Championship, and it put them squarely in the spotlight.
A newly promoted team, going away and taking down a side aiming for Premier League promotion?
That was headline material.
Even more impressively, Bayswater Chinese stuck to the same passing, possession-heavy, attacking style they'd played all of last season—without compromising, even in a tough away match.
It shocked a lot of fans.
Teams like this—focused on technical play, possession, and attacking football—were rare even in the Premier League, let alone the Championship.
Last season, their upset win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge had introduced Bayswater Chinese to English fans—and even to Europe.
Now, the nationwide broadcast of their Championship debut made even more fans take notice.
The only sour note came from Reading's head coach, Steve Coppell, who stubbornly claimed in the post-match press conference that the loss was a fluke.
"The first match of the new season is always tricky. We got caught out."
"But I still firmly believe that Reading are one of the most competitive teams in the Championship this season."
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