Chapter 44: That Cross Was Pinpoint!
"Boss!"
The day after the match against Reading, following the morning training session, Lass Diarra trailed closely behind Yang Cheng.
Once they reached a quiet spot with no one around, he called out and jogged up to him.
Then, without a hint of shyness, he extended his hand.
The message was clear.
Pay up!
Yang Cheng couldn't help but laugh at the money-hungry look on his face.
"How much?"
"We agreed—go by Sky Sports' data," Diarra replied righteously.
"Alright."
"I made 7 tackles and lost the ball twice. You owe me £300."
Yang Cheng nodded without hesitation. "No problem. Come to my office and collect it."
Diarra beamed with joy.
But when he got to the office and received the money, his expression turned sour again.
"It's all Reading's fault. Those bastards kept avoiding me. The moment I went near, they'd just pass it away."
He was visibly annoyed, like he'd been seriously wronged.
Yang Cheng didn't find it surprising.
The Reading players weren't stupid.
Even if the players lacked sense, Steve Coppell certainly didn't. If Diarra's side of the pitch was a minefield, would they still keep going there?
That would be downright brain-dead.
"You should spend more time thinking about why you lost possession twice," Yang Cheng said with a laugh.
Diarra grew even more frustrated.
Of course, he knew how he'd lost the ball those two times.
Yang Cheng didn't press the issue.
Having coached for so many years in his previous life, he'd seen his share of young players and understood their pride. They needed to be respected.
Even if your intentions were good, it was all about how you delivered the message.
Seeing that Diarra didn't leave after getting paid, Yang Cheng found it amusing.
"So, what do you think? Still up for the bet?"
As expected, the moment Yang Cheng said that, Diarra nodded without a second thought. "Bet, of course!"
Free money—how could he refuse?
Yang Cheng had no idea that after the match, Diarra had called his parents back in France and told them he'd earned an extra £300.
Converted to euros, that was €450.
That was more than his parents could make in several grueling days of work.
His father even encouraged him, saying this was a path worth sticking to—so Diarra became even more determined.
"Alright then. From now on, every match you play, same rules apply."
Yang Cheng was happy to keep the wager going. "But I'm warning you—if your form drops and your losses outweigh your wins, I'll deduct it from your wages."
Diarra nodded confidently. "No way. That won't happen."
As long as there was money on the line, he'd give 100% every game.
"We're facing Plymouth next. Let me play, yeah?" the French kid asked eagerly.
But Yang Cheng shook his head. "You'll be rested for the midweek match."
"No need, boss. I'm totally fine—feeling great, full stamina, look—"
Yang Cheng shot him a firm look and said nothing.
Diarra quickly fell silent.
The coaching staff had already explained the reason for the rotation.
Partly, it was to balance playing time across the squad.
But more importantly, for young players, too many games too soon could hurt their long-term development.
Rotation was necessary.
…
Three days later, on the night of August 10, Bayswater Chinese played their first official match at Loftus Road.
Round 2 of the Championship, hosting Plymouth.
These two sides had been rivals in League Two last season.
Yang Cheng stuck with the 4-3-3 but rotated the squad.
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart
Defense: Capaldi, José Fonte, Roger Johnson, Koscielny
Midfield: Leon Andreasen in the holding role, with Gökhan Inler and Modrić ahead of him
Forwards: Ribéry, Kitson, Ashley Young
Yang Cheng swapped out several players.
Most notably, right-back Kevin Foley was replaced by Koscielny.
One key reason: Yang Cheng still hadn't convinced Łukasz Piszczek to switch positions.
That wasn't something you could rush.
Players were human—they had their own thoughts and will.
Piszczek had always played as a right winger, sometimes even as a forward, and had just shone at the U19 European Championship.
Telling him out of the blue that he was better suited as a right-back? Forcing it on him wouldn't work.
Yang Cheng's approach was simple: take it slow.
Let Piszczek experience how hard it was to play up front in the Championship, then start the conversation gradually.
Worth mentioning: even though this match was at Loftus Road, it still drew 7,387 spectators—well above the club's forecast of 5,000.
That only confirmed Yang Cheng's earlier judgment.
As long as the team played well and got results, attendance would naturally rise.
The two sides were no strangers.
Yang Cheng had full confidence in Bayswater Chinese, so at home, they went all-in on the attack, pressing Plymouth hard from the start.
In just the 11th minute, Ribéry and Dave Kitson created a dangerous chance up front.
Though Kitson didn't get to Ribéry's cross, Plymouth's center-back Graham Coughlan scored an own goal.
1–0!
Bayswater Chinese kept piling on the pressure, while Plymouth stuck to their counterattacking strategy.
Just before halftime, Swiss midfielder Gökhan Inler made a late run and drilled a low shot from distance—finding the back of the net.
2–0!
That score held until the final whistle.
In the 61st minute of the second half, Yang Cheng subbed off Ribéry for Piszczek, moved Ashley Young to the left, and let Piszczek take the right.
The Polish winger had a few decent moments, but failed to create any real danger.
After the match, Yang Cheng made a point to comfort him and reaffirm his faith.
"I believe everything will fall into place once you get used to the team."
…
After beating Reading 3–0 in the opener, Bayswater Chinese topped the Championship table on goal difference.
Beating Plymouth in the second round made it two wins in a row.
They were the only team in the league to win their first two games.
And they remained top of the table.
Everyone was shocked.
Of the three promoted teams, QPR had one draw and one loss—losing 0–3 to Watford in Round 2.
Plymouth also had one draw and one loss.
So while two newly promoted teams hovered near the relegation zone, Bayswater Chinese sat proudly at the summit.
Even if it was early, people were still stunned.
More and more media outlets began paying attention to this Championship newcomer.
After two rounds, every team except Derby County had earned points.
That alone showed how fiercely competitive the Championship was.
…
Come the weekend, QPR were still playing away, and Bayswater Chinese were at home again for a second straight match.
This time, they drew 1–1 with Coventry.
It was partly due to the fatigue from back-to-back matches and squad rotation—and also a testament to the brutal competitiveness of the Championship.
The goal they conceded came in the 69th minute.
After struggling to break through, frustration set in.
Modrić was dispossessed in midfield, and Coventry launched a quick counter.
Huddlestone didn't get back in time to protect the penalty area, and Coventry's Stephen Hughes blasted a long-range shot past Joe Hart.
But in the crucial 89th minute, Gianni Vio's set-piece tactics worked again.
Roger Johnson powered home a key header to equalize.
The match ended in a draw.
Even so, Bayswater Chinese stayed top of the table—edging out Wigan Athletic by a single goal difference.
Still, Yang Cheng sensed a looming threat.
The team was too young.
…
August 21st, afternoon. Wigan. JJB Stadium.
Round 4 of the Championship. Bayswater Chinese away to Wigan Athletic.
A top-of-the-table clash to determine who would lead the league.
After a full week of rest, both sides were at full strength.
Both Paul Jewell and Yang Cheng sent out their strongest lineups.
With fresh legs, the midfield trio of Diarra, Modrić, and Huddlestone played brilliantly—helping the team control the game from the opening whistle.
But Wigan's defense was airtight.
Paul Jewell even assigned Matt Jackson and Per Frandsen to double-mark Ribéry—one in front, one behind.
That left the French winger completely shackled.
Modrić played as the left central midfielder in this match, but he hadn't adapted yet, and his chemistry with Ribéry wasn't quite there.
Diarra, on the other hand, remained a beast—winning and distributing the ball effectively.
Though even he occasionally lost possession.
Still, Yang Cheng was feeling pretty secure.
Until stoppage time of the first half.
In the 2nd added minute, Wigan's left-back Leighton Baines made an overlapping run at blistering speed. Receiving the pass, he whipped in a cross...
And it was inch-perfect to the far post, where Nathan Ellington was waiting.
Yang Cheng stood on the sideline, stunned.
That cross was unreal.
In that instant, he thought of Beckham's iconic curling balls.
It was that good.
Nathan Ellington, just 1.78 meters tall, somehow beat a whole line of Bayswater defenders—all of them at least 1.83 meters—and headed it in from close range.
What could Yang Cheng say?
"That number 26 is something else," Brian Kidd said with a bitter smile.
He had personally helped develop Beckham, so the cross felt very familiar to him.
The only difference—Beckham did it from the right, Baines from the left.
Yang Cheng really wanted to tell him: That's Leighton Baines—the future best left-back in the Premier League. Even Manchester United and Bayern Munich will try and fail to sign him.
"That cross was a thing of beauty. And with Jason Roberts drawing defenders at the near post, Baines' ball curled beautifully to the exact spot—there's no stopping that," Brian Kidd added helplessly.
Sometimes, that's just football.
What could Yang Cheng say?
…
Wigan's defense was truly rock solid.
Their strategy? A classic "one tall, one fast" striker duo, with relentless counterattacks.
It gave Bayswater Chinese a massive headache.
After switching sides for the second half, the visitors kept pushing forward.
Yang Cheng made aggressive substitutions, even using all three early on.
In terms of possession and pressure, Bayswater Chinese had the upper hand.
But they couldn't break through Wigan's goal.
By full time, the score was still 0–1.
Having lost away to Wigan, Bayswater Chinese surrendered the top spot, falling to fifth place.
After the match, Yang Cheng gathered the players in the locker room.
"The season is long. We're just getting started."
He believed losing the top spot wasn't a bad thing for Bayswater Chinese.
Young players needed setbacks to grow.
"I'm sure you all know deep down—we weren't mentally ready to be the league leaders."
"What we need now isn't to obsess over first place, but to focus on ourselves, improve our performances and our strength."
"As long as we perform better, as long as we show our best, what's rightfully ours—we'll take it back!"
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