Chapter 68: Taming the Beast
No one knew quite why, but Adam Crozier had walked into the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
He was no stranger to this venue.
The moment he saw the seat number on his ticket, he knew—Yang Cheng had arranged for him to sit in Bayswater Chinese's supporter section.
And it was a pretty good seat too.
It was raining outside, so the stadium's roof had been closed.
That only made the atmosphere inside more intense.
Walking through the tunnel, Crozier could already hear the roar of the crowd building inside the stadium—even before kickoff, the energy was overwhelming. Once the match started?
It was going to be madness.
He stepped out into the bowl of the stadium and quickly found his seat.
His eyes were instantly drawn to someone who stood out, even among a crowd of fans—Xia Qing.
Even with cultural differences in beauty standards, and even though Adam Crozier had seen his share of stunning women, every time he saw Xia Qing, he couldn't help but admire her.
She really was beautiful.
But he always reminded himself:
Keep your distance.
Xia Qing was warm, poised, and graceful, but there was a certain aura about her.
Crozier always felt she wasn't someone ordinary.
And in this regard, he was much sharper than his predecessor Mark Palios.
"Hello, Mr. Crozier."
"Good afternoon, Miss Xia."
They had met once before, at a dinner with Yang Cheng.
Xia Qing knew very well that Yang Cheng was trying to recruit Adam Crozier.
This match invitation was just one more step in the plan.
But she hadn't expected he would actually show up.
Lin Zhongqiu, seated nearby, looked completely dumbfounded.
He had visited the FA countless times over the past few years and of course had seen Adam Crozier before.
The man had been Chief Executive of the FA—a towering figure for a lower-league club like Bayswater Chinese.
And now Yang Cheng had gotten him to come to a match?
Thinking back to how Yang had hinted this might happen, Lin couldn't help feeling it was surreal.
Does this guy actually have some kind of sixth sense?
"I'm surprised to see you here, Miss Xia. Have you already left Goldman Sachs to join Bayswater Chinese?"
Crozier asked casually, his tone light.
"Not yet," Xia Qing replied, smiling graciously.
"Not yet?" he latched on immediately, sensing an opportunity.
Xia Qing nodded. "Still finishing up the exit process."
"Oh? So you weren't happy at Goldman?" he probed further.
For reasons he couldn't quite explain, Crozier found himself genuinely curious about her decision.
Maybe it was because, in his impression, Xia Qing was sharp, competent, and thoughtful.
"No, it's just that after a while, I realized I didn't enjoy the lifestyle or work culture of investment banking. I want to try something newer, more challenging."
"Such as?"
Xia Qing laughed softly and pointed down to the pitch. "This, for example. Isn't it exciting?"
Then she added with a grin, "And Yang Cheng made a pretty generous offer."
Crozier chuckled.
Both reasons were amusing—and valid.
"I must admit, I didn't expect him to actually take this team to a League Cup final."
"Who knows? There may be more surprises coming."
Crozier raised an eyebrow. "You think he can win?"
"He's very confident," Xia Qing said. Then, after a pause, added, "And I'm really hoping he does."
Could they?
Crozier didn't voice the question aloud.
They were up against Chelsea—a super club that had spent heavily over the last two seasons.
The two teams weren't even on the same level.
It just didn't seem realistic.
But the more he thought about Xia Qing's words, the more Crozier realized—
He was hoping for it too.
Because in football, if the stronger side always wins, and the weaker side never has a chance…
What's the point of the game?
It's the same in life.
Must the weak always bow to the strong?
Must you spend your whole career lost in a giant corporation?
Or… can you embrace the risk, take a leap, and try something bolder?
Yang Cheng and Xia Qing had already made their choice.
What about Adam Crozier?
Suddenly, the CEO of Royal Mail let out a big laugh.
"Miss Xia, you really are an excellent persuader."
Xia Qing smiled but didn't reply.
Yet in her heart, she couldn't help thinking—
Have I been brainwashed by Yang Cheng?
…
"And now, under the supervision of referee Steve Bennett, the two teams are walking out onto the pitch!"
"This afternoon, the Millennium Stadium is hosting a total of 78,000 fans."
"This is the highest attendance ever for a League Cup Final!"
"Half the crowd are Chelsea fans—the other half, supporters of Bayswater Chinese."
"But interestingly, we can see that among the Bayswater Chinese fans, quite a few are wearing Chelsea shirts."
"That's because many Chelsea fans, unable to get tickets for their end, bought tickets in the Bayswater section."
"So in reality, this afternoon at the Millennium Stadium—Chelsea fans will probably outnumber the opposition."
"Let's take a look at the starting lineups."
"Chelsea line up in a 4-3-3 formation."
Goalkeeper: Petr Čech
Defense: William Gallas, Ricardo Carvalho, John Terry, Paulo Ferreira
Midfield: Claude Makélélé (holding), Frank Lampard, Tiago
Forwards: Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba, Damien Duff
"This is probably Chelsea's strongest available XI."
"On the bench, Mourinho still has options like Glen Johnson, Eidur Gudjohnsen, and Mateja Kežman."
"Just look at that bench depth—absolutely stacked."
"Now let's look at Bayswater Chinese."
"Yang Cheng sticks with a 4-3-3 as well."
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer
Defense: Danny Collins, José Fonte, Martin Škrtel, Łukasz Piszczek
Midfield: Tom Huddlestone (holding), Luka Modrić, Lassana Diarra
Forwards: Franck Ribéry, Rickie Lambert, Aaron Lennon
"Compared to previous matches, Yang Cheng has made two changes today."
"Slovakian center-back Škrtel starts in place of Koscielny—he's clearly there to deal with Chelsea's powerhouse striker, Didier Drogba."
"Piszczek, once a winger and striker, has been converted into a full-back. He's done well lately and gets the nod over Kevin Foley."
"And one of today's biggest question marks—young German keeper Manuel Neuer…"
"Now that Joe Hart has moved to Everton, the big question on everyone's mind is—can Neuer fill his shoes?"
"Both teams are already lined up and ready."
"Modrić lost the coin toss to John Terry."
"Since the Millennium Stadium roof is closed today due to rain, there's no sunlight advantage, so Chelsea chose to kick off."
"Clearly, Mourinho and his team want to finish this early."
...
With the referee's whistle, Didier Drogba tapped the ball back to Damien Duff, who returned it immediately.
Frank Lampard received the ball near the bottom of the center circle.
The Bayswater Chinese front line surged forward—Rickie Lambert first to press.
Lampard turned and launched a long ball toward the back line, finding Paulo Ferreira.
Ribéry charged at Ferreira, forcing the Portuguese fullback into a hurried pass.
Chelsea's players had clearly prepared for this aggressive high press.
After several passes, the ball ended up with William Gallas, who knocked it forward to Arjen Robben, dropping deep on the left.
The Dutch winger, known for his explosive pace, received the ball with his back to goal and immediately spun, trying to accelerate past Łukasz Piszczek.
But the Polish defender reacted swiftly—turned, sprinted forward, and slid in cleanly, knocking the ball out for a throw-in before Robben could break loose.
Robben had barely started his burst before the ball was already gone.
He looked frustrated.
But the Chelsea fans still roared in approval—they adored their flying Dutchman.
Gallas took the throw quickly, and Tiago launched a long ball toward the front line.
Drogba dropped back to about 30 meters from goal, using his frame to shield off Škrtel.
He nodded the ball sideways, flicking it behind him.
Lampard surged forward and controlled the ball with his chest.
But José Fonte was already in position to block his advance.
Škrtel peeled off Drogba and moved in to trap Lampard.
Under pressure, Lampard took a couple of quick touches and released the ball wide left.
Robben was already charging up that flank and reached the pass in stride.
Piszczek chased hard from the inside, sticking tight, as instructed by Yang Cheng pre-match.
Robben reached the left side of the penalty area and whipped in a cross to the far post.
On the opposite side, Duff made a diagonal run and met the ball before Danny Collins could close down.
He hit it on the volley with his left foot.
But as a left-footer hitting a left-side cross first time, the angle was awkward.
Though he connected with the ball, he couldn't strike it cleanly.
The shot still headed toward goal—but Manuel Neuer, perfectly positioned, caught it cleanly.
It was the first shot of the match.
Chelsea fans roared in excitement.
That attack didn't produce a goal, but it fired up their momentum.
Soon after, Chelsea launched wave after wave of attacks.
Observers quickly noted the tactics at play tonight.
Chelsea were focused on two key elements: attacking down Robben's flank, and playing off Drogba's hold-up play.
Yang Cheng had read them perfectly.
Duff, a left-footer on the right wing, was mostly looking to cut inside.
Robben's flank was Chelsea's sharpest weapon.
And Kevin Foley was too slow to stop him.
That's why Yang Cheng went with Piszczek.
The Pole's defending was still raw, but he was improving every game.
Yang Cheng didn't expect him to shut Robben down—just to contain him and keep him on the outside.
If Chelsea's left wing was neutralized, their central buildup posed little threat.
Their only other option was long balls to Drogba.
And this was a problem Chelsea had then—and would keep having for years.
Yang Cheng's plan: use Škrtel to match Drogba physically.
A tough task.
So he also stationed José Fonte behind Škrtel as cover.
Even Danny Collins frequently tucked inside.
The goal? Neutralize the Beast—Didier Drogba.
Chelsea's attacking issues weren't new.
In fact, during the early part of the season, Mourinho had been heavily criticized for them.
Yang Cheng had seized on Chelsea's weaknesses.
But unlike Premier League managers, Yang's goal was to defend.
As long as they held on, Chelsea's frustration would grow.
And everyone knew Mourinho's go-to move when the attack stalled—throw on more strikers.
This was Abramovich's first title opportunity since buying Chelsea. Did anyone believe he wasn't desperate for it?
No way.
So if Bayswater Chinese could keep them out long enough, Mourinho would crack—and dismantle his midfield to overload the front line.
But defense wasn't Yang Cheng's only weapon.
Ribéry, Lennon, and Modrić were key to launching counters.
If they saw an opening, they'd attack.
If not? They'd slow the tempo, dribble to draw fouls, and win set pieces.
And with Gianni Vio, a set-piece maestro, on the bench—that was Bayswater's secret weapon.
But as the match wore on, Yang Cheng noticed something—
Mourinho had anticipated this.
Chelsea players were disciplined around the box, avoiding fouls in dangerous areas.
That left Yang Cheng slightly speechless.
You read me, I read you.
That's football tactics in a nutshell.
Both managers had targeted their opponents. The match was tense, calculated, even scrappy.
But by the 15th minute, Chelsea's superior talent began to show.
They started to dominate possession.
And eventually, they began to press Bayswater deeper and deeper.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10