"Arsena, it's been 21 years, what are you still persisting for? Seeing the fans cursing you, I really feel sorry for your persistence. You should have left that damn place long ago."
“You’ve spent your whole life here, and this is how they treat you. I really want to kill them for you.”
"It's been 21 years. What you can't have will never be yours. Why keep struggling in that miserable environment? Wouldn't it be more fun to go out and travel with me?"
On the phone, as his friend David Dean complained more than once about why he hadn't retired yet, Wenger would always smile and answer him calmly:
"Alright, Dane, if you just want to complain to me about this useless nonsense, then I suggest you go to bed early. I'm busy and don't have time to listen to your complaints and those of the fans."
"Over the years, I haven't cared about their attitude."
“I knew it, you’re always like this. I’ve received some news that Pochettino is very optimistic about a young man from Monaco in Ligue 1. I’ve also scouted him for you. After watching his game, I think that if you want to win the championship, you might be missing someone like him!”
"Monaco? Ha, don't be ridiculous. Mbappe is not the person I need most right now. He's not good enough."
Upon hearing this, Wenger's first thought was of that Ligue 1 prodigy. Although he had expressed his admiration and fondness for the young man on more than one occasion in public, to be honest, he was still reluctant to spend a large sum of money to buy him.
In his heart, there was only one best striker in France, and that was his former protégé, Thierry Henry.
Unfortunately, despite nurturing so many players over the years, none have shown the same potential as him. Mbappe may be able to develop, but clearly he won't live to see that day.
He deeply understood that although he often stood on the sidelines, he was getting further and further away from the green field.
You just can't deny getting old.
If it weren't for his faith, if it weren't for that fighting spirit, he would never have held on until he watched his old rival retire, while he himself had to face countless disheartening criticisms from fans.
"No, no, no, the person I'm talking about isn't Mbappe. His name is Jonas Reming. In order to get him, Pochettino even made a bet with the management, saying that if they still couldn't win the championship with him, he would give up his annual salary and continue to work for Tottenham for free for another year."
"Oh? Has he gone mad? Or has Tottenham's management gone mad? How could they make such a bet? Is he a striker or a midfielder? Or is he a defender?"
"No, no, no, he's not. He's a goalkeeper, a gifted goalkeeper, a goalkeeper I believe can wash away all your grievances. Go watch his games, I'm sure you'll like him."
"Of course, before watching the match, you can check out the expansion pack I sent you. Don't say I didn't help you!"
David Dean hung up the phone quickly, and Wenger sat alone in his office at his computer, opening the documents the other party had sent.
Soon, a tall figure was reflected in the clear lens, constantly making high and low saves on the green field.
From initial indifference and nonchalance to a burning brilliance in his eyes, Arsène Wenger only took a little over an hour.
.........
On February 2nd, the French Cup Matchday 32 kicked off, with Monaco traveling to face Ligue 2 side Chábril.
In this match, with the intention of continuing to give the main players a rest, Jardim once again dispatched a semi-main reserve lineup. Lei Ming was included in the reserve list this time to watch Subasic's performance on the field.
In this match, the attacking line was led by Mbappe and Thomas Lima, while Falcao, Gilman, Bernardo Silva, Moutinho, and Fabinho all got rest.
From the start of the match, Monaco firmly controlled the tempo, adopting a style of play that allowed them to turn the tables and put Chábril under immense pressure.
In fact, the first half went very smoothly. Mbappe's performance was as stable as ever. Relying on his individual ability, he scored twice in the first half, adding two more goals to his French Cup tally.
It wasn't until the 65th minute of the second half that he received another pass from his teammate and scored from a tight angle just outside the penalty area.
Although it was just a match against Ligue 2, he was very excited to have scored a hat-trick in his first start. He ran to the bench and tried to do a passionate knee slide in front of Lei Ming. Unfortunately, the pitch was not in good condition, which resulted in him not only failing to slide but also eating grass instead.
"Damn it, can't you take it easy? Don't you know the quality of this ground? What if you get injured?!"
"Haha, I'm so happy!"
Mbappe seemed unfazed by Lei Ming's criticism and continued celebrating with his teammates.
However, his joy was short-lived, as he was replaced due to the head coach's protective policy.
With the game already at this point and the team still leading by three goals, he used all of his substitutions at once.
However, to the surprise of both home and away fans, a violent storm suddenly descended upon the battlefield at that moment.
Large raindrops fell on the field, making the already uncomfortable field even muddier.
Perhaps due to underestimation, or perhaps due to arrogance, or perhaps due to unfamiliarity with the rainy pitch, Monaco's performance in the second half was completely exposed by the arrival of a heavy rain.
In the final moments, Monaco not only failed to hold on to their lead, but were also quickly tied, prompting the home fans on the sidelines to cheer excitedly even in the rain.
Just like when Monaco defeated PSG last time, Chablis fans clearly felt the same way this time.
After all, they were facing Monaco, who were currently second in Ligue 1!
Chable's players went on a rampage in the final moments, launching several quick counter-attacks that threw the proud Monaco into disarray in the rain. Subasic's performance in this match was also somewhat unsatisfactory, perhaps due to the rain or because he hadn't played for a long time, which led to him conceding three goals in a row.
Frustrated, he pounded the turf several times, filled with resentment!
This damn weather, this damn game, and my damn performance.
Fortunately, Chablai couldn't pull off a miracle. In the final stoppage time, both sides traded attacks but couldn't find the net again.
Ultimately, the two sides drew 3-3. Since the French Cup is always a knockout tournament, the two sides had to decide the winner through a penalty shootout.
What should have been a great match was ruined by the players' poor performance; Jardim was furious on the sidelines!
These substitutes are really a headache.
Although the French Cup was not in his plans, they were still second in the league, and they couldn't afford to lose face. If they played like this, they would be laughed at by everyone when they went back.
Fortunately, Subasic withstood the pressure in the final penalty shootout, saving two crucial penalties to help his team advance.
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