Leeds United's draw against Portsmouth in this round can be considered a minor upset.
Later that evening, the other three direct competitors also finished their matches.
Manchester United secured a 4-1 away victory against Aston Villa, earning all three points. They are now tied with Leeds United on 20 points, but have reclaimed second place in the league table due to a superior goal difference.
Chelsea also played away this round, but they easily defeated Middlesbrough 2-0, quietly closing the gap to 18 points, behind Manchester United and Leeds United.
Meanwhile, Arsenal, currently in first place, continues their stable performance. After a 2-0 home win against Bolton, they have reached 26 points, leaving Leeds United and Manchester United far behind.
After the Leeds United match, a few media outlets and fans expressed their dissatisfaction with their performance in the first half, believing that Li Shiguang was too complacent and only fielded a reserve team against Portsmouth, who have been in good form this season and have made some summer reinforcements.
However, most Leeds United supporters focused their criticism on Cannavaro, who was directly responsible for Leeds conceding two goals and playing with one less player.
At the post-match press conference, many reporters pressed Li Shiguang closely, asking him to comment on Cannavaro's performance on the field that day.
Faced with these issues, Li Shiguang, who is always protective of his own, simply glossed over them all, ignoring each and every one of them.
But the next day.
On the flight to Ukraine, Li Shiguang switched seats with Kompany and sat next to Cannavaro, wanting to have a chat with him.
Li Shiguang sensed that Cannavaro had been wanting to talk to him ever since he was sent off yesterday.
Cannavaro was in a low mood after yesterday's match.
In fact, since the beginning of this season, he has been able to feel that his physical functions have been declining.
While Cannavaro can manage to defend against technically gifted strikers thanks to his extensive experience, he simply can't outrun them when facing fast, athletic forwards.
Take Utaka, who ate himself raw yesterday, for example.
This Nigerian striker wasn't a top-tier forward, nor was he the type of player known for his speed; in terms of fame, he was practically invisible. Yet, even now, the image of Utaka sprinting past him on the field still replays vividly in Cannavaro's mind!
To be honest.
It's not that I don't want to defend, it's that I just can't defend!
Watching 25-year-old Utaka dribble past him and run ahead, Cannavaro, in that instant, truly felt old...
····
When he sat down, Cannavaro was dozing off with his eyes closed.
Li Shiguang gently touched his arm: "Fabio, are you asleep?"
Sensing someone calling his name, Cannavaro opened his eyes and discovered that Kompany, who was sitting next to him, had been replaced by Li Shiguang.
He clearly understood Li Shiguang's purpose in sitting down, so he quickly straightened up his half-slumped chair and took the initiative to say, "Boss, it's all my fault... sigh... we could have taken these three points."
"That's not important." Li Shiguang smiled. "The league has only played ten rounds... You know, compared to these three points, I'm more concerned about your... uh... current mental state?"
"Sigh—" Upon hearing Li Shiguang's words, Cannavaro first sighed, feeling both touched and helpless. "Boss, actually I'm fine. Losing and winning are commonplace for me. I'm just... just... a little dissatisfied with myself right now."
"Why?" Li Shiguang asked, somewhat curious.
“I turned 34 last month, boss.” Cannavaro pointed to himself. “Since the beginning of this season, I’ve clearly felt my physical abilities decline a lot. To be honest, if it weren’t for your continued trust in me and letting me start, I would probably have become a substitute in other teams.”
“Hey, this isn’t the only thing a center-back who won the FIFA World Player of the Year award should say.” Li Shiguang patted Cannavaro on the shoulder, sensing that Cannavaro’s words seemed a bit too discouraging, so he quickly comforted him, “Actually, in my opinion, it’s normal for professional players to experience a decline in physical abilities as they age! But you have to understand, Fabio, you! Even Sylla, your experience on the field is one of Leeds United’s most valuable assets!”
"Thank you for your encouragement, boss." Cannavaro smiled calmly. "I know what you're worried about. Don't worry, I have no plans to retire for the time being. My contract doesn't expire until next year! Don't try to shirk your responsibility and not pay me for the rest of the year!"
"Hahaha, that's good." Seeing Cannavaro say that, Li Shiguang also breathed a sigh of relief. "That's exactly what I was worried about. You need to understand that our goal this year is the Champions League title, and you are a very important part of my plan!"
"Hmm!" Cannavaro nodded heavily, but judging from his expression, he seemed to have something to say but hesitated.
"Is there anything else you'd like to say?" Li Shiguang noticed this.
"I do have a suggestion." As if he had made a major decision, Cannavaro took a deep breath and stared very seriously at Li Shiguang. "Boss, for the upcoming matches, if it's not necessary, I suggest you consider starting Thiago and Mats more often. I can be their substitute!"
Upon hearing this, Li Shiguang felt a bit strange. There were actually players who didn't want to start!?
I was just about to ask a question.
Cannavaro continued, "I'm really powerless against some fast strikers right now. At most, I can try to block their positions with my experience, but as long as the ball is at their feet, they are a threat to us!"
"So after I got home last night, I thought about it very seriously. If we want to achieve better results this season than last season, then I have to make some concessions. Although Mats and Thiago are a bit rough around the edges sometimes, under Vincent's guidance, they shouldn't cause too many problems! I will also help them more in training so that they can grow up as quickly as possible!"
Seeing how serious Cannavaro was, Li Shiguang didn't object.
After a moment's thought, Li Shiguang nodded seriously: "Fabio, I will carefully consider your suggestion. But I still maintain that you are a very important part of Leeds United's plans for this season, and I don't want your entire season to be affected by a poor performance in one game, OK?"
“No problem, boss!” Cannavaro smiled. “Just think of it as me getting some experience as a coach. I remember you promised me that you would let me join your coaching team after I retire!”
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