Dynasty Awakening: Building My Own Football Empire-Chapter 212: Slingshot

Michael Sterling walked into his office. He felt lighter. He felt stronger. The birth of his son Gabriel had deleted the sadness of the Liverpool defeat.

Arthur Milton was already there. He was sitting on the sofa eating a bagel with cream cheese. He looked happy.

"Good morning Boss," Arthur said with his mouth full. "You look fresh. You look like a man who slept well."

"I did not sleep Arthur," Michael said smiling. "The baby screams every two hours. He has the lungs of a opera singer. But I feel awake. I feel alive."

Michael walked to the big tactical board on the wall. He picked up the marker pen.

"Arthur," Michael said. "Come here. I have an idea."

Arthur jumped up. He wiped the crumbs from his purple tie.

"A new idea Boss? Is it crazy?"

"It is not crazy," Michael said. "It is fast. We have played the 4 3 3 for a long time. Teams know how to stop it. Liverpool knew. West Ham knew."

Michael wiped the board clean.

He drew a new shape. It looked strange.

It had four defenders. But then it had two defensive midfielders. And then four attackers in a straight line.

"What is this?" Arthur asked squinting. "It looks like a hammer."

"It is The Slingshot," Michael announced.

"The Slingshot?"

"Yes," Michael explained. "We sit deep. We invite them to attack us. We pull back the rubber band. And then..."

Michael drew four long arrows pointing up the pitch.

"We release," Michael said. "Endrick. Osimhen. Leo Stone. Erik Olsen. All running at full speed at the same time. No passing sideways. Only forward. Boom. Boom. Boom."

Arthur looked at the board. His eyes went wide.

"It is chaos Boss," Arthur whispered. "It is pure speed. I love it."

THE LOCKER ROOM REVEAL

One hour later the squad was gathered in the locker room.

The mood was good. The arrival of Baby Gabriel had lifted the spirits of everyone.

Diego Nunez was sitting in the corner holding a tiny pair of football boots that he had bought for the baby.

"They are so small," Diego said to Sergio Ramos. "My big toe is bigger than this shoe."

"Focus Diego," Ramos said laughing. "The Boss is talking."

Michael stood in front of the whiteboard.

"Listen up," Michael said. "We have five games left. We are four points behind Manchester City. We cannot play safe anymore. Safe does not win titles."

He pointed to the new formation.

"Today against Aston Villa we play The Slingshot."

Victor Osimhen adjusted his mask.

"I like the name," Osimhen said. "It sounds dangerous."

"It is dangerous," Michael said. "We defend with six. We attack with four. When we get the ball I want you to run. Do not look back. Just run."

He looked at Endrick.

"Endrick," Michael said. "No more defending today. No more tracking back to left back. Today you stay high. You stay on the shoulder of the last defender. When the ball comes you go."

Endrick grinned. It was a smile that lit up the room.

"I go Boss," Endrick said. "I go very fast."

"And Diego," Michael added.

"Yes Papa Michael?"

"When we win the ball you are the launcher. Do not dribble. Smash it forward. Aim for the space."

"I will be a cannon," Diego promised. "I will launch the rockets."

THE VILLA PARK PARTY

The team bus arrived at Villa Park in Birmingham. Usually this was a tough stadium. Unai Emery the Villa manager was a tactical genius. His teams were organized and hard to break down.

But today Barnsley were not trying to break them down. They were trying to blow them up.

The sun was still shining as the players walked onto the pitch.

The referee blew the whistle.

Aston Villa started with the ball. They passed it nicely. Tikka takka.

Barnsley sat back. They looked passive.

The Villa fans cheered. They thought Barnsley were scared.

"Look at them," Arthur whispered on the bench. "They are walking into the trap."

Minute 12

Douglas Luiz passed the ball forward for Villa.

Kai Sora was not there but his replacement Leo Stone was ready. Leo intercepted the pass.

"NOW!" Michael screamed.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

Leo Stone did not look. He just turned and kicked the ball long.

Endrick started running before the ball was kicked.

Osimhen started running.

Erik Olsen started running.

It was like a Red Arrows display. Three purple shirts sprinting in perfect unison.

The Villa defenders were terrified. They turned around but it was too late.

Endrick controlled the ball with his knee. He did not slow down.

He was one on one with Martinez the Villa goalkeeper.

Endrick did a little shimmy. Martinez dived left.

Endrick rolled the ball right.

GOAL.

Barnsley 1. Aston Villa 0.

It took ten seconds. From defense to goal.

Endrick ran to the corner flag. He did a samba dance. He shook his hips.

Diego Nunez ran all the way from his own box. He tried to copy the dance. He shook his hips but he looked like a washing machine with a brick inside.

"SAMBA BULL!" Diego roared.

THE FLOODGATES OPEN

The tactic was working perfectly. Villa tried to attack but every time they lost the ball Barnsley launched another rocket.

Minute 25

Diego Nunez won a header. He headed it forward with massive power.

Victor Osimhen chased it.

The Nigerian striker was too strong for Pau Torres. He muscled the defender off the ball.

Osimhen was through.

He smashed it into the roof of the net.

GOAL.

Barnsley 2. Aston Villa 0.

Osimhen put on his mask and ran to Michael Sterling. He hugged the manager.

"The Slingshot!" Osimhen shouted. "I love the Slingshot!"

Minute 40

It was becoming embarrassing for Villa.

Erik Olsen got the ball on the wing. The Viking was enjoying the freedom.

He crossed the ball.

Leo Stone arrived late in the box. The Phantom was unmarked.

He volleyed it home.

GOAL.

Barnsley 3. Aston Villa 0.

Michael Sterling stood on the touchline with his hands in his pockets. He was smiling. It was the easiest game of the season.

"They cannot handle the speed Boss," Arthur chuckled. "It is like watching a Formula One car race a tractor."

HALFTIME

In the locker room there was no stress. There was no shouting.

Diego Nunez was eating an orange.

"This is fun," Diego said. "I kick the ball and then I watch the little guys run. It is like playing fetch with very fast dogs."

"We are not dogs Diego," Endrick laughed. "We are cheetahs."

"Same thing," Diego shrugged. "You have four legs and you run fast."

Michael clapped his hands.

"Excellent work," Michael said. "But do not stop. We need goal difference. City have a better goal difference than us. Today we close the gap."

"More goals?" Osimhen asked.

"More goals," Michael confirmed. "Show no mercy."

THE SECOND HALF SHOW

The second half was an exhibition.

Barnsley played with freedom. They tried tricks. They tried flicks.

Minute 60

Endrick received the ball near the corner flag. He was surrounded by two defenders.

He did a rainbow flick. Over both of them.

The crowd gasped. Even the Villa fans applauded.

He passed to Diego Nunez who had come forward for a corner.

Diego tried to do a rainbow flick too.

He failed. The ball hit his shin and bounced into his face.

BONK.

Diego laughed. The crowd laughed.

"I meant to do that!" Diego shouted. "It is a face pass!"

Minute 75

The fourth goal came.

It was a masterpiece of the new tactic.

Jan Visser caught the ball. He threw it to Endrick.

Endrick ran forty yards. He passed to Osimhen.

Osimhen backheeled it to Leo Stone.

Leo Stone chipped the goalkeeper.

GOAL.

Barnsley 4. Aston Villa 0.

The Barnsley fans were singing the name of Baby Gabriel.

"GABRIEL STERLING! HE IS ONE WEEK OLD AND HE IS WINNING THE LEAGUE!"

Michael waved to the fans.

THE FINAL WHISTLE

The referee blew the whistle.

FULL TIME

ASTON VILLA 0 - 4 BARNSLEY

It was dominant. It was clinical. It was fun.

The players hugged each other. They looked fresh. They looked happy.

Michael walked onto the pitch.

Unai Emery shook his hand.

"You were too fast for us Michael," Emery said. "Your team is electric today."

"Thank you Unai," Michael said. "We had some extra motivation."

Michael walked over to Diego Nunez.

"Good game Diego," Michael said. "Clean sheet. And a good assist with your face."

"Thank you Papa Michael," Diego grinned. "My face is a weapon. I told you."

Endrick ran over. He jumped on Michael back.

"We did it Boss! The Slingshot works!"

"It works because you ran hard," Michael said putting him down. "Now go thank the fans."

THE BUS RIDE HOME

The journey back to Yorkshire was a party.

Arthur Milton had bought pizza. A lot of pizza.

"We deserved this Boss," Arthur said handing Michael a slice of pepperoni. "After Liverpool... we needed to smile."

"We did," Michael agreed taking a bite.

He looked at his phone.

MANCHESTER CITY DRAW WITH NEWCASTLE.

Michael stopped chewing.

He showed the phone to Arthur.

"Arthur," Michael whispered. "Look."

Arthur looked. He dropped his pizza.

"They drew?" Arthur squeaked. "They dropped points?"

"They dropped points," Michael said.

He did the math in his head.

Barnsley were now only two points behind City. With four games left.

The door was open. Just a crack. But it was open.

Michael stood up in the bus.

"Listen!" Michael shouted.

The music stopped. The players looked at him.

"City drew," Michael announced.

The bus erupted.

Diego Nunez punched the roof. "WE ARE COMING FOR YOU PEP!"

Osimhen started banging on the window.

Endrick started dancing in the aisle.

Michael sat back down. His heart was racing.

The Slingshot had worked. The confidence was back. And the giant had stumbled.

"Two points Arthur," Michael said staring out at the passing lights. "Just two points."

"We can do this Boss," Arthur said. His eyes were shining. "We can actually do this."