Football Dynasty-Chapter 524: Welcome to the Premiere League!

In José Mourinho’s view, building a football team isn’t all that different from preparing a meal.

The first approach is like going to a buffet: you pick whatever dishes you want. If you need balanced play, you bring in strong, disciplined wide players. If you want to sit deep and strike on the counter, you recruit fast attackers who thrive in open space. With this model, the coach has total freedom—he shapes the squad first, then chooses the style.

The second approach is more like tailoring a suit to fit the person wearing it. You don’t get to choose the fabric; you work with what you have. Instead of forcing a system onto the squad, you look for the tactics that best amplify the players’ strengths. You place each player where his traits can be most effective, and from there the tactical outline emerges naturally. But this method inevitably comes with limitations: you inherit both the strengths and the weaknesses of the squad, and flexibility is far more restricted.

As the second half was about to begin, a faint gloom lingered around the stadium.

The sluggish first half had sapped much of the crowd’s energy; conversations were quieter, and even the usual chants had faded into scattered murmurs. But down by the southern stand of Ewood Park, a spark of life suddenly flared. Carl Morran stood at the front rail, leading around fifty young supporters from the Blazing Squad. At his signal, they clapped twice in perfect sync, the sharp sound slicing through the lull.

"Manchester City!" they bellowed.

Clap—clap. "City!"

Clap—clap. "City!"

A few nearby fans turned their heads, then joined in. The chant started to ripple outward, picking up strength with each echo. Before long, the momentum spread throughout the stands, lifting the spirits of every Manchester City supporter present.

Thanks to this, the City players waiting on the pitch for the second half to begin felt the cheering resonate through them, igniting a fire in their hearts. That surge of passion flooded their bodies, turning it into a wellspring of determination.

At the center circle, Trezeguet and Pirés exchanged a firm look—serious, focused, yet full of mutual encouragement.

Standing in front of the coaching bench, Mourinho kept a stoic expression, but inside, he felt both admiration and gratitude toward the City supporters.

What they were witnessing was a promising sign.

Amid the thunderous cheers, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the start of the second half.

Manchester City kicked off, playing the ball backward before spreading into their attacking shape.

The ball moved calmly through midfield before reaching Zidane, who had found a pocket of space in the attacking third. Positioned on the right side, he received the pass smoothly, turned, and without hesitation slipped the ball toward the right flank.

Pirès burst forward, but Blackburn’s fullback, Darren Peacock—who had tightly marked him throughout the first half—was already right on his heels, confidence etched across his face. It was clear from his movements that he intended to intercept the ball the moment Pirès tried to receive it—a tactic that had worked several times in the first half!

A vital aspect of tight marking is understanding an opponent’s favored foot—forcing them onto their weaker side or, even better, limiting the space they can operate in. If a winger prefers reaching the byline, you cut off that angle. If they’re known for cutting inside, you shepherd them toward the touchline. Simple principles, but at the elite level, they often make the difference between winning and losing a duel.

Peacock had studied Pirés throughout the first half. He knew the Frenchman loved cushioning the ball with his right foot before driving forward. So the Blackburn defender positioned himself perfectly, weight on the front studs, ready to pounce the moment Pirés took that familiar first touch.

But this time, he guessed wrong.

Pirés, now recalling Mourinho’s halftime instructions, extended his right foot exactly as Peacock expected—yet instead of bringing the ball under control, he let it glance off with a deft, almost nonchalant flick straight back toward Zidane in midfield.

The misdirection stunned Peacock.

For half a second, his body froze in disbelief. By the time he reacted, Pirés had already slipped past his left shoulder, accelerating into the empty channel. The defender spun to chase, but the Frenchman was already two strides clear, timing his run to perfection.

Zidane, cool as ever, didn’t even need to look. With a light touch, he returned the ball diagonally toward the corner flag—right into Pirés’ path as he sprinted at full speed.

It was merely a straightforward one-two pass combination.

Instantly, Manchester City’s attacking unit came alive. Pirés sprinted toward the far side of the penalty area, Trezeguet drifted into the center to pull defenders with him, and Ronaldinho cut inside from the left, leaving his trailing marker completely behind.

When Pirés reached the edge of the box and met the incoming pass, he didn’t shoot. Instead, he whipped a low cross toward the front edge of the penalty area.

It was the exact attacking pattern every fan had been waiting to see!

As Trezeguet drifted inward, he dragged both Blackburn center-backs with him, into that vacuum sprinted Ronaldinho.

From the left half-space, he cut sharply toward the center, arriving right at the edge of the penalty arc—the perfect zone, wide open and begging to be exploited. No defender had picked him up; all eyes were still glued to Trezeguet’s decoy run and Pirés tearing down the wing.

There, meeting the pass, he brilliantly redirected it with the arch of his foot, sending the ball arcing upward. It struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced into the net!

Blackburn goalkeeper Tim Flowers stood frozen, stunned by the sudden turn of events.

The southern end of Ewood Park instantly erupted in excitement!

PHWEEEEE~

"There he is—RONALDINHO! He scores! What an outrageous finish from the Brazilian! The timing, the movement, the touch—pure brilliance! Pires rolls it back across the edge of the box, and Ronaldinho meets it first time, lifting it off the turf with the arch of his foot! Off the underside of the bar and in! Tim Flowers didn’t even move!"

After scoring, Ronaldinho sprinted toward the southern stand, raising his arms high in celebration.

In the southern stand, many City fans were bouncing with joy. At first, it looked like they were simply celebrating the goal. But when Ronaldinho reached the front of the stand, several young members of the Blazing Squad suddenly turned around, revealing jerseys with large letters on their backs—together spelling out the name: "RONALDINHO."

The sight instantly brought a big smile to Ronaldinho’s face. He was completely taken aback; for a moment, he didn’t even know how to react. Beyond the excitement of the goal, the scene before him struck him deeply, filling him with a profound sense of gratitude and joy.

Isn’t this the pinnacle of being a footballer?

To their left and right, other fans held up Trezeguet’s number 11 jersey, while one supporter proudly raised a large poster of Ronaldo’s heroic likeness.

Richard clapped softly—not only in appreciation of City players for finally executing the tactics correctly, but also as an acknowledgment to the fans who had sparked the team back to life.

The second half had barely begun, yet Blackburn had already conceded. Their once-solid defensive line was starting to fracture, and the momentum of the match shifted instantly.

City’s players, who had grown increasingly lethargic during the first half, were now revitalized. The goal had injected confidence into their veins, and with that confidence came sharper movement, quicker passing, and a renewed hunger. The entire flow of the match changed.

Most noticeably, City’s wings finally came alive.

On the left, Nakata spotted Pires drifting into space and launched a long diagonal pass toward him. The ball curled beautifully through the air. Pires, watching it descend, adjusted his stride and—right at the moment the ball dropped—killed it with a cushioned first touch so delicate it looked effortless.

The crowd erupted immediately—gasps, cheers, applause reverberating through Ewood Park. Even some Blackburn supporters couldn’t help but admire the technique.

After gaining possession, he didn’t attempt to dribble. Instead, he launched a diagonal long pass aimed at Trezeguet at the back post.

This gave Trezeguet the space he needed to accelerate and burst into the box. Meeting the incoming ball, he executed a diving header. The Blackburn defender tracking him couldn’t even get close as the ball rocketed toward the goal like a cannonball. However, Tim Flowers, though no longer in his prime, produced a spectacular save, tipping it over the bar.

The second-most expensive goalkeeper in Britain after Buffon had just delivered a brilliant stop.

Trezeguet shook his head in mild frustration as he got up, but he didn’t lose heart. He quickly moved into position to prepare for the corner kick.

The match had become completely one-sided. With City’s wingers no longer as stagnant as they’d been in the first half, the entire attacking unit was now crackling with energy. Watching from the stands, Richard’s expression grew increasingly satisfied. Ronaldinho and Pires were shining, and he could clearly see Mourinho’s halftime adjustments taking effect in real time.

No substitutions had been made; it was merely a shift in rhythm that allowed the two wings to rediscover their balance. With every sequence, the ball flowed more smoothly, more purposefully.

On Blackburn’s left side, Peacock once again received the ball, looking to build an attack. He had been confident all match, especially after handling City’s wide players so effectively in the first half.

But this time, he hesitated for just half a second.

And that was all Pires needed.

With a sudden burst, Pires slid in from the blind side and cleanly nicked the ball away. Before anyone had time to react—before Peacock could even shout—Pires spun on his heel, using the momentum of his steal to whip his body around.

In one fluid motion, he threaded a sharp, low pass straight into space.

Zambrotta, who had already begun his run the moment Pires pressed, burst forward like an arrow released from a bow. He sprinted down the right flank, the pass perfectly weighted to meet him in stride.

The Blackburn fullback, caught completely off guard, could only watch as Zambrotta tore past him.

"Fuck!" Peacock cursed under his breath.

Still haunted by his earlier mistake, he hesitated—unsure whether to press forward or drop back. His feet froze for a moment, instinctively preparing to retreat in anticipation of another two-on-one situation.

That split-second hesitation cost him.

Zambrotta collected the pass in stride and immediately cut inside, driving diagonally toward the edge of the box. His movement forced Blackburn’s center-back to abandon his position and chase, stretching the defensive line apart.

The moment Zambrotta saw two defenders bite, he struck.

With perfect timing, he slid a through ball into the penalty area—straight into the path of Trezeguet, who had slipped between the center-backs completely unmarked. With a smooth half-turn, he unleashed a powerful shot.

Tim Flowers had positioned himself well at the near post—but the strike thundered past him into the far corner of the net.

GOAL!!!

2–0!

Trezeguet spread his arms wide, shaking his head in disbelief as the joy surged through him. He let out a triumphant shout and sprinted toward the southern stand.

"Super David Trezeguet!

Super David Trezeguet!

Super David, Super David, Super David Trezeguet!"

The celebration ignited the entire stand, and City’s players felt the roar behind them like a wave of fire.

Seeing the goal, Mourinho turned back to the bench with a smile, exchanged a high-five with his new backroom staff, and sat down with satisfaction.

With an assist under his belt, Zambrotta felt ecstatic as he leapt onto Trezeguet’s back in celebration.

Pires followed soon after, equally delighted with the outcome. Earlier, he had believed Blackburn’s Peacock to be a tough, almost impenetrable opponent. But now he understood—the problem had never been the strength of the opposition, but that he hadn’t been performing to his own potential.

Before the match concluded, Pires unleashed a long-range shot from just outside the box, sealing the score at 3–0.

PHWEEEEE!

Blackburn Rovers 0 – 3 Manchester City

Welcome to the Premiere League, José Mourinho!