Chapter 10: Are You a Controlling Midfielder? I Think I Am

At 3:00 AM Beijing time on August 9, the first round of the 2015-16 Eredivisie season featured Feyenoord versus Utrecht.

An hour before kickoff, Chinese fans had already been camping on the Royal Dutch Football Association’s website.

They wanted to see one name appear on the official team roster.

But it wasn’t there.

【Where’s Mengge? I stayed up all night just for this?】

【If Mengge doesn’t play, I won’t buy a Utrecht jersey!】

【Eric ten Hag, incompetent!】

【Everyone leave—Tang Ye isn’t on the roster, there’s no point watching this match】

【Wait, let me check Utrecht’s quality—if they’re weak, maybe Tang Ye still gets playing time】

The match began, still in Wang Chao’s Happy Bean live stream.

Eredivisie traffic was more than double that of a Dutch second-tier team’s friendly, but today Wang Chao’s stream had almost no viewers besides his loyal Bean Warriors.

The reason was simple.

That man didn’t appear on the roster!

【Damn it!】

Wang Chao was furious—he’d just spent 599 yuan on an authentic jersey, and this is what he got?

Still, Wang Chao noticed one person.

Amrabat, who had been promoted to the first team alongside Tang Ye!

If he can make the starting lineup, one day our Mengge can too!

【Let’s, let’s watch this match first…】

The referee blew the whistle to start. Facing the strong Feyenoord, ten Hag instructed Utrecht to line up in a 5-3-2 formation.

Five defenders—aiming for safety while seeking victory opportunities!

The camera panned to the away team’s bench, where ten Hag stared intently at the pitch, his bald head lending him an almost supernatural authority.

【Beep, beeeeeep!】

Full time: Utrecht lost 1-3 away to Feyenoord.

【Fuck! I knew it!】

Wang Chao was furious—just over ten days ago, when ten Hag brought Tang Ye to the first team, Wang Chao had thought this guy was a capable manager.

If you’d put Tang Ye on the pitch, even a loss wouldn’t have mattered—Chinese fans would still back you.

But you dared leave my Mengge sitting in the academy?

Get ready for the online backlash!

After the match, at the press conference, ten Hag, still reeling from the loss, chose a way to ease his own discomfort.

【Actually, we were the real winners of this match】

【They (Feyenoord) played well, but our players missed three excellent chances】

Ten Hag looked at the reporter before him and said seriously: 【I believe the score should have been 3-4 or 3-5, not 3-1—we missed too many opportunities】

After hearing ten Hag, the reporter nodded and asked his next question: 【Before the season, you promoted a 16-year-old from the reserve team to the first team—a move that sparked widespread fan debate】

【At 16, joining the first team—is he a genius?】

Ten Hag didn’t answer immediately. He fell silent for a moment, then said: 【We almost won this match. Victory should have been ours】

【…】

…

Three days after the match, at noon, Tang Ye finished morning training, tray in hand, and walked straight to Zakaria, who sat alone in the corner.

【Tang!?】

Seeing Tang Ye approach, Zakaria widened his eyes—since Tang Ye had been taken to the first team as a practice partner, he’d only seen his friend every two or three days.

After setting his tray on the table, Zakaria asked suspiciously: 【Why are you eating here?】

【I’ve been late too many times—Eric won’t let me into the first team’s cafeteria anymore】

Tang Ye dipped a fry in ketchup and put it in his mouth.

【Huh?】

Zakaria looked as if he’d heard something unbelievable: 【Not letting you into the first team cafeteria? What about training?】

【Training’s normal—I’ll head back after lunch】

Tang Ye said, picking up his pineapple burger.

【Damn, who the hell invented burgers and fries? So fucking good!】

【…】

Zakaria had been about to say eating this stuff would stunt growth, but suddenly remembered something: 【Tang, can you stand up?】

【Stand up? Okay】

Tang Ye set his half-bitten burger back on the tray and stood as Zakaria requested: 【Solk, what’s up?】

Zakaria stood too, carefully measuring with his hands, then concluded: 【You’ve really grown taller—I’m sure of it!】

【That’s great!】

Tang Ye smiled: 【Solk, you know, some idiots on the first team keep tackling me—I’ll eat more burgers, grow taller, and just crush them!】

…

After lunch, back at the first team, ten Hag didn’t immediately start warm-ups—he gathered everyone together.

In this Dutchman’s view, the afternoon was when the mind was clearest, so ten Hag preferred to review past matches in the afternoon.

【Do you know why we lost?】

【Because we can’t pass the ball out from the back!】

Fan De pulled over a tactical whiteboard; ten Hag grabbed a marker and scribbled furiously, sketching out the previous match’s situation with simple diagrams.

Utrecht’s defenders received the ball in their own half, then Feyenoord’s three forwards surged forward.

At such moments, Utrecht’s midfielders should drop back to receive, but neither Ramseyer nor Amrabat had the ability to control the ball.

【You can attack all you want—but you need to get the ball from the defenders to the forwards to score!】

Ten Hag slammed the board: 【We need midfielders to receive from the defenders and deliver to the forwards—that’s how we unlock our attack】

【Why can’t we pass when their forwards press? Because we have no controlling midfielder!】

【This is why we lost!】

Losing their first match of the season had shattered ten Hag’s patience—all players present stayed silent.

Then, someone in the crowd raised a hand. Everyone turned.

【Uh… Mr. Eric… I think I’m a controlling midfielder】

???

【You’re a controlling midfielder?】

Ten Hag frowned: 【Are you sure you’re a controlling midfielder?】

Truthfully, ten Hag didn’t yet know Tang Ye’s exact position.

This guy who just wandered around the pitch was actually a ball-controller!?

Uh…

Tang Ye thought carefully.

Though he didn’t fully understand his role on the pitch, he’d read his scout report—it clearly labeled him a controlling midfielder.

So Tang Ye gave his answer.

【I think I am】

…

(End of Chapter)