[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-start-with-r9-template":3,"chapter-start-with-r9-template-start-with-r9-template-chapter-2":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Start with R9 Template",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1388671,1840,"Chapter 2: Mourinho’s Worries","start-with-r9-template-chapter-2",2,"\u003Cp>Jeremy knew the template wasn't a magic wand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn't just become R9 overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was a daydream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, the template was a key. It unlocked his ceiling, making it sky-high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant every drop of sweat, every suicide-sprint, every drill would count for double, maybe triple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a tool to let him improve at a terrifying rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And honestly? Jeremy Ling was more than satisfied with that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Don't be greedy,' he thought, pulling on his training top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Countless people would kill for a second chance. I actually got one.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A small thought flickered in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Once my attributes hit their limit, can I break through them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shook his head, pushing the thought away. \"One thing at a time. Focus on the present. Make the first team before the season starts.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quietly set his first goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his new potential and a work ethic forged from ten years of regret, he knew he could establish himself here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this was the perfect time to do it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Mourinho's second year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Special One\" was building a team of monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ibrahimović, Pogba, Lukaku... the dressing room was full of massive personalities and winners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho had to use the youth too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last season, an injury crisis had ripped the team apart—seven players down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he still dragged them to a \"small treble,\" winning the Europa League, Community Shield, and EFL Cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man was a tactical genius.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This team was competitive. He could make his mark here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock! Knock! KNOCK!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A frantic hammering on his door yanked him from his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeremy pulled it open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Scott? You look like you've seen a ghost.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His roommate, Scott McTominay, was practically vibrating with anxiety, his lanky 190cm frame filling the doorway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ling! How are you not dressed?!\" Scott hissed. \"He's here!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who's here? The Queen?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The gaffer! Mourinho! He's coming to watch the youth team's training... today!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeremy just smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered this Scott.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before his massive growth spurt, he'd been a small, technical midfielder who got bullied constantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeremy had been the only one to stand up for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The height had come, but the anxious energy was clearly still there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So?\" Jeremy said, flashing a bright smile as he playfully punched Scott's shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry, don't worry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed his bag. \"Let's go. I've been ready.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ready?! It's Mourinho!\" Scott sputtered, but Jeremy was already out the door, dragging his friend with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They arrived at the indoor training pitch, the walls lined with murals of club legends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Best. Giggs. Scholes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And newer ones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pogba. Rashford.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sigh... when will I ever get to be on that wall,\" McTominay muttered, staring at Rashford's painted face with pure envy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Getting impatient again, Scotty?\" Jeremy patted his shoulder. \"There's a saying back in my hometown: 'You have to eat rice one mouthful at a time.' You can't swallow the whole bowl. You'll get there. I believe it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh... well, thanks for that.\" McTominay gave him a strange look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something about his best friend felt... different today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Calmer. More confident.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Forget it', Scott thought. 'Too much to think about...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They walked onto the pitch and saw him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>José Mourinho.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing on the sideline, arms crossed, face like thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They both froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were on time, but seeing him there... it felt like they were late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They immediately quickened their pace, jogging over to the rest of the squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Special One\" hated lateness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If training was at 10 AM, you were there at 9:55 AM.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the baseline for professionalism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho's cold eyes glanced over the new arrivals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked down at his watch. Then, he gave a single, almost imperceptible nod.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeremy and Scott both quietly let out a breath they hadn't realized they were holding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The morning training was straightforward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warm-ups, short passes, long passes, and then shooting drills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ball was fizzed across the ground to Jeremy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took one touch to set it, then met the ball on the half-volley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOM!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound echoed in the training hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball exploded off his foot, a white cannonball streaking for the top left corner of the goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Manchester United's U21 keeper, Dean Henderson, reacted on pure instinct, launching himself in a full-stretch dive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He got a fingertip to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power was too immense; the ball thudded off his glove and rocketed into the back of the net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the sideline, Mourinho's head, which had been down, lifted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes narrowed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Interesting...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As one of the world's top coaches, he saw the details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kid's shooting technique was flawless. Thigh driving the calf, a perfect, violent transfer of power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the kid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeremy Ling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Main left winger for the U21s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He'd originally planned to promote him to the first team this year, give him a contract.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But... Mourinho's face soured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't have time for projects. He needed players for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His winger situation was a constant headache.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Martial had all the talent in the world but was infuriatingly inconsistent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingard would run through a brick wall for him but only shone in brief flashes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mata was a creative genius who lacked the speed and dribbling to play wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Ashley Young was always one hamstring tweak away from the treatment table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was looking at Lemar. At Sánchez. At Mahrez.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed a finished product.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But... that strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was not a project. That was power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho kept watching, his expression unreadable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the basic drills ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The assistant coach blew his whistle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, lads! Vests on. Red team, white team. Full pitch. Let's go!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn't a drill. This was an audition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeremy pulled on a white vest, sharing a look with McTominay, who was on his team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every player on the pitch knew this was their chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Statistics said only 0.1% of academy players ever made it. This was that 0.1% moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The whistle blew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Team A (Red) immediately took control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angel Gomes, Nani's cousin, was a blur of feints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 17-year-old prodigy collected the ball in midfield, shifted his weight, and danced past the first defender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The white team's midfield was torn apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>McTominay charged in, intending to use his physical advantage to body Gomes off the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gomes was too clever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw the run and, just before Scott arrived, chipped a beautiful long pass to the right flank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mitchell controlled it smoothly, drove to the byline, and whipped in a high cross.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The striker got in front of his man and headed the ball firmly into the net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1-0, Team A.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Red team players high-fived, but they all snuck a nervous glance at the sideline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho's expression hadn't changed one bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just stared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing them celebrate, he almost looked... bored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Red team's small celebration died instantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball was reset at the center circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jeremy jogged over to McTominay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Scott,\" he said, his voice low and intense. \"Next time you get the ball in midfield, don't even think. Look wide for me. Just get me the ball.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Uh... right. No problem.\" McTominay scratched his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a new Jeremy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he wasn't sure what to make of it.\u003C\u002Fp>",1197,"2026-06-05T22:48:22.783Z",1,"novelbin.me","79ef4b709c26f8332f8588db128ee079d9a9e3a7cd2fc3f4b614660d0ef18089","start-with-r9-template-chapter-105","start-with-r9-template-chapter-104",371,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstart-with-r9-template-cover.jpg"]