Chapter 230: Annihilation! Five Wins in a Row! I Came to the Premier League to Make Money, Not Play the Fool!
At 64 years old, Harry Redknapp had spent a lifetime in football.
He came up through West Ham's youth academy, played for Brentford and Bournemouth, and in the late '70s and early '80s, when player-managers were still common, he gradually transitioned into coaching.
In 1982, he officially took over Bournemouth, and later, from 1994 to 2001, he managed West Ham United.
During his Bournemouth days, he brought up his son, Jamie Redknapp.
At West Ham, he gave his nephew, Frank Lampard, a chance and nurtured him into a full England international.
When Redknapp left West Ham in 2001, Lampard moved to Chelsea.
Many criticized him, claiming Lampard only succeeded because of nepotism.
But facts are facts—Lampard's career speaks for itself. That's Redknapp's best rebuttal.
Having coached so many teams, Redknapp always believed that football wasn't actually that complicated.
It just seemed mysterious to outsiders.
Why? Information gaps.
For example, all the mystique around tactics, lineups, and in-game decisions...
Was it really that magical?
Redknapp didn't think so.
A manager can't go out and play. He can't hold a player's hand and guide every movement.
Tactics? Structure? It's just a framework. The execution is all on the players.
That's why players are the true protagonists.
And that's why, when a team loses, you often hear managers say the players didn't execute the tactics well.
This issue is especially prominent with English players.
After two major tragedies in the 1980s, English clubs were banned from European competition, missing out on the tactical revolution brought by Arrigo Sacchi's Milan.
On top of that, England's youth training programs fell behind, providing little in terms of tactical education.
As a result, English players often lacked a true understanding of tactics.
That's why so many top foreign managers struggled in the Premier League.
The same instructions that any youth player on the continent could understand—
A Premier League star might only grasp halfway.
If you understand, execution is easy.
If you don't? Double the effort, half the result.
So for Redknapp, the manager's job wasn't about tactics or lineup changes—those were never in short supply.
Go to Italy—tactical geniuses are everywhere.
Some say every Italian coach is a tactical wizard.
"So what? It's not rare," Redknapp would say.
Some might bring up Carlos Queiroz, saying if tactics are so abundant, why did Ferguson bring him back?
Simple: trust.
Redknapp knew Ferguson well—he knew exactly how good Fergie was tactically.
Even Ferguson admitted Queiroz was a better tactician.
But then why was Ferguson the legend, and Queiroz was not?
Because in professional football, the most critical and rarest quality in a manager is not tactics—
It's knowing your players.
That might sound basic, even obvious.
But it's incredibly hard to master.
Ferguson's brilliant in-game adjustments?
Because he knew both his team and his opponents inside and out.
He understood what the other manager was trying to achieve.
He knew that putting this player on for that situation would achieve the desired tactical outcome.
It didn't matter if that player was a superstar or a nobody.
That's irrelevant.
Football is a team sport.
Why is Ancelotti so good at adapting lineups?
Because he knows his players—so he knows how to fit them together effectively.
That's enough.
One match a week.
Tactical session on Tuesday, the manager explains the plan.
Wednesday? Set-pieces and video review.
Analyze strengths, weaknesses, opponent patterns.
Do a practice match for good measure.
All of this depends on one thing—knowing your own players and understanding the opponent's.
Ferguson's greatest asset at United was his encyclopedic knowledge of the entire Premier League—
every club, every system, every player.
Because he'd been around long enough to see it all.
Redknapp always felt:
Being a manager wasn't that hard.
People who thought otherwise were either:
OutsidersClueless about what really mattersOr just liked to overcomplicate things
All that said... that was the Redknapp of the past.
At some point, the tactical winds of European football began to shift.
Redknapp found himself... lost.
He couldn't understand what some teams were trying to do.
He didn't grasp certain players' roles.
Take Bayswater Chinese Club, for example.
While the world was focused on the left side—Marcelo, Gareth Bale, Toni Kroos—
Redknapp's eyes were drawn to the right: Piszczek, Modrić, Di María, Walcott.
At most big clubs, a full-back's forward runs are just to provide width or overlap.
But at Guardiola's Barça, the right side was unique.
Dani Alves and Messi rarely lined up horizontally.
They operated on staggered vertical planes.
This gave their right flank more layers and more threat—both could carry the ball, both were creators.
Bayswater had similar patterns.
When Hazard played left wing with Marcelo, their interaction mimicked Alves-Messi.
But Gareth Bale was a different animal—direct, physical, classic British style.
His pairing with Marcelo created a completely different dynamic.
Then there was Piszczek on the right.
Converted from winger to full-back under Yang Cheng, he was fascinating.
Whether paired with Di María or Walcott, he adapted with ease.
If Barça's right side was all about control and coordination,
Bayswater's right was all about speed and verticality.
Where Barça staggered horizontally, Bayswater staggered vertically—
making their attacking combinations distinctly different.
And this season?
They were only getting more dangerous.
When both of Bayswater Chinese Club's full-backs were fully unleashed, it became crystal clear just how different the team's attacking approach was down each flank.
And this created a nightmare for opposing defenses.
How do you adjust to an opponent constantly shifting its attacking patterns?
How do you respond and restructure defensively—in real time?
Back in the previous season, Sir Alex Ferguson had told the media that Toni Kroos was the most successful and important signing of the 2010/11 Premier League season.
Many didn't understand that at all.
"Isn't this guy just good at spraying quick, accurate long balls?"
"He finds gaps on the fly, launches pinpoint passes for Bale, Walcott, Di María, or Hazard to chase down…"
Sure, that was useful—especially with those wingers.
But best in the league? That seemed like a stretch.
But Redknapp agreed with Ferguson.
Toni Kroos was vastly underrated.
If long passing was his most visible strength, his true weapon was his ability to control tempo and reshape the team's attacking rhythm through passing.
Kroos played with ice in his veins. He always knew:
When to passWhen to holdWhen to recycleWhen to break lines
And his style? Simple, clean, and devastatingly effective.
That's what made him so dangerous—you couldn't disrupt him.
There was no real way to shut him down, and without disrupting Kroos, you couldn't disrupt Bayswater's buildup.
Last season, Arsenal needed five midfielders to contain Bayswater's three.
And that was a Champions League–winning Arsenal side.
Five midfielders!
Now, in Matchday 4 of the new season, Spurs came to Wembley.
Redknapp used four midfielders.
But that was against a rotated Bayswater, one that wasn't even at full strength.
The South Americans—Thiago Silva, Marcelo, Di María—didn't play.
Nor did Matić, Lewandowski, or Piszczek.
And still, Spurs spent the first half in constant fear.
Why?
Because of Toni Kroos.
Redknapp repeatedly warned his players pre-match and again at halftime:
"Whatever happens—don't take your eyes off Kroos."
Then, just 15 seconds into the second half, Giroud drifted out of the penalty area.
Kroos played a diagonal pass to his feet.
Giroud didn't control it.
Instead, with his left foot, he flicked it—no, bounced it—forward.
The ball skipped past Michael Dawson, into Spurs' right side of the box.
Redknapp leapt up from the bench.
As expected, Gareth Bale came flying in, meeting the ball in his favorite zone and tried to place it into the far corner.
It struck the outside of the right post and bounced back.
Luckily for Spurs, no one followed up.
"Stay sharp!"
Redknapp was on the sideline, shouting nervously.
"Michael! Use your head—stay focused!"
"Kyle!"
Kyle Naughton turned around immediately.
"Watch the Welshman—don't lose him!"
Naughton nodded firmly. He'd clearly been shaken.
Redknapp slapped his own forehead.
He could tell—Naughton and Dawson still didn't get it.
Hadn't they realized? Bayswater had shifted their focus to Giroud.
Redknapp had sensed it instantly.
Yang Cheng had adjusted how he was using Giroud—planting him inside the box.
Spurs' defensive setup in the first half had a flaw:
When Dawson and Kaboul drifted wide to cover Bale and Walcott, it left gaps in the center.
So what happens if Bayswater suddenly sends in a cross to Giroud?
To suppress Kroos and De Bruyne in the middle, Livermore and Huddlestone were forced to press higher.
Livermore was young, Huddlestone couldn't anchor the midfield properly.
This created holes at the top of the box.
That's where Giroud would drop deep.
"This French striker is smart as hell…"
Redknapp realized it when Giroud dropped into midfield earlier.
Football is a constant cycle of adjustment and reaction.
Now he was racking his brain—trying to decipher Yang Cheng's tweaks and figure out how to counter.
Only... there didn't seem to be a solution.
He stepped to the sideline again, signaling his double pivot to hold their shape and protect the edge of the box.
In the 48th minute, Giroud received the ball in the box and laid it off.
Gareth Bale cut inside and let rip with his right foot—but it lacked power and Friedel caught it.
A minute later, Kroos attracted Huddlestone before sliding a pass through.
Giroud, now deeper, controlled, turned, and fired wide from distance.
Walcott immediately curled a cross from the right to the far post.
Bale volleyed again—but from a tight angle, missed wide.
The Welshman wasn't in his sharpest form today.
No surprise—he had just returned from international duty.
Then in the 54th minute, Ryan Bertrand and Bale attempted a combo down the left but couldn't break through.
Kroos, in space, called for the pass.
Bale knocked it back.
Kroos took a touch centrally, looked at Giroud, as if planning a repeat play...
But instead, he whipped a long diagonal ball with his right foot.
Giroud had shifted left, while Walcott made a diagonal run into the box from the right.
The entire right side was empty.
Kyle Walker, flying forward, chested the ball down at the edge of the box and took control.
His technique was solid.
But Spurs' defense was organized too.
Ekotto abandoned Walcott to close Walker down.
Livermore dropped into the box, ready to cover.
Then De Bruyne appeared—just outside the area, calling for the ball on the right.
Walker considered pushing forward but passed back to De Bruyne.
Now the Belgian faced the defense directly.
Walcott was waiting inside the box, and Walker was still nearby.
Ekotto marked Walker. Livermore marked Walcott.
Kaboul hustled over to cover both zones.
That's how Spurs defended in the first half.
But now—the problem emerged.
When Giroud cut from the left side of the penalty area to the right side of the penalty spot, he saw De Bruyne receiving the ball.
The French striker glanced around and spotted a gaping hole between Michael Dawson and Kaboul.
Had De Bruyne seen it?
Because in that brief moment, the Belgian was completely unmarked.
Giroud shouted, raised his hand, and charged forward.
As the ball arrived, De Bruyne delivered a swift, arcing diagonal pass.
The ball sailed over everyone's heads, curling toward the right edge of the six-yard box.
Giroud arrived on cue, met it cleanly with a powerful header, snapping his neck to drive the ball goalward.
The ball swerved sharply and rocketed into the bottom-left corner of Tottenham's net.
Friedel didn't even have time to dive.
The net bulged.
"GOOOOOAL!!!"
"A beautiful attacking sequence!"
"A thunderous header from Olivier Giroud!"
"And what an assist from De Bruyne—fantastic curve and inch-perfect placement."
"This Bayswater side is just bursting with talent!"
"Last season, De Bruyne rotated between the flanks and central midfield.
Today, Yang Cheng deployed him as a box-to-box midfielder."
"And this 20-year-old Belgian just delivered a pinpoint assist to Giroud."
"That's the mark of a world-class coach—taking a young substitute, and producing this kind of tactical brilliance."
As Giroud ran off in celebration, Wembley erupted with 90,000 fans roaring in unison.
On the sidelines, Redknapp shook his head helplessly.
"Couldn't even make it to the hour mark…"
They hadn't even faced Bayswater's full-strength lineup, and yet Spurs still couldn't hold out.
…
With Giroud's header breaking the deadlock, the match fully shifted in Bayswater's favor.
In the 66th minute, they struck again—with a textbook counterattack.
Javi Martínez intercepted a pass and fed the ball down the right to Kyle Walker.
Walker didn't hesitate—he sprinted forward, charging deep into Tottenham's half.
Walcott shifted inside, received the ball, but Spurs' Livermore had recovered.
With no space to burst through, Walcott laid it off to the left for Gareth Bale.
The Welshman drove forward, then slipped the ball into the left side of the box and continued his run through the middle.
Giroud made a diagonal run, controlled the ball just ahead of Kaboul, and with a brilliant backheel, returned it to the onrushing Bale.
Bale met it with his right foot, firing low past Friedel, who had rushed out of his goal.
2–0!
In the 78th minute, Bayswater pushed Spurs back into their own penalty area again.
Though the attack didn't result in a shot, they recycled possession.
Toni Kroos, slightly left of center, looked up and casually lifted a lofted pass over the defense.
The ball curled over defenders near the penalty spot, dropping near the far-right corner of the six-yard box.
Walcott burst through the crowd, met it with a first-time side-footed volley, and slammed it into the back of the net.
3–0!
Walcott crashed to the turf after shooting, but quickly jumped up and sprinted away in celebration.
"My God, we don't even know how Toni Kroos spotted that run!"
"How did he see that chance developing?!"
"And Walcott—his off-the-ball movement has always been top-class. That was pure striker's instinct!"
"If Spurs' first-half defending was solid, then this second half has been a complete collapse."
"Redknapp's side simply hasn't found an answer to Bayswater's attacking waves."
…
Final score: Bayswater Chinese Club 3–0 Tottenham Hotspur.
Yang Cheng's side had now won four straight to start the new season.
And this was with heavy rotation.
Elsewhere:
Arsenal beat Swansea 1–0 thanks to a goal from Arshavin.Manchester City dominated Wigan 4–0, with a hat trick from Agüero and a penalty from Tévez.Liverpool narrowly won 1–0 at Stoke.Chelsea came from behind to beat Sunderland 2–1 away.Manchester United thrashed Bolton 5–0, with Rooney bagging a hat trick.
After four rounds, Bayswater remained atop the table.
Bayswater, City, and United were all perfect with four wins, and all looked formidable.
But the pundits noted—neither Bayswater nor City had faced a "big" opponent yet.
The real tests were still to come.
…
September 14, Wembley Stadium, London.
Champions League Group Stage, Matchday 1:
Bayswater Chinese Club vs. Napoli (Serie A)
As their first UCL match of the season, Yang Cheng and his squad approached it with maximum seriousness.
He fielded his strongest XI:
GK: CourtoisDefense: Marcelo, Thiago Silva, Pepe, PiszczekMidfield: Matić (holding), Ramsey, ModrićForwards: Bale, Lewandowski, Di María
From the opening whistle, Bayswater completely took control.
Napoli manager Walter Mazzarri deployed his usual 3-5-2, but in practice, it looked more like a 5-4-1.
Wing-backs Zúñiga and Maggio dropped deep to form a back five.
Up front, Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi stayed high for counterattacks.
But for the first 20+ minutes, Napoli couldn't even get a shot off.
Then, in the 34th minute, Matić intercepted a pass in midfield and fed it to Modrić.
From within a crowd of players, Modrić slipped a killer through ball.
Lewandowski, with Paolo Cannavaro on his back, took it in stride, spun, and surged forward.
Before the defense could close in, he played a diagonal pass to the right wing.
Di María burst into the box and drove inside.
But instead of shooting, he stopped, pulled the ball back with the outside of his left foot, and squared it across the box.
It passed between two defenders—
—and Lewandowski, sprinting through the center, blasted it into the bottom-left corner.
1–0!
Wembley erupted as 90,000 fans roared Lewandowski's name!
Throughout the first half, Bayswater Chinese Club maintained a staggering 76.1% possession, despite registering just 9 shots.
This alone spoke volumes about how tightly organized Napoli's defense was.
But after Lewandowski's opening goal, the tension lifted from Bayswater's shoulders.
After the restart, they continued to press.
In the 57th minute, following a midfield interception, Bayswater launched a rapid counterattack.
Piszczek made a blistering run down the right, received a pass from Di María, and after some tricky footwork against Zúñiga, cut the ball back to the Argentine.
Just as Di María was about to cut inside onto his left to shoot, he was brought down by Gargano.
Free kick just outside the box on the right—Gareth Bale's favorite spot.
The Welshman stepped up, placed the ball, took a quick run-up, and struck a textbook knuckleball.
The ball swerved violently through the air and flew into Napoli's net.
2–0!
Now two goals ahead, Bayswater looked to press the advantage.
But in the 69th minute, a miscue in the final third allowed Napoli to break.
Hamsik burst through midfield and, under pressure from Matić, threaded a pass in behind.
Cavani muscled past Thiago Silva, surged into the box, and blasted it home.
2–1!
Napoli had hope again.
Mazzarri made a flurry of substitutions, trying to spark a comeback.
But just five minutes later, Marcelo made a brilliant tackle near the halfway line and passed to Ramsey, who, under pressure, quickly released the ball to Bale.
Back to goal, Bale fended off Maggio, then flicked the ball over him and sprinted around.
Down the left, Bale whipped in a low cross into the box.
Inside, Lewandowski and Di María crashed forward.
Lewandowski beat everyone to the ball with a sliding finish—3–1!
His second goal of the night.
Di María at the back post missed a sitter, but no matter—the job was done.
Late in the game, Napoli did have a golden chance to pull one back, but they squandered a one-on-one.
Final score: Bayswater Chinese Club 3–1 Napoli.
…
After the international break, Bayswater played three straight home matches.
After beating Spurs and Napoli, it was time for Matchday 5 in the Premier League.
Queens Park Rangers came to Wembley.
Two clubs with deep history—once sharing a stadium—now met in the Premier League.
Before kickoff, Yang Cheng shared a few polite words with QPR manager Neil Warnock.
He even casually asked about the rumored takeover.
Warnock confirmed the deal was signed, only awaiting final paperwork.
"Should be all wrapped up by November," Warnock said.
Then, half-jokingly:
"The Americans are in the VIP box today—try not to go too hard on us, yeah?"
Yang Cheng chuckled.
On the pitch, no one holds back—especially not against a newly promoted side.
Despite their shared past, QPR was no match for Bayswater.
No one—not even Yang Cheng, not even Warnock—expected what came next.
Not to mention the likes of Stephen Ross, watching from the VIP box.
1 minute and 12 seconds in, Walcott, assisted by Piszczek, tore down the right and whipped in a low cross.
Lewandowski, sandwiched between Anton Ferdinand and Hall, powered home a close-range header.
1–0!
The game's first shot. First goal.
Even Bayswater fans were stunned.
QPR's players stood frozen.
Wait—this is the West London derby?
Bayswater then unleashed a relentless storm.
19': Modrić arrived late in the box and slotted home.
2–0!38': Bale beat his marker and squared it.
Lewandowski again.
3–0!
It was the Pole's third brace of the season.
QPR had barely spent £5 million in the summer.
Ten new players, half on free transfers—Joey Barton, Kieron Dyer, and other outcasts.
Only big buy? DJ Campbell from Blackpool for £1.6 million.
QPR was basically playing with a Championship squad.
Why?
Because the Italian owners were waiting to sell—they didn't want to spend a penny more.
From a business angle, smart.
Promoted club, keep costs low, sell high.
But the reality? Dire.
Warnock had almost no players to work with.
Even down 3–0 at halftime, he subbed on two attackers—because that's all he had on the bench.
He was already fielding his best defenders.
But nothing changed.
59': Modrić → Lewandowski → Goal.
4–0!
Lewandowski's first hat trick of the season. The crowd erupted.65': Bale and Walcott linked up on the break.
5–0!71': Walcott to Bale, left-foot volley.
6–0!
At the 75th minute, Yang Cheng subbed off three players.
Harry Kane replaced Lewandowski, who exited to a thunderous ovation.
…
It was reckless. Absolutely reckless.
Inside one of Wembley's VIP boxes, American real estate tycoon Stephen Ross, who had just signed the QPR takeover a month ago, sat speechless.
What the hell have I done...?
Just two months to decide to buy a £100 million club.
A month ago, he had signed the deal—brimming with confidence, thinking it'd become a legendary case study in global sports investment.
Now? He was beginning to think he'd just stepped into a bottomless money pit.
Worse, he felt like he'd been played—bailing out a sly Italian who wanted out.
Watching from the VIP box as Queens Park Rangers were mercilessly slaughtered by Bayswater Chinese Club, Stephen Ross felt panic creeping in.
The live Premier League table flashed on the screen:
Five games played, QPR had only 4 points, sitting in 17th place.
Teams in 18th, 19th, and 20th all had 3 points.
QPR was now officially a relegation candidate.
But this didn't make sense!
Last season in the Championship, QPR dominated. They finished four points ahead of second-place Norwich, winning the title and promotion in commanding fashion.
At one point, they were 9 points clear at the top.
If they hadn't eased off late in the season, they might've won by more.
They were one of the most competitive teams in the Championship.
So what happened?
Sure, there hadn't been much investment over the summer, but how did things deteriorate so quickly?
Other newly promoted teams like Swansea and Norwich, both of whom were weaker than QPR last year, were now in 13th and 14th.
What was going on?
Ross asked Charlie Stillitano, but the Italian-American had no explanation.
Even head coach Neil Warnock seemed unsure, giving Ross half-hearted answers.
And after this 6–0 humiliation by Bayswater, Ross was already mentally firing Warnock.
Thankfully, his expectations had been low from the start: just stay up.
Ross wasn't naive.
Before buying QPR, he'd commissioned a full audit of the club's debts and liabilities.
The result? QPR's finances looked healthy—no significant external debts.
The Italian owners had handed over a clean sheet.
But once Ross took control, he realized where the real trap was.
His team had projected that just surviving would bring in £35–40 million in TV money alone.
Add in decent matchday revenue—London ticket prices were high.
Things looked solid on paper.
And most of it was correct.
TV money was as promised.
Matchday revenue? The stadium wasn't full, but 15,000 average attendance at £40 a ticket still brought in £600,000 per match.
Multiply that by 19 home games, and that's £11.4 million.
With other income from cups and sponsorships, Ross's team had confidently predicted over £50 million in revenue.
But they forgot something.
Why had QPR done so well last season?
This was a club that had been near the bottom of the Championship in recent years.
From 13th place in 2009/10 to Championship winners in 2010/11—a massive leap.
Why?
Because last season, QPR had loaned several players from Premier League clubs, and signed 11 free agents.
Players aged anywhere from 30 (like Chimbonda) to 17 (like Sharif), from clubs like Blackburn, West Brom, Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Millwall, and Sheffield Wednesday.
They were brought in on lucrative contracts, loaded with Premier League promotion clauses.
Those players gave everything to win promotion—because they had personal financial incentives.
Now in the Premier League?
Chimbonda's wages alone jumped from £30,000 to £50,000 per week—that's £2.6 million annually.
Add in others like Ishmael Miller and Clint Hill.
Suddenly, QPR's wage bill had exploded, breaching the revenue red line.
Matt Higgins ran the numbers.
Once you added stadium maintenance, staff salaries, academy and youth operations…
£50 million wasn't even close to enough.
Ross knew this trick all too well.
The Italians had sold him a shiny bubble—looked great from the outside, but inside?
Nothing but air.
£100 million, for this?
So, the first thing Ross did?
Start clearing out the big earners.
Veterans like Chimbonda—out.
Now the club was in turmoil.
And with chaos behind the scenes, performances on the pitch plummeted.
The West London Derby Ross had once dreamed of?
His club got crushed 6–0.
"We need to increase revenue—fast!"
Ross couldn't let his thoughts spiral any further.
His head felt like it was going to split open.
"Get in touch with Beckham's people—ASAP.
His commercial value is massive.
If we can sign him, we can open new channels and grow revenue streams."
He didn't say it aloud, but it was written all over his face:
I'm not here to burn money. I'm here to make it.
This isn't charity.
"Also—tell Warnock:
This team must stay up.
If he can't do it, he's gone."
As soon as he mentioned relegation, Ross winced.
What kind of twisted system is this?
In America, there was no relegation.
Now he was full of regret.
Why hadn't he chosen Fulham over QPR?
Wait—Fulham were in 18th place, even worse.
That made him feel slightly better.
At least I didn't make the absolute worst choice.
But deep down, Ross knew:
Until he escaped the looming threat of relegation, he'd never sleep soundly.
QPR was a mess.
And looking back at the pitch—Bayswater's players celebrated their 6–0 win in front of 90,000 roaring fans at Wembley.
The stadium shook from the noise.
Ross could only watch—and burn with envy.
That's the club I wanted.
In reality?
His team was the one slouching off the field in shame.
What a damn mess...
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