"Westfalen King Dominates the Match! Chinese Player Shines in Bundesliga with 3 Assists and 1 Goal!"
"Ruhr Derby Goal Fest, Chen Leads Dortmund to Rout Schalke 04!"
"5-2! Another Great Victory for Borussia Dortmund!"
"Does the Coaching Staff Know Who to Play Now? Chen Proves Himself with a Perfect Score!"
The Ruhr Derby, which had the entire Germany's attention, concluded.
Chen Tao's first Bundesliga start once again amazed the entire Germany.
Whether it was his 1v3 breakthrough on the wing into the box for a cut-back assist, or his acrobatic move outside the box to break past Fabian Ernst and score an unbelievable lob…
Chen Tao has proven that he is at ease in the Bundesliga and has demonstrated his importance to this Borussia Dortmund team.
Borussia Dortmund legend, Matthäus, one of the "Three Musketeers," updated his column again.
He once again highly praised the 15-year-old young player.
"Why were Borussia Dortmund's matches so ugly for a while? Why did the team suffer three consecutive losses after a seven-match unbeaten run and the winter break?"
"The answer is the head coach's mediocrity!"
Matthäus directly attacked head coach Thomas Doll.
Speaking of which, Thomas Doll was still a junior in the Germany national team after 1991, and the two were briefly teammates.
Facing his former comrade, Matthäus spoke harshly without any reservations:
"His style on the field was very simple and resilient, just like the traditional spirit of the Germany team."
"Unfortunately, he is the same in the position of head coach!"
"If it's just about formulaic deployments, what do we need a head coach for?"
"Every player knows the most basic formulaic tactics; they can discuss the formation themselves."
"The role of the head coach is daily training and the formulation of tactical strategies."
"It's obvious that Thomas Doll doesn't have his own tactics. His successful relegation-saving tactics last season came from the previous coach, Jürgen Röber, and can even be traced back to the coach before him, Van Marwijk!"
"Has Borussia Dortmund's playing style changed in recent years?"
"It's just old wine in new bottles!"
"So, Borussia Dortmund fans should have a deep understanding of this over the past few seasons."
"Every loss was incredibly frustrating, being toyed with and outmaneuvered by the opponent until the end."
"The wins were also confusing; we didn't know how we won. It was entirely reliant on the individual abilities of the players."
"Alexander Frei, as a Switzerland international, was responsible for many goals. But you can't expect this veteran to explode every match, can you?"
"CEO Watzke's biggest contribution this season was loaning Chen, this spirited Chinese young man, from Arsenal."
"He almost single-handedly revitalized the right-wing attack with his imaginative breakthroughs, creating many fantastic opportunities."
"It's clear that when he played, the team went seven matches unbeaten, and when he didn't play, they suffered three consecutive losses."
"Chen was playing so well before the winter break, why did you replace him?"
"What about Tinga, Jakub, Federico playing attacking midfield? Can they play? No, they don't have the strength of a Bundesliga powerhouse! Do you understand?!"
"But the extremist, stubborn, and conservative Thomas Doll insisted on proving himself, and now he can only prove that his stubbornness will lead to dropped points."
"Thomas is wrong, Chen is right."
"According to official store jersey sales, the No. 24 jersey sells over 1,500 units daily, becoming the most popular number within just two months, far exceeding other players'…."
"The fans' eyes are sharp; they like whoever can lead the team to win."
"I hope CEO Watzke understands…"
Matthäus, as a highly respected Germany legend, wrote such a strongly worded column, and the fuse was the post-match press conference.
Borussia Dortmund won the Ruhr Derby 5-2, and the post-match press conference started very harmoniously.
Thomas Doll and captain Kehl smiled as they answered many questions.
Until a reporter from "Munich Evening News" asked a rather sharp question.
"Mr. Doll, you didn't play Chen Tao during the previous three consecutive losses, and now Chen Tao starts and wins MVP, leading the team to win a tough match. Does this prove that your previous tactical arrangements were wrong?"
Thomas Doll's face instantly darkened.
"My tactical approach is not wrong. The three consecutive losses were not due to a certain player not playing, but because the players did not form sufficient coordination and could not implement my tactics."
He was still trying to explain calmly, but the reporter asked another question.
"Then, Mr. Doll, how do you evaluate Chen Tao's excellent performance today? Will you continue to give him a more important position in the future?"
Thomas Doll's expression was already off.
"Indeed, Chen is very active after getting the ball and causes a lot of trouble for the opponent."
"But the victory belongs to the entire team, and cannot be attributed to one person."
"In the future, the coaching staff will still arrange the lineup based on training status. Anyone can start, and anyone can be a substitute."
The reporters present were stunned.
What tactical advantage did Borussia Dortmund have today?
The short-passing and possession-based style was completely ineffective against Schalke 04's fierce pressing!
Anyone with a clear eye could see that it was entirely Chen Tao's individual ability at play.
If it had been an ordinary player, they wouldn't have achieved such brilliant results.
Borussia Dortmund would most likely have been defeated by Schalke 04 today, suffering humiliation from their arch-rivals at home.
This was a typical performance of individual heroism,
Anyone who understands football could see it.
As the head coach, you couldn't see it?
Or are you unwilling to admit your mediocrity?
The reporters present looked at each other, and afterwards, they sensationalized Thomas Doll's remarks in the news, adding fuel to the fire.
Some Dortmund fans were originally quite grateful to Thomas Doll; he worked hard to keep the team from relegation last season, and even if he didn't have achievements, he put in the effort.
Now, it seems Thomas Doll is truly holding the team back.
The team, with a surge of momentum, could have challenged for the Champions League!
Thomas Doll literally dragged the team into the relegation zone.
The "conservatives," represented by Brazilian midfielder Tinga, were clearly slacking off and just going through the motions.
Only young players like Nuri Şahin, Hummels, and Chen Tao were still trying their best to win.
It's really baffling what the coaching staff is thinking.
Thus came Matthäus's lengthy column, firing away.
…
The media was in an uproar about the coaching staff.
This period, however, did not affect Chen Tao; he remained immersed in his daily routine of diligent training, followed by attending classes at school.
The only change was,
Anna, who used to be unwilling to leave school at the same time as him,
Now deliberately waited for him.
Sometimes after class, Chen Tao liked to play recreational matches with the boys in his class, enjoying everyone's cheers and admiration.
His footwork, which could dominate professional players in the Bundesliga, made him practically a football god on campus.
Scholl siblings comprehensive middle school even added a new rule specifically for Chen Tao.
"No class is allowed to invite Chen Tao to join."
To prevent Chen Tao from misunderstanding, the principal even specifically invited Chen Tao to his office and politely explained this rule.
It wasn't that he had any issues with Chen Tao; he was just worried that his presence would severely disrupt the balance of campus matches.
As long as Chen Tao was on the field, other teams had no chance of playing.
Seeing the principal bowing and scraping, and actively making tea for Chen Tao, Chen Tao was completely thrown off.
What the heck? Are you the principal or am I the principal?
Wilhelm Scholl, the principal of Scholl siblings comprehensive middle school, was a refined old man with a strong artistic temperament.
Over seventy years old, he was also a Borussia Dortmund fan.
After discussing official matters, he also pulled Chen Tao aside to chat about a lot of Bundesliga gossip and Borussia Dortmund's upcoming movements.
"Chen, I hope the head coach lets you play more. Every time you're on the field, we fans feel very secure."
"When you're not there, even if we have an advantage, we still feel uneasy."
"Then I'll try my best to perform well."
Chen Tao didn't know what to say either; he was, after all, just a player.
His last bet with Thomas Doll was purely an impulse.
The head coach didn't discuss the matter with him after the match; he seemed to have forgotten about the bet in the parking lot.
In the training matches these past few days, Chen Tao also didn't take off his yellow bib and remained in the substitute lineup.
It didn't matter.
Chen Tao's loan contract appearances had already met the requirements, including 8 appearances in the League and 2 appearances in cup matches.
During the team's three consecutive losses, Chen Tao participated in the German Cup Round 3 match.
He helped the team defeat Alemannia Aachen 2-1, advancing to the German Cup quarterfinals.
He had already met Arsenal's loan contract minimum of 10 appearances.
Even if Borussia Dortmund didn't give him another minute of playing time, it wouldn't be a breach of contract.
Anyway, if Borussia Dortmund Club didn't value him, he could just return to Arsenal next season.
He just felt a bit sad to leave the lovely Dortmund fans.
Whether it was Principal Scholl, the Heinrich, or the enthusiastic neighbors around him.
Whenever Chen Tao walked down the street, he would see everyone greeting him warmly.
He had clearly become the fans' most beloved player.
He didn't know if he would start the next match.
It wasn't until the day before the Borussia Dortmund vs. Hertha Berlin match that the coaching staff announced the starting lineup internally!
Chen Tao found himself prominently listed!
Two consecutive starts!