These young men, who originally came from top-tier English clubs and even youth academies of giants, already possessed excellent tactical literacy and technical skills, which made Huang Hao sigh with emotion, realizing that a so-called football powerhouse was far more than just the gap of dozens of players in the national team.
Soon, Cambridge United’s League Cup second-round opponent also emerged: the old fox Leicester City from the EFL Championship.
This time, Huang Hao had no intention of continuing to create miracles; after all, their eye-catching performance in the first round had already made opponents take them more seriously.
Let a fourth-tier League team win the League Cup?
That’s too absurd!
After all, Cambridge United’s current focus was still on the League.
Only by joining a higher-level League as soon as possible could they gain greater benefits and escape poverty early.
It should be noted that later, the Premier League became the world’s most lucrative League, even if ranked at the bottom, it could still earn at least one hundred million pounds annually.
And in the EFL Championship, although it was the second-tier League after the Premier League, income would plummet to around twenty million pounds.
When it came to Cambridge United’s current Football League Two, it was only a paltry few hundred thousand pounds.
The vast disparity was simply unimaginable.
Even now, the last-place team in the Premier League had an income of twenty million pounds, so when Cambridge United entered the Premier League three years later, they could at least get forty million.
That’s why teams would fight tooth and nail for promotion, even if it meant sacrificing everything.
After all, as long as they were promoted, they could receive a huge share of broadcast fees, transforming the team from a nobody into a phoenix.
Before the match began, when Leicester City’s Head Coach Rob Kelly fielded all his main players without reservation, he was surprised to find that Cambridge United’s final squad list consisted entirely of rotated players!
None of the names he had prepared for in advance appeared on this list!
What was even more outrageous was that Huang Hao himself did not even come to Abe Stadium under a pretext!
The one commanding this match was the team’s assistant coach, Darren! This white paper with the squad list quickly crumpled into a ball in Kelly’s fury.
Even though Leicester City cleanly defeated Cambridge United’s second team 3:1 away, it couldn’t alleviate the frustration in his heart!
At the press conference, Kelly heavily criticized Huang Hao’s unprofessional behavior, as if he had suffered a great insult.
When the news reached Cambridge United Training Base, Qiao Zhuoyan merely smiled faintly and did not bother to respond to Leicester City’s Head Coach.
After all, getting into a war of words with a Head Coach of a mid-table EFL Championship team was not his pursuit.
Four days later, Cambridge United, with their main players fully rested, easily defeated Mansfield 4:1 away, thanks to the excellent performances of Dzeko and Vardy.
Those media outlets that had once exclaimed at Cambridge United’s incredibility now took their victories for granted.
After the match, Stewart, a reporter from London 94.9, called Huang Hao for an interview.
This young reporter was often assigned to interview Cambridge United, and thus his relationship with Huang Hao had become familiar.
“Hao, congratulations on your team winning another important match! You must be very satisfied, right?”
“Haha, thank you, Stewart! Who doesn’t like victory?!”
“You’re right, but Hao, Leicester City’s Head Coach Kelly and some others still believe that Cambridge United’s current performance is just a flash in the pan, and as the season progresses, promoted teams are still promoted teams, and it’s better to be more realistic.”
Huang Hao raised an eyebrow slightly, understanding that Stewart clearly wanted to stir up some topics for tomorrow’s news.
A war of words, who’s afraid of whom!
“Stewart, I think some people should worry more about their own jobs, after all, I heard that Leicester City is going to change owners, so they should worry about whether they can keep their jobs.”
“Is this news true? After all, there were only some rumors before.” Stewart’s eyes lit up immediately.
“Of course, we’ll know in a month at most.”
“As for my team, we never care what others think.”
“If anyone asserts that Cambridge United will one day fall into the relegation zone, feel free to contact me. I, for one, love to bet.”
With that, Huang Hao revealed a mischievous smile.
“Wow! I have to say, Hao, you completely shattered my impression of Eastern humility.”
“What kind of results do you think Cambridge United will achieve this season?”
Seeing Huang Hao so confident, Stewart was also curious about where Cambridge United would end up at the end of this season. “Hahaha, Mr. Reporter, just like our country’s football might not be great, but you can’t assume that all of us have a less advanced understanding of football than Europeans.”
“To be honest, I’m not sure what kind of results Cambridge United will ultimately achieve this season.”
“But one thing I can tell you with great certainty is that League Two is not Cambridge United’s final destination.”
“What?! Mr. Huang Hao, do you mean that Cambridge United will be promoted to League One?!”
Huang Hao’s calm words made Stewart’s heart tremble! As a promoted team in League Two, Cambridge United was currently deeply mired in financial crisis, barely surviving on fan crowdfunding, yet he was saying their goal was League One!
If praising Huang Hao’s confidence earlier was admiration, now Stewart felt Huang Hao was utterly arrogant.
Too conceited, too conceited!
“That’s right, Mr. Reporter, I don’t like to hide things. Cambridge United will tell you its rightful place at the end of the season.”
With that, Huang Hao hung up the phone amidst Stewart’s astonishment.
A month later, when Cambridge United once again appeared in news reports, this small team had already achieved an impressive record of ten matches unbeaten.
Huang Hao and his team were using victory after victory to tell the media not to presumptuously judge a team’s future with their so-called professionalism.
During this period, Cambridge United also successfully passed the tests of the Football League Trophy group stage and the FA Cup first round knockout.
While their League ranking was secured, these cup competitions, which offered tens of thousands of pounds in prize money for each victory, became Huang Hao’s favorite.
After all, the team still held a “proud” record: being first in debt among all teams in League Two, and even League One.
In the 17th round of the Football League Two, Cambridge United played away against Swindon.
By this point, Cambridge United had maintained a sixteen-match unbeaten streak in the League since the start of the season, ranking first, six points ahead of second-place Lincoln City.
Even Stewart no longer believed that Cambridge United’s promotion to League One was an unattainable dream.
And Swindon was currently ranked fourth in the standings. Before this match began, the media, who had always been skeptical of Cambridge United, frantically tagged Swindon, hoping Swindon could step up and stop Cambridge United from extending their unbeaten record to 17 matches.
But Huang Hao’s team seemed to particularly enjoy going against the media.
Cambridge United’s ball possession rate reached a terrifying 70% throughout the match, and their shots on goal were double that of their opponent, yet they conceded a goal to Swindon’s Roberts in the first half.
Just as the media were overjoyed, in the 80th and 85th minutes, substitute Tadić scored two consecutive goals, ultimately turning the tide to a 2:1 victory.
In the eighteenth round, Cambridge United returned home and defeated their main competitor, Walsall, 1:0.
Suddenly, the media seemed to have all changed their tune, enthusiastically proclaiming that Cambridge United would create the longest unbeaten record in League Two history, with some even predicting promotion several rounds early.
However, just seven days later, in an away match against second-to-last Boston United, Cambridge United only managed a 1:1 draw.
In the 20th round, they drew 0:0 with Peterborough United in the Derby match.
In the 21st round, they drew 1:1 with third-to-last Torquay United.
In the 22nd round, 15th-ranked Shrewsbury scored three goals in the 35th, 66th, and 78th minutes through Cook and Edwards, defeating Cambridge United 3:0.
After the match, Huang Hao did not harshly criticize the players for losing.
There are no undefeated generals in the world, let alone a small team like Cambridge United.
Perhaps this defeat came at just the right time.
During the match, Huang Hao could clearly feel the players’ anxious emotions.
The previous three consecutive draws against weaker teams.
After conceding a goal in this match, there were blind shots, reckless pushes forward, and a complete lack of the usual patience to break through the opponent’s defense through cooperation.
It should be said that the opponent won this match precisely by using Cambridge United’s most familiar method.
Youth, like a double-edged sword, while giving Cambridge United abundant physical strength and frantic pressing to secure victories, it also made them anxious and vulnerable when faced with setbacks.
The twenty-one match unbeaten streak in the League had quietly become a huge burden on the players’ shoulders.
Losing the match at this point was, in fact, what Huang Hao hoped to see.
Only then could Cambridge United’s players shed their burden and continue the second half of the season with a normal mindset.
After all, records were just a gimmick; successful promotion to League One was Huang Hao’s only goal. Cambridge United, whose twenty-one match unbeaten streak was ended by Shrewsbury, did not show the feared collapse.
After shedding this somewhat heavy burden, Cambridge United instead routed Notts County 5:2 at Meadow Lane Stadium, thoroughly venting their frustration.
After this match, Cambridge United’s League record for the first half of the season was 15 wins, 7 draws, and 1 loss, maintaining their first-place ranking.
Lincoln City, with a record of 13 wins, 6 draws, and 4 losses, trailed Cambridge United by 7 points in second place.
Walsall was in third place with 12 wins, 7 draws, and 4 losses.
These three teams were currently leading in the direct promotion battle to League One, while Milton Keynes, Swindon, Bristol Rovers, and Hartlepool occupied the playoff spots.
In the FA Cup second round, Cambridge United were lucky to draw a National League opponent, Macclesfield.
Huang Hao naturally wouldn’t miss the chance to earn twenty thousand pounds in prize money; after sending their opponent home with a 3:0 victory, Cambridge United successfully advanced to the third round.
