From Arsenal to the Ball God

Chapter 12: Chapter 12: The Scouts’ Attention

”Alright, Ma’el!”

On the sidelines, Hans stood up once again, clenched his fists, and waved them.

Three to three tie!

This was somewhat surprising. Could it be that their trial lineup could match up with Liverpool?

Doesn’t this mean that Arsenal’s youth training is already ahead of Liverpool?

”Mr. Wenger, what do you think of him?”

After the celebrations, back at the coaching bench, Hans quickly asked Wenger for his opinion. He was somewhat expectant, ”Although I would also like to recommend those who’ve been following me for longer, you saw his performance today with your own eyes.”

Sometimes, that’s just how it is. You not only need to be prepared and build stronger capabilities, but also need an opportunity for your abilities to be seen by someone who can promote you.

Ma’el was lucky; his first performance was astonishing to everyone.

More importantly, this ”everyone” included the current Arsenal first team manager Wenger!

However, considering Mr. Wenger had been paying attention to him for a while, you can’t simply say he’s just lucky. Maybe Wenger came to the game just to see him.

”This kind of shooting conversion rate is indeed impressive, and his ability to compete fairly is also there.”

Wenger nodded and then said, ”I assume you’re going to give him a youth contract, you’re just asking if I’ll promote him to the first team.

”It’s not an easy decision to make, I can’t give you an answer right now. This is just my first time seeing him play.”

However... Wenger seemed to remember something, turned his head, and looked toward a corner of the fan area where several stern-faced people were writing something down.

There was no celebration, only meticulous recording. They seemed out of place compared to the other fans around them.

They were those scouts; they must have witnessed Ma’el’s performance firsthand and would make evaluations based on scouting standards.

......

”Outstanding shooting ability from long distance, far superior shooting power and precision compared to his peers! A talent for heavy shooting.”

In the stands, a scout from Sheffield United quickly took notes in his notebook, ”Excellent physical competition in matches of the same level, highly moldable.

”As for weaknesses, he doesn’t seem good at passing threatening balls or dribbling breakthroughs; at least two dribbling attempts were cut off, and he lost possession twice due to passing errors. However, his basic skills are solid, and he doesn’t show any fear on the field.

”Potential Rating: B+, on par with Arsenal U17 Team Captain Gilbert, with a decent chance to adapt to the Championship League in the future.”

After finishing all this, he stopped writing and fixed his eyes on Ma’el, who was celebrating.

He wanted to judge from his teammates’ reactions whether this player was a contracted player or an Arsenal trial player.

After all, these two identities represented two entirely different levels of difficulty in acquiring him!

”Interested?”

Beside him, a scout from Burnley came over and mocked, ”After Sheffield United’s failure to get promoted last year, a lot of Premier League-level players left. Just manage to stay in the league now with those leftover troops.

”Could there be any other ideas?”

The Sheffield United scout ignored him and continued to take notes in his notebook.

Last year, in the 09-10 season, they made it to the Championship promotion playoffs, all the way to the final, with promotion to the Premier League within reach.

Unfortunately, they lost in the final, an eternal regret leaving the whole club disheartened.

Back then, their opponent in the final was Burnley!

Moreover, the two clubs have been hovering around the Premier League and Championship, often locked in life-and-death competitions.

It’s only natural they don’t get along.

”Relax, we’re not going to compete with you.”

The Burnley scout, seeing no reply from him, turned his head away disinterestedly, ”Premier League teams naturally need better players. We’ll take what’s left, and obviously, these kinds are reserved for Championship teams like yours.”

The Sheffield United scout still didn’t respond, so he turned his attention to the Leeds United scout beside him, hoping to start a conversation.

Seeing that the other party was also writing down notes with his head down, the Burnley scout finally realized what he needed to focus on right now.

He took out his notebook, thought for a moment, and wrote down a bunch of words.

”Arsenal, Number 31.

”Excellent long-range shooting ability, excellent physical competition ability. Apart from these, he doesn’t have any notable characteristics. As a winger, he lacks a good crossing ball, doesn’t have outstanding cutting-in ability or the ability to break into the penalty area.

”Lacks the potential to play in the Premier League. If he can be bought out for under £40,000, the club is advised to acquire him, place him in the youth or reserve team to gain experience, and in the future sell him to Championship or English First Division clubs for between £100,000 and £500,000.”’

After writing, he shook his head slightly, expressing mild disappointment.

He thought they might discover a few potential stars while watching the game with Wenger, but it turned out there was only one ’lacking Premier League potential’ number 31.

”What a waste of time.”

He lost interest and refocused on showcasing his superiority as a ’Premier League scout’, acting distinct from others, noticeably satisfied.

Sometimes people are like this; when they find they can’t achieve their original goals, the feeling of frustration pushes them to compensate with their other advantages.

......

”Beep! Beep! Beep——!”

Shortly after, with three long whistles from the referee, the game officially ended.

The score, three to three!

Arsenal, with a trial lineup, managed to draw at home the far-traveling Liverpool Team, which was an entirely acceptable result.

”This week’s holiday is off. Go back and reflect seriously!”

The Liverpool coach left with a face full of anger, reprimanding his players sternly: ”Why did the opponents have determination after losing the ball, and why was the opponent’s shooting conversion rate so high while yours was not?”

Seeing his appearance made Arsenal’s players even happier.

Many times, in competitive sports, the sense of achievement and joy come from comparison with opponents.

Ma’el was now enthusiastically high-fiving with his teammates, experiencing for the first time the thrill of a comeback victory, feeling the value of his strength in competitive matches.

”Staying here shouldn’t be a problem, congratulations in advance.”

Captain Gilbert hugged him, congratulated him, and then joked: ”Maybe Mr. Wenger has noticed you too. If you make it to the first team in the future, don’t forget about us.”

”How could I?”

Ma’el laughed, patting his back, then turned and saw Carl’s complex expression.

Carl had joined the team with him, and just days ago they were lamenting the difficulty of staying on.

However, since that shooting practice day, everything between them changed.

”I should’ve gone for extra practice with you back then.”

Carl chuckled self-deprecatingly, as if he already foresaw his future, ”Sadly, I couldn’t get up, nor continue extra training amidst ongoing fatigue from daily training tasks.”

”Try again back in France with a Ligue 1 or Ligue 2 club.”

Ma’el restrained his joy, unsure how to comfort him, ”There should still be opportunities.”

Professional football is brutally tough. Behind each glamorous success, countless individuals have thrown in their youth only to be left with regret and sorrow.

Carl shook his head, stopped focusing on himself, and forced out a difficult smile: ”You’re definitely going to keep playing at the Korney Base, keep pushing. Hope to see you play professionally one day.

”If you make it into the French National Team, win the European Cup or World Cup, then I’ll have something to brag about back home. I’ll definitely cover my house with your posters and tell my kids and grandkids in the future, hahaha...”

He let out two laughs, trying to hide his sadness and envy, but it was already futile.

Ma’el embraced him, patting his shoulder, sensing his body slightly trembling and his breathing turning uneven.