From Arsenal to the Ball God

Chapter 68: Chapter 7: Observation Level 3! [2/5]

During the meal, Ma’el and Mendes confirmed some contract details, and they planned to complete the signing today.

What kind of cooperation this will be, no one knows yet, only time will tell.

First sign like this, and when the future cooperation is pleasant, open two bottles of red wine, sit together and slowly reminisce and celebrate.

”I’ll go print the contract.”

Halfway through the meal, Pepeño saw the two confirming the details and returned to the hotel first, ”Excuse me.”

”Are you a bit hesitant?”

Mendes knows players well. In his conversation with Ma’el just now, he noticed this in the details of the words, ”In your career planning, especially for this current season?”

”Yes.”

Ma’el didn’t plan to hide it. After the chat just now, he was quite interested in consulting Mendes on this point, ”There are two choices in front of me, to return to Arsenal or stay at Sheffield United to finish this season.”

”Let’s discuss the first one.”

Mendes leaned forward and said seriously, ”Arsenal is currently ranked fourth in the league standings, already trailing Manchester United by 6 points. With the stability of Old Lord Ferguson, he basically won’t give another chance.

”As for the League Cup and the soon-to-be FA Cup, neither has been eliminated yet, but the chances of winning the championship are very slim.

”If you want the championship, then obviously there’s no need to rush for this half season because the opportunities are not great even if you return..... I hope you won’t be upset by my words.

”But if you want to have a stronger influence and attention, it’s best to return and serve in a big club. As long as you endure, everything will multiply, and you’ll quickly enter the mainstream view.”

He picked up the coffee cup beside him, took a sip, and then said, ”As for the second option, you have already established yourself, even conquered Sheffield United.

”Staying here is the most stable choice, your position is very stable, and your data output is very stable as well.

”The drawback is that its influence is a notch lower than the Premier League, and its attention is not high.....”

Ma’el nodded, he was still waiting for Mendes to make the key point, as he already knew the previous analysis, just listening as a preamble.

Mendes took another sip of coffee, adjusted his tie, and his expression became serious, ”However, there is one thing that can bridge the gap between the Championship and the Premier League, and that is ultimate personal honor.”

”Golden Boot, Assist King?”

Ma’el retorted. Garrispeed had told him these things, and he had thought about it privately as well.

Mendes smiled and nodded, his tone becoming enthusiastic, ”If you can maintain this state, win the Championship Golden Boot or Assist King, and then lead the team to the Premier League, everything will be different.

”The moment you ascend to the Premier League, everything you lacked will be compensated for in multiples.

”You will be regarded as a hero, extensively promoted by all the media!

”People will search for your brilliant performances and passionate moments throughout the season, trying to understand everything about you, frantically exploring what kind of legendary season you’ve had!”

Here, he suddenly shifted tone, ”But that’s very difficult, and if you don’t get promoted, the loss will be significant.”

”I want to give it a try.”

Ma’el finally had a certain choice inclination, he stopped talking about football, and switched to lighthearted family chats with Mendes.

In the afternoon, he asked the club for leave and completed the agent contract signing with Mendes at his hotel.

”Come take a photo of us.”

Mendes handed the phone to Pepeño, smiling with radiant joy, ”In 3 years, we’ll know what kind of moment this will turn out to be.”

Pepeño took the phone, stood in front of the two, and continuously clicked the shutter to take photos.

”Pleasant cooperation.”

Ma’el finally shook Mendes’ hand, looking forward, ”I hope it will be a moment that’s talked about as a great story.”

......

On December 11th, Sheffield United faced the twentieth round of the Championship.

They visited Barnsley’s home ground and clashed with the opponent at seven-thirty in the evening.

Barnsley is one of the few possession-style teams in the Championship this season, and this style has also left them with certain hidden dangers.

For example, when it comes to selecting full-backs, they couldn’t find players with strong one-on-one defensive abilities to resist Ma’el’s assault.

In the end, the Barnsley coach resigned to his fate and sent out two attacking wing-backs, deciding to replace defense with attack.

Or put it another way, they decided to endure Ma’el’s impact and put their hope of winning on the attacking players, hoping to score more goals than Sheffield United.

”Bang bang bang....!”

This is a highly entertaining match, with both sides fiercely attacking, the match was wide open with extremely fast pace.

”Trippier, an England local wing-back, is only 20 years old this year, considered to have a bright future!

”He has a very excellent free-kick and crossing ability, but today he meets a more outstanding young player, Ma’el, and they are in direct confrontation.”

”.....”

”Kibo O’Brien’s long pass! Kolase has entered the penalty area, stopped the ball beautifully, and pushed it to the far corner!!

”The ball is in!! Barnsley takes the lead at home, Sheffield United’s defense was missing, Steven lost Kolase, giving the opponent an easy chance to handle the ball!

”One to zero! The lads from Barnsley can celebrate to their heart’s content!!”

”.....”

”Ma’el receives the ball on the wing, facing Trippier’s defense, this is a wing-back not good at defending, it should be tough for him to hold off Ma’el.

”Effortlessly passed! Ma’el bypassed Trippier using a simple bicycle kick, and the latter was not ready to give up, there was a clear grabbing motion!

”The referee blows the whistle, a foul, and Trippier receives a yellow card! For a player facing Ma’el, getting a yellow card so early requires concern for his defense in the second half.”

”.....”

”Free kick! Ma’el curls it to the far post! Gilbert!!

”The ball is in, Gilbert scores with a header! His fourth goal of the season! Reaching a total of five goals!”

”Set-pieces have become an important scoring method for Sheffield United this season, especially since Ma’el took over as the main taker; his crosses are always cunning and accurate!”

”.....”

”The first half is about to end, Ma’el is charging forward again, he’s already gotten past Trippier twice, will it be a third time?”

”Trippier keeps falling back; he’s very nervous and focused, but on the football field, those alone aren’t enough.”

On the field, Ma’el’s right foot swiftly strikes the ball. Maybe his ball control isn’t perfect, but at least he won’t fumble.

Trippier lowers his center of gravity; his upper body almost touches Ma’el’s waist. He really doesn’t want to be beaten again.

”Pop.”

Ma’el suddenly accelerates, pushing the ball to the outside, preparing for a cut inside.

Trippier wasn’t exactly fooled; he instinctively followed a step, knowing Ma’el’s next move would definitely be a step-over and a sprint down the line.

As he expected, Ma’el performs an inside cut, speeds up towards the byline, while continually observing the situation in the center.

Trippier quickly turns around and starts chasing, only to watch as the distance between him and Ma’el keeps increasing.

Beaten again!

This is probably the most frustrating thing — knowing what the other player will do, but not being able to keep up.

”Boom!”

Then, Ma’el lashes the ball towards the center, where Evans rushes in at the far post to sweep it into the net.

Two to one!

Overtaking the lead!

”Yeah...!”

The fans erupted in cheer. Evans ran to the sideline with the ball, tucking it under his shirt to salute his wife who just announced her pregnancy on TV.

Ma’el rushed over and hugged him from behind, jokingly saying, ”Train your child well; maybe when he’s my age, I’ll still be playing in the football world.”

Evans was momentarily stunned. Once he realized Ma’el was teasing him about being old, he replied, indignantly, ”I’ll make sure he breaks your old bones.”

”That’s for the future.”

Ma’el waved dismissively, ”Right now, you’re the old bones.”

He and Evans joked around playfully and energetically, making the Barnsley players envious.

Trippier stood at the goal line, blaming himself, before returning to his defensive position.

......

”Ma’el! Pulls off a bicycle kick! Still blazing down the line! Trippier loses his position again and trips Ma’el!”

”Since the second half started, it’s the second time he’s fouled Ma’el. He’s already carrying a yellow card; if it happens again, he could be shown another yellow and be sent off!”

”Barnsley’s coach should consider a substitution, risking playing a man down just for Trippier’s offensive skills isn’t worth it!”

”.....”

”Luton’s low shot! The ball deflected, the goalkeeper had no chance! A lucky goal, Sheffield United three to one! They are shining in all aspects today!”

”Looks like it was assisted by Gilbert. The kid is on fire today, already racking up a goal and an assist!”

On the field, as others ran to celebrate with Luton, Ma’el stood with his friend Gilbert, exchanging a high five.

”One goal, one assist, I’ll catch up to you.”

Gilbert patted his chest, boasting, ”Just wait, I’ll win Player of the Month someday too.”

Ma’el raised an eyebrow and made a funny face, indicating he didn’t believe it one bit.

Today, he already had two assists, putting him in a playful mood to tease his teammates.

On his way back, Ma’el suddenly felt a sense of dizziness, causing him to stop and catch his breath.

[Skill: Judging the Situation Level 3]

[Skill Level: (1/2000)]

[Utility: Clear-mindedness, with an enhanced ability to perceive the situation on the field, possessing excellent game reading abilities! No detail can escape your eyes, with improved anti-prediction skills!]

Observation has improved!

When Ma’el came back to his senses, a wave of excitement surged within him as he took a few deep breaths and glanced around.

His mind was indeed much clearer; he could process information on the field more efficiently, especially in capturing details with remarkable accuracy.

He could even gauge the emotions of opposing players, discerning which ones were still fighting and which ones were eager to leave early.

Not to mention, in open play, he could better identify gaps and spot teammates’ movements!

”Better late than never.”

Ma’el suppressed his excitement, valuing this ability greatly, as it provided an all-round enhancement.

Without observation, he wouldn’t have achieved so many assists in the first half of the season, always being in the right place.

”Beep!”

With the game resuming, Ma’el experienced a new match sensation, beginning to gain some control.

He didn’t give up on pursuing goals and assists; the first half of the season was about to end, and he hoped his performance this month could earn him mid-season honors.

Performing well close to award time is more likely to earn higher scores from the judges.