156: Recording the "Inner Demon"

On October 19th in Hartlepool, the warm autumn sun cast its rays through the clouds.

On the lawn of the Phoenix Training Center, the dew had long since vanished, replaced by specks of mud splashed up by the running players.

Lin Feng stood by the training ground, holding the sports section of yesterday's Hartlepool Mail.

The headline was particularly striking: “Luton Manager: We Will Defend Our Dignity with the Most Resilient Defense.”

Such words sounded inspiring, but Lin Feng keenly caught the subtext within them.

The opponent had already suffered a psychological defeat before the battle.

This pre-battle timidity, on the contrary, made Lin Feng feel new pressure.

Players might lose focus due to underestimating their opponent.

Especially young players, who often cannot accurately grasp the rhythm and intensity of a match.

“Boss, what’s today’s training schedule?”

Old John walked over with the training plan, a puzzled expression on his face.

“Tactical drills are canceled.”

Old John looked at Lin Feng’s calm demeanor, feeling even more uncertain. Every time the Boss showed that smile, it meant someone was going to have a bad day.

“Let’s do something different.”

Old John was stunned for a moment.

Tomorrow was the important match for eleven consecutive wins, and no tactical training?

“Trust me, John.”

Lin Feng patted Old John’s shoulder, then walked towards the players who were warming up.

“Lads, gather up!”

The players quickly gathered around, confusion written on each of their faces.

Normally at this time, it would be the tactical drill segment.

“Today, we’re not doing tactical training.”

Captain Nelson was the first to express his doubts: “Boss, this… the match is tomorrow, shouldn’t we at least…”

“We’re going to play a game.”

He pointed to several training cones placed at the other end of the training ground.

“Football bowling.”

Vardy was the first to react.

“Boss, are you saying we hit the cones with the ball?”

“Exactly, Jamie.”

Lin Feng walked to the edge of the penalty arc and placed a football at his feet.

“The rules are simple: five chances per person, see who knocks down the most cones.”

“The loser is responsible for putting away the training equipment.”

The players looked at each other, but quickly became excited.

This was much more fun than boring tactical drills.

“I’ll demonstrate first.”

Lin Feng took a few steps and unleashed a shot.

The ball, with strong spin, accurately hit the innermost cone.

With a crash, all five cones fell down.

“Wow!”

The players burst into exclamations.

The Boss’s footwork was still so precise.

“See? The key is finding the right angle and power.”

Lin Feng looked back at the players.

“Now it’s your turn.”

Walker was the first to jump out.

“I’ll go!”

He mimicked Lin Feng’s run-up, but used too much force, and the ball flew high, passing over the cones.

“Hahahaha!”

His teammates burst into laughter.

Walker scratched his head, his face red.

“Poor control of power.”

Next, it was Schmeichel’s turn.

The goalkeeper’s footwork was clearly not as good as a forward’s; the ball softly rolled towards the cones, only knocking down the outermost one.

“A goalkeeper is just a goalkeeper!”

Maloney teased.

“You do it if you can!”

Schmeichel retorted, unconvinced.

Maloney indeed stepped up, and his result was even worse than Schmeichel’s, hitting none at all.

Laughter filled the training ground, and the tense atmosphere of preparation completely disappeared.

Every player was focused on this simple yet fun game.

Lin Feng stood to the side, observing everyone’s expressions.

The seriousness on Vardy’s face had dissipated, replaced by pure joy.

Sigurdsson also let go of his usual seriousness, chatting and laughing with his teammates.

Even the usually reserved Henderson was excitedly waving his arms for his “strike.”

This was the effect he wanted.

An hour later, the game ended.

The ultimate winner was Snodgrass; he knocked down twelve cones in his five chances.

“Robert, it seems your free-kick practice usually pays off.”

Lin Feng said with a smile, patting Snodgrass’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Boss.”

Snodgrass looked a bit embarrassed.

“Alright, the task of putting away the equipment is handed over to Maloney.”

Lin Feng announced the result, drawing a round of good-natured laughter.

Maloney grimaced but still obediently went to collect the cones.

“Boss, do we really not need to practice tactics for tomorrow’s match?”

Nelson asked with some concern.

As captain, he was responsible for the team’s performance.

“Don’t worry, Captain.”

Lin Feng walked over to Nelson, his voice becoming serious.

“The key to this match is not tactics, but mindset.”

“The more relaxed we are, the more we can play our own football.”

“If the opponent wants to set up a defensive wall, we will overwhelm them with patience and creativity.”

Nelson nodded thoughtfully.

“I understand, Boss.”

“Condition is more important than tactics.”

Lin Feng looked at the captain’s reaction with satisfaction.

This was the difference between experienced players and young players.

They could understand the coach’s intentions more quickly.

After training, Lin Feng met with Tinkler alone.

The midfielder’s recent form had been a bit inconsistent, requiring special attention.

“Mark, how have you been feeling lately?”

Lin Feng and Tinkler walked side by side on the training base path.

The autumn sunset stretched their shadows long.

“Honestly, a bit nervous, Boss.”

Tinkler stopped, a hint of unease in his eyes.

“The pressure of ten consecutive wins is really big, and I’m afraid I’ll mess it up.”

Lin Feng understood this feeling.

For young players, a winning streak was both glory and a burden.

“Mark, do you remember what you said when we first met?”

Tinkler thought for a moment, a look of recollection on his face.

“I said I wanted to be the best midfielder.”

“Exactly.”

Lin Feng nodded.

“Is that goal still there?”

“Of course it is!”

Tinkler’s answer was emphatic: “Of course it is! Boss, I haven’t forgotten it for a second!”

“That’s enough then.”

Lin Feng said with a smile.

“In tomorrow’s match, you must constantly remind your young teammates to stay calm.”

“Don’t get impatient if we can’t score for a while; patience is our greatest weapon.”

Tinkler nodded vigorously.

“I understand, Boss.”

“I’ll take care of everyone’s emotions.”

Lin Feng patted Tinkler’s shoulder, then turned and left.

He still had more important matters to attend to.

That afternoon, Lin Feng flew to London.

Northern Capital’s acquisition of the sports data analytics company had been completed, and now he needed to personally integrate the resources.

On the plane, Lin Feng flipped through the company’s detailed information.

Although this company, named “Sports Brain,” was not large, its technical strength was quite outstanding.

The data analysis algorithms they developed were well-known in the industry, and their clients included several Premier League clubs.

More importantly, the core team of this company consisted of young technical geniuses with unlimited potential.

In the evening, Lin Feng arrived at the office building in the City of London.

Sports Brain occupied the entire eighteenth floor, and its decor was simple and modern.

“Mr. Lin, welcome.”

James Clark, the company’s Chief Technology Officer, greeted him.

He was an Englishman in his early thirties, wearing black-rimmed glasses, a typical tech-nerd image.

“Nice to meet you, James.”

Lin Feng shook his hand.

“Show me around your workspace.”

James enthusiastically introduced the company’s various departments.

The data collection team was responsible for gathering match data from major Leagues worldwide.

The algorithm development team specialized in researching new analytical models.

The visualization team transformed complex data into easy-to-understand charts and reports.

“Our biggest bottleneck right now is the data source.”

James reported to Lin Feng in the meeting room.

“While we can obtain public match data, we lack deeper information.”

“Such as players’ physical condition, psychological state, injury risks, and so on.”

Lin Feng nodded.

This was one of the reasons he acquired the company.

The Phoenix Training Center had the most advanced monitoring equipment, capable of providing this valuable data.

“James, I’m going to provide you with some exclusive data sources.”

Lin Feng drew a structural diagram of the Phoenix Training Center on the whiteboard.

“This is our club’s research center, equipped with the most advanced player monitoring system.”

“Training data, physical data, technical data—everything you need.”

James’s eyes lit up instantly.

As a data analyst, nothing was more attractive to him than a high-quality data source.

“You mean…”

“Exactly, this data will be completely open to you.”

Lin Feng continued to add details to the whiteboard.

“Not only that, but we will also provide you with unlimited research and development funds.”

“Your task is to develop the next generation of football data analysis models.”

“I want this system to become the benchmark for the entire football world.”