Football Dynasty

On the eve of the second round of matches, after Manchester City convincingly defeated Newcastle United 3–0, their city rivals Manchester United also secured a dominant 3–0 away win against Wimbledon.

Not only that, but the rest of the Premier League opening weekend was also flooded with goals.

Fabrizio Ravanelli scored a hat-trick on his Middlesbrough debut as they drew 3–3 with Liverpool at Anfield.

Arsenal, on the other hand, were held to a draw—fueling speculation that Frenchman Arsène Wenger will take over as manager following the recent sacking of Bruce Rioch earlier this month.

Richard had already warned Robertson not to take Leeds United lightly, despite their turbulent and disappointing period following a brief resurgence at the start of the decade.

What Richard feared was that his very existence had unknowingly caused a butterfly effect—an indirect chain reaction involving both Manchester City and Leeds United.

George Graham was at the center of it all.

With his one-year ban from football now over, George Graham was originally expected to be offered the Manchester City manager's job—18 months after being sacked by Arsenal for accepting illegal payments.

But with Richard now taking the helm at City instead, Graham ended up joining Leeds United much earlier than anyone had anticipated—and no one could predict what surprises might unfold next.

That's why Richard wasn't willing to take any risks.

He even specifically mentioned the 1991/1992 season, when Leeds United won the First Division title under Howard Wilkinson, with players like Gary McAllister, Gordon Strachan, David Batty, Lee Chapman, Tony Dorigo, and Eric Cantona.

Now, with Howard Wilkinson's legacy being continued by George Graham, there was no guarantee that his infamous "park-the-bus" strategy wouldn't succeed at Leeds United—just as it had proven successful during his time at Arsenal.

Well, talking about Arsenal during the George Graham era, people were in a dilemma. While he managed to deliver Arsenal's most coveted trophies, some argued that the team didn't truly flourish under his management. Not only did neutral fans struggle to embrace Arsenal, but even some of their own supporters felt a sense of despair over Graham's playing style.

The team's mantra became "1-0 football," and while their record-setting defense—conceding only 18 goals during their championship season—was undeniably effective, it often left fans feeling numb. Watching an Arsenal match during that time could feel like stepping into a library: quiet, restrained, and exceedingly dull.

"Ian Rush, Nigel Martyn, Lee Bowyer, and especially..." Richard paused mid-sentence, his eyes narrowing as he studied the packet of reports just handed to him.

"Lee Sharpe," he added.

Sharpe wasn't just any name to Richard—he had once been his client. He was the agent who negotiated Sharpe's transfer from Torquay United to Manchester United years ago.

"Yes, those four are basically the core of the eight players Leeds United recently signed—players we absolutely have to watch out for."

Richard nodded to himself, then his eyes drifted toward the stack of printed heat maps, diagrams, and data charts that had just landed on his desk.

Scouting the opposition.

The reports came from the new and first prototype module of Prozone. The bread and butter of modern-day football.

In the future, the best clubs in the world would have access to cutting-edge technology that allowed them to pinpoint every possible detail—ranging from the number of yards a player had covered to identifying exactly where an opposing player posed the greatest threat.

This kind of insight was previously impossible through manual methods, but that all changed with the emergence of Prozone.

Thanks to Richard's support, Ramm Mylvaganam was now using Maine Road as a full-time base to develop and refine his analysis tools.

Mylvaganam coughed lightly. "Well, to be honest, this is just the very basics. You know my knowledge of football is... pretty limited," he admitted, clearing his throat. "So I was thinking—maybe I could request a few scouts from City to work with me on it?"

Richard raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. "What do you need from them?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, my initial intention was to present this section in bullet points," Mylvaganam admitted, "but since you requested more detail, that's no longer possible. So I raised the bar and turned it into something closer to a dissertation. But I'll do my best to keep it concise—don't worry about it."

He then continued, "As I mentioned, my football knowledge is pretty limited to handle this on my own. So if you could assign a few scouts to assist, that would really help. This team would be dedicated to observing league opponents and analyzing the upcoming challenger—including their players' conditions and tactical strengths and weaknesses. Ideally, you'd have the full report on your desk at least three days before each match."

"Is this related to the module you've been working on?" Richard asked.

Mylvaganam nodded. "I just finished building the first Prozone module tailored specifically to the setup you requested. It's more than just tracking how far players run. With this, we can break down every touch, every pass, every defensive lapse by the opposition."

He stepped forward, his voice calm and precise. "For example," he said, pointing to a heat map of Leeds United, "this shows where Sharpe most frequently receives the ball—inside right, just outside the box, usually during the buildup phase. Bowyer tends to go long when under pressure, which weakens their possession game. And Rush, despite his age, still makes clever decoy runs that create space for their wingers, with Sharpe then cutting inside."

He flipped another page. "Look here—set-piece vulnerability. Three of their last five goals conceded came from the same zonal gap during corner routines. We can definitely exploit that."

There was a brief silence as Richard absorbed the significance. Football, it seemed, was stepping into a new era—and Manchester City were ahead of the curve. Then Richard picked up the desk phone—the one connected directly to the CEO's office—and dialed.

"Marina," he said, "please call Robertson and his staff to my office. Right away."

Not long after, the entire coaching staff arrived.

And the moment they heard about this kind of cutting-edge innovation, every single one of them instinctively leaned in—pens at the ready, their expressions shifting from curiosity to deep concentration.

"Most of this revolves around analyzing opponents. With Prozone, it's possible to extract detailed information about a team's threats from all areas of the pitch. Whether you're trying to identify the exact zones where they struggle to defend set-pieces or pinpoint where their star player usually receives the ball—Prozone can help," Mylvaganam continued explaining to the entire staff, making Richard feel very satisfied with what he was hearing.

"Good job," Richard said, patting Mylvaganam on the shoulder. "You'll get your scouting team to help refine this module, just as promised."

Now that City were back in the Premier League—and with Prozone in place to analyze the opposition—it was clear the time had come to formally establish their scouting department. Better to get ahead of the curve than play catch-up later.

The day before the match against Leeds United, instead of heading straight to his office, Richard took a detour to the locker room and tactical meeting area.

The coaching staff—minus Martin O'Neill, who was still recuperating—were already inside, adjusting magnetic pieces on the tactics board.

Richard quietly took a seat near the back, not wanting to interrupt—just observe.

"Leeds are not the same side they were a year ago," Robertson began. "They're much more defensive now. Based on what I saw in their pre-match setup, the players we need to be most cautious of are their defenders Gary Kelly and Lucas Radebe, their midfielder Lee Bowyer, and up front, Lee Sharpe and Ian Rush. Everything flows through them. If we let them dictate the rhythm, we'll be playing with fire against their counterattack."

He turned to Thuram and Gallas. "You two—cover this zone. Force Sharpe wide, take away his favorite entry lanes. He's most dangerous when cutting inside and drifting between the full-back and center-back."

Gallas nodded, while Thuram looked momentarily stunned. Me? he wanted to ask. Did this mean he would be starting tomorrow?

Usually, the combination was either Gallas–Ferdinand or Gallas–Materazzi. But now, it seemed like his time had finally come.

A second later, the realization hit him—and excitement surged through his chest.

"And look at this," Robertson continued, pointing to the next notes. "Three of their last five goals conceded came from this zonal gap during corner routines. Javier, and…"

Utilizing the time before the match, they went through the strategy one final time in the locker room with the full squad.

Robertson specifically reminded them how they could disrupt Lee Sharpe and Ian Rush's impact: block all their forward lanes, prevent Lee Bowyer from supplying passes to the front line, and contain the attacking trio with discipline.

The goal was simple: isolate Sharpe and Rush, and Leeds' counterattacking threat would fall apart.

After revising all the strategies one last time and making sure every player had a clear understanding of their role, Robertson pulled a Captain's Armband from his shirt pocket.

This was exactly why Richard had decided to attend the tactical meeting in the first place.

The recent departures of Roberto Carlos and Cafu had left a sudden leadership vacuum at Manchester City. With both the captain and vice-captain gone, the team now faced not one, but two major roles to fill.

Temporarily, the armband had been passed to Ronaldo, but his performance had fallen short of expectations—and as for his discipline… well, that was an entirely different conversation.

Four pre-season friendlies and one Premier League match had given Robertson enough to evaluate. The time had come to make a decision.

Richard had already discussed the matter in detail over the phone with O'Neill and received confirmation. Still, there was a part of him that wanted to witness Robertson's final choice firsthand.

Leadership mattered. It mattered a lot.

While no one batted an eye when the captain's armband was missing during training, this wasn't training anymore. This was the second official match of the season—and going into it without a true leader on the pitch simply wasn't an option.

Robertson swept his gaze across the locker room. Based on age, experience, and traditional expectations, Jens Lehmann would have been the obvious choice. But O'Neill had already given his recommendation—and as the man directly above him, his word carried weight. With a calm gesture, Robertson raised his hand and said,

"Henrik, step forward."

Larsson stood up from the corner and walked forward.

Robertson raised the Captain's Armband, intending to place it on Larsson. But out of reflex, Larsson flinched and dodged, prompting loud laughter from the rest of the room.

Robertson shot a glare at the group, then firmly twisted Larsson's left arm and slipped the armband onto it. He followed with a firm slap on Larsson's arm and said, "From now on, you're the captain."

The 25-year-old Larsson knew exactly what the Captain's Armband represented, and the responsibilities it carried. He looked at Robertson in disbelief.

"What are you staring at me for?" Robertson said. "The current manager already approved this decision. From now on, you have to work even harder than before. And you can't just bury yourself in hard work alone. There are many more things you need to take care of now. You'll learn—step by step."

Then, Robertson turned to address the players in the locker room. "Henrik is now the team captain. Anyone have any objections?"

Not everyone had the desire to be captain. While some might enjoy the prestige of wearing the armband, most understood the weight it carried—endless duties, constant leadership, and the pressure to set the standard. In a word: exhausting.

Besides, Larsson's appointment had already been endorsed by O'Neill, who was known to favor Larsson for his discipline and relentless work ethic. His fondness for the Swede was no secret. Anyone foolish enough to challenge that decision would likely find themselves warming the bench.

As expected, no one raised an objection.

With the captaincy matter settled, Robertson glanced at his watch.

"We've got three minutes left before training," he said. "Now, I'll announce the starting lineup for tomorrow's fixture against Leeds."

Goalkeeper: Jens Lehmann

Defenders: Javier Zanetti, William Gallas, Lilian Thuram, Steve Finnan

Midfielders: Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, Jay-Jay Okocha, Gianluca Zambrotta

Forwards: David Trezeguet, Henrik Larsson

New foreign names had been included in the squad for the upcoming match against Leeds. As the players gathered and reflected on their clash with Leeds United last season, few had much to say.

Some looked slightly dissatisfied—after all, they remembered Leeds' ultra-defensive, "park-the-bus" approach, which, on paper, made it seem like an easier fixture. But no one voiced it aloud.

However, just because the players kept quiet didn't mean the media—or Leeds United themselves—would do the same. Especially not George Graham, who was absolutely fuming.

"Seventeen-year-old Frank Lampard? Seventeen-year-old Andrea Pirlo? Nineteen-year-old David Trezeguet?!" he barked in disbelief in his new office in Leeds.

"Where's Ronaldo? Where's Shevchenko? Or that new hotshot Thierry Henry?!"

George Graham didn't hold back during his press conference.

Red-faced and bristling with indignation, he faced the reporters with the fire of a man deeply insulted.

"Let's not pretend here," he began, eyes narrowing. "This isn't squad rotation—this is disrespect. Manchester City are treating the Premier League like some kind of youth tournament. You don't put out kids like Pirlo and Lampard unless you think the opposition isn't worth your best men. Are we supposed to believe they just giving experience to these boys? Please. It's arrogance—plain and simple. They think we're a training drill."

The room fell quiet for a moment, absorbing the sting in his words.

He wasn't done.

"And don't even get me started on their manager," he scoffed. "A man who's barely managed a full season at this level, playing God with a bunch of kids. Leeds will teach City how to show some respect!"

A personal attack—aimed at both the club and the caretaker manager!

The media had already licked their lips, anticipating drama here.