Chapter 200 The battle between the old and the new
After Luo Kai arrived in Manchester, he took away all the Chinese media in Leeds, making the outside of the Leeds City training base suddenly seem much quieter.
These media rushed to cover the signing ceremony of Luo Kai and Tramed, just like they gathered at the Leeds City training base to report and record the signing of Hulay and Leeds City.
For Chinese football, these are two steps in a long march of thousands of miles.
It must be recorded.
It will become a precious historical material of Chinese football in the future.
Taking into account the enthusiasm of the Chinese media and the huge Chinese market, Tramed Club specially arranged a joining ceremony for Luo Kai.
Luo Kai, wearing Tramed's jersey, was in the red-top stadium, holding up Tramed's scarf to show to the reporters present.
He was smiling and standing with Tramed first-team coach Kevin Locke.
People who don’t know think that Luo Kai will register directly with Tramed’s first team...
In fact, he just came here to sign an autograph and make an appearance, and will soon go to the Dutch town of Volendam, where the team Veronica is his real home.
After the joining ceremony, Chinese reporters left Tramed one after another.
This day happens to be Christmas in the West. Colorful lights are hung in the streets and alleys. Beautifully decorated Christmas trees can be seen everywhere. People come and go in street shops. When you open the door and go in and out, you can hear Christmas songs coming from inside.
When the reporters saw the strong festive atmosphere on the street, they couldn't help but curl up the corners of their mouths, and a warm current surged in their hearts:
Hulay has already established a foothold in Leeds City, Luo Kai joined the giant Tramed as he wished, and our national team also entered the World Cup for the first time...
Chinese football will have a bright future!
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While everyone was paying attention to Luo Kai's transfer tension, the Premier League played two more rounds within a week.
In the nineteenth round of the league, Leeds City defeated Sydenham 2:1 at home and won their sixth consecutive league victory.
This is Leeds City's longest winning streak in the Premier League.
In the twentieth round of the league, Leeds City drew 1:1 away at London Bridge.
Their six-game winning streak was ended in this league round.
In these two rounds of the league, Hulay failed to score in the game. Counting the 18th round of the league, when Leeds City defeated Holt 3:1 away from home, this was the third consecutive game in which he failed to score.
A goal was scored.
In fact, this is not a big deal. After all, it is too common for many players not to score in three consecutive games.
However, when the Korean media reported on this game after the game, they focused on this matter. It seemed that apart from Hu Lai not scoring for three consecutive rounds, the game between Leeds City and London Bridge was lackluster and there was nothing to say.
Yes.
They deliberately highlighted the fact that Hu Lai failed to score a goal, and also hyped up the fact that Hu Lai had misfired in three consecutive league rounds, making people think that Hu Lai had really encountered the biggest crisis in his career:
"...In this round of Premier League focus match that ended yesterday, Leeds City drew 1:1 away at London Bridge. Although they did not lose, Leeds City's leading striker Hu Lai suffered a setback. He was unable to play in the game for a long time.
Scored a goal, as if he couldn't find his shooting boots... In the end, due to Hulay's sluggish state, Leeds City failed to win the opponent away from home..."
If there are those who don’t pay attention to what happened in this game and only rely on reports to understand Hu Lai’s current situation, then they will definitely think that Hu Lai’s performance in the game was very bad, and he may have even lost the main goal.
The coach’s trust and even his qualifications are about to be lost...
But in fact, Hu Lai, who was so seriously criticized by the Korean media, only failed to score in three consecutive games.
But after their interpretation, this very ordinary thing seemed to hide a very big hidden danger:
"This is the first time this season that Hu Lai has not scored in two consecutive league rounds or more. Before, he always scored consecutively, with at most one game interrupted in the middle... Although this is the first time, it is a good thing for me in the league.
Hu Lai's rapid progress on the scorer list may indicate that as the schedule passes halfway, his physical fitness and condition will begin to inevitably decline. The exaggerated state like the first half of the season will no longer exist... What's even more frightening is that habits
How will the fans who have watched Hu Lai score consecutive goals criticize Hu Lai's current sluggish state? Will it bring huge pressure to Hu Lai? Under such internal and external troubles, will Hu Lai's own mentality change?
So don’t underestimate the fact that you haven’t scored in three consecutive games, this may be a precursor to collapse..."
Listen, what a stupid thing to say. But the Korean reporter wrote it in the media in such a grand manner.
It seems like Korean fans really believe these nonsense...
Well, there are indeed many Korean fans who really believe it.
They went to Hu Lai’s official social media account to ridicule Hu Lai:
"I heard you're going to collapse?"
"Experts analyze that Hu Lai will fall into complete collapse next week!"
This caused many Chinese fans to climb over the wall and scold them:
"If you don't score in three consecutive rounds of the league, will it collapse? Then your Park Soon-tae will become a fan, right?"
"I originally thought that such a retarded statement would not be recognized by Bangzi fans. Now I find that I was wrong. I really can't overestimate Bangzi's IQ..."
"To be honest, the media is promoting the fact that Hu Lai failed to score for three consecutive rounds. In fact, anyone with a discerning eye can see that this statement is simply untenable. I still say it to them, just to disgust people."
"Then why didn't our media write an article about Park Soon-tae not scoring a goal in five consecutive league games?"
"Hey, our media still wants to save face..."
"What? Our media actually wants face?!"
…
Every time Hu Lai and Park Soon Tae play against each other, this kind of "war" between Chinese and Korean fans will appear on the Internet.
Although Chinese fans and Korean fans have been unhappy with each other for a long time. Chinese fans are unhappy with South Korea mainly because of football, while Korean fans are unhappy with China because of China itself.
But it is still very rare for it to be as intense as it is now.
This is mainly because the game between Hu Lai and Park Soon-tae means the replacement of old and new forces in Asia.
In this alternation between the old and the new, the old forces are often not willing to give up their position and will always organize counterattacks in an attempt to strangle the new forces in the cradle.
So every transition between old and new has its cruel side.
Thirty-year-old Park Soon-tae is in his prime. In the hearts of Korean fans and media, he can continue to dominate Asian football for a long time.
Unexpectedly, China's Hu Lai suddenly emerged and caught up quickly. This made the Koreans feel tremendous pressure.
And it's not just the rise of Hu Lai, Luo Kai's recent transfer to Tramed, which also made Korean fans very excited.
Chinese young players are going abroad one after another. What about our own young players?
That unsatisfactory guy Park Guixian is still fooling around in China!
Simply shameful!
The young players from Japan and China are all in Europe, why can’t the best of our young players go abroad?!
So for a while, there were a lot of criticisms against Park Guixian on the Internet, scolding him for not wanting to make progress, scolding him for being arrogant, scolding him for being short-sighted...
There are many scoldings, and they can be as harsh as they sound.
This made Park Guixian, who was suddenly scolded, confused and didn't know which evil force he had offended...
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Although anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Korean media is hyping up Hu Lai's goals in three consecutive rounds just to disgust people, it actually doesn't explain anything at all.
But I can't help but think that some people will think too much.
After all, failing to score in three consecutive league games has never happened to Hu Lai this season.
Was it really guessed by the Koreans?
Is it true that the national team and the club are fighting on both fronts, which makes him too tired, so he is in a sluggish state?
Will head coach Tony Clark really lose confidence in Hulay, who has not scored in three consecutive games?
You must know that the three rounds of the league where Hu Lai scored happened to be the most intensive time during the Christmas period. The 18th round of the league on December 21st, the 19th round of the league on the 27th, and the second round of the league on the 30th.
Ten rounds.
Playing three games in ten days, it is normal for Hu Lai to be physically exhausted...
Under such circumstances, Leeds City welcomed its opponent in the 21st round of the league, North London Wanderers, at home on Friday, January 2, 2026.
What reassures fans who are worried about Hu Lai losing the trust of the head coach is that Hu Lai was not only selected into the squad for this game, but was also selected without any suspense.
At the pre-match press conference, Clark also specifically pointed out: "...Hu Lai is still an important member of the team. As long as he is not injured, I will let him play."
This answer is a reassurance for those who like to think wildly.
But if you really want them to put their hearts back in their stomachs, you still have to watch Hu Lai's performance in the game.
It is indeed normal to not score for three consecutive rounds, and it is not a big deal. But if there are more consecutive games without scoring, then maybe the situation predicted by the Korean stickman will really come true...
We must not let the stick succeed!
Every Chinese fan thinks so in his heart.
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PS, I wish everyone a happy May Day!
At the beginning of the month, I will add a double monthly pass, please give me a try!
In addition, there are two normal updates today and tomorrow. The first update is from the 3rd to the 5th. Please explain.