CHAPTER 650: CHAPTER 448: ICARDI FALLS INTO TROUBLE, ONE PHONE CALL, HE RECEIVES GUIDANCE FROM A MASTER!

Tang Long scored a hat trick in the opening match, and Icardi is really frustrated now!

On one hand, he discovered that his wife Wanda was flirting with an Argentine rapper on social media, sharing lots of interactions, and often locking herself in the bathroom at night to send messages. He had no idea what she was texting.

But every time Icardi tried to probe, Wanda would glare at him and then use her skilled techniques to drain him until he was dizzy, followed by a few slaps:

"Mauro, you’re the only one I love in this world, don’t overthink! Have you handed over this month’s salary from Manchester United? Hurry up and transfer it to me!"

On the other hand, even though Tang Long scored a hat trick, Icardi felt a wave of anxiety about his future at Manchester United.

He noticed that the new Chilean coach didn’t seem to be very impressed with him!

In the Community Shield final against Manchester City, he was substituted by Eevee at half-time;

In the first round of the Premier League, in the highly anticipated opening match, with all of England’s fans watching.

Although he scored the first goal for Manchester United to open the scoring, he was replaced by Bony in the 60th minute of the second half.

Shortly after, Bony and Eevee executed a give-and-go, resulting in a goal.

Just ten minutes later, Bony used his speed on the flank to violently break through the opponent’s fullback and assisted Eevee for a header goal.

Each of the three scored a goal, and Icardi’s spotlight was mostly taken by Eevee and Bony!

Talking about these two forward partners just made Icardi angry.

Eevee came in and tried to take his number 9 jersey, leading to a physical altercation between the two;

As for Bony, why should a backup forward from last season’s rival Manchester City come in and try to take his place?

Icardi was a player introduced as a mainstay by Van Gaal last season, once a favorite of the Dutch coach who was very accommodating to him, even indulgent, siding with him during the conflict between De Bruyne and Icardi.

But now that Van Gaal is gone, the new coach Pellegrini has a completely different style and is rather indifferent towards him.

Although Icardi dislikes Eevee, he also knows that this Swedish veteran is formidable, having scored many goals in Italy, Spain, and France;

But he’s not convinced about Bony, so he confronted Pellegrini, questioning why he was substituted for Bony in the 60th minute when he had clearly scored a goal.

As an experienced coach, Pellegrini didn’t have a kind face for players questioning his substitutions and was not going to pamper him. He responded directly:

"Mauro, as a player, just train well. I don’t need to explain my lineup decisions to you!"

Icardi hit a dead end, slamming the door in anger as he left.

Back home, he grabbed a large glass of ice-cold water from the fridge, gulped it down, and saw another report about Tang Long’s hat trick on his phone, feeling his anger boil over!

"Damn Tang! You promised to help me win the European Golden Boot at Inter Milan, but what happened? Mission failed, and then you turned to Manchester City and started with a hat trick. Isn’t one Agüero enough, now a midfielder wants to compete with me for the Golden Boot?"

After cursing Tang Long, he began to curse Pellegrini.

"Damn Chilean old man! It’s only because Bony is your favorite from Manchester City that you use him. Don’t think I don’t know the reason!"

With his limited football experience, Icardi concluded that being substituted for Bony was purely due to Bony’s better relationship with Pellegrini, not because of his abilities.

After all, he was Manchester United’s top scorer last season with 32 league goals, and his efficiency was remarkable.

He had thought that this new season would be a step up, not expecting to immediately lose the Premier League Golden Boot to Agüero, and at least he wouldn’t allow it to be snatched away again. He would cater to De Bruyne a bit more to get more assists from him. But unexpectedly, his main position is now precarious!

This bolt from the blue left Icardi quite uneasy and restless.

He couldn’t help but recall the opening match of the Premier League, where he was substituted in the 60th minute and saw the eager look on Bony’s face as he came on, making him so angry that he cursed aloud:

"Hmph, this African thinks just because he’s got a good relationship, he can overthrow me? Dream on! I’m the youngest Golden Boot winner in Serie A’s hundred-year history; who do you think you are?"

But cursing aside, Icardi still felt a little panicked inside.

He came to Manchester from Italy alone, without a single friend he could confide in.

His wife Wanda, although his agent, was clueless about football. Trying to discuss this with her was like playing the lute to a cow; not only did he not get any constructive advice, but he also received ruthless ridicule—just like with the De Bruyne incident, Icardi was thoroughly frustrated by Wanda.

At present, his situation is extremely precarious, and Icardi, limited by his own intelligence, cannot come up with a solution.

He hopes for a wise person to give him some guidance!

Thinking it over, Icardi suddenly remembers someone.

"Got it, why don’t I ask that Eastern European guy for his advice?"

Icardi opens his phone contacts and finds Chiwo’s name.

The call log shows that the last time he contacted Chiwo was a full year ago.

When Icardi was playing at Inter Milan, throughout the entire club, only Mancini could keep him in check; the rest of the coaching staff he did not take seriously, thinking these old guys were less capable than himself and not qualified to point fingers at him.

However, he had considerable respect for Chiwo, believing he had some substance within him.

Not to mention once being a key player who helped Inter win the Serie A’s only treble in the 2009-2010 season;

But in terms of tactical thinking, Icardi considers the young Chiwo to be more open-minded than the half-grey-haired Mancini, and closer to international cutting-edge tactical approaches.

When he received Icardi’s call.

Chiwo had just completed his resignation paperwork at The English Football Association’s office.

With a heavy heart, he walked out of the building, without even saying a separate goodbye to Mancini.

Chiwo’s words had slapped Mancini in the face, making the very prideful Mancini furious!

After that intense argument in the conference room, their relationship had completely deteriorated, with no room for reconciliation, so Mancini promptly approved Chiwo’s resignation.

"Hmm, what does Mauro want from me?"

Chiwo was holding a cardboard box of his personal belongings in his left arm, pressing his phone with his right hand, looking at the incoming call from Icardi, full of doubt.

"Respected Mr. Chiwo, I am in urgent need of help, my Golden Boot is about to be snatched away again, save me!"

Icardi opened with a wail and then poured out his situation at Manchester United without reservation;

When moved, he even pretended to choke with emotion.

Icardi’s tone was exaggerated, intended to elicit Chiwo’s sympathy.

Two seasons ago, Icardi’s boycott incident at the end of the season had made Chiwo quite angry, thinking he prioritized personal interests over the team’s interests, not a good lad.

Thus, Chiwo and Icardi’s relationship was quite average; when he came to Manchester to scout national team players, he didn’t specifically meet Icardi, and his relationship was not as close as with Tang Long.

Nonetheless, being a disciple he once coached, Chiwo, during his time at Inter as a video analyst, had spent considerable effort and energy on the team’s top scorer.

More than a year later, Icardi suddenly reached out again, softening Chiwo’s heart.

He said on the phone: "Mauro, Pellegrig is not biased. Bony may not have your shooting accuracy or diverse positioning, but his characteristics fit the requirements modern football has for strikers better. As for Eevee, you have much to learn from him!"

Chiwo sat on the steps of the English Football Association building, under the midday sun, and talked to Icardi for a full hour.

After the baptism of the 2016 European Cup, as an assistant coach for England, Chiwo saw the trend of modern football development in top international competitions.

A striker like Icardi who just stays in the penalty area waiting is overly singular tactically, especially relying on teammates’ assistance;

Additionally, it is greatly affected by personal athletic condition; when in form, he can score three or four in a match, but when not, it leads to scoring droughts in three or four matches!

Especially in strong matchups, a forward who cannot pull out of the penalty area to run, break through, pass, is often firmly neutralized by opponents’ strong central defenders.

Chiwo specifically mentioned Tang Long,

Icardi on the other end of the call was enlightened, nodding repeatedly, finding the European Cup match examples Chiwo provided very reasonable.

Chiwo emphasized to him at the end: "When Pellegrini was at Manchester City, the starting center forward was Agüero, a completely different type from you, so if the coach doesn’t use you, reflect more on yourself. That’s it, Mauro. I’ve said a lot, whether you can improve yourself, it’s up to you! Oh, if you want to learn, you’d better watch Tang’s highlights more; it will help you."

Hearing this, Icardi was anxious like an ant on a hot pan, and hastily said, "Mr. Chiwo, why don’t you join the coaching staff at Manchester United? We need you here!"