Chapter 59
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Provoke Me Carelessly, and I'll Scold You
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Blackburn had one of the best transfer windows in history and charged through the league.
4th Round.
They hosted Aston Villa and crushed them 3-0.
Luis Figo with a goal and an assist, Kevin Phillips with two goals.
5th Round.
Away at Manchester City.
Before Arab money poured in, Man City had been utterly mediocre, barely scraping up from the second division.
Heynckes deliberately started Shaun Wright-Phillips, a City youth product, and his movement was sharp, but he couldn't find the net.
However, substitute Yoo Sung-chul assisted Figo's goal from central midfield, and then Roberto Baggio nailed the sealer for a 2-0 win.
And the 6th Round.
A London away trip against Chelsea.
Against Chelsea's Ranieri, it ended in a frustrating 1-1 draw. Gianfranco Zola scored for them, and Roberto Baggio equalized for us, making it a draw between the Italians.
Current season: 4 wins, 2 draws, unbeaten.
With 14 points, Blackburn and Man United were chasing the top spot.
Sure enough, Ferguson’s Man United was the biggest obstacle to the league title, though plenty of the season remained.
And our next opponents were Leeds.
"Mr. Lee, Leeds is next."
"With Figo and Baggio shining, you're in the title hunt—any words on the Leeds match?"
The press hounded me as much as the manager, and I gladly obliged.
Heynckes was great in every way, but unlike Ferguson or Wenger, he wasn't one for sharp-tongued trash talk or psychological warfare off the pitch.
His fire burned only on the field, and off it, he was just the kindly "Don Jupp."
After going around in circles, it boiled down to me being the one to shape Blackburn's character.
I'd become the EPL's Perez, a Wenger type, or like Steve Ballmer or Mark Cuban in other sports!
"Leeds are doing well, but they're below us in the table. They just missed out on Champions League spots last season, but this year it'll be the opposite. We'll make the Champions League, and Leeds will be fighting for the UEFA Cup."
"Head-on clash with Leeds? Tell us about their world-class signing, Rio Ferdinand."
"England's future. Period."
I couldn't straight-up diss a player, though. Clubs could feud, but players? You never knew what might blow back.
"It's said you targeted Ferdinand last year but balked at 23 million euros—is that true?"
"Money wasn't the issue. We just respected the manager's wishes. He said we could snag an even pricier defender later."
"Is that true?"
"Hey, hey, more importantly, why not look forward to Figo and Baggio's exploits? Who'll score first before Leeds?"
A cheerful, feel-good interview, capped off nicely.
"Folks, Blackburn will be seriously strong this season. I trust my players and my manager."
The articles spread like wildfire, drawing Blackburn beat writers back in droves.
"They're doing alright, but by season's end, we'll see who's on top. Luis Figo? Great signing, sure, but splash cash like that and the parent company will come knocking eventually. Running a football club solo? You'll be coughing up blood."
Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale.
A true-blue Leeds man—Ridsdale, with Leeds right in his name.
And this guy was provoking Blackburn, daring to take me on.
"This season, the only teams we need to beat are Man United and Arsenal. Blackburn? Keep playing with Chelsea and Liverpool like always."
How could I let Ridsdale's words slide?
[Ridsdale Chairman, firing shots at Blackburn?]
[Reminds me of that Eastern guy's line: 'A defender classier and pricier than Rio Ferdinand?' No such player exists. Sour grapes from a fox who couldn't sign him.]
"Ferdinand? Watch me bring in an even better defender."
I couldn't let Peter Ridsdale's Sky Sports interview slide.
Lots of talk about us splashing cash on Figo.
In reality, everything after 60 million was free transfer, and at least five clubs had spent as much as us—including Leeds.
One dirty dog doesn't call out another, but Leeds had no business calling us out for spending.
Ahead of the Leeds home match at Ewood Park, I invited the press to the stadium.
Baggio avoided interviews like the plague after his Italian media ordeals, so I shielded him.
Figo, true to his top-dollar status, charmed reporters everywhere, giving them plenty of copy.
Today, instead of players, I showed off the stadium, pointing to one of the stands on the pitch side.
"Next season, we're launching major expansion work to turn Ewood Park into a 40,000-seater. Prepping for the Champions League after this year's European run."
The reporters snapped away, hooked.
"We'll expand one stand and name it the 'Jack Walker Stand.' To honor his legacy as we chase glory."
"Such respect for your predecessor."
The team ran on the Jack Walker legacy narrative, so I had plenty to say.
"When running a football club, this is how you spend: great players, great managers, sure—but also expanding the stadium for fans and upgrading local facilities."
"Well said."
And then I dropped the bomb in front of the press.
"I'm not wasting money like some fool installing a tropical fish tank in the bathroom for 250,000 pounds."
"!?"
"Who do you mean?"
"A fish tank in the bathroom for 250,000 pounds? Does a team like that exist?"
As the reporters clutched recorders and pens, sensing blood, I corrected myself.
"Oh, my mistake. Not the bathroom—the chairman's office. The guy who blew 250,000 pounds on fish in the club offices."
Famous story.
He'd secured a 60 million pound club loan, claiming it was for office and stadium remodels—then splurged 250,000 on a luxury fish tank and solid wood furniture to pimp out his personal office.
It became central to the board inquiries and Leeds' road to bankruptcy.
"Are you talking about Peter Ridsdale?"
"I didn't name names~"
I shrugged and steered back to the Ewood Park stand expansion.
But did the press let it go?
They had headlines for days now.
Premier League Round 7
Ewood Park.
Blackburn Rovers vs Leeds United.
[Blackburn investing 2.5M pounds in stadium expansion vs Leeds blowing 250K on a chairman's office fish tank]
[Oh, correction: Not the 'bath'room, the 'chairman’s' room? Still looks like a pile of crap to the fans.]
We clutched those spicy British tabloids and pumped our fists, cheering the players on.
Leeds United lineup.
Leeds at their Leeds peak: Alan Smith, Viduka, Bowyer, Harte, Ferdinand, even Woodgate.
Blackburn lineup.
Schmeichel out for cup duty from the opener, Friedel starting again.
Yoo Sung-chul back in central midfield after ages, with Figo-Duff on the sides.
Tweeeeet—
After kickoff, Figo and Duff charged forward.
Leeds packed the midfield, pushing wide attacks, but countered with their physical, brute-force style.
Thud—
Ferdinand body-checked Figo to the turf and cleared.
Figo jumped up fuming, but no whistle.
Ian Harte snatched the ball and broke forward to Bowyer, Viduka shaking our backline with his bulk—but Southgate and Gattuso cleared, launching another attack.
Woodgate and Ferdinand's rock-solid center-back duo was no joke back then, stonewalling our raids.
Heynckes bellowed at the ref over Dirty Leeds' rough stuff and no calls—early yellow for Osram Bulb antics.
Thwack—
Tweeeeet!
Man, they played football like animals!
Their forwards flew elbows in aerial duels, yanked shirts till Phillips' sleeve ripped defending.
Viduka (or was it Vieri?) battered our defense relentlessly.
Against physical Leeds, Heynckes pushed the line higher, unyielding.
Gattuso headed clear from midfield, Duff dribbled through again, and his pinpoint pass found Baggio.
"That's it, Baggio!"
Roberto Baggio calmly dribbled past Leeds defenders towering over him, scanning for space.
Then a shot into the top right corner, out of Paul Robinson's sight.
One clean touch, one clean strike—the net rippled.
"GOAL!!!!!!!"
Yes! Baggio, our Fantasista!
28th minute of the first half: Roberto Baggio's opener.
No matter how they roughed him up, Baggio proved he was the Fantasista, celebrating for the fans.