The whistle blew.

Lin Sen smiled bitterly.

What happened to Manchester City?

It was a question asked by Keynes, the game's commentator, after the game, but no one knew the answer.

Lin Sen glanced up at the scoreboard located above his left, the score of 1-2 is not big, and to be fair, Manchester City actually played well in this game, took the lead early, the opponent seized a corner kick opportunity to equalize the score, and then took advantage of Manchester City not to recover from the goal conceded to make the next goal.

The humble name of the Hawthorn Stadium is loud and the West Bromwich Albion fans can imagine the joy of West Bromwich Albion, who just returned to the Premier League with a second-place finish in the Championship last season, and although they were 'educated' by Chelsea's six goals in the first round of the league, they are now not only leading the defending champions in the league, but also knocking out the defending champions in the League Cup.

The Manchester City players who walked off the pitch bowed their heads in silence, in stark contrast to the elated West Bromwich Albion players.

Lin Sen knew that the camera of the TV must be facing him at this time, except for the wry smile after the whistle, his expression quickly calmed down, of course, in the mouth of the media, such a calm may be understood as "ugly", or "expressionless", because such emotional words can undoubtedly better reflect Lin Sen's current situation.

In the third round of the League Cup, Linsen chose to rotate his starting lineup on a large scale, especially when there was a big game with Chelsea at the weekend, but this does not mean that he intends to give up this game, with the "lesson" of last season, plus Manchester City is no longer so hungry, Linsen has long planned to give up individual fronts this season, and the League Cup is naturally the first to bear the brunt of the biggest chicken ribs, but it is really not the right time now.

Right now, Manchester City need a win, Linson needs a win. It doesn't need to be a big win, it doesn't need to be a strong opponent, it doesn't even need to be a big game, it's the Carabao Cup, West Bromwich Albion, it's just right.

Unfortunately, the game was lost.

It's not that Linson despises West Bromwich Albion, even if the main lineup is changed upside down, Manchester City's cards are still much stronger than West Bromwich Albion, so in this game, Linsen doesn't want to make any excuses.

Lin Sen ended his brief speech in the locker room and moved to the press conference. And when he appeared on the scene, the scene flashed constantly.

It was City's third defeat in the last five games.

The more professional something is, the more brutal it becomes. Even if Linson led Manchester City to great success last season, this does not mean that Linsen's position is absolutely secure, especially in a club that is eager for quick success, Mourinho can leave Chelsea, what else is not possible? After this defeat, it would not be unusual for a bookmaker to offer odds for Lin Sen's dismissal.

Lin Sen took all the responsibility for the loss on himself. Just like he did in the previous games, but the media didn't intend to let Lin Sen go-

What a fuck up.

This has become a thought in the minds of most Manchester City fans.

Even the elder Miller couldn't help but shake his head in the heart of Manchester City at the moment. Who would have thought of that? Manchester City, the defending champions, will be after just five league games. They were left behind by Chelsea by as many as a tenth, and they were eliminated by a promoted team just after the League Cup debut.

In less than a month, Manchester City went from heaven to earth. Miller Sr. is the one who best understands the mood of Manchester City fans.

There was a lot of lament in the bar about the defeat to Sunderland, but everyone thought it was just an upset. Even Ping Blackburn Rovers and Werder Bremen. There was already some resentment in the bar, but most of it quickly dissipated, after all, the team didn't lose. Immediately afterwards, the loss to Wigan, the resentment turned into scolding. Finally, Manchester City have just been eliminated in the Carabao Cup.

Frankly speaking, if it weren't for Manchester City's previous poor results, the exit from the League Cup would not have caused too many waves, on the one hand, because Manchester City has a higher pursuit, on the other hand, Manchester City is not the only strong team to be eliminated in this round, but now, this defeat like a small spark is enough to cause more anger.

Old Miller set his eyes on the Chinese on the screen.

This young man, who is less scheming than Ferguson and less gentle than Wenger, still has no change in his face, no evasion in his gaze, and no fluctuation in his voice in the face of all kinds of harsh questions from reporters. Last season, he was a hero to all Manchester City fans. And now, old Miller had heard his name in the midst of some scolding.

Patience and memory.

This has always been the most lacking trait of the fan community.

But for these more just to vent the frustrating scolding of losing, the old Miller is not worried, and Lin Sen does not need to worry, after taking off the hat of "football hooligan", Premier League fans have become the best fans in the world, even if these bastards are scolding in the bar, eager to hang up and torture a player who has lost a goal, and grit his teeth at a guy who is not tight on the team, but once they get to the city stadium, You never need to worry that they will be stingy with their singing and applause.

Miller Sr. was worried about the club's upper echelons.

Compared to the fans, their patience and memory determine the fate of the young man on the screen.

Miller Sr. hopes that the club can be patient, because it has been proven that Linson deserves more trust from Manchester City, but the facts have long been proven that the most lacking thing at the top of Manchester City's hierarchy is patience -

Miller Sr. was not wrong in his fears.

Linson had just returned from West Bromwich Albion when he received a phone call from Mubarak asking for coffee, location, his office.

If Lin Sen is still at this time, it is false, Mubarak did not explain his intentions on the phone, and the voice on the phone was as peaceful as ever, but at this special moment, what Mubarak wanted to say was actually like lice on a bald man's head - obvious.

For Lin Sen, he can't be calm, but he can be calm, although this is likely to be a Hongmen feast. Chinese always say that it is a blessing or a curse that cannot be avoided, which is not a mentality worthy of encouragement, but in the case of things that have become facts, it is undoubtedly appropriate to use self-deprecation as a comfort to themselves.

On the same day, Lin Sen came to Manchester City's headquarters and walked into the chairman's office with a call to enter.

With a habitual smile on his face, Mubarak stood up and motioned for Lin Sen to sit as he walked to the counter and poured two cups of coffee, then handed Lin Sen one.

Lin Sen did not speak, and it was Mubarak who spoke first, and he first apologized for "summoning" Lin Sen when the team was training intensively, but at the same time, he also said that the meeting was necessary.

The reason why it was necessary was because this meeting with Lin Sen was not out of Mubarak's wishes alone.

In fact, before calling Linsen, Mubarak had just made a phone call from Mansour, Abu Dhabi, and even earlier, there were voices related to Linsan in the regular meetings of the club's top management, and there were no kind voices for Linsson, let alone the media that would add to the cake and fall into the ground.

From the time Lin Sen walked into the office, Mubarak had been inadvertently observing the changes in Lin Sen's expression.

Good times look at a person's character, and adversity looks at a person's conduct.

The difference between one word and the difference between the heavens and the sky. Last season, Linson joined Manchester City amid controversy, which was considered a match made in heaven after the season, as Linson brought three titles to the club after just one season in charge of Manchester City. Mubarak agrees that if there is one word to describe Linson's experience at Manchester City last season, it is smooth sailing, from the beginning of the season to the end of the season, except for a few minor setbacks that are not difficult in any way, Linsen has hardly encountered difficulties.

But, this time is different.

It is no exaggeration to say that this is the first crisis that Linson has faced since taking charge of Manchester City.

Personally, Mubarak admires Linsen, because even if he strips him of any football-related aura and just looks at Linsen's personal resume, he is still an out-and-out genius. But as the president of Manchester City, Mubarak also had to put away his "selfishness", and no manager can sit firmly in the position of coach when the team keeps losing.

To Linsen's surprise, although both men knew why they were sitting here for coffee, Mubarak never mentioned the matter, but talked to him about other things, such as the club's plans and UEFA's recent announcement of the Financial Fair Play Act, which will come into force in three years......

Mubarak didn't mention it, and Lin Sen remained silent, but there was a time when the coffee would run out.

At this point, Mubarak brought up an incident from his past.

Almost ten years ago, when he had just returned from New York University in the United States, he became the "financial steward" of the Nahyan family, the richest family in the world. In dollar terms, more than eight figures of wealth evaporated without a trace in his hands in the blink of an eye.

No matter how confident Mubarak is, at that moment, he is honestly afraid, what he is best at is dealing with numbers, and now, he is planted on numbers. But at the time, Mansour, now the owner of Manchester City, paid for his mistake without hesitation or even frowning. Mubarak was not quick to give a return, and with the second investment, he brought Mansour three times the gains he had lost last time.

If at that time, I had chosen to run away from it, or if Mansour hadn't given me a second chance, maybe I wouldn't be the president of Manchester City today.

After telling the story, Mubarak said half-jokingly. (To be continued......)