Chapter 10: If Brentford decided to buy someone like Rooney, they might stand a chance

"Joel Brockman's performance must have disappointed Brentford very much. It seems that he has not adapted to playing in his new role as an inside forward."

"Yes, Diego has completely dominated Joel. The two are all from Premier League team academies, but the gap between the two is so huge. I think Diego may soon be noticed by the first team and be recalled. As for Joel, he may have to spend more time in the lower league."

Though the EFL matches aren't as widely viewed as Premier League games, they are still televised, after all, many people are watching their future superstar, so commentators are always present. After all, this is still a professional cup.

At this moment, the two commentators were heavily criticizing Joel. His performance in the past thirty minutes could only be described as disastrous.

Ridicule and criticism from the outside world are pressures that professional players must face. Commentators won't show any mercy just because you've had a few good games in the past.

You're allowed to play poorly, but that doesn't mean others aren't allowed to talk about it.

"Coach Conor must be having a headache right now because Brentford's forward happens to be their weak spot. If Coach Conor can't get Brockman to step up or can't replace him with a reliable player, I wouldn't be surprised if Brentford loses another game and without scoring a goal."

The commentator, with a bit of a mocking tone, knew well that Brentford didn't have anyone on the bench who could effectively score goals.

"Yes, a more reliable winger. If Brentford decided to buy someone like Rooney, they might stand a chance."

"Hahahahahaha, it's a pity that don't have players of that caliber."

The two commentators' remarks made some Brentford fans watching the game at home furious. The commentators were openly mocking their team. But in the face of this ridicule, fans could only grit their teeth and bear it.

Still, you can only perform as you do on the pitch, but that doesn't mean others won't comment on it.

At that moment, when a Brentford player sent the ball out of the pitch, the referee blew the whistle; it was Brentford making changes.

Diego Vargas flexed his arms and stepped onto the pitch confidently. In more than thirty minutes, he played a dominant role on the offensive and defensive; even Gnabry had to give him the ball.

He wasn't going to hold back; he didn't want to languish in the reserves. His goal was to impress Wenger. If he could shine in this match, it would certainly push him closer to a call-up in the first team.

As for whether this would end Joel, the player he is compared to, his career, he didn't care.

But when Diego heard the referee's whistle, he looked towards Brentford's half, he was taken aback. To be precise, everyone in the entire stadium was stunned.

"Wait, Brentford have made a substitution!" The commentator's eyes widened, unsure if he was seeing things correctly,

A player wearing the No. 27 shirt, was on the sideline, the panel indicating he is replacing Brentford's star player, Joel Brockman! Substituting the team's key player just 41 minutes into the game is certainly not part of the regular substitution.

Although they saw Lucas warming up, they thought it was for him to play in the second half, not so earlier.

Lucas's poor performance in previous matches meant the commentator didn't think much of him. In everyone's eyes, he is a player who couldn't get promoted to the first team at a young age and even when promoted, he could only get a few minutes when the match wasn't too critical.

But today, he was being brought on early at the critical moment!

"Coach Conor has replaced Brockman with Lucas Silva? Is that experienced coach sure he didn't make a mistake?"

"Lucas Silva, the most memorable thing he's done was his two consecutive missed chances in the last game. To be honest, this lad doesn't seem ready for professional football. God, it seems that Coach Connor wants to take a gamble."

"Yeah, yeah, Lucas Silva played in the Youth league for Brentford for years. In other words, this guy hasn't even been to the first team in a poor team like Brentford at 21; he only received some opportunities this season when he was 22. It's a miracle he even made it to League One without getting cut."

Both commentators shook their heads, thinking Conor might have been desperate and out of options, so he subbed in such a player.

"Destroy him for me, destroy him!" Arsenal's reserve coach yelled at his player from the sidelines.

In his eyes, Conor substituting for a player who barely made it to professional in such a critical moment was like a gift.

Since Conor was practically begging for defeat, he might as well help out!

The match resumed, and Arsenal's player sent a long throw-in, but Brentford regained possession. Lucas Silva, still feeling somewhat unsure, had his mind racing. He couldn't make it in a local club in his previous life, so it has been a long time since he played a professional 11-on-11 match; plus, it's the physically demanding British match.

How to move, how to position himself, where to pass— Lucas had many questions running through his mind. In League One, matches often focus more on individual performance, with less emphasis on complex tactics. Therefore, the head coach often doesn't micromanage every play, leaving players to read the game themselves.

"Try to find space, and then seize the opportunity!"

It was only after calming down that he recalled that he had the ability of the 2023-24 Marco Reus; why was he worried in the first place? So he gritted his teeth and decided to go for it!

Lucas started running without the ball, darting into every open space. Despite his positive attitude, the defensive player marking him wasn't worried in the least— in fact, he found it a bit amusing.

In League One, there aren't many players willing to do the dirty work of setting off-the-ball screens like Sadio Mane, Benzema, etc... This means it's hard to create scoring chances just by running.

Meanwhile, Brentford's midfielder, under heavy pressure, managed to pass the ball to Reggie on the wing. He was their most dangerous player.

But the Arsenal player marking Reggie was sticking close. He wasn't about to get humiliated and jeopardize his career.

Reggie had no room to shoot, and when he noticed the towering center-back closing in on him, plus the right-back already sticking to him, he abandoned any thoughts of a long-range shot.

That same center-back had just made Brockman's day miserable, shutting him down completely. Reggie didn't want to be the next victim.

Just then, Reggie spotted Lucas making a run into space. So without hesitation, he sent a quick pass his way!

"Reggie didn't go for goal himself, instead passing the ball to Lucas Silva."

"No, no, Reggie should have taken the shot. That inexperienced player will only mess this attack up."

Lucas couldn't hear the commentators' ridicule, or else he might have shot the ball at their faces. But right now, all he wanted was to put the ball in the net.

Lucas received the ball cleanly. The Arsenal defender didn't close him down immediately but instead gave him some space, almost as if daring him to take a shot.

Even Premier League stars like future Vardy are sometimes given space outside the box, let alone an unknown player like Lucas Silva.

Just as the defensor was getting confident, he noticed something odd—Lucas Silva had a slight smirk on his face as he decided to take the shot!

"What's this guy smiling about!?" He felt uneasy, that smirk sent chills down his spine.

So, he immediately turned to follow the ball, just in time to see it fly in a perfect arc and nestle into the top corner of the net!

"Whoosh!"

The sound of the net rippling reached Lucas's ears, and he felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. On the football pitch, that sound is like music to a player's ears.

The crowd erupted in cheers. Although there weren't as many fans as in the Premier League, their combined voices were deafening.

Lucas grinned and pointed to the stands, urging the crowd to get even louder.

This spotlight felt amazing!

"The ball went in! The ball went in! Did you see that? Lucas Silva just scored a screamer from outside the box!"

The commentator's eyes widened in disbelief; the lad's shot was so precise, it was no fluke.

"Even if it's just a lucky goal, I think it's okay for Lucas to boast about this for the rest of his career." The other commentator still didn't think much of Lucas Silva.

"Harry, what are you doing!? Take him seriously, I won't allow him to score again!"

Brentford's coach shouted from the sidelines to the player who gave some space to Lucas, still not taking Lucas seriously.

But Harry swallowed nervously. That confident smirk on Lucas's face when he took the shot was something he wouldn't soon forget...