Chapter 39: Operations of Independent Development

Chapter 39: Self-Developed Maneuvers

The day after Li Mo fully integrated the "Balotelli Power Duel" template, the players who had been away on international duty returned. For Arsenal, the good news was that Diaby was back and participating in full team training. The bad news was that Cazorla had sustained an injury.

Cazorla’s injury made Wenger wish he could storm up to Vicente del Bosque and give the Spanish national team coach a piece of his mind. Oh, when it came to major tournaments like the World Cup or the European Championship, the midfield iron triangle of Xavi, Busquets, and Xabi Alonso was untouchable, with perhaps Xabi Alonso thrown in for good measure. But when it came to friendlies or warm-up matches, they would use Cazorla, only for him to be denied a single minute of playing time during the actual tournaments—sometimes not even getting a call-up at all. That was hardly fair. However, FIFA regulations mandated that clubs release players for international duty, and there was nothing Wenger could do about it.

Fortunately, with Cazorla out, Wilshere could step in. Of course, Diaby would certainly miss the North London Derby. In Wenger’s eyes, he was a crucial defensive midfield presence; without him, Arsenal’s midfield defense would drop several levels. Consequently, following the international break, the upcoming North London Derby was shaping up to be a severe test for an Arsenal side currently in a slump and missing two key midfielders.

On the training pitch at London Colney, goalkeeper Szczęsny lay on the ground. He didn't turn his head to look at the ball in his net; instead, he stared toward the edge of the penalty area, his eyes wide as if he had seen a ghost. The other players wore similar expressions, their gazes converging on a single focal point: Li Mo, standing near the edge of the penalty arc. Everyone looked as though they had witnessed something supernatural. Even Bould, the assistant coach serving as the interim manager, was stunned to the point of forgetting to blow his whistle.

"Roar!" Under the gaze of everyone, Li Mo clenched his fists at his waist and let out a long, defiant cry. His excitement was, of course, tied to the goal he had just scored in training.

The play had unfolded like this: he received the ball near the arc, about forty meters from the goal, physically shouldered Mertesacker aside, turned, and accelerated! Li Mo’s sudden burst of speed allowed him to carry the ball for about ten meters before a defender panicked and rushed over to cover. But right at that moment, Li Mo executed a move that left his teammates dumbfounded:

His left arm swung up, his body stretching like a drawn bow, and the power of his entire body’s muscles poured into the instep of his right foot.

Bang! A thunderous sound echoed across the training ground. It was a blistering strike from about twenty-seven or twenty-eight meters out. The ball traveled with incredible velocity and was kept low—a result of the improvement in Li Mo’s fundamental shooting skills combined with the enhanced shooting intuition gained from the "Van Persie Volley" module.

This was the first method Li Mo had devised over the past two days to develop his overall capabilities. He could not fear physical duels! He had seen the discussions about him in the Italian media. Cassano might have a big mouth, but what he said wasn't entirely without merit. In modern football, the space for an Inzaghi-style opportunist was indeed shrinking. He could not rely too heavily on the "Inzaghi Scoring Instinct" module. This success made Li Mo realize his problem with "path dependency." His arsenal held more than just that one trick. The four-game scoring drought he had just endured was likely a result of that very dependency.

On the sidelines, Wenger was equally astonished. He had seen Li Mo’s shot—a beautiful long-range effort, powerful and heavy. While the angle wasn't particularly tricky, it compensated with sheer speed. But what truly surprised Wenger wasn't just the shot; it was the duel between Li Mo and Mertesacker. Mertesacker’s defensive ability was among the best for a center-back in the Premier League. Previously, in such a situation, Li Mo would likely have been knocked to the ground. But just now, he had not only sought out the contact, but he had also transitioned perfectly from the duel into a burst of speed to bypass Mertesacker, followed by a decisive shot from outside the box that resulted in a world-class goal.

"He is finally starting to make effective use of his physical attributes!" Wenger rubbed his hands together, excited. "His physical play is quite good. It looks like we need to adjust his training plan again."

"Change it! Keep changing it!" Wenger waved his hand. In truth, ever since Li Mo joined Arsenal, the coaching staff had been preparing a detailed "individual improvement training plan" for him. But plans never kept pace with changes. Just as a plan would begin to take shape, Li Mo would display a new capability or a new technical trait, forcing them to revise the plan several times. However, the Arsenal coaching staff never complained; they wished for Li Mo to improve even faster.

Li Mo’s rate of progress stunned Wenger. He was moving closer and closer to the template of the modern target man that Wenger had envisioned.

At that moment, the players finally snapped out of their stupor. Mertesacker touched his chest in surprise, while Koscielny looked at his partner with a puzzled expression. The German defender immediately said, "Don't look at me like that. I didn't hold back, I guarantee it!"

The other players swarmed toward Li Mo.

"Your body... did it get bigger?"

"I haven't seen you for ten days, and you've bulked up so much. What kind of pig feed have you been eating?"

"Don't talk nonsense; Li is still growing."

Everyone started reaching out, prodding Li Mo’s biceps and deltoids, with some even getting bold enough to touch his pectorals. The London Colney training base was filled with laughter; the gloom of the previous two-game losing streak seemed to have been swept away.

Wenger also breathed a sigh of relief. At the very least, the team's morale was temporarily fine. The key to the next North London Derby lay in the team’s offensive performance—without Diaby, Wenger really lacked confidence in the team’s midfield defensive strength. Now that Li Mo had shown some new facets to his game in the final third, Wenger and his staff felt a bit more at ease.

The Arsenal players knew that based on the form Li Mo had shown on the training pitch, his spot in the starting lineup was set in stone. However, in the pre-match previews and predictions by major media outlets, many still believed that Li Mo would lose his starting position.

Sky Sports, in their preview for the ninth round of the Premier League, clearly stated that it was highly likely Li Mo would not continue to start. "...After suffering three consecutive defeats, Arsenal has dropped to tenth place in the league with nine points and sits second in their Champions League group with six points. All of this began when Li Mo’s form dried up... he has now gone four games without a goal."

"...It is foreseeable that Arsenal will make adjustments to their starting lineup; Li Mo’s characteristics are still more suited for a substitute role."

"...This is not to say there is anything wrong with Li Mo’s ability; the key is that he is still too young."

"...Perhaps he is not yet ready to start."