Football Dynasty-Chapter 527: The Disciplined of The Team

Chapter 527: The Disciplined of The Team
The Special One’s Punishment!
For the first time, Richard saw with his own eyes how Mourinho handled the discipline of the team.
Baltemar Brito followed behind Mourinho and whispered the worry in his heart.
"Jose, I know you want to reshape the team’s discipline, but isn’t this way too direct and brutal? Ronaldo made a mistake, but he’s still the team’s number one striker. He will play a large part in helping us make a comeback and advance to the FA Cup quarterfinals."
Mourinho looked at the players who had lined up in two rows on the training field ahead, smiled, and then turned to Baltemar Brito. "Yes. It is necessary for them to understand now that the only irreplaceable person in this team... is me. I am the special one."
Baltemar Brito was left speechless.
Soon, Richard, the staff, and the players already on the pitch also witnessed the scene—a moment they would never forget.
Mourinho marched up to the group of players who had become well-behaved. "The earliest of you was 47 seconds late," he said, raising his hand to point at the watch on his left wrist. "The latest person arrived one minute and 32 seconds late. I don’t care why you were late—even if you say you were shaving your legs in the locker room—it doesn’t concern me. All I know is that you were late by one minute and 32 seconds!"
He yelled, "I don’t care how the previous manager trained you. Now I’m the manager, your boss! I want you to understand the importance of discipline in this team. Anyone who violates that discipline will be punished!"
He looked at the silent players and then pointed to the sidelines.
"You, you, and you."
Mourinho pointed at Lampard, Ronaldinho, and Paul Robinson.
"You will train with the U-17 squad alongside Ronaldo. And then you, you, and you."
He pointed again at Fabio Cannavaro, Ashley Cole, and David Trezeguet.
"You and the others: one lap for every ten seconds late. Thirteen laps in total. I’ll discount two seconds. All right, all of you—run now! I’ll double the laps if anyone tries to slack off!"
The players who had expected the worst had no objections. All of them ran to the sidelines with their heads lowered and began their first of thirteen laps.
Even Cannavaro looked at Mourinho, nodded, spoke briefly to the assistant manager, and followed his teammates without protest. He knew he was in the wrong. This was professional behavior: acknowledging mistakes and accepting the consequences. He just felt that this promoted assistant manager was totally different from O’Neill.
After about a week of observation, the team’s training progress satisfied Richard and the staff. In fact, even when City was still under Martin O’Neill, having Mourinho around as the assistant meant the training schedule ran smoothly without any issues.
The key difference? No one had to check on the players constantly or remind them to follow the rules. O’Neill was good, but he often indulged the players—except when they were undisciplined, which was like indulging himself, and he suffered for it in the end. Now, with full authority in his hands, Mourinho promised he would control the locker room 100%.
From their very first meeting, Mourinho had already taken practical action to send a clear message to the undisciplined and disorganized players:
Here, I am the boss.
Those who refused to comply—like Ronaldo and a few others—served as examples. They spent their time isolated in the junior squad, anxiously waiting for a chance to return to the main team.
Of course, if he stepped too far, Richard was ready to step in and warn him. He also knew to act within limits. As for using Ronaldo as a "sacrificial lamb," well, if the team performed to his satisfaction, there wouldn’t be a big stink anymore.
Richard oversaw the training, but he decided to hand over the sessions to the coaching team, at least for now. The high-performance department chose to stay silent—it would have seemed disrespectful to the work of the coaching staff if he had interjected during their first training session. This type of behavior was also what most managers found the most annoying.
The media had polarizing views of Mourinho’s appointment. Out-of-town ers were not optimistic about his coaching prospects.
Manchester City’s goal this season seemed to be simply staying in the middle of the table, with no hope for European competition. But then a young manager suddenly took over the team. He had to face a squad whose morale had hit rock bottom, tackle a nervous and divided locker room, and lead a team that would bid farewell to two key players during the winter break.
The news that Buffon and Zanetti would transfer to Italy had already spread, causing the fans to resent the club for failing to retain their players. But, as previously stated, no one could overrule any of Richard’s decisions. While it might be too difficult to achieve a mission like reaching the UCL next season, Richard believed it was possible.
In response to the media coverage, only Piers Morgan applauded Richard’s decision to appoint the new manager in an article in
The Daily Mirror
.
"...If the criticism stems from the terrible atmosphere in the locker room and the low team morale, then did City, under Mr. O’Neill, who took over four yeas ago, have a favorable atmosphere and a display of unity throughout the ranks? Was morale high, and were they united in their goals? What was the result this season? From a top-table finish, they struggled, and the squad often looked disjointed. From my perspective, and that of many City fans: if there is anyone who can lead the team now, it must be José Mourinho!"
Richard was very grateful to Brosnan for speaking on his behalf, but he knew very well that media opinions meant little.
The only convincing proof would come from results on the pitch. If the team won, it would show he was leading them well. If they lost, it would mean he had failed.
Next, Manchester City would play an away match against Conference side Rushden & Diamonds.
Things couldn’t get any worse. After a goalless first leg at Maine Road, Rushden & Diamonds would definitely play their hearts out.
This was going to be an uphill battle.
Bring it on!
The next day at Nene Park, the home of Rushden & Diamonds, even shutting the door tightly did little to block out the loud singing coming from outside. Compared to the excited crowd of City fans, the people inside the changing room appeared unnervingly calm. Of course, that calm was only skin deep.
Assistant manager Baltemar Brito was announcing the starting lineup for the match, beginning with the goalkeeper.
"Gianluigi Buffon, Gianluca Zambrotta, John Terry, Lilian Thuram, Ashley Cole, Andrea Pirlo, Claude Makélélé, Zinedine Zidane, Okocha, Robert Pires, and..." He finally called the last name.
"Thierry Henry."
Henry sat on the chair with his head lowered, holding little hope of being the main striker, as he was usually depicted as a winger. Then he heard Brito repeat, "...Thierry Henry. These will be the eleven players!"
He raised his head immediately. ’
I actually made the main striker?!’
Not just him—everyone in the room was surprised by this decision.
No Ronaldo? Well, there’s Trezeguet. Trezeguet had been punished yesterday, so everyone understood. But there was still Henrik Larsson!
Larsson had never been replaceable back when Martin O’Neill was manager.
What is it mean?
After announcing the starting lineup, the changing room buzzed with players debating among themselves. Baltemar Brito slammed the tactics board forcefully, signaling that the manager wanted to address them.
Waiting for the changing room to quiet down, Mourinho shouted, "Rushden & Diamonds are a tough little Conference side, and we’re supposed to beat them! Don’t sit there thinking, ’Ah, it’s not that bad.’ Things are bad enough as it is! Out of the 18 matches we’ve played, we’ve only won eight and lost ten! Before this game, we were on a draw streak. I’ve had enough of draws, and I don’t want it to continue! If any of you don’t care about drawing—let alone losing—raise your hands!" He gestured sharply, but no one dared.
"Good! None of you want to lose. That’s what I like to hear." Mourinho lowered his arms and glanced at Henry, who kept his head down, listening carefully. "I don’t care how you performed before, what position you are in, or what the previous manager promised you. I’ll judge you only by this match. Play well, and you start. Don’t, and you sit. Simple as that. If you want to step onto that pitch, tighten up your act and give me 100%!"
As the assistant manager, Mourinho already knew the players’ abilities well. Henry, as long as he was on the field, could make Rushden & Diamonds pray—because this kind of player was similar to Ronaldo in impact.
’I have very good techniques, I am fast, I am good at dribbling. I won’t have any problem breaking past their defensive line! If I cannot score goals,I can assist!’
Thankfully, the trust placed in him was not wasted. Mourinho did not disappoint. Manchester City avoided what would have been one of the biggest FA Cup upsets of modern times, demolishing Rushden & Diamonds 8–0 in the FA Cup replay at Nene Park.
PHWEEEE~
Right from kickoff, Manchester City imposed their quality on the Conference side. Their passes were sharp, their movement fluid, and they pressed Rushden & Diamonds high up the pitch. The home team could only squeeze back toward their goal.
In the 8th minute, Thierry Henry received a pass on the edge of the box from Zambrotta and calmly slotted the ball low past the keeper.
Rushden & Diamonds 0 – 1 Manchester City
In the 14th minute, Robert Pires combined beautifully with Zidane, who dribbled into the penalty area and delivered a precise cutback. Pires struck it first time into the top corner.
Rushden & Diamonds 0 – 2 Manchester City
In the 22nd minute, Henry once again found space after a slick through ball from Zidane. He calmly rounded the goalkeeper and tapped it home to complete his brace.
Rushden & Diamonds 0 – 3 Manchester City
In the 33rd minute, Okocha, full of confidence, danced past two defenders on the left wing, cut inside, and fired a low, curling shot into the far post.
Rushden & Diamonds 0 – 4 Manchester City
"Rushden & Diamonds have barely been able to breathe in their own half. Four goals up already, and it’s all but over at Nene Park. You have to wonder if the Conference side will even manage to regroup for the second half. City are playing like a team with something to prove—and they’re making every minute count!"
In the away locker room, Mourinho stood in front of the squad, his eyes scanning every player.
"Well done. But don’t let this lull you into overconfidence. Even a Conference side can be dangerous if you start relaxing. They’ll fight for every ball, press every inch of space—and that can be frustrating if you’re not focused."
The players nodded, still catching their breath, sweat glistening on their faces. Mourinho’s gaze shifted to Okocha and Pires.
"You two—excellent movement today. But keep thinking ahead. Always look for gaps behind their defense. Also—" He then turned toward Henry and Zidane. "Make runs into space, and we need to keep feeding him those chances. That’s how we break teams open consistently."
After that, he clapped his hands. "Alright, guys, listen. Don’t wait for them to make mistakes. Force them to react to you."
"Yes, coach!" the team chorused.
"Good. Now, go out there and dominate the second half!"
PHWEEEEE~
By the 53rd minute, Zidane extended the lead with a thunderous strike from outside the box.
In the 63rd minute, Pirlo’s clever vision found Henry in space inside the box. With a calm first touch, Henry finished past the goalkeeper, completing his hat-trick.
Entering the final ten minutes of the match, Mourinho made tactical adjustments to give some of the squad fresh legs:
Zidane was replaced by Dejan Stanković
Makélélé for Gattuso
Okocha for Deco
In the 86th minute, Deco was fouled just outside the penalty area, allowing Pirlo to step up for a free-kick. He curled it around the wall with precision, the ball nestling into the top corner.
Finally, in the 90+2 met Deco scored his first goal for Manchester City. Zidane, once again at the heart of the action, delivered a perfect pass into his path on the right, and Deco calmly slotted it home to round off the scoring.
Full-time: Rushden & Diamonds 0 – 8 Manchester City
After the 8–0 demolition at Nene Park, the press swarmed the Manchester City manager, flashbulbs popping and microphones thrust forward. Mourinho, composed as ever, adjusted his coat and looked over the cameras.
"First of all," he began, his voice calm but deliberate, "I want to congratulate the players. They followed the plan perfectly, showed discipline, and executed the tactics we discussed. This is how a team responds when everyone knows their role and works together."
A journalist interrupted, leaning forward with a notebook in hand.
"Mr. Manager, an 8–0 victory is incredible. Can we expect performances like this in the Premier League?"
Mourinho paused, his eyes sweeping across the room as if weighing each word. A faint smile played on his lips. "The Premier League is a different challenge—stronger opponents, more pressure, every mistake is punished immediately. But make no mistake... I expect this team to fight in every game, to follow the tactics, to give their maximum. That is how we win matches."
The journalists scribbled furiously, some nodding, others exchanging skeptical glances.
Finally, one raised his hand. "Do you think your approach could work for the rest of the season? And if so... what’s the secret?"
Mourinho’s lips curved into a small, confident smile. He paused, letting the question sink in, before leaning slightly forward.
"There is no secret," he said calmly, almost conspiratorially. "Discipline, focus, understanding your players, and making sure everyone knows their role—that is the foundation. Some might call it simple, but simple is often the hardest to execute. And... perhaps," he added, a subtle glint in his eyes, "maybe I am the Special One."