Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions-Chapter 213 - 183: Icardi Got Anxious Again! Do You Have to Play Me Like This?

Chapter 213: Chapter 183: Icardi Got Anxious Again! Do You Have to Play Me Like This?

Watching as the team leads 3-0 in the first half, the match has completely entered garbage time.

Icardi was thrilled! freewebnøvel.coɱ

He sniffed, forcibly holding back a big sneeze that was supposed to come out.

Approaching Mancini, he rubbed his hands together expectantly:

"Boss, it’s 3-0, let me up in the second half to play around."

Mancini turned and looked at him.

As the head coach of Inter Milan, Mancini naturally knew what Icardi wanted to say.

This kid scored quite a few goals this season, with one single-minded goal to surpass Messi and C Luo and win the European Golden Boot this season.

Persistent, eager to play.

Even if he’s caught a cold and his training state isn’t great, he still wants to play.

Mancini understood Icardi’s mindset, and that’s exactly why even though Icardi’s condition was not suitable for the match, he still brought this Argentine forward from Milan to Sicily to sit on the substitute bench.

Watching as Icardi sniffed and looked at him expectantly, Mancini softened.

"Alright, I was going to give you 20 minutes; since you mentioned it, I’ll give you half an hour. The only request is that you don’t get hurt. Switch with Bonazzoli at 60 minutes."

Hearing that he had at least half an hour to play, Icardi was full of confidence at first.

From his observations and years of playing experience.

He believed that facing Palermo, which was already in disarray and without fighting spirit, he could at least score two goals~

In this way, his goal count for the European Golden Boot could tie with Messi, just behind C Luo.

Thus, at the final league, a decisive comeback for the Golden Boot isn’t impossible.

In the second half, Inter Milan proactively slowed their offensive stance, and the game began playing unemotionally.

Tang Long leisurely strolled on the field, conserving his energy as much as possible, while other Inter players were extremely cooperative, almost standing while playing.

Whereas on the Palermo side, all fighting spirit was lost; after all, being down one goal was still manageable, stealing one from Inter could level it.

With three goals down in the second half, even if Messi and C Luo were in Palermo’s lineup, they had no chance against Inter.

Thus both sides knowingly ground through, tacitly understanding each other.

In the 61st minute of the second half, Icardi, who had been warming up on the sidelines, was getting anxious.

Just as he was about to call Mancini for a substitution, he saw the fourth official raise the substitution board: "Off 28, On 9."

Seeing he was going on the field, Icardi’s spirit was instantly rejuvenated, performing a high jump.

"The opportunity has arrived, at least score three goals against Palermo!"

But the fourth official didn’t leave.

Instead, he raised the substitution board again: "Off 99, On 77."

Tang Long clapped and jogged off from the center of the field, high-fiving Brozovic.

He originally wanted to high-five Icardi, who was also waiting on the sidelines.

But he saw Icardi looking like a dead man, stunned like a wooden figure, not reacting to his outstretched palm.

Tang Long chuckled, lightly patted Icardi’s butt, then went to the bench to drink water.

Icardi was stunned!

The whole person was stunned.

He turned angrily to glare at coach Mancini, intending to explode, but Mancini didn’t even look at him, proactively handing water to Tang Long, the two joyfully chatting on the substitute bench.

Oh!

Holding in a breath, Icardi quickly rushed onto the field, standing at the center-forward position.

What’s this all about?

Mancini, oh Mancini, are you sincerely messing with me or what.

Substitute is fine enough, but what’s the meaning of pulling Tang Long out.

I’m on, but Tang Long isn’t around, who’s going to pass to me then, relying on Brozovic?

This Croatian had only played 16 times this season and did not assist me once, counting on him to feed me passes?

Dream on.

At this moment, Icardi was full of unspeakable bitterness.

After all, Mancini didn’t promise early that Tang Long would be on the field, and Mancini indeed gave Icardi half an hour’s time.

"Forget it, it’s better to rely on oneself than others, I, Mauro Icardi, the dignified Serie A Golden Boot, European Golden Boot odds third person, is it really that without Tang Long, I can’t score?"

Icardi didn’t believe this nonsense at all.

With resentment and an unwilling determination to not concede, Icardi’s performance on the field was fiercely fought.

Thus, a bizarre scene emerged in the Serie A match between Inter and Palermo!

Inter players were like idle sheep.

The Palermo players are also leisurely strolling.

Except for striker Icardi, who’s darting here and there like a hunting dog.

His coverage area alone is equivalent to three midfielders from Inter Milan.

"Pass it!"

"Deliver the ball!"

"Didn’t you see I’m running?"

"There was a chance for a through ball just now, Brozovic, why did you pass back?"

Brozovic, shouted at by Icardi, is utterly baffled.

If not passing back, you want a through ball from me?

We’re talking tens of meters here.

Not to mention the coach’s instructions to maintain control and not rush the opponent to avoid injuries.

Such a distant through ball, across two opposing midfielders and two center-backs, I can’t manage that.

Do you think I’m Tang Long?

Brozovic has the straightforwardness typical of Eastern Europeans.

For the next few plays, he still chose not to make a direct pass to Icardi.

While Dambrosio and Santon etc. are also too lazy to move forward, staying in the backfield to pass the ball around.

Brozovic sitting at the attacking midfielder position offers no support to Icardi;

With the two full-backs not pushing forward either, Icardi is like a lone sail at sea on an isolated field.

Actually, Icardi isn’t without opportunities; several times he got the ball near the penalty area.

But Icardi’s not the low-center-of-gravity, speedy, skillful forward like Shaqiri.

Icardi’s fundamentals are pretty good, chiefly in goal-front positioning, with sharp shooting angles catching goalkeepers off guard.

But he needs someone to set him up.

Tang Long’s out, and now no other Inter Milan players have either the idea or the ability, who’s going to set him up?

After forcibly turning at the arc of the penalty area and launching an absurdly wide shot.

Icardi kneels on the ground, angrily pounding the turf, wailing non-stop.

(Icardi: I can’t score, it’s killing me!)

The viewers in the livestream chat are amused watching this scene.

-[I’m dying of laughter, this shot by Icardi is even more outrageous than Gualin’s miss.]

-[Is this a Serie A level shot? It feels like something from our local neighborhood team.]

-[Honestly speaking, shooting from outside the box isn’t Icardi’s forte; he should stay inside the box waiting for assists.]

-[The key is who’s going to provide those assists for him? Master chef Tang Long has left the field, the kitchen has no one to make assists anymore.]

-[So that’s the weakness of Icardi; he’s the classic target striker without the ability to hold or dribble the ball, his skill set is very limited.]

-[I’ve always said, Icardi is a weaker version of Inzaghi; he’s a system player, reliant on team support.]

-[Why do I feel like Icardi’s face turns white and then green?]

-[I heard he’s got a cold, running madly like this sweating profusely might just cure his cold for the next match against Lazio!]

With Tang Long off the field, many fans who just came to see him are also leaving the livestream, reducing this match’s hype.

The further they play, the more relaxed the Inter players become.

If Tang Long were on the field, he could probably grace Icardi with an assist or two.

But now Tang Long isn’t here, the others are used to playing casually, once you ease up in football, it’s tough to gear up again.

Icardi, sweating profusely, has no more chances.

The scoreline of 3-0 remains until the end of the match.

A funny statistic is that there were only 10 shots in the entire second half, totaling from both sides, with Inter Milan having 9 and Palermo just 1 shot.

And out of those 9 shots by Inter, 8 were all by Icardi!

Even funnier, these 8 shots were all long-range outside the box and each was high-flying.

Out of his familiar territory in the penalty area, lacking teammate’s passing support, Icardi’s impact on the field is negligible.

His ability plummets from Serie A top tier down to second division level.

When the main referee blows the final whistle for the match’s end, many Inter Milan players amicably hug and converse with Palermo’s players.

Only Icardi refuses his fellow Argentinian counterpart Dybala’s request to exchange jerseys and doesn’t even go to thank the away crowd of Inter fans with his teammates, instead storming alone toward the player tunnel.

"I’m done, done, even if I win the European Golden Boot this season, next season I’m definitely transferring, it’s too humiliating!"

Icardi is first to rush into the locker room, sniffling and crying, grabs his phone and hides in the toilet, dialing a call to his wife and agent, Wanda...