From Arsenal, Forge the Path to Football God

-----------

This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// geriatrictranslations.com/

Special Permission was given to upload the novel on WebNovel.

Geriatric Translations can be supported on patreon (https://www. patreon.com/geriatricvibes) where additional chapters can be enjoyed. 

You can also join the Geriatric Translations Community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua

-----------

The following weekend, at Sheffield United First Team's training ground.

Only seventeen players showed up, and under Kevin's lead, they began post-match recovery training. More than seven players had taken leave to skip the training.

It was clear that Kevin had lost control of the team.

Many of the veteran players were using the strike to voice their dissatisfaction, hoping the club would dismiss him as soon as possible.

After the recovery training ended.

Maël carried a soccer ball to the adjacent field and practiced dribbling with Gilbert.

"We need to increase the training volume on rest days."

He was eager to get back on the field, to make a name for himself in the Championship League, and to contribute to his current team.

Waiting was unbearable; no one liked being in a dormant state. Everyone wanted a bright and clear path ahead.

Maël set up training equipment on the field, trying to simulate real match conditions as much as possible, and dribbled through the cones with all his might.

He continued to use the Step Over, while Gilbert employed several different techniques.

Once they realized that practicing against cones could achieve the same effect, they stopped sparring with each other.

Human endurance has its limits.

Maël had a proficiency panel, allowing him to see his progress and results at any time, but Gilbert did not.

If he had to defend against Maël's Step Over all day, he would surely break down, feeling nauseous at the sight of the move.

Days passed, and the entire club was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere. The players were very quiet, and laughter and joy were rare during training sessions.

Only in private moments did they occasionally show some enthusiasm.

On August 10th, following the start of the New Premier League season, the EFL Cup matches were also about to begin.

Sheffield United would face Hartlepool United, a sixth-tier National League team, in the first round on the 12th.

They had two cup competitions this season: the EFL Cup and the FA Cup.

In terms of importance, the FA Cup was certainly more significant, being the most coveted cup competition among top teams.

As for the EFL Cup, most teams played it by ear, only considering a full push for the title if they accidentally made it to the semi-finals.

However, it was clear that neither of these cup competitions had much to do with Sheffield United.

They had no chance of winning, so it was better to focus all their efforts on staying in the Championship.

That evening, Maël finally reached the moment he had been eagerly awaiting.

A tingling sensation spread through his hips and knees, and his muscle memory for the Step Over experienced a qualitative leap, as if he had suddenly had an epiphany.

[Skill: Bicycle Dribble Level 3]

[Proficiency: 1/800]

[Effect: After thousands of practice sessions, you become proficient in the Bicycle Dribble, gaining speed and deceptive qualities, with a chance to successfully break through professional players!]

"Finally, LV3."

Maël's face relaxed. Now, he posed a certain threat on the wings.

When facing defenders who were not familiar with him, he could quickly perform the Bicycle Dribble to create space.

Whether it was crossing from the flank or cutting inside to take a long-range shot, both were effective offensive strategies!

[Skill: Muscularity Level 2]

[Proficiency: 564/800]

Glancing at his strength proficiency, he began to think about his future training plan. "It's impossible to spend all my time on strength training. The human body has its limits, and I need to avoid injuries.

"I can add a common winger's step-over dribbling drill to ensure a balanced training load and make full use of my training time.

"I aim to reach LV3 in both 'strength' and 'step-over dribbling' by the end of this month. By then, I will be a formidable presence on the Championship's wings."

This would make him a player who could both hold his ground and break through, capable of both attacking and passing.

After that, Maël planned to shift his focus to speed and coordination.

For a winger, the importance of speed cannot be overstated!

If he could also reach LV3 in speed, combined with his two dribbling skills, he would become a sharp blade, creating threats with every touch.

Even without using his dribbling skills, LV3 speed would likely allow him to outpace some Championship defenders.

As for coordination, it was a fundamental skill that he must have.

Stability in the lower body was crucial for a player to stand firm in fast-paced, high-intensity matches.

Moreover, a stable lower body would greatly benefit his dribbling and physical play.

"And the intensity of speed training will be high, so coordination training will serve as a good balance."

Maël made his decisions and, while it was not yet completely dark, he resumed his dribbling training, focusing on the step-over dribbling proficiency panel.

After more than forty minutes, he wiped the sweat from his brow, feeling satisfied as he left the training ground with the soccer ball.

[Skill: Stride Dribble Level 1]

[Proficiency: (24/100)]

[Effect: You...]

Next, he just needed to keep practicing.

Once he reached LV3 in speed and coordination, he could then focus on upgrading his current skills to LV4, further enhancing his abilities.

Behind Maël, in his blind spot, a middle-aged man in a dark blue suit stood outside the training ground, smoking a cigarette and observing the field for some time.

After Maël left, he took out his phone and dialed a number. "Is the list out? Is Maël on it?"

"No, Gilbert isn't on it either," came the reply from the other end.

"Kevin, that two-faced fool!"

He gritted his teeth, his hand trembling slightly as he held the cigarette. "Is he afraid that training young players will only benefit me when I take over?

"He's not even willing to do something good before he leaves, making me face the pressure of poor results and having to cultivate hope for the team's second half of the season."

The other end was silent for a moment before a voice spoke. "It's not necessarily like that, but I have word from the Board of Directors. If Kevin loses five Championship matches at the start of the season, they will definitely terminate his contract."

He swallowed, his mind calming a bit. "Understood."

On August 12th, Sheffield United traveled to Hartlepool United for an away game in the first round of the EFL Cup.

Originally, the team should have left a day earlier for such an away game, but because the opponent was so low in the league, the team did not take it seriously.

Maël was still not included in the matchday squad. He had planned to watch the live broadcast at home but was told there was no signal.

Reluctantly, he and Gilbert went to the training ground again, where they practiced for three hours before returning home to check the news online.

Both were initially relaxed, just curious to see who had scored and if there had been any massacres.

However, they were stunned when they opened the data website.

0-2!

They lost!

A Championship team had been shut out by a team four levels below them!

"Impossible."

Gilbert's face turned red. "The 18 players on the matchday squad were the same as in the last game, all key players. Why did they lose to a National League team?"

Maël slowly put down his phone, sat on the sofa, and stared blankly at the ceiling, unable to speak.

"Are they determined to get rid of Kevin?"

Gilbert's mouth gaped open. "Or is it our strength..."

Suddenly, he fell into deep panic. The team's situation was even worse than they had imagined.

"Forget about it, let's wait for our turn."

Maël shook his head. They could do nothing for now.