"Substitute me in, I'll teach this McTominay a lesson."
Tang Long's words made the assistant coach Chiwo's heart skip a beat.
The Romanian saw the situation clearly on the field. The young Scot, McTominay, fearless like a calf unafraid of a tiger, successfully used his physical advantage to limit Mkhitaryan and Diego.
It's not that McTominay's skills were particularly impressive, nor that the Premier League-class midfielders Mkhitaryan and Diego were inferior to him.
The Champions League final was going to kick off in a week.
For many Manchester City players, this was their first time playing in a Champions League final; no one wanted to risk injury by going head-to-head with this McTominay.
This concern included the physical worries and the courage of the players.
Obviously, neither Diego nor Mkhitaryan had this courage at the moment!
