Chapter 47: Win Them Over Completely!
After two weeks of international break, the Championship resumed with Round 7.
Bayswater Chinese were away to Watford.
But the team didn't quite play the way Yang Cheng had hoped.
The reason was simple: the schedule.
They had Watford away on the 11th, Wolves at home on the 14th, and Queens Park Rangers at home again on the 18th.
Everyone knew away games were tough.
But Yang Cheng didn't want to drop points in the following two home games—especially not against QPR.
Right now, Bayswater Chinese were using Loftus Road as their temporary home ground. That meant they were effectively borrowing QPR's fans as well.
If they couldn't win that match at home, they'd become a laughingstock.
It wasn't just Bayswater Chinese fans who cared about the game—QPR fans did too.
And it had been conveniently scheduled for Saturday afternoon—prime time.
Know how many tickets were sold for that game?
Over 15,000.
And a good chunk of those were QPR supporters.
So far this season, QPR had played three home games—one draw and two losses.
With their fortunes waning and Bayswater Chinese on the rise, Yang Cheng wasn't about to miss this golden opportunity.
That's why he made some squad rotations for the match against Watford.
The first half ended 0–0.
But early in the second half, Watford striker Danny Webber scored from a quick counterattack to give the home side the lead.
Bayswater Chinese pushed back hard.
It wasn't until the 85th minute that they equalized, thanks to a set piece and a goal from Skrtel.
1–1, a draw.
Meanwhile, QPR managed to rally and win 3–2 at home against Plymouth in Round 7—their first home victory of the season.
…
September 14th, Championship Round 8.
Bayswater Chinese hosted Wolves at home.
Not much drama in this one.
Wolves were 21st in the table.
Relegation from the Premier League had hit them hard—not in ability, but psychologically.
Against Bayswater Chinese, Wolves set up in a deep defensive block, playing for counters.
The hosts finally broke through in the 22nd minute.
Modrić slipped a perfect pass through the left channel, Ribéry burst into the box and slotted it home.
1–0.
That was the only goal of the game.
Three points secured at home.
QPR also won that round, beating Crewe 2–0 away.
After eight rounds, Bayswater Chinese climbed to sixth in the table.
QPR sat in eleventh.
Plymouth, showing some signs of life, had risen to fifteenth.
All three promoted teams were putting in decent performances.
…
September 18th, afternoon. Loftus Road.
Championship Round 9. Bayswater Chinese vs. Queens Park Rangers.
Saturday afternoon. Prime time for football.
This season, with Bayswater Chinese renting QPR's stadium, and both clubs based just a stone's throw from each other, the build-up to this match was intense.
Sky Sports locked in nationwide coverage well in advance.
Fans showed up in force—18,360 in total.
A sellout crowd!
A historic record for Bayswater Chinese.
Granted, many in the stands were QPR fans—but still, the turnout was unprecedented.
QPR took this game very seriously too.
Their Italian owner, Gianni Paladini, wasn't stupid. People around him had been urging caution.
Seeing the packed stadium made him more and more uncomfortable.
After a rough start to life in League One, QPR's highest home attendance so far had barely broken 14,000.
Now the stadium was finally full—only the profits were going to Bayswater Chinese.
He was fuming.
"Damn it, we can't let them take all the glory!"
Paladini stewed in his frustration.
"Go to the dressing room and tell Holloway and the players—they are not allowed to lose tonight!"
His assistant nodded and left immediately.
Paladini still felt a gnawing irritation in his gut and muttered curses under his breath.
…
"This match means a lot to us."
Inside the home dressing room, Yang Cheng didn't act like a guest using someone else's stadium.
Quite the opposite—he was fanning the flames, rallying his players.
"We all know we're renting QPR's ground."
"But tonight, I want you to show those 18,000 fans out there—who really runs this place!"
"I want you to play so well that every single person in this stadium walks out thinking, 'This is Bayswater Chinese's home!'"
"I want you to completely win them over!"
The players were fired up.
"Lass."
Yang Cheng pointed at Lass Diarra.
The Frenchman straightened up, meeting his coach's gaze.
"You're replacing Martin Rowlands' position today. He was our core midfielder last season. Now he's wearing QPR's number 14 shirt—and he's your direct opponent."
"He's good. That's why QPR paid £3 million for him."
"But I want you to prove, with this match, that you're better!"
Diarra was already too fired up to sit still. He jumped up.
"Don't worry, boss!"
"Luka, Tom."
Yang Cheng pointed to Modrić and Huddlestone.
Rowlands had quickly become QPR's midfield engine, running their organization and attack.
Yang Cheng's plan: use Diarra to neutralize Rowlands and break QPR's rhythm.
"Your job is to help us own the midfield and put on a show that everyone will remember!"
"Understood!" Modrić and Huddlestone answered in unison.
…
"Referee Coulson blows the whistle—kickoff!"
"QPR get the first touch."
"But Bayswater Chinese come out aggressively from the start!"
"Martin Rowlands picks up the ball…"
"Whistle!"
"Foul!"
"Lass Diarra trips Rowlands during a challenge—free kick to QPR."
"You can already see, both teams are fired up tonight."
"And no surprise—this match is more than just another Championship game."
From the first whistle, both teams played with intensity.
Neither wanted to lose such a high-profile derby on home turf.
The tempo was electric, the duels physical.
QPR, in particular, were desperate.
They knew they couldn't match Bayswater Chinese in technical build-up or passing, so they ran hard, used physicality, and fouled frequently to disrupt their rhythm.
Referee Coulson's soft officiating encouraged that approach.
And in the early stages, it worked.
Yang Cheng stood calmly on the sidelines—not panicking, just urging composure.
"Be patient, OK?"
"Lass, drop a little. Keep the shape."
"Yes, yes, press steadily—don't rush."
"Kevin, push higher. Support Aaron!"
Xia Qing sat behind the dugout, watching Yang Cheng pace and bark instructions nonstop.
She didn't know football, but she got a feeling.
The pitch was like a chessboard.
The players—pieces: rooks, knights, cannons.
The coach—the player behind the scenes, pulling the strings.
Yang Cheng's strategy was clear from the outset: aggressive pressure.
It was like a full-scale assault—forcing mistakes.
QPR had no real answer.
Especially Martin Rowlands.
Once Diarra locked him down, QPR's No.14 could barely get a touch.
The relentless French midfielder chased everything, pressed every pass, contested every ball.
Then, in the 16th minute, QPR's defensive structure finally cracked.
Diarra intercepted a pass meant for Rowlands and handed it off to Modrić.
Modrić had his back to goal and a defender tight on him, so he quickly laid the ball off to Huddlestone.
Huddlestone received it in space, used the outside of his right foot to control it sideways, glanced up, and without waiting for the pressure, curled a pass diagonally to the right.
Aaron Lennon sprinted to meet it, eyes on the ball the entire way.
At the edge of the box, he controlled it on his chest.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Kevin Foley arriving late.
Foley was talented but cautious—too cautious.
Yang Cheng had yelled at him earlier to push higher, but Foley had held back. Probably afraid he couldn't track back in time.
Lennon didn't overthink.
The defender was closing in—Argentina's Gino Padula, experienced and not easily fooled.
So Lennon calmly passed the ball backward, intentionally a bit soft, forcing Foley to step forward.
Then Lennon drifted inward, pointing wide.
Foley at first thought Lennon had mis-hit it, so he rushed forward to recover the ball—then saw the gesture.
Padula had followed Lennon inward, leaving the flank open.
Foley instantly understood and fired a straight ball down the line toward the byline.
Lennon barely had to break stride.
He feinted, then burst diagonally into the right side of the penalty area.
He caught up with the ball just before it crossed the end line.
One touch. Quick glance. Cross.
Padula, a bit slower and completely wrong-footed, couldn't recover in time.
The ball flew toward the near edge of the six-yard box.
QPR's two center-backs—6'3" Georges Santos and 5'11" Matthew Rose—were already in position, one on each side of Dave Kitson.
But Kitson, relying on his incredible physicality, muscled between them, jumped high at the edge of the six-yard box, and slammed a lion-like header toward goal.
The ball smashed off Kitson's head and swerved past goalkeeper Chris Day into the net.
"GOAL!!!"
"Bayswater Chinese strike first in the 16th minute!"
"Dave Kitson with a thumping header!"
"1–0!"
"That's Kitson's fourth goal of the season in the Championship!"
"And he opens the scoring for Bayswater Chinese!"
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