Chapter 690 - 129: A Flying Start! Super Scorer! Arsenal’s Number One Tough Guy! Wenger: "Wang Shuo, You’re Just Too Good!

On the 23rd, the team traveled to Germany for an away match against Cologne. A brace from Hazard in the first half secured the First Move for the team.

After mass substitutions in the second half, the young right-back Jenkinson made an error, leading to a conceded goal.

They ultimately won 2-1.

This time, no one in the locker room blamed Jenkinson. In fact, many even came forward to comfort him.

Wenger was quite moved and impressed by the sight.

In four pre-season matches, resulting in three wins and one draw, Wenger used two different lineups for the first and second halves.

However, the team’s overall performance was steadily improving.

It was worth noting that the "Tough Guy Award" was also given out after every match on game days.

Wang Shuo had also announced that once the league season began, one player would be chosen after each match to be crowned "Arsenal’s Number One Tough Guy"!

What was so special about it?

In addition to the usual reward, the winner would receive a public commendation on Twitter!

After the match against Cologne, Hazard won the "Tough Guy Award" for the first time. His win was immediately posted online, and Wang Shuo and other teammates all retweeted the "Tough Guy Award" account’s post, garnering considerable attention.

The young Belgian gained hundreds of thousands of followers overnight, his total count multiplying several times over.

In the days that followed, Hazard’s enthusiasm in training surged, a change visible to the naked eye.

...

"To be honest, I really didn’t expect Wang Shuo to be so skilled at man-management," Pat Rice said, clearly surprised.

A player who isn’t even twenty-one... On any other team, he’d just be considered one of the young lads.

Wenger had been worried he’d be in over his head, so he had asked Primorac to keep an eye on him and offer support.

But now, it was clear that wasn’t necessary at all.

"I get the feeling Wang Shuo is more popular in the locker room now than I am," Primorac said with a hint of ’dejection’.

For the past several years, whenever anyone mentioned Arsenal’s assistant manager, the name that came to mind was Pat Rice.

Also known to many Gunners fans as "Uncle Rice."

But Primorac was the one who had been with Wenger the longest; the two had started working together when Wenger was coaching in Nagoya, Japan.

So why did Primorac have such a low profile?

Because during matches, he didn’t sit in the dugout on the sidelines. He sat in the stands.

This was part of his working arrangement with Wenger.

He would sit up high, observing the match from a different vantage point, and provide all sorts of intelligence and information to Wenger down on the touchline.

Beyond that, for the past few years, Arsenal’s locker room had been a mess, but Primorac was the indispensable stabilizing force.

And why was that?

Because he was fluent in nine languages!

Over the past few years, with Arsenal acting as a multinational squad full of players from various countries, Primorac had been an essential part of the staff. He was constantly communicating with the players, gathering all the information Wenger wanted to know.

And most importantly, he knew almost everything there was to know about football.

"Isn’t that perfect, Boro?" Wenger laughed heartily. "From now on, you can focus on being our walking football encyclopedia. As for the locker room, we’ll let Wang Shuo take full responsibility."

Primorac and Pat Rice laughed along with him.

But they were also deeply impressed.

Wang Shuo was doing an incredible job, far exceeding any of their expectations.

"What’s most convincing is how he leads by example."

"If he hadn’t voluntarily withdrawn himself from consideration for the ’Tough Guy Award,’ I doubt anyone else would even get a sniff of it," Pat Rice mused.

Transfer fees and market values are just numbers.

But the hard work on the pitch and the skill a player demonstrates—that’s what’s tangible.

"There’s more. He’s recently started holding extra training sessions with a few of the young players after the main practice."

"Extra training?" Wenger was unaware of this.

Primorac nodded. "I heard it from De Bruyne. After the match against Cologne, Wang Shuo went to him and said he wasn’t quite used to his Passing yet, and asked if he could stay behind to help him practice."

Wenger and Pat Rice exchanged a look, both of them wanting to give Wang Shuo a silent thumbs-up.

’This wasn’t about asking De Bruyne to help him practice, was it?’

’That Wang Shuo... his emotional intelligence is really something else!’

"At first, it was just De Bruyne who agreed to stay and help. Then, Paul Pogba, Hazard, and others started staying behind voluntarily too."

"Even Wilshere started staying."

"Wilshere? Wasn’t he just punished severely?"

"Yes, but this time Wang Shuo didn’t fine him. His punishment was to stay behind and be a training partner for a month."

A few days ago, Wilshere had been photographed smoking by the media. Word got to Wenger, and the story was suppressed.

But after hearing about it from Wenger, Wang Shuo took the photos straight to Wilshere and punished him severely.

Wenger and Pat Rice thought the move was brilliant.

"And Wilshere listened to him? He didn’t make a fuss?"

"I don’t think he dared to," Primorac said with a wry smile.

"The little rascal didn’t come running to me, either," Wenger added, sounding surprised himself.

Everyone knew Wenger had a soft spot for Wilshere and always looked out for him, and Wilshere, in turn, would run to Wenger whenever he got into trouble.

But this time, he hadn’t done that. Instead, he’d willingly accepted the punishment. ’Interesting!’

"I think it’s pretty normal, actually," said Pat Rice. "Considering Wang Shuo’s current status in world football? He’s personally staying behind to train with them. How many young players would dream of an opportunity like that?" As a former player himself, Pat Rice understood that mentality perfectly.

Wenger and Primorac both nodded in agreement.

It seemed that Wang Shuo had truly gotten the locker room in order.

The rules were in place. Now, as long as they continued to develop steadily, the team’s cohesion was bound to grow.

And to build a squad with an iron will, they would have to rely on matches—on fighting tough battles.

One grueling battle after another!

"Oh, right, Will Saunders told me something."