In the seventy-ninth minute, Klopp made his substitutions.
"Klopp is making changes on the sideline. Henderson comes on for Fabinho."
"Solanke replaces Firmino, and Shaqiri comes on for Mané."
Klopp made three changes at once, using up all his substitutions.
On the pitch, Leo Lin casually turned his head and noticed Rodri warming up on the sideline.
Rodri had been warming up for a long time, but Klopp's substitutions meant he would not get any playing time in this match either.
Leo Lin looked at Rodri, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
The match continued, but Tottenham still could not produce any effective attacking play against Liverpool.
After Henderson came on, he clearly felt the pressure of competition, so he ran harder and defended even better. That was exactly what healthy competition was supposed to bring.
Kane was the most uncomfortable player in Tottenham's lineup. He was Liverpool's main defensive target.
Henderson and Van Dijk pressed Kane from the front and back, giving him no space in front of him or behind him. Van Dijk also dealt brilliantly with every aerial ball.
With Eriksen and Kane, Tottenham's two key attacking hubs, both restricted, Son Heung-min was left on his own. Apart from occasionally creating chances through individual dribbles, he struggled to produce a truly clear scoring opportunity.
In the middle, whether it was Lamela or Dembélé, either one found it extremely difficult to push forward when faced with the strong and hard-nosed Leo Lin.
In the end, the final few minutes ticked away.
"The Premier League's fifth-round highlight match ends with Liverpool beating Tottenham 2-0."
"Mané and Leo Lin each scored, while Firmino provided an assist."
"Salah failed to score in this match, but his movement and ability to pull defenders away were still crucial. The only pity is that he couldn't complete a run of scoring in five straight Premier League matches."
"After five Premier League rounds, Liverpool remain top of the table. Behind them, Manchester City have also won all five matches."
"Tottenham remain third with four wins and one loss. Arsenal picked up a draw in the fifth round and now sit firmly in fourth with three wins, two draws, and eleven points."
"Manchester United suffered a shock result in the fifth round, losing 1-0 to Brighton through a late winner. They have now slipped to sixth in the table, while Chelsea have risen to fifth."
"Liverpool's start this season has been incredibly strong. Clearly, their goal is to defend the Premier League title."
"After five league matches, Leo Lin has scored five goals and is currently third in the Premier League scoring chart, behind Salah and Agüero."
"He also has three assists, placing him second in the Premier League assist rankings behind De Bruyne."
"If we combine goals and assists, Leo Lin is currently the player who has created the most goals after five Premier League rounds. No one else comes close."
Scholes was full of praise for Leo Lin.
Klopp led the players back to the dressing room.
After praising the players for their performance, Klopp gave everyone a day off. Then Firmino, the Man of the Match, accompanied the head coach to the post-match press conference.
The reporters all praised Firmino's performance, and Klopp clearly liked this Brazilian striker very much.
... After leaving the dressing room, Leo Lin got into Barnett's car. Delores was in the front passenger seat, and Maria was in the back.
They had agreed to go out for dinner together. After a pleasant meal, Barnett's car drove past Liverpool FC. Through the rear window, Leo Lin looked toward the training ground protected by the fence.
High walls completely enclosed the training ground to prevent outsiders from spying on the team's tactics. Yet above the wall, the fence faintly reflected a little light.
It was already ten o'clock at night.
Had the groundskeeper forgotten to turn off the lights?
Thinking this, Leo Lin patted Barnett and asked him to pull over by the roadside. After entering through the club's back gate, he walked straight toward the Paisley Training Ground.
Gradually, the sound of someone kicking a ball reached him.
It was not that the groundskeeper had forgotten to turn off the lights. Someone was actually doing extra training on the pitch.
The first thing Leo Lin thought of was the team's substitute players. The starters had just played a match, so they would never be allowed to continue training. That would only damage their bodies.
Only players who had not appeared would be permitted to stay at the club for extra training.
Leo Lin gently pushed open the training ground gate and stepped onto the grass. Then he saw that familiar figure.
Rodri.
Rodri was training with total focus. Long shots, positioning, and defensive protection in midfield. He kept adjusting his Defensive Positioning, searching for the right defensive feel.
It was a classic single Defensive Midfielder training routine.
On the huge training pitch, Rodri was the only one there.
Leo Lin stood where he was and watched for a while without interrupting him.
Ten minutes later, Rodri stopped training and walked toward the goal. He picked up a water bottle, preparing to replenish some energy. When he casually turned his head, he finally noticed Leo Lin standing behind him.
"Rodri, that was good work," Leo Lin said as he walked over.
Rodri handed the water in his hand to Leo Lin, but Leo Lin shook his head to show he did not need it.
"It's been a long time since I played in a match. I want to train more and keep my form."
"And tomorrow happens to be a rest day, so doing extra work tonight won't affect my condition tomorrow."
Rodri tried to phrase it as mildly as possible.
Of course, Leo Lin understood why he was training alone, and why he had chosen this exact moment.
Tomorrow was a rest day, so he could have trained then too. But the restlessness and unease inside Rodri meant he could not hold back the urge to run on the pitch right now.
Leo Lin simply did not know what to say, because at this moment, anything he said would have seemed unnecessary, or even too deliberate.
"I'm not going to comfort you or try to encourage you, because I know you have that ability," Leo Lin said.
"You don't need my encouragement. You're strong enough, and I know you won't give up."
"So I'll be waiting for you to get more playing time. Just like I told you before, I know you can do it."
Rodri smiled.
In truth, he had been afraid Leo Lin would say something gentle and encouraging, or try to motivate him indirectly. He knew he did not need that.
Those words did not suit him right now. Instead, they would only wound his pride.
But Leo Lin had not said any of that. He had simply shown him respect.
Rodri continued to sweat through his training. As if venting his frustration, he unleashed another explosive shot from the top of the arc. Then he let out a breath, turned to Leo Lin, and said:
"I'll be ready."
"Lin."
"What I mean is, whether it's you, Henderson, Wijnaldum, or anyone else, all of you had better be ready."
"Because I'll be ready."
"I'll always be ready."
"As long as I get my chance, even just once."
"I will prove to Klopp that I have the ability to earn more playing time at Liverpool. I will never sink because of this."
Leo Lin smiled happily. This was the Rodri he wanted to see.
It did not matter whether Rodri saw him as an idol, a good friend, or a teammate. The most important thing was that Rodri never treated him as someone who could not be shaken.
Leo Lin himself would never treat anyone as an opponent who could not be shaken either.
Constant training, hard work, and climbing upward. That was the key to continued improvement.
The moment you think you have already done your best, you have closed the door on your own growth.
No one ever reaches the absolute best, because a better version of yourself is always waiting in the next stage.
Leo Lin smiled, turned, and left, answering Rodri as he went.
"I'll be ready too."
"Always."
...
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