Qin Xiong enjoyed his dinner on the day of his debut in a restaurant outside Anfield Stadium.
The Echo's ace reporter, Tony Barrett, had dinner with him.
Tony Barrett placed the recording pen on the dining table, and his interview began as dinner was going on.
There would be a lot of Liverpool fans there. They would take the initiative to come up and greet Qin Xiong and politely ask if they could get Qin Xiong's autograph and take a photo with him.
Qin Xiong always politely agreed to the fans' requests. After the autograph and photo, the fans would enthusiastically cheer for him, hoping that he could achieve good results for Liverpool in the new season.
The restaurant owner timely came forward after Qin Xiong satisfied the 20th fan and told the other fans not to disturb Qin Xiong's meal.
If this continued endlessly, it wouldn't be important whether the restaurant could operate or not. After all, this was a free advertisement, and the boss would naturally be happy to see it. However, this would make Qin Xiong afraid of this restaurant, and he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to patronize it again.
Tony Barrett had been observing Qin Xiong. He saw Qin Xiong's approachability and the soft superstar aura he exuded.
Tony Barrett's interview began halfway through the dinner.
As Liverpool's largest local media outlet and the official newspaper of Liverpool and Everton, the Echo was not interested in why Qin Xiong left Real Madrid and why he rejected the other big clubs.
The matter was settled. They were more concerned about Qin Xiong's development after he joined Liverpool.
Tony Barrett did not make the interview very formal. It was more like a chat between two friends.
"From a historical perspective, Liverpool is still the most successful club in England, but in the last 20 years, they have been struggling to get close to Manchester United.
It is not surprising that the Manchester United fans are full of sarcasm and ridicule, while the Liverpool fans are deeply confused and unable to extricate themselves from the hatred.
Moreover, in the league, the conflicts between teams would always intensify when two strong teams clashed.
Do you understand what joining Liverpool means? "
Tony Barrett's question made Qin Xiong feel fresh.
He tentatively replied, "Help Liverpool win the first league title in the Premier League era?"
Tony Barrett smiled and said, "You could say that, but it's more like an official announcement.
Let's talk about Benítez first. What kind of manager do you think he is? "
Qin Xiong thought for a moment and said, "A manager with his own ideas and a firm stance. Oh, and he is a successful manager."
"But Liverpool haven't won any trophies for three years."
"But that doesn't negate Benítez's success in La Liga, Europe, and England. I think it's a little arbitrary if we only measure success with the Champions League trophy."
Tony Barrett looked at the powerful Qin Xiong and asked curiously, "So do you think Real Madrid was successful last season? Were you successful? "
Qin Xiong blurted out, "Of course not, that was the worst season in my career! You know, I've been a professional player for six seasons, and last season's results were the worst. I only got second place in the league. I won the league title in all the other seasons! "
Qin Xiong, who said these words, was full of confidence.
Because it was the truth.
In the first season, Ajax won the Treble.
In the second season, Arsenal won the Double.
In the third season, Arsenal still won the Double, but the FA Cup was changed to the Champions League!
In the fourth season, Real Madrid won the domestic Double.
In the fifth season, Real Madrid won six titles!
In the sixth season, there was no trophy, second place in the league!
His worst season, of course, was last season. The second place in the league was the lowest league ranking of the team he had played for in his career.
But after saying these words, Qin Xiong felt that he had fallen into a trap.
Tony Barrett smiled and then said solemnly, "Liverpool needs champions. The first and most important thing is naturally the league title. Suppress Manchester United to win the league title! The second is the Champions League, but Benítez seemed to have the order reversed.
After Manchester United's rule was ended by Arsenal in the new millennium, Ferguson spent four years to crack the code of the English league and overturn Arsenal's rule. During a similar period, Benítez had won the FA Cup and led his team to two Champions League finals, and won the UEFA Champions League in his first time.
Benítez might believe that his records should isolate him from everyone's criticism. If he thought so, it could only be said that he had ignored the thoughts of the masses. They were willing to exchange the glory of the European battlefield for the victory of the domestic league to surpass Manchester United.
That was how Liverpool's problems came about.
Just as Ferguson had vowed to 'bring Liverpool down,' Liverpool people had to have the same determination to recover the lost land that was taken away by Manchester United.
Nearly two decades of disappointment added more psychological trauma to Liverpool's fans.
During that time, the club's fans suffered symptoms similar to stress disorder: frustration, denial, renewed confidence, anger, disappointment, and confusion.
It was as if they lived in the shadow of Manchester United and breathed the air of Manchester United. Damn Manchester United!
The Jol effect also happened to Benítez.
The former Tottenham Hotspur manager Martin Jol had been criticized for his lack of success against the traditional top four teams.
Liverpool fans actually did not care much about the results of their team, Arsenal, and Chelsea. What they really cared about was the results against their arch-rival, Manchester United.
Benítez could not meet the fans' demands, so the guillotine was ready for him.
Since 1993, every trophy lifted by the Manchester United captain was like torture to Liverpool fans.
Every live televised goal by Manchester United and every celebration in the past was a disgrace to Liverpool fans, and even made them feel sick. At the same time, they became more and more disappointed with Liverpool.
Ferguson said that Newcastle United was the most difficult club to manage.
The impatience of the fans in the north-east region and a locker room filled with the smell of battle did give that impression.
However, if Anfield's desire for glory drowned out their sense of normalcy, Liverpool would soon rival Newcastle United.
Qin Xiong, do you really understand the significance of joining Liverpool?
As the club's most expensive and biggest star signing, are you prepared?
Do you know what you are really fighting for?
What do Liverpool fans need?
Do you understand? "
.....
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