Previously, some had poured cold water, saying Nottingham Forest had merely acquired Cao Baming and would be nowhere near challenging the top giants of the Premier League within a season.
But looking back now, that statement was impossible to stand by. For even though only two games had passed, everyone at Nottingham Forest had proven them wrong with the results.
Even the club's higher-ups were beginning to reflect: were their goals set too conservatively? This was utterly insane. At this rate, it was a 4-15-1 record, sometimes even a 10-1. This was stronger than Arsenal last season!
Satisfied with just breaking into the ranks of strong teams? That wouldn't do anymore.
They wanted the Premier League championship, even the Champions League title!
In just two games, the club's top brass had undergone such a drastic shift in perspective. They were gradually facing reality. With Cao Baming, their imagination had to be stretched to its limits; perhaps imagination was the only thing hindering their progress.
The match wasn't over yet. During the final moments, the Nottingham Forest management team stopped paying attention to the game. Even Cooper himself wasn't on the sidelines shouting anymore.
They trusted the players. Whatever the outcome, it couldn't get much worse. Could the opponents possibly stage a desperate comeback in the last few minutes? It was impossible.
Look at the Leicester City players on the field; they were completely demoralized. Their expressions and stiff body movements said it all.
Cooper joined the hushed discussions among the higher-ups, debating the club's true standing.
The fans at the stadium were now showing far more support for Nottingham Forest than for anyone else.
In the fans' eyes, Nottingham Forest, led by Cao Baming, no longer needed to be doubted as a top-tier Premier League team. They were now the strongest, far surpassing Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and other established powerhouses.
Unknowingly, as they continued to discuss this matter, a loud whistle echoed from the field.
Cooper instinctively turned his head towards the pitch, expecting another foul. Instead, he saw both teams kicking the ball out of bounds and walking towards the sidelines.
The entire match had ended.
The final whistle blew. The Leicester City players were relieved it was finally over. The score didn't matter anymore. They accepted defeat, realizing they were simply outmatched.
The score remained unchanged in the final minutes, ending at 5-1.
Seizing the opportunity, the fans began to create a stir online.
Nottingham Forest was now the strongest in the Premier League! All other strong teams were irrelevant; they would inevitably fall to Nottingham Forest!
One man, leading such a seemingly weak team to the pinnacle of the football world. Fans were eagerly anticipating his coronation.
They recalled how Maradona led Napoli to dominate Serie A and win the league championship. Initially, no one believed it. But when he achieved it, the world went wild!
Now, Cao Baming's mission was to lead Nottingham Forest into the top tier of the Premier League, fight to the end, and win the championship. This was no less difficult than Maradona's feat back then!
The fans were now engaged in heated discussions about this.
The Premier League's intensity was definitely stronger than Serie A, and not by a small margin, but by a significant one!
Furthermore, Nottingham Forest wasn't even a mid-tier team in the Premier League; they were nearly relegated to the Championship last season. And the current football landscape was vastly different from that era.
The overall strength of football had greatly improved. Just look at Messi. The Maradona of that time likely didn't possess such skill.
Now, the real question was: who else! Who else could stand in the way of Nottingham Forest's path to godhood?
Chelsea? Leicester City? Impossible, they had been thoroughly thrashed. They had failed and couldn't be relied upon.
For future matches, no one believed teams like Aston Villa, RB Leipzig, Bournemouth, West Ham United, Crystal Palace, or Brighton could challenge such a formidable Nottingham Forest.
At critical moments, they still had to look to super giants like Manchester City, Liverpool, and Manchester United!
Especially Cao Baming's detractors, who found it difficult to find anything to criticize. But nothing made them happier than a defeat!
Their greatest wish now was to see Cao Baming fail, and at this point, they could only place their hopes on the traditional strong teams of the Premier League!
Chelsea was out! But there were other strong teams! This was the Premier League, not Ligue 1.
At Manchester City, Max gritted his teeth. Seeing Cao Baming's team win felt worse than losing himself!
Fortunately, Manchester City hadn't performed too poorly in the new season. He knew the only important match this season was against Nottingham Forest.
He would prepare to face them with 640% of his usual form. All other matches were about conserving strength for that crucial battle.
Premier League rankings, points, and goal data were no longer important. What Max truly desired was to completely defeat Cao Baming in a head-to-head encounter!
Only then could the lingering resentment in his heart be appeased.
However, Manchester City's current lineup didn't offer him a starting position. Haaland had recovered from injury. Unless both of them played simultaneously, given their current economic status, Max might struggle to get playing time this season.
As the stadium's crowd began to disperse, Cao Baming found Lina.
At this moment, a notification suddenly popped up before his eyes, accompanied by the system's voice.
"Affection Index: 50."
Cao Baming's eyes lit up. In just forty minutes, what had he done to gain so much?
When Lina voluntarily invited him to dinner, no further messages appeared.