With Vardy's goal, Leicester City had almost secured the victory.
Although there were still a few minutes left in the game, Middlesbrough had no desire to attack.
So Pearson immediately replaced Wang Chu, Vardy, and Drinkwater.
Of course, this wasn't because Wang Chu and the others played poorly. Instead, their performance showed that these three would become the core of the team in the upcoming season.
Since Middlesbrough lacked offensive desire, it was better to take them off early to conserve their energy and prevent injuries.
Remember, there are 24 teams in the Championship, and with two rounds of matches, Leicester City needs to fight through 46 rounds of league competition.
With such intense competition, neglecting player health could easily lead to an injury epidemic.
Additionally, they also need to participate in the FA Cup, League Cup, and other cup competitions, so it's crucial to ensure the main players are well-rested.
That's why they were substituted early.
The game continued after Wang Chu was substituted.
Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened in the remaining time.
Neither side had good opportunities or attacking desires, and the final score remained 2-3.
Leicester City achieved victory in their first league game of the season!
This result was hard-earned, and the journey was full of twists and turns, but Leicester City deserved this victory.
Throughout the game, both teams fought hard, showcasing a strong desire to win.
As the final whistle blew, Leicester City's coach Pearson finally smiled.
Leicester City won!!
They had a great start to the season!
This victory was a shot of confidence for Leicester City, the team, and the fans. After all, Leicester City's goal for this season was promotion, and a winning start to the league was undoubtedly a good beginning.
Time flew by.
On August 6th, Leicester City immediately faced their second match of the season!
However, this time, they were not facing a challenge in the Championship but a test in the English League Cup.
Although the League Cup's status and influence in English football are relatively low, it shouldn't be underestimated.
The League Cup's position is quite awkward. Its status in England is entirely overshadowed by the mainstream leagues like the Premier League and Championship.
In terms of influence, it's completely overshadowed by the FA Cup.
For many Premier League teams, they prioritize preparing for the main leagues and the two major European tournaments.
The League Cup is often used as a training ground for young players in Premier League teams, often fielding youth players and not taking it very seriously.
However, in recent years, due to the intense competition in the Premier League, some lower-ranked teams have started taking the League Cup seriously to boost morale.
Let alone a Championship team like Leicester City, the significance of the League Cup is self-evident for them.
They hope to advance further in the cup competition to bring additional revenue to the team.
They also hope to shine in such a large-scale cup competition.
However! Leicester City's primary mission this year is to achieve promotion.
Therefore, Pearson deployed a majority of rotation players in this match, aiming to give the main players a much-needed rest at minimal cost.
For him, this season's goal is not to dominate or even chase a title in an unobserved cup competition.
The real goal is to achieve the feat of promotion.
Therefore, Pearson doesn't prioritize this type of cup competition.
So, whether it's Wang Chu, Vardy, Wood, or any of the other main players, they were all sitting on the bench.
For the forward position, Pearson deployed last season's starting striker duo, Nugent and Konoplyanka.
These two players ranked first and second in the team's scoring charts last season.
However, with the rise of Vardy and Wood this season, Nugent and Konoplyanka have been firmly relegated to the bench.
Therefore, their desire to score was very strong. They wanted to show Pearson their ability.
This was also the reason Pearson played them, because as last season's top scorers, if they could regain their form, Pearson would be pleased.
In the first round of the League Cup, Leicester City faced Wycombe Wanderers, a team from League Two.
For Leicester City, an easy victory seemed inevitable.
Both Pearson and the Leicester City players on the field thought so.
However, the game's progress was much tougher than Pearson anticipated.
Soon, Wycombe Wanderers, through an insignificant counterattack, scored a long-range shot, taking the lead 1-0!
The away fans erupted in cheers, and the atmosphere at the King Power Stadium instantly turned red.
On the sidelines, Pearson saw this and frowned. Leicester City was incredibly unlucky this season, conceding goals from long-range shots more than once.
Despite falling behind early, Leicester City didn't give up.
Andy King took possession in midfield and brought the ball to the edge of the penalty area.
He suddenly unleashed a powerful shot, a 32-meter curling volley that went straight into the corner of the goal. The Wycombe Wanderers goalkeeper, even though he stretched his body to the limit, could only watch helplessly as the ball went past his fingertips. Leicester City equalized the score.
For a moment, tension filled the stadium.
Leicester City then launched wave after wave of attacks.
In the 85th minute, striker Nugent scored a crucial counterattacking goal, making it 2-1! Leicester City finally took the lead.
The fans in the stands roared with excitement, and Shakespeare's tight nerves finally relaxed.
However, striker Konoplyanka's performance was terrible.
He wasted so many chances, you couldn't even count them on one hand.
If Pearson wasn't worried about affecting Konoplyanka's mentality, he would have been substituted long ago.
Just now, Konoplyanka missed another goal-scoring opportunity with a clear chance.
The coaching staff on the sidelines couldn't help but sigh.
Wang Chu and Vardy, sitting on the bench, both frowned.
For last season's second-highest scorer, such performance was simply incomprehensible.
Was it a technical issue, or a mental issue?
Vardy, sitting next to me, whispered, "Chu, I'm starting to believe in fate."
I looked at him with confusion, "Why?"
Vardy took a deep breath, "Since Konoplyanka's last shot that season, he's completely exhausted his luck."
Wang Chu recalled that season. After joining Leicester City, he also reviewed all of Leicester City's matches from the previous season.
Countless fans repeatedly mentioned that match, which was dubbed the "Watford Miracle."
Back then, Leicester City was leading 2-2 in the Championship Playoff Semi-final. They only needed to score a penalty in the dying moments of stoppage time to advance.
However!
Leicester City missed that crucial penalty.
After the missed penalty, Watford players quickly cleared the ball with a long pass.
After a series of passes, Watford player Deeney scored the decisive goal.
Leicester City instantly went from heaven to hell.
Vardy shook his head heavily, unwilling to mention that shameful moment again.
That match, or rather that missed penalty, was undoubtedly a shadow that couldn't be erased from Leicester City's promotion journey last season.
In that crucial match, forward Konoplyanka stood at the crucial moment that determined the team's fate, but ultimately he missed that penalty.
This match, which was supposed to be a simple victory, ultimately became incredibly difficult for Leicester City.
The 2-1 scoreline simply didn't match the difference in strength between the two teams, it was almost unbelievable.
After that match, Konoplyanka, the player who wasted countless opportunities, faced severe criticism from the media. Countless people questioned whether he was still worthy of a place in Leicester City's squad.
"He cost Leicester City a powerful attacking weapon!" The media exclaimed.
Pearson, on the other hand, was entrusted with great expectations. People hoped he could seize the opportunity before the summer transfer window closed and bring more goals to Leicester City.
People recalled last season, it was because of Konoplyanka's missed crucial penalty that Leicester City missed out on promotion to the Premier League.
Therefore, he was seen as the "sinner" of Leicester City, becoming a target for criticism.
However, all of this was irrelevant to Lin Dong. After watching Wang Chu's first game in the Championship, Lin Dong had already bought a ticket and returned to China.
Now, he had arrived in Tai'an City, Shandong.
Because this is where Lin Dong wanted to sign his second player.