Football Dynasty-Chapter 195: Paul Lake Says Goodbye to Football

🎵 "When we get the ball, we’re gonna score, we’re gonna win, we’re gonna roar!" 🎶

🎵 "City, City, City’s on fire, we’re gonna burn the place down!" 🎶

After the celebration, Trezeguet wheeled away, pumping his fists triumphantly—his first league goal for Manchester City.

The roar of the home crowd surged through the stadium, fueling the players’ adrenaline.

Brentford’s defenders exchanged frustrated glances. They had been completely fooled by the set-piece routine.

For the next 20 minutes, as the clock ticked relentlessly toward full time, City launched wave after wave of attacks. Their intensity was relentless, leaving Brentford scrambling to keep up.

Desperate to respond, Brentford pushed their midfield forward, trying to reclaim some momentum. But every push forward only played into O’Neill’s hands, allowing City to exploit gaps and launch counterattacks with devastating effect.

At the 72nd minute, City sensed their opportunity and struck again.

Zambrotta, reading the game perfectly, won back possession in midfield and quickly slipped the ball to Larsson.

Larsson, undisputedly second only to Ronaldo in O’Neill’s tactical plans, slipped a precise pass to Shevchenko on the right wing.

Shevchenko exploded into action, driving forward at full speed.

A Brentford defender lunged to close him down, but he was too slow.

With a razor-sharp turn, Shevchenko cut inside, leaving the defender stumbling and off-balance. Another defender rushed in—but Shevchenko’s strength and balance saw him glide past effortlessly.

Now just outside the penalty area, he took a deft touch to set himself, eyes locked on the far post. He curled a stunning left-footed shot that arced gracefully through the air.

Shevchenko is very reliable for the current City team, especially when Ronaldo is not playing. His ability to use both feet effectively is a key aspect of his game, allowing him to play in different positions and execute a variety of shots. In fact, Shevchenko’s versatility to play on either wing as well as a center-forward further highlights his two-footedness.

The Brentford goalkeeper dived full stretch—desperation etched across his face.

But it was too late.

GOAL!

Manchester City 2–0 Brentford F.C.

The stadium erupted into a frenzy of cheers, chants, and jubilation.

Shevchenko pointed skyward, a wide grin breaking across his face as his teammates swarmed him in celebration.

Meanwhile, Brentford’s players stood frozen in disbelief. Their body language told the entire story—defenders with heads bowed, midfielders exchanging worried, confused glances.

In just two brutal minutes, Brentford had been shattered, conceding two swift and crushing goals.

The game was slipping away.

The players glanced toward the bench, but seeing their head coach Phil Holder sitting silently without issuing any instructions crushed their morale.

The next three minutes, leading up to the 75th minute, became an unrelenting nightmare for Brentford.

In the 73rd minute, Larsson once again found Shevchenko on the right wing. Without hesitation, Shevchenko whipped in a dangerous cross, only for it to be deflected out for a corner.

74th minute, a minute later, Lennon and Larsson combined with lightning-quick passes, slicing through Brentford’s midfield. Lennon then slipped the ball to Cafu, who was completely unmarked. Cafu delivered a precise cross toward Trezeguet, but the Brentford defense managed to block his header at the last second.

And then came the 75th minute — Neil Lennon’s sharp cross found Larsson rising powerfully above the defenders. His towering header screamed toward goal, shaking the net and sealing the relentless City assault.

The stadium erupted once again into a thunderous roar as Larsson’s header crashed into the back of the net.

The players on the bench pumped their fists in celebration, while Brentford’s defenders sank to the ground in disbelief, heads in their hands.

"Larsson rises like a giant in the box! What a perfectly timed cross from Lennon, and an even better finish from the Swedish striker! That header was unstoppable—City are absolutely dominating now. Brentford look shell-shocked as City turn up the pressure even more. This is ruthless football from O’Neill’s men!"

For the rest of the match, there was practically nothing of significance as it became clear that City would win comfortably. They dominated possession with over 70% control compared to Brentford.

The visitors retreated deep, resigned to their fate, while City maintained steady pressure, expertly managing the tempo to secure the victory.

O’Neill clapped his hands, satisfied with the result.

For him, this was a very positive outcome—not only because it kept City at the top, but also because it put pressure on the undisciplined Ronaldo, proving that even without him, City could win comfortably.

Full time: Manchester City 3 – 0 Brentford F.C.

After the match, unlike the jubilant expressions of the City players who had just extended their winning streak, their faces were solemn.

News had just broken internally: Paul Lake had announced his retirement.

Not even the renowned medical centre at Lilleshall Hall—the revered training ground for England’s brightest young talents—could save Paul Lake’s career.

He ruptured his ligaments during Mel Machin’s management and then re-ruptured them during Alan Ball’s tenure, as the initial operation had not worked as expected.

As a result, he had to undergo knee surgery a second time within the span of three years. By the time his playing days were over, it was said that Lake had spent more time at the medical centre than any other footballer in the club’s history.

Paul Lake’s early career had been full of promise. He had shone for Manchester City’s youth team, winning the FA Youth Cup in 1986 and playing a key role in helping the club earn promotion from the Second Division.

But the cruel blow came in the match against Sunderland, when a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament began a long battle with injury and rehabilitation that would eventually force him to retire. (Chapter 97)

Finally, the verdict came—21 years old Paul lake announced his retirement in January 1996.

The City players and coaching staff chose not to leave early. Instead, they gathered at Wythenshawe Hospital to be by Lake’s side.

Usually bursting with energy and fierce determination, Lake now sat quietly, tears brimming in his eyes.

The cruel finality of his career ending so suddenly weighed heavily on him. One by one, teammates stepped forward, offering quiet words of comfort and deep respect.

O’Neill gently wrapped an arm around Lake’s shoulders, pulling him close. "You fought with everything you had, Paul. This club owes you so much," he said softly.

Overcome with emotion, Lake rested his head against O’Neill’s chest. "It’s so hard to say goodbye," he whispered, his voice breaking.

The room fell into a profound silence, the shared grief marking the close of a Chapter—not just for Paul, but for everyone connected to the club.

Though the team had just secured a hard-fought victory, this farewell was a poignant reminder of the fragile nature of the beautiful game they all loved.

Despite Richard’s kind offer, relayed through Miss Heysen, to keep Lake on as a coach, Paul had made his decision.

Inspired by the encouragement of David Fevre, he would pursue a physiotherapy license instead—a new path born from resilience and hope, leaving Richard quietly speechless.

After a tough moment, Richard gave Miss Heysen a series of instructions on how to handle Paul Lake’s retirement.

Despite his career effectively ending at the age of 21 he was later inducted into the Manchester City Hall of Fame, and was seen as a player who would have been a key first team player for many years had it not been for his injury problems.

This decision wasn’t made to win favor with the City players or to reassure them that any injury would lead to an immediate place in the hall of fame—it was about something much deeper.

Paul Lake had been close to Richard since his early days as a youth coach at Manchester City. Moreover, it was thanks to Lake that, during Peter Swales’ reign, Richard was able to strike a blow when Swales had refused to pay for Lake’s injury treatment in the United States.

In Brescia, Italy, Richard took a deep breath as he heard the news of Paul Lake’s retirement.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Suddenly, there was a knock at his hotel door.

Richard opened it to find Marina Granovskaia standing there.

"We have an update regarding the Solskjær deal," she said.

Hearing this, Richard’s eyes lit up. He gestured for her to come inside, eager to hear the news before the "Iron Lady" briefed him.

Marina continued, her voice calm but measured, "Manchester United has officially made an offer—£4 million for Solskjær."

£4 million for Solskjær!

Richard leaned back, silent for a moment, lost in thought. The offer was tempting, to be honest. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "Let’s put those talks on hold for now. We have a more urgent situation here."

Marina nodded. She already knew what he meant.

"Is there any news regarding Pirlo?"

"Yes," she replied. "We’ve received a response. He’s willing to meet."

A flicker of purpose returned to Richard’s eyes. He exhaled slowly, processing the shift in momentum. "That’s good," he murmured, rising from his seat and straightening his jacket.

"Let’s go to Stadio Mario Rigamonti."

Without another word, they grabbed their coats and headed out. The brisk Italian air greeted them as they stepped into the evening.

Rather than focusing on Solskjær, Richard’s attention was now fixed on another rising star—Andrea Pirlo.

The boy who could define a generation.