As the final whistle blew, Gao Bo's bench and Luton's substitutes rushed onto the pitch in celebration.
Vardy, still full of excitement, had changed into a dry training shirt but immediately removed it, waving it wildly in his hand and revealing his hairy chest. Kante also sprinted over, and the two embraced tightly.
"Quarter-finals! Quarter-finals! Quarter-finals!"
The Luton players chanted in unison, their voices echoed by the jubilant cheers of their fans in the stands.
After shaking hands with Mark Hughes, Gao Bo joined in the celebration. He went around, clapping hands and hugging his coaching staff one by one.
Victory belonged to the entire team. Gao Bo understood that success wasn't solely his doing, he needed his assistants to share the workload, just as the team needed him to lead them to continued triumphs.
"Well done, boss!" John's eyes welled with tears. In his nearly 20 years with the team, this was the first time Luton had advanced so far in the FA Cup. Despite their relegation to the Second Division, this was Luton's strongest showing in over a decade.
John watched Gao Bo celebrate with the players, staring blankly at his back.
At just 27 or 28 years old, Gao Bo seemed barely older than the players. Yet his upright posture and confident smile radiated leadership qualities that naturally inspired trust and belief.
Standing next to John, the strength and conditioning coach Mel Donald seemed to understand his concern.
Despite all the media buzz surrounding Adam's possible move to Manchester City, both John and Mel knew that the key to Luton's continued rise was the young coach standing before them.
With Luton's performance improving game by game, could they hold onto their manager? Even if Luton achieved promotion every season, it would still take three years to reach the Premier League. What if a bigger club poached Gao Bo during that time?
Exchanging glances, John and Mel shared a mutual worry for Luton's future.
On the pitch, Gao Bo wrapped Kante in a hug, the Frenchman grinning brightly.
"Well done, kid! You locked down Robinho!" Gao Bo said, ruffling Kante's Head.
"You're the best defensive midfielder in the world, N'Golo," he added, patting Kante on the shoulder.
Kante blushed slightly from the compliment, though it was hard to tell under his darker complexion. Still, Gao Bo's words filled him with pride and growing confidence. After all, confidence was key for any player to thrive on the pitch.
After praising Kante, Gao Bo made his rounds, congratulating the rest of the team before joining the players in a lap around the stadium to thank the Luton fans who had supported them through the match.
"Luton is celebrating their victory, while Manchester City's players have quickly left the field, devastated by their loss," commentator Letkinson observed.
"Before the match, who would have thought Luton could beat Manchester City by this scoreline?"
"Honestly, I didn't," admitted Redknapp. "But now I've changed my mind. Luton is undoubtedly a strong team, and it's remarkable how Gao Bo has built such a competitive side in the Epl Two League ."
"It's unfortunate, though," he added with a sigh, "that with performances like this, it's hard to say how many of these players will still be with Luton next season."
The rise of billionaire-backed clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City signaled a new era of football. With the Abu Dhabi consortium's takeover of Manchester City, European football was entering a time where even the giants would feel the pressure of financial muscle.
"For Luton, the better they perform, the more their players will become targets for bigger clubs," Letkinson commented.
Gao Bo wasn't concerned about this just yet. Most of his core players, like Kante and Vardy, were tied to four- or five-year contracts. For at least the next two seasons, their futures were secure. Without release clauses, any club wanting to poach his players would need to shell out significant sums.
And with those transfer fees, Gao Bo was confident he could rebuild a squad just as strong, if not stronger. His knowledge of future talents gave him a unique advantage.
As for what would happen in two or three seasons? Only time would tell...
---
Mark Hughes, meanwhile, didn't even bother attending the post-match press conference. Manchester City didn't care about the FA's fines for skipping, they'd probably pay a hundred years' worth of fines upfront if allowed.
In contrast, Gao Bo, in high spirits, showed up for the conference on time.
Without Hughes to question, the reporters swarmed Gao Bo.
Inevitably, they brought up the rumors about Adam's potential transfer to Manchester City. This time, Gao Bo didn't shy away. Having just defeated Manchester City, he exuded confidence.
"Adam? He's a great young player. We're currently discussing his contract, and he's absolutely part of our future plans," Gao Bo replied with a smile.
"We controlled the game. Manchester City is a strong team, but we had a specific game plan against them, and it worked perfectly. Once we scored the first goal, the game swung in our favor. They pushed for an equalizer, but we exploited their defensive weaknesses on the counter.
"A 4-0 scoreline might seem like an accident, but this victory was no fluke. I believe my team has the strength to beat any opponent!"
The reporters raised their eyebrows at his bold claim, many thinking he was overly arrogant. But they couldn't argue, after all, his team had just demolished Manchester City.
While they considered Gao Bo's words to be overconfident, they knew they'd have to wait for Luton's next loss to challenge his assertions.
But Gao Bo wasn't planning to give them that chance.
On the football field, only victory is eternal.