The team checked into the hotel in the morning. After that, the players rested in their rooms for a few hours before the game, which was scheduled to start at 4 p.m.
Gao Bo stood in the hotel lobby, looking at the gloomy sky. In the distance, dark clouds continued to gather, making him feel as if a massive reservoir full of water was hovering above his head.
"The weather forecast says it won't rain," Lin Sen reminded him.
"England's weather forecast is even less reliable than the one back home!" Gao Bo said helplessly as he watched the dark clouds build up.
Gao Bo had once known a meteorological expert who had told him that the current level of weather forecasting was not much more advanced than an old farmer predicting the weather. Most of the time, forecasts were inaccurate. Trying to predict the weather a week in advance based on cloud charts was like a blind man feeling an elephant, you had no idea where the wind would actually blow.
Sure enough, it started to rain, and it looked like the downpour would only intensify.
Gao Bo shook his head helplessly. He hated playing in the rain.
In his opinion, although Coventry was a Championship team, Luton had the advantage in strength. With the improvements from his cards, Coventry could not compare in raw ability. Gao Bo wanted a game with good weather so that Luton could fully utilize their strengths and minimize any unexpected variables.
…
Fortunately, an hour before kickoff, only a light drizzle remained, and there were no signs of it developing into heavy rain. The dark clouds had also dissipated somewhat. Gao Bo breathed a sigh of relief.
England's weather was truly unpredictable. One moment it was dark and rainy, the next it was clearing up.
But in any case, at least the team wouldn't have to play in heavy rain.
The match was set to start at 4 p.m., but by 3 p.m., the parking lot outside the Ricoh Arena was already packed, and it was hard to find an empty spot. Despite the drizzle, the English fans were unfazed. Most didn't even carry umbrellas. They arrived enthusiastically from all directions, waving Coventry's sky-blue flags and singing the team's songs.
Ricoh Arena was a newly built stadium in Coventry, completed in 2005, with a capacity of over 30,000 spectators. Before that, Coventry played at the famous Highfield Road Stadium.
Highfield Road was England's first all-seater stadium and one of the best grass-covered pitches in the country. On April 30, 2005, Coventry played their final match there, thrashing Derby County 6-2 before bidding farewell to the 106-year-old stadium. After that, the team moved to the Ricoh Arena, located in the north of the city.
The team bus departed from the hotel at 2:30 p.m. It moved slowly through Coventry's narrow streets. Although the stadium was only seven or eight kilometers away, the journey took almost half an hour.
On both sides of the road, the low-rise buildings looked like cheese-colored boxes. Under the gloomy sky, the milky-white rooftops reflected a strange light.
The players paid little attention to the scenery outside. They were focused on their own pre-match routines inside the bus, some listening to music, others closing their eyes to rest, and some engaging in quiet conversation.
By now, they were used to this rhythm of life. A regular away game like Coventry didn't make them feel particularly nervous or excited.
The bus soon arrived at the stadium and pulled into its designated parking spot. The players quickly gathered their gear and got off. Time was tight, only an hour remained before kickoff, so they had to rush through their warm-up routine and familiarize themselves with the away pitch.
It was still drizzling, and the sky remained foggy, but inside the stadium, the atmosphere was electric.
As soon as Luton's players stepped onto the pitch, Coventry's fans gave them a "warm welcome."
More than 30,000 Coventry supporters erupted into loud boos, making it clear that Luton was not welcome here.
Luton's players glanced toward the stands. As a League Two team, they rarely faced such hostility in FA Cup away matches. Even when they played Chelsea away in the third round, Chelsea fans didn't see them as a threat, so they had been largely ignored during warm-ups.
But now, Coventry's fans were jeering them from the moment they stepped onto the pitch. This was proof that Coventry saw Luton as a genuine threat.
…
Coventry manager Chris Coleman, a close friend of Mourinho, actually felt pretty good about drawing Luton as an opponent.
Although the media believed that Luton had the strength to compete in the Premier League, Coleman didn't think so.
Luton was certainly strong, but part of their success had been due to Chelsea and Manchester City underestimating them.
Coventry, however, would not make that mistake.
Coleman was confident that his team could at least reach the FA Cup semifinals.
Coventry had lost to Sheffield United at home in their last Championship match, dropping to 12th place in the standings, eight points behind sixth-placed Bristol City. With promotion looking unlikely this season, the FA Cup was their best chance for success.
Coventry had been lucky in the earlier rounds of the competition. In the third round, they faced King's Lynn Town, a lower-league team, and easily advanced. In the fourth round, they played Torquay United, a semi-professional team from the fifth division, and again had little trouble progressing.
Their first real test came in the fifth round when they faced Premier League side Blackburn Rovers away. Coventry had gone two goals down, but in the second half, they staged a stunning comeback, scoring twice to equalize. Just when it seemed like the match would go to a replay, Coventry striker Clinton Morrison scored a dramatic 94th-minute winner to seal a 3-2 victory.
"We have no right to underestimate our opponents!" Coleman's expression was serious as he addressed his team in the locker room.
Although he didn't believe Luton was as strong as the media claimed, they had still managed to eliminate Chelsea and Manchester City. That alone was proof that they were no ordinary League Two team.
"If we think they're just another lower-league side, that would be foolish!" Coleman tapped his head and said, "Do not underestimate them!!"
"For this game, we focus on defense first. We're playing at home, so we'll stabilize at the back and then hit them on the counter!"
Coleman clearly saw Luton as an opponent of equal strength.
Since the two teams were unfamiliar with each other, charging forward recklessly would be too risky. Coleman's cautious approach was understandable.
[T/N: I'm Taking a Few Weeks Break]