The Ricoh Stadium was draped in a fine drizzle, casting a gloomy tone over the entire venue.
Coventry's fans had been in high spirits before kickoff, but now they seemed a bit distracted. The situation on the field was hard to assess, both teams appeared reluctant to push forward.
Coventry wasn't launching any attacks, and Luton had only one striker, Vardy, making tentative moves past midfield.
But one figure on the sideline stood out, Gao Bo was animated, waving his arms and shouting instructions, trying to get his team to steady their defense.
That was because, just a few minutes earlier, Luton had started to lose their composure. As a young squad, they weren't great at staying calm. After a few minutes of play, the players had instinctively tried to press forward, but Gao Bo had not anticipated that Coleman would adopt such a defensive counter-attacking approach at home. Luton's current formation wasn't built to sustain aggressive attacks.
It looked like Coventry was trying to play a waiting game with them.
"They're not attacking at all…" John said anxiously. In their pre-match planning, Luton hadn't expected to break down a parked bus. They were using the same 4-5-1 formation that had beaten Manchester City, crowding the midfield and relying on a lone striker, Vardy, up front.
"Relax, John. We're away from home. There's far less pressure on us than them…" Gao Bo said calmly, still exuding confidence.
At that moment, Lewis Emanuel looked like he wanted to carry the ball over the halfway line himself. Gao Bo immediately called out, "Don't rush, Lewis!!! Pass it!!"
Coleman, on the other side, heard Gao Bo's shout and couldn't help but feel a little helpless. Things weren't going as he'd expected.
In Coleman's eyes, Gao Bo was too young, and his team was even younger, with an average age of just 21. Facing such a youthful side, Coleman had assumed they would lack patience.
After knocking out Chelsea and Manchester City, Luton was surely overconfident. In this kind of slow match, they'd probably lose their cool and make the first move.
But the young coach across from him was far more composed than expected...
Nearly 20 minutes had passed in the match, and neither side had taken a single shot.
The overly cautious play had begun to frustrate the home fans. For Coventry supporters, watching their team play so passively at home was unacceptable.
In the 19th minute, Coventry regained possession after Luton had once again launched a hopeful long ball towards Vardy.
But as Luton fell back immediately into a tight defensive shape, Coventry didn't push the tempo, they just cycled the ball in their own half.
"Both sides are being… very cautious! Coventry, playing at home, is sticking to a safe counter-attacking setup, while Luton is using the same lineup that beat Manchester City. Vardy leads the line alone, but he's getting no support, none of the Luton players are venturing into the opponent's half," Letkinson said, sounding disappointed. So far, the game had lacked any real excitement.
Gao Bo, meanwhile, remained rooted on the sideline, eyes locked on the pitch. Though the game was dull, he was laser-focused, waiting… waiting for the right moment.
Scattered boos began to break out from the stands, this time from the Coventry fans.
The initial grumbling soon ignited a wave of discontent. Coventry's fans had been holding back, but now they were letting their frustration boil over.
English fans are famously loyal, win or lose, they stick by their team.
But what they can't stand is this: inaction.
If Coventry were playing a Premier League giant, perhaps the fans would understand the hesitation. But the opponents were a League Two team, two divisions below them, and Coventry still didn't have the courage to attack. No wonder the fans were livid.
"Come on!! Have you not eaten?!!"
"Coleman!! You're a coward!!"
"I've had it with this!!"
...
The boos echoed around the stadium, clearly audible to Coleman on the sideline. But he wasn't surprised, he'd been under pressure ever since he took charge. Coventry had failed to win promotion to the Premier League for two straight seasons, and fan frustration had been simmering for a while. Now, they were simply seizing the moment to vent it all out.
Coleman's face darkened. Coventry didn't have much hope for promotion this year, but they were now in the FA Cup quarterfinals. A win here would send them to the semis. From a cup perspective, his results were still commendable.
Of course, the fans didn't see it that way. They couldn't understand his cautious game plan. But Coleman knew that the opponent was waiting for them to attack.
Just look at their 4-5-1 setup, this cunning young coach clearly wanted to lure them out and hit on the break!
No matter what, Coleman couldn't afford to fall into Gao Bo's rhythm. He had to stay calm!
He tuned out the boos from the stands.
But while Coleman could ignore the jeers, his players couldn't.
Henderson got the ball. In theory, as per Coleman's instructions, he should have passed it backward again.
But striker Morrison, unable to bear the passive play any longer, dashed toward the wing and raised his hand for a pass.
The boos had rattled Henderson.
It's just a Epl League Two team, why are we being so cautious?
Coventry's players weren't taking the threat seriously. Sure, the FA Cup always has upsets, but come on, it's just a lower-league team. How big a deal could it be?
Henderson made up his mind. He glanced at Morrison, and as old friends, the two knew exactly what the other was thinking.
Morrison sprinted forward, and Henderson launched a long pass over the top!
Luton had relaxed a bit during the stale passages of play. Morrison controlled the ball smoothly, cut inside fullback Solo Davis, and fired a shot from just outside the box! The ball scraped the far post and went out for a goal kick!
"Morrison!!! A sudden strike from Coventry! Morrison with the shot!!!"
The stadium erupted, the fans' boos turning into cheers in an instant.
Gao Bo was taken by surprise at first, but quickly regained his composure.
Was that a planned move… or just a player acting on impulse?
He looked toward Coleman, and saw his anxious reaction.
That confirmed it: it wasn't part of the strategy. Morrison had gone off-script!
Coleman was visibly panicking, gesturing frantically to the players and shouting, "Calm down!!!"
But with the crowd roaring, it was unclear how many of them could even hear him and how many wanted to.
Gao Bo's excitement grew. But he held back, for now. He needed to observe a little longer.
Coventry launched another attack soon after this time with more players joining in. Two strikers pushed up, along with their wide players.
Gao Bo's eyes turned to Coventry's midfield and defense.
Aside from Henderson, none of the midfielders had pushed up. There was now a clear disconnect between their attack and the midfield!
Some of Coventry's players are acting on their own!!
Gao Bo made a swift judgment.
He glanced at Coleman, who looked visibly distraught.
Now's the time!!
"N'Golo!!!!" Gao Bo's shout rang out louder than Coleman's. Young and full of energy, he roared louder than the home fans' cheers!
His voice cut through the noise. The Luton players all heard it. Then Gao Bo made a hand signal,
The call to counterattack!
The players' faces lit up!!
They turned toward the Coventry goal, Kanté stealthily moved toward Morrison...