Chapter 105: Manchester United: New Coach Ten Hag, Contract Lasts 3 Years (20k Update, Seeking Monthly Votes!)

Manchester United Official: Club head coach Louis van Gaal departs.

Manchester Evening News front-page headline: Manchester United management has contacted Ten Hag; official news will be released within three weeks.

Royal Dutch Football Association: Utrecht player number 99 wins the 2015-16 Eredivisie Best Player award with 79% of the vote. Ten Hag is elected Season Best Head Coach with a 92% approval rate.

On May 28, the Champions League final, an all-La Liga affair, kicked off; ultimately, Real Madrid defeated Atlético Madrid 5-3 in a penalty shootout, successfully claiming the 2015-16 UEFA Champions League title.

"Damn, that's incredible, hell!"

Tang Ye watched the match together with his teammates in the living room of the Ramselaar home.

The Champions League final can be said to be the football match with the highest competitive level in the world.

Don't let the fact that both sides scored only one goal during regular time fool you; analyzing from the perspectives of players and tactics, this match was truly enjoyable to watch.

Every pass and every run was handled just right.

Tang Ye turned his head to look at Ramselaar beside him and asked a very strange question: "Do you think matches at this level can be won by luck?"

"..."

Ramselaar rolled his eyes at Tang Ye: "Did you see that tempo? If you went up there, you'd lose the ball as soon as you got it. Ronaldo and Bale would put immense pressure on you, and so would Griezmann and Torres."

"But we're playing in the Champions League next season."

Tang Ye reminded them.

As champions of the Eredivisie, Utrecht holds qualification for the 2016-17 Champions League!

"We're participating in the group stage; what we're watching now is the knockout stage, and moreover, the final!"

Ramselaar corrected Tang Ye's mistake: "The knockout stage is much more intense than the group stage. I estimate that next season we'll only be able to compete in the group stage; the knockout stage is filled with top-tier teams from the Big Five leagues."

"That's not right."

Allé's words caught the attention of both Tang Ye and Ramselaar: "Tang, weren't you linked with many teams? You're not even certain you'll stay here next season, are you?"

Allé's words plunged Tang Ye into silence.

Just as Allé said, after the Eredivisie season ended, many teams from the Big Five leagues contacted Bol.

Tomorrow afternoon, after training ends, he must go to Wenzhou Restaurant again; Bol will be waiting for him there.

"So, will you leave?"

"So, will you leave?"

Allé and Ramselaar asked simultaneously; Tang Ye simply fell silent.

"Uh, uh, I don't know either. Maybe? Or maybe not?"

Allé and Ramselaar exchanged a glance.

They heard somewhat ominous news in Tang Ye's words.

But thinking about it carefully, it made sense.

The Eredivisie cannot retain geniuses; for Tang Ye, who delivered 36 assists in a single season, the difficulty for Utrecht to keep him is about the same as the difficulty of pulling Ten Hag back from the hands of Manchester United!

The cafeteria was suddenly covered by an eerie silence; at this moment, captain Ramselaar quickly stood up: "It's fine, it's fine. Although the match is over, the season isn't finished yet. Let's focus on training, focus on training."

Though they spoke of focusing on training, everyone actually already had their own Ji De Xiang Fa in their hearts.

Matches ended in mid-May; the remaining time is allocated for teams to play Champions League qualifiers and Europa League qualifiers, but Utrecht is different—as champions, they enjoy the right to direct entry into the Champions League group stage.

To put it plainly, Utrecht actually doesn't need these training sessions at all, which is also the reason why the internal training intensity has been low recently.

The fitness coach arranged pitifully few physical training sessions for the players, with the aim of ensuring that those players about to depart won't encounter issues when undergoing medical examinations with their new clubs.

Of course, this also applies to Ten Hag.

After winning the championship, Ten Hag suddenly left the base once every two days; the players all knew what he was doing.

He was contacting Manchester United staff!

The great Mr. Sitting Like is truly leaving!

The next afternoon, after training ended, Tang Ye arrived at Wenzhou Restaurant, the place he had agreed upon with Bol.

In the past, Tang Ye and Bol always ate directly in the main hall, but after Tang Ye became famous in the Dutch football circle, Bol designated the innermost 12-person round-table private room as their meeting place.

Though called a 12-person private room, in reality, only Bol and Tang Ye were inside; the table was covered with documents.

"Uh... do I need to read all of these?"

Tang Ye pointed at the papers on the table; with such a thick stack, he estimated it would take several hours to finish reading them.

"Oh, no, of course not."

Bol pulled out the few most critical sheets from the documents.

"Currently, a total of 19 teams have inquired about your price from Utrecht..."

"How many are from the Big Five leagues?"

Tang Ye interrupted Bol, whose face wore a "I knew it" smile.

"Sevilla and Frankfurt, those were the ones we knew about originally; now there are three additional teams from Ligue 1, but the attitude of those three teams isn't very firm, so I feel the feasibility is low."

"Sevilla and Frankfurt have very clear attitudes, however..."

Bol added: "Utrecht's asking price for you is no less than 20 million euros."

In April, Utrecht had provided an asking price for Tang Ye once; back then, it was around 12 million euros.

But April is April, and June is June; the situation is now completely different.

"Holy crap?"

Hearing this number, Tang Ye's upper body involuntarily leaned backward.

20 million euros—Utrecht wants to recoup all the money they spent on De Jong.

And they can still earn a lot more!

"Considering your performance this season, I actually think this is already a relatively low transfer fee."

As an agent, Bol informed Tang Ye of things he hadn't yet understood.

"You were just promoted from the reserve team, and you only have data from this single season, lacking consistency, plus..."

Bol's voice suddenly softened: "Tang, I don't mean to offend you..."

"Just say it directly."

Tang Ye was not a sensitive person.

"They feel you lose possession of the ball far too often."

"..."

Bol explained that Tang Ye's frequent loss of possession in the Eredivisie prevented scouts and coaches from top-five league clubs from making a proper assessment of his strength.

"Sevilla was originally very enthusiastic; after winning the Eredivisie title, their director even raised their offer for you to 15 million euros, very close to Utrecht's target, but after seeing your detailed match data, Sevilla worries you can't hold onto the ball during games..."

Bol looked somewhat embarrassed.

Yet this was indeed the truth.

Due to the excessive number of times he lost possession, Sevilla's enthusiasm for Tang Ye had somewhat diminished.

La Liga teams all emphasize possession-based play, which Tang Ye clearly could not satisfy.

"What about Frankfurt?"

Tang Ye asked again.

However, when asked about Frankfurt, Bol suddenly fell silent.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh, Frankfurt's attitude was originally very positive, but in recent months they've gradually stopped responding."

Bol gave an awkward smile: "Like the Netherlands, Germany has laws prohibiting minors from working at night; Frankfurt is worried about their coach."

Damn it?

Tang Ye stretched his neck out long.

What the hell, there's such a thing?

Never in his wildest dreams did Tang Ye expect that being a minor would prevent him from playing in Germany's top-tier league.

Dammit!

"So, are there any others?"

Tang Ye continued to ask.

"Uh, the remaining clubs cannot meet the 20 million euro asking price."

Tang Ye roughly understood Bol's meaning; those remaining clubs were just blowing smoke!

"But don't worry, as I said before, you can go to Benfica," Bol suddenly said: "Benfica in the Primeira Liga also has Champions League qualification; 20 million euros is too much, but if we can negotiate to around 15 million euros, that price would be acceptable to them."

"..."

Tang Ye remained silent for about a minute before finally giving his reply: "Wait a little longer."

Recalling the Champions League final he watched last night at Ramseelaar's home, Tang Ye added: "Especially teams from La Liga."

The exquisitely refined possession-based play of Spanish teams was exactly what Tang Ye pursued.

He was a possession-oriented midfielder!

Kicker Front Page Headline—Utrecht Star Tang, Under 18, Faces Legal Restrictions Playing in the Bundesliga; Frankfurt Executives Worry About Their Head Coach Kovac.

L'Equipe—Lyon Has Submitted an Offer for Tang to Utrecht, But Both Parties Cannot Agree on the Transfer Fee.

These two news items gained significant traction on Check Dongqiu Di, sparking fierce discussions among Chinese fans.

【Damn, what's going on, is the Bundesliga also an 18+ league like the Eredivisie?】

【Forget it, forget it, why not just go to Manchester United with Ten Hag? The British don't play that kind of game.】

!

【I thought being young was Brother Meng's advantage, never expected Brother Meng would ultimately be unable to play in the Bundesliga due to his age.】

【Tang Ye: If I were just one year older, maybe I would have gone to a top-five league.】

【So can he go to a top-five league or not?】

【Don't rush, Tang Ye's assist level has completely surpassed the Eredivisie by a grade; 36 assists in a single season, do you think such a player can stay in the Eredivisie?】

Fans on Check Dongqiu Di were also deeply concerned about Tang Ye; after the transfer window opened, any news containing the two characters "Tang Ye" received massive attention.

On June 10, the opening match of the European Championship between France and Romania kicked off; right after France defeated Romania 2:1, Utrecht Official released a tweet via Twitter.

Utrecht FC: Club Head Coach Erik Ten Hag @eriktenhag87 Leaves the Team.

This single short sentence immediately shot to the top of trending searches on major platforms; on Check Dongqiu Di, news of Ten Hag's departure even surpassed the European Championship in popularity!

Although no one yet knew Ten Hag's next destination, everyone already had an idea in their hearts.

Manchester United!

It was Manchester United that took Erik Ten Hag away!

Damn American financial groups stopping Utrecht from walking the right path!

Just two days after the news broke, Ten Hag sent a message in the Utrecht first team's WhatsApp group, stating he wanted to treat the team players to a meal.

Ten Hag knew Tang Ye very well; before sending the message, he had called Tang Ye.

"Are you still in the Netherlands? Have you returned to China?"

"I'm still here."

Tang Ye said.

"Haha, I guessed it. It's because of the transfer, right?"

Knowing Tang Ye's habits, if he had time off, he would have rushed back to the country immediately.

But Tang Ye didn't do that, which could only mean one thing.

He was waiting for news from his agent, Fan Fan Zhiyi.

If no team could complete a deal with Utrecht, Tang Ye would have to step forward and renew his contract with the club.

That was the reason he was still staying at the club.

"I'll treat you all to a meal at Saigon Caphe on the 14th; will you be free to come?"

"No time."

"..."

"How about you make some time to come anyway? Everyone will be there then."

Ten Hag hung up the phone, and Joel, the Manchester United transfer official sitting opposite him, suddenly said: "So, that Tang seems like a decent player? Have you ever thought about bringing him to Manchester United?"

With 36 assists in a single Eredivisie season, Joel had to take Tang Ye seriously.

Most importantly, Tang Ye was cheap; a price of 20 million euros was completely acceptable for Manchester United.

However, they still needed to ask the opinion of the new Manchester United manager sitting before them.

Erik Ten Hag was the person who knew Tang Ye best!

Ten Hag, having just finished the call, placed his phone on the table: "Tang? I think we should forget it."

"Forget it?"

Joel felt somewhat surprised by Ten Hag's words: "Erik, could I understand your thinking on this?"

"Tang's strengths and weaknesses are both too obvious. I've looked into Manchester United; the current Manchester United is a project of rebuilding after decline. What Manchester United needs are stable players, stable modern players."

Ten Hag spoke slowly: "Tang can only use his right foot; his left foot has basically no ability. This won't work in modern football. He cannot adapt to the fast-paced matches of the Premier League and La Liga."

"It's actually quite a pity..."

Ten Hag let out a sigh.

Tang Ye's long passes were indeed very lethal, but unfortunately, he lacked ball-carrying ability.

Being a midfielder yet unable to carry the ball, and having only one usable foot, these were fatal weaknesses.

After hearing Ten Hag's explanation, Joel nodded.

It had to be said that Ten Hag's understanding of the Premier League, as well as his understanding of the player Tang Ye, was very thorough.

No wonder he could become the Eredivisie's Best Coach of the season.

He truly had the capability!

Manchester United Official: Erik Ten Hag appointed as the team's new manager, contract lasting 3 years.

After Manchester United officially announced Ten Hag's arrival, Tang Ye and Ten Hag accepted the awards for Player of the Season and Coach of the Season at the training base.

Tang Ye had not yet returned home; he had been touring Europe with a Dutch model he met on Instagram, while also waiting for transfer news.

During this period, some fans suggested in the comments section of Tang Ye's Instagram that he should go to Manchester United together with Ten Hag.

Unfortunately, Tang Ye had little interest in the Premier League and Manchester United, so he just vaguely brushed it off.

The July European Cup matches ended, and Tang Ye received a call from Fan Fan Zhiyi, returning to Utrecht where, with Fan Fan Zhiyi's help, he decided on his next club.

According to the agreement with his teammates, Tang Ye posted the news of his departure in the Utrecht first-team WhatsApp group.

Ding-dong!

Immediately, Tang Ye's phone rang; Haller expressed his desire to treat Tang Ye to a meal.

Tang Ye naturally did not refuse, and the two went to the Wenzhou Small Restaurant beside the training base.

"So Tang, where are you planning to go for your next club?"

Tang Ye propped his head up with both hands: "I won't be transferring directly; the transfer encountered some obstacles, so my agent and the club finally decided to loan me out."

"That's essentially the same thing, so... where will you be loaned to?"

Haller looked up into Tang Ye's eyes, the latter wearing a smile on his face.

"I'm going to Villarreal."

That night, Haller returned to his home.

Pulling over a chair to sit down, the Ivorian stared at the Eredivisie Golden Boot trophy placed on his table and made a decision.

A very important decision!

PS: Villarreal's nickname is "Yellow Submarine," or "Yellow Sub" for short; later in the text, "Yellow Sub" will sometimes be used to refer to them.

Regarding why he didn't go directly to Manchester United: if Tang Ye went to Manchester United now, his role wouldn't be significant, and the current state of Manchester United's players is also average, making it impossible to write about match play later, so let the Eredivisie's Best Coach of the season go first to clear the path!

Ten Hag has already developed well, but Tang Ye is still in his development stage; at this time, one must absolutely not rush.

Today's update is 21,000+ words, marking 8 consecutive days of 20,000+ words daily; begging for monthly tickets, brothers.

Don't save your monthly tickets until the end of the month; the earlier you vote, the better the exposure effect. Votes cast in the last few days of the month will expire in a few days!

Kneeling in gratitude!

(End of Chapter)