Chapter 162: Tang Ye's First Start: The Ultimate Password?

Manchester Evening News — Losing at home to Fenerbahçe, Manchester United missed the chance for direct qualification; currently, no team in Group A has confirmed advancement to the knockout stage.

"Manchester United's situation is very dangerous," said a fan being interviewed.

Under Ten Hag's leadership, Manchester United currently ranks fifth in the Premier League table and second in Europa League Group A.

This standing occupies a rather awkward position; it is certainly not bad, after all, last season Manchester United also finished fifth in the league.

But to say it is good would also be inappropriate.

This is Manchester United, the former hegemon of the Premier League!

Now they can only rank fifth in the league!

Click-click!

After the match ended, Manchester United's new manager Ten Hag arrived at the press conference room.

Manchester United lost this match, and there were very many reporters below the stage.

In such a situation, if it were Escrivá, he would probably be under immense pressure long ago, but Ten Hag appeared extremely calm.

Handling post-match interviews of this magnitude posed no great difficulty for him.

Click-click!

"Erik, you lost this match, and currently your group ranking is lower than Fenerbahçe's. Moreover, among all teams in the entire Europa League, yours has the highest starting lineup value; was today's match a mistake?"

"I suppose so."

Ten Hag directly took the reporter's words.

"We failed to convert many of our scoring opportunities; this is the reason we lost today's match, but as I said before, no team can win forever; this is a very simple principle."

"But you only rank fifth in the league."

"Fifth?"

Ten Hag raised his eyebrows: "Here I need to remind you that last season our league ranking was also fifth, and this season has not yet ended. As you know, the current ranking does not equal the ranking at the end of the league; we are currently fifth, but in the latter half of the league, we will achieve a higher position; Matchday 12 does not signify the end of the season; I believe this is something anyone should understand clearly."

The reporters below the stage frowned; Ten Hag's flawless, lengthy statement made them feel somewhat unable to cope.

This is the difference between a top-tier coach and an ordinary coach.

Ordinary coaches, when accepting reporter interviews, can only play passive defense.

But top-tier coaches are different; they can even achieve a countermeasure against the reporters!

"Then... Erik, is Manchester United currently on the right path?"

"Manchester United is walking on the right path; I can guarantee this point."

Regarding the issue of Manchester United's revival, Ten Hag's attitude has always been very clear.

Just as he said.

He will lead Manchester United onto the right path; this is beyond doubt.

【Brothers, I feel Ten Hag is under a lot of pressure since coming to Manchester United; his hair has turned much whiter!】

【Doesn't Saint Teng originally have no hair?】

【What the person upstairs probably meant to express is that Ten Hag looks much more haggard; there's no way around it, the pressure on the Manchester United head coach is just huge.】

【Wait a minute, brothers, Ten Hag cannot return to the Netherlands now; what if Manchester United draws Ajax in the knockout stage?】

With its own foundation plus Ten Hag's endorsement, Manchester United can be said to be the team with the highest traffic in today's football world.

The matter of losing to the Turkish Super League team Fenerbahçe in the Europa League sparked fierce discussion on Check Dongqiu Di, with Ten Hag directly being roasted over an open fire by Chinese fans.

Fans developed divergences regarding how to address Ten Hag.

Is it Saint Teng or Teng-High?

And whenever Ten Hag encounters difficulties, his beloved disciple always runs out to absorb the traffic, thereby completing a rescue of Ten Hag.

Check Dongqiu Di Match Preview: November 27th, 19:00, La Liga Round 13, Villarreal hosts Alavés; Tang Ye enters the squad list!

In Round 13 of La Liga, Yellow Submarine's opponent is not considered too strong.

But this match is actually quite crucial for Yellow Submarine.

After losing the previous league match to Athletic Bilbao, Yellow Submarine gained zero points, while Athletic Bilbao, who defeated Yellow Submarine, surged directly to fourth place, only two points behind Yellow Submarine.

In Round 13, if Athletic Bilbao wins their match and Yellow Submarine loses theirs, then Yellow Submarine will willingly surrender their current third-place position in the standings!

This is unacceptable to both players and fans!

"Come on!"

In the home team's locker room before the match, Escrivá gathered the players in the center: "There is no reason; we must win this match; that is the principle."

"No matter how well the opponent plays, we will definitely play better than them," added captain Bruno.

The players squeezed together in the center of the locker room; Tang Ye felt a bit cramped being squeezed by Aleix and Rodri, yet he greatly enjoyed this feeling of everyone gathering together and shouting loudly.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"VAMOS Villarreal!"

Bang!

Bruno kicked open the locker room door, leading his teammates rushing out; the passionate atmosphere made Tang Ye unconsciously start running.

"China Central Television! Here is the live broadcast currently bringing you..."

Following convention, the CCTV commentator first introduced the starting lineup for the home team, Villarreal.

By the time the starting lineup was being introduced, the match had already begun; the attention of fans in the live stream was not on the list itself.

They only knew that Tang Ye was in the starting lineup, and that was enough!

Only when Tang Tang Qiuwang appears in the starting lineup can Yellow Submarine put people at ease!

"Yellow Submarine! (Huang Huang Qian)"

"Yellow Submarine!"

The referee had barely blown the opening whistle when the fans in the stands began to stir up momentum.

Today, Yellow Submarine's opponent was Alavés, a team currently sitting in mid-table in this season's La Liga.

Although Alavés's league record wasn't as good as Yellow Submarine's, nor their form as impressive, the home fans still felt considerable pressure.

In La Liga, there were countless cases of mid-table teams suddenly exploding to take down giants like Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Just in the seventh round of the league, Alavés had nearly forced a draw against Barcelona at home!

Clearly, this was an opponent that Yellow Submarine's players needed to treat with utmost seriousness!

The 16th minute!

"Villarreal's attack is fierce!"

"That's right; knowing they are at home, they must leverage this home advantage and accelerate the match tempo as much as possible!"

The camera cut to the home team's bench.

Escriba was still sitting!

So arrogant!

Truly extremely arrogant!

However, the fans wouldn't criticize him, because just a few days prior in the Europa League, Yellow Submarine had staged a comeback to defeat the Eredivisie giant Ajax, thereby securing top spot in their group.

Under Escriba's leadership, Yellow Submarine's players had delivered a magnificent performance!

Just three seconds after the director cut the camera to Escriba, Kote threw the ball in from the sideline, pinpointing Rodri, who was being swarmed by two opposing forwards.

Rodri didn't hesitate; using his superior physique to shield the ball, he immediately began searching for a teammate.

"Here, over here!"

Ruiz shouted to Rodri, who quickly passed the ball out.

He was about to crumble under the pressure; at this moment, it didn't matter if Ruiz was the optimal passing option—as long as possession could be retained, it would be a blessing from heaven.

After receiving the ball, Ruiz decisively dribbled forward.

Running so fast!

Here it comes!

Knowing this was an attacking opportunity, Tang Ye sprinted toward the front field.

Running while observing.

He needed to find a suitable position.

A position where he could pass immediately upon receiving the ball.

Ahead!

Tang Ye dashed to what he deemed the perfect spot, then waved to Ruiz.

Passing directly from the backfield to Tang Ye was very difficult; being more conservative, Ruiz first passed to Bruno.

"Here!"

Tang Ye called out; upon receiving the ball, Bruno decisively sent a pass to Tang Ye.

Perfect!

Watching the ball roll rapidly toward him, Tang Ye glanced left and right; Torres was preparing to block his path!

Not an easy situation to handle, Tang Ye stayed calm, extending his left foot as if to stop the ball.

Instead, he planted his foot firmly on the ground and spun around.

Tang Ye let the ball roll past him!

Running toward the baseline!

A wonderfully clever dummy and turn; Tang Ye had briefly shaken off Torres.

But that wasn't the most important part.

The most important thing was that Tang Ye had saved his first touch.

The 【Fernandes First Touch Module】 had not yet been activated!

Running toward the baseline, the ball's speed began to slow.

At this moment, he hadn't yet reached an ideal position; an ordinary player would surely need to take two more touches forward, but Tang Ye was no ordinary player.

He had skills!

Slap!

【De Bruyne Bottom-Line Cross Lv2: Similar】

Proficiency: 156.5/200

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 69.5/500

Because his position during the pass was neither on the baseline nor at a standard 45-degree crossing point, Tang Ye's kick simultaneously triggered two skills.

No, strictly speaking, it was three.

Because he also possessed the 【Fernandes First Touch Module】!

The ball soared to its highest point; Tang Ye had chosen to aim for the far post.

Pato!

A direct header!

"GGGGG——OOOO——LLLLLL!!!"

"Goal! Goal!"

"Pato! Beautiful!"

"Tang Ye's choice of timing for the pass might be baffling to us, but this is precisely where his creativity shines!"

The fans and commentators in the live broadcast room never expected Tang Ye to release the ball so quickly.

The opposition, of course, had not anticipated it either.

So when Tang Ye struck the ball, Pato's position was completely empty!

VAMOS!

【You have obtained 10 Counterattack Points】

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Escrivá on the substitutes' bench clapped and cheered, just as Alavés head coach Pellegrini cast a glance his way.

Seeing Escrivá so composed, Pellegrini's mood was extremely complex.

Just what...

Just what level of strength does it take to possess such confidence?

"Come on, come on!"

The Yellow Submarine players on the field encouraged one another; scoring the first goal had sent their spirits soaring.

Their current form was so good that Tang Ye vaguely felt a certain sensation.

That assist just now probably wouldn't be his only one of this match.

He would provide more assists!

According to the system's explanation, Tang Ye needed either 10 goals or 18 assists to obtain the French Superstar Chest.

Scoring 10 goals was far, far too difficult for Tang Ye.

But 18 assists was actually manageable.

The moment he saw the mission, Tang Ye had already made his judgment.

He needed to rely on 18 assists to claim that Superstar Chest!

The 29th minute.

"Rodri, find Pato directly on the left!"

"Pato, no rush, control it first!"

"Cote is making a run on the wing to support!"

"Pass it back!"

Seeing that the attack down the left flank with his teammates wasn't penetrating, Tang Ye slowly drifted in from the center.

This was the role of an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation; Tang Ye needed to stay centrally to act as a bridge, helping the team transfer the ball from the left flank to the right, or from the right to the left.

Seeing that Tang Ye was no longer pretending to be a striker on the wing, Escrivá felt greatly relieved.

Playing more and more steadily.

This was truly the team's core...

He had just been about to say Tang Ye was the Yellow Submarine's core player, but upon second thought, something felt off; Escrivá, who had just begun to smile, immediately resumed a serious expression.

Let's discuss this matter later!

For now, just watch the match!

Receiving Cote's pass, Tang Ye actively created space, and once the ball rolled in front of his right foot, he played a straight through-ball to the right baseline.

A chance for Bakambu!

Tang Ye prepared to run to the right flank to join Bakambu in the attack, but after glancing at the penalty area, he felt running into the box would be more suitable, so he quietly slipped inside.

Time to work!

Rodri hurried forward, immediately occupying the position Tang Ye had just vacated.

Perfect, simply perfect positional interplay!

Bakambu reached the baseline and dribbled toward the penalty area!

This was a one-on-one duel with Theo Hernández!

Bakambu feinted left then right, and finally, with Bruno's help, delivered a cross.

Smack!

Inside the box!

Aleix jumped up!

"I'm here!"

Tang Ye quickly called out to ensure Aleix knew his position.

Thud!

Aleix headed the ball toward Tang Ye's position.

Oof!

This is Tom's chance!

After Aleix's header hit the ground and bounced up, Tang Ye seized the opportunity, lifted his leg, and struck the ball directly with his instep, sending it into the goal.

"GGGGG——OOOOOOO——LLLLLLL!!!"

"Goal!"

"Haha!"

The instant he scored, Tang Ye spread his arms wide, then sprinted rapidly toward the corner flag.

Get ready!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The classic knee slide; this time, Tang Ye chose the three-stripe version!

"VAMOS!"

Teammates on the field quickly ran toward Tang Ye, while the broadcaster showed a replay of the goal just scored.

Facing the rebounding ball, Tang Ye decisively chose to strike it directly.

Tom has always been this kind of person.

He would never give his opponents a chance to react!

【You have obtained 15 Counterattack Points】

Tang Ye's primary goal right now was to secure 18 assists to earn the Superstar Chest; scoring goals actually held little significance for him.

But scoring was indeed a very joyful thing, far more so than assisting, and Tang Ye hugged his friends by the corner flag.

He truly enjoyed this feeling!

Matti pulled a ballpoint pen from his pocket and wrote a sentence in his notebook.

【Excellent instinct in front of goal (uncertain)】

"..."

Looking at what he had written, Matti didn't know what to say.

As a midfielder, Tang Ye seemed to possess better instinct in front of goal than most forwards, which was a very strange thing.

"His talent seems to have grown crooked."

Matti whispered to Escrivá beside him, "What should we do about this?"

Escrivá took a deep breath, and just as Matti thought he was about to give an answer, the Spanish manager slowly spoke: "I... I don't know either."

Tang Ye was a non-mainstream player, completely and utterly a non-mainstream player.

His talent, the abilities he possessed, and the position he played on the field—these three things were in conflict with one another.

How to handle it?

Matti didn't know, and of course Escrivá didn't know either.

Because they had simply never encountered a player like this!

The first half ended, with Yellow Submarine entering the second half with a two-goal advantage.

Now trailing, Alavés actively quickened the pace of the game after the second half began, seeing if there was any chance to overturn Yellow Submarine.

Escrivá couldn't figure out Tang Ye, but analyzing the tactics of a team like Alavés posed no problem at all.

During halftime, he had emphasized defensive matters to the players.

From the 45th minute to the 55th minute, Tang Ye ran back to the defensive end multiple times to participate in defense, and even at the 51st minute contributed a spectacular sliding tackle interception on the wing!

By the 60th minute, the expression of the visiting team's manager, Pellegrino, had gradually begun to look uneasy.

Because he realized his team seemed unable to equalize the score!

The 67th minute!

"Go!"

Tang Ye received a pass back from Aleix, kicked the ball straight into the penalty area, and Bacca charged up from the right flank.

This was a near one-on-one opportunity!

Run faster!

Thwack!

Goalkeeper Pacheco kicked the ball away.

Unfortunately, Bacca was still one step too slow in the end!

"Damn!"

Covering his face with both hands, Yellow Submarine's Brazilian winger began his lament.

If he had known Tang Ye would get the ball, he should have started his run earlier!

What a pity; he failed to seize this opportunity!

"My fault, my fault."

Bacca raised his hand to signal Tang Ye, attempting to gain the Ball King's forgiveness.

Tang Ye had always been quite kind to his friends; he raised his hand to signal Bacca not to be nervous.

The team was currently leading 2-0.

There was no need for them to be nervous.

Tang Ye also had no time to feel regret over this now.

With less than 20 minutes remaining until the end of the match, Tang Ye needed to see if he could secure another assist in these final minutes.

In the 75th minute, Escrivá made his second substitution of the second half; Soriano was called to the sideline!

Seeing Soriano standing by the field, Rodri instinctively walked toward the sideline.

However, the number displayed on the board held up by the fourth official was 21.

Hmm?

He looked down to confirm the number marked on his shorts.

He was supposed to be number 16.

This...

Escrivá had not substituted Rodri; the player he substituted was the team captain, Bruno!

Thump, thump...

His heartbeat gradually accelerated; Rodri never expected that he wasn't the one being substituted.

Why was this happening!

Filled with confusion, Rodri looked around the field.

Seeing Tang Ye chewing gum, shaking his leg, and panting, Rodri finally understood everything.

Tang Ye was the absolute core, but his flaws were also obvious; Rodri's task was to cover for Tang Ye's shortcomings.

Therefore, as long as Tang Ye was on the field, provided Rodri covered the gaps in time, there was no possibility of him being substituted off.

Oh my god!

His heart continued to beat faster; Rodri realized that his own spring had finally arrived.

He was now bound together with the team's core!

This was the ultimate code for being a starter!

……

(End of Chapter)