Chapter 233: Ten Men, Yellow Submarine Still Dominant; Rumors Between Tom and Manchester United

"Damn, is this f***ing a red card?"

"This is 100% a red card, alright; Ruiz was about to step on Aduriz's foot."

"A red card in the 60th minute, how are they supposed to play the rest of the match?"

The fans in the live stream room began to panic.

Athletic Bilbao couldn't be considered a weak team; it would be very troublesome for Yellow Submarine if they played with one man down!

Ruiz, who had been sent off, still wanted to protest to the referee, but the referee gave him no chance at all.

"Please leave the field."

"Please leave the field, thank you."

Ruiz waved his hands helplessly and could only walk toward the player tunnel.

Tang Ye stood in place and bumped fists with Ruiz as he walked over.

"Boooo——!!!"

"Get off, get off!"

The away fans were very smug.

The away team, trailing by one goal, now had one more player on the field.

Wasn't equalizing the score just a matter of time?

Even directly taking the lead wasn't completely impossible, alright!

Escrivá waited on the sideline for Ruiz, and after Ruiz came off the field, Escrivá gave him a high-five.

"It's fine, it's fine."

Blaming the player now was useless; Escrivá only hoped Ruiz could snap out of his bad state as soon as possible.

The match restarted, and head coach Valverde made a substitution.

Of course, Athletic Bilbao still had one set-piece opportunity!

A set-piece in a very good position!

This was a chance to shoot directly!

"Beñat!"

"He's shooting directly!"

As expected, the away team's players chose to shoot directly.

But honestly, the probability of scoring from a direct free kick was far too low; Asenjo jumped out, and Beñat's free kick went straight into the stands.

"Clap, clap, clap!"

Head coach Valverde clapped rapidly.

"Left side, the left side is key; the full-back needs to overlap, don't just stand behind waiting!"

Glancing sideways at Valverde, Escrivá narrowed his eyes.

The opposition really wants to equalize!

"Villarreal!"

Boom, boom!

"Villarreal!"

Boom, boom!

For Yellow Submarine, the only consolation now was their home ground.

Knowing that the team's momentum would be weak with one man down, the fans united to chant, determined to help the home team regain control of the match.

Tang Ye was now jogging on the pitch!

He was searching for an opportunity!

A good opportunity!

"Although they are down to ten men, Villarreal doesn't seem to have given up on attacking..."

"What does Escrivá want to do?"

"Costa passes the ball to Tang Ye!"

After receiving the ball, Tang Ye actively slowed down because he hadn't found any suitable opportunity during his earlier observation.

With one defensive midfielder and three defenders standing in front of him, and Ale drawing the attention of two defenders all by himself, Tang Ye couldn't find any chance to pass the ball to Ale.

He could only wait for his teammates on both sides first.

Bakambu prepared to make a diagonal run into the penalty area!

Tang Ye timed his move to send a through ball into the penalty area, but the opposing defenders reacted quickly, directly blocking Tang Ye's passing lane.

No choice!

First stop the ball, then use a change of rhythm to feint and see if he could create some space.

Knowing that Tang Ye couldn't pass for the moment, Bakambu abandoned the idea of running into the penalty area and instead chose to drop back to Tang Ye's side.

Glancing to the left, Tang Ye flicked the ball directly to Bakambu on the right.

Then he ran into the penalty area himself!

?

The Athletic Bilbao players clearly hadn't reacted in time, allowing Tang Ye to slip straight into the penalty area.

To prevent the defenders in the penalty area from marking Tang Ye, Ale dropped back directly to demand the ball from Bakambu.

Bakambu sent a through ball into the penalty area!

It wasn't for Ale!

It was for Tang Ye!

Perfect!

Tang Ye regulated his breathing.

His shooting attribute was 77 points, which wasn't particularly high.

But if he shot directly upon first touch, with the help of the 【Fernandez First-Touch Module】, Tang Ye's shooting accuracy could increase by 10%.

Ten percent of 77 points is 7.7!

Shooting directly, Tang Ye could instantly produce the effect of an 85-point shooting attribute.

Then there was no need to hesitate!

Finding his position, Tang Ye blasted the ball straight into the net with one kick.

Goal!

【Goals: 1/3】

【Assists: 1/3】

"Haha!"

Spreading his arms wide inside the penalty area, the Yellow Submarine players on the field quickly ran toward Tang Ye.

"Vamos!"

The players shouted it together.

When Ruiz was shown the red card, the hearts of the Yellow Submarine players on the field turned cold.

They thought the score would be equalized or even reversed.

But the result!

The result was that Tang Ye damn well scored another one!

This was Tom's doing!

Tom represented miracles!

Jogging slowly to the sideline, Tang Ye looked left and right, finally locking onto the photographer closest to him.

When the photographer turned his lens over, Tang Ye shouted "Vamos" at the camera again.

Ruiz had been sent off to the locker room; Tang Ye was certain he would continue watching the live broadcast of the match there.

This shout of "Vamos" was meant for Ruiz to hear!

Tang Ye pointed his right index finger at the lens, then tapped his own chest.

"Tom!"

"Tom!"

"Viva Tom Tom~"

"Viva Tom Tom~"

From the stands came the cheers of the fans.

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Tang Ye receives the ball inside the box and blasts it into the net; 10-man Yellow Submarine leads Athletic Bilbao 3-1.

Valverde's face turned green with anger!

He had thought Ruiz's red card was an opportunity for Athletic Bilbao.

But now it seemed it was nothing of the sort!

It appeared that with Ruiz sent off, the Yellow Submarine was indeed playing with one man less.

But the problem was, Ruiz himself rarely participated in the attack.

As long as Tang Ye wasn't sent off with a red card, the Yellow Submarine could continue executing their dominant attacking tactics!

After taking a 3-1 lead, Tang Ye prepared to look for new opportunities.

Currently at one goal and one assist, Tang Ye's idea was that whichever stat—goals or assists—reached two first, he would then find a way to get that same stat to three, thereby claiming the system's Legendary Chest reward.

However, Escriba chose a conservative approach; after establishing a two-goal lead, Tang Ye was directly substituted off.

Looking at the number "10" belonging to him on the substitution board, Tang Ye shook his head helplessly.

Oh well.

"Villarreal is making a substitution!"

"Tang Ye is being subbed off; now Villarreal is overall in a 4-4-2 formation, purely playing for defense."

"..."

"The match is over!"

Check Dongqiu Di match report: 10-man Yellow Submarine 3-1 Athletic Bilbao; Tang Ye scores with a blast, Aduriz misses a golden chance.

"Victor!"

Upon returning to the locker room, Tang Ye immediately looked for Ruiz.

"Victor, where are you, Victor?"

After scanning the locker room, even with Tang Ye's excellent observational skills, he couldn't spot Ruiz; just then, Tang Ye suddenly felt a force push him from behind.

"Tom!"

Staggering slightly, he turned around to look.

Sure enough, it was Ruiz!

"Haha, Tom!"

Ruiz hugged Tang Ye.

"How about it, Victor? Were you scared to death when you saw the red card?"

Tang Ye sat down in his spot, picked up a drink, and gulped it down: "Anyway, I was scared to death."

"So it was Viktor's red card that motivated you to score?"

Bruno caught up from behind; the Yellow Submarine captain brought Tang Ye some good news.

Although substituted off before the 70th minute, Tang Ye remained the MVP of the match.

"It's not quite like that; mainly, I've just been thinking about how to score."

Tang Ye tossed his drink onto the seat: "I'll tell you all when I get back; I'm going to pick up the trophy first."

"How many MVP trophies is this for you?"

Bruno asked loudly.

Walking backward toward the exit, Tang Ye shrugged at Bruno: "I can't even remember anymore."

"Haha!"

SER Radio: Two consecutive wins; Villarreal has narrowed the gap with Barcelona to three points. Does the Yellow Submarine truly have a chance to challenge for the top two in the league?

Attached: La Liga Standings (Matchday 31)

1. Real Madrid, 77 points.

2. Barcelona, 75 points.

3. Villarreal, 72 points.

4. Atlético Madrid, 64 points.

5. Sevilla, 59 points.

6. Real Sociedad, 54 points.

Although the Yellow Submarine lost their first match in April to Eibar, Barcelona lost even more games, allowing Villarreal to close the distance with Barcelona further.

The three-point gap has La Liga fans itching with anticipation. Could they really have a chance to overtake Barcelona and become the second-place team in La Liga?

【We are going to rise this season】

【This is Villarreal!】

【I'm going to watch the match against Barcelona in May live; the six-pointer is crucial】

【Escrivá!】

Just as Escrivá had guessed, as soon as the team's win rate improved, the fans immediately showed their support for the head coach.

All those previous lies about having two sets of lineups have been thrown to the back of their minds.

To hell with the two sets of lineups!

Winning is what matters most!

Unfortunately, Escrivá has already deleted Twitter, so poor Mr. Ferran temporarily remains unaware that the fans have firmly taken his side.

"Haha, so your agent has been contacting Barcelona?"

!

Tang Ye and Dembélé chatted while playing a game together.

After a season of interaction, Dembélé had learned quite a bit of Spanish from Tang Ye and Neymar, and could now engage in simple conversations.

"We've been in contact all along; I performed well in the second half of the season. Yesterday, my agent told me that Barcelona and our club are willing to arrange my transfer for 90 million euros."

As he spoke, Tang Ye could sense the joy in Dembélé's tone.

"Though you're not as impressive as me; your valuation was already 80 million euros during the winter window."

Dembélé added.

Barcelona had to choose between him and Tang Ye; this was news known to both fans and reporters, so naturally, he was aware of it too.

Barcelona had already submitted a 75 million offer for Tang Ye during the winter window, and then from February to March, and now into April, Tang Ye had delivered incredibly exaggerated performances.

A price increase was certain!

"Tom, I feel like you're going to receive a 100 million euro offer in just a few days!"

Dembélé laughed heartily.

"Is Barcelona willing to spend 100 million euros to buy me?"

"Yeah, I heard from my agent that you are their first choice, and I'm only the backup option."

Dembélé brought Tang Ye news he hadn't known.

The logic was simple: if Barcelona wanted to secure Tang Ye, they would likely have to compete with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, as well as Dortmund and Juventus.

And there was also Manchester United, which had suddenly popped up!

Although it was unclear whether Manchester United was sincerely interested in Tang Ye, with them involved in this transfer, Barcelona would probably have to cough up a huge sum of blood if they really wanted to buy Tang Ye.

"Tom, with so many teams wanting you, where do you want to go the most?"

Dembélé asked tentatively.

Barcelona had to choose one between him and Tang Ye.

Dembélé very much wanted to go to Barcelona; both he and his agent believed his playing style was a perfect fit for Barcelona, where he could achieve excellent development.

If Tang Ye wasn't planning to go to Barcelona, then Dembélé's move to Barcelona was basically a done deal.

"Where do I want to go..."

Dembélé's question truly stumped Tang Ye.

To be honest, Tang Ye had only just realized that he himself had no idea where his next stop would be.

He was currently a loan player from Utrecht and a temporary worker at Villarreal.

So what about the next stop?

Barcelona?

Bayern or Dortmund?

Or Juventus?

Tang Ye seriously pondered the question Dembélé had asked him, his attention gradually drifting; before he knew it, the focus of his thoughts had wandered.

"Dembélé, if I go to Dortmund and you don't go to Barcelona, wouldn't we be able to play together then?"

"Haha! Tom!"

……

Time moved to the day after the match between Yellow Submarine and Athletic Bilbao concluded, with Yellow Submarine players resuming training at their base.

Next, they would prepare for the Europa League quarter-finals!

The match against Beşiktaş!

Meanwhile, at 11 PM China time that evening, a news item reposted from England topped the feed on the Dongqiu Di app.

Dongqiu Di reposted the Manchester Evening News headline: Manchester United manager Ten Hag has contacted Tom's agent; Tom is open to a transfer to Manchester United, but the agent stated Tom wants to play in the Champions League.

"Currently, Manchester United ranks fifth in the league; if they fail to finish in the top four by the season's end, the probability of Tom transferring to Manchester United will drop significantly," said the Manchester Evening News reporter.

【Holy crap, I immediately checked the Premier League table; feels like there's still some distance between Manchester United and Liwupu.】

【Ten Hag is actually quite fierce; compared to last season at this same point, Manchester United has two more points.】

【Saint Ten!】

【To be honest, I feel Saint E only mimics the style; only under Saint Ten can Tang Tang Qiuwang unleash his full potential.】

For major clubs from the top five European leagues to fight over a player from China was something Chinese fans could never have dreamed of.

But now, they had indeed witnessed it!

Manchester United's hierarchy always favored high-profile players like Tang Ye, and with his former mentor Ten Hag pushing behind the scenes, there was indeed a high probability Tang Ye would move to the Premier League next season.

Just as Utrecht RTV had said!

Utrecht RTV reporter Fan De: Tom and Ten Hag share an excellent relationship; Ten Hag's presence creates an irresistible magic for Tom regarding Manchester United.

"I can almost guarantee that Tom will proactively tell Utrecht about his desire to transfer to Manchester United."

Irresistible magic!

Perhaps this is Ten Hag's charm!

Now there was only one problem.

The agent had said Tom wants to play in the Champions League!

Manchester United needed Champions League qualification to attract Tom and the Chinese market behind him!

"Yes, our primary objective right now is Champions League qualification!"

In the office, Ten Hag and the club's development director, Murtough, sat facing each other.

Ten Hag outlined their goals for the next two months to Murtough.

Champions League qualification!

"Is this for Tom?"

Murtough narrowed his eyes.

He felt Ten Hag was placing somewhat excessive trust in his former player.

"No, it's not."

Ten Hag leaned his upper body back and shook his head: "I merely contacted Tang's agent; that doesn't mean I will definitely push for a transfer."

"But Champions League qualification, that is very important!"

Ten Hag explained to Murtough: "If we can strive to enter next season's Champions League, we will secure at least 20 million euros in broadcasting revenue; if we reach the knockout stages, that sum will be even larger."

"John, listen to me, Manchester United needs to develop again, but development cannot be separated from the Champions League."

This...

Murtough took a deep breath.

He had originally thought Ten Hag only claimed Manchester United needed to strive for next season's Champions League qualification to buy the player he wanted.

But now it seemed Murtough was mistaken.

Why was Ten Hag called Saint Ten by the fans?

Because he had no selfish motives!

He didn't just want Tom!

He simply wanted the team to succeed!

"So we should abandon the league and focus on the Europa League?"

Murtough asked.

Now two paths to the Champions League lay before Manchester United.

1. Finish in the top four of the Premier League.

2. Win the Europa League, which grants direct Champions League qualification for next season regardless of league standing.

Considering Manchester United's upcoming league and Europa League schedules between these two paths...

Winning the Europa League was the more feasible route!

Ten Hag took out his phone, and together with Murtough, they looked at the team's upcoming schedule.

In the lower half, Manchester United would still face Anderlecht; this was the quarter-final.

For the semi-finals, it would be either Celta or Genk.

"Reaching the final shouldn't be a big problem."

Ten Hag broke into a smile.

Then looking at the upper half, Murtough's finger moved across Ten Hag's phone screen.

"Ajax, Schalke 04..."

"All of these are manageable."

Ten Hag was very familiar with Manchester United's performance this season.

Even against a team of Ajax's caliber, Manchester United could still punch right through!

"Winning the Europa League title is indeed the better option..."

Ten Hag's eyes suddenly narrowed.

Because he had spotted Beşiktaş in the upper half of the draw.

Of course, the focus was not on Beşiktaş itself.

But rather on Beşiktaş's opponent.

That yellow submarine!

Ten Hag suddenly looked up at Murtough: "The opponents in the Europa League aren't too strong."

"So?"

"We need to strive for a top-four finish in the league."

What?

Murtough stood up immediately: "Erik, what are you thinking?"

"Top four in the league? We may be in fifth place now, but Liwupu is ahead of us, and Arsenal behind us isn't far behind in points!"

Erik was completely insane!

Winning the Europa League title was the path most suitable for Manchester United!

"I know that Ajax, Anderlecht, Genk, and even Celta are no match for us, but John, you need to change your line of thinking."

Ten Hag gestured for Murtough not to rush.

"The reporters have already broken the news; everyone knows we are about to charge for a Champions League qualification spot."

Ten Hag explained bit by bit: "We know that winning the Europa League title is the best method, and of course, the other Premier League teams know it too."

"The schedule in April is very dense; they will definitely assume we will abandon the league to charge for the Europa League, so at this moment, we operate in the opposite direction."

Ten Hag hadn't even finished speaking, yet Murtough's eyes were already wide open.

It turned out that Erik never had any intention of going for the Europa League at all.

He was doing this solely for the good of Manchester United!

The Europa League was just a decoy!

Ten Hag's ultimate goal was to lead Manchester United in a charge for a top-four league finish!

PS: Begging for monthly tickets, brothers!

This month, the daily count has been around 15,000, ignoring holidays; even on New Year's Eve and the first and second days of the Lunar New Year, it was still 15,000.

I'm completely burned out; begging for monthly tickets!

(End of Chapter)