Chapter 277: Tom Will Become a Penalty Expert, Starting in the Second League Match of the Season

Check Dongqiu Di pinned post: The UEFA Champions League group stage match between Manchester United and Basel is underway; the current score is 3-1, with Tang Ye providing two assists.

"United!"

Boom! Boom!

"United!"

Boom! Boom!

After the score gap widened, the cheers from the Manchester United fans grew louder and louder.

The director quickly cut to the camera to see what expression Ten Hag has right now!

The Manchester United head coach in the stands...

The Manchester United head coach in the stands was gone!

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: After the third goal was scored, Ten Hag left the stands early.

【Wait, what???】

【He's really showing off, damn it.】

【I thought having his hands in his pockets was already the limit, but I didn't expect Saint Ten to have another trick up his sleeve.】

【You're overthinking it; Ten Hag isn't trying to show off, he's just protesting UEFA's punishment.】

【Let's wait until the match ends to hear what Ten Hag says; I bet Saint Ten will directly swallow Basel's goal at the press conference.】

A score of 3-1!

And this was achieved even with the head coach suspended!

The Basel fans in the stands fell silent.

They had to accept reality!

Defeating Manchester United at Old Trafford was impossible!

In the 84th minute, Fan Fan Dejiahe made a substitution.

"Mkhitaryan is coming off, and Rodri is coming on!"

"This is Rodri's first match for Manchester United!"

"Correct, viewers watching on television should not be unfamiliar with this player."

"He was Tang Ye's teammate during last season at Villarreal."

Clap!

After high-fiving Mkhitaryan, Rodri ran onto the field quickly and saw Tang Ye waving at him.

"Go get 'em, Rod!"

Tang Ye gave Rodri a thumbs-up, and Rodri responded with a thumbs-up of his own.

On the corner kick opportunity immediately after entering the field, Rodri rushed very actively into the penalty area to contest for the ball.

The rest of the match was the same.

Rodri did not possess the Vine Armor.

Having one less piece of equipment meant he needed to put in more effort to earn opportunities!

The match reached the second-to-last minute of stoppage time!

Boom!

Tang Ye set up a cannon for Rashford!

Boom!

Rashford curled a shot directly!

Rashford's shooting motion was too stiff; this shot missed the target!

"Fuck!"

Shaking his head with some frustration, Tang Ye ran over and patted Rashford's hand.

"It's okay, keep it up, Marcus."

Check Dongqiu Di match report: Manchester United defeated Basel 3-1 at home to secure the first round of the UEFA Champions League group stage, with Tang Ye recording two assists in his debut.

After accompanying Rashford to collect the MVP trophy, Tang Ye returned to his spot in the locker room.

【Claim the reward for Phase One mission?】

"Tom!"

Just as Tang Ye was about to find time to claim the reward, Mata walked over to his side: "Perfect performance, Tom!"

"You too, Mata."

Tang Ye fist-bumped Mata, who then sat down beside him: "Do you really like participating in the attack?"

"That's what a striker... an attacking midfielder should do; you know, Mata, I play as an attacking midfielder."

"Attacking midfielder, haha."

Mata shook his head: "Well, you are the most striker-like attacking midfielder I have ever seen."

After thinking carefully for a moment, Mata finally spoke the words he wanted to say to Tang Ye: "But Tom, if you suddenly run too far forward, our defense will have problems."

"So what should I do?"

Tang Ye looked at Mata.

He certainly knew about the issue Mata was mentioning; in fact, this problem had already appeared during his time at Utrecht.

This was his playing habit, and changing it would be a very difficult thing.

"You need to tell us in advance."

Mata pointed at himself: "Me, Henrik (Mkhitaryan), or Jesse (Lin Lin Jiade)."

Tang Ye feigned a thoughtful expression, then quickly nodded.

"Then I will tell you in advance!"

……

Front-page headline of The Sun: UEFA's ban would not prevent Ten Hag from attending the post-match interview, yet Ten Hag still refused the reporters' requests, telling them, "It is unnecessary."

"Ten Hag seems to think this match was too easy."

Two Sky Sports commentators began discussing Ten Hag's refusal to be interviewed: "Perhaps Erik simply feels that since he did not serve as head coach in this match, there was no need for an interview?"

"No, I know Erik; he likely just feels this match presented no difficulty."

The other commentator analyzed seriously: "Ten Hag considers defeating Basel 3–1 a very easy match, but we only see ease in the scoreline. During the game, Manchester United encountered many problems, such as building play from the back; United's defenders were unable to pass the ball forward. This is an issue they urgently need to resolve."

"Because, as you know, among all Champions League participants, Basel's attack is actually rather weak. If Manchester United wants to achieve good results and a high standing in this season's Champions League, they must quickly improve the problems they faced at the start of the season."

Upon returning to the training base that evening, Rodri and Tang Ye got into the car.

This was the benefit of bringing a good friend to a new team; Tang Ye and Rodri had rented two suites in an apartment complex less than 10 km from the base.

This way, he could ride home in his friend Rod's car every day for work!

"Rod, you seem very happy."

Tang Ye pushed the front passenger seat back, leaned against it, and propped his head up with both hands.

Having just played his first-ever Champions League match and delivered an excellent performance, Tang Ye now felt extremely relaxed.

"Of course I'm happy; this is my first appearance for Manchester United."

Rodri steered the wheel; as he drove out of the base, he encountered Manchester United fans waiting by the roadside for autographs, so Rodri temporarily stopped the car.

"Rodri, I noticed you during your time at Villarreal; you coordinated very well with Tom."

The young fan, receiving the player signed by Rodri, looked somewhat excited: "So, will you have a chance to start? I think you could coordinate very well with Tom."

"I don't know the answer to that question."

Rodri rested his right hand on the steering wheel: "But I think it should be soon."

The car started moving again; Tang Ye continued leaning back in the front passenger seat: "Rod, the fans all want you to start."

"But that is not an easy thing."

Rodri glanced at Tang Ye: "Mata and Herrera are far superior to Bruno and the others."

"But Bruno is also very formidable."

Tang Ye did not entirely agree with Rodri's viewpoint: "You know, Rod, Bruno always delivers great passes to us."

"Haha, that's true too. But I feel what I need to do now is integrate into Manchester United's system."

To secure a starting position, Rodri had conducted a detailed analysis.

From the cold bench to substitute, then to starter—this was a path.

When he first joined Villarreal's first team last season, Rodri had already walked this path.

This season, he would walk it again!

"See you tomorrow, Rod."

"Remember to set an alarm; if you don't wake up in the morning, I'll break down the door and drag you out."

"Haha."

After bidding farewell to Rodri, Tang Ye returned to his apartment.

Bang!

Tossing his backpack casually onto the floor, Tang Ye lay down on the sofa.

【Claim reward for Stage One of the mission?】

【You have obtained... Counterattack Points ×1500】

Hmm!

Direct cash!

Compared to High-Level or Superstar templates, 1500 Counterattack Points were somewhat few.

However, since this was a chain mission, the rewards he could obtain later should be greater.

【You have completed Stage One of the chain mission】

【Chain Mission (Stage Two)】

Mission Objective: 2 Champions League main tournament goals, 10 key passes; time limit: 4 matches.

Current Progress: Goals (0/2), Key Passes (0/10)

Two goals plus ten key passes.

If this were La Liga, Tang Ye was confident he could complete this mission within two matches.

But considering this was the Champions League...

It was still quite challenging!

Better check his current balance first!

Account Balance: 5.42m

Oh wait, not that one!

Account Balance: Counterattack Points ×1872

The two Asian Preliminary matches and today's Champions League game had earned him quite a bit, and combined with the 1500 Counterattack Points reward from Stage One, Tang Ye was not too poor now.

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 358/500

Considering he was about to promote his 【45-Degree Cross】 to Lv5, Tang Ye already knew how to spend this money.

【Pogba's Hair Wax +3 → Pogba's Hair Wax +4】

Material Cost: Counterattack Points * 1000

【Pogba's Hair Clay +4: For the next 6 hours, whenever you gain 1 point of proficiency during skill training, you will gain an additional 1 point.】

With +4 level Pogba Hair Clay and +3 level Broccoli, as long as Tang Ye trains now, he can obtain four times the proficiency yield.

With the same training time, Tang Ye's training yield is four times that of other players.

What is called a Ball King? This is the Ball King!

……

"It's another cloudy day."

At the Carrington Base, Tang Ye rubbed his hands as he walked out of the gym.

The weather forecast said the sun would come out at 10 o'clock today, but Tang Ye did not see the so-called sun.

"This is England."

Captain Carrick walked out from behind Tang Ye: "Tom, you need to learn to adapt."

Tang Ye nodded: "I have already adapted."

Carrick turned his body toward Tang Ye, walking backward: "You don't need to force yourself."

"I am not forcing myself."

Tang Ye walked out, and soon Ten Hag and Fan Fan Dejiahe had both arrived.

Fan Fan Dejiahe stood beside Ten Hag holding a notebook, while Ten Hag kept his head down, looking left and right, unsure of what he was searching for.

!

"Mr. Erik?"

Tang Ye said softly.

Ten Hag turned his head, raising his eyebrows: "Hmm, I thought you were sitting on the grass. Never mind, let's discuss today's training tasks..."

Rashford leaned his mouth close to Tang Ye: "Sitting on the grass? Did you sit on the grass during meetings before? Won't Erik scold you for that?"

"Marcus!"

Ten Hag turned his head, staring fixedly at Rashford, who quickly shut his mouth.

Tang Ye also involuntarily shivered.

Mr. Erik is too terrifying!

"Today we will practice penalties first, practice penalties."

Tang Ye had originally been very relaxed, but Ten Hag's words just now made him feel immense pressure.

Pen... penalties?

He doesn't know how to take them...

The Manchester United players split into four batches, gathering in front of four large goals respectively.

Tang Ye rubbed his hands and found Fan Fan Dejiahe, who was closest to him: "Uh, Mr. Michel, I don't know how to take penalties."

"If you don't know, then you must practice."

Tang Ye scratched his hair.

Mainly, he didn't have any penalty template either, which was the most uncomfortable part.

Reset the templates he already possessed on his body and see if he could unlock a penalty template?

Tang Ye absolutely could not do that, because the templates he currently possessed were coordinated perfectly.

He could not actively weaken his combat effectiveness in open play for the sake of penalty ability!

"Mr. Michel, Marcus and Rod's penalties are both very powerful; they can take them when it's time for penalties."

"I know, we also have Zlatan (Ibrahimović); he is our starting striker, and he was originally our first-choice penalty taker."

Zlatan Ibrahimović?

"But I haven't even seen him."

"That is because his injury hasn't healed yet."

Fan Fan Dejiahe placed his hand on Tang Ye's shoulder, and the two walked toward the goal together: "There are situations we cannot imagine; we need to ensure that all players in the team possess penalty-taking ability."

Tang Ye listened carefully to Fan Fan Dejiahe's words, finally stopping to watch Rodri.

Rashford was already ready at the penalty spot!

His opponent was Manchester United's substitute goalkeeper, Romero!

After exchanging a gesture with Romero, Rashford began his run-up.

Tang Ye watched very intently, trying to memorize Rashford's movements in his mind.

In a moment, he would also take a penalty just like Marcus!

Rashford moved laterally!

Running toward the penalty spot.

The rhythm slowed down, small quick steps!

Bang!

A pushed shot struck the dead corner; Romero dove in the wrong direction.

"Wow!"

Clap clap clap!

Applause from the players rang out on the field, and Rashford raised his right fist.

The next one to go up was Carrick; Tang Ye stared at the Manchester United captain's movements while Fan Fan Dejiahe spoke into his ear.

"Don't worry, Tom, let me tell you, I was previously the best penalty coach in the Eredivisie."

Fan Fan Dejiahe wanted to continue saying something, but seeing Tang Ye's serious expression, he finally stopped speaking.

Like Rashford, Carrick also took small, quick steps before taking his penalty.

But compared to Rashford, Carrick's body posture was far more relaxed, marking him instantly as a veteran penalty taker!

Bang!

Carrick's penalty went in too!

After several more players took their turns, it was finally Tang Ye's turn.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Rubbing his hands together, Tang Ye recalled the penalty techniques his teammates had just demonstrated and selected the one he felt suited him best.

Fan Fan Dejiahe placed one hand on Tang Ye's shoulder while pointing with the other at Romero, who was standing in front of the goal.

"You need to constantly observe Romero's center of gravity, know which way he's going to jump, and then kick to the opposite direction; that is the most important thing."

"Of course, concealing your shooting intention is also very important."

Tang Ye, of course, already knew all these things Fan Fan Dejiahe was saying.

However, there was surely a gap between theory and practice.

Let's see...

Run-up!

Imagining Rashford's deceleration move, Tang Ye activated the 【Zidane Rhythm Control Template】.

Decelerate!

Then add a 【Mbappé Far-Target-Near-Strike Template】.

His plant foot and his eyes both pointed toward the right post.

But in reality, he struck the left side!

Bang!

It wasn't exactly an unsaveable corner, but Romero guessed the wrong direction, so Tang Ye's shot went in after all.

"Haha!"

Combo moves are so effective!

Although his experience in last season's Europa League had made Tang Ye somewhat averse to penalties.

But honestly, if one took it seriously, this stuff was actually quite fun!

Training continued, with Tang Ye and Rashford competing over their penalty success rates.

"Three out of four, Marcus, I have one more than you!"

"Fuck, Tom, didn't you say you couldn't take penalties?"

"Rod, look at me, look at me!"

"Eh, damn, I messed this one up!"

After observing the training at the other three goals, Ten Hag walked over to where Fan Fan Dejiahe was standing.

"I told you, Tom has room for development; he has a talent for penalties."

Watching Tang Ye sparring with Rashford on the field, a smile hung on Ten Hag's face.

Fan Fan Dejiahe turned his head: "Why do you say that?"

"His mentality is very stable; he isn't easily disturbed, and sometimes he doesn't even hear me shouting. Players like Tom are best suited for taking penalties."

"As you know, Michel, the most important thing for a penalty taker is the ability to resist interference."

Fan Fan Dejiahe said nothing; clearly, Ten Hag's theory was flawless.

"Moreover, he has excellent rhythm; he can always deceive opponents outside the penalty area."

Putting his hands in his pockets, Ten Hag nodded slowly: "Facts prove that my eye for talent never fails; remember Frankie 【de Jong】? He is playing very well at Barcelona now."

"You... you want to develop Tom into our primary penalty taker?"

Realizing the implication, Fan Fan Dejiahe whipped his head around.

"I think it is feasible."

"But he is too young."

Fan Fan Dejiahe considered himself more specialized than Ten Hag when it came to penalties.

Making an 18-year-old player Manchester United's primary penalty taker.

Honestly, that sounded utterly absurd!

"Age is not the issue; character is the key. A penalty taker needs a strong character, and Tom fits that requirement."

"Furthermore..."

Ten Hag turned his body and patted Fan Fan Dejiahe on the shoulder: "My eye for talent absolutely never fails."

"Alright."

Fan Fan Dejiahe could only compromise: "Then what about Rodri? I put him on as a substitute in the previous match against Basel; although he didn't play very well, I feel he still has great talent."

"Rodri?"

Ten Hag shook his head: "Actually, we should have bought Amrabat."

"But we can try developing him as well."

Check Dongqiu Di Match Preview: Premier League Round 5, Manchester United hosts Everton at home; Tang Ye makes his second career start for Manchester United, while Martial goes head-to-head with Rooney.

Once again, inside the locker room at Old Trafford!

"Our opponents possess excellent aerial ability, so our defenders in the box must maintain intense focus."

"Use your bodies to block positions and prevent Everton's players from entering the penalty area."

"..."

"Come!"

Captain Sitting Like twisted his neck, and the Manchester United players quickly gathered in the center.

Quickly adjusting his breathing, Tang Ye was already ready.

3, 2, 1!

"United!"

"Let's go, let's go!"

Tang Ye ran out behind Sitting Like.

……

(End of Chapter)