Chapter 305: What Is a Supernatural Incident? Unprecedented Match Pressure

"Huff, huff—"

Stepping out of the office, Tang Ye shook his head.

Barring any surprises, that note must have been written by either Ten Hag or Fan Fan Dejiahe.

But Tang Ye had no interest right now in figuring out which of the two it was; he only knew that an extra layer of pressure had settled onto his shoulders.

Ten Hag had handed him the role of the team's first-choice penalty taker.

And at this precise moment, merely three months after joining the squad!

Sitting on a stool beside the water cooler, Tang Ye cradled his head in both hands.

Everything felt a bit too unreal, forcing him to take some time to catch his breath.

Being Manchester United's primary penalty taker carried immense pressure, but correspondingly, if Tang Ye could seize the opportunity, he stood to gain a great deal.

Based on Tang Ye's experience, the system would occasionally assign him tasks to score goals or provide assists.

Constrained by his midfield position, Tang Ye's goal tally wouldn't be high, but securing penalty duties perfectly solved this problem.

Of course, all of this hinged on one prerequisite: Tang Ye had to protect his position.

Martial, Antony, and Herrera—they were all experts at taking penalties.

Tang Ye needed to ensure he maintained a very stable penalty conversion rate during matches!

……

Check Dongqiu Di Match Preview: November 19th, 1:30 AM, Premier League Round 12, Manchester United vs. Newcastle at home; Martial returns from injury.

Manchester United's schedule this month was slightly strange; after playing Chelsea on the 5th, they didn't have another match until the afternoon of the 18th.

This was absolutely not good news for Manchester United fans, especially those who were die-hard followers of Tang Ye.

Because it meant fans would have nearly two weeks without being able to watch their favorite star play!

And for the Manchester United players, this was even worse news.

With no matches for an extended period, that damned Ten Hag decisively intensified the team's physical training.

"Huff, huff!"

After stumbling a few steps, Tang Ye collapsed onto the ground beside Rashford, gasping heavily: "Damn, I'm dying!"

"Huff, I feel like something's stuffed right here in my chest, and then, huff, then I feel like throwing up."

"Same here."

Rashford took a few deep breaths, kneeling on the ground and nearly vomiting, which made Tang Ye quickly scramble away.

"Damn, then your situation is worse than mine."

"Hah…"

In the end, Rashford didn't vomit; he rolled over to sit on the ground, propping himself up with both hands on the grass: "Playing football is just too exhausting; if only I didn't have to play."

"Marcus, you must stick to the straight and narrow."

Tang Ye's expression was serious.

"I was just fantasizing about life after retirement; what did you think I was going to do?"

"Oh, is that so... I thought you got too hyped watching TV and wanted to start dealing drugs..."

"Hahaha."

Rodri beside them burst into loud laughter, then began coughing violently due to lack of oxygen.

"After retirement, huh?"

Rashford's words sent Tang Ye into reverie.

There would be no physical training after retirement, which was a good thing.

But Tang Ye now had a clear objective, striving alongside his teammates toward that same goal.

If he retired, he would lose that goal, and then Tang Ye wouldn't know what to do.

Or perhaps do charity work like Marcus, donating clothes and food to impoverished children?

Charity was an interesting endeavor, but it couldn't provide the same joy as scoring goals and providing assists on the pitch.

It was the same principle: only when you had to exert tremendous effort for a goal could achieving that goal bring you the sense of accomplishment you desired!

"Marcus, we still need to focus on the match; we must concentrate on the game."

"Exactly, Tom, you're the first-choice penalty taker now."

Rodri nudged Tang Ye's foot: "I really didn't expect Erik to just hand this position to you; as far as I recall, you haven't even taken a penalty in a match yet, right?"

"Yes, I don't know why either."

Even though he was the person directly involved, he knew no more about the matter than Rodri did.

"Mr. Erik is too hard to figure out; I'm under a lot of pressure right now."

"Just don't be nervous."

Rashford offered Tang Ye his advice: "It's not as difficult as you imagine, but of course, it's not as easy as you imagine either."

"Your penalty success rate is very high."

"Thank you, Marcus."

Tang Ye and Rashford fist-bumped, though the latter felt somewhat conflicted.

First-choice penalty taker just three months after joining the team!

Ten Hag really treated Tang Ye exceptionally well!

……

Pinned Post: Manchester United announces squad for Newcastle match, led by Rashford and Tang Ye; Martial returns from injury; can the Red Devils, having experienced a supernatural incident, find their match form?

Fans' understanding of Manchester United's supernatural incident remained limited to the accounts given by The Sun reporters, yet in reality, the journalists reporting on the matter weren't entirely clear about what had actually happened themselves.

Rumors grew increasingly absurd; eventually, some fans even claimed that a vampire from Manchester had sent Tang Ye a nude photo of Ten Hag, which was why Ten Hag had rebuilt the tactics around Tang Ye.

Of course, this was just a joke among fans; how could Tang Ye possibly have a nude photo of Ten Hag?

"Our opponent is playing a 4-4-2 today; that much is certain. They have played this way throughout the entire season."

In the home team's locker room, Ten Hag was giving the players their final tactical emphasis.

Tang Ye placed his backpack on his thighs, pulled out a large handful of chewing gum, and tucked within the gum was a photograph.

It was a nude photo of Ten Hag.

"Ahem! Ahem!"

He cleared his throat twice and glanced left and right.

Whenever Ten Hag spoke with Fan Fan Dejiahe, Tang Ye would always fidget in his seat, so no one in the locker room noticed the photo he had just taken out.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Exhaling rapidly, he hurriedly stuffed the photo back into his backpack, then counted out one, two, three, four—four pieces of gum in total—and shoved them into his pocket.

"Rod, do you want some?"

Tang Ye handed one to Rodri on his right, and naturally, also to Rashford on his left.

Both of them accepted Tang Ye's chewing gum, which made Tang Ye quite happy inside.

Refocusing his attention on Ten Hag, Tang Ye carefully studied the tactics for the match against Newcastle.

This match was extremely important for Tang Ye.

It was not because the opponent, Newcastle, was particularly strong.

Rather, it was because this was his first match since officially becoming the primary penalty taker!

Clenching his right hand into a fist, Tang Ye breathed rapidly.

Would he get a chance to take a penalty in this match?

If he did get a penalty opportunity, how should he handle it?

Many complex questions needed to be pondered.

Tang Ye felt this might be the most nervous he had ever been since he started playing football!

"China Central Television! Here we are, broadcasting live for you..."

"..."

"And now, the away team, Newcastle!"

Goalkeeper: Elliot

Defenders: Manquillo, Lejeune, Clark, Yedlin

Midfielders: Murphy, Shelvey, Hayden, Ritchie

Forwards: Joselu, Gayle

Head Coach: Benitez

"Glory, glory, Man United! (Glory belongs to Manchester United)"

"Glory, glory, Man United!"

Right from the start of the match, the sound of home fans chanting the team anthem could be heard.

The Manchester United fans were full of passion, which was related to the team's excellent league results this season!

Early in the season, despite key players like Ibrahimović, Martial, and Luke Shaw being injured, Manchester United still achieved an extremely high win rate.

The camera cut to the Manchester United head coach standing before the substitutes' bench with his hands in his pockets.

Erik Ten Hag!

He had brought out his newly developed 4-3-1-2 formation again!

"Martial is sitting on the substitutes' bench for this match; it remains to be seen whether Ten Hag will bring him on in the second half."

While the commentators were discussing Martial's injury status, Rodri suddenly initiated a tackle from the backfield.

Bang!

"Hey, Rodri!"

"Beautiful! A perfectly timed challenge!"

Completing the breakthrough, Rodri dribbled the ball forward at speed.

Tang Ye had already started making a forward run!

"Quick, quick, to the right, to the right!"

Ten Hag gave directions, and Mkhitaryan sprinted quickly toward the right flank.

Rodri advanced with the ball for a full twenty meters; after completing the advance, he wanted to pass to Tang Ye ahead.

Unfortunately, Tang Ye's position had been completely locked down.

Pass to Mata running up on the right first!

With his teammates advancing rapidly, Tang Ye naturally was not idle either.

Shelvey was sticking close to him; at this moment, Tang Ye had to demonstrate his powerful physical attributes!

Bang!

He collided directly with Shelvey!

Okay, he didn't win the collision.

Tang Ye stumbled a few steps, then used a feint to create space.

This time it succeeded!

Tang Ye's excellent sense of rhythm helped him successfully fake out Shelvey.

Mata seized the opportunity!

Boom!

A grounded pass flew straight to Tang Ye's feet.

Tang Ye's brain raced.

Shelvey was right beside him; if he didn't get the ball out quickly, that annoying fellow would be running over again.

Drag and turn!

Snap!

【De Bruyne Curved Through Ball Lv4: Realistic】

Proficiency: 675/1000

One pass found Rashford making a run down the left flank!

"Wow!!"

Cheers already erupted from the stands!

Rashford dribbled slowly toward the penalty area.

A step-over feint!

Snap!

A cross found Mkhitaryan on the right flank.

Boom!

"Gooo——aaaaa——lllll!!!"

"Goal!"

"Mkhitaryan!"

"1:0!"

Manchester United scored directly in the 12th minute of the match!

Mkhitaryan sprinted out to celebrate, with Tang Ye right behind him.

Although Shelvey's tight marking was extremely annoying, Tang Ye and his teammates executed excellent coordination, successfully breaking down Newcastle's defensive line.

This was a goal born of team play! "Amazing, Henrik!"

Check Dongqiu Di Match Report: Rodri intercepts in the backfield and launches a counterattack; Mkhitaryan scores with a well-timed run, Manchester United leads 1:0!

【Awesome, Rodri!】

【Tang Tang Qiuwang's through ball!】

【Feels like Manchester United's coordination has improved, or is that just my illusion...】

Although it was Mkhitaryan's goal, the attention of both fans and commentators focused on Rodri.

The reason was simple: as the initiator of this counterattack, Rodri's performance was simply outstanding.

"Yes, this kid Rodri has an incredibly precise grasp of interception timing."

"As a defensive midfielder, he possesses sufficient football intelligence and vision; hehe, he always finds opportunities to coordinate with Tang Ye."

Zhang Lu offered his analysis, then presented another viewpoint.

!

Currently, with Manchester United playing a 4-3-1-2 formation requiring three defensive midfielders, Herrera, Rodri, and Mata are all on the field simultaneously.

But if Manchester United plays a 4-2-3-1 like they did at the start of the season, with only two defensive midfielders, Herrera is very likely to lose his starting position.

Because Tom's little brother's performance is simply too outstanding!

Of course Tom's little brother is outstanding!

Because he takes Tom as his role model!

"Great pass, Tom!"

Rodri punched Tang Ye's arm with his fist, and the latter burst into laughter.

"Rode, I was just waiting for your interception."

"You guessed it?"

"I guessed it."

Tom loves to show off, but this time he really wasn't showing off.

He had truly calculated Rodri's steal!

Tang Ye wanted to chat a bit more with Rodri, but Ten Hag ran over and dragged him away.

"If you get tightly marked, you can swap positions with Marcus and Henrik."

"Crossing runs, crossing runs!"

After giving these instructions, Ten Hag pushed Tang Ye back onto the pitch.

The match continued!

"We should win this match by a large margin."

Back at the substitute bench, Ten Hag said to Fan Fan Dejiahe.

"Why?"

"Their ability to defend against counterattacks is too weak."

Ten Hag's tone was extremely confident.

Fan Fan Dejiahe sensed something and followed Ten Hag's gaze out onto the field.

That was Tang Ye's position.

So that's it!

Fan Fan Dejiahe had realized it!

Tang Ye was in excellent form today.

This was the fundamental reason for Ten Hag's immense confidence!

The clock reached the 28th minute of the first half.

Manchester United's possession rate now stood at... 56%!

Not excessively high, but for Manchester United, this was a rather respectable level.

"Go direct, go direct!"

After shouting twice, Rashford left the ball where it lay and sprinted toward the byline himself.

Tang Ye, drifting in from the center, took control of the ball.

He wanted to pass, but by the time Tang Ye turned toward Rashford, he was already marked by the retreating Newcastle winger.

"He can pass back now..."

The commentator's words had barely left his mouth when Tang Ye executed a nutmeg, completing the dribble past his marker.

One could only say that the CCTV commentator's understanding of Tang Ye was still far too insufficient.

The high frequency with which Tang Ye lost possession was largely due to his lack of a good habit of passing backward.

Having shaken off his marker, he then played a square pass to find Herrera in the center.

Newcastle's defensive line was still far too loose.

Manchester United had launched another attack!

Herrera carried the ball through the center looking for an opening, while Tang Ye, originally stationed on the left flank, slowly drifted back toward the middle.

"Get inside, get inside!"

Tang Ye urged Rodri to run into position at the edge of the penalty arc.

Crack!

Herrera passed the ball to Rodri!

"To me, to me!"

Rodri passed it back!

Watching the rolling leather ball with total concentration, Tang Ye swung his right leg.

Crack!

Without controlling the ball first, he flicked it with the outside of his foot!

Rashford!

Boom!

"Gooooo——aaaaa——lllllll!!!!"

"Goal! Goal!"

"Rashford!"

Seeing Rashford score, Tang Ye raised both his arms.

Marcus's header was formidable!

Of course, his outside-of-the-foot pass was equally formidable!

Only Tang Ye himself knew how exhilarating it felt to deliver such a pass!

【You have obtained 10 Counterattack Points】

【Mission Progress: Goals (0/6) / Assists (3/6)】

The path to upgrading the Manchester United Legendary Chest!

Only three more assists remained!

Check Dongqiu Di Live Match Report: Tang Ye assists with a curved outside-of-the-foot pass; Rashford scores another header.

Check Dongqiu Di Pinned Post: This season, the number of goals Rashford has scored with headers has already exceeded the total from the previous two seasons combined.

Among the goals Rashford has scored this season, many were headers, yet the Manchester United winger was not, strictly speaking, a header specialist.

Was the high number of header goals due to a sudden explosive increase in Rashford's heading ability this season?

Of course not!

It was mainly because Tang Ye loved playing high balls far too much.

When the midfielder kicks the ball to the perfect heading position, no matter whether the striker is skilled at headers or not, the thought of using his head to meet the ball will inevitably arise in his mind.

All of Rashford's headers were forced out by Tom!

So, is Tom a team bully?

No, he is not.

Tom is a good person!

Tom just wants to obtain the Manchester United Legendary Chest!

"United!"

Boom boom!

"United!"

Boom boom!

Amidst the cheering of the fans, Manchester United's possession rate climbed little by little.

But Newcastle's counterattack had arrived!

A series of quick, short-range combinations down the right flank ended with the Newcastle full-back delivering a cross straight to the far post.

Joselu controlled the ball with his chest!

Shot!

Smack!

Joselu's shot was blocked away by Smalling.

The deflected ball fell to Shelvey's feet.

De Gea was already on the ground by this point, so Shelvey didn't need to hesitate at all — a one-time volley straight into the far corner.

Goal!

2:1!

Newcastle pull one back!

Clap clap clap clap!

Benitez quickly applauded, celebrating this hard-earned goal for his team.

Joselu ran into the net to retrieve the ball, while head coach Benitez rapidly issued instructions.

Having originally been two goals down, Benitez had been in an extremely tense state, because he feared being thrashed by a big margin at the hands of Manchester United.

Now that they'd scored, this was absolutely good news.

Newcastle's defending was a bit shambolic.

But Manchester United's defending didn't seem to be much better either!

"Get back! Get back!"

Ten Hag pointed at Rashford and Mkhitaryan on the pitch; after confirming the two had heard him, he flung his hand down in annoyance and returned to the bench.

"Marcus didn't track back again, which is why their full-back had the chance to get to the byline and cross"

Ten Hag was furious now.

The tactics he had designed were perfect.

As long as the players executed the tactics strictly, Manchester United would basically have the game in the bag.

But Rashford and Mkhitaryan hadn't done what Ten Hag demanded!

"I'll emphasize it with him"

Fan Fan Dejiahe said quietly, then wrote Rashford's name down in his notebook.

Scratch scratch!

After writing the name, he drew two circles around it.

"Fuck off!"

"Xuu——!!!"

In the stands, Newcastle and Manchester United fans began trading insults.

42nd minute!

This was Manchester United's attacking opportunity!

Looking closely, Tang Ye had arrived at the top of the arc.

Smack!

Take control of the ball!

A defender came forward; Tang Ye faked a burst, but actually stepped on the ball and stopped in place.

Then accelerated again!

Stepping on the edge of the penalty area, Tang Ye was almost strolling, his rhythm — step by step — excellent.

Uh…

Looking carefully, was he actually just walking?

Tang Ye looked completely relaxed, both in his movement and his expression.

But the Newcastle defenders inside the box weren't nearly as comfortable!

Pressure cranked up to the max, Clark's eyes were locked dead on Tang Ye.

Leg raised!

Bang!

Clark decisively threw himself into a sliding block.

But Tang Ye didn't shoot!

It was actually a pass!

To Rodri behind him!

Rodri!

"Young! Young! Young!"

Hearing Tang Ye's call, Rodri quickly spotted where Ashley Young was positioned.

Play the ball over!

Smack!

Ashley Young threaded a through ball straight to Mkhitaryan.

Watch Mkhitaryan go!

"Goal!"

"3:1!"

"Mkhitaryan, brace!"

……

(End of chapter)