Chapter 322: Free Kick Scores Directly; Little Rat Helps Manchester United Escape the Gloom of Consecutive Defeats

"Mr. Erik has gone too far!"

In the canteen after training, Tang Ye was speaking up unfairly on behalf of Rashford.

Although Rashford indeed had problems with tracking back, Ten Hag shouldn't have directly called him a sewer rat!

That was too hurtful!

"Phew..."

Rashford shook his head: "I don't know what to say; I wanted to say something at the time, but in the end, I couldn't get the words out. Mr. Erik gave me such a terrifying feeling."

Tang Ye agreed with Rashford's words: "I also think Mr. Erik was terrifying just now; maybe it's because we've lost two matches recently. But Marcus, he shouldn't have called you a rat."

Rats are very cute creatures, especially big rats.

Tang Ye liked rats very much, but he also knew that comparing people to rats was a very wrong thing to do.

Mr. Erik had made a mistake!

"Actually, Erik probably didn't intend to mention rats at first."

Mata patted Rashford, comforting him: "It was just that a rat happened to run onto the training ground; this wasn't Erik's intention."

"I know, I know..."

Rashford nodded gently: "Erik might not have controlled his emotions well, so I didn't speak up at the time."

Rashford was still relatively calm.

He didn't directly quarrel with Ten Hag, so there was still room for turnaround in this matter.

As long as Rashford steadily does what Ten Hag requires in the upcoming matches, he can regain the Dutchman's respect.

"It's alright, Marcus; don't listen to what Mr. Erik said. Um... I mean about the rat; Marcus, you are absolutely not a rat."

Standing up, he patted Rashford's shoulder: "The next match is coming soon; once we secure victory, Mr. Erik will be happy."

"By then, he won't call you a rat anymore!"

Tang Ye and Rashford fist-bumped.

Rashford couldn't help but sigh.

Phew...

If Erik were even half as good as Tom, he wouldn't be having such a hard time at Manchester United.

Say no more.

This little rat is going to eat dinner!

Meanwhile, in the office.

"Erik, oh my god."

Fan Fan Dejiahe held his head in both hands: "You shouldn't have spoken like that; Marcus is still young."

"But he did make a mistake!"

Ten Hag leaned back in his chair, spreading his hands toward Fan Fan Dejiahe: "How many times have I talked to him about tracking back, and how many times have you? And in the end? In the end, did he track back?"

"No! Still no tracking back! Even when he ran back to the defensive half, he didn't defend. You saw it too, Michel; what did Marcus use to defend with?"

"Not his feet, nor his hands; he used his eyes!"

Fan Fan Dejiahe raised both hands, pacing quickly back and forth in front of Ten Hag.

He hugged his head again.

"Erik, I know, but that's not a reason for you to call him a rat."

"You should apologize to him!"

"..."

Ten Hag pressed his lips together, thinking.

"Michel, don't worry; Marcus, just like Tom, isn't someone with a good memory. In a few days, he'll forget this incident."

"I won't mention rats again, okay? Michel, I promise you; I also know this causes great harm to a person."

"But—"

Ten Hag changed his tone: "Apologizing is impossible; Marcus needs to pay a price for his mistakes."

"Hiss—"

Taking a deep breath, Fan Fan Dejiahe collapsed onto the sofa.

They could only hope that Rashford wouldn't take this matter to heart!

Repost: West Brom vs. Manchester United starting lineup, led by Tang Ye and Rashford; Ibrahimovic vs. Evans; Manchester United aims to end their losing streak.

"It's alright, Marcus."

In the player tunnel, Tang Ye placed his hand on Rashford's shoulder: "I will pass to you; remember to make your runs quickly."

Rashford and Tang Ye fist-bumped.

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

The match has begun!

【Go Manchester United!】

【GG Bond sprint!】

【West Brom should be about the same as Bournemouth; maybe Bournemouth is slightly stronger? Anyway, Manchester United can't lose again, otherwise the gap with Mancheng will widen again.】

【Ibrahimovic is in the starting lineup, damn, that's rare. I feel his performance in the last few matches hasn't been very good.】

This match between West Brom and Manchester United attracted many fans.

The reason was simple: this match kicked off at 10 PM Beijing time, which was very friendly for Chinese fans.

Moreover, there is another crucial point: Manchester United is currently on a two-match losing streak.

Loyal fans of Tang Ye are desperately hoping Manchester United secures a victory.

And thus puts an end to their losing streak!

The match reaches the 10th minute.

Because Ten Hag had emphasized picking up the pace right from the start, Manchester United is now dominating play.

"Ahead, ahead!"

Tang Ye passes the ball to Mkhitaryan.

Mkhitaryan stops in place to control the ball, while Tang Ye accelerates and runs past him.

"Not yet, not yet!"

The pass is rejected by Tang Ye, so Mkhitaryan begins searching for another route.

Mata makes a run from behind.

Pass to Mata!

Hmm, now is about the right time.

Tang Ye, who had been battling the West Brom defender near the baseline on the right wing, suddenly accelerates and cuts inside, charging straight toward the penalty area.

Boom!

Mata plays a low, driven through-ball to Tang Ye.

A great chance!

Accelerating into the center, he calculates the rolling speed of the ball.

His left leg swings out!

Crack!

【De Bruyne Far-Corner Curling Shot Lv5: Replication】

Proficiency: 0 (Cannot break through)

"Curling it directly without controlling the ball first!"

"A very imaginative move!"

"But it was slightly off."

Watching his curling shot fly just past the post, Tang Ye shook his head.

Curling a shot directly without first controlling the ball is simply too difficult; even with a 10% accuracy bonus, Tang Ye still failed to control this one properly.

To score with a shot like that, 【Far-Corner Curling Shot】 would probably need to be at Lv6!

Unfortunately, Tang Ye currently cannot meet the shooting attribute requirements for the 【Far-Corner Curling Shot】 breakthrough mission, so he cannot gain any further proficiency in it.

To promote 【Far-Corner Curling Shot】 to the Lv6 "Eager to Learn" tier, Tang Ye's shooting attribute needs to reach 87.

But he currently has only 78 points!

"It's fine, it's fine, that was great!"

Ten Hag claps rapidly from the sidelines.

Although this attack did not result in a goal, Manchester United has already built up momentum.

For the Red Devils playing away today, this is absolutely good news!

Having regained the momentum from their previous winning streak, victory cannot be far away!

The 26th minute!

Crack!

Ashley Young delivers a long pass from the backfield.

The pass isn't very accurate, and players from both sides are contesting it.

Quickly scanning the situation around him, Tang Ye directly blocks the retreating West Brom attacking midfielder, then signals for Ibrahimović to control the ball.

Boom!

Ibrahimović controls the ball with his chest, finds Tang Ye, and immediately turns to face forward.

Tang Ye lifts his foot and kicks the ball forward without controlling it first.

Playing a through-ball to Ibrahimović!

"Wow!!!"

Ibrahimović, making a forward run into the penalty area, is quickly blocked by the West Brom defenders.

Pass first to Mkhitaryan supporting on the right!

Charging forward to shake off his marker, Ibrahimović regains possession inside the box.

Mkhitaryan passes the ball back to him.

Ibrahimović shoots!

"Gooo——aaa——lllll!!!"

"Goal!"

"Ibrahimović!"

1:0!

Thanks to Ibrahimović's poached goal in front of the net, Manchester United takes the lead!

"Zlatan!"

Tang Ye shouts loudly, takes a running start, and leaps directly onto Ibrahimović's back.

"Beautiful, Zlatan!"

Tang Ye is extremely excited right now.

Because Ibrahimović's goal gave him a certain feeling.

Manchester United was truly about to end their losing streak!

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Ibrahimović receives the ball inside the box and scores, Manchester United leads 1:0 away from home!

【So satisfying.】

【Damn, this is exactly the feeling! Why didn't we play like this sooner?】

【West Brom's defense is still quite fierce, but not as strong as Manchester United's attack.】

Leading by one goal in less than 30 minutes since kickoff, the fans saw that the Manchester United players seemed to have found themselves again.

Tang Ye naturally saw it too.

"Amazing, Zlatan!"

He placed his hand on Ibrahimović's shoulder.

But Ibrahimović was simply too tall; if Tang Ye kept his hand on his shoulder, it would become tiring, so after a while, he withdrew his hand.

"Great through ball, Tom!"

Ibrahimović slapped Tang Ye hard on the back.

"Oh, that's just basic operation, Zlatan."

After ending the celebration and sitting on the substitute bench chair, Ten Hag finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Anthony (Martial), go warm up!"

The away stand began to buzz with excitement as Manchester United fans chanted their team's name.

It feels so good to be back in form!

The clock reached the 39th minute of the first half!

West Brom launched an attack, but the Manchester United defenders handled it quite well.

Rodri coordinated with Ashley Young on the left flank to block McLean.

Clear the ball out!

Beautiful, Rod!

Praising silently in his heart, Tang Ye decisively started making a forward run.

Rashford moved over to support Rodri.

Rodri passed the ball to Rashford!

Rashford looked for Tang Ye again!

Receiving the ball in the center, his favorite position, Tang Ye dribbled forward himself.

The true nature of a possession-style midfielder was revealed without any doubt!

Observing carefully, there didn't seem to be any great opportunities in the center right now, so Tang Ye called Mkhitaryan on the right over, then ran toward the right flank himself.

Pa-pa!

Executing a cross-run while combining with a pass, he temporarily shook off the defender.

Okay, now it's about right!

【De Bruyne 45-Degree Cross Lv5: Replication (Transcendent State)】

Proficiency: 117/3500

"Send a high ball into the box!"

"Ibrahimović!"

"Header! Goal!"

A brace!

A brace by the striker Zlatan Ibrahimović!

"Fuck!"

Shouting loudly, Ibrahimović actively ran toward Tang Ye.

During training, he had already witnessed Tang Ye's absurdly precise high-ball crosses.

Today, he finally experienced it in a real match!

Flying to the highest point before suddenly decelerating—this was exactly the kind of cross that a target man loved most!

Ibrahimović stuck his hands under Tang Ye's armpits and, with one exertion of strength, lifted Tang Ye up.

"Roar—!!"

"I... I damn..."

Tang Ye was rendered slightly dazed by Ibrahimović's shout.

!

So... so terrifying!

Check Dongqiu Di halftime report: Tang Ye assists Ibrahimović with a header goal, Manchester United temporarily leads West Brom 2:0 away from home.

"United! United!"

The Manchester United fans shouted their chants once again as Tang Ye and Rashford walked together toward the tunnel.

"Great pass, Marcus."

"But I think you could play a bit more aggressively."

Tang Ye quietly offered his opinion.

Seemingly because he had been scolded as a rat by Ten Hag, Rashford was playing somewhat timidly today, which was not what Tang Ye wanted to see: "Marcus, you should be a very aggressive striker; only then can you utilize your speed advantage."

Tang Ye greatly envied those who could run fast; since Rashford possessed the ability to run fast, it absolutely must not be wasted!

"Mm."

Rashford nodded gently.

What Tang Ye said made perfect sense.

With Tom supporting him from behind, he ought to be playing very aggressively!

That is exactly what a Manchester United striker should look like!

Halftime.

"We did well in all aspects during the first half; we must maintain this state in the second half."

"Antony will go on directly, and then..."

His gaze shifted to Rashford; Ten Hag wanted to say something but held back.

"Hmm, let's leave it at that for now; adjust and prepare for the second half."

Tang Ye possessed extremely keen observational skills; he immediately discerned Ten Hag's intended meaning just now.

"Marcus, Mr. Erik was likely about to praise you, since you tracked back many times in the first half."

"But..."

He looked at Ten Hag again.

"He seems too embarrassed to say it; Marcus, you know, Mr. Erik is just that kind of person."

The second half has begun!

"As we can see, both teams have made a substitution adjustment..."

"For Manchester United, Martial replaces Mkhitaryan..."

"Eh, Ten Hag is making an experiment here!"

Both the CCTV commentators and the fans were somewhat surprised.

If memory served, this should be the first time Ten Hag had Martial play as a right winger?

What does Erik intend to do?

Martial was naturally not very satisfied with his position on the right wing, but his performance as a center forward was indeed not as good as Ibrahimović's, so there was no other choice.

The second half reached the 67th minute!

Clap clap!

Tang Ye and Martial executed a quick passing combination on the right flank, after which Martial dribbled toward the byline.

"Far post, far post!"

Tang Ye shouted loudly.

At the far post, Rashford had already begun his forward run!

Slap!

Martial passed the ball to Rashford!

He controlled the ball steadily!

But!

Rashford was tripped!

"Beep!"

Referee Oliver decisively blew his whistle.

Undoubtedly, this was a defensive foul by West Brom; Manchester United had earned a set-piece opportunity.

"Huff huff."

Tang Ye jogged over slowly, stood on the white line marked by the referee, and looked toward the penalty area.

Wow.

This was a decent position for a direct free kick.

Tang Ye had already prepared to shoot, but just as he bent down to place the ball, he noticed Rashford's Nike cleats beside him.

Hiss—

He straightened up again, then covered his mouth: "Marcus, how about you take this one?"

Rashford glanced at Tang Ye, then stepped forward: "Are you sure?"

"Anyway, I'm not certain I can score; why don't you try? You have more power."

Tang Ye placed the ball behind the white line, then retreated alongside Rashford.

He had already formulated a plan.

Everyone assumed he would take this direct free kick, but in reality, Rashford would be the one kicking.

Moreover, during training, Tang Ye had already witnessed the formidable power of Rashford's free kicks.

Doing this might just produce a different effect!

"Manchester United's set piece."

"The position of this kick is quite acceptable; it should be assigned to Tang Ye to take."

"Tang Ye!"

"He let it go!"

The players from both sides in the penalty area were dispersed by Tang Ye's feint, and at this moment, Rashford behind him began his run-up.

Bang!

A knuckleball shot straight at goal!

"Gooo——aaaa——lllll!!"

"Goal! An extremely tricky free-kick position!"

"Rashford!"

Watching the ball rush into the goal, Tang Ye raised both his arms high.

Indeed, it was exactly as he had understood during training.

Marcus's knuckleball is also incredibly formidable!

3:0!

Rashford rushed toward the sideline with his Manchester United teammates behind him.

"Roar!!!"

Knee slide!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!!

Unlike Tang Ye's artistic knee slide, Rashford's carried tremendous impact.

As if intending to knock everyone flying!

"Beautiful, Marcus!"

Running up from behind, Tang Ye wrapped his arm around Rashford's neck.

Check Dongqiu Di live match report: Rashford scores directly from a free kick; Manchester United leads 3:0.

"United!"

Bang bang!

"United!"

Bang bang!

Watching Ten Hag walk back from the front, Fan Fan Dejiahe spread his hands.

Ten Hag sat back down in his chair: "If he can maintain this level of performance, then I have nothing more to say."

"Mm, he indeed played very well today."

"I think you should tell him that face to face," Fan Fan Dejiahe said with a smile.

"Then forget it."

"..."

Fan Fan Dejiahe shrugged.

Oh well.

Getting Erik to praise someone face to face is simply too difficult.

However.

Since Rashford was not affected by the rat incident, Fan Fan Dejiahe could finally set aside the matter he had been worrying about.

"Rashford!"

"Rashford!"

Looking at the Manchester United fans in the away stand, Rashford happily raised both his hands.

This little rat has scored a goal!

"Beep, beep beep—!!!"

The match ended; Manchester United ultimately maintained their 3:0 advantage until the final whistle.

Standing on the grass, Tang Ye looked at the bouncing Manchester United fans in the away stand, feeling extremely happy in his heart.

Rodri walked toward him.

"Haha, Rod."

Tang Ye opened his arms and embraced Rodri: "I told you we would win many matches coming up."

"This is only the first one."

Rodri reminded him.

"But this is just the beginning."

"Haha."

After clapping hands with Tang Ye, Rodri slowly walked toward Mata.

【Mission Progress: Wins (1/3)】

Check Dongqiu Di match report: Rashford scores directly from a free kick; Manchester United shuts out West Brom 3-0 away, ending their losing streak.

After consecutive defeats against Mancheng and Bournemouth, crushing West Brom 3:0 means that, following this match, Manchester United can be said to be back on track.

They secured three very important league points.

Of course, this is not yet the most crucial part!

The most crucial thing is that after this victory, the Manchester United players have regained their confidence!

Bang!

Kicking open the locker room door, Tang Ye and Rashford ran in together.

"Roar—!!!!"

This was the super roar from Tom and Marcus!

Bang!

Plonking himself onto a substitute bench chair, Tang Ye leaned his entire body against the cabinet behind him.

"Damn, Marcus, we played so well in this match, did you feel it?"

"The opponent was no match for us at all, since they didn't score a single goal."

"Tom, you're getting cocky."

Mata, who had just walked in, heard what Tang Ye had said a moment ago.

"No, Mata, I'm not getting cocky; we really did play well, much better than in the first two matches at least. I had an assist, and Marcus scored."

Tang Ye held up two fingers: "Zlatan even scored two!"

Rashford bent down to pick up a bottle of water and a bottle of sports drink, then walked over and handed the drink to Tang Ye.

"Thanks, Tom."

"Marcus, why are you thanking me?"

Tang Ye took the drink from Rashford's hand and gulped it down in one go.

Rashford didn't rush to drink his water; instead, he pointed his thumb backward toward the locker room door: "That free kick, have you forgotten?"

"It wasn't a penalty, so there's no need to thank me. Besides, I wouldn't have scored it anyway; since you were in good form, I let you take it."

"Haha, thanks."

Rashford and Tang Ye bumped fists.

(End of Chapter)