Chapter 534: Mancheng's Unprecedented Disaster, The Arrival of Chaos in England

【Bor: If you have any thoughts, contact me anytime】

This was the first message Bor sent.

After about 10 seconds, Bor sent another one.

The second message was very brief, containing only the single word "Go for it".

"..."

"What's wrong?"

Rodri noticed someone had sent a message to Tang Ye.

Because Tang Ye frequently contacted teammates from Villarreal and Utrecht, Rodri often checked Tang Ye's chat content.

Tang Ye showed the phone screen to Rodri: "My agent wants me to transfer, but I don't really want to leave."

"Haha, then don't leave."

Rodri laughed.

Tang Ye lowered the window and said slowly: "I feel Mr. Eric will probably say a lot of things today. I can imagine how nervous he looks, just like when we watched TV yesterday."

Beep beep!

Rodri honked the horn a few times to signal the car ahead to hurry through the green light.

"It can't be helped, Tom, we really need to adjust quickly."

After the first leg of the quarter-final against Paris ended, Manchester United's next match would be at home against West Ham United.

After playing West Ham United, there would be the second leg against Paris.

But this was not the end; at the end of the month, Manchester United would face Mancheng and Liwupu respectively.

The Guardian — Manchester United suffers an unprecedented disaster; could Mancheng and Liwupu's counterattack opportunities arrive?

Appendix: 2018-19 Premier League standings (as of the end of matchday 33):

1. Mancheng, 88 points.

2. Mancheng, 85 points.

3. Liwupu, 84 points.

4. Chelsea, 64 points.

5. Tottenham, 62 points.

It was still the familiar Three Kingdoms saga, with Mancheng sitting at the top of the table with 88 points.

Previously, with De Bruyne injured, it seemed Mancheng had no chance of catching up to Mancheng again.

But now the situation had changed slightly; Mancheng had also lost one of their key players.

Click click!

After the Carabao Cup semi-final ended, Guardiola expressed his views on the matter at the reporters' request.

"Just as the reporters said, this is indeed our opportunity. Actually, in my opinion, Mancheng losing Rashford might be even more serious than us losing Kevin (De Bruyne), because since last season, they have adopted a rather special tactic."

In fact, Guardiola had long speculated on the impact of Rashford or Tang Ye getting injured on Mancheng.

But he didn't expect these two guys to hold out until the end of the season before injuries appeared.

The counter-tactics Guardiola had been setting up for years could finally be put to use at this moment.

Of course, Guardiola would not tell the reporters about these things.

"The Manchester derby will kick off in two weeks. With Mancheng losing Rashford, do you think Mancheng can defeat the opponent and take all three points?"

"Of course, I think we can."

"Go Mancheng!"

"Long live Mancheng!"

Before the interview ended, Mancheng fans in the stadium shouted.

"The sky over Manchester is blue!"

Sky Sports: Guardiola plans to defeat Mancheng in the Manchester derby on the 24th, using it as a springboard to end Mancheng's dominance of the table.

【Can't breathe, bro】

【It's just the Glazer family's fault, okay? Why didn't they spend more money during the Piggy Xia Chuang last season? If the enterprise doesn't subsidize the club, what's the point of the club playing?】

【I thought Mancheng had already won the title early, but then this happened.】

Leading Mancheng by three points after 33 rounds and also holding the advantage in goal difference, Mancheng fans at the time felt their home team had already secured the Premier League title.

Then Rashford pulled a muscle with a simple turn.

One can only say the Premier League is still the familiar Premier League; no matter from what angle you look at it, the entertainment value is maxed out.

More than a day has passed since Rashford pulled a muscle, and the odds for the Premier League title on betting websites have changed abruptly.

Now, the number of fans backing Mancheng is not much less than those backing Mancheng!

"I know we are facing some rather bad situations; this is society's reaction to it, and of course, the facts are indeed so. Marcus's injury will bring us a lot of pressure."

The first thing Ten Hag did upon arriving at the base was to organize the players for an early morning meeting.

According to the plan, this early meeting would run from 9:30 in the morning until 11:00 at noon.

The conference room was very quiet; Tang Ye held his phone, recording what Ten Hag said into his notes app.

Although he didn't listen to Ten Hag's words completely, through this method, Tang Ye still captured quite a bit of key information.

1. After Rashford's injury, Ye He will become the starting left winger, while Mata and Greenwood will rotate on the right wing.

2. Mancheng will increase the frequency of using the 4-3-3 formation, changing the previous wing breakthrough points into a more comprehensive attacking style.

3....

From point 1 to point 7 were all tactical issues; Ten Hag did not spend much breath on these.

More than two-thirds of the entire meeting was spent by the Dutchman on something else: adjusting the players' mentality.

In Ten Hag's view, despite Rashford's injury, Manchester United remained the favorite to win the championship thanks to their three-point advantage.

"We still have to play Mancheng and Chelsea; I know these two matches will be very difficult, but we must hold on because we've come this far."

"This season is our most promising one; I don't want to lose the title when we're still in first place after round 33, and I assume you feel the same way now."

Ten Hag looked into the eyes of the Manchester United players: "I know the current situation; playing against Mancheng and Chelsea will bring us great difficulties..."

Glancing at Fan Fan Dejiahe, Ten Hag continued his unfinished thought: "After analyzing the upcoming matches with Michel, our plan is to secure just three points from these two games; then, relying on our goal difference advantage, we will ultimately claim the championship."

Ten Hag lowered the team's original requirements, which greatly alleviated the pressure on the Manchester United players.

Needing only three points from the matches against Mancheng and Chelsea to win the title might sound somewhat idealistic, but you also need to look at Manchester United's schedule for May.

Manchester United's opponents in the final two league matches of May are Huddersfield and Cardiff City, respectively.

These two teams are currently ranked last and third-to-last in the standings, respectively; Ten Hag's plan is to rack up goal difference in these two matches.

In the remaining five league matches, if Manchester United loses one and wins four, then even if Mancheng and Liwupu win all five of their matches, Manchester United will still be the ultimate victor.

"But..."

A voice suddenly came from the meeting room.

Realizing it was Tang Ye speaking, both the Manchester United players and Ten Hag were somewhat surprised.

"But after Marcus got injured, we probably won't be able to score too many goals, right? Uh, I mean, probably."

"..."

Ten Hag did not respond immediately because he truly hadn't expected Tang Ye to stand up at this moment.

In previous meetings, Tang Ye had always hidden in the back, playing on his phone without saying a word.

Exchanging a glance with Fan Fan Dejiahe, Ten Hag gave his answer: "That is exactly the issue; now, each of the eleven players on the field must perform a bit better to plug the gap left by Rashford's absence."

"..."

Good heavens!

Allowing one loss in the next five matches might not seem like idealism.

But in reality, it still is idealism.

Because of Rashford's injury, the pressure on the remaining eleven Manchester United starting players will become even greater.

Rashford sat on the edge of the training ground, quietly watching his teammates training on the field.

"Hiss—"

Thinking that he wouldn't be able to play a single match from now on, Rashford kept stomping his feet.

A mild strain in the thigh muscle prevented him from running on the field, though he could still walk with difficulty; this situation was often the most frustrating, giving the player himself the feeling that he could play but couldn't.

"Didn't you give him time off?"

Fan Fan Dejiahe glanced at Rashford, who was sitting dazed in the distance, and asked Ten Hag. "He insisted on staying there to watch, so let him watch there."

"Hmm..."

Fan Fan Dejiahe glanced again in Rashford's direction; the Manchester United striker covered his eyes with both hands, kicking his feet back and forth against the grass, looking completely like someone who wanted to do something but was helpless.

Boom!

A goal scored by Tang Ye's header!

"Awesome, Tom!"

Rodri and Tang Ye high-fived.

Two days had passed since the Champions League defeat; the Manchester United players' mentality was slowly improving, while Rodri had also quickly regained his best match form.

【Header: 60 → 61】

Tang Ye (41 years old)

【Ball Control: 89; Passing: 92】

【Shooting: 80; Header: 61; Set Pieces: 81】

【Speed: 78; Stamina: 76; Physicality: 85】

【Defense: 76; Vision: 99】

Overall Rating: 87

The Header attribute increased by one point.

It was certainly a happy thing, but at this moment, the increase in the Header attribute seemed to offer little help for the upcoming matches.

The crisis Manchester United currently faced was not something Tang Ye's 61-rated Header could solve.

"Rod, I feel like you've found your form."

After training ended, Tang Ye bumped Rodri's arm with his fist.

He could see clearly that in today's training, Rodri had delivered a performance better than in the previous match.

"Haha, yes."

Rodri rubbed his neck with his hand.

With extensive training and matches, cervical spine issues easily arise; this is unavoidable for professional players.

After a brief chat with Rodri, Tang Ye quickly approached Rashford, who was off the field.

"Marcus."

Sitting down beside Rashford, Tang Ye received the water bottle, half-drunk, that Rashford handed to him.

Glug glug!

"Are you very nervous right now, Tom?"

"Mm, it's okay, not too nervous. Hiss, probably about the same as before."

Tang Ye replied; he could hear a sense of guilt in Rashford's voice: "This isn't your fault, Marcus; injuries happen, and we've had too many matches."

Rashford is not GGBond; he cannot buy hot chocolate milk in the system shop like GGBond can. If he wants to recover fully, he must rely solely on his own physical capabilities.

With such frequent training and matches, playing as a winger who requires rapid sprints, it was inevitable that Rashford would suffer an injury.

"I don't think it's a major issue, Marcus. As we said during this morning's meeting, we will win."

Tang Ye placed his hand on Rashford's shoulder, while Rodri approached from the other side; soon, Rashford was surrounded by his Manchester United teammates.

"If each of us plays a bit harder, we can make up for the part you're missing, and then we'll be champions."

Tang Ye appeared very optimistic.

"Just watch us work, Marcus."

Match Preview: April 14th, 12:30 AM, Premier League Round 34, Manchester United vs. West Ham United at Old Trafford; Rashford ruled out with injury as Manchester United faces a title-deciding challenge.

Fresh off their Champions League match against Paris, the Premier League fixture arrived quickly.

Already resembling the Three Kingdoms period, coupled with Rashford's injury, this match had captured the attention of football fans worldwide.

Having reached Round 34, the situation was actually quite clear.

The only match Manchester United could afford to lose was the one against Mancheng; that was their final margin for error. In all remaining games, they truly could not lose a single match, or they would completely lose their chance at the title.

"Manchester United is collapsing!"

Before the match began, a large crowd of West Ham United fans gathered outside the stadium, mocking today's opponents.

A fan rushed forward, snatching the microphone from the reporter's hand.

"The sky over Manchester is blue! Long live Mancheng!"

This fan was clearly not a supporter of Mancheng; he said this solely to disgust the Manchester United fans present.

"So you think Manchester United will lose to you today?"

The reporter asked.

Just as the interviewee prepared to answer, a large group of Manchester United fans charged over.

"Ah!"

Startled, the West Ham United fans immediately scattered, running far away.

Even as they fled, the fans continued shouting.

"We will win! We will win! The sky over Manchester is blue!"

"Fuck, run faster!"

Fans from both teams rushed past the camera one after another, leaving only the bewildered reporter behind.

The term "Three Kingdoms" described not only the current state of the Premier League.

It also described the current state of Premier League fans.

Hmm...

England seemed to have stepped into an era of chaos.

"Anderson!"

"Here comes Anderson!"

"Oh! Felipe Anderson scores! West Ham United takes a 1-0 lead!"

The stadium stands instantly descended into chaos.

After a 0-0 first half, less than five minutes into the second half, West Ham United had already scored.

"Oh my god..."

"West Ham United has created a miracle; very few teams this season have managed to score first against Manchester United."

The camera cut to the away section, where West Ham United fans were jumping and celebrating.

"Eonyouirons! (Come on, Hammers!)"

"Eonyouirons!"

Check Dongqiu Di Live Match Report: 51st minute, Anderson makes a forward run to meet the ball and scores; Manchester United trails 0-1 at home.

"Damn!"

Ten Hag was furious.

As stated before, Rashford's absence should not have caused major problems for Manchester United's defense.

However, because of Rashford's injury, the mentality of the Manchester United players on the pitch had been affected; that was the real issue.

He urgently called the players to the sideline to emphasize the adjusted tactics.

"We cannot lose; we cannot lose now!"

Ashley Young was already anxious, shouting at his teammates: "If we lose, we lose our chance!"

Ptui!

Tang Ye spat out the chewing gum in his mouth and then scraped the grass with the studs of his boots.

64th minute of the second half!

Clap clap!

Linking up with Greenwood, Tang Ye suddenly played a through ball into the center for Haller.

Haller passes to Ye He!

Ye He controls the ball, then lays it back to Rodri.

"Inside!"

Thwack!

Rodri lofts a high ball toward the penalty area.

……

(End of Chapter)