[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-start-with-r9-template":3,"chapter-start-with-r9-template-start-with-r9-template-chapter-288":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Start with R9 Template",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1388852,1840,"Chapter 288 - 288","start-with-r9-template-chapter-288",288,"\u003Cp>After several days of rest following the busy Christmas period, Manchester United faced Newcastle United at St. James' Park.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Newcastle United started the match by focusing entirely on defense, looking only for rare counterattacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rafael Benítez's tactics were exceedingly conservative, clearly signaling: If you don't attack, neither will I.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Currently, Newcastle United sat 13th in the league table, just eight points above the relegation zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, facing a Manchester United side with vastly superior paper strength, Benítez's primary goal was to do everything possible to secure a point at home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jose Mourinho naturally wouldn't settle for a draw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a wave of his hand from the touchline, Manchester United quickly pushed forward, launching an aerial bombardment from both flanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball was constantly lofted into Newcastle United's penalty area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Today, Manchester United lined up in an experimental 4-3-1-2 formation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, David Luiz, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka formed the backline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The defensive midfield trio consisted of Scott McTominay, Nemanja Matić, and Ander Herrera.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Paul Pogba played as the lone attacking midfielder, while Jeremy Ling and Romelu Lukaku partnered as a dual center-forward pairing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho hadn't used this formation before, but he felt he couldn't keep Lukaku on the bench any longer, especially since the Belgian's wages were far from low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, with the idea of making the most of his resources, he devised this two-striker system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boss, why aren't we using a standard 4-4-2? That formation offers much better balance between attack and defense,\" assistant manager Rui Faria asked, puzzled by the narrow setup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That would crowd out the wingers and actually weaken our defensive solidity in the middle,\" Mourinho replied without taking his eyes off the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Besides, of our three defensive midfielders today, only Herrera has decent lateral mobility. The other two aren't quite up to covering the wide areas in a flat four.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faria nodded, though he wasn't entirely convinced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief period of adaptation, the Manchester United front three grew increasingly cohesive, producing attacks as smooth as silk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter Drury: \"Pogba dances his way past Mohamed Diamé... oh, and he lofts a delicate, precise pass into the penalty area!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jim Beglin: \"Lukaku is there. He holds off the defender brilliantly and nods the ball down... but the layoff lands in a very awkward spot for Ling. It's behind him!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether with his foot or his head, Ling couldn't make immediate contact to shoot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the next second, Benítez's eyes widened in disbelief on the touchline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling threw his entire body backward, executing an acrobatic, improvised diving header, redirecting the bouncing ball into the net from the right side of the goal!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter Drury: \"LIIIIIIING!!! How has he managed that?! He throws himself at the dropping ball, contorting his body to manufacture a finish out of absolutely nothing! It is pure instinct! In the 21st minute, Manchester United take the lead!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From then on, Manchester United completely controlled the rhythm of the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when an attack broke down and possession was lost, the three defensive midfielders provided an immense wall of solidity, complemented by the two defensively minded full-backs staying deep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This ensured that Newcastle United failed to register a single shot on target before the end of the first half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the second half began, Manchester United continued with their tried-and-tested approach: overlapping runs from the full-backs and relentless crosses from the flanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the crossing methods varied—diagonal crosses, low-driven crosses, and cutbacks were frequently alternated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Newcastle United defense was run ragged and began making several basic positional errors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 63rd minute...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter Drury: \"Luke Shaw drives to the byline. He delivers the left-footed cross... it's hung up there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jim Beglin: \"The quality isn't particularly high, but look at Jeremy Ling's leap!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Peter Drury: \"Ling rises! He hangs in the Tyneside air, outjumping Jamaal Lascelles to head the ball back across the face of goal! And LUKAKU IS THERE! A thunderous volley! The ball bounces once and flies into the roof of the net! Emphatic from the Belgian!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>0-2!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a comfortable two-goal lead, Mourinho decisively opted to Park the Bus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the deafening boos from the home fans? he didnt give a shit about it..\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boss, our left and right flanks are exposed with huge gaps in this shape,\" Faria said with a worried expression, pointing at the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We can only rely on the three central midfielders to cover them with extensive lateral movement! This formation isn't working perfectly defensively!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, indeed,\" Mourinho nodded calmly. \"But if we add a world-class defensive midfielder with a massive range of movement, the problem would be easily solved!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You mentioned wanting to approach N'Golo Kanté, but Chelsea have made it clear they won't let him go,\" Faria reminded him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Look at you, getting impatient again,\" Mourinho waved his hand dismissively. \"Business isn't done in a day. Take it slow, and results will come eventually.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His current primary focus behind the scenes was on Manchester United's wage structure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the past year, Manchester United had spent £180 million renewing key player contracts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they were to sign Kanté now, it might cause financial fair play issues unless they sold a few more fringe players to free up salary space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the problem was that Manchester United's current squad was quite lean.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Redundant players like Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling had already left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What about Matteo Darmian?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Mourinho glanced at the substitutes' bench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Manchester United currently wasn't short on defenders. Perhaps letting the Italian return to his homeland would be a rather good option to free up wages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Darmian noticed Mourinho's calculating gaze, he couldn't help but break out in goosebumps, forcing a smile that looked even worse than crying!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The midfield also seemed a bit overcrowded with McTominay, Kovačić, Matić, and Pogba.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if this 4-3-1-2 formation proved viable long-term, then Pogba could serve as the starting attacking midfielder, making the remaining personnel distribution much easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or perhaps they could exchange Kovačić for Kanté, even if it meant paying Chelsea a bit extra in cash?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more Mourinho thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He and Faria chatted intermittently about transfer matters while the situation on the green pitch underwent a dramatic change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kovačić had just prepared to receive a pass from a teammate but misjudged his touch, sending the ball straight out of bounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Newcastle United took the throw-in, they discovered something terrifying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Manchester United defended, every single player dropped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The forwards retreated near the center circle, and the attacking midfielder dropped even deeper, forming a shape similar to a hyper-compressed 4-4-2.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it simply, aside from the goalkeeper, ten players were simultaneously involved in deep defense, completely clogging up the entire backfield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever any Newcastle United player had the ball, they would face intense pressing within seconds, finding no gaps to pass through to break the defensive line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was truly taking Park the Bus to the extreme!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What a damn bastard!\" Benítez couldn't help but curse from his technical area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he had frequently used defensive blocks as his mainstream tactic whether coaching Liverpool or Real Madrid, he had never been as ruthlessly insane as Mourinho!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, strengthening the defense to this degree inevitably meant sacrificing offensive intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 4-3-1-2 formation had a fatal flaw on the counter: its attacking power was very weak, with only two forwards consistently in offensive positions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I think for Manchester United, this shouldn't be a problem,\" Mourinho's lips curled into a slight smirk as his gaze locked onto Ling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much pressure was applied to him, the kid could shoulder it and complete the task alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Which manager wouldn't love such a player?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using sheer individual brilliance to compensate for tactical shortcomings was a simple yet effective method, but not everyone had a player capable of employing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho couldn't help but sigh happily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This feels so good!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good about what?!\" Before Faria finished speaking, he exclaimed again, \"There's a gap on the flank! Ah, thankfully, David Luiz made a timely tackle!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1341,"2026-06-05T22:48:23.062Z",1,"novelbin.me","30d6c50acac483b5bcbc7e4f57b46880d75271686536ff47793e430c48e54296","start-with-r9-template-chapter-289","start-with-r9-template-chapter-287",371,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstart-with-r9-template-cover.jpg"]