[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-start-with-r9-template":3,"chapter-start-with-r9-template-start-with-r9-template-chapter-66":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},1388881,1840,"Chapter 66 - 66","start-with-r9-template-chapter-66",66,"\u003Cp>During the halftime break, the away dressing room at the Liberty Stadium was surprisingly calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>José Mourinho didn't throw water bottles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't deliver a passionate, veins-popping speech about pride and history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swansea, frankly, didn't warrant that level of emotional expenditure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply tweaked the tactics on the whiteboard, adjusting the pressing triggers and the positioning of the full-backs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Control,\" he said simply. \"Do not let them breathe. Kill the game early, and then we rest.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Liberty Stadium buzzed back to life, the second half commenced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the kickoff, Manchester United no longer sat back in the pragmatic shell they had adopted at the end of the first half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They pushed forward aggressively, clearly aiming to seize the initiative and control the match through possession and territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ander Herrera received a pass back from McTominay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up and immediately launched a perfectly weighted long ball over the top of Swansea's high line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus Rashford showcased his blistering prowess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He exploded from a standing start, his acceleration leaving Alfie Mawson for dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The defender, panicked, could only resort to a cynical shirt pull.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beeep!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee showed Mawson a yellow card and awarded United a promising free kick on the edge of the box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rashford, perhaps feeling confident after his knuckleball against Benfica, stepped up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time, he focused too much on power and aiming for the top corner; the ball narrowly fizzed over the crossbar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the restart, the Manchester United youth team gradually found their rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They displayed organized attacks and solid defense, effectively pinning Swansea in their own half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Little Barcelona\" was being suffocated by the \"Red Devils' Kindergarten.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What troubled Ling, however, was the new level of attention he was receiving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swansea had learned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least two defenders were constantly around him, forming a cage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Federico Fernández and Kyle Naughton stuck to him like glue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever he showed even a flicker of intention to receive the ball, opponents immediately closed in, denying him the space to turn or break through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 56th minute, Fernández, frustrated by Ling's movement, shoved him aggressively from the side as the ball went out of play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was needless, and it earned him a yellow card.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From that point on, Ling began to adapt his playstyle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He realized he couldn't just be a winger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He started frequently rotating positions with his teammates, drifting inside, even dropping deep into midfield to pick up the ball, acting as a false nine at times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This fluid movement drew the Swansea defenders out of their rigid positions, creating pockets of space for Rashford and Lingard to exploit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 64th minute, the breakthrough came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daley Blind played a sharp through ball down the left flank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling, with his back to goal, used his body to hold off the yellow-carded Fernández.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt the defender hesitate, afraid to make another aggressive challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the opportunity, Ling didn't just hold it up; he spun. He quickly cut inside, creating a yard of space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked up and launched a stunning, cross-field diagonal pass, switching the play across nearly half the pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It landed perfectly in the path of Matteo Darmian, who was making a rare overlapping run down the right wing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Swansea's defense was stretched to the breaking point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their right flank was exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jesse Lingard, reading the play, made a sharp diagonal run between the center-back and full-back toward the byline, dragging two defenders toward him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Darmian delivered a whipped, diagonal cross into the box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although heading wasn't Rashford's strongest suit, his blistering pace allowed him to shake off his marker and connect with a powerful header from 14 yards out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lukasz Fabianski reacted brilliantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dove low to his left, getting a strong hand to palm the ball away just as it was about to cross the goal line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the danger wasn't over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jesse Lingard had continued his run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He spotted the loose ball spilling into the six-yard box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instinctively, he lunged and poked it into the net for the follow-up goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>0-2!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After scoring, an ecstatic Lingard didn't just run to the corner flag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He grabbed Ling, Rashford, and McTominay, pulling them into a huddle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The band! The band!\" he shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four of them lined up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lingard pretended to play a flute. Rashford mimed a saxophone. McTominay drummed on an invisible kit. And Ling... Ling reluctantly held an invisible guitar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They broke into a bizarre, synchronized, and utterly ridiculous dance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a celebration they had planned (mostly Lingard) in the dorms before the match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Ling had strongly objected at the time, calling it \"cringe,\" he had been outvoted 3-to-1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no choice but to join in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That's enough, isn't it? We look like idiots,\" Ling muttered through a forced smile, feeling his cheeks flush slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He truly wasn't cut out for this kind of performative art. But his three teammates were completely absorbed in the moment, grinning like Cheshire cats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, even the referee grew impatient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He jogged over, gesturing for them to restart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Lingard reluctantly end the concert, though a fierce desire to score again surged within him—just so they could do the encore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While others scored for bonuses and glory, Jesse Lingard did it for the memes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Our performance today has been absolutely brilliant!\" Lingard beamed as they jogged back to their own half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, yeah, totally!\" McTominay and Rashford chimed in enthusiastically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the genuine smiles on his teammates' faces, Ling's mood lifted as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fighting alongside good friends really was a wonderful feeling, he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, a shadow of a thought crossed his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered the future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that in the ruthless world of football, paths diverged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three of them would face challenges—injuries, loss of form, transfers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One might become a legend, another a flop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'If I have the chance,' he vowed silently, 'I will do what I can to help them. We rise together.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the sidelines, Mourinho returned to his seat in the dugout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He checked his watch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his view, winning today's match was no longer in doubt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swansea was little more than a warm-up now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their overall quality was limited and posed no real threat to a disciplined Manchester United.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The players on the pitch needed to come off early to conserve energy for the upcoming major fixture.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specifically, the match against Tottenham at Old Trafford.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As fellow members of the Premier League's \"Big Six,\" Spurs were a different animal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although their trophy cabinet might be dusty, their starting XI was elite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kane, Eriksen, Alli, Son. A single misstep could lead to defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho clenched his fists slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been watching Manchester City breeze through their matches with ease, scoring 5, 6, 7 goals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, he felt immense pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The media were already crowning Pep Guardiola. But it also fueled his motivation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Guardiola... I look forward to the day we meet.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 67th minute of the match, Mourinho made a statement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He used all his substitutions in one go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nemanja Matić replaced Ander Herrera to lock down the midfield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luke Shaw took Jeremy Ling's place to give the youngster a rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then... the big one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zlatan Ibrahimović came on for Marcus Rashford.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The away end erupted\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Zlat-an Ibra-him-ovic! He is a Swedish hero!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho brought him on to help him regain match fitness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Ibrahimović had already returned to training, a player absent from high-intensity matches for months after an ACL injury often struggles to find their rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Manchester United's schedule congesting, and Lukaku unable to play every single minute, the team urgently needed their \"Lion\" back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling, now sitting on the bench with a towel around his shoulders, watched with anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ibrahimović had always looked out for the academy kids, acting as a mentor and a shield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all hoped he would deliver a strong performance in his domestic return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon after the match resumed, Manchester United's momentum shifted subtly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Never underestimate Ibrahimović's influence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't just physical; it was psychological.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His aura demanded the ball. His presence terrified defenders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last season, he had single-handedly carried the team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The players had grown accustomed to having the \"God\" on the field.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with the taskmaster back, everyone was filled with a renewed fighting spirit, especially Lingard, whose movement became even more lively around the big Swede.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Swansea players felt the pressure intensify.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was suffocating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were pinned back in their own penalty area, barely able to clear their lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 78th minute of the match: Lingard broke through on the wing and delivered a clipped cross into the center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ibrahimović, despite his towering frame and age, moved with remarkable agility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He controlled the ball with his chest, evaded Mawson with a deft touch, held off the recovering Ki Sung-yueng with one arm, and unleashed a powerful volley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a strike reminiscent of his prime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball whistled toward the goal in a blur of white.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It struck the crossbar with such force that the goal frame shook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tens of thousands of fans gasped. The ball bounced down and out of play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Again! Keep attacking!\" Ibrahimović shouted, clapping his hands, shrugging indifferently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew his touch wasn't quite 100% yet, but the power was there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Manchester United substitutes buried their heads in their hands, lamenting the missed wonder-goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho, however, brightened visibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stood and applauded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was clearly pleased with Ibrahimović's movement and competitive fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed his worries about the injury affecting Zlatan's mentality were unnecessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course—how could Zlatan possibly falter? Lions don't recover like humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match continued, with Manchester United maintaining absolute dominance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ibrahimović gradually regained his rhythm, his touches becoming sharper, his hold-up play bringing others into the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the referee's whistle blew, signaling the end of the match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Swansea 0-2 Manchester United!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a heavily rotated squad featuring an 18-year-old pivot, a dancing attacking midfielder, and the return of a legend, Manchester United had defeated a full-strength Swansea side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They advanced emphatically to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"kids\" had done alright. And the \"Lion\" was hungry for more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>---------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>patreon (.)com\u002FNewbietranslator\u003C\u002Fp>",1708,"2026-06-05T22:48:23.062Z",1,"novelbin.me","60504009a80e3ce956789e4578897cbb22884489ba0060ca0eca3ca9348487e6","start-with-r9-template-chapter-67","start-with-r9-template-chapter-65",371,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstart-with-r9-template-cover.jpg"]