[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-start-with-r9-template":3,"chapter-start-with-r9-template-start-with-r9-template-chapter-7":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},1388679,1840,"Chapter 7: Extra Training","start-with-r9-template-chapter-7",7,"\u003Cp>On the sidelines, Faria was scribbling notes onto his tactical board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'His final chip was technically superb. Beyond youth-team level,' he wrote.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But his internal thoughts were more complex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What's truly surprising is the composure. Mitchell's pass was slightly overhit. Most kids would panic, either over-run it or blast it at the keeper. Ling... he slowed down. He waited for the keeper to commit. That's not skill, that's intelligence.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a veteran coach, Faria knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You could drill technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You couldn't drill that kind of ice-cold imagination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Still,' Faria thought, closing his notebook.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'A good performance. But he's not first-team qualified. Not yet. Kid, what else have you got?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thousands of miles away, in the sweltering heat of North America, another man was watching a very different game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>International Champions Cup: Barcelona vs. Manchester United.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just three minutes in, Rashford broke free on the right and fired a low cross.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lukaku, sliding in, somehow managed to sky the ball over the crossbar from six yards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From that moment on, Barcelona dictated everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Messi, Suarez, and Neymar—likely playing together for the last time—were a blur of perfect, intuitive combinations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 12th minute, Messi received the ball, dropped his shoulder to send both Pogba and Carrick the wrong way, and unleashed a curling shot from the edge of the box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball hammered off the right post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>De Gea, who hadn't moved, broke into a cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho stood on the sideline, arms crossed, his face like stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the level he had to conquer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And this Barcelona, a team that hadn't made it past the Champions League quarter-finals in two seasons, was running rings around them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they couldn't even compete with this team, how could they ever hope to challenge Real Madrid or Bayern?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The transfer window was open, but his hands were tied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed a winger with pace and a final product—someone like Perisic or Bale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after spending 130 million on Matic and Lukaku, the club's pockets were empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned his gaze back to the pitch, his brow furrowed, just in time to watch Mkhitaryan try to take on Jordi Alba.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alba simply closed him down, applied a strong shoulder, and Mkhitaryan crumpled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The full-back strode away with the ball and launched a long pass to Messi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Messi controlled it effortlessly, shook off Carrick, and slid a perfect through ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neymar darted in front of Valencia and coolly slotted it into the far corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1-0, Barcelona.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho sighed, a low, frustrated hiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'This is what I spent 42 million on?' he thought, his jaw tightening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'23 goals and 32 assists in Germany... and he can't even hold his ground against a full-back.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mkhitaryan just couldn't adapt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The slightest physical pressure and he vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His other winger, Martial, was a center-forward by trade and couldn't provide the sustained explosive impact he needed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mourinho's entire system—the concise, rapid counter-attack—depended on acceleration from the wings. Right now, he had none.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match ended 1-0. It wasn't even close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back at the AON Arena, the game was nearing its end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>United, holding a two-goal lead, had reverted to a full-team defense, building an impenetrable wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>West Ham, for all their possession, couldn't find a way through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worse for them, they had to be terrified of the counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The effect was brilliant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>United's players, smelling blood, would win the ball and immediately, in unison, look for Ling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, West Ham's press died.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their full-backs hesitated to bomb forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their key man, Declan Rice, had to instinctively drift to that side just to help Luis, his full-back, who was now terrified of being one-on-one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Rice pulled out of position, West Ham's attack died completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Utterly boring! But Ling's performance has been excellent. Hope he gets the call-up.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 90th minute, West Ham won a corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rice delivered it to the far post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tuanzebe, in a rare lapse, lost his man, and a West Ham defender headed it in. 2-1.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was too little, too late.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee blew the final whistle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Manchester United youth team had secured the victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling followed his teammates, applauding the fans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ling, I've figured it out,\" McTominay said, slinging a sweaty arm around his shoulder. \"Your skills are just like my height. They just... automatically improve at a certain point in time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'He's not wrong,' he thought. 'He just doesn't know I'm cheating.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Well, 17 to 23... it's when players are supposed to have explosive growth. Some are just late bloomers. Like Vardy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour later, in a debriefing room at Carrington, Faria stood in front of the tactics board.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Defensively, our organization was solid. We covered the central areas well,\" he said, his tone professional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But don't get complacent. Our defensive support was slow. We weren't decisive enough when pressing their full-backs. We need to improve.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reviewed the game for twenty minutes, highlighting every minor error.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nurturing young players meant setting an impossible standard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, that's all. Go stretch, go rest.\" Faria clapped his hands. \"Ling. Stay behind for a moment. I have something to discuss with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>McTominay grinned and gave Ling a secret thumbs-up, wishing his friend luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room emptied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just the two of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faria closed his laptop and turned, his expression serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ling, I won't hide this from you,\" Faria began, his voice low. \"Because of your rapid improvement, José is very interested in you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ling's heart hammered in his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He straightened his posture, his expression becoming one of intense focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn't dare to breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>",938,"2026-06-05T22:48:22.783Z",1,"novelbin.me","7e272a132a626b753790f236a3fabeea44ac8b5ffc6248429b683c8792a5ef77","start-with-r9-template-chapter-108","start-with-r9-template-chapter-6",371,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstart-with-r9-template-cover.jpg"]