Chapter 254: Aggression and Tactical Obedience

Bailey's appearance looks old, but he is actually only 22 years old.

Africa Cup champion.

UEFA Cup best lineup.

Mourinho liked his hardness and speed, giving him stronger aggression than the injury‑prone Phil Jones.

The weight of aggression and tactical obedience needs to be balanced according to the actual situation.

Especially when joining a new team, one must also consider the characteristics of different defensive teammates when making a choice.

Bailey does not think he made a mistake.

He rushed toward the ball without hesitation.

If Smalling can't handle Morata one‑on‑one, how will the road ahead in the Premier League and UEFA Cup be?

"Bailey is very fast."

"Li Kang is closer to the ball."

"When he just won the tackle, he didn't use much force with his feet."

"The ball is within control after a few steps."

Li Kang's left foot touched the ball first.

He lightly pulled it back.

He avoided Bailey's sliding tackle.

He then tapped it with the inside of his right foot.

The ball rolled backward into the diagonal forward space!

As he turned, he accelerated two steps.

Bailey was completely shaken off.

Old Trafford erupted again.

There was no illusion of any legendary star.

It was just a pull‑back turn move executed with the aid of his golden left foot.

"Suave."

"An elegant dribble past."

"Bailey's speed turning back to chase is very fast."

"Can't catch up."

"Li Kang didn't give him a chance to get tangled, sending a long pass!"

"Backfield."

"Morata, one versus two! He's surrounded!"

Morata has a high football IQ.

When contesting for position, he doesn't rely entirely on his body.

A feint of accelerating and charging outward fooled Luke Shaw into stepping back two steps.

Often, those who are fooled are smart people.

Smalling is relatively slow‑witted and didn't fall for Morata's feint.

He never received systematic youth training; back then, his senior brothers Vidic and Ferdinand taught him martial‑arts secrets.

It's like having a university professor teach him calculus before he even finished elementary school.

So his basic positioning awareness is often criticized.

No nonsense.

Morata began to devour Smalling.

Where to run?

Wherever he runs, Li will definitely pass the ball over.

In the shot.

Arsenal's god striker shook off a 1.94‑meter Manchester United central defender in just a few steps!

"When Smalling wasn't that tall before, his turning speed was very fast."

"He isn't slow now either."

"It's that Morata's acceleration is too fast."

The right side of the top of the penalty arc.

Morata stopped the ball with his chest.

He didn't rush to shoot.

He clearly knew his duty in this counterattack.

After all, he was a young Real Madrid player personally taught by Mourinho how to play transitional attack.

Forcing a shot would only waste this hard‑earned counterattack.

He raised his elbow to block Smalling's tight mark.

He nimbly flicked the ball, avoiding the Manchester United defender's foot.

He was also waiting.

Waiting for Sanchez.

He didn't wait long.

Manchester United players were about to retreat and take position!

Morata cut the ball, turned, surged forward toward the baseline, seized the passing lane, and delivered a cross.

Sanchez on the other side!

Just in time!

Charge forward and shoot!

Sanchez did not shoot.

De Gea and Luke Shaw's defensive positioning was excellent.

The Chilean striker finished his thought in a flash.

Pa!

His thick, dark thighs knocked the ball backwards.

Set up the cannon!

Arsenal's number 10 arrived as scheduled.

Old Trafford let out waves of astonishment.

His thoughts were pulled back to a season dominated by a blue beast...

Isn't this the three‑move set of Mourinho‑style Chelsea: Sheep Assault, cannon setup, long shot?

Mourinho on the sidelines was dumbfounded.

De Gea was about to cry.

His reaction was quick, but he couldn't instantly dive from the near post to the far post.

Old Trafford's goal is 7.32 meters wide.

Too late.

Boom!

Unmarked Li Kang fired an ordinary long shot from outside the penalty area.

No elegant arc with fierce spin.

No swift, fierce ball speed like the wind.

The ball flew unhindered into Manchester United's net.

0:2!

!

The Theatre of Dreams, sighs and cheers continually intertwined.

Pogba, who had rushed back to defend, slid to a stop on the ground beside Li Kang.

The hundred‑million‑euro man again angrily pounded the turf.

The ball went in!

Li Kang finally broke through the opponent's goal before Manchester United's players could get back into position.

A classic moment at the Theatre of Dreams!

Arsenal has solved the flaw in their transition attack!

He's worth more than just two hundred million!

In the closing stage of the first half, Sanchez assisted, Li Kang scored with a long shot, and Arsenal extended their lead!

The live broadcast room.

The big screen replayed Arsenal's entire counterattack.

Danmu flew across the screen.

-【What's happening? I just poured a cup of water and Arsenal scored? Wasn't Manchester United pressing them?】

-【Li Mingdeng is awesome!】

-【Isn't this just Mourinho‑style Chelsea's counter‑attack? Only at the start, Li Kang and Walcott used passes to shorten the sprint time—one runs well, the other times his pass perfectly.】

-【Lure Bale again, scattering the defensive strength of the last line.】

-【Morata's individual ability is strong enough—he fools one and takes one, nailing the timing of the sideways pass! I originally thought he would shoot himself.】

-【Sanchez set up the cannon well—he didn't keep it to himself; if it were last season he would surely have taken the shot himself.】

-【Manchester United's defense was disrupted by the two of them.】

-【Watch Li Mingdeng's run and pass in this counterattack... it's divine, as if calculated—every part is just right; if the final shot were a few seconds later, Manchester United's recovering players would have broken it up!】

-【Isn't Arsenal going to be invincible this season?】

-【No injuries, strike first; with injuries, strike back... grabbing points frantically before a massive injury wave hits! The Premier League title is locked in.】

In the stands.

Ferguson's face flushed red, he gripped his cane tightly, and slammed it heavily onto the ground.

He wished he could beat the club's scouts mercilessly.

Clearly Manchester United was the first to discover that kid.

Can't Manchester United come up with two hundred million?

Unlucky Wenger... before retiring he spent two hundred million to build a dynasty!

No.

He won't retire that quickly! That kid Li can still play for many years!

So angry.

Even angrier than when Fabregas smashed a pizza on him.

Clearly Manchester United discovered Li Kang first.

Papapa.

The neutral stand's spectators burst into enthusiastic applause.

Accompanied by the cheers of Arsenal fans.

Many Manchester United fans were also infected, unable to resist clapping.

This is the value of the two-hundred-million-euro man.

Not just individual ability.

It also possesses the magic to instantly turn the tide.

Arsenal's goal, which had been barely holding on, under his instigation launched the simplest and most direct powerful counterattack.

On the sidelines.

Boerde was still completely bewildered.

Wenger, surrounded by the coaching staff, already raised both fists.

An exhilarating transition attack.

The significance of this goal is extraordinary.

A spatial counterattack that broke free of width and depth.

The Gunners are no longer the avoidant-attached little partner!

First move invincible.

Second move domineering.

Who can stop this Arsenal?

"Oh God."

"Li solved the problem that had troubled Arsenal's coaching staff for years."

"Boss, we're going to replicate the miracle of 49 unbeaten matches from back then!"

"Stay calm, this is only the fourth round of the Premier League!"

"Don't just celebrate; quickly hand Li a banana—he must be exhausted from running so far."

The other side.

Manchester United's coaching staff remained silent.

Mourinho called Bailly to the front and roared loudly.

"What are you thinking?"

"This is Manchester United, not Villarreal!"

"The defensive line absolutely cannot be out of position."

"Even when facing the enemy's counterattack, we must shift our defensive focus backward, rather than recklessly rushing forward."

"If you don't lose position, we might even be able to hit Arsenal with a mismatch after completing a tackle!"

"..."

Bailly obviously didn't understand.

He didn't think he was wrong anywhere.

Last season, playing for Villarreal, he could keep a clean sheet against Barcelona with MSN!

Mourinho looked at his disciple's bewildered expression, his tone gradually weakening...

Forget it.

Even if Bailly doesn't lose position, that kid Li Kang might still be able to pull off a three-strike combo.

On the green pitch.

Li Kang was surrounded by his teammates.

Morata excitedly said: "Li, I knew what you were thinking... this kind of counterattack is too easy for me!"

Sanchez remained silent, eagerly scratching Li Kang's hair.

Walcott took the banana from the sidelines, jogged over, peeled it, and stuffed it into Li Kang's mouth.

Bananas are high-potassium food, can strengthen muscles and endurance, improve concentration... not that miraculous, but experiments show they are a quick source of energy.

For example, Bayern Munich's Nuoyin'er often eats bananas during matches.

Carrasco quickly told everyone not to scratch so hard.

He feared Li Kang wouldn't be injured by the opponent, but instead get scratched by his teammates.

One side's joy contrasted with the other's sorrow.

The Manchester United players who had firmly controlled the situation were a bit deflated.

De Gea still hasn't learned to scold teammates; he patiently explained to Smalling the issue of defensive positioning... although he's been lecturing for several seasons, he may have to keep doing so...

Pogba lingered unwilling to rise, a look of regretful loss.

Why do we always lose to Li?

The national team lost.

The club also lost.

Yun Bu directly pulled him up, said nothing, his face grim, raised his hand pointing at the ball in the net, signaling the French little black egg to quickly go pick it up.

The game restarted from the center circle.

Yun Bu kicked off, passing back to the backfield.

Atkinson glanced at his watch and immediately blew the whistle for halftime.

The cheers from all sides of the stands abruptly stopped.

The LED screen hanging above Old Trafford displayed the score of 0:2.

Arsenal fans felt happy about the leading score.

Manchester United fans' ability to adjust their home emotions is strong; not too disheartened, they likewise left their seats in high spirits.

The home team's attack was vigorous, but luck was a bit lacking, and they failed to score.

Dream Theatre, how many times have they fallen behind by two goals at halftime?

The scenario of being two goals down and then scoring three to win is nothing unusual!

The players from both teams walked off the pitch.

Qie He put his arm around Li Kang's shoulder, walking and saying: 'Li, you don't need to drop so deep in the second half... I can take care of it.'

Which goalkeeper wouldn't want a 200-million-euro star in front of them in a crunch?

But Qie He's overall team awareness is very strong.

He is the goalkeeper best suited to the bus tactic.

The key isn't in defending.

But in counterattacking.

He believes Li Kang is more threatening when active outside the box in positional play.

In the tunnel.

The upper-hand Wen Ge will no longer be provoked by Mu Li Ni Ao.

He begins to patiently consider the opponent's halftime adjustments and formation changes.

Shortly after.

A Sen Na locker room.

Boerde picked up the tactical board.

After a brief exchange, Wen Ge and the Gunners' coaching staff began making halftime tactical adjustments.

"Bo Ge Ba and Yin Bu represent Man Lian's link between midfield and attack in the offensive phase."

"Thanks to their individual abilities and style, we find it hard to cut their link."

"But man-to-man marking can be assigned to others."

"Ma Xia Er, away from the crowd, and the constantly running Lin Jia De."

"Also watch out for Ai Lei La, who constantly makes late runs."

"These three points are crucial."

"If Mu Li Ni Ao substitutes Lu Ni or Ma Ta for Ma Xia Er in the second half, we need to watch the defensive depth..."

Soon.

Defensive duties were assigned to every midfield and defender.

Still, Li Kang was not assigned any man-marking duty.

Wen Ge always thought: using a 200-million-euro player for defense would be too wasteful.

Man Lian locker room.

An interesting incident occurred.

Yin Bu pushed Mu Li Ni Ao and Fa Li Ya out the door.

The door slammed shut.

No one knows what happened among the players.

Two minutes later.

The locker room door was opened again.

Man Lian's coaching staff saw faces no longer downcast, but full of fighting spirit...

Mu Li Ni Ao's anger, which he had been ready to vent, also vanished in an instant.

Sometimes.

Perhaps analyzing and summarizing mistakes in a different way would be better.

The fifteen-minute halftime break ended quickly.

At the player tunnel.

Lu Ni and Li Kang exchanged greetings.

They weren't very familiar with each other.

But the little fatty was familiar with Ke La Mo, Ben De Er, and a few Bei lai yin playboys.

Last season's Champions League round of 16 and quarterfinals.

Lu Ni had introduced many nice places to the Lewokusen players, letting them experience local customs.

But the servers were somewhat older.

Li Kang smiled, looking at the energetic Lu Ni, and God's perspective began frantically simulating Man Lian's tactical changes.

He really liked watching Lu Ni's match highlights.

In his memory, there was a huge amount of data.

Tens of thousands of spectators returned to their seats.

The referee crew led both teams' players back onto the pitch.

Lao Te La Fu De stadium resumed its clamor.

"Welcome back, viewers; we are now broadcasting the fourth round of the 2016/17 Premier League season."

"Man Lian versus A Sen Na, second half!"

"Mu Li Ni Ao made the first substitution."

"Lu Ni replaces Ma Xia Er!"

"Man Lian's formation could become 4-4-2! It could also become 4-3-3!"

"Wen Ge stands pat; according to his style, the two-goal‑leading A Sen Na is expected to make a substitution only between the 60th and 75th minutes."

Live broadcast room.

Bullet comments flying across the screen.

-【Isn't Rooney supposed to go to the USA? He still has the skill to play in the Premier League! Make way for the youngsters!】

-【Holding onto the toilet without taking a shit.】

-【Don't talk nonsense, his form this season is not bad; he could even pull off an inverted golden hook in the first two rounds!】

-【Manchester United's formation is still 4-5-1, right? Rooney playing as a central midfielder these past few years has been stronger and more fierce.】

-【If his private life were a bit more restrained, his career would be even more glorious.】

-【Little Fat Rooney's Red Devils journey has already been glorious...】

-【Having Little Fat Rooney at home brings blessings and health.】