PHWEEEEE~
As the referee blew his whistle for the second half, O'Neill returned to the sideline, quietly taking his seat. He watched the field with calm focus.
Ferguson, too, settled down. United had equalized; though he didn't say it aloud, a draw would have satisfied him. The club was weathering a turbulent period, and stabilizing performances mattered more than flair—especially with potential new ownership looming.
The second half kicked off, and Manchester City's approach completely changed.
On the left, Ronaldinho no longer charged forward recklessly. Instead, he focused on orchestrating play—drawing defenders' attention and distributing the ball to Lampard or Stanković.
From there, they often switched play to the right, where Deco tested Neville. Though Deco was still adapting, the tempo slowed noticeably as City built possession more patiently.
In the first ten minutes of the second half, City's players showed tremendous discipline—sharp in defense, composed in attack.
