Shortly after Man United's match ended, a wave of criticism flooded the internet.
After all, Man United were last season's Premier League and Champions League champions, yet they struggled against a Brighton side hovering near the relegation zone.
How much more difficult would the next match against Tottenham be?
Jose Mourinho was well aware of Manchester United's defensive issues and was brainstorming solutions with his coaching staff.
Rui Faria pointed at the tactical board and said, "Boss, with Rashford and Pogba covering the left flank, we don't need Luke Shaw to push forward. He can tuck inside during attacking phases to compensate for our lack of defensive midfield strength."
Mourinho pondered for a moment before nodding.
This was indeed a viable solution, though against top teams it might leave the wings vulnerable.
Data analyst Giovanni Cerra suddenly had an inspiration. "Boss, could we take a page from Liverpool's book and relieve defensive pressure by intensifying our front-line attacks?"
Mourinho turned his gaze to the tactical board.
Currently, Manchester United employed two tactical systems: 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1.
The former placed excessive demands on defensive midfielders, while the latter, with its broader coverage, actually required less from individual players.
The problem lay in offensive pressure—United could no longer just defend deep and passively wait for counter-attacking opportunities.
But that would require Ling to frequently engage in pressing, forcing opponents toward the wings when they had possession, then having side midfielders and defensive midfielders push up to form traps.
The office soon filled with smoke as a new tactical system gradually took shape.
...
Meanwhile, Ling had just seen Maria home.
Pep Guardiola closed the door behind them and spoke meaningfully, "I'm Manchester City's coach, you're a Manchester United player. Isn't it inappropriate for us to meet so frequently?"
Upon hearing this, Ling felt helpless while thinking, 'Who's been in frequent contact with you?'
'I'm actually meeting frequently with Maria, not you!'
So he pretended to be earnest and said, "It's fine, I don't mind."
Guardiola nearly choked on his anger at the retort.
'But I mind you damn bastard!' he fumed internally.
He could only retort with a sharp threat.
"You just wait!"
After Guardiola slammed his door shut, Ling chuckled all the way home.
Occasionally bickering with Guardiola was quite entertaining.
Especially seeing Guardiola furious yet helpless felt even more satisfying than scoring a long-range world wave goal!
...
August 23rd.
Manchester United players arrived in Tallinn, Estonia's capital, to participate in the annual UEFA Super Cup.
It's a UEFA-held tournament at the start of each season, serving as the curtain-raiser for European club competitions.
The match pitted the Champions League winner against the Europa League winner, with regulations requiring only 90 minutes of play—no extra time, straight to penalties if tied.
Last season, Man United lost the European Super Cup to Real Madrid, and every Man United player was fueled by determination to secure the club's second European Super Cup title in history!
Their opponents were Europa League champions Atletico Madrid, who finished second in La Liga last season, 14 points behind leaders Barcelona.
However, due to the Premier League starting too early this season, the English Football Association and UEFA failed to reach an agreement, resulting in the awkward situation where the European Super Cup was held only after two rounds of Premier League matches had already been played.
Manchester United had applied to the English FA to postpone league matches to avoid affecting players' competitive condition, but the request was coldly rejected.
This closely resembled Manchester United's past experiences.
In 1958, the English FA pressured Man United, represented by Sir Matt Busby, citing disruptions to the domestic league schedule, to prevent them from participating in what was then considered a poor and unpromising Champions League.
Sir Busby naturally disagreed; he hoped Man United's lads would not only achieve success in England but also make a name for themselves across Europe.
What followed was widely known: the tragic Munich air disaster.
Even though the English FA was unwilling to postpone their fixtures, Mourinho had no intention of abandoning the European Super Cup and still took the main squad to Estonia.
Thus, he assured the English FA that it would absolutely not affect domestic league matches or competitions like the FA Cup.
Mourinho couldn't help feeling deeply concerned, even experiencing rare moments of doubt, especially since United's main objectives this season remained the league and Champions League.
Moreover, United lacked sufficiently aggressive enforcers.
Winning the European Super Cup would certainly not be as easy as Man United might imagine.
Actually, Mourinho was deeply concerned about this match, primarily because of Atletico Madrid's football philosophy.
After Argentine coach Diego Simeone returned to Atletico Madrid, he transformed an ordinary team into a gritty, disciplined force, creating the fearsome "wolf pack" tactics.
Six titles in eight years!
They reached the Champions League final twice in three years, troubling the entire football world.
Simeone has thus become the most successful head coach in Atletico Madrid's history.
Before the match, Simeone modestly stated: "I don't want to say anything that could be misinterpreted. Mentally, we don't consider ourselves inferior to any opponent. Manchester United players returned to training slightly earlier than ours. We'll carefully study their recent performances in our preparations."
"Ling? He's an excellent player, but he's still too young. If I had to choose, I'd lean toward Diego Costa—he represents the epitome of a mature striker. Can Griezmann win the Ballon d'Or? It's up to the voters. But one thing's for sure—he holds a significant advantage now."
"Dirty playing? No, because football itself has no fixed formula—it's an all-encompassing sport. This is our style, and it gives me great peace of mind."
As he spoke, he pointed into the distance where many media personnel were gathered, their job being to capture the daily lives of football stars.
In the shot, Simeone wore a proud smile; in his view, his team embodied grit, not dirtiness.
Mourinho, on the other hand, expressed confidence in the match without engaging in much confrontational rhetoric.
This surprised media reporters, as it contrasted with the European "Special One's" usual style.
But Atletico wasn't in great shape either.
With La Liga yet to begin, they could only gel through friendly matches, and the players' competitive form hadn't yet peaked.
Thus, both teams had their own strengths and weaknesses.
...
A. Le Coq Arena.
The stadium was packed to capacity.
The European Super Cup opening ceremony paled in comparison to the Champions League final, but the Super Cup trophy itself weighed 7 kilograms more than the Champions League trophy, hailed as the most exquisite in the world.
The players from both teams stood in the players' tunnel, with Pogba and Antoine Griezmann shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries, while De Gea and his Spanish national teammates exchanged awkward glances, seemingly recalling the uncomfortable situation from the World Cup.
Diego Costa glanced sideways at Ling, harboring strong opinions about this highly hyped player, largely due to Mourinho.
Their conflict had escalated to the point where Diego Costa once threw his training bib at Mourinho during a match at Chelsea.
When Mourinho faced widespread betrayal at Chelsea, Diego Costa could be considered the main instigator.
Later, when Diego Costa tried to repeat the same tactics, the "exceptionally shrewd" Antonio Conte preempted him with a single text message, benching Diego Costa for seven months.
This winter transfer window, Atletico Madrid spent 60 million euros to bring back Diego Costa, only to realize they might have been duped.
Nearby, Griezmann also occasionally cast glances at Ling, because a few days prior, the Chinese company Huawei suddenly notified him of terminated cooperation.
From what he gathered, the reason lay with Ling.
This infuriated him!
After all, cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents.
Griezmann wanted Huawei to know that he was not only a World Cup champion but also capable of defeating China's rising star!
Ling, unaware of their myriad thoughts, was busy recalling Atletico Madrid's tactical style to employ targeted positioning and play during the match.
Of course, even if he knew, he wouldn't be afraid.
From the youth academy to now, even with the system's assistance, he had given everything to compete for honors.
But what if honors are limited? The only way is to kick those competitors down one by one, leaving them as lonely bones beneath the throne.
Soon, the soaring melody echoed, and players from both teams slowly emerged from the tunnel.
High up in the commentary box, the microphones went live.
Peter Drury: "Good evening, Europe! Good evening, the world! We are broadcasting live from Tallinn for the UEFA Super Cup! Manchester United versus Atletico Madrid! A clash of ideologies, a battle of kings! The Champions League winner against the Europa League winner—who will lift the silver beauty into the Baltic night sky?"
Jim Beglin: "Next, let me introduce the starting lineups for both teams. In red jerseys, attacking from left to right, is Man United. Mourinho has deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation."
"Matic's return from injury has significantly bolstered Man United's defensive solidity. David Luiz starts as the central defender, and his partnership with Harry Maguire is equally promising. Ling remains the lone striker up front, with Pogba as the attacking midfielder behind him."
"Now, let's look at Atletico Madrid's lineup. Wearing blue away jerseys, they've set up in a classic 4-4-2 formation. Atletico Madrid's year-and-a-half transfer ban has just ended, and they've signed strong players like Rodri and Thomas Lemar, poised to challenge for both the league and Champions League titles! Thus, the European Super Cup serves as their litmus test!"
Drury: "Who will claim the crown tonight? The resurgent Red Devils or the reinforced Rojiblancos? Let's wait and see!"
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