"Only conceding one goal to Liverpool in the first half is actually a decent result. Everyone, don't carry too much burden."
Mourinho wasn't deliberately trying to comfort them.
In his tactical plan, the bottom line was being able to accept a two-goal deficit.
After all, with Liverpool's signature high-pressing attack and Klopp's "heavy metal football" tactics, how many teams in Europe could withstand it? Probably no more than a handful.
Moreover, the Champions League format differs from the league.
It doesn't demand as much consistency from teams but instead places greater emphasis on their short-term explosive capabilities.
Therefore, Mourinho believed that in the Champions League context, Liverpool was stronger than Manchester City.
"In the second half, we must closely monitor Liverpool's movements. Once they ease their pressing intensity in the front, we need to push forward and switch from defense to attack. We absolutely cannot give them any breathing room."
Once the Manchester United players had calmed down, Mourinho began explaining the tactics.
"Ling, you'll need to take the lead in the attacking strategy up front." Mourinho looked at Ling. "As for where, when, and under what circumstances, you'll have to judge for yourself."
He believed that with Ling's ability to read the game, he would definitely seize the best attacking opportunities.
"I'll likely focus on the right side, near Matip. He's already on a yellow card, so targeting him is a good approach," Ling nodded.
Liverpool's center-back pairing was quite solid, making it too difficult to break through forcefully. It wasn't that Ling thought he couldn't do it.
But the football pitch isn't a place for individualism.
The best approach is to break through the opponent's defense with minimal effort and put the ball into the net.
"Their full-back Milner isn't particularly strong. I can drift inside to support you and try to put Matip in a situation where he's marked by multiple players," Rashford also offered his suggestion.
"One last thing: Liverpool is really strong, and they won't play exactly as we expect. They'll definitely make timely tactical changes and adjustments on the fly. If anything unexpected happens... don't panic!" Mourinho looked seriously into his players' eyes.
Since he took over Manchester United, the journey had been smooth sailing.
So he was somewhat concerned.
"Don't worry, boss." Ling said with a smile, then extended his right hand. "Come on, lads, let's beat Liverpool!"
"Come on!!!"
As more than a dozen hands stacked together, a loud roar echoed in the dressing room.
...
Ling pushed open the door and walked into the player tunnel, where he happened to run into the Liverpool players.
He looked up and met the eyes of Henderson, who was wearing the captain's armband.
The Liverpool captain from Sunderland was once a die-hard Manchester United fan and even wanted to join the Red Devils at one point.
However... Manchester United's medical team advised Sir Alex Ferguson that Henderson's running posture was too unusual and could lead to frequent injuries.
In the end, Manchester United naturally gave up on signing him.
But no one could have known that this boy, rejected by Manchester United, would gradually grow into the leader of their arch-rivals, Liverpool.
Moreover, in the 2016-17 Premier League season, no one covered more distance than him.
But the issue raised by Manchester United's medical team eventually led Henderson to develop plantar fasciitis.
Now, he feels constant pain whenever he stands.
Not everyone can endure that kind of suffering. But Henderson remained calm, seemingly in peak competitive form.
There was no communication.
Players from both teams returned to the field, swapped halves, and waited in position.
Old Trafford erupted into noise once more, and amidst the cheers of the fans, the referee blew the whistle.
BEEP!!!
"Neither side has made any substitutions. In clashes between top-tier football teams, every substitution is crucial. Sometimes, just one substitution can dramatically change the course of the game," Neville commented. "For example, Sir Alex Ferguson's classic move in the 1999 Champions League final."
"After Manchester United kicked off, they didn't launch an all-out attack. Instead, they kept passing the ball around in midfield, as if trying to lure Liverpool players into pressing?" Carragher observed.
The ball rolled to McTominay's feet.
The young Scotsman dribbled forward, pushing the entire formation ahead.
But just before reaching Liverpool's pressing line, he chose to pass the ball sideways to Nemanja Matic.
This made Liverpool uncomfortable.
Pressing forward would leave gaps behind, but not pressing would allow Manchester United to pass freely?
It's important to remember that Liverpool's tactics are built on mobility.
Being pinned down by Manchester United wouldn't be a big deal, but the real fear was Manchester United gradually taking control of the game's tempo.
That would be unacceptable for Liverpool.
In the recent Premier League match, why did Liverpool lose to Manchester City? A large part of the reason lay in the tempo.
Following Klopp's signal, Liverpool's entire team pushed forward.
Since we can't control the tempo, let's disrupt it—break it up, engage in physical battles, control the pace, and use the lenient refereeing to our advantage. Let the game descend into chaos!
Manchester United naturally wasn't afraid of physical battles and chose to respond with equal intensity.
Less than five minutes into the second half, Fabinho received a yellow card for deliberately knocking down Pogba.
...
"Manchester United hasn't been able to organize an effective attack. If this continues, they're bound to face a Liverpool counterattack!" Carragher noted.
"Let's take a look at this free kick in the attacking third. Manchester United must have practiced this beforehand. I wonder if they can seize the opportunity?" Neville responded. "David Luiz sends the ball to the far post in the penalty area!"
The ball spun toward Ling.
Just as he tried to position himself for a jump, he noticed Van Dijk leaning in from the side.
It was physical contact that didn't quite reach the level of a foul, and the timing was impeccable. Right at the moment Ling was about to jump!
Ling's balance was disrupted, causing his jump height to drop and his hang time to shorten. Matip seized the opportunity to head the ball out of the penalty area first.
A perfect aerial defense tactic left Ling with no room to exert his strength.
"Our Liverpool is different from Manchester City. Our two center-backs are over 1.9 meters tall, and we've never been at a disadvantage in physical battles. Not to mention, we have the Premier League's aerial duel king—Matip!" Carragher's voice echoed in the commentary box.
"Perhaps Manchester United's No. 7 won't win a single aerial duel today! And when we return to Anfield, Liverpool will show Manchester United what it means to have an 'Anfield air ban'!"
Though Neville was anxious inside, his words remained sharp.
"Anfield air ban? Hasn't Liverpool conceded plenty of headed goals? If I recall correctly, in the last two league matches, you conceded a headed goal to Arsenal, didn't you?"
Carragher's expression darkened.
Everyone knows Emery only has one trick: wingers cutting to the byline and sending in crosses.
They do it over a dozen times a match.
And those annoying half-high balls are hard to defend against. It just so happened that Aubameyang managed to sneak one in.
It could hardly even be called a header, because he used his face to knock it in.
"Wait until Ling scores a header before you get cocky, but I doubt you'll get that chance." Carragher wore a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth.
While the two were arguing, the match continued.
...
Manchester United's attack had no effect, so Liverpool naturally seized the opportunity to counterattack, but their tactics underwent a significant change.
They no longer developed play from the right flank but went directly from back to front.
When Ling pressed Matip, the latter decisively passed the ball to Van Dijk, and the Dutchman opted for a long pass to find Mane.
It bypassed the fiercely contested midfield. This was a tactic Manchester United had often used in the past, but now they were on the receiving end.
Wan-Bissaka's one-on-one defense against Mane was fairly effective.
After all, he was a man who had invested all his points in defense.
Not only could he use his exceptional flexibility and explosive power to track his opponent, but he could also execute precise and sharp tackles to disrupt play when the man he was marking showed any weakness.
But Mane was no pushover either. Instead of trying to go it alone, he played a sideways pass to Firmino.
The linchpin of the Red Arrows trio, an atypical Brazilian striker!
Although his position was that of a center forward, he actually played more like an attacking midfielder, responsible for distributing the ball to the wings and creating opportunities up front, as well as orchestrating and managing the forwards.
"Even though he hasn't scored in over 400 minutes, he remains Liverpool's true core! An irreplaceable presence in Klopp's 4-3-3 system!" Carragher suddenly raised his voice.
Firmino didn't give Nemanja Matic a chance to interfere, delivering a precise diagonal through ball to Salah on the right.
Compared to Wan-Bissaka's physical attributes, Luke Shaw, after his leg break, was certainly no match.
So he struggled to keep up with Salah. After just a few explosive steps, he was left behind, and Salah smoothly delivered a curling cross!
The ball traced a beautiful arc!
The cumbersome Maguire had only just turned around and couldn't intercept it mid-flight, forced to watch as the ball sped toward the left side of the penalty area.
At that moment, fans of both teams held their breath!
Bang!
Mane's reverse run allowed him to get ahead of Wan-Bissaka, and he unleashed a fierce left-footed volley!
In critical moments, it all came down to De Gea.
With his classic K-shaped stance, his leg instantly dropped to the ground, just barely blocking the ball. David Luiz rushed over to clear it out for a throw-in.
"Brilliant, De Gea!" Neville let out a long sigh of relief. "His shot-stopping ability can make up for Manchester United's defensive flaws, but if things keep going like this, it won't be sustainable. Mourinho must find a way to change this passive situation!"
Neville's mind was filled with many questions.
Why was Manchester United playing so passively? Counterattacks weren't materializing, and their defense was full of holes, especially on the flanks.
The truth was, Liverpool were simply too strong.
At this stage, both Mane and Salah were at the peak of their careers.
Not just anyone could easily contain them.
Luke Shaw leaned on his knees, breathing heavily.
He had only been defending against Salah for fifty minutes, yet it felt more exhausting than playing a full match.
But he also noticed that Salah's stamina had dropped significantly.
And with Liverpool lacking suitable substitute wingers, if he could just hold on for another ten minutes or so, then bringing on Ashley Young would greatly improve Manchester United's situation.
"Manchester United should be grateful for their good luck, otherwise the scoreline would have been rewritten long ago, instead of this dull 0:1!" Carragher mocked.
"However, compared to the last time these two teams met, I see progress in Liverpool. They are no longer suppressed by Manchester United's fierce attacks; instead, they can leverage individual advantages to influence the entire pitch."
"Look at how long it's been since Ling has touched the ball? I saw comments online saying Manchester United's number 7 drank an invisibility potion. I think that's a pretty good explanation."
Most of the humiliation Carragher had suffered previously was caused by Ling.
So he harbored resentment in his heart!
Now that he had found an opportunity, he naturally wanted to mock thoroughly, venting all the past humiliation.
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