In November, the temperature in Manchester dropped, carrying the first real hint of winter.
So...
"How is it? Are the gloves I picked for you warm enough?"
Ling looked at Mahrez and felt that winter Mahrez, much like Professor Young in a contract year, was a conceptual entity.
One word summed it up.
Strong.
However, Manchester United did not have many major challenges this month.
In the Premier League, they would face Bournemouth, Brighton, and Sheffield United.
In the Champions League, they had Ajax and Salzburg.
According to Mourinho's plan, Manchester United already had nine points, so there was no need to push desperately for a perfect group-stage record.
These two Champions League matches could be used for appropriate rotation, preserving the players' form as much as possible.
"The Ballon d'Or ceremony is in December, and the 30-man shortlist is out. Guess where you rank?"
Mahrez chuckled.
"Are you dumb? The Ballon d'Or shortlist isn't ranked."
Ling knew right away that Mahrez was teasing him.
"Several of our teammates made the list. You, me, Kanté, De Gea..."
Mahrez listed them off.
And that did not even include Pogba, who had already left the team.
"Did Harry make it too?"
Havertz's tone carried a hint of envy.
"Hmph, I'm the starting centre-back for a Seven-Title Winner club. How could I not be on it? Unless they don't want the Ballon d'Or to exist anymore!"
Maguire puffed out his chest.
"And 17 players from the Premier League made the list, crushing the other four major leagues. Even our noisy neighbours had players like Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, and Sterling nominated."
Mahrez continued his explanation.
Hearing this, Ling could not help thinking that the Premier League was undoubtedly the strongest league among Europe's top five right now.
"Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are also on the list. I wonder where they'll rank?"
Maguire answered his own question immediately. "I bet Messi will be second, and Riyad will be third."
"I definitely won't be third. Cristiano Ronaldo will probably take that spot," Mahrez said, shaking his head.
It was not that he lacked confidence.
Rather, the Ballon d'Or nowadays placed increasing emphasis on influence.
It no longer considered achievements alone.
Otherwise, why would Mendes go to such lengths to build Ling's reputation?
"Anyway, first place is basically guaranteed!"
Maguire thumped his chest.
"Alright, we'll find out when the time comes. No point guessing now."
Ling patted his trousers and stood up to leave. He had plans to go wedding-dress shopping with Maria.
The two were preparing for their engagement ceremony in Manchester at the end of December, right after the Christmas fixtures.
...
📰 France Football: Ballon d'Or 30-Man Shortlist Released, Ling Leads Manchester United Nominees
📰 Sky Sports: Premier League Dominates Ballon d'Or Shortlist With 17 Players Named
📰 Manchester Evening News: Ling, Kanté, De Gea and Mahrez Among United Stars Nominated
📰 Marca: Messi and Ronaldo Included, But Ling Remains Favourite After Seven-Title Season
📱 @BallonDorWatch ✔
The shortlist is out, but let's be honest: this feels like everyone competing for second place behind Ling.
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: Seven trophies, Champions League defence, Premier League Golden Boot. If he doesn't win, cancel the award.
📱 @MadridCentral ✔
Cristiano top three, Messi top two, Ling first. That feels like the natural order this year.
📱 @UnitedStand ✔
Maguire on the Ballon d'Or shortlist is proof that dreams are free lmao.
...
Not long after, Ling drove to the Trafford Centre.
As Manchester's second-largest shopping center, nearly every famous brand had a store there.
From a distance, Ling spotted Maria.
'Wait.'
Why was his future father-in-law here too?
Young people's matters should be left to young people.
But since there was no Manchester derby coming up, Ling was not too intimidated by Guardiola.
"How did the North West Derby on October 20th end in a draw?"
Seeing the daughter he had watched grow up now dressed in a magnificent wedding gown, about to marry someone he disliked, Guardiola could not hide his irritation and immediately challenged Ling.
"Well, injuries in the squad affected our overall tactics, mainly hindering our midfield progression, which limited the forwards' effectiveness."
Ling did not mind his future father-in-law's attitude.
Let him be.
After all, he had taken away Guardiola's precious daughter.
What did a few sharp remarks matter?
"Ling, come take a look at this set."
Maria walked over, linked arms with Ling, and pulled him toward a wall of clothing.
Guardiola's eye twitched slightly.
He suddenly thought it would have been better not to come and join the excitement.
Wouldn't it have been more comfortable to stay home, drink coffee, and watch a match?
He was just asking for trouble.
"This is the wedding dress I designed with a minimalist style..."
Maria beamed with joy.
She had spent two years at the Manchester University School of Fashion Design, then traveled to Spain, Italy, and other countries to study and learn from numerous fashion brands.
Finally, this year, she launched her own brand!
Breeze.... like a gentle wind.
The brand focused on a minimalist style, but without losing its sense of luxury.
Although Maria wanted to build her own career through her own efforts, she could not completely avoid the influence of Guardiola and Ling.
After all, their names were too prominent in the football world.
"I'll go try this one on!"
Maria turned and skipped away, leaving Ling and Guardiola behind.
The two stared at each other, unsure what to talk about.
Well, might as well talk about football.
It was their bread and butter.
"That match, your adjustments were problematic. Since the midfield struggled to transition into attack, Jose should have decisively substituted Herrera for McTominay. Herrera's mobility could have helped contain Liverpool's penetration."
Guardiola criticized Mourinho without holding back.
Ling fell silent.
"Hey, this wedding dress looks great. It really complements your figure!"
Ling quickly stood up and praised Maria as she walked out.
"Really? Then let me try this one too."
Maria smiled gently.
The process that followed was both simple and complicated.
Maria tried on a total of 13 wedding dresses, including not only her own designs but also collaborations with other brands.
But she always felt there was a slight flaw.
Suddenly, she realized the key issue.
It had to coordinate with the groom's attire.
And so, Ling also began an endless cycle of changing clothes.
Fortunately, his figure was tall and straight, and his looks were decent enough.
Even wearing an old man's tank top had its own unique charm.
Guardiola fell silent at some point, quietly watching the well-matched couple.
No matter how reluctant he was, he had to admit that Ling was truly exceptional.
Since his debut, he had never been involved in any romantic scandals.
That alone placed him ahead of ninety percent of his peers, not to mention his achievements, ability, discipline, and personality.
The only downside was that he played for Manchester United.
Not Manchester City.
...
After a whole afternoon of this, Ling slumped exhausted on the sofa, thinking this was even more tiring than playing a full match.
"Let's settle on these few sets for now. I'll send you the specific measurements later."
Maria still felt unsatisfied.
She believed this engagement ceremony was very important, both for herself and for Ling.
So she had to pursue perfection.
Perfection.
And even more perfection!
"Don't you have a qualifier match in November?"
Guardiola asked knowingly, then continued on his own. "I was a bit bored recently and studied Serbia's tactics. Their overall strength is quite balanced, with no obvious weakness on the pitch, especially in midfield and attack. Their main tactic is high-pressure pressing, somewhat similar to Liverpool's."
To be honest, Guardiola usually would not even watch that kind of match.
Besides, he was not England's coach, so this was a bit of an overstep.
But who could blame him?
Ling was his future son-in-law.
He also understood the significance of the national-team matches at this stage, both for Ling personally and for England.
So if he could help, he would.
"Minimize back passes and sideways passes as much as possible. Instead, rely on the players' movement and positioning to deliver the ball forward vertically. Also, increase the speed of distribution."
"As for controlling the tempo, that will be up to you, because you're the only one in England who can consistently hold the ball under pressure in that zone. As long as you withstand Serbia's initial press, space will open up in the half-spaces."
Guardiola's explanation was very detailed.
He patted Ling's shoulder and said, "I've already sent the specific documents to your email. Study them carefully in your spare time."
Ling was deeply moved.
Although his future father-in-law spoke dismissively, deep down, he still cared about him.
Tsk, tsk.
He couldn't deliberately provoke him anymore.
...
November 2.
The Premier League reached its 11th round.
Manchester United visited the Vitality Stadium to face Bournemouth.
Shortly after kickoff, the Bournemouth fans erupted in deafening cheers.
Because their centre-back, Aké, completed a brilliant tackle in a one-on-one situation against Ling.
Ling felt helpless about this.
In football, there were no players with a 100% defensive success rate, just as there were no players with a 100% dribbling success rate.
Now that he had become public enemy number one in the Premier League, was even tackling him once worth celebrating?
After successfully tackling Ling, Aké's confidence soared.
Following the coach's instructions, he stuck close to Ling, determined to limit his impact.
As Ling cut into the penalty area and placed pressure on Bournemouth's defense, Manchester United's entire formation quickly advanced into dangerous territory.
Kanté played a diagonal pass to Havertz, who combined in a quick one-two before laying the ball off sideways.
"KANTÉ!"
"From distance—OH, WHAT A HIT!"
"The quiet man has spoken with thunder in his boots!"
"Manchester United break through in the 31st minute, and Bournemouth's brave wall has finally cracked!"
Bournemouth, a mid-to-lower-table team, became somewhat flustered after conceding.
Manchester United seized the momentum and continued launching wave after wave of attacks.
In the 38th minute, Ling scored with a header.
"LING RISES!"
"Of course he does! Of course he finds the moment! The man they tried to cage has simply flown above the bars!"
In the second half, he even dribbled past Aké and Cook near the edge of the penalty area before slotting the ball home.
"LING AGAIN—SLIPPING THROUGH BODIES, THROUGH BOOTS, THROUGH HOPE ITSELF!"
"Bournemouth tackled him once and celebrated like they had won the war. Now he has answered with goals, and the champion has reminded them how long a match truly lasts."
In the end, Manchester United defeated Bournemouth 3–0.
📰 Sky Sports: Ling Scores Twice as Manchester United Beat Bournemouth 3–0
📰 BBC Sport: United Stay Ruthless as Mourinho's Side Continue Title Push
📰 Manchester Evening News: Kanté Rocket and Ling Double Sink Bournemouth
📱 @UnitedStand ✔
Aké tackled Ling once and Bournemouth celebrated like they unlocked an achievement. Ling then scored twice. Football is cruel.
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: You can win the duel. He'll win the match.
📱 @TacticalTim ✔
Bournemouth's plan worked for half an hour. The problem is that against Ling, "worked for half an hour" usually means "failed eventually."
---------
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