On November 8, in the Champions League group stage, Manchester United faced Ajax at home.
Ten Hag stood at Old Trafford, gazing at the magnificent Theatre of Dreams and listening to the passionate cheers.
He set a goal for himself.
Hmm.
In this lifetime, he would coach Manchester United and become the manager of a top club!
After the match began, Ajax showed no mercy against a rotated Manchester United lineup, unleashing a youthful storm.
The attacking triangle of Ziyech, Labyad, and Van de Beek quickly bypassed United's first line of defense with rapid passing combinations.
They then shifted the direction of attack to the flanks.
From a tactical perspective, there were indeed traces of Guardiola's influence.
But at its core, this was still the Dutch philosophy of Total Football.
Michels, Cruyff, and others had taken the theory invented by Reynolds and spread it to every corner of the football world.
This tactic held epoch-making significance in the history of football tactics.
Because after its emergence, football tactics no longer focused solely on the relationship between the ball and the players. Instead, they shifted toward studying how to use space on the pitch.
When attacking, expand your own space.
When defending, shrink the opponent's space.
Ajax's players strictly executed this principle, spreading their attack wide to expand their offensive space.
Mazraoui made a quick overlapping run to receive the ball and took a shot from the right side of the penalty area.
Bang!
The football traced an arc toward the goal.
Promes executed a diving header, hammering the ball into Manchester United's net.
"PROMES!"
"AJAX STRIKE AT OLD TRAFFORD!"
"The young storm from Amsterdam has blown through the Theatre of Dreams, and for the first time tonight, the great red machine is made to tremble!"
"They were brave, they were quick, they were precise — and now they are ahead!"
Ajax took the initiative away from home.
They were still the dark horse.
Last season, they had impressively defeated Real Madrid and nearly reached the Champions League final.
Could they create another dark-horse miracle at Old Trafford? Not really.
It was just a Champions League group-stage match.
If that counted as a miracle, then what about the Night in Istanbul?
On the sidelines, Ten Hag was ecstatic, wildly pumping his fists toward the Ajax fans.
'Beautiful.'
'From now on, many top clubs were sure to take notice of me.'
Suddenly, he composed himself and glanced toward the Manchester United bench.
'Oh.'
'Ling was not even in the squad today.'
Then he should celebrate without restraint!
...
Mourinho sat calmly on the bench.
He was not particularly concerned about this match, considering the upcoming international break, Christmas schedule, and overall workload.
Manchester United had to rotate and rest, or they risked collective injuries.
Of course, there was another reason.
The Premier League match the day after tomorrow was more important, especially with Liverpool and Manchester City still chasing fiercely.
When the referee blew the final whistle, the scoreboard displayed 0–1.
Manchester United had ultimately lost the match.
...
The post-match interview was lively.
"Manchester United are a very strong team, an excellent attacking side with a lot of movement."
"Of course, the gap between us and Manchester United isn't that big, given we won."
"Yes, our goal this season is still the final. Last season, we narrowly lost to Manchester City. Now, our squad is more complete and cohesive, and the entire team is full of confidence."
"Ling didn't play?"
"Similarly, Huntelaar is injured and absent. When we have our full squad back, our competitiveness will be even stronger. On another day, we could have won by more."
"Who is Huntelaar?"
Ten Hag frowned at the reporter, thinking this guy's professionalism was really lacking.
They didnt even know about the fiery tale of the Dutch "Four Sticks":
Iron Stick Robben.
Wooden Stick Van Persie.
Electric Stick Sneijder.
And Beaten Stick Huntelaar!
Mourinho did not say much.
He only mentioned that planned rotation greatly benefited the team, while blindly chasing victories could lead to collapse.
...
📰 Sky Sports: Ajax Shock Rotated Manchester United at Old Trafford
📰 BBC Sport: Ten Hag's Side End United's Perfect Champions League Start
📰 The Athletic: Mourinho Accepts Defeat as Rotation Plan Takes Priority
📰 Manchester Evening News: Ling Rested as United Fall 1–0 to Ajax
📱 @UnitedStand ✔
We lost at home to Ajax, but Ling wasn't even in the squad. I refuse to panic!
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: Ten Hag celebrating like he solved football while the final boss was at home resting his legs.
📱 @AjaxMarketWatch
Ajax won at Old Trafford. Every player is now worth 20 million more. Business complete.
📱 @TacticalTim ✔
United clearly treated this as a rotation match. Ajax deserve credit, but the context matters.
...
After the fourth round of the Champions League group stage, it was time for another Premier League matchday.
Manchester United hosted Brighton at home.
In the 21st minute, Ling shook off a defender on the left, turned, and delivered a precise long pass.
Mahrez followed up, controlling the ball in one motion before shooting.
Mahrez in winter was on par with Messi.
His movements were quick and steady and brighton's goal was easily breached.
1–0.
"MAHREZ IN GLOVES!"
"Winter has arrived in Manchester, and so has the Algerian magician!"
"One touch to tame it, one strike to punish it — and Brighton are already staring into the cold!"
"Ling, pass to me more often from now on. Let me win the Golden Boot once too."
Mahrez was thrilled after scoring.
"Then you'll have to compensate me for my goal bonuses," Ling said, rolling his eyes.
Mahrez immediately backed down. "I definitely can't afford that. You'd better score yourself."
Ling's treatment in the Premier League was in a league of its own.
Beyond his high base salary, the more staggering aspect was the additional clauses.
Goals.
Assists.
Awards.
All could be converted into pounds.
Especially the prestigious Ballon d'Or in December, which would likely bring Ling a massive income.
But those were only small gains.
The real profits lay in endorsements, partnerships, and influence.
Moreover, it was foreseeable what tremendous impact the first Chinese-born Ballon d'Or winner would have on the football atmosphere in China.
Brighton failed to achieve their dream of defeating Manchester United at the Theatre of Dreams like Ajax had.
After the match, they left in disarray with a 3–0 defeat.
📰 Sky Sports: Manchester United Bounce Back With Comfortable Win Over Brighton
📰 BBC Sport: Mahrez and Ling Shine as United Return to Winning Ways
📰 Manchester Evening News: Winter Mahrez Arrives as United Sweep Brighton Aside
📱 @UnitedStand ✔
Mahrez with gloves is genuinely a different footballer. Someone check if those things are legal.
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: Winter Mahrez could dribble through airport security.
📱 @TacticalTim ✔
United's response after the Ajax loss was calm. Mourinho rotated, took the loss, restored the starters, and moved on.
Immediately after, it was time for the most anticipated event for England fans.
The November Euro qualifiers.
After the Brighton match, Ling drove directly to St. George's Park.
England's next match would be against Serbia, one of the more physically intense opponents in the group.
Southgate valued this match highly, and Guardiola's tactical notes had already made Ling pay even more attention to it.
Serbia were not an opponent to be underestimated.
If England wanted to become true contenders, these were exactly the kinds of matches they had to control.
...
November 14th.
UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifiers.
Serbia versus England.
This was not Ling's first time in Belgrade.
Manchester United had once stopped there during a commercial event, though back then he had barely paid attention to the city.
This time was different.
This time, he arrived with England, carrying the weight of expectation from a country that suddenly believed its golden generation might become something real.
As Ling walked out of the airport terminal, he happened to run into Sancho.
Pointing at Sancho's dark circles, Ling asked, "Didn't sleep much?"
"Dortmund's match just ended, so I rushed here nonstop," Sancho said helplessly. "I couldn't sleep at all on the plane, so I figured I'd just use it to adjust to the time difference."
If he had Ling's private jet, he would not have been in such a hurry.
But there was nothing he could do.
"It's fine. We still have three days anyway, plenty of time for you to rest. By the way, both we and Serbia are unbeaten so far. Whoever wins this match will basically take control of the group."
Ling changed the subject.
"But our team has quite a few knocks too," Sancho said. "Chilwell pulled a muscle and withdrew. Stones and Walker are both carrying little problems. Rashford's not fully sharp either."
Their luck was not exactly great.
"It's not too bad. Serbia have injury problems too. A couple of their midfielders are out, and one of their wide players only just returned to training."
Ling grinned.
Serbia's midfield depth had taken a hit.
"Yeah, actually, I think our attack is fine," Ling nodded. "The main thing is to shore up the defense. Mitrović has scored a lot in this qualifying campaign. His efficiency is pretty high."
"Can he be higher than you?" Sancho scoffed. "You scored eight goals in the last international break. Even if you don't play the remaining matches, you're still sitting comfortably near the top of the scoring charts."
Having an alien as a teammate was ridiculously stressful.
Even Sancho, who was already considered one of the best young players in Europe, frequently pushed himself in extra training because of the pressure, just to avoid being left too far behind.
Not long after, the two arrived at England's temporary training base by car, where the national-team players were chatting in small groups.
"Ling's here?"
"What a coincidence, you two came together?"
When they saw Ling, everyone stood up and greeted him warmly.
It was not flattery.
His contribution to the national team since choosing England was clear for all to see.
Anyone with a conscience would genuinely respect him.
After lunch, Southgate gathered everyone to discuss match tactics.
"First, our goal is clear. We want to win and finish top of the group."
"Serbia's main attacking threat comes from the left side."
"Right. They rely heavily on Filip Kostić's driving runs and crossing ability. Once he beats his man on the wing, he looks for Mitrović in the box. There's nothing mysterious about it, but simple tactics can still be dangerous when executed well."
"So for this match, Walker, you'll play right-back."
Southgate pointed at the projection screen.
Originally, he had considered using a younger full-back, but this was not a match for experiments.
Serbia's wide attack was too direct, and Walker's recovery speed was still important.
"No problem," Walker said seriously.
His body was a little tight after club fixtures, but it should not have much impact.
Actually, he had played enough high-pressure matches to understand what this game required.
When defending someone like Kostić, the most important thing was not to win every duel. It was to avoid being beaten cleanly.
"Now let's talk about the attacking tactics."
Southgate tapped the screen.
"Forward. Forward. Forward!"
"That's my demand."
"Serbia are missing some midfield options, so they'll likely try to drag us into a physical positional battle and imitate the aggressive man-marking approach other teams have used against Jeremy."
"So don't play too passively. Actively look for opportunities, seize the chances we create, and score early to control the rhythm of the match."
Southgate's voice echoed through the meeting room.
This was familiar territory for England.
A dangerous away match.
A physical opponent.
A national team with enough pride to make the evening uncomfortable!
Would England stumble again?
"Although this is Serbia's home ground, we need to treat the atmosphere properly," Southgate continued. "They are very familiar with this stadium, and their supporters will make it loud from the first minute. They've taken points from strong teams here before."
"So everyone must be mentally prepared. This is our first tough battle in this stretch, and it's one we must win."
Southgate adjusted his posture and looked toward Ling.
He felt that with England's current defensive concentration, they might still suffer under sustained pressure.
In that case, scoring goals became the key.
And Serbia's defensive level, at least physically, was among the strongest in the group.
"Because Serbia's left-back zone can be pulled apart, I might frequently break through on that side," Ling said during the discussion session. "When that happens, I'll need teammates to cover the spaces behind me in time."
"I'll keep that in mind," Declan Rice nodded.
He was the defensive midfielder.
Why was he asked to shift across and do the dirty work for Ling?
Naturally, because someone had to.
And how could he possibly be dissatisfied?
If this were Manchester United, people would have to queue up to do the dirty work for Ling.
If your market value was below 40 million, you might not even be considered.
Besides, following Ling meant getting a lot of screen time. If you really played well, you might even attract more interest from big clubs.
Everyone shared their thoughts and discussed them with the coaching staff, gradually refining the tactics.
However, the others spoke relatively little.
Firstly, their tactical understanding was not as deep.
Secondly, Southgate might look gentle, but when he became serious, the room still quieted down very quickly.
...
Training.
Rest.
Training.
Rest.
Belgrade gradually grew noisy.
England fans who had traveled from afar arrived early near the stadium.
Flags, banners, drums, songs.
Even though it was an away game, they made sure to put on a full show.
📰 BBC Sport: England Face Serbia in Crucial Euro Qualifier
📰 Sky Sports: Southgate Calls for Control and Courage in Belgrade
📰 The Athletic: Ling's Role Again Central as England Prepare for Physical Serbian Test
📰 Manchester Evening News: United Star Carries Club Form Into Tough England Away Fixture
📱 @ThreeLionsWatch ✔
Serbia away is exactly the kind of match England need to prove they can control. Not glamorous, not easy, but important.
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: Just give Ling the ball and let him commit crimes against defensive structure.
📱 @EnglandTalks ✔
Mitrović vs England's centre-backs, Kostić vs Walker, Ling vs everyone. This could be spicy.