Chapter 456 - 456
When Mourinho saw the interview, he sighed and spoke to Ling, "Ten Hag's tactical level is indeed good. Otherwise, Ajax wouldn't have reached the Champions League semifinals last season. We still need to prepare seriously for the away match."
In fact, when Mourinho was younger, he shared Ten Hag's belief in decentralizing the core.
But as he grew older, he no longer wanted to go through all that trouble.
Perhaps he would retire after coaching Manchester United.
Of course, there was also the possibility of coaching the Portuguese national team.
"Don't worry, boss."
Ling put down his coffee cup. "I understand Ajax's tactics. Their structure mainly revolves around Van de Beek and Lisandro Martínez, with one acting as the attacking connector and the other as the defensive core."
His current tactical level still could not compare to Mourinho's.
But if he were asked to coach a mid-table club in one of Europe's top five leagues, he could probably keep them from relegation.
Of course, players and coaches viewed football from different perspectives, so it was not wise to make claims too casually.
"Mm, you're right. It's best to attack from the wings."
Mourinho nodded.
...
Soon, Champions League matchday arrived.
Johan Cruyff Arena.
Three years ago, Johan Cruyff, who had a profound influence on football, passed away.
A year later, the Amsterdam Arena was renamed the Johan Cruyff Arena.
As one of the greatest players ever and a figure who deeply shaped football's development, Cruyff's ability as both a player and a coach was unquestionable.
Total Football was his philosophy.
Outside of football, however, his dependence on cigarettes was arguably among the strongest in the sport's history.
At his worst, he reportedly smoked 80 cigarettes a day.
During halftime of the 1978 World Cup final, Cruyff even smoked in the dressing room.
But as the saying went, a cigarette at halftime was better than being immortal.
Because smoking after intense exercise supposedly brought a pleasure even greater than... well, no need to explain.
But there were not many people like Cruyff.
"Look, it's Cruyff's statue. Do you think I might have my own statue outside Old Trafford someday?"
Maguire pressed his face against the bus window like a curious child.
"You're really overthinking it," De Gea said. "Then again, it's not impossible. If you become Manchester United's coach in the future and lead the club to a third dynasty, maybe you'll get one."
"Give it a rest," Mahrez scoffed. "Don't let his big head fool you. There's not much knowledge inside."
"Ling, how does that saying from your side go? If you don't see someone for three days, you—"
Maguire scratched his big head, racking his brain.
"Even if you're apart for only three days, you should look at others with new eyes," Ling explained, playing the role of language teacher.
"It means people can progress and change rapidly."
"Right! Maybe I'll retire early and end up coaching all of you!"
Maguire had no idea where his confidence came from.
The bus instantly filled with cheerful laughter as everyone applauded Maguire and praised his lofty ambition.
Ashley Young even sighed. "Keep it up, Harry! I can probably play for another five or six years. I'll be waiting for the day I call you boss."
Before long, everyone entered the Johan Cruyff Arena and began their pre-match warm-up.
"The grass is way too slippery. And they change it 30 times a year?"
Grealish almost slipped and fell on his backside.
"Let's all switch to FG boots later." Ling stomped his feet firmly.
He wondered if this was one of Ajax's little off-field tricks.
...
When the Champions League anthem played at 8:30 p.m., the players walked out of the tunnel behind the officiating team.
"Lisandro, do you think Manchester United's number 7 is as good as Messi?"
Van de Beek watched Jeremy Ling with envy in his eyes.
Like Ten Hag, he dreamed of playing for Manchester United.
Recently, he often had late-night dreams where he was the one wearing the Red Devils' number 7 shirt, leading them into a new dynasty.
"Probably..."
Lisandro started to answer, then hesitated.
Emotionally, Messi was undoubtedly better.
But objectively, he felt Ling was stronger right now.
After all, they were at different stages of their careers. One was reaching his peak, while the other was gradually approaching the end of his.
"Forget it. If we get the chance in the future, let's both go to Manchester United," Van de Beek whispered, covering his mouth.
"With Ling up front, me in midfield, and you in defense, we'd be unstoppable!"
Ten Hag never imagined that before he had even joined Manchester United, his own players were already thinking about jumping ship!
...
When he noticed Van de Beek's gaze, Ling nodded kindly.
He remembered this guy.
One word: flop.
Two words: massive flop.
He joined Manchester United for 40 million euros, played only 62 games over four years, yet somehow managed to have two kids during that time.
Even Bailly could not compare.
The "Burger King" himself had not been that comfortable!
Lisandro, on the other hand, was quite good.
Although small in stature, his defensive skills were top-notch. Ling vaguely remembered him even shutting down Haaland once.
Little did Van de Beek know that his Red Devils dream was about to be shattered by Manchester United's star player before it even began.
...
"Good evening, everyone. We're live from the Johan Cruyff Arena for the opening round of the 2019–20 Champions League group stage: Ajax against Manchester United."
"Ajax are in white tonight, and Ten Hag sets them up in a 4-2-3-1 shaped by the principles of Total Football."
"Last season's standout performers, De Ligt and De Jong, have both been sold, but Ajax have quickly replenished the squad with fresh talent."
"Mourinho, meanwhile, opts for a 4-3-1-2. There aren't many changes compared to recent matches, though perhaps because this is an away game, Bruno Fernandes starts as the attacking midfielder for his stronger defensive work rate."
"One side is the dark horse of European football. The other is the reigning champion."
"Will Ajax pull off an upset, or will Manchester United maintain their dominance? Let's wait and see."
After the broadcast introduction, fans online quickly flooded the discussion.
📱 @UCLWatchCN ✔
Youth revolution vs. youth revolution. Ajax lost De Jong and De Ligt, but they still look fearless.
📱 @GoalkeeperUnion
Onana's distribution is pretty good. Feels a bit like Neuer.
| ↳ 📱 @TacticalTim ✔
| Reply: Good with his feet, aggressive positioning, brave passing. Also capable of terrifying his own fans. Proper modern goalkeeper package.
📱 @UnitedStand ✔
Ling didn't break the Champions League scoring record last season. Hope he goes all out this year.
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: Champions League record first, Messi's 91-goal year next. No pressure.
📱 @AjaxMarketWatch
Reminder: every Ajax player who completes two dribbles tonight will be linked to the Premier League for 80 million tomorrow morning.
Beeeep!
With the referee's whistle, the match officially began.
Dutch football culture was vibrant, and their style of play was fierce.
Otherwise, how could they have produced once-in-a-century monsters like the Dutch Three Musketeers?
Similar to Klopp's intense pressing, Ajax relied heavily on collective movement and pressure.
Both teams started cautiously, since this was their first Champions League match of the season.
But when the match reached the 20th minute, Ajax began pressing forward, aiming to intercept in midfield before launching direct counters.
However, Manchester United were different from most teams.
They did not need to transition through midfield in the usual way.
The ball was shifted to McTominay's feet.
He looked up, assessed the positions of his teammates and opponents, and noticed Wan-Bissaka making a rapid overlapping run down the flank.
So he played a diagonal pass to him.
Previously, Wan-Bissaka had been known as the Premier League's little bulldozer. If he saw an opponent, he would go straight into the tackle without a second thought.
Now, he had changed somewhat.
Not only was he excelling defensively, but he had also started contributing to the team's attack.
In fact, his explosive pace made him naturally suited for forward runs.
Tagliafico, the Argentine full-back, was caught off guard as Wan-Bissaka powered past him.
Ling moved toward the same flank.
He wanted to pressure Ajax's right centre-back and delay his ability to cover the wing.
Sure enough, seeing Manchester United's number 7 closing in, Lisandro Martínez instantly tensed up and kept close watch on his movement.
Over on the wing, Wan-Bissaka stopped abruptly again, shaking off the chasing Tagliafico.
He could handle straightforward runs up and down the flank, but no one could expect him to orchestrate attacks.
A square pass.
Before receiving the ball, Bruno Fernandes quickly glanced back and saw Van de Beek closing in.
"Brilliant!"
"Bruno shrugs off Van de Beek's pressure and clips a delicate ball over the top!"
Lisandro Martínez's tense nerves snapped at that moment.
Because he realized Jeremy Ling had made a sharp diagonal run!
That's right.
First, Ling shifted right as if he wanted to receive the ball to feet. In reality, he was timing his diagonal dart into the penalty area perfectly.
Lisandro could only curse his 175cm height.
If he were just a little taller, he might have intercepted the ball in the air.
But a short player was a short player.
Ling glanced back to judge the ball's trajectory and showed no intention of controlling it, he swung his right foot and struck it first time!
Boom!
Onana was accustomed to anticipatory saves.
If he guessed right, it looked world-class.
If he guessed wrong, it looked like a glaring mistake.
Fortunately, this time, he guessed correctly.
Near post.
"Brilliant!"
Onana stood up, clenched his fist, and roared.
Truthfully, just like Ten Hag and Van de Beek, playing for Manchester United had also been his childhood dream.
Although making saves was a goalkeeper's job, it still depended on who was taking the shot.
"Keep attacking from the wings."
Ling was not too bothered.
Teasing Onana was one thing, but he did not actually think the goalkeeper was bad.
After all, he was Ajax's starting keeper. If he were not up to standard, Ten Hag would have replaced him long ago.
...
The match continued.
On the sidelines, Mourinho stood with his arms crossed, calmly observing the situation on the pitch.
"Boss, I think a few of their players look promising. Should we add them to the watchlist?"
Faria pulled out a folder.
"Mm, put them in for now. They're mainly too young. We'll need to wait a few more years."
Mourinho nodded.
His extensive player database came not only from Mendes, but also from his own scouting during matches.
Although this method was less efficient, he trusted his own eyes more than so-called big data.
Of course, that did not mean data was useless.
It was just that some players' impact and characteristics could not be fully captured by cold numbers.
On the other bench, Ten Hag followed suit and folded his arms.
He felt that the most stylish managers in football were Guardiola first and Mourinho second.
Suddenly, Ten Hag's bald head seemed to gleam as the situation on the pitch turned completely upside down.
Manchester United continued attacking from the flanks.
Wan-Bissaka passed the ball to the advancing Thiago Silva, whose footwork as a Brazilian centre-back was genuinely impressive.
The football was delivered precisely to the left flank.
Sandro controlled the ball and cut inside.
However, at the edge of the penalty area, he unexpectedly flicked the ball backward.
Immediately after, the figure of Manchester United's number 7 appeared in the center of the screen.
He swung his right leg high and met the ball head-on.
Boom!
The ball roared toward the goal like a cannonball fired from a barrel.
No matter how much Onana anticipated, it was useless this time.
"Beautiful!"
"A powerful strike from outside the penalty area, kept low and placed at a brutally awkward angle!"
"Manchester United have clearly put real work into these attacking combinations recently."
"In the 34th minute, Jeremy Ling scores his first Champions League goal of the season!"
The Ajax fans in the stadium gradually fell quiet.
Last season, they had pulled off a stunning victory over Real Madrid and thought top clubs were nothing special.
But Manchester United's dominant goal made them realize the gap.
It was not that Ajax had been too strong.
It was that Real Madrid had been too weak!
📰 Sky Sports: Ling Opens Champions League Account as United Strike First in Amsterdam
📰 Manchester Evening News: Sandro and Ling Combination Breaks Ajax Resistance
📰 The Athletic: United's Flank Attacks Expose Ajax's Defensive Gaps
📱 @UnitedStand ✔
Ling's first Champions League goal of the season. Low, hard, corner. Onana guessed and still couldn't reach it.
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: Ajax thought beating Madrid meant they understood giants. United said welcome to the real final boss.
📱 @AjaxMarketWatch
Ten Hag spent all week talking about decentralization. Ling just centralized the ball into the bottom corner.
📱 @TacticalTim ✔
United's wing-to-half-space pattern is clean. Wan-Bissaka stretches, Sandro cuts inside, Ling arrives late. Simple structure, brutal execution.
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