Football: I am only 16 years old, and you want me to retire and make a comeback?

Chapter 751 Ronaldo, you seem to have revealed your ambition a little too early.
Did Tang Ye waive his endorsement fee for Pro Evolution Soccer, just like he did for Counter-Strike?

[It's probably not, just a pure commercial endorsement. He's already an endorser, why wouldn't you boost Tang Qiuwang's stats? More players mean more hype!]

[It's absurd that Messi and Ronaldo can still be rated above 90. Please give my son a 93, I beg you.]

[What the heck is 101? Didn't they say my GGBonds weren't supermodel monsters? Why are they doing this kind of thing?!]

What attribute should I play? I'm under so much pressure right now. We're playing against Japan in 10 days, and it feels so uncertain.

What's there to be afraid of? I, Manchester United... oh, wait, that's not right.

Chinese football fans are now divided into two groups.

A group of people are immersed in the joy of the moment, and Manchester United's winning streak shows no signs of stopping.

Their offensive prowess was so strong that it perfectly concealed the team's weaknesses in wing defense.

Another group tends to take a longer-term view when considering issues, meaning they see further than other fans.

In October, the Chinese team has two Asian Cup qualifying matches to play against Saudi Arabia and Japan, both of which are stronger than the other.

According to Zhang Lu, these two matches in October will determine the upper limit of the Chinese team's ranking in this Asian Cup qualifier.

In other words, if China wants to rank in the top two of its group and directly qualify for the World Cup finals, it must play very well in these two matches in October!

……

10 month 2 day.

Manchester United beat Everton 3-0 at home, securing their first victory in October.

"On October 7th, the Chinese team will play against Saudi Arabia at home, which means that TY will return home after today's game."

In the press room at Old Trafford, a reporter slowly began: "We saw that in this match, you let TY play the entire 93 minutes. Some Manchester United fans might think this was inappropriate, because we know that the Chinese team's upcoming matches are very important, and the long flight and jet lag would cause problems for TY..."

"Oh, I know what you mean."

Ten Hag interrupted the reporter: "Are you saying that when the score was already 3-0 in the second half, I should have substituted Tang earlier to help the Chinese team? Is that what you mean?"

“Yes, that’s right. But considering that Eskeriva didn’t do that in early September either, so…”

“Oh, no no no! I’m not like Eskeriva.”

European football journalists love to pair Ten Hag and Eskrima together, which the Manchester United manager considers highly inappropriate.

"To be honest, well... in some ways, I don't think Eskeriva's approach was appropriate, because the Chinese team had a significant advantage in the match against Vietnam. If I were the Chinese coach, considering the players' upcoming Premier League and Champions League schedules, I would have substituted him earlier to rest him."

“Eskriva did not do that, which is clearly inappropriate.”

Ten Hach shrugged: "Of course, it doesn't matter. I won't retaliate against him for this. Retaliation is something only a petty person would do."

"so……"

The reporter stared wide-eyed and received an answer from Ten Hach.

"So it's inappropriate for you to compare me to Escribá. His actions don't affect mine. The fact is, even when other coaches do inappropriate things or things that are detrimental to Manchester United, I will still remain as objective as possible."

Click, click, click!

The Manchester United manager had a smile on his face.

However, the reporter quickly pointed out a problem: "But we saw that you didn't substitute TY in advance today either. Isn't that a kind of revenge?"

"No, no, no! Of course not."

“These two things are separate. I didn’t substitute Tang early because I highly value Everton’s ability and I believe they are capable of fighting back against us.”

Ten Hag looked at the reporter: "Even non-professional Manchester United fans know how important Tang is to us. If we had replaced Tang earlier, we might have had to pay a price, as has been proven in the past few seasons. I don't want to make the same mistake too many times."

"So today's substitution plan has nothing to do with Ferran. My approach is not retaliation, but rather making the most appropriate choice based on the actual situation of the game."

"You know, Everton is a Premier League team, which is different from Vietnam. Everton has a certain ability to fight back."

Ten Hag emphasized the independence of the two "substitution incidents," while also subtly alluding to Escriva.

He was managing Manchester United, and their opponent was Everton from the Premier League.

But what about Eskeriva?
He was coaching the Chinese team, and their opponent was just an ordinary Vietnamese team!

"Hmm... If I were to coach the Chinese team, I would substitute Tang when China is leading Vietnam 4-0."

"Of course, the Premier League is different from the World Cup qualifiers. Even if you asked me to make the choice again today, I wouldn't substitute Tang prematurely."

……

Everton manager: I am flattered by Ten Hag's recognition.

Brazilian football journalist: TY has received an offer from the Saudi league, with an annual salary that could exceed $2 million.

[Mission Objective: Keep a clean sheet in 3 consecutive matches (including national team and club matches)]

Current progress: 2/3
"..."

Tang Ye blew a bubble with chewing gum.

Boo!
Manchester United's next match after Everton is in 10 days, while Tang Ye's next match is in 5 days.

On October 7th, in the third round of the Asian Cup qualifiers in Shanghai, their opponent was Saudi Arabia.

To be honest, Tang Ye didn't think it would be difficult to defeat Saudi Arabia.

But if it's a shutout, that would be really difficult.

"Tom"

Ok?
Upon hearing the sound, Tang Ye turned his head to the right.

Cristiano Ronaldo, sitting next to Dalot, was looking in his direction: "When are you going back to China?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, please."

Tang Ye briefly explained his plans: "I think leaving tomorrow afternoon should be about right. I'll decide on the return date later, since I don't know when I'll be back."

"Ha ha!"

Cristiano Ronaldo shook his head with a smile: "There's something wrong with your arrangement. Do you always prepare this late when you go back to the national team?"

Cristiano Ronaldo seemed somewhat surprised, as this was the first time he had learned of Tang Ye's pattern of returning to China.

"I have a European Championship qualifier in a week, but I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

"And I'm still in Europe, not far from here."

Cristiano Ronaldo added.

“I think your timing is more suitable. Normally, you should prepare for more than a week. Rhodes and Osman each had about 10 days. They are leaving soon.”

Tang Ye said, "My situation is rather special. I usually leave 4 or 5 days before the start of the competition."

"Wow, won't your football association contact you? Shouldn't you be training together?"

In Cristiano Ronaldo's impression, the Chinese team is not very strong.

Of course, this is a comparison with European national teams.

As for the strength of the Chinese team in Asia, that falls outside the Portuguese's knowledge.

"actually……"

Tang Ye shrugged: "As long as I can participate in the games normally, that's fine. I also hope to play a few more games for the club."

Tang Ye turned to Dembele in front of him: "If I go back at the normal time, I won't be able to play today's game. So I'll go back later so I can play one more club game. Osman, you really should learn from me and stop playing games. We are professional players."

"Ha ha!"

Dembele gave Tang Ye the middle finger: "You were the one who played with me last night."

Dembele raised his hands and pointed to some Manchester United players nearby to complain: "I played with Tom until 1 a.m. last night, and I'm reporting him by name."

Hey!

Tang Ye never expected Dembele to do this: "Fuck, you're willing to self-destruct just to mess with me, huh!"

"Haha! Just tell me if you played or not."

"okok!"

Tang Ye shook his head and sighed.

Ottoman was too ruthless; even the master was no match for him.

"But you really are a workaholic."

Dembele patted Tang Ye on the shoulder and then gave a thumbs-up with his dark hand: "Manchester United's workhorse. My idol!"

"Oh! Thank you, Osman! You're too kind."

Tang Ye waved his hand.

After listening to their conversation, Rodri gently elbowed Dembele: "He's your idol, so you really should learn from him. Go back to China with him tomorrow afternoon."

"What! Fuck you!"

Dembele elbowed back.

Before the French striker could speak, De Jong chimed in: "Haha, Rodri, you just want to play in China, don't you? You always say that during the Asian Cup qualifiers, and you said it during the World Cup too."

"Yup!"

Dembele realized what was happening and immediately expressed his approval of De Jong: "He just wanted to go, and then he told me to go."

"Oh!"

"Rodri!"

After interrupting, he became the target of the attack, and Rhodesi, innocent as he was, didn't know what to do.

"Honestly, the two of you could definitely form a team."

Somewhat surprisingly, because this quote came from Cristiano Ronaldo.

De Jong and Rodri were both taken aback.

I remember this was the first time a Portuguese person had joined the GG chat.

"The midfield is indeed very important. With an attacking midfielder and a defensive midfielder, the Chinese team will have nothing to worry about." Ronaldo curled his lip and looked at Dalot: "Anyway, if you guys really form a team, we'd better avoid them in next year's World Cup."

"Haha, no!"

Although Cristiano Ronaldo is 36 years old, he has managed to integrate into Manchester United's young team very well.

Cristiano Ronaldo's penchant for joking has certainly helped him a lot.

"Time to eat!"

De Gea shouted, then grabbed a waffle from the bar and stuffed it into his mouth.

"I'm coming."

The players stood up one after another.

Generally speaking, if it's a home game, the players go home to have dinner each night.

Today is a special case.

With the Asian Cup and European Championship qualifiers about to begin, many Manchester United players will be leaving the club in the coming days, so Ten Hag is holding a short meeting at 8:30 pm.

Given the long duration of the meeting, it's essential to eat something beforehand.

“Actually, we can say on WhatsApp that we should go home sooner.”

Rashford couldn't help but complain.

Standing nearby, Cristiano Ronaldo shared his thoughts after hearing this: "It's only a few hours. Staying at the club a little longer is really nothing. Tactical meetings are still very necessary."

Cristiano Ronaldo placed his hand on Rashford's shoulder, and the latter could only remain silent.

Time is indeed very important.

But since Ronaldo is willing to spend more time at the club, Rashford certainly can't complain.

"Is that all?"

Mata looked at what the chef had brought out.

"What do you mean, so little?"

Tang Ye stuck his head out.

"steak."

Mata pointed to the steak on the table.

There seemed to be a lot when it was first taken out.

But you should know that Manchester United's first team has nearly 30 players.

Now more than 20 players have received their steaks, and only a few are left for the rest of the team.

"What's happening here?"

Ten Hagh asked the chef.

The response was that there is currently a shortage of high-quality steaks throughout Europe, and the amount allocated to each club is already limited.

"There's no need to be fixated on high quality; a slightly lower-quality steak is perfectly fine."

Ten Hah and the chef told each other not to make the same mistake again.

Since there wasn't much steak to begin with, coaches Ten Hag and Van der Gaghe simply didn't take any, opting instead for more bacon.

Even so, Tang Ye, Dembele, Ronaldo, and Dalot, who were at the back of the line, still encountered problems.

There's only one steak left for one person!

"..."

The players looked at each other blankly, while the chef appeared embarrassed.

A group of players worth tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of dollars are now facing a situation where there isn't enough steak to go around.

Dalot was the first to step forward and leave the team, going to get bacon just like Ten Hag.

Dembele glanced at Tang Ye and Ronaldo, then followed Dalot away.

Now only Cristiano Ronaldo and Tang Ye remain.

"Why leave them both there!"

Rodri grabbed Dembele's shirt and whispered, "Fuck, just take the steak!"

Dembele's move was indeed somewhat ill-considered.

You can leave any two people there to fight over the last steak, either Donnie Yen or Cristiano Ronaldo.

But Tang Ye and Cristiano Ronaldo are not good enough!
The difference between “或” and “和” is still too great.

Although Dembele usually seems a bit slow, he was able to react after being reminded by Rodri.

It seems too late to address the problem now.

Standing in front of Ronaldo, Tang Ye glanced at him briefly, then turned back to look at Ronaldo: "Cristiano, don't you eat hamburgers?"

"Ah."

"That's right. Here, take the steak. There are plenty of burgers, but I'll just have the burgers."

After saying that, Tang Ye took a step to the left and randomly picked up a hamburger from a pile of hamburgers.

"Wow, thanks!"

Cristiano Ronaldo clenched his right fist and punched Tang Ye's arm to express his gratitude, then reached for the plate containing the steak.

At that moment, Ten Hag, who was serving drinks nearby, suddenly moved to the side and grabbed the steak before Ronaldo could reach it.

?

Cristiano Ronaldo stared wide-eyed at Ten Hag with an incredulous look: "Eric, didn't you say you didn't want it?"

"I didn't say no... oh, but I really don't want it. I think bacon tastes better than steak."

Ten Hach’s words and actions are somewhat contradictory.

Because he didn't take that steak for himself.

Something outrageous happened.

Under the astonished gazes of Van der Gagh, Ronaldo, and other Manchester United players, Ten Hag placed the chops onto Tang Ye's plate: "Actually, it's not a matter of first come, first served."

"Well, you know, steak is special because it has nutritional value, so I think it should be 'young people first'."

Ten Hach has his own theory, according to which 22-year-old Tang Ye should have priority when it comes to eating steak.

"but……"

Tang Ye scratched his head, puzzled: "The only other thing left is hamburgers, but he doesn't eat hamburgers."

Cristiano Ronaldo has dietary restrictions, but Tang Ye does not.

Therefore, under normal circumstances, Tang Ye, who has no restrictions, should make concessions.

"These two things are independent."

Ten Hah insisted on his idea and pushed Tang Ye away.

"I rely on..."

At the far end of the canteen, the twenty-odd Manchester United players were not eating; they were all watching what was happening in the distance.

"hiss……"

Rodri took a deep breath; he could clearly feel the suffocating atmosphere.

Hit Dembele: "You're to take the blame."

"Huh? Is this my fault? I didn't even realize it at first, shit..."

"..."

Cristiano Ronaldo kept his lips tightly closed, not saying a word for a long time, just staring at Ten Hag with an unchanging expression.

……

The meeting ended in the evening.

Cristiano Ronaldo stood beside his Rolls-Royce, as if waiting for something.

A few minutes later, Ten Hach and Van der Gach emerged from the base.

Ten Hach put his hands in his pockets and walked towards his black Audi.

Upon seeing the Manchester United manager, Cristiano Ronaldo walked over to him.

Ten Hag, of course, also noticed Ronaldo and stopped in his tracks: "What's wrong?"

"Um……"

Cristiano Ronaldo gritted his teeth: "If you have any complaints about me, you can just tell me."

"I know I didn't come here because of you, but I still hope we can get along well, which would be good for the team."

"No, I have no problem with you, Cristiano. Your performance on the field is fine."

"but……"

Just as Ronaldo was about to leave, Ten Hag changed the subject, and the Portuguese player stopped again.

Ten Hag handed the car keys to Van der Gach and, after the assistant coach left, stared intently into Ronaldo's eyes.

"Ronaldo, it seems you've revealed your ambition a little too early."

"I do not like this."

……

(End of this chapter)