Team Spirit

Chapter 157 (1 words, please vote) Manchester United buys Dong Fangzhuo, Yang vs. Cristiano Ronaldo
Modric's special genius hearing went very smoothly.

Although the media believes this is due to Dartford's thorough preparation of information beforehand, which helped the judging panel make a decision.

But only those present knew the real reason.

Dong Fangzhuo was there, and he swore he never imagined that the Chinese could be so disrespectful to the British.

Lu Kai: "I'm a FA Cup champion, what champion do you have?"

Many people at the scene smiled knowingly.

Lu Kai is mimicking his famous quote from last year's hearing.

He saved Yaya Touré's life thanks to his status as the EFL Cup champion.

This year, the judging panel has internally stipulated that they can refuse if Dartford continues to use the EFL Cup title as a reason for their decision.

Congratulations on your first time!

The second time is a bit too much.

As a result, Lu Kai used the FA Cup for the second time.

This……

I can only say congratulations again.

Therefore, the ease with which this hearing was conducted was readily apparent.

But before Lu Kai and his team finished, Lu Kai suddenly mentioned: "In fact, in my opinion, another special talent sitting in the audience today who will be participating in the hearing is also capable of establishing himself in the Premier League."

"He has world-class physical talent: speed, explosiveness, strength, jumping ability, shooting skills... Plus, there are already so many Chinese players who have achieved success in England, I think everyone can have high expectations for his future!"

After Lu Kai finished speaking, he and Modric went down to the stage.

Ferguson and Dong Fangzhuo then went up on stage.

Ferguson looked at Lu Kai and nodded to him in a friendly manner.

Yes, Dong Fangzhuo, who is described as "world-class below the head," is also attending the hearing today.

Dong Fangzhuo was originally scheduled to join Manchester United in the January transfer window, but due to work permit issues, he was unable to stay at Manchester United and was instead loaned to the Belgian First Division.

After a season and a half of struggle, adaptation, and relegation, he achieved success in the 2005-2006 season, winning the Belgian Second Division top scorer award.

The following season, he scored nine goals in fourteen appearances in the Belgian First Division A. In the second half of the season, he finally returned to Manchester United, but only got one appearance.

In the 2007-2008 season, he scored a goal in a Manchester United pre-season friendly and made one appearance each in the Champions League and the EFL Cup, but he never got more opportunities.

He was forced to return to Dalian Shide after the season ended.

A crucial point here is that... by the time he returned to Manchester United and truly began competing, the club had already completed its training and integration, developed a strong team fighting force, and was fiercely vying for titles in all competitions, maintaining a certain level of dominance in the Premier League.

In a situation like this, how could we possibly give a new recruit the opportunity to replace the main force?

Even if you get to play, it's only because the team is so injured that they have no one else available, so you're just filling in. There's absolutely no intention to train you, help you improve, or help you integrate into the team.

Therefore, a work permit was actually the biggest reason for Dong Fangzhuo's failed trip to Europe.

Ferguson had enough patience for Ronaldo, so if Dong Fangzhuo had been at Manchester United, developing him would have been a piece of cake, wouldn't it?
But this time, everything is different.

With Lu Kai bringing forward and implementing the Special Talents Act last year, a team like Manchester United, with its ambitions reaching far and wide, certainly cannot afford to miss out on this right.

Each team has only one special talent application slot per season, so they might as well use it.

Coincidentally, Manchester United's business plan also includes expanding into Asia, especially mainland China.

They had high hopes for Dong Fangzhuo.

……

Sky Sports: "Modric and Dong Fangzhuo pass special talent hearings and will receive work permits in September!"

Dongqiudi: "First time joining a top club! Dong Fangzhuo transfers to Manchester United for three million pounds, becoming the first Chinese player to join the first team of a top club!"

Lu Kai had previously joined the prestigious Arsenal, but only for their youth team.

BBC: "The arrival of Dong Fangzhuo, a center-forward version of Lu?, may further impact Diego Forlán, and the Uruguayan may leave the team next season!"

Sports Weekly: "Four Premier League's top Chinese players! Li Tong of Everton, Sun Jihai of Manchester City, An Qi of Birmingham City, and Dong Fangzhuo of Manchester United!"

Football News: "The Legend of the Five Shooting Masters: Sun Jihai (Eastern Heretic), Li Tong (Western Poison), Li Weifeng (Southern Emperor), An Qi (Northern Beggar), and Dong Fangzhuo (Central Divine)!"

Southwest Metropolis Daily: "The greatest heroes are those who serve their country and its people! Lu Kai stepped in to help a special genius at the hearing, truly embodying the spirit of Guo Jing in football!"

For a time, mainland Chinese football fans turned their attention to English football, especially the Premier League.

This marks the first time that the league with the highest domestic fan attention has been transferred from Serie A.

Even though La Liga came close to Serie A last year, it still hasn't surpassed it.

With Beckham's transfer this year, La Liga's global influence is catching up with Serie A.

Only in the middle of the season was Guo overtaken by the Premier League.

Manchester United's successful signing of Chinese players has been recognized by professionals.

People gradually developed ideas for developing the Zhongguo market.

However, the excessively high transfer fees demanded by Zhongguo Football Club and its attempts to compete with famous European stars have put these clubs in a dilemma.

Even the transfer fees for regular starting players in the top five leagues are only one or two million pounds, while you guys are charging three or five hundred pounds. No matter how good the market is, you can't afford it.

The Community Shield was held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on August 13.

"Hello everyone, this is Brick Radio, I'm Huang!" Huang Jianxiang beamed with joy. After the humiliating exit from the 2002 World Cup, Chinese football had fallen into a slump.

But this year, after several waves of shocks, things seem to be getting better.

"Now appearing on camera is Lu Kai, a famous Chinese football player. Well, now we can finally say that. Before, we could only say he was of Chinese descent, which was a bit strange." Huang Jianxiang then said, "The director is now turning the camera to the stands, showing Modric and our Dong Fangzhuo."

"Since their work permits will not be issued until September 1, they are not yet able to play for the team, but they are all participating in training with the first team."

"I believe their moment to shine is coming."

"As for today, let's focus on this match first. Today's match is very interesting, with both sides having a lot of new players."

"The player on camera right now is Djemba, a defensive midfielder, known as the Cameroonian Makelele. He performed brilliantly in this year's Confederations Cup and cost Manchester United five million pounds."

"Oh, that's Cristiano Ronaldo over there. His name is really hard to remember. These days, the media usually call him Cristiano Ronaldo."

"Cristiano Ronaldo's price tag is incredible, twelve million pounds. He is also considered by the team to be Beckham's successor."

"But Manchester United fans are skeptical, believing that Cristiano Ronaldo's performance in the pre-season was too flashy and impractical."

In the footage, Cristiano Ronaldo is wearing the number 17 jersey.

He once volunteered to wear his old number from his time at the Portuguese club, number 28.

However, the team stated that first-team member Marc Lynch has already received the number.

Furthermore, the team had high expectations for Ronaldo, so they gave him the number 17.

After all, the number seven jersey holds great significance for Manchester United, so number seventeen is somewhat special as well.

Many players who can't get the core numbers 9 or 10 will choose the number 19 jersey, which also has the number 9, and one plus nine equals ten.

However, the number 7 jersey at Manchester United remains vacant, which means that Ferguson has not yet truly identified Beckham's successor.

"Then it seems the rumors are true," Huang Jianxiang said with a smile. "Cristiano Ronaldo is Manchester United's backup option after failing to compete for Ronaldinho and Madeira."

"It seems that Ferguson still prefers to hand over the number seven jersey to one of the two players."

Trust, yet distrust.

This is the situation Cristiano Ronaldo faced at the age of eighteen.

"Sixty-five thousand fans came to the stadium today."

"In terms of strength, Manchester United is undoubtedly superior, their win rate is also higher, and they are slightly better than Dartford in terms of squad completeness."

"But from a mystical perspective, Dartford does have a certain chance of winning. Because last season, they lifted the trophy twice at this stadium, one of which was against today's opponent, Manchester United!"

"And Lu Kai lifted his third title of the season, the Confederations Cup, here just forty days ago."

"Okay, let's quickly go over the starting lineups for both sides."

Manchester United 4-2-3-1:

范尼
Giggs, Scholes, Solskjaer
Keane, Bart

Quinton Fortune, Sylvester, Ferdinand, Phil Neville
Howard

-

After failing to sign Kahn, Manchester United brought in American goalkeeper Tim Howard.

This is also a famous eccentric surgeon.

"Also" because Manchester United has a history of having a lot of unpredictable goalkeepers, and very few who can truly satisfy their players.

Dartford's formation is 4-3-3:

Drogba, Gilardino

Ashley Young, Lu Kai, Essien, Gascoigne, Valbuena
Li Weifeng, Lescott, Duff

Casper

-

These days, the Community Shield is considered a "training ground," as its five substitutions give coaches the opportunity to try and fail.

It's easy to see from the lineups that the two teams had different "warm-up routes" today.

Manchester United fielded as many experienced players as possible, planning to bring in new players only after taking the lead.

There is no problem with this arrangement.

But Dartford used as many new players as possible, which was very bold and took a one-shot approach.

This has been highly praised by people:
"Alfred has that kind of confidence; no wonder he's the manager who led England to a major tournament victory!"

"Ferguson is too timid; this unchanging lineup is so boring."

Even Ten Hach admired his teacher for this... his tactical deployment was incredibly bold!
Alfred smiled slightly at this. What could he do if Lu Kai wanted to make such an arrangement?

He initially wanted to use veterans, but Lu Kai bluntly stated: "We have suffered a serious loss of key players. Although our substitutes are also capable, their individual abilities are ultimately inferior to those of Manchester United."

"These new players are actually stronger individually, so we can let them step forward and give it a shot."

"As for cooperation, don't worry, I will help them get things running."

Perhaps the new Dartford players are all strangers to each other and don't click.

But Lu Kai knew each person very well.

If he takes the lead, there's a high probability he can mold the team into a cohesive unit.

beep!

With a whistle, the match began.

Lu Kai's targets for today's marking are Van Nistelrooy and Scholes.

In the second minute, Giggs made a run down the left flank, received the ball, and delivered a cross at a 45-degree angle.

Van Nistelrooy headed the ball towards the goal.

He was standing too close to the ground when Casper grabbed him and hugged him.

The fact that they were able to launch such threatening attacks right from the start shows that Manchester United are in good form.

In the third minute, Drogba, Gilardino, and Ashley Young, under Lu Kai's direction, pressed aggressively.

The first two were both new recruits; we had no choice but to fight them.

Ferdinand, however, was in complete control, drawing the striker over before sending a through ball to Butt.

Manchester United could launch a counterattack in an instant...

boom!
Lu Kai darted out from the side and cleared the ball.

[The Black Hole of Ball Possession]!
Due to the feel of the ball, it only bounced slightly, which meant that Lu Kai had gained possession of the ball.

boom!
Lu Kai played a through ball directly.

At the same time, Drogba did not show any intention of accelerating, but instead challenged Ferdinand and prepared to ask for the ball.

That's when they missed Lu Kai's pass.

"Oh dear! We still lack teamwork!"

"Drogba's forward runs were not decisive. A player like him who is confident in his physical strength prefers to slowly make contact with the opposing center-back rather than making high-speed runs to try and score points."

"Huh, Gilardino followed us?"

Gilardino stood out from the crowd.

While resolutely pushing forward, his positioning was extremely clever, proactively changing his position, which resulted in a perfect combination with Lu Kai's through ball.

boom!
Gilardino took a shot after clearing the penalty spot.

Even if Howard turned into Superman, he couldn't save that shot.

"GOAL! One to zero! Dartford's dream start!"

Gilardino has finally scored his first goal since joining Dartford.

"And it was Manchester United's goal that was breached."

"It has to be said that Dartford really didn't lose out on this deal. If Mutu had made the offer first, Gilardino's value would have increased by two or three million pounds."

Gilardino found Lu Kai and they celebrated happily.

In fact, although Gilardino is also an all-around striker, his positioning has always been very distinctive.

He was later complained about by Inzaghi during his time at AC Milan: "We always run to the same spot."

This is a bad thing, but it also proves Gilardino's positioning genius.

He always manages to appear where there are scoring opportunities; he's very perceptive about it.

This is also why Gilardino is unlikely to become a top center forward in the future, because a top center forward cannot be a pure opportunist; they need to have a lot of head-on confrontations with opponents, using headers and volleys, passing, dribbling, and shooting.

The highest level of opportunism is to avoid confrontation altogether!
In the seventh minute, Scholes made a wide pass on the right flank to find Giggs.

Giggs accelerated, stopped well, stabilized himself in front of the byline, and delivered a cross.

Van Nistelrooy heads the ball towards goal.

Slightly raised.

Van Nistelrooy possesses exceptional individual skills and is proficient in a wide range of techniques, making him the kind of center forward Gilardino could never be.

However, with only one force at the front, he was somewhat isolated and unable to achieve his goals.

Moreover, Lescott put a lot of pressure on Van Nistelrooy.

Li Weifeng, Duff, and Essien are all keeping an eye on Van Nistelrooy's movements and ready to cover for him at any time.

In the 14th minute, Manchester United won a corner kick.

Lescott's header clearance highlighted his individual skill.

Keane attempted a long-range shot from outside the box.

Li Weifeng, with his hands behind his back and turned to the side, successfully blocked the ball.

In the 21st minute, Dartford couldn't find any opportunities in the attacking third, and Lu Kai came up to ask for the ball.

He turned sideways and made a through pass to the ball.

That is, your left shoulder is directly facing the goal.

You need to swing your leg and pass straight in.

Bart came over, ready to stick his foot out to block.

However, Lu Kai's second half of the movement suddenly changed; his leg swing towards the goal suddenly turned into a pass to the left.

A through pass becomes a diagonal pass.

Ashley Young dashed out from the left and found himself in complete open space.

boom!
Ashley Young's right-footed cross was of extremely high quality.

Drogba won a fierce battle against Sylvester and suddenly jumped.

The latter was suppressed and lost its right to take off.

boom!
The football went into the net.

"GOAL! A beautiful header goal!"

"Drogba, this guy is really tough! Lu Kai used the word 'beast' when introducing him before the match, and now it seems that was very accurate."

“He bullied Sylvester so badly.”

"It's estimated that only Ferdinand can try to suppress Drogba."

"Two to zero, Dartford is amazing."

"If Manchester United is like a fifty-year-old middle-aged man who hasn't yet developed his character, then Dartford is like a young man in his twenties who looks green but actually has a certain amount of social experience."

"The key is... this team isn't as clumsy as we thought!"

Dartford still made a lot of passing errors, but several key passes were effective.

"Huh? Is Bart injured?"

"It seems Lu Kai hasn't forgiven him yet and has continued to punish him!"

“There was a major conflict when the two sides last met, and he was the only player who hit Lu Kai.”

"There are rumors that after that game, Bart grew one centimeter taller because when Lu Kai slammed him to the ground, his internal organs and bones were all shattered."

Manchester United were forced to make a substitution, with new signing Djemba replacing Butt.

In the 25th minute, Giggs once again skillfully delivered a cross after shaking off Duff on the left.

Solskjaer attempted a header at the far post, but the conditions were unfavorable, and the ball went wide.

He clearly cannot replace Beckham's role at right-back; he can only play his own style as a shadow striker and see if he can steal an opportunity.

In the 29th minute, Giggs was double-teamed on the left flank and passed the ball back to Keane.

Keane passed the ball across the box without stopping it.

Scholes met the ball and unleashed a powerful long-range shot.

Unfortunately, the shot went low and flat, lacking both speed and angle, and Caspar managed to grab it while diving to the ground.

In the 36th minute, Ferguson angrily berated his players on the sidelines, calling them lazy dogs.

Manchester United players immediately launched a high press in the attacking third.

Ugh, I still have to scold them!

Essien was pressed and passed back to Lescott.

As a result, Lescott failed to control the ball properly, giving Solskjaer the opportunity to pounce.

He immediately turned around and used his body to hold off Solskjaer, trying to pass the ball to Li Weifeng on the other side.

But Li Weifeng's route was blocked.

Lescott could only build up his strength for a long pass to Ashley Young, who was further away.

The idea is good.

However, his passing ability is too poor, and his passing animation is too long.

Just as he kicked the ball out, Van Nistelrooy rushed over and, with a flying kick, successfully blocked the ball in mid-air.

boom!
The football was powerfully shot into the net.

Kasper was unable to react in any way.

Lu Kai shook his head and said in a low voice, "Their teamwork is still not smooth enough."

Ashley Young nodded and said, "Yeah, if we had enough teamwork, we'd make far fewer mistakes. But everyone here is new, so there's nothing we can do about it."

Lu Kai gave an awkward smile; that wasn't what he meant.

He meant that he needed to find a suitable opportunity to tell Essien... to pass the ball to Lescott less, especially under pressure.

Lescott's passing was terrible, and it had nothing to do with a lack of understanding between the players.

If we don't pass the ball to him, his weakness won't be exposed.

But you can't speak loudly, otherwise your opponent will hear you too.

Just then, Solskjaer sat down on the ground without the ball, seemingly with a strained leg muscle.

Lu Kai quickly went over to talk to Essien.

Essina's eyes showed considerable pity for Lescott, as if to say, "Should we try to save him again?"
In his view, Lu Kai's complete denial of Lescott's passing ability was somewhat arbitrary.

But Essien knew better than anyone else that when you first arrive, you need to know the difference between the king and the queen; if you don't listen to Alfred, Alfred will say it again.

If you don't listen to Lu Kai, Alfred will rush over and start yelling at you.

Essien nodded quickly, promising never to pass the ball back to Lescott again.

The cheers from the crowd suddenly intensified, but so did the jeers.

Lu Kai looked towards the sidelines.

Cristiano Ronaldo has arrived, oh wait, this stage should be called "Little Ronaldo".

In the 42nd minute, Ronaldo dribbled the ball, and Essien switched positions to defend him.

This was a classic one-on-one moment.

Cristiano Ronaldo unleashed a set of moves he had diligently practiced: two stepovers in the air, a feint to break through, a pull back to execute a V-shaped pass, and then a breakthrough from the other side...

The imagination is rich, but the reality is harsh.

Ronaldo made a mistake when he pulled the ball back.

They didn't completely bring the ball back.

His foot was lifted a little too high, and he slipped. Essien readily accepted the pass, easily intercepting the ball and passing it across to Lu Kai.

Only a flushed Cristiano Ronaldo was left standing bewildered in the wind.

Lu Kai launched a counterattack with a long pass, and his precise long pass found Drogba.

Drogba once again outjumped Silvestre to head the ball across the goal.

Gilardino challenged Ferdinand with the ball, but ultimately chose to pass it diagonally, having spotted Valbuena making a run down the right flank.

The latter swept across the penalty area.

Neither Gilardino nor Drogba made it in time.

The football slipped through the goal.

Ashley Young received the ball on the other side and delivered a cutback pass.

Gascoigne takes a long-range shot.

Djemba bravely blocked the shot with his body and then fell inside the penalty area.

At this moment, the big screen replayed the embarrassing scene of Ronaldo's mistake and being dispossessed.

Ashley Young, standing next to Lu Kai, laughed and said, "If I were him, I probably wouldn't even want to touch the ball in this game."

"This is so embarrassing."

"It should be broken by now, right?"

"This is simply a hellish start to his journey into a wealthy family."

"Your compatriot Dong is lucky. Otherwise, if he had made such a mistake in this game, his career would have been ruined."

However, Lu Kai shook his head: "You'd better stick close to Ronaldo and not get too involved in the attack."

"This is nothing!"

Cristiano Ronaldo has always been a player who makes a lot of mistakes.

But he has one advantage: the worse he performs, the better he is likely to perform!
This stems from his indomitable fighting spirit.

So he experienced a multitude of mistakes, ridicule, setbacks, and counter-mockery, one after another, in a continuous cycle.

Therefore, both Messi and Ronaldo fans hate each other, but in terms of degree, Ronaldo's haters are more hated than Messi's because they are attacked more often.

The first half ended quickly.

Although initially stunned, Manchester United gradually recovered.

During halftime, Ferguson pointed out Dartford's biggest problem: "Teamwork! Their teamwork is problematic, and we need to exploit the weaknesses in their teamwork."

“Limit Lu Kai; he’s the link between the whole team. If you limit Lu Kai’s touches and let the Dartford players have more freedom, they’ll make more and more mistakes.”

"Although Gascoigne is an excellent attacker, even the core of the attack, his lack of athleticism will be greatly exposed when he is not very familiar with his teammates, making him no different from an old man."

The Manchester United players all nodded in agreement.

Only Cristiano Ronaldo seemed distracted.

He was thinking about how to get past that defender named Essien next time.

He's locked in a life-or-death struggle with that guy.

The second half.

In the 48th minute, Valbuena drew a foul from the opponent while breaking through on the right side.

That's a good free kick down the wing.

Lu Kai delivered a powerful, curved kick to Lescott's head.

Bao Zheng scores a high-quality header.

Howard's unpredictable nature was on full display; he miraculously managed to touch the ball, causing it to fly over the crossbar and bounce away.

At that moment, Manchester United fans all thought they had found their true love among goalkeepers.

In the 53rd minute, Ronaldo dribbled down the wing.

This time, Ashley Young was assigned to guard him.

Cristiano Ronaldo accelerated, gaining a half-body advantage, but Ashley Young was not slow either, unable to catch the ball and directly colliding with Ronaldo.

They pushed Ronaldo out of bounds.

Cristiano Ronaldo rolled to the ground and then complained angrily.

That's absolutely foul!

Who plays football like that?
Just because someone's skills and speed aren't as good as mine doesn't mean they can just run over them.
However, Ronaldo's complaints went unheard because the referee did not blow his whistle.

After making the steal, Ashley Young looked up and immediately launched a long diagonal pass. It's hard to say whether he was showing off his overall game sense or not.

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to have a discussion with Ashley Young.

But Ferguson's angry shouts had already reached us: "Defense! You idiot, what are you doing?"

Cristiano Ronaldo threw a punch and sprinted towards his own half, though it was too late.

Ashley Young smiled slightly, thinking, "I've been criticized again."

Are these the "Four Great Prodigies" that Lu Kai mentioned?
But that's it!

Aside from Ashley Young and Alfred, no one knows how many other names are behind Cristiano Ronaldo's in-team evaluation notes.

Ronaldinho.

Kaka.

Cristiano Ronaldo.

Modric.

Lu Kai circled these names.

This is undoubtedly his primary focus.

But why isn't Ashley Young included?

Apart from Ronaldinho, do you think these other three unknowns can compete with Ashley Young?

Kaka?

Ashley Young remembers the name; Manchester United wanted to sign Kaká last year but failed.

However... if I hadn't broken my leg, I would have been Kaká's senior at Manchester United, and naturally, I would have been better than Kaká!

However, the same words can have completely different meanings to different people.

Alfred glanced at Ferguson with a hint of disapproval.

Ferguson criticized Ronaldo for not defending after being dispossessed, but made no comment on Ronaldo's attempts to break through defenses.

To players like Ashley Young, this is also seen as a criticism of your poor penetration, and they will subsequently reduce similar behavior significantly.

But...did Ferguson really not want Ronaldo to continue trying to break through?
Alfred could see the answer in Ferguson's eyes.

Similarly, to Ronaldo, Ferguson did not criticize his dribbling at all.

Since you don't deny it, that means you support it!

We can continue our attack!
I just need to play defense first; that's the condition the coach gave me for breaking through.

People with a strong sense of purpose like to listen to only half of what is said, and then use their own understanding to transform the final content into what they want.

This kind of determination will greatly reduce their wavering before making a decision.

That's the biggest waste of time and talent.

Before running, Ronaldo gave Ashley Young a furious look, knowing he had to get past another player.

Unfortunately, Ronaldo stopped halfway through the run.

Because Dartford scored.

After the ball flew to the right front, Gascoigne, who was on the wing, immediately volleyed a through ball without stopping it, a truly imaginative idea.

Valbuena made a forward run to receive the ball, feigned a cross, drew Fortune's leg up, then cut inside and nutmegged him to complete the inside cut.

He burst into the penalty area and accelerated, resolutely heading straight for the byline of the six-yard box.

Then pass the ball in a triangular pattern.

Gilardino almost crashed into the wall as he quickly attacked the ball.

Edward makes another incredible save.

Drogba and Ferdinand clashed for the ball, which flew towards the edge of the penalty area.

Gascoigne, who had rushed over, once again took an unconventional approach, taking the volley to the extreme and firing a powerful shot.

The football went straight into the net.

World wave!
"GOAL! Three to one!"

"Gazzar scored!!!"

"Who would have thought that Gascoigne, at 36, could still break through Manchester United's defense?"

"When he joined the Jia B League, everyone thought his career was over, but..."

"I believe that at this moment, all England fans are thanking Lu Kai for giving Gazza a chance to prove himself again!"

"This goal came from Ashley Young's tackle on Cristiano Ronaldo."

"It has to be said that Cristiano Ronaldo is currently the player with the lowest rating on the field, without exception."

In the 59th minute, Scholes passed the ball to Ronaldo.

Everyone switched positions with Ronaldo, and at that moment, the ball would be passed back.

Ashley Young leaned over.

But Ronaldo dribbled the ball inside, avoiding Ashley Young, and went directly to challenge Li Weifeng.

After three consecutive bicycle kicks, he accelerated down the saddle, outmaneuvering Li Weifeng and highlighting his positional advantage.

boom!
Cristiano Ronaldo crosses the ball.

Curved lines are fine too.

Unfortunately, Duff and Lescott sandwiched Van Nistelrooy from the front and back, and Lescott eventually cleared the ball with a header.

Ferguson, who was about to criticize Ronaldo, suddenly stopped talking.

If you kick it like that, that's acceptable.

You have speed, good crossing technique, and you're particularly daring to break through... Although the success rate isn't high, as long as you dare to do it, you'll definitely have a chance to succeed.

And most importantly, this guy only has a seven-second memory for negative criticism; he won't be bothered by his previous failures.

On the sidelines, Ferguson began to adjust the lineup.

When everyone saw Eastwood, they thought Ronaldo would be substituted.

Including Cristiano Ronaldo himself.

His face clearly darkened.

However, Eastwood surprisingly replaced right-back Phil Neville and then moved up to play center forward.

In addition, O'Shea replaced Fortune.

Manchester United switched to a 3-2-3-2 formation to strengthen their attack!
Cristiano Ronaldo still plays as a right winger.

Ashley Young was somewhat surprised that Ronaldo hadn't been substituted, and teased Ronaldo a bit, saying, "You weren't substituted?"

Cristiano Ronaldo frowned: "Who are you?"

Ashley Young laughed: "I'm the one who just stopped you and then created a goal!"

Cristiano Ronaldo scoffed: "Sorry, I never remember the people I've dribbled past."

Ashley Young: "What? You beat me? When? Are you hallucinating?"

Cristiano Ronaldo: "Just now I dribbled past you and that Chinese defender in quick succession and delivered a beautiful cross."

Ashley Young's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets: "You call that passing? I didn't even have time to defend against you. You only managed to get past Li Weifeng at best."

Cristiano Ronaldo shrugged: "You may not admit it, but that's the fact. I made a successful breakthrough by getting past you and Li Weifeng."

Ashley Young, unable to contain himself any longer, retorted: "Why don't you just say you beat all of our forwards and midfielders?"

Cristiano Ronaldo nodded: "Of course."

Ashley Young was convinced.

He now understood why this person could be so shameless as to break through again and again, unaffected by failures.

To others, every breakthrough Ronaldo made before seemed like a failure.

But in Ronaldo's own view, he had already dribbled past a group of people—those behind him—when he received the ball.

As he dribbled the ball, he beat another group of players—those who couldn't get back in time.

What's shameful about defeating four or five people in a row and then getting the ball stolen?

Five bars and one goal, his record is verifiable, isn't that amazing?

In the 64th minute, Valbuena also played with confidence. After receiving a pass from Gascoigne, he dribbled skillfully, feinted to O'Shea, and then curled a shot with his left foot.

Unfortunately, the arc wasn't big enough, and Edward caught it.

boom!
Edward launches a long counter-attack.

Van Nistelrooy wins the header in the attacking third, gains possession, and then passes the ball back to Scholes.

Scholes spotted Ronaldo rushing up, passed the ball to him, and pointed to his right, instructing Ronaldo to pass to that position.

That's Gascoigne's territory; he's not in good physical condition and won't be able to get back.

Scholes is closer to this position, but that also makes him a target for Essien, potentially disrupting his pass.

So it would be better to get it from Ronaldo's side.

Sure enough, Giggs had already rushed into position, just waiting for Ronaldo to pass the ball.

boom!
Cristiano Ronaldo dribbled forward on his own, wanting to go it alone.

Li Weifeng immediately came back to cover, and Ronaldo tried to pass the ball again, but Lu Kai tracked back in time and stole the ball from behind him.

Seeing the situation, Scholes pulled Lu Kai down and received a yellow card.

Even with his good temper, Scholes couldn't hold back any longer and scolded Ronaldo, "Chris, you can't play like that!"

"what are you doing?"

“There was a better opportunity just now, everyone had already gotten into position.”

"You're holding onto the ball too long, that's not good! You need to be more decisive in your shots!"

On the sidelines, Ferguson was also cursing Ronaldo, wondering if he had trusted the wrong person.

Could it be that the special feeling he saw in Ronaldo was just an illusion?

Cristiano Ronaldo didn't say anything, he just nodded.

I'm even grateful to Scholes.

Scholes felt embarrassed and spoke kindly to Ronaldo for a few more minutes, then patted him on the shoulder.

Ashley Young continued to provoke Ronaldo's mentality: "How was it? Did Scholes yell at you?"

Cristiano Ronaldo shook his head: "No, he told me to be more decisive in my shots. If I hadn't been thinking about passing, I probably would have scored!"

Ashley Young: ???
On the sidelines, Dartford also began making substitutions.

Touré replaced Gascoigne, who was exhausted.

Murray replaced Gilardino.

In the 72nd minute, Giggs broke through on the left wing and won a free kick.

This position is only suitable for crossing, and it's exactly the same position as Lu Kai's free-kick cross from before.

Cristiano Ronaldo proactively approached them to request a game.

His crossing technique was good. Scholes, who had previously scolded this well-behaved young man, felt somewhat guilty and nodded in approval.

As a result, the referee blew his whistle.

Cristiano Ronaldo rushed towards the ball and unleashed a powerful shot!
Break down the door!

The ball was almost 30 meters away from the goal, and the key point was that it was on the left side, at a very small angle.

Dartford only had two men forming a makeshift wall.

As a result, Ronaldo took a shot.

What are those players who are preparing to contest for headers in the penalty area supposed to think?
Especially Ferdinand, who had worked so hard to run up from the backfield.

He is a key target for Manchester United's free-kick tactics.

In other words, this was Ferdinand's tactical window, and you, a new recruit, just squandered it?

boom!
The football was not blocked by the wall; it flew past, fell to the ground, and then bounced up.

It just barely passed Casper's ten fingers.

A super-long-range missile to Earth!
This kind of kick is definitely not something you just guessed.

They never even considered crossing the ball from start to finish.

“GOAL!!!”

"Two to three!"

"Manchester United have scored."

"Cristiano Ronaldo's performance was hard to describe, including this goal..."

The commentators didn't even know how to evaluate it.

Go ahead and criticize, they scored a goal.

I really can't bring myself to praise her.

On the contrary, Ferguson was excitedly pumping his fist on the sidelines.

That's right!

His feeling was right!

Why would he rather be taken advantage of by Sporting Lisbon than choose Cristiano Ronaldo?
Speed, dribbling, sharp playing style, and courageous breakthroughs are certainly reasons.

But before this year, Ferguson didn't think much of a player like Ronaldo.

They completely disobey orders.

After experiencing the flying boot incident, Beckham's departure, and a series of other events, Ferguson understood a principle.

No one will truly listen to him, especially not a star athlete.

Only players who make their own judgments can seize crucial opportunities and become shining superstars.

Therefore, Beckham's constant obedience to Ferguson was, while a sign of respect, also accumulated dissatisfaction and rebellion.

Ultimately, their relationship completely collapsed.

Ferguson doesn't blame Beckham, nor does he hate him.

After experiencing this pattern, he wanted to try a different style.

What if that player doesn't listen to you at all from beginning to end?

Honestly, you can't find a player like that in the world of football.

Don't forget Ferguson's current status, and the football world at this time was already very rigid. It's like trying to oppose your parents' arranged marriage in ancient China—almost impossible.

But Cristiano Ronaldo is precisely the kind of player who, for various reasons, "knows he's wrong, but doesn't change."

This hit Ferguson hard.

Moreover, this "unchanging" doesn't mean it will never change; rather, it means that outwardly it will change, become more compliant, and improve, but its core will never be swayed by others.

I just want to get past you!
We need to shoot!
It's a goal!

We have to win!

This is actually another manifestation of the Red Devils' spirit.

As the embodiment of the Red Devils' spirit, Ferguson recognized it better than anyone else.

Despite its completely opposite appearance—this phase of the Red Devils spirit places greater emphasis on unity, discipline, authority, and dedication.

Alfred noticed Ferguson's actions.

He doesn't understand football, but he understands Ferguson.

Ferguson was at peace with it.

When a control freak begins to allow uncontrollable factors to exist, that person has already progressed and transcended.

Manchester United is about to rise from the ashes!
Both sides continued to make substitutions.

Dartford used all their available slots, with Crouch replacing Drogba and Ribery replacing Valbuena.

Barton replaced Ashley Young.

Barton moved to the center, freeing up Lu Kai and allowing him to attack on the left while limiting Ronaldo.

Manchester United substituted Diego Forlán for Ruud van Nistelrooy.

He was originally going to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo.

But Ronaldo earned himself one last chance.

(End of this chapter)