Starting with saving Manchester United

Chapter 60: Once Barcelona gets going, Manchester United is doomed!

"How is that possible?"

"How dare he?"

"Visiting Camp Nou, they dared to play an attacking game against Barcelona right from the start?"

"They actually scored first?"

Somewhere in the stands at Camp Nou, when Gary Neville saw Fellaini chest the ball down and then volley it into the net with his right foot, he couldn't sit still and jumped up from his seat.

Giggs and the others around him were also completely dumbfounded.

It's truly unbelievable!

However, the German referee, Brych, had already blown his whistle, indicating that the goal was valid.

The score on the Camp Nou scoreboard changed from 0-0 to 0-1.

Six minutes later, a precious away goal was scored!

This is absolutely unbelievable!

"Has Barcelona really become this weak?" Phil Neville muttered in disbelief.

weak?

The other Class of '92 players around couldn't help but ask.

Should we ask Real Madrid and Manchester City?

Is Barcelona weak right now?

But this is truly outrageous and unbelievable!

"I have to admit, this rookie is really something," Scholes remarked.

If they still don't acknowledge this point now, then they are just deceiving themselves.

However, the Neville brothers and Giggs both looked extremely grim.

Yang Fan has offended them all terribly.

"This start was risky, but it worked very well, especially using Fellaini to target Mascherano, which was really deadly for Barcelona."

Mascherano was originally a defensive midfielder, and he is only 1.74 meters tall.

But what about Fellaini?

3.74 meters.

There was a full 20 centimeters difference between the two players.

In addition, Fellaini is good at heading and chesting the ball.

Anyone who regularly watches Everton matches knows that receiving such high balls, controlling them with the chest, and then volleying a pass is a signature move of the Belgians.

That was just turning a pass into a shot.

"Scoring at the start, with this momentum, we might actually have a chance to escape unscathed from away from home, or even take home a victory!" Nicky Butt's eyes were filled with anticipation.

Although he and Yang Fan don't get along, he is still a Manchester United legend.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Giggs objected on the spot.

"He's just a rookie who got lucky. Once Barcelona really pushes, he's doomed!"

Gary Neville wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "Losing at home will only further spur Barcelona on."

as predicted.

After the restart, Barcelona reversed their initial passive stance and took the initiative to launch an attack.

After scoring a goal, Manchester United retreated to focus their defense near the midfield line.

Even so, just two minutes later, Messi seized an opportunity, receiving a pass from Xavi on the left flank, dribbling diagonally before suddenly unleashing his first shot of the match for Barcelona.

However, the shot hit Ferdinand inside the penalty area and was cleared by Vidic with a long kick.

One minute later, Barcelona came back stronger.

Alves continued to dribble down the right flank, combining with Xavi, Messi, and Neymar in a series of one-touch passes.

With Neymar unable to break forward, Messi dribbled the ball sideways and cut inside, passing it to the right side of the Manchester United penalty area, where it met the unmarked Fabregas.

Fabregas made a forward run, controlled the ball with his chest, adjusted his position, and before Smalling and Phil Jones could close in, unleashed a long-range shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Too high!

After conceding the goal, Barcelona began to intensify their attack.

Two consecutive shots on goal showcased Barcelona's momentum and filled the Camp Nou with cheers.

Yang Fan noticed that the situation was not going well, especially when he saw that the overall formation on the field was a bit chaotic.

So he went to the sidelines and shouted Carrick's name loudly.

"Michael, hold on, don't rush, maintain formation!"

"Leo, Nemanja, hold on, hold on!"

"Ashley, Antonio, get back into position."

"Wayne, make sure to protect the midfield."

"Remember our pre-match training: maintain formation, keep order, and don't rush!"

As Yang Fan relayed a series of instructions onto the pitch, the Manchester United players calmed down.

Before the match, Manchester United had practiced the game repeatedly and discussed it many times in tactical meetings.

This includes how to play after taking the lead by one goal and facing a Barcelona's frantic counterattack.

The first step is to tighten the defense in the middle.

In the 10th minute, Barcelona's attack near the halfway line failed to materialize, and Fabregas attempted a through ball into Manchester United's penalty area.

As a result, Ferdinand used his body to push Messi aside and passed the ball directly to De Gea.

The Spanish goalkeeper picked up the ball from the ground and, without hesitation, darted forward and kicked it with a powerful kick.

The football traced a path through the air before landing at the bottom left of the center circle in Barcelona's half.

Fellaini used his body to firmly suppress Mascherano, controlled the ball with his chest, and then volleyed a pass behind him.

Unfortunately, the pass was a bit too long, and Van Persie was a step too slow.

Pinto caught the ball directly.

Although he couldn't arrive in time, Van Persie still gave Fellaini a thumbs-up from afar.

But that should be enough to sound the alarm for Barcelona!

The roar at Camp Nou never stopped.

As the game progressed and both sides deployed their tactics, everyone was surprised to find that Barcelona had failed to break through Manchester United's defensive formation.

Whenever Barcelona pushed the ball past their half, Manchester United would tighten their defensive formation.

This is causing Barcelona a great deal of trouble.

They first tried to penetrate through the middle, but they were unable to break through Manchester United's central defense.

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When the ball is moved to the flanks, Manchester United are always able to quickly form a three-man press on the flanks, and sometimes even a four-man press.

Once you win the ball, if you have the chance, play a high ball forward and pass it directly to Fellaini or Van Persie in the attacking third.

What if there's no opportunity?

Immediately pass the ball back to the defense to organize an attack.

Manchester United's defense has three center-backs, giving them a numerical advantage and making them no threat to Barcelona's high press.

Once Barcelona commits players to press high up the pitch, Manchester United's defenders will simply launch long balls into the attacking third to find Fellaini.

The Belgians had a clear advantage over Mascherano.

Manchester United's style of play gave Barcelona a major headache, as their defense never dared to push too far forward.

Even so, it's still not safe enough.

In the 24th minute, Van Persie seized an opportunity when Busquets passed the ball back to the defense, calling on Rooney to cooperate and applying pressure, forcing Pique to hastily pass the ball to Alba.

As a result, the ball was passed wide and went directly out of bounds.

Yes, Barcelona were passing the ball in their own half when they accidentally sent it out of bounds.

This is a very rare occurrence for Barcelona.

The first 25 minutes were really difficult for Barcelona.

However, Manchester United players expend more energy in such fast-paced and intense matches.

After 25 minutes, and especially as the 30-minute mark approached, Manchester United's defense began to show signs of weakness.

First, Messi dropped back to receive the ball and then chipped it into the box from the left wing, where Neymar made a diagonal run into the penalty area.

Under Vidic's physical pressure, Neymar failed to control the ball and sent it out of bounds.

In the 29th minute, Phil Jones and Carrick were a step too slow in closing down the ball, allowing Messi to seize the opportunity, dribble through the two players, and deliver a low, through ball into the right side of Manchester United's penalty area.

At the crucial moment, De Gea rushed out of his goal and, before Fabregas could react, slid down and caught the ball in his arms.

From the away team's bench, Yang Fan glanced at the players on the field and noticed that the stamina levels of most Manchester United players had turned yellow.

It's only been 30 minutes!

The physical exertion was enormous!

Moreover, Manchester United doesn't employ the same high-pressing style as Atletico Madrid or Bayern Munich.

If they played like that, Manchester United players probably wouldn't last 20 minutes.

"Michael, Leo!"

Yang Fan strode to the sidelines, raised his right hand high, first opened his palm, then clenched his fist, making a "close" motion.

The players on the field immediately understood Yang Fan's adjustment.

The formation recoiled again, with players positioned even more tightly, further compressing the space for Barcelona players within a 30-meter zone and blocking their passing lanes as much as possible.

At the same time, the overall strategy remains to force Barcelona's passes to the flanks as much as possible.

Just like this time in the 33rd minute.

Fabregas received the ball on the left side of the center circle in Manchester United's half. When Phil Jones pressed forward, his goal was to block Fabregas's path forward and also to cut off his passing lane to the right.

But this allowed Alba to make a pass on the left flank.

When Fabregas passed the ball, Manchester United's overall defensive formation immediately shifted to that position.

Ultimately, this forced Barcelona to pass the ball back to their own half to find Pique and reorganize their attack.

With their physical condition quite depleted, Manchester United did not continue pressing forward.

Thirty minutes later, Barcelona's two center-backs and Busquets were able to receive and pass the ball more easily in their own half, passing it back and forth continuously.

But they just couldn't find a way to pass the ball forward in their attack, and could only keep passing it around repeatedly.

Manchester United tightened their defense, maintained their overall formation, and even stopped counter-attacking.

Whether it was the Barcelona fans at the stadium or the viewers in front of their televisions, they were all mentally prepared for this almost one-sided scene.

What truly surprised everyone was —

Manchester United held on!

"What a clever and cunning lad!"

In the President's Stand at Camp Nou, Ferguson sat next to Manchester United CEO Ed Woodward.

Seeing the game become a stalemate, he actually laughed.

Manchester United are leading by one goal.

-

This stalemate is advantageous for Manchester United.

"What do you mean?" Woodward was completely confused.

"With Manchester United's current squad and the players' physical condition, it's impossible for them to press and close out the entire game like Bayern Munich or Atletico Madrid."

"Therefore, Yang Fan divided the field into three areas: left, center, and right. He set up camp, defended the center, and forced Barcelona to pass the ball to the flanks. Then, through the movement of the overall formation, he went to the flanks to suppress Barcelona's ball advance."

"Other teams would probably play long balls, but Barcelona won't."

"Although Martino brought long passes to Barcelona, ​​they were mostly forward long passes, and very few were lateral long passes."

"As a result, when Barcelona launches an attack down one flank and is blocked, they often choose to pass the ball back and reorganize, which wastes their opportunities!"

Does nobody know the answer to this question about Barcelona?

No, most people know that.

This is why Martino felt out of place at Barcelona.

Everyone knows that Barcelona's possession-based style of play is prone to missing opportunities, but it's not something they can easily change.

Manchester United have spent most of their first half on defense, except for the attacking surge before the goal.

Moreover, they were retreating step by step into the penalty area.

Currently, the defensive line has retreated to the edge of the penalty area.

Manchester United looked like they were playing a 3-4-2-1, but in reality, it was more like a 3-4-1-2.

Rooney dropped deeper to participate in defense more often.

Instead, Fellaini was left in front.

There's no way around it, the tactical impact is just too obvious!

What truly surprised Ferguson, besides Yang Fan's keen sense of the situation and precise control during adjustments, was the player's execution ability.

Manchester United players truly obeyed Yang Fan's instructions; otherwise, they wouldn't have been able to execute them to this extent.

This is incredible!

It's only been a few days since Yang Fan took over the team?

How did he manage to get the players to follow his instructions and play for him?

Just as Ferguson was puzzled, Barcelona once again passed the ball back to reorganize their attack.

Alves launched a long pass, sending the ball forward to find Neymar.

As a result, Vidic headed the ball down first.

As Ferdinand stopped the ball, he saw Messi rushing in to steal it, and then passed it to Smalling.

Barcelona began pressing high up the pitch.

Forty minutes have passed.

Smalling passed the ball to Carrick, who stopped it and then launched a long pass.

Amid gasps from the Camp Nou crowd, the ball was sent to the edge of Barcelona's penalty area.

Fellaini made a quick forward run, forcefully pushing Mascherano aside with his body before jumping up and heading the ball towards the right side of the penalty area.

Van Persie arrived quickly, and with his left foot, he beat Pique to it, flicking the ball towards the center.

The football barely grazed Pique.

The Dutchman quickly cut inside to the side, dribbled past Pique, and unleashed a powerful shot with his left foot.

The entire Camp Nou erupted in screams!

But goalkeeper Pinto made a diving save, pushing the ball out of bounds with both hands.

A round of enthusiastic applause immediately erupted at the scene.

Barcelona fans felt a sense of relief, as if they had survived a disaster.

Manchester United were awarded a corner kick on the left flank.