The new Manchester United's five warm-up matches were scheduled between July 8 and July 29. Since the first match of the new season in Northwest Division 2 would not start until August 15, there was a two-week gap in between.
As head coach, Steve Bruce had to address the various problems that appeared during the warm-up matches within those two-plus weeks, so preparations did not ease off during this period, they became even more intense.
As a center-back, Bruce was tenacious, always full of fighting spirit, strict with discipline, and aggressive in the tackle. As a head coach, he instilled that same style into the new Manchester United.
For example, on the training ground he constantly demanded that even striker Rhodri Giggs press and counter on the spot, let alone Jonathan Maten, who frequently dropped deeper.
In midfield, his preferred pairing was Carl Makinson and Stephen Smith. The former was a pure defensive midfielder. The latter could join the attack, but defending was his strength. With outstanding stamina, Smith could appear in almost every area of the pitch, though his passing and other technical aspects were relatively limited, a bit like Li Tie.
This configuration made the new Manchester United's defending excellent. They conceded only one goal in five warm-up matches, which is hard to imagine in an offense-oriented amateur league.
Bruce also had experience in how to organize the new Manchester United's back line.
Because of his age and limited stamina, he sat deeper and let the younger Gareth Turner step up to engage, then he supported from the side. With Carl Makinson frequently dropping in as cover, the new Manchester United's central defense had a clear structure.
On the flanks, Kevin Ewen on the right was a center-back by trade and defended well, but his attacking output was far inferior. On the left, Evra had outstanding pace, but once he overlapped he was easily caught out behind. This was a major flaw in the new Manchester United's defensive system.
In the friendly against Leigh RMI, the goal they conceded began with Evra vacating his position and being countered.
In addition to defensive issues, the attacking problems were also obvious.
Scoring 11 goals in five warm-up matches did not indicate a lack of firepower, but 7 of those 11 came from set pieces. Steve Bruce, a center-back, actually became the team's top scorer with 4 goals. This clearly showed the new Manchester United's limited attacking variety.
Because of the insistence on a double defensive midfield, the two wingers had defined roles. Darren Lyons's strengths were long diagonals and set pieces. Richie Wellens was very fast, but pace alone did not guarantee threat.
All in all, although the warm-up results were good, that was relative. In truth, Bruce was still troubled by the various problems exposed in those matches.
Of course, that was the head coach's headache. As the club owner, Ethan also had concerns, but he still followed the original plan and boarded a plane to New York on July 30.
...
Although Mark David really wanted to wait and travel with Ethan, it was not possible. He had to go half a month earlier to handle the procedures for studying in the United States.
Ethan never liked to bring much when traveling. He found it convenient. Whatever he needed, he would buy in the United States.
After finding his seat and sitting down, Ethan noticed there was no one next to him, just an entertainment magazine. He thought someone had left it there by accident, so he picked it up and flipped through it out of boredom.
Ethan rarely paid attention to entertainment news. He felt the entertainment industry was too murky. For example, the nude photo scandal exposed in his previous life had made people deeply disappointed in that industry. Football was better. Even with its darker sides, it was at least passionate and full of fire.
Ethan skimmed the magazine. Since he liked Nicolas Cage, he naturally paid attention to Hollywood news.
"The Matrix British actress dumped by her boyfriend for refusing sex!"
Ethan was drawn in by the eye-catching headline and took a closer look.
It turned out that a British actress named Eva Snow had been with her boyfriend for many years, but recently the two had agreed to separate amicably. The outside world speculated that the breakup was related to her conservative views on sex.
When Ethan saw this report, his first impression was that the journalist was talking nonsense.
Although he advocated conservative values himself, he knew it was difficult in practice. He did not believe that a British actress would be so conservative unless she was a devout believer. For example, Brazil's Kaka and his fiancée abstained until their wedding day because of their faith.
"No matter the era or country, journalists are unreliable," Ethan shook his head and sighed.
At this moment, he must have been thinking of Scarlett Elan.
This beautiful British reporter was obviously at odds with the new Manchester United. She published reports on the new Manchester United almost every day. Without exception, even when the new Manchester United won a friendly, she would nitpick, pointing out what the club had done wrong or what was poor.
Even if honest criticism can help, no one wants to hear it day after day.
"Hey, fellow football fan, it's you!" Someone came over and interrupted Ethan's thoughts.
When he looked up, the first thing he saw was a pair of sunglasses big enough to cover half her face, then a short, crisp haircut like a man's, which made her look more capable.
"You are..." Ethan felt this woman looked a little familiar, but he could not remember where he had seen her.
The woman in sunglasses smiled and sat down next to him. "I can't believe we're seatmates again."
Of course, it was just a casual greeting.
"Sorry, who are you..." Ethan still could not place her.
The woman in sunglasses curled her lips. She had not expected to be completely forgotten. Was it really that bad?
"Eva Snow," the woman in sunglasses whispered her name.
Although they were flying business class, that did not mean there would not be fans on board. Even though The Matrix had not yet been released, the film had opened the door to Hollywood for her and greatly raised her profile.
If it had been before, who would have cared whether she broke up with her boyfriend?
Ethan first looked at the photo in the entertainment magazine in his hand, then raised his head to look at the real person, then glanced back at the magazine. He quickly returned it to her. "I'm really sorry, I thought the seat was empty. I definitely wasn't deliberately flipping through your magazine."
The woman in sunglasses smiled reservedly and shook her head. "It seems you really forgot me, fellow fan."
In fact, she herself had forgotten Ethan's name.
Ethan looked at her with a questioning expression. "From the way you talk, it sounds like we know each other?"
"More than a month ago, on a flight to Paris, you said you liked Nicolas Cage." Eva Snow wore an expression that said, "You've defeated me."
Ethan tried to recall, but it was not easy to remember the details of a chance encounter from over a month ago. However, he was sure he had met a woman on the flight to Paris with whom he had chatted happily.
"Oh, I remember now. I didn't expect that after just over a month, you've become a big star," Ethan said as if a light had gone on. In truth, he was just connecting the dots. He did not actually remember what she looked like from that earlier flight.
It should be roughly right.
"Yeah, want an autograph?" Eva Snow saw through Ethan's little act and teased him.
"Of course, I must." Unexpectedly, Ethan nodded at once, took a notebook and pen from his backpack, and handed them to Eva Snow solemnly.
Eva Snow was taken aback for a moment and knew he was doing it on purpose, but she still took them and signed her name with a flourish. Then, for reasons she could not explain, she also wrote down her personal phone number.
"Yours," Eva Snow tore off the page and handed it to Ethan.
He was surprised, then accepted it, wrote down his own name and number, and said with a smile, "Maybe I should consider reporting this number to the papers for a finder's fee."
"Go ahead. If I can use a mobile number that I can change anytime to see a friend's true colors, I lose nothing, right?" Eva Snow shot back.
Ethan thought he was not the type to bicker with women. He smiled, shrugged, and changed the subject. "Didn't the magazine say you were filming The Matrix in the United States?"
Eva Snow nodded. "Speaking of which, I have to thank you. If it weren't for what you said on the plane, I wouldn't have made the final decision. No matter the outcome, I do not think I will regret it."
"Don't worry. Your decision is right. The Matrix will definitely become a classic of classics, and your performance will make you a hit. As for Pearl Harbor, although it cannot be compared with Titanic, it will at least make the leads famous," Ethan said with certainty.
Eva Snow tilted her head, looked at the man in front of her, and asked with a smile, "To be honest, I'm skeptical. Why are you so sure these two films will be big hits?"
(To be continued.)
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