"Ooh... Andy Cole chooses to shoot again. He tries his luck from outside the penalty area. There is plenty of power behind it, but Čech is fully alert and gathers the ball safely into his arms!"
"We can see Matt Jansen gesturing towards Andy Cole, indicating that he had moved into plenty of space. Cole should have passed to him. Instead, he waves impatiently at his younger teammate. I imagine he is thinking, 'When I was dominating the Premier League, you were still learning the game!'"
John Motson's commentary made Martin Tyler burst out laughing.
"I think Mourinho's comments before the match have also played a part. He praised Cole heavily. Cole is the sort of player who responds strongly to praise, and as a new signing eager to prove himself to his teammates, it is understandable that he has been somewhat selfish on the ball."
"According to the statistics we have received, Cole has taken four shots in the opening 20 minutes, with two on target, but he has yet to score. By contrast, Jansen has made two excellent runs into space, but neither was rewarded with a pass."
"It is a question of mentality. Cole's mindset does not seem quite right, and that could be important. However, New Manchester United's Curtis has also performed below his usual standard today. He has repeatedly been drawn out of position while marking Cole," Martin Tyler said worriedly.
"That is understandable. He is only 16, while Cole is already one of the Premier League's leading strikers. Marking him places enormous pressure on such a young defender. Of course, New Manchester United's formation today has also contributed. Senna still looks slightly unfamiliar with his defensive responsibilities, but I expect that to improve as the match continues."
...
Mourinho broke into a cold sweat after Cole's long-range effort.
He walked to the touchline and signalled for Terry to drop slightly deeper. He then instructed Juninho and Senna to sit further back, particularly Senna, who needed to provide better protection in front of the penalty area.
Although Cole's shot had not resulted in a goal, it increased Blackburn's momentum.
They attacked with greater frequency, and Cole remained especially active, repeatedly finding his way into dangerous areas.
However, after Mourinho's pointed warning, Curtis clearly settled down and stopped making the mistakes he had committed earlier in the match.
Senna also increased his defensive coverage, offering better protection to the back line and becoming more involved without the ball.
He possessed excellent stamina and tackled aggressively. Alongside Juninho, he gradually suppressed the midfield pairing of Hughes and Dunn.
Without sufficient service from behind, the threat posed by Cole and Jansen diminished considerably.
Jansen was forced to drop deeper to receive the ball, leaving Cole isolated up front.
Combined with Cole's eagerness to prove himself by scoring, the lack of opportunities made him increasingly frustrated.
Frustration led to mistakes.
In the 34th minute, Curtis suddenly stepped forward and intercepted Jansen's pass towards Cole before playing the ball to Juninho.
Hughes immediately pressed him, but Juninho sent a first-time pass towards Palacio, who had dropped deep to offer support.
Dunn moved directly towards Palacio.
Before the match, Souness had warned him that the Argentine possessed excellent technique and exceptional pace.
He had been instructed to hold his position and prevent Palacio from accelerating, because once he built up speed, stopping him without committing a foul would be extremely difficult.
With a free-kick specialist like Juninho on the pitch, conceding a foul in the final third could be even more dangerous than giving New Manchester United a corner.
Dunn therefore approached Palacio with great caution.
Palacio, however, chose to play a square pass to Hleb, who had also dropped back, before immediately sprinting forward.
Hleb received the ball, paused briefly, and returned it to Palacio.
Palacio used his body to hold off Dunn, keeping the ball so close to his feet that it appeared almost impossible to take from him.
Dunn did not dare make a challenge for fear of conceding a foul, especially so close to his own penalty area.
While running at pace, Palacio suddenly stopped before accelerating again, leaving Dunn completely behind.
After beating Dunn, Palacio approached the edge of the penalty area and drew centre-back Johansson towards him.
He then slipped the ball behind the defender to Drogba, who had been waiting for the opening.
Drogba escaped his marker, charged into the box, and unleashed a powerful shot.
American goalkeeper Friedel reacted quickly, but the distance was too short and Drogba's effort carried too much power.
He could only watch as the ball flew into the net.
1-0!
After scoring, Drogba ran excitedly towards Palacio and caught him just as the Argentine began to celebrate.
Drogba then dropped to one knee, lifted Palacio's left foot, and used his shirt to polish his boot.
The gesture immediately drew cheers from the countless New Manchester United supporters, while even the neutral fans could not help laughing.
Drogba was clearly thanking Palacio for the assist.
The pass had been excellent.
...
On the touchline, Mourinho pumped his fist in delight after seeing Drogba score.
He then turned and exchanged high-fives with each of his assistants.
He knew that, so far, the match was unfolding exactly according to plan.
Once the celebrations ended, Mourinho returned to the touchline and signalled for his players to drop deeper.
He wanted to preserve the lead until half-time and deal with Souness's response after the break.
With a goal in hand, Mourinho now held the initiative.
"We can see that New Manchester United are extremely dangerous on the counterattack," John Motson said. "Palacio is a technically gifted player. When he went past Dunn, it looked as though Dunn were nothing more than a training cone!"
Such skilful dribbling was rarely seen in English football.
"John, you have not watched many New Manchester United matches, so you may not realise that Palacio is not the only one," Martin Tyler replied with a smile.
"Hleb is also outstanding technically. It is difficult to believe he comes from Belarus.
"In addition, New Manchester United's academy contains several exceptionally gifted technical players.
"I suspect that once they mature, New Manchester United may develop into a highly technical side built around attacking football."
"Oh, I have heard about that," Motson replied. "There is an Argentine boy with extraordinary technique. His performances for the Under-18s this season have been remarkable.
"I even heard that Ferguson once offered £10 million for him, but New Manchester United refused."
"That is impossible, John," Martin Tyler said as both commentators laughed.
A 14-year-old boy worth £10 million?
If that were true, Ferguson must have lost his mind.
"But whether we are discussing the first team or the academy, the talent at New Manchester United is remarkable," Tyler continued.
"It is difficult to believe that such a squad exists in League Two.
"Curtis Davies is only the beginning.
"I believe that over the next few years, New Manchester United will introduce us to many more talented young players."
...
Inside the private box, Ethan tried to remain composed after seeing Drogba score, but his excitement was impossible to hide.
Eva watched the man she loved struggling to contain himself.
She thought that if she had not been there, he might already have lost all restraint, especially with Walsh and Mark Davey looking equally thrilled beside him.
"Mark, if we win this match, every sponsorship agreement for next season must be renegotiated," Ethan said, his voice trembling with excitement.
"We will be playing in the UEFA Cup next season. Do you understand, Mark?"
Mark Davey was just as excited.
He could not even speak and could only nod repeatedly.
"Do not get too carried away, Ethan. Calm down. There is still another half to play," Walsh said.
He appeared relatively composed, but his reddened eyes revealed that he was every bit as emotional as the others.
When Ethan first decided to establish the Red Rebels, it had been the unconditional support of Walsh and Mark that helped bring the club this far.
Although Ethan was the owner, the contributions made by those two men had been enormous.
Their love for the club was no less profound than his own.
Thank you, Andy.
Thank you, Mark.
Ethan gripped Eva's hand tightly.
He repeatedly shifted in his seat, trying to conceal his excitement, but anyone watching could see how overwhelmed he was.
Although New Manchester United led by only one goal, it already felt as though they had one hand on the League Cup trophy.
Being so close to achieving something was more agonising, and more emotionally intense, than the achievement itself.
Once something had been accomplished, it was done.
There would still be excitement, but the anxious anticipation would be gone.
This mixture of expectation, joy, and fear was unforgettable.
"Mark, if we win this match, all the prize money will be distributed among the squad as a bonus," Ethan continued.
Mark and Walsh were slightly surprised, but both nodded in agreement.
The League Cup prize money was not especially high, amounting to around £200,000.
Even after including broadcasting revenue and other distributions, the total would probably reach no more than £300,000.
Compared with the FA Cup, the difference was considerable, let alone the money available in European competition.
In the Champions League, winning a single group-stage match could earn more than £200,000.
That was far easier than winning the League Cup.
It was one of the reasons England's biggest clubs would eventually begin treating the League Cup, and even the FA Cup, as opportunities to rotate their squads.
Rather than devoting excessive time and energy to domestic cup competitions that offered limited financial reward and declining prestige, it made more sense to focus on Europe, where the real money could be found.
However, for a League Two club to offer £300,000 as a squad bonus was still an exceptionally generous decision.
At the very least, it would strengthen the players' loyalty towards the club.
While Ethan discussed the matter with Mark and the others, Poll finally blew the whistle for half-time.
Mourinho's team had scored through a counterattack and led Blackburn 1-0 at the interval.
The New Manchester United supporters in the stands were ecstatic.
Even throughout half-time, they continued singing the club anthem and songs dedicated to individual players without pause.
(To be continued.)