Ling lay back in the booth, turning to look at Maguire. In the first 11 rounds of the league, his performance, while decent, lacked a certain dominance.
Ling always felt he hadn't yet hit his stride, not like his form during last season's Champions League final.
Fortunately, today he had faced a strong enough opponent that fully ignited his desire to win.
"Let me get a bit sentimental here—I always feel I could do better," Ling said softly.
After a long silence, he chuckled.
"Alright, alright, stop pretending to be so deep, kid. Just enjoy yourself when we're out!" Valencia punched Ling playfully in the chest.
"Come on, cheers! To our victory!"
Mourinho walked over and sat down next to Ling.
"Did you know that during my time at Barcelona, I was teammates with Ronaldo?" Mourinho asked, referring to the legendary Brazilian, R9.
"Mhm."
"At the time, everyone noticed his exceptional individual ability but overlooked the changes he brought to the entire tactical system. Roni expanded the tactical system's scope. He gave the team more attacking options, enabling more flexible tactics."
Mourinho looked intently at his captain. "Do you know where Roni's greatest strength lies? There's an old saying that holds true: opportunity only favors the prepared. I know your playing style resembles his, but there's still a gap in your tactical awareness, especially in transitions from midfield to attack. You need to learn to get more involved."
"I understand," Ling nodded.
"Alright, hurry up and go change. We'll all head out to have fun together later," Ling said, patting Maguire's big head as he stood up.
"Tonight, I'm going to have a few more drinks!" De Gea cheered.
...
At the post-match press conference, Mourinho didn't maintain his pre-match arrogant demeanor. Instead, he humbly praised Man City's performance.
For top-tier coaches, disparaging opponents is akin to disrespecting oneself.
"Every one of our players performed exceptionally well. Football is filled with countless surprises, and countless factors influence the outcome of a match," Mourinho stated.
"The plan now? Mainly improving defensive coordination. As for winter transfer plans, it's too early—United only has a few candidates in mind, but unfortunately, I can't share details."
In another meeting room, Guardiola had regained his composure.
(Though it was later announced he was fined €5,000 by the English FA for a post-match outburst).
"Their victory in the title decider is the best proof of their quality," Guardiola admitted. "This isn't an excuse for losing the match. On the contrary, we've already lost twice before. We'll approach the remainder of the season with greater humility and continue to lead the table until the season ends. Don't be too disheartened anymore. Treat it as a lesson learned. There's still the second half of the season with matches against Man United. We'll win them back then. Looking forward to facing Manchester United again next time."
Later that night, the Manchester United players arrived at The Ivy bar, which has become the team's exclusive gathering spot.
Wan-Bissaka regretfully remarked, "It's a shame the Manchester City players didn't come. I might have even bumped into some manager's daughter."
The Manchester United players laughed, raised their glasses, and drank them all in one go.
"Cheers!!!"
The party didn't end until 2 a.m.
Some people, still wanting more, started a second round, while others went home early to be with their families.
After being picked up by his assistant and taken home, Ling simply washed up and fell asleep.
...
After the title clash ended around 11:30 PM, the result of this title-deciding fixture dominated headlines across all sports websites.
With Manchester United's next match 12 days away due to the international break, Mourinho would likely give them time off.
They were preparing for a fierce clash in December's North West Derby against Liverpool.
Additionally, after a shock 4th round group stage loss to Red Star Belgrade, upcoming Champions League matches against PSG and Napoli meant one misstep could see them eliminated.
Not to mention, the internet-famous Manchester United currently boasts the largest number of fans online.
"The Sky Over Manchester is Red!"
"Scoring a Brace in a Single Match, Manchester City's Unbeatable Nemesis!"
"On Jeremy Ling's Ability to Handle the Ball with High Quality in High-Pressure, High-Intensity, and High-Stamina Environments!"
"The Elegant Penalty Box Dancer! Ling's Dribbling Highlights!"
Led by The Sun, the tabloid media went even further with exaggerated headlines like.
"Man United and Man City Players Fight Over Romance, Ling Violently Assaults Kyle Walker!"
Ling had helplessly taken a sip of his drink earlier when he saw that, unsure who the big mouth was that had spread that old nightclub incident throughout the entire base.
Beneath the highlight reports were thousands of comments from Manchester United fans, all expressing their excitement.
...
@TacticsNerd: Guys, after watching Ling's movement analysis, I realized his positioning changes depending on which teammate has the ball. It's absolutely terrifying!
@UtdFaithful: Positioning requires talent and intelligence. I'm glad Ling plays with his brain engaged.
@MarioBalotelli: Don't @ me!
@FootballAnalyst: It looks simple, but executing it is incredibly difficult. How to handle different passes from teammates - ground through balls, half-volleys, high crosses, deflected shots - and how to finish with the most efficient movement under defensive pressure? All require finding the optimal solution in split seconds.
@KeaneFan: Stop always talking about Ling. I feel Manchester United's defensive line still isn't strong enough.
@StretfordEnd: It's more that United's defensive midfielders don't have sufficient coverage range and intensity. Otherwise, Bailly wouldn't need to step up and cover positions.
@MourinhoSZN: The midfield trio of Pogba, Matic, and Herrera feels like it's missing something. 4-2-3-1 still suits United better.
@UtdDaily: Speaking of which, why haven't we seen Lukaku recently? Is he still on that diet?
...
The next day.
Ling woke up early and went for a slow jog in the thin morning mist to warm up, running into Guardiola along the way.
"Did you review yesterday's match?" Guardiola asked immediately.
Ling shook his head. "Uh, not yet. Planning to watch it later."
Guardiola didn't wait for Ling to respond, continuing on his own.
"Typically, midfield playmakers carry more varied tactical responsibilities, while forwards—especially center forwards—operate within more limited systems."
Finally, Guardiola turned and asked, "What about you? Any thoughts?"
Whether they were discussing match tactics or exchanging hair transplant experiences, probably only the two of them knew the answer.
After all, Ling had to save some face for his future father-in-law.
The morning run ended under Guardiola's guidance.
Ling invited him home for a cup of coffee and before leaving, Guardiola reminded him, "Don't forget to come over for dinner tonight."
Once alone, Ling pulled up the footage from last night's match and patiently began his review.
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