Clive Tyldesley: "Ling wins the first ball again!"
Ally McCoist: "Unfortunately, his header lacked power under pressure and was pushed out for a corner by Oblak!"
In the Sky Sports studio, Gary Neville slammed the table in frustration, leaving Jamie Carragher utterly bewildered.
"Hey, even if it had gone in, Gary, there's no need to get that excited, right? You're supposed to be neutral!"
"You don't understand a thing, Jamie! This is our Champions League tradition!" Neville shot Carragher a disdainful glance.
...
On the green pitch, Ling rubbed his aching ribs.
There was no need to ask—it was Godín who had cynically pinched him during the jump.
However, such minor dark arts fouls were common, almost every veteran defender used them. Complaining to the referee would be useless.
Besides, Ling wasn't that fragile.
He was already accustomed to being targeted physically.
A shaken Godín roared at his defensive partner, "If you can't outmuscle him, Jose, go for the ball! Jump early to head it clear! Don't let that kid get into a dangerous area to begin with!"
Minor fouls could be used, but they weren't a reliable long-term solution against elite forwards.
You might stop him once or twice with a pinch, but could you stop him three or four times over 90 minutes? For defenders, letting the opponent seize just one opportunity could lead to disaster!
Gimenez felt deeply aggrieved.
'If I didn't push Ling outward, given that freakish hang time and a running start... Who in Atlético could stop him?!'
"Jan, pay attention to the trajectory of the crosses. If they're not too far from goal, you'd better come out and punch them clear," Gimenez looked pleadingly at Oblak.
This was the only solution he could think of.
With the goalkeeper's reach and hands, blocking Ling in the air would be no problem.
"Alright!" Oblak nodded grimly.
Mahrez's resulting corner was sent dipping toward the near post.
Oblak, living up to his reputation as one of the world's most valuable goalkeepers, decisively rushed out and punched the ball clear through traffic with both fists.
"Press!" Ling shouted.
He noticed the second ball wasn't controlled by his teammates. He turned first and sprinted back toward his own half to lead the counter-press!
Atlético's counterattacks were among the best in Europe, so the best solution was to press immediately upon losing the ball, disrupting their buildup from the back before it started.
Rodri understood this too.
After controlling the second ball, he didn't hesitate with risky short passes but instead launched a direct, sweeping ball toward Alvaro Morata up top.
Clive Tyldesley: "Great sweeping pass from Rodri!"
Ally McCoist: "Let's see how Atlético's only attacking focal point handles this isolation against Maguire!"
Although the outside football world mocked Morata for his two weak feet and constant offside tendencies, the "Big Dreamer" actually possessed excellent counter-attacking progression ability.
Back in the 15-16 season, he had made Bayern Munich's formidable midfield and defense chase shadows with a legendary long, driving run.
A clever feint and turn allowed Morata to evade Maguire's initial challenge.
But the next moment, Maguire simply reached out and cynically pulled him back by the shirt, using a professional tactical foul to stop the break.
It's worth remembering that Morata's entry into Real Madrid's first team was entirely due to Mourinho's keen eye for talent years ago.
How could Mourinho not understand Morata's exact characteristics? He had left the Manchester United defenders with one specific piece of advice during the team meeting.
"His counter-attacking progression is very good, but he has a terrible habit of pausing to observe after beating his man, which slows down the counterattack. Foul him then."
Maguire knew his own turning speed was slow.
So he didn't even attempt to chase back for a footrace, instead committing the tactical foul right away, preventing the ball from being played out into space.
"Pass it earlier, Alvaro!" Griezmann scolded discontentedly from the midfield. "If you had played a quick through ball behind their defense, I could have been through on goal!"
Alvaro Morata felt a bit embarrassed but knew he was at fault.
He could only trudge back with his head down to wait for the free kick.
Hearing Griezmann's harsh words, Ling couldn't help but feel reflective.
Football is a team sport, and many psychological principles are universal, such as the Hurlock effect—appropriate praise is significantly more effective for morale than harsh criticism.
That's why Ling rarely criticizes his teammates in public.
Well, except for that one time when Lukaku wasted a chance from half a meter out in the cup final.
Because excessive pressure can hinder performance, while moderate understanding and respect help boost motivation.
After Atlético's counterattack came to nothing, Manchester United quickly switched their tactical approach.
Anchor the defense, and seize opportunities to counter the counter!
Clive Tyldesley: "Mourinho's control of the game's rhythm is clearly much stronger than last season. It really seems like the 'Special One' has regained his magic, just as the fans are saying online!"
Ally McCoist: "Lucas Hernandez swings a cross from the byline... but Alvaro Morata seems to shy away from the physical duel, allowing Maguire to easily win the first ball in the air. This is the biggest difference between Morata and Diego Costa, and it severely limits his tactical role for Simeone."
As the traveling cheers from Atlético fans gradually faded, the pace of the match on the pitch also slowed down into a tactical stalemate.
Before long, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the end of the first half.
Manchester United 1-0 Atlético Madrid (Agg: 2-1)
....
The players from both teams quickly returned to the dressing rooms to discuss tactics for the second half.
Simeone didn't have the right tactical cards to play from his depleted bench, so he could only use raw emotion to motivate his players.
"We can't compete with the historic heritage of these giant clubs, nor do we have their endless piles of cash! The only thing we can rely on is our fighting spirit! Show them your teeth!"
Since joining Atlético, Griezmann had heard this exact underdog speech almost every year and had long become completely immune to it.
That's why managers can't overdo the emotional motivational talks.
Players might accept it and run through brick walls for a season or two, but beyond that, hardly anyone buys into the constant siege mentality.
Feeling the gloomy, unresponsive atmosphere in the dressing room, Simeone's heart sank further.
He knew there might be no miracle tonight.
On the other side of the stadium, Mourinho didn't talk about major tactical adjustments because Manchester United had played the game perfectly in the first half.
It was enough to stick with the original tactics. Making unnecessary, clever changes could backfire.
"Ling, diversify the attacking play in the forward line a bit more in the second half, especially the rotation and switching of positions among you, Marcus, and Riyad," Mourinho offered a suggestion just before they walked out.
"Try to break down Atlético's rigid man-marking system by pulling them out of their zones."
"Alright, boss, I'll keep that in mind," Ling nodded in understanding.
He then found Rashford and Mahrez in the tunnel to briefly discuss how to fluidly position themselves.
....
Soon, Old Trafford grew noisy again.
The two teams switched sides for the second half.
After halftime, Atlético didn't regain their high spirits.
Instead, they became even more sluggish and defeated.
When the ball reached Thomas Lemar's feet on the wing, the young Frenchman seemed mentally unbalanced, trying to force his way past Ander Herrera with unnecessary tricks.
But Herrera, while not exceptional in flashy areas, was incredibly solid defensively.
Back in the 15-16 season, he had famously marked Eden Hazard completely out of a game.
With veteran experience, Herrera closed in for a physical duel and easily intercepted the ball during Lemar's heavy touch.
On the sidelines, Simeone was already furious, smashing the turf with a plastic water bottle in his hand.
In the blink of an eye, Herrera advanced into Atlético Madrid's half, exchanged a slick one-two with Pogba, and drove straight into the heart of their retreating defense.
At the same time, Manchester United's attacking trio rotated positions fluidly, briefly disrupting Atlético's rigid defensive line.
Clive Tyldesley: "Rodri and Koke are double-teaming Herrera, but the gap on the left flank is a bit too big!"
Before the words could fully settle, Herrera slipped a perfectly weighted pass to Jeremy Ling, who had cleverly rotated to the left side.
Juanfran had been pressured relentlessly by Rashford for half the game, while his stamina hadn't dropped drastically, it was no match for the start of the match.
Therefore, the moment Ling received Herrera's pass, he exploded down the touchline, effortlessly overtaking his tired marker with sheer pace!
"José, watch out!" Juanfran yelled.
He couldn't catch up no matter how hard he tried, only able to urge his center-back teammate to cover for him.
Jose Gimenez, seeing the charging Jeremy Ling bearing down on him, couldn't help but feel a flicker of panic. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rashford making a supporting run behind him into the box.
It was that split-second distraction that proved fatal!
Ling unleashed a fierce, low shot toward the far post, with almost no visible adjustment in his running motion.
Faced with the sudden powerful strike, Oblak couldn't react in time and could only watch helplessly as the ball nestled into the bottom corner of the net!
2-0!!! (3-1 on aggregate)
Whoosh!!!
Tens of thousands of Manchester United fans at Old Trafford erupted into thunderous cheers!
Because this goal essentially sealed the victory and the tie!
Although Atlético Madrid technically still only needed two goals to overturn the deficit on away goals, the problem was obvious.
Looking at the dejected expressions and slumped shoulders of Atlético's players on the pitch, did they have any fight left in them?
After a brief celebration by the corner flag, Ling waved to his teammates, urging them to quickly regroup for the restart.
After all, he was a man aiming for the Champions League Golden Boot.
He wanted more goals!
But Mourinho called him over to the touchline.
"Ling! We still have to face Liverpool next in the league. It's best not to push Atlético too hard now."
"... I understand," Ling replied, pursing his lips in slight resignation.
Indeed, Mourinho made a valid, pragmatic point.
Given the current demoralized situation, Ling had opportunities to score a hat-trick.
But if Atlético, backed into a corner and humiliated, resorted to reckless and malicious fouls to save face... He wasn't afraid of getting hurt, thanks to his system's injury immunity module, but his teammates weren't so fortunate.
They could lose key players for the Liverpool game.
So, for the sake of the bigger picture, he had to tone it down a bit.
"Ling, the match against Liverpool is simply too important for our title hopes, so..." Mourinho patiently explained further, knowing strikers hate being told to stop scoring.
"Boss, do I seem like someone who doesn't understand reason?" Ling waved his hand dismissively with a smile.
"There are still the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final ahead of us. I'm sure I'll score plenty more goals in Europe!"
Ling turned and rejoined the team, jogging back to his half.
The rest of the match passed without much drama or incident.
Atlético's players initially tried to stir up trouble with late tackles.
But after Ling led a few forceful, warning counterattacks, nearly scoring again, their players finally accepted reality and backed off, not wanting to suffer a heavier defeat.
In the end, the scoreline remained unchanged when the final whistle blew.
Manchester United were through to the quarter-finals!
----
Found a good manager novel, he start by coaching swansea city... have you guys read it before?