Stamford Bridge.
The Chelsea fans had left the stadium early.
After all, the joys and sorrows of human beings are not universal, and they didn't want to stick around to see the arrogant celebration of the traveling Man United fans.
After the Man United players went together to the away end to thank their fans, they prepared to head back to the dressing room.
On the way, Ling was stopped by N'Golo Kanté.
The Frenchman scratched his head shyly and asked if they could swap shirts.
Of course, Ling didnt refuse.
Although some Chelsea players were very annoying, this little "hard-boiled egg" had a genuinely good personality.
Ling even considered poaching Kanté for Man United if the opportunity ever arose.
After all, Man United already had Nemanja Matić, so adding another former Blue to the midfield would be just right.
As for why he was always fleecing Chelsea? Simply because Chelsea's recent results were poor, but the quality of their individual players remained exceptionally high.
As Ling walked to the side of the pitch, Jose Mourinho wrapped an arm around his shoulder.
The two quietly reviewed the day's match, their figures gradually disappearing into the players' tunnel.
...
The next morning, the front pages of all major sports media outlets chose a specific photo: the Man United players sitting together on the electronic advertising hoardings after the third goal.
Those young, vibrant faces—Ling, Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay—had their arms around each other's shoulders, flashing brilliant smiles for the cameras.
"Rise of the Red Devils' '12 Golden Generation: Ling, Rashford, McTominay!"
"Ling Scores a Brace, a New Red Devils Leader is Born!"
"Chaos in the New Premier League Season!"
As the media noted, Ling and the other young academy products had earned a new nickname: the '12 Golden Generation (referencing the year they joined the academy).
It embodied the massive expectations of countless Man United fans.
Looking back at the 1995-96 season, the members of the legendary "Class of '92" began to make their mark in Man United's first team, but they were not well-regarded at the time.
The then-BBC pundit and former Liverpool legend Alan Hansen famously said the words he would regret for the rest of his life: "You can't win anything with kids."
But those kids, under the leadership of Sir Alex Ferguson, slapped him hard in the face.
They went on a tear in the second half of the season, overturning a 12-point deficit to Newcastle to win the league title.
From then on, the era of the Red Devils' dominance over the Premier League began.
Now, Man United fans hoped that the new Class of '12 could usher in a new dynasty.
In Manchester's most famous mural district, a resident even painted a brand new mural of the Class of '12 right next to the iconic one of the Class of '92.
...
@DavidBeckham: My days at Man United were the most precious experience of my life. I hope Ling and the others can write a wonderful story too.
@PhilNeville: I witnessed the glory of the Treble and the pain of going three years without a title. I wish the new boys the desire and determination to succeed!
@GaryNeville: I think Ling will become an excellent leader for this generation!
@NickyButt: Proud of the academy boys! Keep it going!
In the world of football, teams and players with compelling stories are more likely to attract attention.
Man United used the inspirational rise of Ling and the Class of '12 as the blueprint for a story, bringing massive traffic and attention to the club.
Of course, Ling himself benefited greatly.
Jorge Mendes's phone had been ringing off the hook recently, with major global brands all seeking to collaborate.
The main reason was Ling's explosive popularity, and a smaller reason was that Ling had never caused any off-field trouble.
Such an outstanding, clean-cut brand ambassador was a rare find.
...
The next day, Scott McTominay sought out Ling.
Although McTominay had gotten playing time against Chelsea, it was less than twenty minutes, which was far from enough for a young player looking to establish himself.
Currently, Man United's midfield was bloated with five players: Matić, Kovačić, Pogba, Herrera, and McTominay.
Only Matić and Pogba were guaranteed starters, the rest were deployed based on specific tactical requirements.
In a café outside the Carrington Training Base, McTominay poured out his troubles.
"Jeremy, I feel very lost right now. I don't know which direction I should develop in. Should I try to play like Matić, Pogba, or Darren Fletcher?"
Ling stirred his coffee, seriously considering the question.
As an adult, one should generally give as little unsolicited advice as possible, as it could lead to conflicts or resentment later.
However, their relationship was already beyond that of ordinary teammates.
Ling organized his thoughts. "I think you should play to your strengths and work on hiding your weaknesses. When I first joined the first team, only my dribbling was barely passable. So I thought about how to maximize that advantage. At the same time, I constantly worked behind the scenes on improving my shortcomings in shooting and passing."
He took a sip of coffee. "For example, your ability to make forward runs into the box is quite strong, so you can try to get more involved in the attack. Also, your height means your running coverage won't be as massive as Kanté's, so you need to improve your defensive positioning to compensate. You can learn from Matić in that regard. Play like Scott McTominay."
Ling didn't give overly specific tactical advice, choosing instead to share his own journey.
Back when Man United needed a winger who could break through defenses, he focused entirely on his dribbling.
Later, when they needed a winger who could pass, he went to Michael Carrick to practice long balls.
"Scott, you have to have faith in me," Ling added. "When the forwards can't hold up the ball, the demands on the midfield are magnified. I will always be there to receive it."
"That's true. I don't have to worry about losing possession when I pass it to you," McTominay smiled, his gloominess dissipating quite a bit. He leaned in and lowered his voice.
"David secretly told me before that every time Maguire brings the ball forward, he's terrified it'll be stolen!"
Ling couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He suddenly remembered a match he had watched in his past life where Maguire held out his hand asking for the ball from De Gea, but De Gea chose to kick it completely out of bounds rather than pass to him!
After their heart-to-heart talk ended, Ling went home and called Mourinho.
After all, he was just a player, not a professional coach, and he wanted to make sure the advice he gave McTominay was suitable for the team's tactics.
...
After training ended on the evening of October 23rd, the Man United players gathered in the dressing room to check the weekend's results.
"Is Man City trying to break their own league winning streak record again?!" Pogba exclaimed.
His mouth was agape, wide enough to fit two eggs, as he looked at his phone.
Manchester City 5 - 0 Burnley.
The five goals were scored by five different players, showing just how hot Man City's form was.
Last season, Man City became the first club in Europe's Top Five Leagues to reach 100 points without winning the title—a truly unforgettable failure for Pep Guardiola.
The Man City players were incredibly frustrated by that runner-up finish.
It was precisely because of this that they were treating every single match with ruthless intensity until they reclaimed the Premier League trophy.
The results of the other "Big 6" matches held few surprises.
Liverpool beat Huddersfield 1-0, continuing the Red Army's fine tradition of grinding out tough wins against lower-table teams.
The lone goal was scored by Salah.
Tottenham beat West Ham United 1-0.
Harry Kane seemed to be in poor form, missing several scoring opportunities.
If not for Érik Lamela's stoppage-time winner, they probably would have ended with a draw.
Arsenal beat Leicester City 3-1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a brace, and Mesut Özil (the "dead fish eye") also scored.
However, despite the win, Arsenal was still only ranked 6th.
After all, Arsenal never disappoints when it comes to being disappointing.
They kicked off the season with a delightful two-game losing streak. But before the fans could even unfurl their "Emery Out" banners, the Gunners followed it up with a clean six-game winning streak.
The team quickly got back on track, and the fans' curses turned into songs of praise, claiming that Arsène Wenger's departure was the best choice for both sides.
Meanwhile, the heartbroken Wenger spoke in a media interview. "I managed 1,235 games at Arsenal. There were good times and bad, but I always strived to defend Arsenal's honor. I will not return to the Emirates Stadium in the future, not even as a spectator. I have left Arsenal completely and utterly."
...
After all the Matchday 9 games were over, the top of the league table was incredibly tight.
Man City: 27 points
Liverpool: 25 points
Tottenham: 25 points
Man United: 24 points
Chelsea: 22 points
Arsenal: 21 points
...
Rashford opened the Premier League top scorers list on his phone.
"Jeremy, right now it's Mané, Salah, Aubameyang, Agüero... and then you. You need to step it up!"
"There are still 29 rounds left in the league. I'm confident I can catch up to them," Ling replied, not feeling much pressure.
Sometimes, being too obsessed with goal-scoring stats can prevent you from performing at your best.
To put it mystically, you become hindered by your own obsession.
Of course, the desire for victory and honor was essential; when a competitive athlete loses that desire, they lose their motivation.
A short while later, Mourinho walked into the dressing room.
"Make sure you get enough sleep tonight, boys. Tomorrow night is the Champions League group stage."
The room quieted down immediately.
"Our opponent is Lyon, who finished third in Ligue 1 last season," Mourinho said sternly. "Don't think that French teams are weak. This match is very important. We must win now, so that we can strategically rotate in the later Champions League games and conserve energy for our packed December schedule."
Lyon's squad was mostly made up of highly talented young players.
Although their head coach, Bruno Génésio, was not globally well-known, he actually had a wealth of tactical experience.
Man United had already stumbled with a draw against Hoffenheim.
If they were held to a draw or even lost again due to carelessness, Mourinho would truly find it unacceptable.
With Mourinho's repeated serious instructions, the Man United players didn't dare have the slightest thought of underestimating their opponent.
After the pre-match tactical meeting concluded, Mourinho asked McTominay to stay behind.
The manager and the young midfielder talked alone in the dressing room for over half an hour.
A day passed in a flash.
On October 24th, the French guests arrived at Old Trafford.
The third round of the Champions League group stage was about to begin!
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