From Arsenal to the Ball God

”The official basic formation is 5-2-3.” Wenger pulled out the tactics board and laid out Manchester United’s formation, ”But clearly, they will still play their 4-4-2 setup.

”Ashley Young won’t be stationed at the left-back position; his position will be pushed forward, even approaching our penalty area.

”Rooney won’t be pressing too hard upfront; he’ll drop back from the forward position to coordinate, letting Welbeck and Nani strike forward.”

”Ferguson is preparing to attack aggressively in this match, and like us, they will seize opportunities for attacking and defensive transitions, so seizing control of the midfield is crucial.”

At this point, Arteta looked up, having been given a starting opportunity in this match.

Wenger glanced at him and Alexander Song seriously, ”You must run tirelessly and be ready for rotation under anaerobic conditions at all times.

”Your condition and focus will be the decisive factors in the outcome of this match.

”Killing the opponent’s opportunities to transition from defense to attack is essentially killing a goal-scoring opportunity; creating our opportunities to transition from defense to attack is essentially creating a goal-scoring chance for our forwards.

”Attacking!

”This is definitely the main theme of this match. Everyone must be prepared. This is not a battle of spear versus shield but a contest between sword and shield bearers.”

Ma’el was sitting on his seat, gulping a mouthful of water, swishing it around a bit to fool his brain, then spitting it into the trash bin.

A battle of counteroffenses.....

No forward dislikes such a fight; his body twitches with excitement, eager to get on the field.

”Now let’s talk about Rooney; in the previous two Premier League matches, he’s netted 2 goals and 3 assists, making him Manchester United’s lineup.....”

On the other side, in the Manchester United locker room.

Ferguson was equally meticulous, giving the players final instructions based on the starting lineup rolled out by Arsenal.

”Wenger has placed Walcott on the right, intending to suppress Ashley Young’s forward attack.”

He looked around at the serious-faced players, chewing his gum and said, ”Evra, Evans, don’t let the old guy succeed, pin down Walcott on the flank, and free Ashley Young.”

Evra and Evans exchanged glances, turned back to look at Ferguson, then clenched their fists and nodded.

”But this is not the main point.”

Ferguson pulled out the tactics board, swiping his right hand across the midfield line a few times, ”This is the focus! You need to strive to keep Arsenal’s attack in midfield, make sure they find it hard to reach the attacking threat points in the front.

”Anderson, Cleverley, your task is heavy.

”If you let Arsenal counterattack and get the ball to Ma’el or Walcott..... our backline will be under great threat.

”That’s not what we want to see; we need to solve problems on the midfield line and in the opposing half, let them see De Gea as little as possible.”

With that, he glanced at De Gea, showing a slight smile.

This young man, whom he brought over from Atletico Madrid at only 20 years old..... he had high hopes for him, hoping he could become Manchester United’s defensive anchor for the next ten years.

So, even if De Gea’s performance after joining the team was average and criticized.

He still chose to trust him, putting him in this crucial battle to endure the baptism of attacks from the Premier League giants.

Ferguson sometimes imagines, once De Gea is fully trained and reaches the reliability of Van der Sar..... he will surely lead Manchester United back to its former glory and make another charge for the Champions League.

”Phil Jones.”

He finally cast his gaze towards Phil Jones, speaking in a deep voice, ”Ma’el rarely falls back to defend, so you need to give up on advancing to attack, and focus on marking him.

”Be like a fly sticking to him; even when he shakes you off, loop around and ’buzz’ back to him, make it hard for him and difficult to gain possession.

”If defending becomes really challenging, just seal off the inside line, force him to the flank, make him use his non-dominant foot to pass.

”Smolin will cover you, don’t be too afraid of him, he’s got two legs and two arms like everyone else, he can’t teleport, it’s not that easy for him to get past you.”

Phil Jones nodded, feeling a rising confidence in his heart as he understood the task at hand for this match.

...

At 3:25 PM, players from both sides stood in the player tunnel, awaiting entry.

By coincidence, Ma’el and Rooney walked alongside each other. Both knew the other was walking beside them, but pretended not to notice.

The big match was about to begin, and at this moment, tensions between them were still high.

As Ma’el reached the player’s tunnel, he saw bright lights outside glaring, shining on the red canopy and reflecting a dim red on the players, adding a touch of mystery to each person.

”Manchester United.....!!”

”Arsenal.....!!”

The deafening shouts from outside made everyone’s expressions serious, both nervous and excited, only able to shift attention to pass this final stretch of time.

”Arteta.” Ma’el chose to start a conversation, even though he wasn’t good at it, ”How many times have you played against Manchester United?”

”13 times.”

Arteta said, revealing a surprising number. Seeing the astonishment on Ma’el’s face, he added, ”I was at Everton for 6 years, played 7 times at home, and 6 times at Old Trafford.

”Last season alone, there were 3 matches; we met in the FA Cup, these players are old acquaintances of mine.”

”Alright then.....” Ma’el found the conversation hard to continue, realizing his youth leaves him lacking in certain areas compared to these seasoned players.