Chapter 63: Hey, Sir Alex Ferguson!
Chapter 63: Hey, Sir Alex Ferguson!
The neutralizing tactic is quite common, usually deployed against an opponent's absolute focal point.
However, this tactic is typically applied to the playmaker—Li Mo is a center-forward, meaning he doesn't actually require a heavy share of possession, and teams rarely employ such a strategy against a lone striker.
Yet, Ferguson still instructed Tom Cleverley to stick to Li Mo like a shadow.
He simply refused to give Li Mo any opportunity to receive the ball. Li Mo's ball-carrying ability is not his strongest suit, and with Cleverley glued to him, the space available for him to make runs and interlace plays was extremely limited.
Even if he managed to shake off Cleverley.
Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidić waiting behind were no pushovers.
Arsène Wenger furrowed his brows deeply.
He knew.
Ferguson was exploiting Arsenal's heavy reliance on Li Mo's finishing ability, which was why he resorted to such a tactic.
As long as Li Mo could not run into scoring opportunities.
Then Arsenal's attack would be crippled by more than half.
Wenger had assigned multiple distributors to supply Li Mo with passes; from this perspective, Li Mo was indeed the tactical core!
Ferguson's move struck precisely at their Achilles' heel.
He rendered all of Arsenal's passers devoid of a target.
After watching from the sidelines for a while, Ferguson returned to the technical area, slowly chewing his gum as he waited for the tide of the match to turn.
Having endured Arsenal's frantic offensive barrage away from home, Manchester United had weathered the storm.
Next...
It would be time for Manchester United to launch counter-attacks.
Ferguson now felt that Wenger simply refused to learn his lesson. Didn't he know that Manchester United were a team exceptionally proficient at playing defensive counter-attacks?
To press forward with such an aggressive attack.
Manchester United would only need a single counter-attack to score.
After all.
Up front, Manchester United's strikers were none other than Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney.
In those two's ability to seize opportunities.
Ferguson had absolute confidence.
Wherever Li Mo went now, he had a shadow trailing him.
Tom Cleverley was twenty-four years old this year.
He was once regarded by Manchester United fans as Paul Scholes's successor.
Back then, Manchester United had pursued Wesley Sneijder, and the Dutch midfielder had even been very close to joining Manchester United.
It was only in the final moments that the deal fell through.
Ultimately, Ferguson chose to let Cleverley step up and shoulder more match responsibilities.
Over the past season and a half, Cleverley had indeed delivered.
His midfield partnership with Michael Carrick had gradually become the backbone of Manchester United, successfully compensating for the squad deficit caused by Darren Fletcher's indefinite absence due to a severe bowel condition.
Having played extensively over these past two seasons.
Cleverley's experience had also grown.
Although he was no match for Li Mo in terms of physical strength and height.
His experience was rich, and he used plenty of subtle, petty fouls, which made Li Mo extremely exasperated.
For instance, just as Li Mo prepared to make a diagonal run like a fishhook to receive a through ball, Cleverley's hand gave Li Mo's waist a sharp tug, causing Li Mo's body to stumble before immediately releasing him.
Such pulling and dragging were not enough to knock Li Mo to the ground.
Yet they were enough to successfully disrupt his rhythm.
This slowed Li Mo down by a fraction of a second, and Santi Cazorla's through ball was promptly intercepted by Vidić.
Moreover, the referee failed to penalize Cleverley for a foul.
Li Mo glanced at Cleverley.
The opponent simply acted as if nothing had happened and immediately pressed back up close.
Anyway.
He had made up his mind in this match to stick to Li Mo like a piece of stubborn leather.
The central players starting for Manchester United in this match were all dressing room heavyweights.
Beside him was Carrick, behind him were Ferdinand and Vidić, and ahead of him were Van Persie and Rooney.
Therefore, as the young junior, he naturally had to shoulder the dirty work and grunt labor.
Must admit, he was doing a decent job of it so far.
Frowning, Li Mo pondered the reasons for his failed offensive attempts during those few instances.
"Mindset, mindset is always more important than anything else. On the pitch, you must keep your brain running incessantly!" — Filippo Inzaghi.
Li Mo felt that his idol could score so many goals despite lacking footwork, physical confrontation, and absolute pace, relying solely on that one brain of his.
Right now, the team's several attempts relied on a tactical routine of direct passes from midfield followed by his own diagonal runs.
Under the interference of Cleverley.
When defending him, Manchester United easily formed a compact vertical depth—Cleverley was responsible for tight marking, with Ferdinand and Vidić backing him up in reserve.
As a result.
No matter how fast his own speed was.
It was extremely difficult to break through such a layered defensive depth.
But what if...
The ball was crossed directly from the flanks instead?
Would such a pass flatten Manchester United's vertical defensive system against him and allow him to regain the upper hand? Li Mo still had confidence in his ability to time his runs and poach goals.
Therefore, he quickly sought out Cazorla.
And communicated his thoughts to him.
Upon hearing this, a light flashed in Cazorla's eyes as well.
"Crossing from the flanks... that is indeed a way!"
"Right! Try to make the ball travel as fast as possible! Whether it's lofted or skimming the turf, just make the ball speed as fast as you can!"
"But... if the ball travels too quickly, I'm worried you won't be able to react in time?" Jack Wilshere asked doubtfully.
"It doesn't matter, what I'm competing against them with is reaction speed!"
Li Mo said.
Next.
Manchester United discovered that Arsenal's attack was beginning to change.
They abandoned their previous tactical mindset of direct through balls targeting the space behind the defense, turning instead to flank crosses.
Furthermore, these crosses either skimmed the turf or arrived at chest height, but regardless of the trajectory, their shared characteristic was extreme speed.
Li Mo also adjusted his positioning closer to the goal.
If Cleverley, Ferdinand, and Vidić had previously formed a standard triangular defensive shape.
Now Li Mo had practically forced them into a straight line.
Of course.
Arsenal players sweeping powerful crosses from the flanks into the central area.
The ball speed was simply too fast.
For the first few attempts, Li Mo did not even touch the ball.
Yet they persisted with this method of crossing—Li Mo was the team's finisher, and however he wanted the distributors to pass, the distributors had to execute according to Li Mo's ideas.
Twenty-third minute of the match.
Wilshere also shifted to the right flank.
He glanced into the penalty area.
And then whipped in a powerful cross with a fierce kick!
He struck the cross almost with the technique of taking a direct free-kick; the football spun, drawing a massive arc, and reached the penalty area in the blink of an eye!
The ball bypassed the left-back Patrice Evra at the near post.
Evra turned his head to look, his pupils involuntarily contracting.
When Wilshere delivered the cross.
Li Mo had been standing right on the edge of the penalty area line.
He specifically reserved a space for himself to sprint into.
However...
Before that, he still had to shake off Cleverley.
And the way he shook off Cleverley was very simple...
Cleverley had originally intended to repeat his previous trick, waiting for Li Mo to accelerate before giving him a sudden tug to disrupt Li Mo's rhythm.
Yet this time... he clearly did not expect Li Mo to strike first.
As the ball was distributed toward Wilshere's side.
Li Mo feinted as if to step forward and receive the ball.
Cleverley had no reason to doubt it and followed closely, anyway his mission was to stay glued to Li Mo.
As a result...
Li Mo came to a sudden stop and leaned backward with brute force!
His broad shoulders slammed directly into the nose of the completely unprepared Cleverley—Cleverley had continuously used petty fouls against Li Mo earlier, and he never expected that the seventeen-year-old Li Mo would learn on the fly and immediately turn the tables.
How did the saying go?
Learning virtue is hard, but learning vice takes only a split second.
Caught completely unawares, Cleverley was dazed by the collision, his head buzzing.
When he opened his eyes again.
What he saw was Li Mo's back as he sprinted toward the penalty area.
His speed was blistering!
Vidić and Ferdinand were moving to close down the space, but they were still a step too slow.
Li Mo slipped right between them, not even needing to jump; with just a slight touch of his head, he directed the ball straight into the back of the net...
"F**k!!"
Cleverley was furious to the extreme.
Yet he remained somewhat level-headed.
He felt... this play could still be salvaged.
Therefore, he immediately clutched his nose, let out a miserable scream, and collapsed to the ground...
Yet no one paid him any attention.
"Li... Li... Li!!!!!!!!!"
The commentator from Arsenal Radio shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Li!! Li has scored again!! His eleventh league goal of the season!!"
"In this head-to-head duel between two prolific marksmen, Li Mo has temporarily taken the lead!"
"One to nil! Arsenal playing at home lead one to nil!!!"
"Ferguson's team is behind!"
"Manchester United are trailing!"
"If Arsenal defeat Manchester United, they will narrow the points gap between themselves and Manchester United to just three points! If Manchester City and Chelsea both win this round of league fixtures, Arsenal will be only four points away from the summit!"
"Win against Manchester United, and Arsenal will firmly enter the title-contending group!"
"Cleverley has gone down, but this was definitely no foul, Li Mo didn't use his hands at all!"
The commentary box erupted in complete pandemonium.
Aside from the Manchester United Radio commentator.
Every other commentator loved nothing more than a good spectacle.
Everyone was more than happy to witness an even fiercer battle at the top of the league table.
Li Mo had charged nearly all the way into the Manchester United goal.
After shaking off Cleverley, all he did was launch forward and accelerate!!
While Ferdinand and Vidić were both trying to judge how Wilshere would cross the ball.
Li Mo chose to sprint directly behind Vidić!
He cared nothing about the exact dropping zone of the ball.
Because he knew that Wilshere's cross would either be high or low.
Either way, the ball speed would be extremely fast!
He needed to snatch a split second of time difference.
Events proved.
He succeeded in snatching it!
When Ferdinand and Vidić realized Li Mo's threat and attempted to close the gap for a double-team, it was already far too late.
After poking the ball into the net.
Li Mo turned and sprinted toward the sidelines.
Along the way.
Arsenal players wanted to catch up to celebrate, only to find that they simply couldn't keep pace...
Then.
They watched as Li Mo ran straight up to the Manchester United technical area.
The personnel on Manchester United's bench and coaching staff realized instantly what Li Mo intended to do.
They stood up one after another, shouting angrily at Li Mo and warning him not to pull any stunts.
Li Mo ignored them entirely, walked up to a spot not far from Ferguson, spread his hands, and pouted.
Hey.
Ferguson.
Weren't you planning to use psychological warfare to put pressure on me?
Now...
How are you feeling?
The Manchester United players on the bench were incensed.
Ryan Giggs marched menacingly toward Li Mo.
Only to be quickly shoved away by the rushing Arsenal players.
Li Mo maintained his exact gesture, unmoving.
He just looked at Ferguson like that.
Trying to mess with me using psychological tactics?
Ha!
Ferguson furrowed his brows tightly.
His complexion grew even ruddier.
The chewing motion of his gum sped up drastically—everyone knew this was a manifestation of Ferguson's fury reaching its peak.
Poor Cleverley found that absolutely no one was paying attention to him.
Everyone had rushed over to the Manchester United technical area.
All the camera lenses were trained over there.
Even the referee was over there.
The scene was utter chaos.
The commentators in the press box were ecstatic.
A match between Manchester United and Arsenal used to be the focal point of all focal points over a decade ago.
Every single encounter was explosive.
Yet in recent years, things had become much more civil.
This confrontation rekindled memories for many.
Reminding people of the era of the Premier League's inaugural dual-red hegemony.
The referee flashed a yellow card to Li Mo to bring the confrontation to a close.
In addition.
Giggs on the bench also picked up a yellow card.
Furthermore, the assistant managers of both sides each received a yellow card.
The two most aggressive figures in the skirmish, Wayne Rooney and Jack Wilshere, were also booked with yellow cards apiece.
Faced with such a spectacle.
The reporters in the media tribune were practically grinning from ear to ear.
This was precisely the kind of explosive scene they hoped to see.
Only then would they have raw material to churn out clickbait articles after the match.
Wenger heaved a sigh of relief.
He smiled and said to his assistant, "I'd really love to know what kind of mood that old fellow is in right now."
"What mood could he possibly be in... sullen and furious, naturally. Hahaha, though I genuinely rarely get to see that fellow tasting defeat." Steve Bould laughed heartily.
Ferguson was indeed deeply sullen.
Now his team was behind, and regardless of his mood, trailing away from home made the difficulty of this match even greater.
After the match resumed.
Ferguson sat back down in his seat.
The rhythm of his gum chewing fluctuated between fast and slow.
Clearly, he was currently racking his brains for a countermeasure.
"Hahaha, Ferguson probably never anticipated that a youngster like Li Mo would be so audacious as to show him disrespect."
Andy Gray laughed in the commentary box.
Having tasted the sweetness of this attacking approach, Arsenal continued to intensify their flank crosses.
Li Mo's performance became even more active.
By now, Cleverley was clearly struggling to contain Li Mo, requiring Ferdinand and Vidić to constantly come over and lend a hand to prevent Li Mo from scoring again.
The Manchester United counter-attack that Ferguson was waiting for failed to materialize.
Emboldened by the goal, Arsenal fully seized the initiative.
Yet Manchester United also displayed their resilience.
If it were any other team facing Arsenal's onslaught, they likely would have conceded a second goal long ago.
However, Manchester United withstood the pressure.
Half-time arrived.
The score remained one to nil.
Arsenal took a one-goal lead into the dressing room.
Inside the dressing room.
Everyone crowded around to congratulate Li Mo on his goal.
Being able to withstand the pressure and score against a team like Manchester United.
Proved Li Mo's formidable psychological fortitude.
What's more.
Hearing the name of Robin Van Persie on the opposing side made the inner feelings of quite a few Arsenal players rather complicated.
Van Persie had left for Manchester United in search of silverware.
Yet if... they themselves had a chance to win the title this season...
At the mere thought of this picture.
Many players felt an immense surge of satisfaction!
Of course.
Everyone kept this thought buried in their hearts, fearing they would be ridiculed if spoken aloud.
After all, Arsenal hadn't been regarded as genuine Premier League title contenders for quite a few years.
Ferguson walked into the away team's dressing room.
He did not unleash his famous hairdryer treatment.
Instead, he calmly analyzed the tactics for everyone and arranged the strategic approach for the second half.
"In the second half, we must wrestle back the tempo of the match, especially in midfield..."
Ferguson looked at Cleverley.
"Don't stick to Li Mo in the second half; we need to seize control of the midfield! Give them tougher physical challenges!"
As he spoke, Ferguson swept his gaze across all the Manchester United players.
"As for Li Mo... I'll leave him to you two."
Ferguson instructed Ferdinand and Vidić.
"We don't need to overthink things right now, what we need is to attack and seize the tempo! Furthermore, we must pay special attention to defending against their counter-attacks!"
"Their flank play has yielded good results this match, and they will undoubtedly persist with it in the second half. When defending, we must ensure their flank speed cannot be unleashed and restrict their crosses..."
When the Manchester United players finished the half-time break and headed out onto the pitch.
The tactical board inside the dressing room looked as though it had been scribbled on by ghosts.
"We continue playing like this in the second half!"
Wenger said loudly inside the dressing room.
Defense was never Arsenal's strong suit.
If they retreated into a low block just because they were leading by a single goal, it would undoubtedly serve as encouragement to Manchester United and deliver a heavy blow to their own morale.
Therefore, in the second half, Arsenal would continue to press the attack!
"We must master control of the match! We must destroy them through our offense!"
Wenger said loudly, clenching his fist.
Full of passion.
At this moment, he and Ferguson seemed to have swapped roles...
One side featured calm tactical analysis.
The while the other was busy firing up his players with motivational speeches.