"To be honest, it's very difficult for Leeds United to turn this game around. From the manager to the players, this team still seems a bit inexperienced. In the last game, perhaps Mourinho's underestimation of their opponents allowed them to seize the opportunity. But in these 45 minutes, they've been exposed by Ferguson's Manchester United!" As a long-time Manchester United fan, Wang Lu began analyzing the current situation after the referee blew the whistle for halftime. In his opinion, Leeds United's chances of turning the game around are slim.
As the players left the field, the cameras gave them some close-up shots.
In the footage, the Manchester United players are all smiling and chatting as they walk towards the players' tunnel with relaxed expressions.
On the other hand, Leeds United's players were demoralized, and they quickly walked off the field with furrowed brows.
In the Leeds studio, Erre Geddy, watching the Leeds United players' gloomy faces, said with a hint of frustration, "Although Lee didn't make any changes to the lineup after going down 0-2, thankfully the lads adjusted their game in time and didn't concede any more goals in the first half. Now we'll see what adjustments Lee makes at halftime. In any case, even if we lose this game, I hope our lads won't give up in the second half, even if it's just to score one goal!"
·····
The Leeds United players, who had returned to the locker room one after another, were now sitting in their seats, almost all of them with their heads down and not saying a word. The only sound in the locker room was the scratching of the whiteboard marker in Li Shiguang's hand.
Two minutes later, Li Guangshi, who had returned to the locker room first, finished drawing his tactical arrangements for the second half on the whiteboard and turned to look at his teammates.
The only player still looking up at him right now is captain Milner.
The other players, at this moment, resembled a group of children who had made mistakes and dared not utter a sound, all with their heads bowed, seemingly silently enduring Li Shiguang's punishment and criticism. This was especially evident in Ribery, whose personal errors in the first half led to the team conceding two goals—he sat alone quietly in the last row of the team, his legs constantly swinging back and forth, appearing extremely uneasy. Clearly, Ribery felt that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would likely miss the second half… Thinking of this, a strong sense of loss and self-blame welled up within him.
Having worked together for so long, Milner knew his boss and head coach well. Seeing the relaxed expression on his face, Milner's initial nervousness immediately eased. He knew that the young head coach in front of him must have already found a way to solve the problem!
"Clap~ Clap~ Clap~ Clap." Li Shiguang broke the silence in the locker room with applause, and then said in a tone that was not particularly stern: "Lift your heads, lads, especially you, Frank, don't look like a defeated rooster, cheer up, you still have 45 minutes to make up for the mistakes in the first half!"
As Li Shiguang's voice echoed in the locker room, everyone looked up at Li Shiguang standing in front of the whiteboard.
Ribery opened his mouth slightly and looked at Li Shiguang with an incredulous expression. He was already prepared to leave the field to rest, but his young head coach hadn't even considered substituting him.
He noticed that everyone's attention was focused on him.
Li Shiguang first gave Ribery an approving look before speaking: "Boys, it's undeniable that it was a terrible first half. We didn't play the game we practiced before the match. You are partly to blame for this, and of course, I am too."
"However, thankfully, we still have 45 minutes to make changes and improvements, don't we? Although it seems quite challenging to take a victory from Old Trafford in today's game, I still expect everyone to show a tenacious fighting spirit. Can we do it?"
"My request is simple: concentrate for the remaining 45 minutes, defend well, and try to score as many goals as possible. I don't want to get thrashed at Old Trafford, hahaha."
After easing the tension a bit, Li Shiguang began to make some adjustments to the lineup and tactics for the second half.
·····
"Welcome back to the live broadcast, fans. The second half of the Manchester United vs. Leeds United match is about to begin."
“We saw Leeds United’s manager, Li Shiguang, make some changes to the lineup at halftime, replacing Vardy in the forward line and Silva in the defense with young players Gareth Bale and Lahm. Judging from the players’ positioning, Leeds United should be playing a more familiar 4-2-3-1 formation in the second half, with Bale and Lahm occupying the left and right full-back positions, Ribery and Milner appearing to be positioned further forward, and Falcao playing as a lone striker. It’s surprising that Li Shiguang didn’t substitute Ribery, who was not in good form today. Coach Wang, what are your thoughts on Leeds United’s substitutions at halftime?” After introducing the changes to Leeds United’s lineup, Su Tao asked Wang Lu beside him.
Upon hearing Su Tao's question, Wang Lu's face also showed a hint of doubt: "Actually, during halftime, I also thought that Leeds United would strengthen their attack in the second half after being down by two goals, but now it seems that the situation is completely the opposite. Leeds United not only took off a striker, but the two players who came on were also playing as full-backs. And the most important point is that they did not substitute the out-of-form Ribery, but instead moved him to the left winger position. It is undeniable that he has a strong attacking ability, but judging from the situation in the first half, his form today may not be able to break through O'Shea's defense!"
"Holy crap, has Leeds United given up? What kind of substitution is this? They're bringing on a defender when they're behind???"
"Hahahaha, the Leeds United manager must have been bought."
"No way, did the coach drug Ribery? He wasn't substituted in the first half, and now he's on in the second half?"
"Garbage!!! I should have known better than to buy the wrong door, damn it!!!"
"There are two gambling addicts upstairs, confirmed!"
"Um... I'm new here, and to be honest, Leeds United's manager is kind of handsome!"
Li Shiguang was unaware of the discussions coming from Chinese television stations.
However, Li Shiguang knew Ribery's condition better than anyone else. After giving the players a pep talk in the locker room, he saw the determination to make amends on Ribery's face. After seeing that there was no major change in Ribery's status on the system, Li Shiguang still decided to send him on the field. With Bale on the field, Ribery's defensive tasks would be greatly reduced, so he would have enough energy to attack O'Shea's defense.
Li Shiguang's task for Bale and Lahm was simple: use their speed to stick close to Ronaldo and Giggs, and never make a tackle unless they were 100% sure of success. Just force them towards the byline. As long as they weren't beaten, their crosses were easy for their two tall defenders to handle.
Just as I was thinking, the referee's whistle blew from the field.
The second half of the game.
Let's begin!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
