After the second half began, the intensity of the players' clashes escalated.
Just moments ago, Rashford was brought down by Swansea's winger Naughton, who pulled and dragged him during a dribble.
The match referee, Bobby Madley, only issued a verbal warning, as he preferred to maintain the flow and continuity of the game, leading to a more lenient standard of officiating.
Mourinho, flushed with anger over the decision, stormed toward the coaching bench.
"Boss, control your emotions. We can't afford another red card for you!"
Assistant coach Faria hurriedly picked up the scattered water bottles on the ground, stuffing them into his arms as he nervously spoke.
He was genuinely terrified!
Last season, Mourinho was sent to the stands by the English FA for kicking a water bottle, citing that it "could harm people nearby," and was given an additional suspension.
During that match, Faria had to secretly shuttle between the stands and the coaching area, listening to Mourinho's instructions and then relaying them to the players.
Not only did he nearly break his back from exhaustion, but he also almost got caught by the refereeing team for violating the rules, which could have led to further suspensions.
Upon hearing this, Mourinho took a deep breath and coldly glared onto the field.
...
After halftime, Swansea seemed to have found a way to counter Manchester United's attacks—by frequently applying physical pressure.
In this situation, Manchester United's attacking trio, mainly consisting of Mkhitaryan, Rashford, and Mata, struggled immensely.
They found it difficult to execute smooth passing combinations and couldn't provide adequate support to Lukaku in the forward positions.
As time passed, the advantage Manchester United had built was gradually eroded by their opponents.
If not for Matic's outstanding performance, which included several crucial interceptions, they might have conceded a goal to Swansea's swift counterattacks.
Left with no other options, Mourinho signaled for the entire team to drop back and defend, aiming to stabilize the rhythm before seeking opportunities to attack.
In contrast, Swansea's manager Bradley seemed to have tasted success and, in the 67th minute, made substitutions, bringing on Narsingh and Routledge.
Both players were tall, physically robust midfielders who could significantly bolster the team's midfield strength.
Lower-tier Premier League teams often rely on simple attacking strategies, typically involving rapid advances down the wings and crosses into the box.
Thus, in the 73rd minute of the match,
Swansea's left midfielder Martin received the ball in the 30-meter zone and delivered a sharp, diagonal cross into the penalty area.
The ball spun fiercely as it dropped near the penalty spot.
Manchester United's center-back pairing of Bailly and Phil Jones, along with Matic, who had dropped back into the box, all stood over 185cm tall, forming an imposing aerial defense.
They left no room for Swansea's players, with Phil Jones easily winning the first header and clearing the danger.
Pogba controlled the second ball, turned halfway, and passed it out to the left flank.
Rashford received the ball, dribbled past Naughton, but was immediately brought down by Mesa, who had slid across to cover.
...
"A brilliant break... Oh dear, the Swansea player acted decisively."
"It would be unjust not to show a card for that challenge. No question, Mesa receives a yellow."
"However, from a broader perspective, Swansea still comes out ahead. If Manchester United's counterattack had developed, it could have easily breached their flat defensive line."
"Eh, is Mourinho making a substitution?"
Zhan Jun immediately perked up.
He wasn't a Manchester United fan and had even swapped shifts with a colleague specifically to commentate on this match.
His goal was to watch Jeremy Ling, but after waiting for most of the game, there had been no sign of him.
"Given Mourinho's habit of maintaining offensive and defensive balance, he'll likely bring on Jeremy Ling and Fellaini, shifting the formation to a 433."
"But this tactical framework, originally designed for possession play, has been magically adapted by the 'Special One' into a blueprint for aerial bombardment."
Zhan Jun, sporting dark circles under his eyes, let out a yawn.
He had spent days and nights cramming Manchester United's tactical system, losing sleep over it.
...
On the sidelines of the pitch.
"Remember what I told you, don't be too nervous. Go out there and show yourself."
Mourinho patted Ling's shoulder, his eyes filled with anticipation.
After each day's training, two individuals always stayed behind to practice long-passing techniques.
He observed it all...
Although it might not yield immediate results, the most crucial aspect of his meticulously arranged "Giant Tactics" was for the wingers to complete breakthroughs and deliver the ball into the penalty area, with relatively low demands on passing accuracy.
Ling repeated this in his mind, then high-fived and embraced Rashford before quickly running to his position.
Rashford glanced back at the familiar figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He felt both joy at his good friend's excellent performance and disappointment at being substituted unexpectedly.
Suddenly, he felt a warm hand on his shoulder and heard Mourinho's voice in his ear.
"If you only compete with the weak, you'll never become strong."
Rashford pondered these words carefully, his conviction growing stronger as he silently added in his heart.
'True strength fears no competition!'
...
The match continued.
With less than 13 minutes remaining, Swansea's attacks became frantic and desperate, launching assaults from the right flank.
Facing Naughton who was advancing with the ball, Ling quickly glanced behind him.
Seeing that someone had covered his position, he immediately pressed forward.
His thinking was simple.
If he could win possession, they could launch a counterattack right there, creating an excellent scoring opportunity.
But Naughton played it safe, passing sideways to his teammate Mesa in the central area.
The latter then played the ball behind Jeremy Ling, completing a simple wall pass.
Blind, with his high football IQ, had already stepped up in anticipation.
Although he was Van Gaal's trusted player - not particularly tall, strong, or fast - his exceptional game intelligence, precise passing, and versatile qualities had not only saved him from being purged by Mourinho but actually made him an important rotational player for Manchester United.
...
"Blind, beautiful!"
"Cleanly takes the ball from Naughton's feet!"
"Will he look for Jeremy Ling ahead? No, its a diagonal long pass!"
"He was looking for Mkhitaryan!"
Zhan Jun's commentary came rapid-fire like a machine gun, almost overwhelming to follow.
Amid the cheers of Manchester United fans.
Mkhitaryan controlled the ball and surged forward with terrifying speed, charging toward the byline.
"Manchester United's Blitzkrieg!"
When Mkhitaryan reached the right side of the penalty area, Zhan Jun's voice grew excited.
Countless fans tensed up.
From their god's-eye view, Manchester United's counterattack was perfectly executed.
Lukaku drove straight into the penalty area, pinning down Swansea's defense and creating space for his teammates behind him.
Pogba and Matic followed up through the middle, providing supporting runs.
Ling deliberately moved away from defenders, lurking on the left side of the penalty area.
Facing Martin's aggressive tackle from Swansea's central midfield, Mkhitaryan reacted quickly with his feet and decisively passed the ball.
Smack!
The ball went through Martin's legs and rolled toward the center.
Swansea players quickly changed direction, rushing toward Matic.
But the latter only made a gesture to receive the ball before letting it run through to the space behind him.
Pogba adjusted his stance and unleashed a powerful shot!
The football flew like a cannonball.
Fabianski reacted quickly, producing another world-class save.
But due to the immense power of Pogba's shot, he couldn't hold onto the ball, fumbling it.
The penalty area immediately descended into chaos.
Lukaku extended his hairy, dark leg and stabbed the ball forward.
Fabianski scrambled to make another save!
The ball struck his forearm and spun toward the left side of the penalty area.
The figure of Manchester United's number 23 suddenly appeared on the screen.
Opportunity...!
Ling slightly raised his right leg, feigning a shooting motion.
Swansea defender Mawson's expression changed drastically, and he decisively threw himself into blocking the shot.
He could no longer afford to consider whether it was a dummy move by his opponent.
Because Fabianski was still near the right post, leaving their goal completely undefended.
'This player is quite young.'
'Faced with such a golden opportunity, he would surely get carried away and shoot recklessly.' Mawson comforted himself with this thought.
But the next second, his expression froze as he watched in despair Ling brush past him and slot the ball into the empty net.
So it was a dummy shot...
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Ok, say goodbye to the commentator and chinese social media reaction cause next chap they gonna be erased and replaced by british commentator and twitter reaction!