Chapter 457: Chapter 457

Manchester United’s advantage on the left flank kept growing, while Manchester City’s counterattacks became increasingly dangerous.

After the scoreline shifted, the tactical duel between O’Neill and Ferguson intensified, turning the clash between the Red Devils and the Blues into a fierce, high-stakes battle.

In the forty-third minute of the first half, Giggs whipped in a cross from the left. Yorke moved into position for the strike, but his shot was intercepted by Stanković deep in defense. Without hesitation, the Serbian launched a counterattack with a precise through ball to the sprinting Lampard.

Lampard took one touch, then sent a perfectly timed pass to Ronaldo. With the outside of his boot, Ronaldo flicked the ball diagonally toward Ronaldinho, who was cutting in from the left. The Brazilian maestro controlled it effortlessly, lifted his head, and slid a delicate pass through the gap between United’s defensive lines toward the right.

Okocha, already accelerating, burst forward — the move was rehearsed, the three players in perfect sync. His explosive pace caught Neville completely off guard.

Facing the English defender, Okocha shifted direction sharply, gliding past both him and Jaap Stam in one dazzling motion. Just as he prepared to shoot, Schmeichel charged out, closing down the angle in an instant.

The two collided head-on — Okocha went down hard as Schmeichel’s glove brushed the ball away. The referee waved play on, judging it a fair challenge.

Moments later, Okocha tried to push himself up but quickly sat back down, clutching his groin and signaling for a substitution.

"Oh no — it looks like Okocha’s injured! He’s calling for a change. Manchester City will be forced into an early substitution!" the commentator exclaimed.

Richard’s expression darkened instantly. He glanced at Martin Edwards beside him, whose innocent shrug only made Richard’s mouth twitched.

The collision, though fierce, was well within Premier League standards — such heavy contact was nothing unusual. Whether a player came out fine or injured often depended on timing, body balance, and how they absorbed the impact.

Having launched himself forward just before the challenge, Okocha was in an awkward, vulnerable position when Schmeichel came sliding in. The keeper twisted his body sideways mid-dive, trying to minimize the collision while still getting a hand on the ball. But his momentum carried through, catching Okocha off balance.

As Okocha landed, his leg twisted awkwardly under him — not a reckless tackle, just one of those unfortunate moments where physics and timing conspire against the player.

O’Neill, seeing what had just happened, immediately signaled for Deco to warm up. It was a forced substitution, and he quickly called Mourinho over to relay new midfield instructions. With halftime approaching, O’Neill decided to bring him on after the break, giving him time to explain the midfielder’s role in detail during the interval.

But then, a bigger problem hit him.

Every City staff member and fan suddenly realized the same thing — while Okocha was still down injured, the ball was still in play!

The referee hadn’t blown the whistle yet! What is he waiting for?!

With Okocha out, O’Neill had no choice but to instruct his forwards to drop deeper — a necessary adjustment to compensate for the loss of a key playmaker. However, the inexperienced Ronaldinho and Lampard failed to grasp the urgency of the situation.

They kept pushing too far forward.

"Fall back! Quickly!" Mourinho roared from the touchline — the first to notice how dangerously high their line had become.

But it was already too late.

Manchester United immediately seized the opportunity, especially down Gary Neville’s flank.

Normally, Lampard would have tracked back to cover for Okocha, but with everything unfolding so fast, he hesitated — leaving a gaping hole on the right. Spotting the space, Neville surged forward without hesitation and slipped a simple pass to Scholes. Without missing a beat, Scholes launched a perfect long ball toward the left wing.

United pressed aggressively down that side, desperate to find one last chance before halftime.

Zambrotta stood his ground against Giggs, who briefly slipped before regaining control of the long pass.

"Not a chance!" Lucio shouted, stepping up to intercept.

For a moment, it looked like City had regained control. But then Irwin overlapped down the flank, and Giggs laid the ball back to him.

Irwin burst forward at full speed, catching both Zambrotta and Lucio flat-footed and forcing them into a desperate chase. If only Ronaldinho had been a little sharper — or more disciplined — he might’ve dropped back to cover the space or disrupted Irwin’s run. Instead, he hesitated, almost walking, watching the play unfold.

With no other choice Ashley Cole closed in to confront Irwin. Predictably, Irwin played the ball back to Giggs, who cut inside with a sudden burst of acceleration.

At the edge of the box, United’s movement was pure artistry. Irwin and Giggs exchanged a slick one-two.

As Giggs received the return pass, he feinted a shot, drawing Thuram out of position. In that instant, he slid the ball to the top of the box, where Scholes let it run — a clever dummy — straight to Beckham, arriving late into the attack.

Beckham took one touch, then threaded a perfect through ball between City’s center-backs.

Yorke and Cole, timing their runs brilliantly, peeled off in sync. With Lucio and Thuram dragged out by United’s fluid attack, Cole darted into space, collected the pass, and fired low toward the far post.

Paul Robinson dived full stretch — fingertips brushing the ball — but he couldn’t stop it from glancing off the inside of the post and rolling into the net.

"GOAL! Manchester United equalize — just before halftime!" Andy Gray’s voice erupted over the roar of Maine Road.

"What a breathtaking team move! United had been pressing down the left all game, then switched the tempo and struck from the right. The sudden change of rhythm and direction tore Manchester City’s defense apart — and Andy Cole finishes it off with the composure of a man in form!"

Ferguson clapped enthusiastically on the touchline, clearly pleased with his players’ sharp execution.

Richard, on the other hand, could only rub his temples in frustration. As always with Manchester City, their style had been conservative — built around discipline, compact defending, and swift counterattacks. The players were conditioned to prioritize defense above all else.

But things had changed. Previously, it was a different story.

Even though City wasn’t considered a top-tier club, they had always been respected as a strong side — one that could dictate the tempo of a match when needed. Ex-players like Shevchenko and Neil Lennon understood the importance of defensive shape; it was part of their DNA, their natural instinct on the field. Dıscover more novels at NoveI(F)ire.net

Yet now, with Ronaldinho and Lampard stepping into the starting lineup, the balance had shifted. Their instinct was pure attack — flair over structure, offense over discipline.

Richard had sensed this problem long before. His instincts and experience had warned him about it, but he chose to trust O’Neill and Mourinho’s approach.

Young Lampard’s defensive positioning was lacking, and Ronaldinho wasn’t much better. Both had been tracking Beckham but were a step behind when he accelerated forward. Neither reacted quickly enough to his clever pass. All Ronaldinho could do was watch helplessly as the ball slipped through — and City’s goal was breached.

Richard frowned. He’d need to ask Mourinho to start a defensive training program focused specifically on Ronaldinho and Lampard it seems.

He didn’t mind conceding goals — no team could avoid that entirely. What mattered to him was why the goal had been conceded. If it had been Beckham scoring directly from one of his trademark free kicks, Richard would’ve accepted it without complaint. That kind of goal was pure individual brilliance — something you couldn’t defend against.

But this? This was preventable. A lapse in awareness, a simple positional mistake.

Mistakes born from negligence — that

As the match was about to restart, Richard noticed O’Neill substituting Okocha for Deco.

With only two minutes of stoppage time left in the first half, City focused on solidifying their defense, giving Deco time to integrate into the team.

With Manchester United having equalized away from home, they weren’t in a rush to attack. Both teams, now on level terms, could no longer afford their earlier risky offensive play.

Manchester City’s counterattacking threat forced United to stay cautious, especially as their attackers hadn’t yet found rhythm. Ronaldinho and Lampard still needed to accumulate more match experience—especially in such a high-stakes match.

O’Neill and Mourinho entered the tunnel with stern expressions. As the players filed into the dressing room one by one, Mourinho suddenly slammed the door shut with a loud thud and turned to Lampard, his voice boiling with anger.

"When I tell you to tighten up defensively, you need to understand—it’s more than just following pre-match instructions! Jay is out injured, we’re effectively a man down, and Irwin’s pushing up to assist—can’t you see that?"

Lampard kept his head down, too ashamed to speak or make excuses.

Mourinho then snapped toward Ronaldinho. "I told you to mark Beckham during the pre-match briefing, and you said you could handle it. Yet here we are—he assisted a goal right in front of you!"

Ronaldinho didn’t look away but replied sincerely, "I’m sorry."

Seeing Mourinho’s outburst, O’Neill stepped in, raising a hand as if to tell him not to go too far.

That gesture was enough. Mourinho exhaled heavily, calming down a little. He waved his hand dismissively. "Don’t apologize to me—you’ve let your teammates down."

He scanned the entire room, his tone turning cold and deliberate. "Last year, you achieved something remarkable. But if any of you think that means you can relax now, waiting for trophies to fall into your laps, you’re finished—completely finished! A footballer’s success is built on effort and discipline. If you stop pushing yourselves, your careers will fade into nothing. In the second half, I want to see focus, hunger, and unity. We defend together, and we attack together. That’s how we win!"

Ronaldinho immediately responded, "I understand."

Mourinho barked back, "It’s not enough to understand! Say, ’I can do it! I’ll exceed your expectations!’"

"Jose!" O’Neill interjected sharply, trying to cool him down.

But Ronaldinho didn’t mind the intensity. He raised his head and declared, "I can do it! I’ll deliver beyond what you expect!"

Lampard quickly followed, lifting his head and saying loudly, "I can do it too!"

Mourinho’s expression softened slightly. He didn’t enjoy getting angry—but sometimes, it was necessary to remind young players what it meant to compete at the top.

Many youngsters joined big clubs thinking success would come easier. You couldn’t entirely blame them; after all, top clubs tended to win more often. But if that belief made them complacent, their careers would stall. When the moment came for recognition, those who relied on luck would remain in the shadows, while the hard workers would rise.

Once the players had absorbed the message, Mourinho began adjusting the tactics for the second half, while O’Neill started his motivational talk. Their coaching style had always been — Mourinho focused on strategy, and O’Neill on spirit.