Chapter 458: Chapter 458

As the referee blew his whistle for the second half, O’Neill returned to the sideline, quietly taking his seat. He watched the field with calm focus.

Ferguson, too, settled down. United had equalized; though he didn’t say it aloud, a draw would have satisfied him. The club was weathering a turbulent period, and stabilizing performances mattered more than flair—especially with potential new ownership looming.

The second half kicked off, and Manchester City’s approach completely changed.

On the left, Ronaldinho no longer charged forward recklessly. Instead, he focused on orchestrating play—drawing defenders’ attention and distributing the ball to Lampard or Stanković.

From there, they often switched play to the right, where Deco tested Neville. Though Deco was still adapting, the tempo slowed noticeably as City built possession more patiently.

In the first ten minutes of the second half, City’s players showed tremendous discipline—sharp in defense, composed in attack.

Martin Tyler’s voice rose with intrigue. "Andy, have you noticed Ronaldinho’s positioning? He’s playing almost like a classic attacking midfielder now—linking up with Stanković and Pirlo, cutting down on his dribbles. City’s control of the midfield has really improved."

"That’s true, Martin," Andy Gray replied. "Even though United’s equalizer came from his mistake, you can’t deny that watching Ronaldinho’s close control is a joy. Every touch is sharp and deliberate. Combine that with Ronaldo’s blistering pace—it’s like watching Hollywood by the Thames!"

Ronaldo broke down the right flank, firing in a series of low crosses. Three in quick succession: two toward Ronaldinho—one saved brilliantly by Schmeichel—and another that slipped past Stam but was cleared by Keane at the last moment.

As the game went on, United began to focus more tightly on Ronaldo’s movement. Ferguson’s face grew tense.

’Here we go again,’ he thought.

First, they’d struggled to contain Ronaldinho. Now, with him neutralized, Ronaldo was wreaking havoc.

The left-back problem for Manchester United was rearing its head once more. Irwin, though reliable, was no longer young—this was a young man’s game. Against Ronaldinho’s passing and Ronaldo’s relentless runs, he was forced either to foul or retreat just to stop the crosses from coming in.

The intense showdown at Maine Road, which had momentarily slowed, began to pick up pace again as Manchester City increased their tempo.

The match’s rhythm shifted sharply — every pass, every tackle carried new urgency. This surge in pace also gave Manchester United fresh openings to strike back through their signature defensive counterattacks.

"What a touch!" Andy Gray exclaimed as Manchester City’s new player, Deco, controlled a long diagonal pass from Ronaldinho with effortless grace.

Deco’s delicate ball control and balance were something special. Like every other kid in Brazil, he grew up kicking a ball made from a pig’s bladder tied with string. But unlike most, he was blessed with extraordinary talent — so much so that he signed his first professional contract with Corinthians at just fifteen years old.

Richard already knew his football history.

When Deco began his career, he played in a youth tournament in his native São Paulo, where a Benfica scout noticed him. The scout was instantly captivated by the scruffy youngster’s exquisite touch and natural balance. After just one viewing, he had seen enough.

The ball seemed to stick to Deco’s boot as he cushioned it perfectly, then swiftly turned to face the advancing Neville. Without hesitation, he feinted left before gliding right, threading a sharp pass toward Lampard in the center.

"Brilliant switch of play from Ronaldinho — and Deco’s first touch was pure class!"

Lampard quickly laid it off to Stanković, who surged forward and unleashed a low drive that forced Schmeichel into a sprawling save. The rebound spilled wide, and for a moment, the entire stadium held its breath. Official source ıs NoveIＦire.net

Now, Manchester United faced a new problem.

Deco, who had rarely played as a pure winger before, wasn’t expected to make much impact on the flank. Initially, Giggs didn’t feel the need to track back too deep, assuming City’s threat would remain limited on that side.

But as the game progressed, it became clear that Deco’s danger didn’t lie in traditional wing play — it came from his intelligence, sharp positioning, smooth dribbling, and exceptional first touch. His ability to draw defenders and create space began to unsettle United’s shape.

Giggs suddenly found himself under immense pressure. Even though City’s central threat had diminished without Okocha, allowing Deco too much freedom was risky. Who could guarantee that the defense would remain intact? After all, it was Okocha’s clever movement earlier that had completely caught them off guard and led to City’s opening goal.

Thankfully, Deco wasn’t the type to linger selfishly on the wing. Still, Giggs had no choice but to drop deeper, providing cover alongside Irwin. As a result, Manchester United’s flanks lost much of their attacking threat, and any attempt to drive through the center was slowed. Meanwhile, both Stanković and Lampard proved formidable — one well-practiced, the other sharp and alert thanks to Mourinho’s warnings.

Soon, the matchup between Manchester United and Manchester City had reached a point of intense man-marking.

Keane and Butt stuck tightly to Ronaldinho, while Scholes supported Stam, and Ronny Johnsen, substituting for David May, was assigned to mark Ronaldo. As for Beckham and Irwin, their target was Deco, each side had one to three players on man-marking duties, with another responsible for intercepting passes.

Originally, Manchester City relied on the trio of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Okocha to create tactical advantages. With Okocha injured, that dynamic was disrupted, and they could no longer exploit space as usual.

O’Neill, aware of this, had already briefed Mourinho earlier, explaining tactics that allowed his players more freedom to express individual skills. Only Ronaldinho and Lampard were being closely monitored. That’s why Ronaldinho restrained his excessive dribbling and focused on controlling the ball, settling into a classic playmaker role in the central-left area.

In the 64th minute of the second half, Ashley Cole launched a long pass to Ronaldinho, who immediately found himself surrounded by Neville and Beckham.

Swift as a rabbit, he maneuvered skillfully to evade their pressure. As he began driving toward the center, Jaap Stam dropped back in pursuit, unknowingly opening space for Ronaldo.

Seeing the danger, Ronny Johnsen followed his partner, leaving another gap.

Ronaldinho, having already drawn two Manchester United defenders toward him, tilted his body slightly to the right as if to continue dribbling, then cleverly passed to the left — where Ronaldo had found open space — creating the perfect opportunity for a dangerous attack.

Just as Ronaldo controlled the ball, Scholes, fully aware of his defensive responsibilities, suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Returning from a brief moment of retreat, he lunged forward in a desperate attempt to intercept.

Ronaldo managed to touch the ball, but he couldn’t avoid Scholes’s challenge and ended up on the ground.

Richard felt a wave of despair — Ronaldo remained down and didn’t get back up.

But that wasn’t enough.

When he saw Ronaldo clutch his knees, Richard’s heart skipped a beat.

O’Neill, seeing this, cursed. "Damn it!"

Ferguson, observing the situation, hurried to the sideline to explain to the referee that Scholes’s actions weren’t malicious.

With a stern expression, O’Neill and Mourinho also approached the fourth official. Just as Ferguson finished his statement, the official said, "Paul didn’t commit a malicious foul. You saw it clearly; it was just an accident."

"I saw it very clearly — my player is injured, and it’s two of them, both key players!" O’Neill protested.

He signaled for Trezeguet to start warming up.

Physios rushed onto the field while the referee issued Scholes a yellow card.

Richard, seeing Ronaldo carried off on a stretcher, couldn’t help but sigh. First the lasagna (virus outbreak), then Okocha, and now Ronaldo. He had to be carried off on a stretcher; it would be determined later just how serious his injury was.

What a string of bad luck.

Martin Edwards, who witnessed the scene, grinned subtly, though he didn’t show it. He attempted to console Richard, saying, "These things happen to everyone; Ronaldo’s collision was normal. As for Paul’s slide tackle, well, he’s not known for tackling — that was just an accident."

Richard glanced at Martin Edwards but didn’t want to start an unnecessary argument. He knew that Scholes could defend in general, but sliding tackles weren’t his style — in fact, Paul Scholes simply couldn’t tackle!

Otherwise, in the future, there would be no infamous phrase "4-3-3 Possession, aka Scholes Can’t Tackle" becoming known worldwide in football, especially in gaming. Fans and pundits often jokingly noted that the primary weakness of the highly-decorated midfielder Paul Scholes was his tackling.

(The phrase "Scholes can’t tackle" is a common, often humorous, observation about former professional footballer Paul Scholes, who was widely admired for his passing and vision rather than his defensive skills. It also refers to a series of popular possession-based tactics for the video game Football Manager, named in his honor.)

As Ronaldo left the pitch with the help of the team physios, the City staff patted his shoulder in consolation before turning their focus back to the game.

O’Neill then walked back to the sidelines to relay instructions to Trezeguet before making the substitution. Afterward, whenever a Manchester United player gained possession, City fans in the stands jeered loudly.

From a neutral perspective, neither Okocha nor Ronaldo had been injured due to malicious fouls, but losing two key players in one match was something the fans couldn’t accept.

Upon entering the pitch, Trezeguet needed some time to adjust to the pace, so he focused first on solid aerial duels, winning several key headers.

Manchester United thought they had a chance to dominate after Ronaldo’s exit, but Irwin’s quick pass toward Giggs from the left was intercepted by Ashley Cole, who skillfully capitalized on it.

"Good job!" Richard couldn’t help but applaud Ashley Cole’s interception.

Even though he had made mistakes earlier in the first half, Richard still had complete faith in him — that’s why he had recruited him.

Ashley Cole’s qualities were evident: competent, intelligent, and capable. If Richard could put it into words, he would say, "Ashley doesn’t need anyone telling him what to do or where to go. He knows — he just knows."

This was the same player Richard had seen dominate while playing for Arsenal under Wenger.

Ashley Cole then played a ball straight to Ronaldinho, who quickly laid it off to Lampard. Lampard, in turn, returned the ball to Deco.

With plenty of space around him and Giggs late to apply pressure, Irwin grew anxious. He had retreated early to ensure he was properly positioned, wary of leaving any gaps exposed in defense.

Deco read the play perfectly. With Keane, Butt, and Giggs all preoccupied, his clever inward run drew Irwin into the wrong position, leaving him feeling the full pressure.

Then Deco burst into action. He feinted, pivoted, and spun in dizzying circles with exquisite control, leaving defenders momentarily off balance. For a brief moment, he paused, measuring the perfect timing, before suddenly accelerating along the right flank, signaling his intent to deliver a cross.

Irwin’s eyes widened as he realized the direction Deco was heading.

’Where the hell are you crossing?! Get over here! I’m still right here!’ he shouted internally, scrambling to close him down.

From the right side, Deco moved decisively, leaving Irwin trailing in his wake. Furious, Irwin lunged in a last-ditch attempt to intercept, but Deco’s touch and timing were flawless. He leapt into position and sent the ball curling into the penalty area.

Schmeichel reacted instantly, diving full stretch. Unknowingly, the ball had too much pace and spin. His fingertips grazed it, only slightly deflecting it, as the ball nestled perfectly into the bottom corner of the net.

Thanks to Trezeguet as the target man, he managed to hold off Ronny Johnsen and Jaap Stam. From Deco’s clever movement and precise cross to the final strike, it was a seamless play.

The City fans erupted in euphoric cheers, while the United supporters groaned in disbelief.

"Welcome to Premiere Leage for Deco! He charged straight down the wing, shrugging off defenders with his quick, skillful turns. United’s players couldn’t close him down in time, and Schmeichel could only watch helplessly as what seemed like a simple cross curled perfectly into the net. Manchester City take the lead, 2-1, in stunning fashion!"