Soccer: I became Bruno Fernandes.

Chapter 261: Manchester United's Predicament

Once you're on the football field, it's a fight to the death, and nervousness will only make you die quicker and more painfully. Manchester United is full of stars; give them a tiny chance, and they can deliver a fatal blow. Bruno deeply understands this.

"The boss's tactics are spot on. If we stick to them, we can suppress Manchester United's offense. As long as we hold the midfield, the defense stays solid, and the attack is left to me!" Bruno assured, patting his chest. He was the most crucial weapon for Udinese in this match, with the entire attack revolving around him, especially since Di Natale was benched for this game.

Cancelo and the other teammates nodded in agreement. After more than two years, they all had complete faith in Bruno. He had never let them down with his performances, and tonight would be no different.

...

Amidst overwhelming boos, Bruno led his teammates onto the pitch at Old Trafford. The stands were packed with people, creating an awe-inspiring sight. The noise swept through the stadium, enough to make anyone with a weaker resolve feel weak in the knees.

"Welcome to Old Trafford!" Manchester United's captain, Wayne Rooney, greeted Bruno as he walked out of the tunnel.

"Thank you, Wayne!" Bruno replied politely.

"I hope tonight's match will be a good one," Rooney said.

"I do too," Bruno nodded.

After shaking hands, Rooney led his teammates to warm up on the other side of the field. Players like Schweinsteiger and De Gea acknowledged Bruno with nods or brief greetings but didn't seem very enthusiastic. This was partly due to their previous match against Udinese, where United's left-back Luke Shaw suffered a severe injury. Although not as bad as initially feared, Shaw was still out for at least two months and would only return after the New Year.

...

Bruno wasn't interested in others' moods; he could only manage himself and his teammates. This match was crucial for Udinese. Winning at Old Trafford would secure their place in the knockout stages with one match to spare and potentially clinch the top spot in the group. This would allow Udinese to focus more on the Serie A title race.

However, if they lost, Manchester United would overtake them in the group, and Udinese's qualification could be in jeopardy, forcing them into a must-win match against CSKA Moscow in the final round. Bruno wanted his teammates to stay calm and follow Coach Guidolin's strategies meticulously. If they did, they had a fighting chance.

As captain, Bruno had to remain clear-headed and composed. For himself and for Udinese, they had to give their all in this match.

...

Before the match, Manchester United fans unfurled banners protesting the Glazer family, demanding they leave Old Trafford. Since August, when the media revealed Middle Eastern oil capital's bid to acquire Manchester United, Sheikh Jassim's team had made multiple offers, increasing from $5 billion to $6 billion. However, the greedy Glazer family continued to stall and delay the sale.

According to the latest reports from British media, the Glazers' asking price was around $8 billion. This had angered Manchester United fans, who saw the Glazers' demands as exorbitant. After all, when the Glazers bought Manchester United ten years ago, it cost them only $1.47 billion, 75% of which was financed through loans. As a result, Manchester United had carried significant debt for a decade. Despite the club's profitability helping to repay much of this debt, they still owed over $576 million. Given their recent poor performance, Manchester United's current market value was only about $2.81 billion. In this context, the Glazers' $8 billion asking price seemed outrageous.

The TV broadcast even cut to Joel Glazer in his VIP box, his face looking grim.

...

Led by the referee, both teams slowly walked onto the field, greeted by deafening cheers. Despite their struggles, Manchester United fans were still thrilled to see their stars in action.

For this match, Van Gaal deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation. De Gea was the goalkeeper, with a backline of Rojo, Blind, Smalling, and Darmian. Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin were the double pivots, with Depay, Rooney, and Lingard in front of them, and Martial as the lone striker.

Udinese's lineup, captained by Bruno, had Karnezis in goal, a defense of Hertaux, Danilo, Maguire, and Cancelo. Badu and Iturra were the holding midfielders, with Widmer, Bruno, and Adnan in front of them, and Thereau as the striker.

With the referee's whistle, the highly anticipated match kicked off. Udinese had the first possession but quickly lost the ball when they tried to advance it forward. They then retreated to defend, not rushing at all. Under Udinese's pressing, Manchester United struggled to build any rhythm in midfield.

Just over a minute into the game, Badu intercepted the ball. Iturra then made a quick pass to Bruno, who received it in the gap between Schneiderlin and the Manchester United defense. Turning to his left, he drew Darmian's attention before passing to Adnan on the far side. The Iraqi international drove the ball down the left flank and crossed it back into the middle, but Thereau's shot was parried away by De Gea.

Although they didn't score, the play sent a shock through Old Trafford. Walking back, Thereau gestured to Adnan and Bruno, indicating that he was nervous and hadn't fully committed to the shot.

"No worries, keep going. There will be more chances!" Bruno clapped and encouraged his teammates.

...

Soon, Manchester United launched their attack. Depay broke down the left, drawing a foul from Widmer. Although the referee didn't issue a card, he awarded United a dangerous free-kick from the left. Rooney delivered a curling ball into the box, but Badu headed it clear. Manchester United retained possession, but Udinese's defense remained solid.

"Matteo, watch your position! When Marcos pushes up, you need to cover back a bit. We can't have both flanks pressed forward at once. Be mindful of their counterattack," Van Gaal shouted from the sidelines, clearly dissatisfied with his team's performance. United controlled the ball but couldn't penetrate Udinese's defense or create any real threats.

Guidolin's tactical acumen shone as he disrupted the link between Rooney and Schweinsteiger while using Badu to press Schneiderlin, cutting off United's supply line from deep. This forced Rooney to drop back frequently, pulling him into defensive duties.

Post-kickoff, the player with the most touches for United was Lingard, highlighting the disjointed nature of their play. While Lingard performed competently, he couldn't organize United's midfield effectively, often on a different wavelength from the star players.

With no service from midfield, Martial had to drop deep, leaving no focal point in the attack. Meanwhile, both fullbacks pushed forward often, exposing their weaknesses. Rojo, an attacking-minded defender, frequently found himself out of position, and while Darmian was defensively sound, his lack of pace was a liability when he ventured forward.

...

Sure enough, in the eighth minute, Udinese intercepted another ball in midfield. This time, Bruno faced the direction of the attack, driving forward at high speed, quickly reaching United's backline. Just before Smalling could challenge him, Bruno slipped a through ball into the box. Adnan, cutting in from the left, shot with his right foot, but Rojo's timely block deflected the shot out for a corner.

Within ten minutes, Udinese had created two dangerous chances on the counter. It was clear to everyone that Manchester United's midfield and defense had issues. Van Gaal was acutely aware of this as well.

Udinese employed the same defensive counter-attacking strategy that other teams had successfully used against United all season. Despite this, United seemed unable to find a solution. The team lacked a true defensive stalwart. Schneiderlin, who looked decent at Everton, struggled to meet the demands of a top club like Manchester United. Carrick, once a top midfielder, was now past his prime, and players like Schweinsteiger, Herrera, and Fellaini were not true defensive midfielders.

Without a solid midfield anchor, the team couldn't stabilize.

(End of Chapter)

Friends, if you want to read chapters in advance, subscribe to my patreon.

You can also buy the book if you are only interested in reading the novel.