Football Dynasty

Chapter 600: Time-Wasting Tactics Against United

When Drogba scored, he headed toward the sidelines with a determined expression and patted the club badge on his jersey.The away City fans leaped with joy. Some even waved the golden eagle banners above their heads.

Richard closed his eyes and clenched his fists, feeling his morale soar even higher. They were beating their cross-city rivals, and the atmosphere was becoming electric.

There didn’t seem to be a particularly fierce tactical battle in today’s match between the Red Devils and City. The course of the game had revealed a clear contrast in their approaches.

Manchester United relied heavily on the wings. If they could use the flanks effectively and launch quick counterattacks, they could gain a significant advantage. City, on the other hand, focused more on the middle, relying on possession and combinations through the center.

Of course, the moment either team failed to execute their approach properly, they could be punished.

A misplaced pass or a failed attack could immediately turn into a counterattack, allowing the opponent to exploit the space left behind. In the end, however, the key would be the performance of the players themselves.

United’s attacking quartet was formidable. So was City’s frontline.

Defense was forged through experience. Faced with top-tier attackers such as Ronaldo on the left, Pires on the right, and Ronaldinho operating as the number ten, Manchester United had two choices. They could strengthen their defense at the expense of their attacking power. Or they could boldly go toe-to-toe with their opponents and see which side could score more goals.

What would Ferguson choose?

Damn with the defending!

Of course, he would choose attack. Defending might help secure a result, but it wouldn’t necessarily help a team win. It was easier to build a solid defense against weaker opponents. For Ferguson and Manchester United, conceding goals wasn’t something to fear. But abandoning their attack out of fear of conceding again was something they absolutely had to avoid.

His philosophy was simple: if the opponent scored, Manchester United would simply score more!

Following Manchester United’s restart, City came at them with even greater intensity, determined to capitalize on their momentum and dismantle their opponents.

But they had underestimated Manchester United’s willpower.

Manchester United had learned from being overwhelmed during the first half. They had gained valuable insight and experience from actually facing the way City played.

Unlike in the first half, when they had struggled to deal with City’s possession-based style of play, their midfielders and defenders now had a much better sense of what to expect.

Of course, this was something Mourinho and his staff hadn’t expected. Even with ProZone technology, it was still impossible to predict everything. After all, no amount of video analysis could completely replicate the reality of playing against an opponent.

Only the match itself could provide that kind of experience. Within ten minutes, it was Manchester City who found themselves being pinned back. The Red Devils pressed forward relentlessly, forcing City to retreat deeper and deeper.

Mourinho refrained from making any adjustments. If he instructed his players to pull back now, it might send the wrong message. They could interpret it as a signal that their coach was trying to protect the lead or settle for a draw.

There was no reason to do that yet. As long as players like Gallas and Terry remained focused, there shouldn’t be any major problems.

Richard also thought the same. He couldn’t help but be impressed by the partnership between the two defenders.

He remembered that, during the Roman Abramovich era at Chelsea, Claudio Ranieri had brought William Gallas over from Marseille. Under Ranieri, Gallas developed into an excellent center-back and formed partnerships with Marcel Desailly and, later, John Terry.

And the partnership between Terry and Gallas had eventually become one of Chelsea’s strongest defensive combinations.

The pair had even gone through a run of sixteen consecutive games without conceding a goal!

Both players would later become part of the Chelsea squad that won back-to-back Premier League titles and a League Cup under José Mourinho, Ranieri’s successor. That was one of the reasons Richard had chosen Mourinho to replace Martin O’Neill.

He already possessed three of the biggest pieces needed to build a dominant defense:

John Terry. William Gallas. Ashley Cole.

With those three players, the foundation was already there. So, Richard tried to convince himself that everything would be fine.

Of course, football wasn’t just mathematics. There was one thing he had forgotten. The two of them were still relatively new in this new system. Their chemistry hadn’t fully developed yet.

And the next moment proved exactly why that mattered.

Manchester City suddenly faced a serious threat.

Zambrotta challenged Scholes near the sideline, sending the Manchester United midfielder tumbling out of bounds.

The referee immediately waved play on.

No foul.

Manchester United reacted instantly. Jaap Stam recovered the loose ball and found Scholes again. Scholes didn’t hesitate. With a clever touch, he slipped the ball through the defensive line, splitting the City defenders before they had time to react.

Dwight Yorke was already running into the space and he looked ready to finish. Thankfully, Paul Robinson reacted quickly. The goalkeeper rushed off his line, throwing himself forward to reach the ball before Yorke could get there.

At the last possible moment, Robinson got there first. He smothered the ball against the grass, and Yorke pulled up to avoid colliding with him.

"Ashley! Ashley!"

Mourinho shouted before assigning Ashley Cole his on-field responsibilities. He watched him closely, making sure Cole understood exactly what he wanted.

Cole nodded repeatedly, signaling that he understood. Once he stepped onto the pitch, he immediately approached Paul Robinson and whispered something to him. Robinson listened carefully before giving a quick nod of understanding.

City’s defensive strategy immediately underwent a subtle transformation.

Cole was instructed to position himself slightly higher and narrower, almost like an auxiliary wide midfielder. His primary task was to disrupt David Beckham. Rather than allowing Beckham the freedom to dictate play from the flank, Cole stayed close to him, constantly applying pressure and forcing him into uncomfortable positions.

Don’t let him cross!

Whenever he managed to escape the pressure, his options were limited. Most of the time, he could only move the ball quickly or rely on his teammates to launch long pass or cross.

The ball could move faster than any player could run, and with United’s passing accuracy, their attacks could develop incredibly quickly. A single well-weighted pass could completely bypass an entire defensive line. That was precisely why City couldn’t afford to chase the ball recklessly. They needed to disrupt the players instead.

Another five minutes passed before United launched another sharp counterattack, but once again, it was Paul Robinson’s brilliant performance that stole the show. He managed to deflect a close-range header from Andy Cole inside the box.

"Ah, shit! Too high!" Andy Cole yelled in frustration after failing to keep his header down.

City’s defensive structure was becoming increasingly difficult to dismantle because every player maintained his position while using his body to close down passing lanes.

Paul Robinson slowly placed the ball on the ground and looked upfield. He didn’t immediately take the kick. Instead, he stood there for a moment, scanning the positions of his teammates.

A few City players were already calling for the ball. He took two steps toward the ball.

Then stopped.

He looked up again. City’s players were already beginning to move forward, hoping to force a quick clearance and win the second ball.

Robinson took another step toward the ball. Stopped again. Then casually walked back.

Cole and Yorke were the first to lose patience. Both men surged forward aggressively, closing the distance between them

Paul Robinson finally looked at them. He took one last glance upfield, then stepped toward the ball.

THUD!

He launched it forward.

PHWEEEE~

The ball flew high toward the touchline, drifting further and further away from its intended target. It eventually sailed over the sideline.

Out.

The referee pointed for a throw-in.

"Oh, it seems Gattuso is getting ready to come on from the sidelines, replacing Andrea Pirlo. And look at that—Pirlo is clearly struggling to keep moving. He looks completely drained."

"Yes. During that last attack, he didn’t even attempt to sprint forward. He’s running on empty."

Baltemar Brito called Gattuso over from the touchline. Gattuso immediately pulled on his jersey and began preparing to enter the pitch.

Ferguson, on the other hand, made no substitutions. Instead, he stood near the technical area, waving both arms aggressively.

Manchester United had no intention of slowing down.

Three minutes later, they launched another aggressive counterattack.

With almost everyone committed forward, United threw numbers into the attack. Every possession was being pushed toward City’s penalty area, creating an exhilarating spectacle for the crowd.

"PHWEEEE!"

The referee’s whistle stopped play again.

Another throw-in. Another substitution. This time, Deco came on for Wes Brown.

Five minutes later, another throw-in. The game was becoming increasingly fragmented.

Pires slowly walked toward the touchline, relaxed and clapped his hands a few times as he walked, acknowledging the supporters in the stands.

Manchester United had had enough.

Roy Keane stormed toward him, "Hey! Hurry up!"

Pires glanced over his shoulder.

"Come on! We’re playing football here!"

Pires simply smiled. Then he turned away and continued walking at the same leisurely pace.

That was enough.

"Move, bloody snail!" Keane stepped forward and gave him a firm shove in the back.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

Pires immediately stopped. The smile disappeared and he turned around.

The crowd erupted.

"OOOOHHHH!"

The commentator’s voice rose above the noise, "Oh! What’s happening here?! It looks like Roy Keane and Robert Pires are having a serious confrontation!"

Ronaldinho was among the first City players to arrive, immediately placing himself between Pires and Keane.

"Enough! Enough!"

And with Manchester United now throwing almost everyone forward, those remaining minutes were about to run out.

"That’s enough. Both of you!"

The referee wasn’t amused. He reached into his pocket, and the surrounding players immediately quieted.

The referee then raised his yellow card toward Keane.

"Number sixteen. Yellow card."

Pires couldn’t suppress a grin.

"And you."

Pires blinked.

"Me?"

He stared at the card for a moment before protesting.

"Hey, referee! He was the one who pushed me first!"

Before the argument could escalate, Zambrotta noticed the referee reaching for his pocket again.

He immediately grabbed Pires by the arm and pulled him away, steering him toward the touchline while whispering something into his ear.

Pires could only shake his head in frustration.

After that, the referee blew his whistle again, signaling for Manchester United to take the throw-in.

"Six minutes of added time. Martin, what do you think? Does United still have a chance to equalize?"

"Of course they do. As long as the final whistle hasn’t been blown, anything can happen."

For the set-piece, City had only three players pushed forward: Ronaldinho, who was standing over the ball; Drogba, who was positioned farther up the pitch to receive it; and Ronaldo, who was waiting in the middle to pounce on any loose ball or rebound.

Giggs moved toward Ronaldinho, prompting the Brazilian to delay the restart. He immediately turned toward the referee and gestured that the opponents were standing too close.

"Boooo!"

The stands at Old Trafford erupted in boos.

The referee warned Giggs, who grumbled that City were wasting time. Ignoring the complaint, the referee kept his attention on the situation and ordered Giggs to move back. So, Giggs had no choice but to retreat.

As expected, Ronaldinho received the ball and calmly carried it toward the corner flag.

The decision drew another wave of loud boos from the United supporters at Old Trafford.

Richard, however, was unfazed. This was a common tactic in football. Once the match was over, nobody would seriously criticize City for using it. It might look unsightly in the moment, but it was an effective way to protect a lead. More importantly, it slowly wore down the opponent’s morale.

United’s players were forced to retreat and reorganize every time City kept possession near the corner. If their defensive lines became stretched too far, even a simple attempt to regain the ball could leave them vulnerable to a quick pass into space.

Gattuso shielded the ball with his body, using his strength to keep Keane away. But this time, Keane and Beckham worked together. Keane pressed from the front while Beckham closed down the passing lane from the side. Together, they finally managed to dispossess Gattuso.

Beckham immediately sent a long clearance upfield. The ball soared deep toward the City penalty area.

Yorke and Cole raced forward, but they were surrounded by more than six City players.

Paul Robinson had already anticipated where the ball was going. He rushed off his line and reached it before either striker could.

He gathered the ball just before Yorke arrived. But as Yorke tried to pull up, the two collided.

THUD!

Robinson went down. He landed heavily and remained on the grass.

The referee immediately blew his whistle.

"PHWEEEE!"

The players looked toward the goalkeeper. The also referee jogged over, his expression concerned.

"Paul, are you okay?"

Robinson took a moment before slowly pushing himself up.

"Yeah. I’m okay."

He rubbed his side and took a breath.

"I just got bumped by Dwight. Nothing serious. I can continue."

The referee studied him carefully.

"You’re sure?"

Robinson nodded.

"Yeah. No worries, ref. I’m fine."

The referee finally nodded and stepped away.

Robinson picked up the ball, but before that, he glanced toward the City technical area. There, almost everyone was giving him a thumbs-up. He nodded. This time, there was no need to walk back and forth or wait for another few seconds. He then took a couple of steps back, glanced upfield one final time, and struck the ball.

THUD!

The clearance climbed high into the night air.

United’s players surged forward as one.

They were desperate. The moment the ball came down, they intended to attack it with everything they had. Players sprinted toward the expected landing point, ready to fight for the second ball. Unfortunately...

PHWEEEE~!

The referee’s whistle cut through the stadium. Everyone stopped. A second whistle followed almost immediately.

PHWEEEEEE~!

Full time.

It was over.