Rochdale was located north of Manchester, about an hour's drive away. Their home ground, Spotland Stadium, could hold up to 8,000 fans.
As New Manchester United's first warm-up match near Manchester city centre this season, the game attracted more than fifteen hundred fans. They had all heard that the club had signed several strong players this season, including a Brazil international, so they were eager to come and see for themselves.
New Manchester United's starting lineup underwent minor adjustments for this match. Jonathan Matten still led the line as the main striker, but his partner was replaced by the Croatian youngster Olić.
The left midfielder was Richie Wellens, while the right midfielder was replaced by the Belarusian youngster Aleksandr Hleb. The central midfielder was the Brazil international Juninho, and the defensive midfielder was Karl Marginson.
The selections at left-back and centre-back remained unchanged, with Evra, Abidal, and Gary Turner still starting. Only the right-back position changed, with Stenson coming in. He had been very active in training, his defensive ability was not weak, and he also had some attacking quality, unlike Kevin Evans, who could only defend passively.
The starting goalkeeper was still Almunia, with David Green on the bench.
Just two days earlier, Peter Schmeichel had announced his departure from Manchester United. As for his next destination, he was still considering it. In an interview with reporters, he said he did not rule out the possibility of staying in Manchester.
However, there were two teams in the Manchester area, Manchester City and New Manchester United. It was still too early to say which one he would choose. Furthermore, Sporting Lisbon in Portugal still had not given up on him.
Before a contract was signed, anything was possible!
...
When the referee blew the starting whistle, Rochdale launched a fierce attack against New Manchester United. They might have studied New Manchester United beforehand and knew that New Manchester United's left-side defence was a major weakness, so they specifically targeted that side right from the start.
Richie Wellens was 21 years old. After spending one season in the North West Counties League Division Two, his ability had improved significantly. He was very quick, but his one-on-one dribbling ability was fairly average. However, because Bruce gave him absolute freedom on the left side of the attacking third, he looked very active on the pitch.
Rochdale had clearly noticed Richie Wellens' characteristics long ago, so they set up specific defensive measures against him. No matter where he ran, there was always a player tracking him, which greatly limited his performance.
In the 12th minute, Richie received a pass from Evra on the left flank. Facing the opposing right-back, he tried to use his pace to break through, but he was cleanly tackled and dispossessed, leading to a counter-attack.
Fortunately, Evra had been given a relatively heavy defensive task in this match and had not pushed too far forward, which prevented the opponent's counter-attack from developing.
In the 15th minute, Karl Marginson intercepted the ball and passed it to Juninho. The latter once again looked for Richie Wellens, who was quickly cutting in from the left, but because the passing lane was too obvious, the opposing centre-back stepped across and cleared it in advance.
In the 17th minute, Eric Abidal headed the ball clear. Evra sent a long clearance forward, and Jonathan Matten, under pressure from an opponent, headed the ball across to the left flank, where it was cleared by Rochdale's right-back.
...
Perhaps due to Darren Lyons' absence, after weathering Rochdale's early pressure, New Manchester United began to launch frequent attacks down the left flank against Rochdale's right side. They created quite a few chances within a few minutes, but ultimately failed to create any real threat.
Ethan, sitting in the stands, could not help but sigh at the scene. He had to admit that Rochdale were indeed a professional Football League side. Their strength might not necessarily be above New Manchester United's, but at least in terms of controlling the game, they were more than one level ahead.
Last season in the North West Counties League Division Two, the main reason New Manchester United could play so smoothly was that most of their opponents were amateur teams. But now, as soon as they encountered a professional team, New Manchester United immediately exposed all kinds of problems.
If this continues, this game is probably going to turn ugly! Although Ethan was very reluctant to see it, he truly had this feeling.
As expected, just as Walsh, sitting next to Ethan, was questioning Ethan's judgment, Rochdale scored.
In the 21st minute, Richie Wellens' dribble was intercepted. The opponent cleverly played a long ball into the space behind Evra. The forward received the ball on New Manchester United's left flank, adjusted briefly, and crossed it. The tall centre-forward, making a run toward goal, rose above Eric Abidal and headed it in. 1-0!
This was the first goal New Manchester United had conceded in their warm-up matches this season, and it instantly stunned the New Manchester United players, who had been full of confidence.
The routine Rochdale used for this goal was the same routine New Manchester United used against those amateur teams in the North West Counties League Division Two last season. Simple and efficient, solving the problem in three or four passes.
Their old signature move was now being used against them by the opposition. It was truly ironic!
That was not all. After conceding, New Manchester United launched an even fiercer attack against Rochdale, and it was basically concentrated on the left flank. However, Rochdale clearly restricted Richie Wellens, while Evra, afraid of being caught on the counter, did not dare push too far forward. As a result, New Manchester United's left-sided attack made plenty of noise but produced nothing of substance.
Hleb on the right wing worked hard but failed to get support from his teammates. Several times, he ran into space, but no one passed to him, making Bruce beat his chest in frustration on the sidelines.
Unable to break through for a long time, New Manchester United conceded another goal in the 34th minute. Rochdale still attacked New Manchester United's left flank. Two players combined to get past Evra, then played a low, driven ball to the edge of the penalty area. The opposing central midfielder received it and shot from distance. Almunia could not reach it. 2-0!
The two goals conceded were almost identical, causing an uproar among the fans in the stands.
It had to be known that last season, especially in the second half of the campaign, New Manchester United's left flank had been exceptionally outstanding and almost unstoppable. The two left-sided "demon wings" had been a nightmare for every North West Counties League Division Two team. But now, after only a few months, the entire left flank had been torn open.
Could the gap between amateur football and professional football really be that big?
If we cannot solve this problem, our prospects in the National League next season will likely be bleak!
As a long-time fan who had watched football for many years, Ethan could naturally see the seriousness of the issue.
Too many players had been brought in, and their understanding was not yet smooth enough. Many foreign players had not fully integrated into the team. This meant that even though the team looked very strong on paper, they could not unleash their potential. After all, football was played by 11 people on the pitch. Without teamwork, even the Galácticos of a giant club like Real Madrid would end in failure.
After conceding two goals in a row, the New Manchester United players on the pitch started to worry. They wanted to attack, but they were afraid of being caught on the counter. Yet if they did not attack, the opponent already had a two-goal lead.
Although this was only a warm-up match focused on training, Bruce had set a requirement before the game. New Manchester United had to fight for victory in every match, whether it was a friendly, a cup tie, or a league game!
After conceding, they became hesitant, and Rochdale also slowed the tempo. This was a team skilled in defensive counter-attacks, and that was the foundation that had allowed Rochdale to establish themselves in the Fourth Division for decades while hovering around mid-table.
...
The New Manchester United dressing room at halftime was quiet. Only the staff from The Lab remained, using instruments to collect data from the players. All of this data would be entered into the computer for analysis.
The players sat or lay down one by one, looking like beaten men, listless and dejected. The newly joined players did not dare speak in such an atmosphere, and the veterans from last year did not dare speak either. Everyone could see the anger on Bruce's ashen face.
After the staff from The Lab finally finished their monitoring and left, Bruce coughed once.
"Our performance in the first half was terrible. Perhaps you will say that the opponent is a Football League team and is stronger than us, but I don't think so. Look at our current squad. Ribeiro, a Brazil international. Jacek Krzynówek, a Poland international. Ivica Olić, who played for Hertha BSC in the Bundesliga last season. And Peter Crouch, who joined from a Premier League club."
"Purely based on personnel, I don't think we are weaker than the opponent. But why are we two goals down at halftime? Moreover, according to the statistics, we only had a miserable two shots in the first half, and both were aimed at the stands. I am genuinely worried that if one of them accidentally hit Ethan, all of you and I would be completely finished!"
Bruce's last sentence caused a burst of laughter in the dressing room. Although it was small and scattered, it dispersed the heavy and gloomy atmosphere.
"This is a rare training opportunity. I intend to treat it like a league match. I want to fight for victory. In the second half, Jacek will replace Richie. Patrice, your responsibility is defence. Remember, defend first, then think about pushing forward to attack. Understood?"
Evra, having been singled out and given a task, immediately stood up and nodded in agreement.
Besides adjusting the left flank, Bruce substituted Juninho, who had performed poorly in the first half. The Dane Christian Poulsen replaced him to play in a double pivot, while Žigić replaced Jonathan Matten, who had also performed poorly in the first half, to partner Olić up front.
"In the second half, we must lower our stance. We are a team aiming for promotion to the National League. Last year, we were in the North West Counties League Division Two, so we are the underdogs. We must play defensive counter-attacking football, but this does not mean we are weak. When the opponent attacks, we retreat, then look for opportunities to spring forward quickly, just like a compressed spring. Do you understand?"
Bruce made a motion with his hands in front of the players, demonstrating the compression and rebound of a spring. This made it very clear to the players that he was not asking for passive defending, but planned defensive counter-attacks in order to fight for victory!
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)