Chapter 45

Jin Taige stared at his players, frustrated. "The situation in this game is bad," he thought.

At halftime, he noticed most of the players were exhausted. After a series of tough games, their fatigue was obvious. Jin Taige tried to lift their spirits, but it didn't seem to help much.

In the second half, Real Sociedad once again dropped back defensively. Even Antoine Griezmann, usually their attacking threat, dropped deep into his own half. Jin Taige muttered, "Do the Spaniards have no pride in front of their home fans?"

Despite the boos from the crowd, Real Sociedad held their ground. United couldn't break through.

In an effort to change things, Taige substituted Nemanja Vidić for Mauro Icardi to add another striker. He also brought on Alonso for Evra and replaced Nani with Ryan Giggs, who was struggling.

These changes had some effect. Van Persie and Rooney both had good chances, but Sociedad's goalkeeper, Bravo, made several crucial saves. Despite all of United's efforts, including intense pressure and creative plays, the game ended 0–0. United had to settle for just one point.

On the flight back to Manchester, Taige was deep in thought. He ran through the points situation in his mind and sighed. The team was in a difficult position.

In the Champions League, United had 8 points after four rounds. Bayer Leverkusen topped the group with 9 points, while Shakhtar Donetsk had 5 points, and Real Sociedad were at the bottom with just 1 point. Despite early expectations that United would top the group, they were now in second place, just 3 points ahead of Donetsk. If things didn't improve, qualification could be in jeopardy.

In the Premier League, things were even worse. After 10 matches, United had only 14 points, with 4 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses. They were now 5th in the league, 13 points behind rivals Manchester City, who were in first place. The team was struggling, and it seemed to be their worst start to a season in recent years.

On Sky TV, commentator Raman joked about United's struggles: "Manchester United lost again. Not in the Champions League, though – they drew with Real Sociedad, which is great for them. But in the league, they've dropped from second place to fifth. With 14 points from 10 games, this could be their worst start ever."

Morris, a Manchester United supporter, defended the team: "The schedule has been tough, with international fixtures and a packed calendar. They've had their fair share of challenges."

Raman disagreed, pointing out that United had lost to lower-tier teams like Southampton, Stoke City, and Fulham. "Even with a rotated squad, they should not be losing three games in a row."

Morris, unable to defend the team's recent performances, admitted that they had been struggling. Raman added, "If Taige's record doesn't improve soon, he might become the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season."

Morris remained hopeful: "If they can win the next game, the team's morale will rise."

Raman was skeptical, stating that the next game would be a tough challenge for United.

Meanwhile, on the plane back to Manchester, Taige told his players they would have a day off to rest.

The following morning, Taige was up early. After breakfast, he left home and headed to Carrington training ground. On his way, he stopped at a newsstand to pick up several sports newspapers. When he arrived at the training ground, it was quiet, with no players around. Sitting in the coach's seat, he began reading the newspaper.

As he flipped through the pages, he suddenly frowned. "A lot of criticism?" he muttered to himself.

Most of the newspapers he had in his hands were filled with harsh criticism of Manchester United.

The Daily Telegraph wrote, "Fifth in the league! Thirteen points behind Manchester City! Jin Taige may become the first manager to leave this season."

The Guardian warned, "The situation in the Champions League is urgent! Defending champions Manchester United are struggling."

The Sun, through its reporter Wolf, mocked the team, saying, "Manchester United's league form is dismal. With 4 wins, 2 draws, and 4 losses, they sit fifth in the table. Jin Taige promised a Triple Crown, but now it seems he misunderstood what that meant. Does he even have the ambition to defend the Premier League title? Sir Alex Ferguson must regret picking such an incompetent successor."

Jin Taige closed his eyes, his anger rising. While he rarely reacted to media criticism, today was different. He wasn't angry with the reporters, but with his team's poor performance.

The fifth-place position in the league was indeed disappointing. But why was the team struggling? What had gone wrong?

He pondered whether the issue lay with the players—United had excellent forwards, strong wingers, a solid midfield, and a reliable defense. Compared to other top Premier League teams, their lineup should have been one of the best. It didn't seem to be a player issue.

Could it be a problem with fitness? Jin Taige had rotated the squad in several recent matches to ensure freshness, so that didn't seem to be the issue either.

Then, perhaps it was their style of play. Jin Taige realized that he needed to analyze the team's tactics and approach more thoroughly.

As he sat deep in thought, the door opened, and someone entered. "Tiger, you're here?" It was Ed Woodward, who walked over and sat beside him.

"Ed, how's everything?" Jin Taige asked, surprised. "You don't usually visit the training ground. What brings you here today?"

"I had some business to take care of at the club. When I arrived, the guard Thor told me you were here, so I thought I'd come see you."

Jin Taige nodded. "I gave the players a day off today. Why don't you take a break too?"

Woodward looked at him and said, "You're usually cheerful, but today you seem a bit down. Is it about the recent games?"

Jin Taige sighed. "The team's performance has been poor lately. There's a lot of pressure."

Woodward noticed the newspapers Jin Taige was holding and saw the harsh headlines. "Should I do something? Maybe get the Manchester Evening News to publish something positive for the club?"

Jin Taige shook his head. "It's not the criticism that's bothering me. They're right. The team's performance has been bad, and I need to figure out how to get us out of this."

Woodward was taken aback by Jin Taige's words. He silently admired his determination to confront the situation head-on rather than shy away from it.

However, there was also a looming concern. This morning, club owner Malcolm Glazer had called Woodward and reminded him about the minimum goals in Jin Taige's contract. If the team didn't meet those goals—finishing in the top four of the Premier League and reaching the Champions League knockout stages—there would be consequences.

Woodward knew that reaching these goals wasn't looking easy right now. United's league position was poor, and their Champions League qualification was not secure. If results didn't improve, Woodward was certain Jin Taige would be sacked.

But, knowing that Jin Taige was already under immense stress, Woodward chose not to bring it up again. Instead, he said, "The team is going through a tough time, but it's not just your problem. It's for the whole club. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Jin Taige felt a warmth in Woodward's words and responded gratefully, "For now, I don't need help. I'll come to you if I do. Thanks, Ed."

"I'm glad to see you staying confident," Woodward said, standing up. "I'll head back to the office now. Remember, you can reach me anytime."

After Woodward left, Jin Taige sat quietly, staring at the empty training ground. He was deep in thought, uncertain about what the future held, but determined to find a way out of the current crisis.

XXXX

The next morning, November 7th, the players arrived at the training ground. The mood was somber after three consecutive league losses and a stubborn draw in the Champions League. However, the players were surprised when they saw Jin Taige. Despite the tough results, he had a confident smile, talking with assistant coach Ferran and Scholes.

Rafael whispered to Alonso, "It looks like there's no sadness today. It's as if we're top of the league or leading in the Champions League group."

Alonso replied, "I don't know what happened…"

Jin Taige stood on the field, observing his players. After a day of rest, their fatigue had faded, but the recent defeats were still evident in their energy levels.

He looked at them and suddenly asked, "Are we out of the Champions League?"

The players were shocked. Rafael responded quickly, "No, we're second in our group, just one point behind Leverkusen."

Jin Taige then asked, "Are we hopeless in the league?"

Giggs, as the captain, responded firmly, "The season's still young, there are plenty of games left. We have time to recover."

"Exactly! Well said!" Jin Taige clapped his hands. "We're close to qualifying for the Champions League. If we can beat Leverkusen away in the next match, we'll be back at the top. As for the league, it's still early. We have plenty of points left to win. Do you remember the goal I set at the start of the season?"

Rooney called out loudly, "Triple Crown!"

Jin Taige nodded, "It's normal to lose a few games, but the season is long, and we still have a lot of time. I'm not a pessimist. At the end of the season, we'll hold three trophies together. When that happens, you'll look back and realize that no team can win all the time. The strongest teams are those who overcome setbacks and push forward!"

The players were quiet, reflecting on his words.

After a pause, Jin Taige continued, "Do you remember the 2002-2003 season, when Manchester United won the title despite being 8 points behind Arsenal at the halfway mark? Everyone thought we were out of the title race, but we went on a winning streak and reclaimed the crown."

Giggs stepped forward and spoke, "In the second half of the season, despite being 8 points behind Arsenal, we turned it around with a series of victories and won the Premier League."

Jin Taige smiled, "That season was magical. I was coaching the youth team back then, and Ryan saw it all firsthand. Our situation now is actually better than that. Yes, we're 13 points behind Manchester City, but the season is still in its early stages. We have plenty of time. I'm still confident in our ability to win the Triple Crown. How about you?"

Vidic, the vice-captain, shouted enthusiastically, "Boss, we're confident too!"

"Yes, we have confidence!" the players all shouted.

The energy in the squad shifted. The gloomy atmosphere lifted as the players regained their focus.

Jin Taige was pleased with the team's renewed confidence. "If we want to win the Triple Crown, we need to perform well in the next game. We have Arsenal at home next, and we need to win. Let's show everyone that the Red Devils are back!"

The players began their warm-up drills, their spirits lifted. Ferran, watching them, turned to Jin Taige and said, "Tiger, I've noticed that you're becoming more like Sir Ferguson every day. What you just said was exactly what I was thinking. I believe we'll win the next match."

But Jin Taige shook his head, "Motivating the players is one thing, but it's not the solution to our underlying problems. If the team only needed morale boosts to win, we could hire a speaker to be the coach."

Ferran nodded, "You're right. But honestly, even though the players are now more confident, the next match won't be easy. I'm still concerned about our chances."

Jin Taige then turned to Scholes, "Paul, what do you think?"

Scholes watched the players warming up and then said thoughtfully, "I think there are some small issues with our tactical play. We may need to make some adjustments."

Jin Taige nodded, "I've been thinking about this too. After spending yesterday watching the footage of our last three league defeats, I also looked at the games from last season when we were under Sir Ferguson. I've identified some issues with our approach."

Phelan asked, "What's the issue?"

Jin Taige looked at Scholes, "Paul, do you think there's anything different about this season compared to last?"

Scholes analyzed carefully, "There's not much change in our defense. It's the same back line, and both Van Dyck and Alonso have settled in well. The midfield is stronger this season, and while Hernandez and Welbeck have left, Icardi and Martial have performed better than expected. Our tactics haven't changed, and we're still playing a balanced 4-4-2 system. It seems like we've actually improved compared to last season."

Jin Taige nodded, "You're right, Paul. But you missed one thing. We've changed a lot compared to last season…"