When Mourinho read out his name, perhaps because he had already prepared himself mentally, Ling felt unusually calm instead.
But the other players in the meeting room seemed caught off guard.
Although Rashford had participated in national team matches and hadn't fully recovered yet, there were still Lingard and Martial in the substitute lineup.
From any perspective, these two players' overall abilities made them more suitable for starting positions.
However, this might precisely be Mourinho's intention - to keep Martial firmly on the bench as a warning to them all.
Among them, Ibrahimovic and Carrick, who understood Jeremy Ling's abilities best, simultaneously showed pleased smiles.
Given that kid's talent and attitude, it was only a matter of time before he made the starting lineup - they had no doubt about that.
Mourinho didn't explain too much and directly moved on to tactical arrangements.
"First, let's talk about our attack. We'll mainly advance through the central areas, with different developments on the two flanks."
"Right flank... Mata, you need to position yourself closer to the right front of the penalty area, coordinating with Valencia's overlapping runs and crosses."
Mourinho marked key areas on the tactical board and indicated attacking directions with arrows.
"Once the opponent's defensive focus shifts, immediately pass the ball to teammates in the central area and transfer the attack to the left flank."
"Ling, at this moment, you must accelerate the attacking tempo, making breakthroughs on the wing to disrupt Leicester City's compact defense."
"Remember, you have to be quick, otherwise they might react and form coordinated defensive pressing in small areas, then launch counterattacks."
Hearing this, Ling put down his pen and quietly replied.
"Understood, Boss."
Mourinho nodded, looking quite satisfied.
Through the daily reports submitted by Faria, he could clearly know what Ling had been doing every day.
To be honest, after these past two weeks, he was quite surprised.
After all, Ling was only 18 years old, while other teammates were going out or on vacation.
Yet he could still restrain himself, calmly and steadily completing the training plans without arrogance or impatience.
Truly...
A decent player at least.
Mourinho cleared his throat lightly and continued, "Now let's discuss other aspects..."
....
Half an hour later.
"Alright, that's all for today. Everyone go back and rest well."
"Ling, stay behind for a moment."
In the meeting room.
Dozens of gazes intersected in the air, converging on the black-haired young man.
But they didn't have many thoughts about it.
After all, given how hard Ling had been training, it would be unfair if he didn't receive some special treatment.
"Your tactical summaries from the previous period contained many inaccurate understandings. Since we have time now, I'll explain them to you."
Ling immediately moved closer, listening attentively.
Although it might not be appropriate to say this, every time after listening to Faria's explanations, he always felt like he was just one step away from fully understanding.
Of course, it could also be that he was just too slow to grasp things.
As a world-class coach, Mourinho explained tactics in a way that was both simple and profound, making it easy to understand.
...
Another half an hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Ling then left the meeting room and headed to the training ground to practice long passes with Carrick.
Over the next two days, his life remained uneventful, passing by quietly.
However, one thing frustrated him during this time—his dribbling attribute was stuck at 79.99.
No matter how much he trained, the value didn't budge in the slightest.
But he knew he couldn't rush this; he had to calm down and take it slow.
When August 27 arrived, the fourth round of the Premier League was about to begin.
Ling boarded the bus to Leicester City with his teammates.
....
An hour and a half later.
King Power Stadium.
This place, where miracles had once happened, boasted some of the best fans in England.
They didn't flock in during the peaks or turn away during the lows.
The players on the pitch had finished their warm-ups and returned to the locker rooms for final preparations.
When the starting lineups of both teams were announced, many fans looked in surprise at the unfamiliar name.
Jeremy Ling!
He had only made two substitute appearances in the first three rounds, with a total playing time of less than 45 minutes.
Could he handle the responsibility?
In contrast, Manchester United fans took it in stride.
They started to think back to the past.
An 18-year-old lad, wearing the Red Devils' No. 7 jersey, made his starting debut and later became the King of the Champions League.
Then there was another 18-year-old, a chubby kid, who scored a hat-trick on his debut and was later brought back to Old Trafford by Ferguson, setting countless records.
So, deep down, Manchester United fans always had a soft spot for 18-year-old players.
Moreover, after two rounds of league matches, they were already familiar with Ling's technical strengths.
His polished dribbling skills were undoubtedly a weapon against tight defenses, not to mention his composure, which far exceeded that of his peers.
Besides, in just 30 minutes of play, Ling had already contributed one goal and one assist, making his efficiency far superior to Martial and Lingard.
Why shouldn't he start?
So, they eagerly discussed it before the match.
"Are Rojo and Luke Shaw injured again?"
"Manchester United's defense has major issues; otherwise, they wouldn't have been held to a draw by Stoke City last round."
"With Leicester City's firepower, if United's form doesn't improve, they might just crash and burn."
"Although Drinkwater moved to Chelsea, Leicester still has Mahrez and Vardy, and their partnership remains a threat."
"But losing Kanté is a huge blow—their midfield defense has weakened significantly."
"That's why Leicester now prefers to sit deep defensively. With Maguire and Morgan in the backline, they can effectively neutralize United's crosses."
While the fans were discussing, the players from both teams had finished their pre-match preparations and were waiting in the tunnel to take the field.
Ling glanced curiously at the opposition.
Vardy..... time seemed to have etched countless memories on this veteran's face, symbolizing Leicester City's rise, glory, and eventual decline.
Okazaki Shinji—unassuming yet indispensable.
Simpson—once cast aside by Manchester United.
Mahrez—only made his Ligue 2 debut five years ago.
Oh, and Maguire—adorably clumsy, like winny the poh.
Ling took a deep breath, pushing aside the distractions in his mind, and recalled the pre-match tactical arrangements.
Five minutes later.
Led by the officiating team, Ling walked out of the player tunnel, holding the young ball boy's hand.
What greeted his eyes seemed like a terrifying blue beast, with the thunderous cheers turning into roars.
The young ball boy couldn't help but look up and say weakly, "You're squeezing my hand too hard."
Ling quickly apologized and loosened his grip.
Even with the experience of a previous life, he couldn't help but be momentarily mesmerized by such a magnificent scene.
After the pre-match coin toss, Leicester City chose to take the kickoff.
Players from both teams quickly took their positions.
With the referee's whistle blast.
The match officially began!