Under the crimson sunset, Old Trafford appeared exceptionally magnificent, packed to the rafters with excited fans.
Down on the green pitch, the Manchester United players formed a circle, warming up their bodies by chasing the ball in a rondo while discussing last-minute tactics.
"Since Alvaro Morata has repeatedly squandered scoring opportunities, and Sarri doesn't favor a traditional target man like Olivier Giroud, he has reverted to the strikerless formation he used so often at Napoli," Ling said, raising his gaze toward Eden Hazard warming up at the other end of the pitch.
Playing as a false nine, Hazard would need to constantly drop deep and engage in intense physical duels with the center-backs, making it difficult for him to replicate his usual mesmerizing dribbling runs from the wing.
Moreover, Manchester United's compact defensive line today would naturally prevent Chelsea's attacking trident from penetrating easily.
"So, we just need to stabilize our defense first. Riyad and I will position ourselves in a staggered formation up top, creating an attacking structure suitable for vertical through balls," Ling gestured with his hands.
Since his in-depth tactical discussion with Pep Guardiola over Christmas, Ling had consciously begun adjusting his tactical role on the pitch—simply put, he was evolving his "style of play."
Previously, he was purely a poacher and a dribbling-oriented striker.
Now, he was starting to drop back into midfield, linking up with the attacking or defensive midfielders to shoulder some of the ball progression and playmaking responsibilities.
After all, the 4-3-1-2 formation used by Jose Mourinho, while tactically described as a defensive counterattack, was essentially a deep defensive block that severely lacked offensive intensity in the final third.
Ling knew he had to compensate for that with his individual ability and movement.
"Yeah, during counterattacks, the full-backs can push wide to help the ball carrier create passing lanes through the center," N'Golo Kante chimed in, sharing his insights.
In fact, Kante's ability to read the game was no less than Jeremy's, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to constantly anticipate opponents' attacking intentions and preemptively position himself to intercept.
"Not bad, N'Golo!" Mahrez smiled, giving his former Leicester teammate a thumbs-up.
Kante was inherently shy—he even kept his underwear on while showering in the locker room—and usually spoke very little.
His active, vocal participation in team tactical discussions now showed that he had fully integrated into the United squad.
Kante grinned sheepishly at the praise.
"Alright, let's head back to the dressing room to get ready," Ling chuckled, shaking his head fondly.
Once everyone returned to the dressing room, Mourinho delivered one of his rare, grounded motivational speeches.
"Since I began coaching all of you, our journey has been almost too smooth," the manager began, pacing the room.
"As a result, many people out there—and perhaps even some of you in here—believe our strength is already unmatched and that we can easily win today's match and overturn the deficit."
Mourinho paused briefly, letting the silence hang. "However, our 2-0 loss to Chelsea in the first leg, and our tight position on the league table, tell us that we are not perfect. There are still many areas we need to improve. I know you are determined to overturn the scoreline today. Nevertheless, I hope you don't lose your tactical composure in your eagerness to prove yourselves."
Mourinho had recently noticed that some Manchester United players seemed to be getting slightly carried away by their consecutive league victories.
In the world of football, this is a fatal, pathological mindset—one that could easily ruin an individual or an entire team.
The players nodded in understanding, setting aside whatever traces of complacency they might have harbored.
In truth, players like McTominay, Nemanja Matic, Harry Maguire, and Jeremy Ling were all down-to-earth, disciplined performers, so Mourinho wasn't particularly worried about them.
However, players with more flair, like Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, and Paul Pogba, needed to be grounded before their issues became problematic on the pitch.
Clap! Clap!
Ling adjusted his captain's armband and clapped forcefully to grab his teammates' attention.
"Let's stick to the pre-match plan, lads. We can definitely reach the League Cup final today. Don't let the fans and families who came to watch us down!"
Finally, he glanced around the room and extended his right hand into the center. "Let's go!!!"
"LET'S GO!!!" The Manchester United players piled their hands on top of his and roared in unison.
They marched out into the tunnel, where they ran into the Chelsea players.
Although today's match was a tense, do-or-die battle, there was no intense hostility between the two sets of players. Instead, they greeted each other quite amicably.
After all, the relationship between the two clubs and their players was relatively respectful.
...
Whoosh!!!
The moment the Manchester United players stepped out of the tunnel and onto the green pitch, Old Trafford erupted into thunderous, deafening cheers.
Iron will never fade, the Red Devils live on!
The most important spirit of Manchester United is never giving up.
You might lead by two or three goals in the first leg, but United only need one opportunity to unleash their magic.
That's the historic heritage of the club.
Perhaps this spirit seems intangible to outsiders, but miracles are often created under its influence.
The traveling Chelsea fans in the away end immediately grew tense despite the noise.
They knew how poorly their own team had been performing lately—rigid tactics, internal turmoil, and a manager under fire.
And on top of that, Manchester United had Jeremy Ling.
Ling's performance in last season's Champions League final—falling behind three times and equalizing three times—left a traumatic impression on Europe.
So, even with a 2-0 aggregate lead, the Blues fans couldn't confidently claim a secure advancement.
After all, that man wearing the number 7 shirt is just too adept at creating miracles.
Which defensive line in the entire Premier League hasn't been dismantled by him? Even Virgil van Dijk couldn't completely contain him recently.
Amid the anxious gazes of the Chelsea fans, the referee blew his whistle.
Beep!!!
The LED screens beside the pitch displayed the starting lineups for both teams.
Chelsea lined up in a 4-3-3 formation: Kepa in goal; Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, and Emerson in defense; Mateo Kovacic, Jorginho, and Ross Barkley in midfield; and Willian, Eden Hazard, and Pedro up front.
As for Manchester United, their starting lineup remained largely the same as in their previous matches, except the right center-back position was taken by David Luiz today to face his former club.
"Low block defense!" Rudiger shouted to his teammates the moment United took possession.
Chelsea's formation quickly compressed backward, shifting directly from a 4-3-3 to a 9-0-1, essentially parking a massive blue bus directly in front of their own goal.
Old Trafford immediately erupted in piercing, frustrated boos!
Peter Drury: "As expected, with a two-goal cushion from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Maurizio Sarri has chosen to batten down the hatches. Chelsea are mindlessly defending in this second leg."
Jim Beglin: "Although this tactic sacrifices the spectacle of football and is looked down upon by the purists, Peter, it is undeniably effective. Look at Manchester United—they aren't rushing the attack. Instead, they're patiently circulating the ball in a semi-circular arc on the periphery, using wide horizontal passes to try and stretch that rigid blue line."
Peter Drury: "Mourinho is the absolute master of parking the bus, but today he faces the daunting task of breaking one down!"
Back when Barcelona sparked the tiki-taka craze, many teams tried to imitate it to break down low blocks but missed the point entirely, mainly because their players lacked the elite technical ability.
Manchester United's midfield and forward configuration wasn't built for intricate tiki-taka either.
Even if they could maintain 100% possession, it would all be for nothing if they couldn't penetrate the box.
But there are other ways to break down a parked bus: individual dribbling brilliance, set pieces, a tall physical striker, and lethal long-range shooting.
And Jeremy Ling's technical traits fit those requirements perfectly.
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