Beep, beep, beep!
With three sharp whistles from the referee, the first round of the International Champions Cup came to an end.
Manchester United defeated Inter Milan 3–1.
Jeremy Ling had already completed a brace before the first half ended, but after the interval, Mourinho gradually substituted his players one by one to test different tactical combinations and give both new signings and returning veterans time to build chemistry.
As a result, Manchester United's attack went through a sluggish spell early in the second half.
Fortunately, Inter Milan were not especially sharp in their new-season setup either.
The two sides remained deadlocked until the 64th minute, when Grealish was tripped inside the penalty area and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.
Ling stepped up calmly and converted the penalty to complete his hat-trick.
Near the end of the match, Manchester United relaxed slightly, allowing Inter to exploit a cross from the wing, and Lautaro Martínez scored a consolation goal.
At that moment, the Olympic Sports Center had already turned into a boiling sea of red.
Across the entire stadium, the fans were chanting one name.
"Ling!"
"Ling!"
"Ling!"
Truthfully, most clubs did not take tournaments like the International Champions Cup too seriously.
Rotated squads, youth players, and half-paced football were common.
But Manchester United had shown real consideration this time.
They did not bring academy players just to make up the numbers.
Instead, they played almost their entire first-team squad for the upcoming season, and even allowed Ling to complete the full ninety minutes.
That gesture earned them enormous goodwill from Chinese fans.
📰 Sky Sports: Ling Hat-Trick Leads Manchester United Past Inter in Nanjing!
📰 Manchester Evening News: New-Look United Impress as Ling Lights Up China Again
📰 Gazzetta dello Sport: Conte's Inter Punished by Ling Brilliance in ICC Defeat
📰 Dongqiudi: Olympic Sports Center Erupts as Ling Scores Three Against Inter Milan
📱 @CNUnitedFan ✔
Ling playing the full 90 in China during preseason? United know exactly what the fans came for, and they respected that.
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: This is how you handle a global tour properly. Bring the stars, play serious football, give the fans a memory.
📱 @InterCN1908
We lost, but Lautaro scored, Conte is building something, and at least we didn't get completely humiliated. Ling is just ridiculous.
📱 @TacticalTim ✔
United's new squad still needs rhythm, but the structure is already visible. Grealish draws contact, Havertz links play, Thiago stabilizes the back line, and Ling remains the cheat code.
After the match, the fans did not leave the stadium immediately. Instead, they waited eagerly for the next segment.
The trophy presentation.
When seven gleaming trophies were placed at the center of the pitch, Manchester United fans felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.
An unprecedented Seven-Title season in English football history.
No one had ever achieved it before.
As for the future, even Manchester United themselves would find it difficult to repeat such a feat.
Last season had required the perfect alignment of timing, conditions, chemistry, and fortune.
Otherwise, they would never have managed to defeat that terrifying Manchester City side five times in a row.
By the time all the ceremonies ended, everyone was utterly exhausted.
...
That night, Ling lay on the soft bed in his hotel room, reflecting on the match.
On paper, Manchester United's squad was extremely strong.
Many of the players had sky-high market values, but that did not mean the team had no issues.
The key concern still lay in attacking midfield.
Although Pogba's attitude could be irritating, his ability was undeniable.
Many fans even regarded him as the template for the best modern midfielder.
As for Havertz, despite being a prodigy, his physique and technique were still relatively raw.
Expecting him to fully replace Pogba right away was unrealistic.
Because of that, Ling had to drop deeper frequently to support the play and help Havertz shoulder some of the playmaking responsibility.
What if Bruno Fernandes played in that role instead?
Bruno seemed quite fond of throwing his hands up in frustration.
Ling had already seen it several times, though Bruno never dared to do it in his direction.
Aside from his slightly fragile mentality, Bruno Fernandes performed well in both attack and defense, especially with his off-the-ball movement.
Simply put, his intelligent positioning and relentless running allowed him to drive Manchester United's forward momentum.
That was precisely what Havertz and Pogba lacked in different ways.
So even though Bruno Fernandes' individual ability fell slightly short of the truly elite players, it was more than enough for him to secure a stable rotation role, and perhaps even a starting position, at Manchester United.
"The boss probably likes this kind of player," Ling muttered to himself.
For Mourinho, the bare minimum requirement for any player was a positive attitude toward running and effort.
As for Grealish, Ling thought the lad from Birmingham was quite promising.
He understood his role clearly: play as a supporting actor, make runs to create space, draw defenders, and force fouls from the opposition.
Grealish also contributed significantly on the defensive end.
He could often be seen sprinting back from the wing, sometimes even returning all the way into the penalty area to help defend.
And when the team needed goals from him, he did not hesitate either.
Meanwhile, newly signed left-back Alex Sandro was a typical Brazilian full-back, full of speed and power.
His style was somewhat similar to Marcelo's, and his partnership with Grealish on the flank had looked particularly impressive in this match.
Of course, the most pleasant surprise was McTominay.
After two seasons of development, even though he had spent most of his time on the bench, Scott McTominay had never lowered his standards for himself.
If Ling was the hardest worker in training, then Scott was the second hardest.
Now, his defensive positioning, physical duels, and awareness in covering space had all improved significantly compared to two years ago.
"The boss really is the boss," Ling sighed. "Look at the quality of these signings. Probably only my future father-in-law could match this."
As soon as that thought appeared, he remembered Maria.
Then he picked up his phone and called her.
...
Five days later.
The International Champions Cup continued in Shanghai.
Manchester United versus Tottenham Hotspur.
A Premier League clash transported to Hongkou Stadium.
In the 17th minute of the first half, the entire stadium erupted in furious curses.
Because Tottenham were playing far too dirty.
"Alli receives a yellow card for that reckless foul," Rob Palmer said, his voice tense. "But honestly, I don't think yellow is enough."
Terry Gibson immediately agreed. "That tackle was aimed directly at Ling's ankle. If Ling hadn't pulled away in time and avoided the full impact, we might be talking about a serious injury right now. I don't understand why that isn't red."
"The crowd certainly agrees with you," Rob added. "Listen to the noise inside Hongkou Stadium."
Amid the curses of tens of thousands of fans, Alli still looked unconvinced and walked toward the referee to argue his case.
The result?
The referee was not about to indulge him.
He had only just put the yellow card back in his pocket when he swiftly pulled it out again.
Second yellow.
Red card!
Alli was completely stunned.
In all his years as a professional player, he had never seen anything like this.
Wasn't he just expressing dissatisfaction?
Why did that deserve another yellow?
On the sidelines, Pochettino breathed a sigh of relief, looking up with lingering fear.
The advertising boards were covered with water bottles, cups, keychains, and all kinds of debris thrown from the stands.
He was truly fed up with Alli.
Didn't this idiot understand Ling's status in China?
If he had seriously injured Ling in Ling's birth country, Tottenham might not have made it out of the stadium safely.
Thankfully, the referee had sent him off.
Thinking of that, Pochettino looked at the referee with rare gratitude.
For once, he thought the referee was a very fair referee.
On the field, Alli still wanted to say something, but his teammates quickly pushed him away.
'Just get lost already!'
They still wanted to return to England safely!
Ling did not insist on continuing either, and Mourinho quickly substituted him off for Greenwood.
However, the Manchester United players could not accept their core player being targeted like that.
In the 35th minute, Son Heung-min received a pass from Ndombele and accelerated down the left wing, attempting to break through.
Wan-Bissaka did not even look at the ball.
He slid straight into the man.
Boom!
Son was sent flying, rolling several times before crashing into the advertising boards.
The spectators roared with excitement.
Seeing the referee show him a yellow card, Wan-Bissaka simply shrugged.
It did not matter.
When he first arrived at Manchester United, it had been Ling who trained with him every day, taught him defensive techniques, and looked after him in daily life.
So whoever messed with Jeremy Ling would have to deal with him too!
Son gritted his teeth and stood up, then signaled to the head coach for a substitution.
As he limped past the bench, he shot a fierce glare at Alli.
That guy had caused the trouble, and now he was the one taking the blame.
The incident was far from over.
In the 34th minute of the first half, Harry Kane received the ball outside the penalty area, and Bruno Fernandes went straight for his shin with a kick.
To be honest, Fernandes did not exactly have the cleanest playing style.
Kane, who already seemed cursed when it came to trophies, was only playing his heart out and giving everything as usual, yet he still ended up on the receiving end of Bruno's retaliation.
A yellow card in exchange for Kane leaving the pitch.
From that point on, Ma Ning became the star of the show.
Cards.
More cards.
And even more cards!
By the time the first half ended, there had already been fourteen yellow cards and one red card.
That was the true definition of a card master.
📰 Sky Sports: Chaos in Shanghai as Manchester United Beat Tottenham in Fiery ICC Clash
📰 Daily Mail: Alli Sent Off After Reckless Challenge on Ling Sparks Angry Scenes
📰 Manchester Evening News: United Players Rally Around Ling After Tottenham Friendly Turns Ugly
📰 BBC Sport: Son and Kane Forced Off as Preseason Friendly Descends Into Card Fest
📱 @CNUnitedFan ✔
Alli trying that tackle on Ling in China might be the dumbest decision of preseason. The whole stadium nearly turned into a volcano.
| ↳ 📱 @SpursAwayDays
| Reply: I support Tottenham and even I wanted him subbed off before the crowd invaded the pitch.
📱 @WanBissakaHive
Wan-Bissaka saw Ling get targeted and immediately turned into a revenge side quest. Slide tackle had personal meaning.
📱 @NeutralBallCN
Fourteen yellows and one red in a friendly. Ma Ning woke up today and chose paperwork.
📱 @KaneTrophyWatch
Kane just wanted a normal preseason match and somehow got kicked into another trophyless timeline lmaoooo.
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