Soon, Lampard sensed that something felt off.
This tactic was too familiar.
Back when he became Chelsea's core, part of it came from his own hard work, and part of it came from Mourinho's guidance.
Before the match, during a media interview, Lampard had said, "Being a player under Mourinho is like having someone pull you forward. It makes you want to do better, fight for him, and make him happy."
The awkward part was that his comments from two years earlier were quickly dug up.
Back then, Mourinho had been under heavy criticism, had disagreements with Pogba, and was even being targeted by the FA.
At the time, Lampard had said, "Mourinho's experience was of no help to me."
His habit of changing his statements with the direction of public opinion left a poor impression on people.
The match continued.
Manchester United maintained their sharp attacking style and reduced unnecessary midfield transitions.
To put it simply: pass the damn ball to Jeremy Ling!
His exceptional visual memory, almost comparable to a bird's-eye view, allowed him to switch roles seamlessly on the pitch.
One moment, he was a powerful center-forward tearing through defenses.
The next, he transformed into a playmaking nine-and-a-half.
That made it almost impossible for Chelsea to mark him effectively.
As time ticked away, Chelsea's formation kept compressing until they looked pinned inside their own penalty area.
In the 38th minute, Bruno Fernandes received Kanté's through ball and held off Jorginho with strength.
Both Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva looked rather slight in build, but neither lacked physicality in duels.
However, Bruno's ball control was average and could not compare to Pogba's. That was why he often lost possession and triggered counterattacks.
In the future, he would even set a shocking record by losing possession 40 times in a single match.
So Mourinho's demand of him was simple.
Pass immediately after receiving the ball.
Reduce the error rate proactively!
"Bruno Fernandes plays the diagonal through ball to Mahrez!"
"Despite the heat in Azerbaijan, the King of Dribbling is looking sharp tonight."
"Quick feet from Mahrez, and he glides past Emerson and Zouma in succession!"
Mahrez kicked the ball toward the far post just before it rolled out of bounds.
Thump.
The camera followed the ball until the frame caught the back of Manchester United's number 7.
"That ball is very close to the byline. It's not easy to deal with," Jim said.
"Mahrez's right foot still needs a bit of polish," Peter added.
Ling quickly glanced back.
In an instant, he memorized several key points: the flight path of the ball, the running routes of his teammates, and the gap forming near the penalty spot.
Suddenly, he remembered watching Ronaldinho's highlight reels.
Three-dimensional thinking.
'Broaden your field of vision, and you discover a new world.'
The ball arrived along the trajectory in his mind.
Scott McTominay was also about to reach the gap in the penalty area.
Ling planted his left foot firmly into the turf and leaned his entire body backward.
A bicycle kick that defied the textbook!
The fans in the stadium were confused.
Could a bicycle kick from that angle actually score?
Then came a crisp sound.
A rainbow seemed to appear inside Chelsea's penalty area.
The ball arced perfectly into the gap, and Scott McTominay met it with a powerful right-footed strike!
2–0.
Only then did the Spidercam aerial system fully capture the beauty of the move.
"A pass that even deceived the cameras!" Peter Drury cried.
"That is pure imagination from Jeremy Ling — not a shot, but a bicycle-kick pass into the exact space McTominay was attacking!"
Jim Beglin could only admire it. "In a crowded penalty area, he finds the gap instantly and delivers the ball there in the most unexpected way possible. I don't even know how many players in the world would think of that, never mind execute it."
"Ling continues where he left off last season," Peter added. "No, perhaps he looks even hotter now."
"And credit to Scott McTominay too," Jim said. "That finish was excellent."
Manchester United fans inside the stadium erupted in enthusiastic applause.
Honestly, they had never imagined a pass like that from Jeremy Ling.
How could someone even attempt a bicycle kick in that situation and turn it into an assist?
After scoring, Scott McTominay gave him a big hug.
"I knew you'd get the ball to me," Scott said excitedly. "Do you think I could win the Golden Boot in the future?"
Ling gave him a sidelong glance.
"What do you think?"
"Haha, I'll wait until you retire," Scott said awkwardly.
Mahrez chimed in nearby. "You think you can wait for Ling to retire? Maybe when your son is playing, his captain will still be Ling."
Scott fell silent.
But after thinking about it, it did not seem impossible.
The football world was getting younger and younger.
If he had a child this year, then sixteen years later...
Shortly after the match resumed, the referee blew the whistle for halftime.
Mourinho did not say much in the dressing room, only briefly reviewing the first half.
This Chelsea side lacked both tactical maturity and enough high-quality players.
They were no longer on the same level as Manchester United.
Perhaps they needed a few more years in the shadows before they could rise again.
The second half was not particularly thrilling.
Manchester United began experimenting with different tactical ideas, focusing on rotational movement in the attacking third.
Bruno Fernandes' off-the-ball runs complemented Ling's powerful dribbling very well.
To be honest, the combination was strong.
In the 65th minute, Manchester United brought on Grealish.
The three of them quickly developed excellent chemistry.
Bruno Fernandes drew defenders away with his movement, while Grealish arrived with what felt like a built-in taunting buff.
That allowed Ling to charge forward without any worries.
"Antonio, get ready to come on," Lampard urged.
"Boss, I injured my groin last month and just felt a bit of discomfort," Rüdiger replied.
He had no desire to go on and become another backdrop.
What else could Lampard say?
In the end, amid Lampard's sighs, Manchester United thrashed Chelsea 4–0 and successfully defended their UEFA Super Cup title!
📰 Sky Sports: Manchester United Thrash Chelsea 4–0 to Retain UEFA Super Cup
📰 BBC Sport: Ling Free Kick and Bicycle-Kick Assist Inspire United in Baku
📰 The Athletic: Bruno, McTominay and Ling Show Early Signs of New United Attacking Structure
📰 Manchester Evening News: Mourinho's Red Devils Begin Season With Another European Trophy
📰 Daily Mail: Lampard's Chelsea Outclassed as United's No.7 Runs Riot Again
📱 @UnitedStand ✔
Ling just turned a bicycle kick into an assist! A normal player tries to score from there. He looked around and chose violence against common sense.
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: McTominay Golden Boot campaign starts today. I will not be taking questions!
📱 @TacticalTim ✔
The Bruno-Ling-McTominay pattern is interesting. Bruno runs, Ling manipulates the defensive line, Scott attacks the second wave. Mourinho may have found something.
📱 @ChelseaBlueTalk
Lampard needs time, but that was painful. United looked like a finished machine. We looked like a team still reading the manual.
📱 @NeutralUCLWatch
Community Shield loss? Forgotten. United just lifted another European trophy and Ling looks even sharper than last season.
📱 @MadridCentral ✔
Every time Ling scores another ridiculous goal, that rejected 250 million offer looks less embarrassing for Madrid and more embarrassing for United's accountants.
...
"Congratulations to Manchester United for winning the 2019 UEFA Super Cup!"
"Compared to last season's struggle against Atlético Madrid, Manchester United won very comfortably today, even keeping a clean sheet against Europa League champions Chelsea."
"From this match, it's clear that there is still a significant gap between Mourinho and his former student Lampard, especially in terms of substitutions and mid-to-late-game adjustments."
"Nevertheless, we wish Chelsea a swift return to their former glory."
The camera returned to the green pitch.
Rüdiger, who had apparently suffered a "severe" groin injury, trotted over to Ling as if nothing had happened, leaving Lampard staring in confusion and disbelief from the sidelines.
"Ling, can I swap jerseys with you?"
Rüdiger put on a pained expression.
After all, Chelsea had lost the match.
If he smiled too brightly now, he would undoubtedly be attacked by fans online.
And Germans had always been good at protecting themselves from a young age.
"Of course, no problem. It's a shame you didn't get to play."
Ling took Rüdiger's clean jersey and added, "But the Premier League schedule is already out, and we'll meet again in the very first round."
Hearing this, Rüdiger's pained expression became even more genuine.
"You know, groin injuries can take a long time to recover from. I might not be able to play in the next match."
Of course, he was joking.
The UEFA Super Cup was not the most prestigious competition, and with his existing injury, he had been able to decline Lampard's request without taking too much criticism.
But the Premier League was different.
If he did not want to damage his reputation like Kepa, he had better take every league match seriously.
"Hey, Ling, I have a question."
Rüdiger's eyes darted around as he lowered his voice and covered his mouth.
"Thiago is already 35 this year and probably doesn't have many years left. Do you have a backup centre-back in mind?"
"There probably is, but that's up to the coach and the transfer manager." Ling gave an ambiguous answer.
Rüdiger nodded with a knowing smile.
As long as there was one.
His mindset was different from Christensen's.
Christensen believed that if he could not beat Ling, he should keep his distance.
Rüdiger believed that if he could not beat Ling, he should find a way to join him!
By building a good relationship with Ling now, he might be able to pave the way for the future.
Rüdiger happily began daydreaming about what lay ahead.
...
Half an hour later.
Bang, bang, bang!
Red fireworks soared into the sky, bursting and blooming above the stadium.
On the simple podium, Ling raised the championship trophy high, drawing thunderous cheers from the Manchester United fans.
The team also captured a photo that would be etched into the history of this era.
📰 Sky Sports: Manchester United Retain UEFA Super Cup After Comfortable Win Over Chelsea
📰 BBC Sport: Ling Inspires United Again as Mourinho Beats Lampard in Baku
📰 Manchester Evening News: Another Trophy for the Red Devils as Seven-Title Winners Start New Season Strong
📰 The Athletic: Bruno, McTominay and Ling Offer Mourinho a New Attacking Blueprint
📰 Daily Mail: Lampard Outclassed by His Old Master as Chelsea Fall 4–0
📱 @UnitedStand ✔
Community Shield? Forgotten. United have another European trophy and Ling already looks like he's playing with cheat codes again!
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: Bro turned a bicycle kick into an assist and people still want to discuss preseason rhythm.
📱 @ChelseaBlueTalk
Lampard needs time, but that was painful. Mourinho looked like he was teaching a class and Chelsea forgot to bring a notebook.
📱 @TacticalTim ✔
United's new structure is interesting. Bruno's movement opens lanes, McTominay attacks the box, and Ling connects everything while still being the main finisher. Mourinho may have found a post-Pogba solution.
📱 @NeutralUCLWatch
The scariest part is that United don't even look fully settled yet. Havertz, Grealish, Bruno, Thiago — this team still has room to grow.
...
Post-match press conference.
"Mr. Mourinho, regarding Manchester United's goals for this season, what would you like to say?"
A reporter asked.
"Even though I'm 59 years old, my hunger for trophies hasn't diminished compared to when I was younger."
Mourinho smiled. "So Manchester United's goal this season remains to win championships, and the UEFA Super Cup is a great start."
A true dynasty was not built overnight. It required at least five years of dominance.
Where did Manchester United stand now?
"Both Manchester City and Liverpool have strengthened their squads, and other clubs have also invested heavily. People say they want to stop Manchester United from winning three consecutive league titles. What are your thoughts on that?"
A reporter from The Sun pressed further.
"It might sound arrogant, but Manchester United have the best players and the best manager, so we deserve to be the best club."
Mourinho seemed to have regained his former arrogance. "As for those waiting for us to fall, they can put the champagne back in the fridge. It won't be too late to open it when someone actually stops us."
The journalists below scribbled furiously.
Look at how well he spoke.
No wonder he always attracted attention!
"Ling, will England duty affect Manchester United's performance? After all, international matches still add travel, minutes, pressure, and injury risk during a long club season."
Soon, the journalists shifted their focus to Jeremy Ling.
"There will definitely be an impact. I won't deny that."
Ling said seriously, "But I think I'm a special one. I have the ability to reduce those negative effects as much as possible."
Looking at the spirited young man on the stage, the journalists suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu, as if they were seeing the arrogant man who had dominated the Premier League 15 years earlier.
"Regarding this year's Ballon d'Or, Messi won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup, scoring 54 goals and contributing 23 assists in total. Do you think he poses a threat to you?"
A reporter from The Guardian raised his hand.
"If seven trophies equal two trophies, then I suppose he could pose a threat."
Ling answered half-jokingly and half-seriously.
The press room immediately stirred.
📰 The Guardian: Ling on Ballon d'Or Race: "If Seven Trophies Equal Two, Then Messi Is a Threat"
📰 Marca: Ling Fires Back in Ballon d'Or Debate
📰 AS: United Star Shows No Fear of Messi Challenge
📰 Manchester Evening News: Mourinho and Ling Bring Back Old Trafford Arrogance After Super Cup Win!
📱 @BallonDorWatch ✔
Ling really said "if seven trophies equal two trophies" with a straight face. This Ballon d'Or race is going to be toxic.
| ↳ 📱 @MadridCentral ✔
| Reply: That quote is going to live on Spanish television for a week.
📱 @UnitedStand ✔
Mourinho calling himself the best manager and Ling calling himself special in the same press conference. We are so back!
📱 @MessiFC10
Seven trophies or not, Messi had 54 goals and 23 assists. Don't act like this is already over!
| ↳ 📱 @StretfordEndTom
| Reply: It's over. We're just waiting for the ceremony lmao!