Having secured their first title of the season, Manchester United Football Club was immersed in joy.
Erik ten Hag praised Gao Nuo in a post-match interview: "Without a doubt, Gao Nuo was the key player in this match. If his first goal was luck, then the pass he delivered to Neymar was simply incredible. Do you know what kind of body coordination a 192cm tall man needs to make such a move? In my opinion, it's like a miracle."
"As for the upcoming matches, I just want to say that Manchester United's goal is always to win titles. Look at our squad; every position is very competitive. I believe that as long as we stay healthy, we will definitely win another title this season."
The team seemed to be continuing the good momentum from last season, coupled with Erik ten Hag's season expectations, which excited Manchester United fans. They were full of anticipation for the team's performance in the new season.
In the current Manchester United squad, Sancho, who returned in July, was very frustrated. After being loaned to Borussia Dortmund last season, Sancho, back in the Bundesliga, still found himself lost on the field.
His performance of 3 goals and 5 assists in 28 appearances for Borussia Dortmund was too mediocre, which caused Manchester United's plan to sell him to fall through. No team was willing to offer Sancho a contract, as few clubs could afford a rotational player with a weekly salary of 320,000 euros, and they could have better options.
Sancho, who had fallen from grace, was in a difficult situation. In Erik ten Hag's squad plans, Rashford was undoubtedly the starter at left-wing, and the rapidly developing Garnacho had already taken precedence over Sancho, securing stable playing opportunities.
At right-wing, Neymar's position was equally unshakeable, and substitutes Antony and Alex Saelemaekers also performed well.
Sancho could not accept being merely a substitute player for the team. After several intense conversations with Erik ten Hag, Sancho publicly expressed his desire to leave before Manchester United's first Premier League match began. This greatly angered Erik ten Hag, who punished Sancho by demoting him to the youth team.
Unexpectedly, this stirred up a hornet's nest, and a significant conflict erupted in the Manchester United dressing room.
Sancho first had a fierce argument with Erik ten Hag in the office, then returned to the dressing room, packed his belongings, and before leaving, picked up a water bottle from the table and smashed it against the Manchester United emblem on the wall.
This action made Bruno Fernandes, as captain, furious. He reached out and grabbed Sancho, angrily questioning, "What are you doing? Can you show some professionalism?"
Sancho violently shook off Bruno's hand and retorted fiercely, "Professionalism? Ever since Erik ten Hag became manager, do I still have a place in this team? First, that yellow-skinned kid, whose skills were so bad, could start at right-wing, and now it's Garnacho. Do two rookies have to be ranked above me?"
Bruno became even angrier, grabbing Sancho by the collar: "Listen, you know your own form. Don't act like an overgrown child. They are your teammates, and you shouldn't say such things!"
Sancho was on the verge of exploding, shouting, "What teammates? Does anyone at Manchester United consider me a teammate? For the past two years, all I've faced is criticism, and what have you all done? Harry Maguire is gone, and you Portuguese-speaking players are running Manchester United. That yellow-skinned kid is spoiled rotten by you, and Neymar, why does he have a say in the dressing room as soon as he arrives?"
Rashford and Luke Shaw had just pulled Bruno apart when Casemiro was also shocked by Sancho's words. He widened his eyes and said somewhat helplessly, "Kid, calm down. You need to respect everyone here. You're losing your mind; don't say anything more."
Casemiro's 勸阻 had no effect. Sancho turned his attention and continued to blast him: "Don't pretend to be a good person. Rice should be vice-captain more than you. You Portuguese-speaking players only know how to feed the ball to your own people. Look at Rashford's stats; the Manchester United core doesn't even have as many goals as a Chinese kid!"
The atmosphere instantly became awkward. Sancho's words were like a thorn, piercing the hearts of both factions within Manchester United. Luke Shaw and Rashford no longer intervened. De Gea, as the peacemaker, remained silent, while Neymar did not want to get involved in this farce.
Bruno's face turned red with anger: "Shut up, kid! I don't know what's wrong with you, but what you're saying is like crap. We won the League title last season without you, and you, you played like garbage back in the Bundesliga. What right do you have to speak?"
Sancho was hit where it hurt, and his words became even more unpleasant: "You remember, this is England, and I am the English prodigy. One day I will return here and kick the balls off you outsiders!"
Seeing Bruno about to charge again, Casemiro wrapped his arms around his waist, and Luke Shaw spoke up, "Enough, let him go. Nothing he says matters."
After Sancho left, the dressing room was eerily quiet. The few people affected by the incident did not speak, and most of the others had only joined last year, so there was no need for them to add to the chaos at this moment.
Gao Nuo left in a hurry after training without showering. He was eager to train with Wang Xiaochuan. Fortunately, he missed such a farce; otherwise, with his hot-blooded personality, the conflict might have turned into a bloody incident.
With such a serious dressing room incident, the management could not stand idly by. Sancho's subsequent training strike completely severed his future with the team. Under pressure, Manchester United could only offload Sancho, and ultimately, Borussia Dortmund brought Sancho back to the Bundesliga for only 35 million euros.
That wasn't all. Manchester United Football Club's owner bypassed Erik ten Hag and directly instructed the management to buy Tammy Abraham for 80 million euros. This greatly displeased Erik ten Hag. In his plan, Gao Nuo was a better choice, and he only needed to bring in some rotational players.
Last season, Erik ten Hag had little influence, and with the new owner just taking over, there was a need to appease the fans, so those few deals made everyone happy. But this season, as a newly crowned champion coach, Erik ten Hag hoped to make signings according to his own wishes, but the team's actions made him feel disrespected.
What was even more egregious was that the management interfered with Erik ten Hag's squad planning. To prove the owner's vision, they forcibly demanded that Abraham be given ample playing time.
The dressing room had just erupted in conflict, and now he was undercut by the management. Erik ten Hag's mood was understandable. Giving up the most suitable Gao Nuo and using Abraham sounded like a not-so-smart decision.
Under pressure, Erik ten Hag could only try to balance their playing time, which caused Manchester United to struggle in the upcoming matches.