Back in Manchester, at the Manchester United training ground, Gao Nuo was recently fed up with the conflicts among his teammates.
Having just won the championship, the next thing to consider should be how to defend the title, but he really couldn't understand why team status was more important than the championship trophy.
Not wanting to cause trouble doesn't mean trouble won't find you.
Gao Nuo had just completed a dribble and shot; it was only training, so Gao Nuo was a bit casual, and the ball went wide of the goal.
"Oh, isn't this our top scorer? That footwork doesn't look so good!" a mocking voice came.
Gao Nuo looked back at Abraham, not wanting to pay attention to this troublemaker.
Who would have thought, this big black guy thought Gao Nuo was easy to bully, and continued to say sarcastically, "What's wrong, yellow-skinned kid? I heard you lost both World Cup qualifiers? Do you know? Your good days are over, I will take your place."
Abraham's voice was not loud, but Neymar, who was nearby, still heard it.
Having been with Gao Nuo for a year, Neymar liked this Chinese kid very much.
Hearing that Abraham was trying to cause trouble, he put his arm around Abraham's shoulder and whispered, "You'd best keep a low profile, Gao is much stronger than you.
If you're not convinced, try my fist first."
After Neymar issued the warning, without waiting for Abraham to speak, he pushed him aside forcefully, then jogged over to Gao Nuo's side: "Kid, don't take it to heart, competition within the team is normal."
Gao Nuo smiled and said, "I don't care about these things, but I'm a bit fed up with the team's current atmosphere."
Neymar had played football for so many years and experienced too many ups and downs.
He saw Gao Nuo's confusion and took the initiative to say, "At your age, playing football is still very pure.
They are different; it looks like they are fighting for the right to speak, but in reality, isn't it all for a big contract?
Look at Marcus, his current weekly salary is only 250,000 euros, and he is already 27 years old.
This year is his last long contract, how can he not seize the opportunity?"
Neymar's words enlightened Gao Nuo; not everyone is unconcerned about their future.
September 14, 2024, Manchester United 0:2 Leicester.
Gao Nuo, who had just returned, rested and watched the team suffer a defeat from the bench.
Three consecutive matches without a win caused Manchester United to drop to 9th place in the standings.
The Premier League defending champions' poor performance drew heavy criticism from the media, and Erik ten Hag's job security became the new hot topic for Manchester United.
Manchester United press conference.
Daily Report: "May I ask what is the reason for Manchester United's poor performance since the start of the season?"
Erik ten Hag: "Manchester United has been undergoing a rebuilding process since last season, and obviously our work is not yet complete.
As you can see, in the past two years, there have been significant changes in the team's lineup, and the players need new adjustments, so fluctuations in team performance are normal."
Three Days Two Reports: "Did Sancho's departure contribute to Manchester United's current situation?"
Erik ten Hag: "No, a team will not fall into a quagmire because of anyone's departure, not even strong players like Cristiano Ronaldo or Messi.
Football is a sport of 11 people, and besides, we won the championship last year."
Truth-Seeking Report: "According to our observations, Manchester United players' on-field coordination is not as good as last season.
May I ask what happened?"
Erik ten Hag: "I don't think so.
As I said before, we are always in the process of rebuilding.
Being the defending champions has put some pressure on the players, and we will make adjustments to get the team back on track."
Football Weekly: "May I ask what Abraham's introduction has brought to the team? Has Gao Nuo's position as the team's top scorer been affected?"
Erik ten Hag: "Manchester United has to fight on multiple fronts every season, and we lack depth in the forward position.
Abraham's arrival has alleviated this problem.
Don't worry, Gao is irreplaceable in my lineup, and allocating playing time is not a difficult task."
A single press conference racked Erik ten Hag's brains.
Although his statements were impeccable, the actual situation was not optimistic.
Current Manchester United is like being cut in half.
On the left, Luke Shaw, Rice, and Rashford, the England trio, cooperate with each other.
On the right, Vanderson, Casemiro, and Neymar, the Brazil trio, also have excellent chemistry.
Each flank alone is very powerful, but when put together, they seem a bit out of place.
Rashford, due to his contract year, has a strong attacking desire on the field and is no longer as calm as before, often choosing to shoot himself.
Bruno Fernandes was dissatisfied with his performance and often transferred the ball to the right flank.
Abraham tended to cooperate with the left flank when he was on the field, while Gao Nuo had better chemistry with the right flank.
September 17, 2024, Manchester United began their Champions League journey for the new season.
The Champions League underwent reforms, with the number of participating teams in the main competition expanding from 32 to 36.
The 6 group stage matches were canceled, forming a League format.
The 36 teams were divided into four tiers, with each team playing two different teams from each tier, for a total of eight opponents, with four home and four away matches.
After 8 League rounds, the top eight teams directly entered the Round of 16, while teams ranked 9th to 24th would compete for the remaining 8 spots in the Round of 16 through a two-legged playoff.
After the Champions League reform, each team will play home and away League matches against 8 different opponents, with no repetition of opponents, which undoubtedly increased freshness and unpredictability, greatly enhancing watchability.
Manchester United's first Champions League opponent was Leipzig from the Bundesliga.
The rest in the Premier League allowed Gao Nuo to naturally appear in the starting lineup.
The biggest advantage of having the system was the daily virtual match, which allowed Gao Nuo to always maintain his best condition.
At the Leipzig Red Bull Arena, the first half saw both sides drawing a blank.
During halftime, Abraham's playful smile made Gao Nuo angry, and so, in the second half, Leipzig became his outlet for frustration.
In the 49th minute of the match, Gao Nuo and Casemiro performed their signature move.
After intercepting an opponent's pass outside the box, Casemiro advanced forward and, seeing Gao Nuo make a run, sent a long pass into the opponent's half.
Gao Nuo vented his unhappiness with his feet, bursting from the center circle, continuously surpassing two defenders, his speed so fast that his opponents couldn't even touch his jersey.
Dribbling to the edge of the penalty area, he was one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Without any feints, Gao Nuo chose to shoot with power.
Although the shooting angle was quite central, the power was too great, and the ball speed was extremely fast, the goalkeeper's instinctive 揮手 only hit air.
Goal! Manchester United led 1:0.
Leipzig, trailing, attacked desperately, creating considerable trouble for Manchester United.
Fortunately, Nübel performed brilliantly, making high saves and blocks to keep the goal safe.
In the 86th minute of the match, Manchester United took a corner kick.
Gao Nuo, at the first touch point, out-jumped two opponents and headed the ball across.
Neymar, at the far post, had a flash of inspiration, leaping near the post and scoring with an overhead kick.
By scoring a spectacular overhead kick, Neymar once again proved that he was still in top form.
Manchester United 2:0 Leipzig, securing their first Champions League victory, significantly easing Erik ten Hag's pressure.