A victory temporarily stabilized Manchester United, and Erik ten Hag, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, was once again summoned by the management.
"Mr. Erik ten Hag, we are very disappointed with Abraham's performance. Can you give us an explanation?"
"He still needs time to adapt to the intensity of the game, and there are also problems with his integration with his teammates. This result is to be expected."
"You should know that this is not our job. The problem is yours to solve. We only want results."
"What results?"
"Of course, Abraham starting. As Manchester United, we need to cultivate our own players, not rely on outsiders."
"That's impossible. From any comparison, Gao Nuo should start more. Didn't the boss focus on Gao Nuo last year? Now, the Premier League Golden Boot is arranged as a substitute. Does the boss know?"
"This is also the boss's intention. There are some things you don't understand. Please do your job."
"I will talk to the boss. Before that, I cannot give you any promises."
Ending the unpleasant conversation, Erik ten Hag returned to his office and called the boss.
"Hello, Erik ten Hag. Can't Arnold solve your problem?"
"Yes, boss. Arnold and I have a disagreement on Abraham's issue. He can't convince me."
"Oh? Tell me about it."
"It's like this, Arnold demands Abraham to start, but Gao Nuo is clearly a better choice. Moreover, Abraham is not well-behaved in the locker room; he has already caused me trouble."
"Sorry, Arnold requested to raise Abraham's team status, and I have agreed. The Chinese market is also what I need. Balance their playing time. I have other things to do, so let's do it this way."
Listening to the busy tone on the phone, Erik ten Hag was extremely frustrated, pushing all the documents on the desk to the floor, and the coffee cup also fell, shattering into pieces.
Hearing the noise from the head coach's office, the staff outside were not surprised. These days, the head coach often loses his temper, and everyone has become accustomed to it.
After struggling without success, Erik ten Hag, after careful consideration, set the Champions League as the main strategic goal, confirming Gao Nuo's starting position. As for the English League Cup and FA Cup, Abraham would play, and the Premier League would only arrange starters according to the schedule.
Just like that, time flew by, and half a season passed.
Manchester United had 10 wins, 5 draws, and 7 losses in the Premier League, accumulating 35 points, ranking 7th in the standings, 13 points behind leaders Arsenal and 9 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
In the Champions League, after 6 rounds, Manchester United had 4 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss, temporarily ranking 5th.
They consecutively defeated Arsenal and Liverpool in the English League Cup to advance to the semifinals.
Gao Nuo played 27 times for Manchester United, scoring 12 goals in the League and 5 goals in the Champions League.
Abraham, who was competing with him, played 23 times, scoring 7 goals in the League and 5 goals in the English League Cup.
Rashford performed outstandingly in his contract year, playing 30 times, scoring 12 goals and providing 10 assists.
Neymar, still sharp, played 24 times, scoring 8 goals and providing 12 assists.
Excellent statistics could not hide Manchester United's poor performance. Halfway through the season, the defending champions were only ranked 7th in the standings.
Even though Liverpool's aging squad problem was becoming increasingly serious, under Klopp's leadership, they still ranked 2nd.
Manchester City's defense frequently suffered injuries, but Haaland, with his brave performance of 24 goals in 20 League matches, pushed the team to 3rd place in the League.
The winter transfer window opened, and it was again a time of rampant rumors. Underperforming Manchester United naturally became the target of criticism.
Rashford's future at Manchester United is uncertain, with only 6 months left on his contract and the team not having made an offer.
Rashford is dissatisfied with the new contract offered by Manchester United and is preparing to test the transfer market.
Experts say: Rashford leaving on a free transfer will be Manchester United's biggest loss.
Gao Nuo is rumored to be dissatisfied with his playing time and will leave Manchester United in the winter window.
Real Madrid has made an offer to Manchester United, bidding 70 million euros for Gao Nuo.
Paris Saint-Germain plans to sign Bruno Fernandes in the winter window.
Pau Torres's poor performance, Manchester United plans to buy Araujo from Barcelona.
The transfer rumors were not all false. Rashford's agent had already started contacting multiple teams to put pressure on Manchester United.
Real Madrid was indeed persistent, or rather Carlo Ancelotti was persistent, once again contacting Li Qiang and offering Gao Nuo a weekly salary of 225,000 euros.
This time, Gao Nuo hesitated. The subtle atmosphere in the locker room, the team's poor performance, and his reduced playing time made him struggle internally.
The agitated Gao Nuo temporarily set aside his dilemma and entered the system space.
"System, it's been a long time since there was a new mission."
"host, you're really patient. It's almost 2025, and you just remembered to ask me?"
"Didn't you say missions are issued according to my abilities? I've been waiting!"
"Alright, the host's mission rewards have been claimed in advance, so there are no new missions for now. Please improve your strength as soon as possible."
"Challenge Road? Alas, I've been stuck at level 60 for a month. I feel like I'm treading water."
"host, please increase your tactical knowledge. In the Challenge Road, don't blindly rely on the virtual coach."
"You have the nerve to say that! Since the first level gave me Mourinho, I haven't seen anyone else. Is there anyone as bad as you?"
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"This probability is random, and I can't change it. In the language of this planet, you are an African chief!"
"Forget it, Mourinho is enough. Why do I feel like Messi is getting weaker and weaker?"
"Your virtual teammates' abilities are updated. Messi is declining, but Gavi has grown into a purple card."
"Damn it, you're going a bit too far! I only have this one treasure, and you're still updating it. I..."
"host, instead of wasting time here, why don't you go do something?"
"You..."
Being snubbed by the system made Gao Nuo even more agitated. At 3 AM, he ran to Wang Xiaochuan's house.
Knocking on the door, Gao Nuo looked at the sleepy Wang Xiaochuan and said, "Chuan Ge, don't sleep. There's no game tomorrow."
Wang Xiaochuan knew he was in a bad mood, so he went to the bathroom to wash his face, then sat on the sofa, ready to listen to Gao Nuo's complaints. "Tell me, who bothered you this time?"
"No one, I'm just agitated and can't sleep. This season has been too difficult."
"You kid, you don't know how good you have it. Look at me, after half a season, I've barely managed to get on the bench. Do you think I'd be bothered by locker room issues?"
"That's not how it works. Manchester United's locker room drama is endless. Look at how the team is playing. I really don't know what they're thinking."
"Xiao Nuo, if it were you two years ago, would you care about these things?"
Wang Xiaochuan's words silenced Gao Nuo. He had never thought about this question.
Wang Xiaochuan continued, "Just like me now, someone calls me a yellow monkey, and I'm very angry. But I know that without strength, I will be despised. So, every day, I walk the path you took before: training, training, and more training. Other people have nothing to do with me. One day, I will prove myself."
"Chuan Ge, you should sleep. I'm going back."
Watching Gao Nuo leave, Wang Xiaochuan smiled knowingly, ruffled his hair, and went back to sleep.