Three days later, Morgan aired Roy Keane's interview on his show, a 40-minute segment that thoroughly exposed the dressing room conflicts at Manchester United.
Erik ten Hag was surrounded by media, with cameras and microphones set up outside Manchester United's training ground. Every reporter wanted to find a hint of discord within Manchester United to capitalize on the trending topic.
“Manchester United’s dressing room is in chaos, factional struggles are severe, Erik ten Hag is powerless to resolve them, plunging the team into crisis.”
“Gao Nuo reportedly at odds with Abraham, serious conflict among Manchester United forwards.”
“Manchester United legend Roy Keane claims: Gao Nuo has peaked, with no further room for improvement.”
“Manchester United’s dressing room lacks fighting spirit, players are selfish.”
“A change of manager at Manchester United is inevitable, player discipline under Erik ten Hag is worrying.”
Manchester United never lacked topics; the media could easily write dozens of reports, even if they weren't entirely true.
More importantly, Morgan angered Chinese fans. Below the video shared by Football Weekly, various trolls gathered, showcasing their skills.
National Football Team is Hard to Black: “Damn Keane, if you have the guts, come to China and see if a spit from each person can drown you.”
BrunoF: “One Sancho ruined the whole pot. What kind of play is that? If I were Big B Bro, I would have just gone for him. This caused Manchester United a lot of trouble, and Gao Nuo suffered along with them.”
Can't Watch for a Minute: “Look at my name. Roy Keane is spouting nonsense. In these two seasons, could Manchester United have won championships without Gao Nuo? Ungrateful bastards.”
88-Year-Old Fan: “If Manchester United is in discord, so be it. Why drag Gao Nuo into it for no reason? If it's really not working out, Gao Nuo should go to Real Madrid. Manchester United isn't worth it.”
Watched Manchester United Since Childhood: “Don't say that, Manchester United can still be saved. Keane is just a big mouth, no need to pay attention to him.”
Football Baby CC: “What's going on? Gao Nuo Gege has been a substitute so many times this season. My heart aches so much. Manchester United isn't worth it.”
Save My Little Manchester United: “Sister upstairs, don't be impulsive. It's also good for Gao Nuo to rest. He hasn't been injured this season.”
Gao Nuo's Number One Hater: “I'm not pretending anymore, I'm coming clean. Go Gao Nuo, Manchester United isn't worth it, come to Real Madrid.”
Galactic Fleet: “Buddy upstairs, you're a Real Madrid fan, right? Add me as a friend, let's chat about football sometime.”
The influence of Chinese fans might not be high, but their numbers are absolutely undeniable. TikTok was the first to feel it. Although it didn't ignite a super topic, various sports bloggers began to rant, and “Manchester United isn't worth it” trended on the hot search.
It was two days later when Gao Nuo learned of this news from Guo Zihan. He was preparing for the FA Cup quarter-final the next day.
“Boss, do you want to make a public statement?”
“Say what? I don't see the need.”
“You're too laid-back. You have 60 million followers now. Even if you don't like money, you should think about the fans who like you, right?”
“Uh… I really don't know what to say. Besides, the team doesn't allow these things to be discussed externally.”
“Alright then, at the end of the season, you should also do a live stream. Many people have donated to our foundation. Consider it a way to give back to them, okay?”
“That's fine, but you'll have to discuss the content with Qiang Ge.”
“No problem, Boss. Our foundation has already donated to 20 football schools. Next, let's focus on sponsoring young players.”
“Okay, you handle it and just tell me the results.”
“Yes, Boss! May you be well! Your servant takes her leave!”
“Bye… Bye bye!”
Gao Nuo hung up the phone and shivered a few times. He really couldn't stand Guo Zihan's tall figure, yet she always used a cutesy voice when bidding him farewell.
He drank a large glass of water and picked up “The Inverted Pyramid” beside him, beginning to read.
He still hadn't passed Challenge Road level 60. Gao Nuo diligently studied tactical knowledge as required by the system.
In the FA Cup quarter-final, Manchester United drew 1-1 with Newcastle United, advancing to the semi-finals through a penalty shootout.
Abraham, who started, was affected by public opinion, wandering aimlessly throughout the match and repeatedly wasting chances. It was only thanks to Gao Nuo, who came on as a substitute and scored the equalizer in the 82nd minute, that Manchester United ultimately prevailed in the penalty shootout, narrowly escaping.
In the 32nd round of the Premier League, Manchester United defeated Newcastle United 2-1. At Old Trafford, Manchester United once again handed their opponents a defeat.
Gao Nuo, who started, received special attention. Newcastle players received 4 yellow cards for fouls on him, which almost made Erik ten Hag on the sidelines lose his temper. After furiously cursing the referee and receiving a yellow card, he substituted Gao Nuo in the 55th minute to rest.
Fortunately, the team played steadily, with Rashford and Antony each scoring a goal, securing the victory.
“Under Martinino's reign, Newcastle players have forgotten what football should be. Their rough play shocked me, and regulatory bodies should take this issue seriously.”
In the post-match interview, Erik ten Hag fiercely criticized the rough playing style of Newcastle's new coach, Gerardo Martino.
Manchester United went on a 10-game winning streak, returning to 3rd place in the League standings, only 6 points behind leaders Manchester City. In the remaining eight League rounds, Manchester United still had a chance to contend for the championship.
Before they could fully showcase their abilities in the League, Manchester United and their cross-town rivals Manchester City first clashed in the Champions League.
On April 8, 2025, at Manchester City Stadium, the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals saw Manchester United face Manchester City.
In the 2nd minute, De Bruyne's long-range shot was blocked by Rice. Haaland, at the edge of the penalty area, struck a volley directly into the net before the ball even landed, scoring.
Manchester City took a quick 1-0 lead.
In the 52nd minute, Foden received a through ball from Rodri, broke into the box from the wing, and scored with a beautiful low shot that went through Nübel's legs.
Manchester City led Manchester United 2-0.
In the 90th minute, De Bruyne delivered a corner kick. There was chaos in the Manchester United penalty area, and it was Foden again, who cleverly poked the ball into the goal amidst the crowd.
Manchester City led 3-0, and Manchester United's morale completely collapsed.
In this match, Manchester City learned from Newcastle's experience in the previous game and gave Gao Nuo special attention. Even though their actions were much cleaner, Gao Nuo was completely shut down.
This was not the fundamental reason for Gao Nuo's mediocre performance.
Manchester United's midfield was completely out of sorts today. Rice and Casemiro made multiple errors in coordination, and the suspensions of Bruno Fernandes and Antony caused considerable problems for the team's operations.
The match had already entered injury time. Erik ten Hag on the sidelines had a grim expression, a myriad of thoughts flashing through his mind: “Damn the media, Rice and Casemiro must have been affected. Losing to Manchester City by three goals, how can we win back at home? Damn it, are we going to end this season empty-handed?”
All the Manchester United players, including the coach, had already given up, but only Gao Nuo had not conceded defeat.