Harbinger Of Glory

A wave of relief passed through the Manchester United supporters as the referee’s whistle ended the half.

Nobody would have called it relief out loud, not after going ahead first, but the break had arrived at a welcome moment.

Around the stadium, supporters began filtering away from their seats.

Some headed toward the concourses for food and drinks.

Others walked around, stretching their legs after forty-five minutes of being on their feet.

Down in the away dressing room, Leo dropped onto one of the benches and immediately reached for a bottle of water.

He unscrewed it and drank.

Then drank some more.

By the time he lowered it, almost half was gone.

Seeing this, a medical staff member nearby reached over and took it from his hand.

"Easy."

Leo looked at him and then watched the bottle!

"You want to feel your ribs burst when we go back out?" the staff said as Leo glanced down at himself, then gave a tired sigh.

"Fine," he said as the medic shook his head and placed the bottle on the bench beside him.

Leo leaned back and rubbed his face.

Before he could sit back up, the dressing-room door opened, revealing Dawson locked in conversation with Whatmough, and slowly, as it always did, the room began to quiet down, waiting for the manager’s words!

Across the stadium, the Manchester United dressing room was carrying a different mood.

Ten Hag stood in front of his players with his arms folded, while speaking keenly with his assistant!

The players all around watched him talk for a while before he began pulling away!

"Forget the goal," Ten Hag said as he settled right in the space closest to being the centre of the room!

A few players looked up as the manager met their gazes before he began looking around so he didn’t ignore those behind him!

"We made mistakes before that. We gave them too much room between the lines. Reyes and Calderon are finding each other too easily."

Bruno sat forward, elbows resting on his knees as Ten Hag turned towards Scott McTominay!

"I don’t want to signal anyone out but Scott; you keep drifting away from Eriksen. I placed you close to Reyes, who is sort of the right central midfielder, but you keep drifting towards Leo, who is the left central midfielder."

Scott McTominay didn’t take Ten Hag’s words badly and nodded instead before the Coach suggested a change.

"Exactly."

Ten Hag pointed toward the tactics board.

"We cannot chase them everywhere. If we press, we press together. If one goes, the next man goes with him."

His finger moved across the board.

"And Rashford, stay higher when we win it. There is space behind their defence, and I will need you to exploit it. You’ve already squandered that one chance, but I won’t blame you since the keeper was good, but you should be doing better!"

Rashford nodded.

"I’ll get there."

Ten Hag let the silence sit for a moment before he turned toward the substitutes.

"Rapha is coming on."

Varane rose from his seat.

"Rapha, you give us experience, but I will need you down the flanks today instead!"

The Frenchman nodded, eagerly taking his bib off as Ten Hag nodded towards Sergio Reguilón!

"Take a breather," he said before turning to the rest of the team.

"And we need more from everyone. This game is there for us."

The players nodded, conveying their understanding towards the coach before Ten Hag filed out of the room.

By the time the players returned to the pitch, the stadium had begun filling again.

The concourses emptied gradually, supporters carrying drinks and food back toward their seats.

Others returned empty-handed, still discussing the first half and, more specifically, the goal that had left almost everyone struggling to explain what they had seen.

Then a roar rose from one side.

Manchester United emerged first, drawing the attention of the eyes in the stands!

Red shirts bled onto the grass as the players jogged toward their positions and the Wigan players followed soon after, the blue and white of their kit appearing through the tunnel behind them, and the volume rose again.

"Welcome back to Old Trafford now that the halftime break is over," Peter Drury said from the gantry.

"Forty-five minutes have come and gone, another 45 minutes remain to be played."

While he spoke, the broadcast camera swept across the pitch, taking in faces of fans and players alike before the gantry talk filled the broadcast again!

"Can’t wait for the game to start," Carragher laughed quietly beside him.

"I still can’t get Calderon’s goal out of my head."

Drury smiled.

"So are several thousand people inside this stadium."

In the stadium, the public-address announcer’s voice soon came over the speakers.

There was a change to the Manchester United side.

Number fifteen, Sergio Reguilón, was coming off and Raphaël Varane was coming on.

The reaction was immediate as the attention of the supporters shifted toward the Frenchman right as he stepped onto the pitch.

Applause rolled around the stadium for him, and it wasn’t unwarranted!

A Champions League winner. A World Cup winner. A defender who had never shied from a big night as what that night was currently building up to be!

Leo looked across as Varane settled into position, and a second later, he nudged Ezra, who was jogging beside him.

"Got some proper opposition now."

Ezra followed his gaze and then looked back at Leo!

"Think he can keep up?"

Leo shrugged!

"We’ll see."

And then, he started jogging away, then pointed toward Reyes.

"Tell him to stay there when you go by him!"

Ezra nodded as Leo made another gesture toward the middle of the pitch, indicating where he wanted Reyes to move.

Then he turned and continued toward his position.

Ezra watched him for another second before looking back at Varane.

On the touchline, Ten Hag was watching the same thing.

But as his eyes followed Varane into position, he shook his head once.

"This won’t be enough."

An assistant turned toward him as Ten Hag looked toward the bench.

"Martial."

At the mention of his name, the Frenchman looked up, but Ten Hag was already on to the next person!

"And Kobbie."

Mainoo immediately rose, with Martial mirroring his movements as the manager alternated his gaze between the two!

"Warm up," he said, and immediately, both players nodded and moved toward the touchline.

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