Chapter 22- Let's advance together...

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The locker room was full of excitement and bustling around, the manager was all-round happy with our performance, and we were confident that we could bag a few more goals, Ten Hag commented on my initiative to tell off the fans and said it was a very mature thing to do...

We drank energy drinks with high electrolytes and ate bananas and apples waiting for the fifteen-minute break to be over, to return to the action. Eventually, the assistant coach said, "It's show time boys!"

We ran into the tunnel where we waited for the referee's notice before running out onto the field and taking our positions, this time we would be kicking off, and Rasmus waited at the center ready to pass. 

The whistle blew and I found the ball rolling to my feet, Soucek seemed to accelerate forward in a bid to intercept the pass early on, but I spun rouletting past him and passing the ball back to Dalot who in turn passed it to Varane who saw an opening on the left flank, but it was too soon, so he passed the ball to Shaw first, on the left flank where Shaw lobbed the ball over the head of Kurt Zouma who had been keeping tight guard of Rashford, seeing this Marcus accelerated onto the ball passed it to me and cut in across the center, he wanted a goal and I was happy to oblige, I waded out on to the left flank where Rashford should've been and crossed the ball...

It spun, curling in then out, over the head of Coufal and right above Rashford's left foot, and the ball was smashed into the net by a superb volley, Rashford being the chill guy he is followed my example and walked back to our half. 

<Man Utd-3:0-West Ham>

With twenty minutes left on the clock, West Ham was on possession and they seemed to have reverted to a form of tiki-taka, where the ball was constantly being passed around, to make the opponent run for the ball and tire them out, we decided to not fall for that trap and slow down and try to intercept, but the tiki-taka was a cover for something else.

None of us realized that the defenders and midfielders were the only ones taking part in this Tiki-taka exploit of West Ham, and we realized too late that Danny Ings was already making the run, past Varane and Martinez, Paqueta lobbed the ball after receiving a pass from Soucek, and the lob found Ings in the penalty box...

The ball makes a soft thud as it hits the ground in front of Ings...

The SMASH as an experienced boot strikes the ball...

WOOSH! as the ball flies into the net.

West Ham players were kind enough not to celebrate and a mutual understanding was made between the two teams there and then, this was what I loved about football...

Passion, respect, strength, endurance, and humility. These are the core values every footballer should have, my parents instilled me with these since childhood, and my brother too, however, some people just weren't taught properly, i.e. those United fans!

<Man Utd-3:1-West Ham>

I stayed in position as the ball rolled off the center once more and examined my options, a straight run down the middle would mean dealing with Paqueta, Soucek, Zouma, and Coufal. Troublesome and we only have 5 minutes left to bag a goal...

The flanks were less crowded but it would be selfish to deprive our wingers of an actual job, so either pass out to the flanks or make the near-impossible run. 

The ball finally reached my feet and I chose, not thinking too much about it, I ran forward, to the shock of my teammates, I only ever made my runs, if there was a clear option, space was open or I needed to defend, but today it was time for a solo-goal. 

Paqueta seemed to think my run was futile and rushed up to me, the Brazilian was soon to discover that I don't fuck around, I megged him and accelerated forward, but was blocked by a double man shield of Soucek and James Ward-Prowse, simply to evade, but it would mean losing the ball for a second, I passed to Rasmus who ran past them and passed into the space behind the two midfielders, I exploited the break in their tactics and ran past them, stealing the ball, Kudus made a run in from the flanks to try and block me off with a tackle...

But at the last second, I pulled the ball back and spun around his tackle, making the poor player look like a fool as he got skilled up, Zouma and Coufal were all over me, if I tried to go one way, Coufal was there, if I try the other way, Zouma was there. 

We can't go over it, we can't go under it, we've got to go through it!

I rainbow-flicked the ball into the air and time seemed to stand still, the stands were frozen with shock, their cups of beer accidentally dropping from their hands as they stood to watch what happens next. I saw everything, from the individual swat droplets on my opponent's head to the lines on the football as it flew through the air. 

I streamlined my body and barged through them both, one minute on the clock...

The ball began to drop towards my feet...

I smashed it into the net and for the first time in my life I witnessed the net break as the ball cascaded into it and it flew out into the stands. The goal still counts as it has crossed the goal line. As I walked back to the locker room, following the whistle blowing I heard shouts from West Ham fans...

"You fucking cunt!" "Don't play for England you mixed-up bitch!"

After all that I had done for their stupid ass team, I ran back to the West Ham stand, much to the protest of Ten Hag, Casi, and my other teammates, I climbed up on the advertisement boards again, but this time there was no lecture, I stood put up my hands, once to my ear, then I put four fingers up and then changed it to one, showing how badly we beat them. 

I put the middle finger up as Ieft and despite the game being over the referee came over to me and showed yellow a yellow card, "What the fuck is the point of that now eh?!" 

I took off my boots as I always did and handed them to one of the many young United fans in the stadium before walking into the locker room, trying to forget my anger. I sighed realizing there is no pint getting pissed, we won the game, end of the story, I was wrong about saying the fans made us, they could never make us.