Chapter Summaries

Dejan Lu recreated Kevin Keegan’s playing style against Newcastle and scored a hat trick within the opening minutes, giving Manchester United a commanding lead. The chapter left Keegan watching Dejan with mixed emotions as Manchester United’s attack overwhelmed his side.

• Dejan Lu told McClair he would play up front, and McClair gave up his place in the starting lineup.
• Dejan Lu imitated one of Kevin Keegan’s signature finishes from a corner routine and put Manchester United ahead against Newcastle.
• Dejan Lu scored again from Beckham’s long counterattacking pass, extending Manchester United’s lead to 2–0.
• Beckham won the ball from Beresford, and Dejan Lu scored a third goal with a sudden shot to complete his hat trick.
• Keegan watched Dejan Lu’s movements and finishing and saw the reflection of his own younger self.

Manchester United overwhelmed Newcastle 5–0, with Dejan Lu scoring four goals and assisting Cantona’s fifth. After the match, Ferguson and Keegan faced the press, while Dejan Lu defended the Newcastle fan who had spent half a year’s savings on whisky to watch the game.

• Dejan Lu volleyed in his fourth goal just before halftime, and Keegan angrily protested the prospect of stoppage time.
• Ferguson praised his players at halftime while the Nevilles joked about Gary’s Toyota Cup MVP car; after the restart, Newcastle showed little urgency.
• Keane launched a counterattack, and Dejan Lu drew defenders before setting up Cantona to score Manchester United’s fifth goal.
• Ferguson substituted Dejan Lu and Cantona, and Manchester United finished with a 5–0 victory over Newcastle.
• Keegan blamed the defeat on the gap in player quality, while Ferguson credited tactics and recalled taking a gamble on signing Dejan Lu.
• Dejan Lu said Newcastle’s players should apologize to their supporters and offered to buy the half-year-savings fan whisky and invite him to a match at the Theatre of Dreams.

After Manchester United celebrated a big win, Dejan Lu encountered Izumi Sakai at home and later learned that the club would film a Pepsi advertisement with the Backstreet Boys. During the shoot, an unidentified Spice Girls member approached him while he slept, and Manchester United then struggled through a difficult run of matches before recovering and preparing for the UEFA Super Cup.

• Steve Bruce treated the Manchester United players to a meal in Chinatown, where Schmeichel discussed having another child and Dejan Lu suggested the name Walter.
• Dejan Lu returned home to find Izumi Sakai visiting, and he later read newspaper stories about Manchester United's win and spoke with Vialli, who was transferring to Chelsea.
• Gary Neville told Dejan Lu that Beardsley and the others had paid for the fans' drinks, then revealed that Manchester United would film a Pepsi advertisement with the Backstreet Boys.
• Dejan Lu, Redondo, Cantona, Beckham, and Schmeichel filmed the advertisement in London, where an unidentified Spice Girls member approached Dejan Lu while he was alone and asleep.
• Manchester United drew against Crystal Palace after further poor results, then beat Villa 4–0 and won its next two matches before preparing for the UEFA Super Cup.

Manchester United overwhelmed Real Zaragoza in the first leg of the UEFA Super Cup as Dejan Lu scored four goals in the opening ten minutes. With the score at 4–0, Ferguson sent Giggs toward the touchline to prepare a substitution.

• Dejan Lu drew a David Villa single-match experience card before Manchester United faced Real Zaragoza in Spain.
• Manchester United pressed Zaragoza from kickoff, and Dejan Lu finished a 22-pass attack to score in the fourth minute.
• Dejan Lu chipped goalkeeper Juanmi from beyond 50 meters to make it 2–0.
• Dejan Lu headed in Irwin's cross to complete a perfect hat trick after eight minutes.
• Dejan Lu scored again from close range to give Manchester United a 4–0 lead, and Ferguson sent Giggs to prepare to come on.

After Manchester United won the Super Cup, Dejan Lu joined the team’s celebrations and prepared for their Champions Cup quarterfinal against Ajax. He started up front in Amsterdam, where Van der Sar saved his early volley and Dejan Lu invited him to join Manchester United.

• Manchester United beat Zaragoza 5–0, and Dejan Lu joined teammates for paella, where Lee Sharpe’s night at a club went badly wrong.
• Manchester United won the Super Cup, then Beckham learned that his German email pen pal, JAN, was probably a man.
• Ferguson took Manchester United to Amsterdam for the Champions Cup quarterfinal and warned the squad not to go out or bring anyone to the hotel.
• Dejan Lu drew an Ibrahimović experience card, chose to play up front, and took McClair’s place in the starting lineup.
• Ajax and Manchester United kicked off, and Van der Sar saved Dejan Lu’s volley before Dejan Lu asked whether he would ever join Manchester United.

Manchester United and Ajax traded goals before Dejan Lu put United ahead with a spectacular long-range strike and a spinning kick. The chapter ended with young Danny Blind tearfully wondering if Dejan Lu was his father.

• Ajax used a new wide-attacking system to cope with Litmanen's absence, and Dejan Lu scored from over forty meters out.
• Kanu equalized for Ajax in the 17th minute after Davids and Kluivert helped create an opening.
• Dejan Lu dropped deeper to exploit Ajax's weak central coverage, and Andy Cole forced Van der Sar into a save.
• Redondo launched a counterattack, and Dejan Lu scored with a spinning kick to restore Manchester United's lead.
• Kluivert decided Manchester United might be his best route to winning the Champions Cup, while young Danny Blind asked his mother if Dejan Lu was his father.

Manchester United routed Ajax 5–1 in Amsterdam as Dejan Lu scored four goals, including two spectacular long-range strikes, leaving the second leg nearly decided. After the victory, Manchester United returned home and later reached the top of the Premier League before preparing for the League Cup final.

• Danny Blind and Edgar Davids discussed man-marking Dejan Lu, but Dejan beat their pressure and scored from more than thirty-five meters to give Manchester United another lead.
• Ajax created danger from a corner, but Schmeichel and Irwin stopped Kanu’s attempts; Redondo then launched a long pass that began a Manchester United counterattack.
• Dejan Lu dribbled past Ajax’s defenders with a series of feints and scored his fourth goal, earning applause from the Ajax supporters as Manchester United won 5–1.
• At the post-match press conference, Roy Keane described himself as Manchester United’s enforcer, while Ferguson privately regretted his blunt comments.
• Rensenbrink compared Dejan Lu’s footwork to Cruyff, and Cruyff later said he was honored to be compared with Dejan.
• Manchester United narrowly beat Tottenham Hotspur to take first place in the Premier League, then traveled to Wembley for the League Cup final on March 14.

Manchester United beat Leeds United to win another trophy, then prepared to face Chelsea and Dejan Lu's former teammate Vialli. As the Chelsea match began, Dejan Lu unexpectedly called out a direction to Vialli, who instinctively passed the ball before realizing he had followed his opponent's instruction.

• McClair scored from Irwin's cross and Andy Cole's header to give Manchester United a 1-0 win over Leeds United, and Dejan Lu celebrated with his teammates as they lifted the trophy.
• Little Schmeichel asked Dejan Lu to persuade Peter Schmeichel to stop embarrassing him with exaggerated stories about his grandfather, and Dejan agreed to talk to him.
• Dejan Lu watched Vialli discuss their past partnership in a television interview, then spent time with Monica at home.
• Manchester United beat Ajax 3-1 to reach the semifinals, and Dejan Lu later received a call from Roberto Mancini asking for career advice.
• Dejan Lu drew Roberto Mancini's single-match experience card before Manchester United hosted Chelsea, where Vialli and Mark Hughes faced their former teammate.
• As Chelsea began the match, Dejan Lu shouted 'left' to Vialli in Italian, and Vialli instinctively passed the ball that way before realizing what he had done.

Manchester United dominated Chelsea as Dejan Lu scored a first-half hat trick, while Vialli briefly gave Chelsea hope with a goal of his own. Ferguson prepared to substitute Dejan Lu after Manchester United restored their two-goal lead.

• Dejan Lu tricked Vialli into giving up possession, then helped create an early chance that Andy Cole shot just wide.
• Dejan Lu scored the opening goal with a volley after Beckham’s cross found him unmarked in the box.
• Dejan Lu scored again after Beckham sent him through on goal, giving Manchester United a 2–0 lead.
• Keane received a yellow card for fouling Hughes, and Vialli scored from the ensuing attack to make it 2–1.
• Dejan Lu scored his third goal after combining with Cantona, and Ferguson prepared to substitute him.

After Manchester United beat Chelsea, Dejan Lu and his teammates turned locker-room spinning-top battles into a team craze, a charitable publicity campaign, and a source of commercial interest. Manchester United opened a commanding league lead and traveled to face Dortmund in the Champions League semifinal, where Dejan Lu drew an Erling Haaland experience card.

• Manchester United defeated Chelsea 5–1, and Dejan Lu read that Glenn Hoddle had been dismissed and Gullit would take over as player-manager.
• Gary Neville and Keane started competing with Cheetos spinning tops, and the locker room grew into an organized team competition until Ferguson confiscated their toys.
• Dejan Lu gave a reporter an exaggerated charitable explanation for the spinning-top craze, then Manchester United players visited an orphanage and donated 530,000 Pound Sterling.
• Manchester United beat Tottenham Hotspur, extended their league lead over Newcastle to 15 points, and traveled to the Ruhr area to prepare for their Champions League semifinal against Dortmund.
• On April 3 at Westfalenstadion, Dejan Lu drew an Erling Haaland single-match experience card for the 2022–2023 Champions League Final.

Dejan Lu started up front with Cantona for Manchester United’s European Champions Cup semifinal first leg against Dortmund, and his counterattacking goal gave United an early lead. Dortmund equalized through Lars Ricken, but Dejan Lu scored again to put United back ahead.

• Dejan Lu changed Manchester United’s lineup to partner with Cantona up front, and Ferguson approved the formation.
• Schmeichel launched a long ball that Dejan Lu chased down and finished past Stefan Kroos to give Manchester United the lead.
• Lars Ricken cut inside and scored for Dortmund after Manchester United failed to stop the attack.
• Dejan Lu headed Redondo’s long pass to Cantona, ran onto Cantona’s return move, and scored after Schmidt fell and Kohler’s tackle arrived too late.

Manchester United extended their lead over Dortmund through Dejan Lu’s pace and strength, taking a 3–1 advantage into halftime before he scored again shortly after the restart. The chapter ended with Dejan Lu putting the ball into an empty net after Sammer’s attempt to stop him failed, as Ferguson sent McClair toward the touchline.

• Dejan Lu used his strength to score, and Hitzfeld instructed Dortmund to prioritize defending and mark Cantona and Scholes.
• Redondo sent Dejan Lu through Dortmund’s defense, and Dejan Lu beat Stefan Kroos to score Manchester United’s third goal.
• The first half ended with Manchester United leading 3–1, and Ferguson spoke with the players in the locker room before the second half.
• Redondo escaped Dortmund’s press and launched an attack, but Cantona’s hurried pass went out over the end line.
• Schmeichel launched a long kick toward Dejan Lu, and Sammer’s attempt to knock him down failed as Dejan Lu scored into the empty net.
• Ferguson celebrated the goal and sent McClair toward the touchline.

Manchester United prepared to face Arsenal with a draw enough to secure the league title, while Dejan Lu joined Philip Neville’s birthday gathering and helped torment Gary Neville with a singing candle. The chapter ended as Ferguson and Dejan Lu returned to the dressing room before the title-deciding match, where Beckham startled the exhausted Gary awake.

• After Manchester United crushed Dortmund 8-2, Ferguson mocked Keegan, and Wenger read the newspaper coverage while planning a formation to contain Dejan Lu.
• Gary Neville brought Dejan Lu and Redondo to Emma Fletcher’s birthday gathering, where Dejan met young Jesse Lingard and promised him a birthday candle.
• Gary Neville kept the singing candle, which interrupted his sleep, and he arrived at the Arsenal match with dark circles under his eyes.
• Ferguson and Dejan Lu faced Wenger at the pre-match press conference, where Ferguson mocked Arsenal’s fifth-place standing and Wenger denied trouble between Matthäus and his teammates.
• Ferguson and Dejan Lu returned to the dressing room, where Beckham sang beside the sleeping Gary Neville, startling him off the bench.

Manchester United faced Arsenal at Old Trafford, where Dejan Lu scored twice to give his team a commanding lead in the match. Lothar Matthäus struggled to contain Dejan Lu as Manchester United moved closer to celebrating the league title at home.

• Dejan Lu drew a Robert Emmanuel Pires single-match experience card before the teams took the field.
• Gary Neville was left out of Manchester United's starting lineup, while Lothar Matthäus started in Arsenal's midfield.
• After Arsenal's throw-in led to a counterattack, Philip Neville launched a long pass and Dejan Lu chipped David Seaman to score the opening goal.
• Lothar Matthäus drove Arsenal forward, but Ray Parlour's long-range shot flew over the bar.
• Dejan Lu shook off Matthäus, Lee Dixon, and David Platt before curling a second goal into Arsenal's net.

Manchester United dominated Arsenal as Dejan Lu scored a hat-trick and set up another goal, leaving the teams 5–1 apart before halftime. Ferguson substituted Dejan Lu, who left the pitch and met Sophie Marceau in a private box.

• Ferguson asked Brian Kidd to compare him with Wenger, while Kidd praised Wenger's promise as Arsenal attacked Manchester United.
• Dejan Lu helped create Manchester United's third goal for McClair, then Arsenal's Ian Wright scored to make it 3–1.
• Dejan Lu feinted Matthäus into an injury, forcing Arsenal to replace him with Paul Merson.
• A fortunate bounce and a wind-assisted shot gave Dejan Lu his hat-trick and put Manchester United 4–1 ahead.
• Dejan Lu crossed for Cantona to score Manchester United's fifth goal, then Ferguson substituted him for Giggs.
• Dejan Lu went to meet Sophie Marceau in a private box after showering.

Manchester United celebrated winning the 1995–1996 Premier League title while Dejan Lu reflected on their remaining trophies and prepared for the Champions Cup semifinal against Juventus. As the team arrived at Old Trafford, the Juventus players faced the home crowd’s intimidating welcome.

• After Manchester United’s 6–3 win over Arsenal was confirmed, Dejan Lu joined his teammates on the pitch and celebrated the Premier League title with the fans.
• Ferguson and the Manchester United players received their medals, and Bruce lifted the trophy as the club celebrated reaching 85 points with five league matches remaining.
• Dejan Lu left the team banquet early, returned home, and later heard Gary Neville excitedly announce that he had made England’s national team squad.
• As Manchester United prepared to face Juventus, Dejan Lu and Redondo suspected Juventus relied on performance-enhancing drugs, while Gary Neville and Philip Neville bickered in the locker room.
• Manchester United arrived at Old Trafford for the Champions Cup semifinal, where the crowd’s loud welcome unsettled Juventus and Lombardo doubted his side could stop Dejan Lu.

Manchester United faced Juventus in the Champions League semifinal, and Dejan Lu’s play helped the home side break through Juventus’s defense. After McClair scored from Dejan Lu’s assist, Dejan Lu scored again to give Manchester United a two-goal lead.

• Manchester United and Juventus began the semifinal with both teams cautiously contesting the midfield.
• Dejan Lu and his teammates used quick passing to break Juventus’s press, but Cantona’s early shot was saved by Peruzzi.
• Dejan Lu created space on the left and sent a low pass across the box for McClair to score in the thirtieth minute.
• Juventus tried to respond through Piero and Conte, but Schmeichel rushed out to stop Piero’s attempt.
• Schmeichel launched a long clearance, Cantona returned the ball to Dejan Lu, and Dejan Lu beat Ferrara before curling a shot off the post and into the net.

Manchester United defeated Juventus 5–0 in the Champions League semifinal first leg, with Dejan Lu scoring once and assisting three goals before being substituted. Afterward, Lippi insisted Juventus could still score five goals at the Delle Alpi and keep the tie alive.

• At halftime, Manchester United led Juventus 2–0, and Dejan Lu told Ferguson they needed to finish the match early.
• Dejan Lu and Irwin helped Manchester United break down Juventus’s midfield, and Dejan Lu’s chipped pass set up McClair’s second goal for a 3–0 lead.
• Lippi sent on Joković and Padovano as Juventus shifted to a more attacking formation, but Dejan Lu then played Cantona through to score Manchester United’s fourth goal.
• Ferguson substituted Dejan Lu for Giggs, and Giggs scored later to make the final score 5–0.
• After the match, Dejan Lu exchanged shirts with Verchowod and attended the press conference, where Lippi said Juventus could score five goals at the Delle Alpi.

Dejan Lu led Manchester United to a record 100-point Premier League title and prepared for the FA Cup final against Liverpool. He opened the final with a curling shot that put Manchester United ahead.

• Dejan Lu spent a day at Mayfield Park with The Princess, Henry, and his teammates, while Gary Neville and Beckham mistook a neighbor watching them through binoculars for a spy.
• Manchester United beat Nottingham 6-0, then Middlesbrough 4-0 to finish the league season with 100 points and become the first team to win a title with that total.
• Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1 to reach the FA Cup final, where they faced Liverpool at Wembley.
• Liverpool manager Roy Evans sent out a defensive formation, and Manchester United began pressing the attack after kickoff.
• Dejan Lu received a cross from Irwin and curled a shot past David James to give Manchester United the opening goal.

Dejan Lu scored a first-half hat-trick to give Manchester United a commanding lead over Liverpool in the FA Cup final. After Dejan Lu was accidentally struck in the mouth by Skiles, Ferguson prepared to substitute him, leaving the match poised to continue without Manchester United’s star striker.

• Dejan Lu opened the scoring with a chipped shot from the wing, then Keane was booked for elbowing McManaman as Manchester United and Liverpool traded attacks.
• Dejan Lu scored again from distance after Phil Babb missed his clearance, putting Manchester United 2-0 ahead.
• Dejan Lu beat McAttire and curled a shot inside the post to complete his hat-trick in the 17th minute.
• McManaman created a Liverpool attack, but Schmeichel gathered Little Redknapp’s shot and launched a counterattack that Skiles stopped with a foul on Cantona.
• Dejan Lu fell after Skiles lost his footing and put a hand into Dejan Lu’s mouth; Ferguson sent Giggs to warm up and confronted Roy Evans about the incident.