Halftime, in the locker room.
Ferguson stood in front of the tactical board, his expression not relaxed, but serious.
"We played well in the first half," he said, "but it was not good enough. With a 3-0 lead, do you think you have won? I tell you, no.
In Premier League's game, you can score three goals in forty-five minutes, and you can concede three goals in forty-five minutes. In the second half, I want you to stay focused and not give the opponent any chance."
His eyes turned to Zhang Kuang.
"Zhang, you scored two goals and one assist today, which is good. But you seem to have forgotten what I told you. In the second half, you should make less personal breakthroughs and cooperate more with your teammates. Do you understand?"
"Understood, BOSS." Zhang Kuang nodded.
In the second half, Zhang Kuang did reduce his personal breakthroughs. Although he wanted to score goals and earn Qi and Blood Points, he couldn't forget Ferguson's instructions.
So he dropped back more to respond, passed the ball more to coordinate, and created more opportunities for his teammates.
But even so, he still created an excellent opportunity in the second half. In the 60th minute, he received a pass from Rooney at the front of the penalty area and made a heel tap without looking at anyone. The ball passed between the defensive player's legs and accurately found Rooney.
Rooney shot the ball with too much force and hit the crossbar directly and bounced back.
"Fake!" Rooney cursed.
Zhang Kuang spread his hands, expressing his helplessness.
If this goal is scored, it will be his second assist.
It's a pity that Rooney's shot looks like a boxing shot.
In the 65th minute, Ferguson replaced Zhang Kuang with Owen.
When Zhang Kuang came off the field, all Old Trafford fans stood up and applauded.
He waved to the stands and walked to the bench.
Putting on a towel and sitting down, he glanced at the electronic scoreboard.
3:0.
With more than twenty minutes left, the game is basically over.
In the end, the score was not rewritten, mainly because Newcastle did a great job defensively in the second half, and Zhang Kuang restrained its offensive attributes.
Manchester United defeated Newcastle United 3:0 at home and got a good start to the new season.
Zhang Kuang's debut information: two goals and one assist, best in the game.
After the game, in the press release hall, almost all the reporters' questions revolved around Zhang Kuang.
"Sir, how do you evaluate Zhang Kuang's performance today?"
Ferguson took a sip of water and said slowly, "Two goals and one assist, how can I evaluate him? I give him nine points out of ten. I deduct one point because I am afraid he will be proud."
The reporters laughed.
"Who do you think is stronger between Zhang Kuang and Cristiano Ronaldo?"
Ferguson shook his head. "Don't compare him with anyone. Cristiano Ronaldo is Cristiano Ronaldo, and Zhang Kuang is Zhang Kuang. They are different players, playing different roles in different eras.
All I know is that Zhang Kuang helped Manchester United win the game today, and that's enough."
In the first round of Premier League that day, in addition to Manchester United's 3:0 victory over Newcastle, there were several other focus matches.
Chelsea defeated West Brom 1:0 in away game.
Arsenal defeated Liverpool 2:1 at home, while Fàbregas did not appear.
Manchester City drew with Tottenham Hotspur 2:2 in an away game. Yaya Toure and Silva performed mediocre in their debut.
But all the headlines were occupied by Zhang Kuang.
"Manchester Evening News": "Two goals and one assist in his debut! Manchester United, the new king officially ascends the throne"
"The Sun": "Ferguson's new Cristiano Ronaldo? No, Cristiano Ronaldo is Cristiano Ronaldo, Zhang Kuang is Zhang Kuang"
"The Times": "Zhang Kuang: From Ligue 1 to Premier League, it only took him forty-five minutes to conquer Old Trafford"
"The Guardian": "Coach Newcastle: We studied Zhang Kuang for two weeks, and the defensive players told me that everyone underestimated Chinese Zhang"
"Daily Mail": "Manchester United wins the first time, new aid shows great power"
"..."
On the Internet, fans' reactions were even more crazy.
"Two goals and one assist! Isn't this a good debut?"
"Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United came on as a substitute in his first game and didn't score. Messi Barcelona came on as a substitute in his first game and didn't score. Zhang Kuang started in his first game and scored two goals and one assist. The verdict is clear!"
"Hey, hey, you guys upstairs, don't defeat Zhang Kuang's character. You know how powerful those two people's fans are. Just praise Zhang Kuang, don't try to step on others."
"The moment Coloccini was carried away by Zhang Kuang, I was stunned. That was Coloccini!"
"Ferguson, Manchester United Are the managements happy? What a low price to buy such a great player."
"The transfer window is still half a month away. Other teams should hurry up and buy defenders! Otherwise it will be too late! This Zhang Kuang is too difficult to defend."
"What's the use of buying a defender? People like Zhang Kuang need armored vehicles to guard against them."
"..."
"It's cool, I didn't expect to see forward China shine in Premier League's day. It seems that Zhang Kuang can not only show off his ruthlessness in Ligue 1, he can also show off his power in Premier League."
"This Chinese Zhang maniac really has two skills. Park Ji-sung was outclassed by him. Xiba, why hasn't our Son Heung-min grown up yet?"
"Look at Zhang Kuang, China is really not a good player. Let me just say, they have 1.4 billion people, how can they not produce a few talented players? Millions of people can produce several geniuses."
Well, China fans started scolding in the comment area.
In the Old Trafford stands, three Middle East girls sat in the VIP seats and watched the entire game.
"He is too strong." Lama said.
"Do you know just now how strong he is? Who was the first to shout, 'I'm going to die, please stop doing this'?" Arya said.
"He is completely different on the court and in the room." Liam said, "He is like a beast on the court. Although he is fierce in the room, he is not such a beast."
She didn't say anything, but the other two people understood.
They looked at each other and smiled.
"Will you be able to endure such a beast? Are you afraid you will die?"
"Yes, people will really die."
"Ah, I'm really looking forward to the evening activities."
"Huh? You are such a slut. In actual combat, you are defeated in just one round. When you are not on the battlefield, you talk nonsense."
"Stop making trouble, Zhang Kuang's birthday is coming soon, what gifts are you preparing?"
"There is nothing to prepare. How about giving him 1 million euros as a gift?"
"This is too vulgar. He throws money at him at every turn, just like a nouveau riche."
After the first round, Manchester United took a day off.
August 18th.
Zhang Kuang's eighteenth birthday.
On this day, Zhang Kuang's agency and Manchester United's management were all involved in preparations for the birthday party.
Why hold a birthday party? Sometimes this kind of event is just for outsiders to see. There is no other way. Manchester United should reflect the club's importance to the players, and the players should reflect his friendship with the club and teammates.
In fact, both parties can accept it if it doesn't happen, but sometimes the players and the media can't stand it and spread the word that "the club is in a bad mood, and important players' birthdays are not celebrated."
Don't underestimate these problems, some people like to make a fuss over such small things, some because of a birthday party, some because of a shoe, and some because of first-class seats.
They will say that the club does not respect the players, or that the players are alienated from the club.
In short, as long as there is a crack in such a thing, someone will notice it.
The venue is in the banquet hall of DoubleTree by Hilton Swinton.
Through the agency, Zhang Kuang specially invited two top chefs from China, one specializing in Hunan cuisine and the other specializing in Cantonese cuisine. They also brought three assistants to Manchester two days in advance to prepare the ingredients.
The banquet hall was decorated to look like a combination of Chinese and Western styles.
In the middle is a huge long table filled with all kinds of Chinese food.
Hunan cuisine: fish head with chopped pepper, Mao's braised pork, stir-fried yellow beef, flavored shrimp, Yongzhou blood duck, Dong'an chicken, steamed preserved meat, etc.
Cantonese cuisine: white-cut chicken, crispy roast goose, salt-baked chicken, honey-glazed barbecued pork, steamed grouper, steamed pork ribs with black bean sauce, garlic crab, etc.
Sichuan cuisine: Mapo tofu, boiled beef, couple's lung slices, etc.
Other cuisines: Beijing roast duck, Shanghai steamed buns, Hangzhou Dongpo pork, Yangzhou fried rice, lion head, etc.
In addition to these dishes, there are also various fruits, Hong Kong-style morning tea pastries, etc.
The dishes are arranged in a Western-style buffet style, making it easier for guests to help themselves.
In one corner of the banquet hall, a huge ice bucket was filled with champagne and red wine. In the other corner, a DJ was debugging equipment and preparing to play background music.
The crystal lamps on the ceiling shine with warm light, and red lanterns hang on the walls. The red and gold color scheme exudes a strong China style.
Zhang Kuang stood at the door of the banquet hall, wearing a dark blue custom-made suit without a tie. The top two buttons of his shirt were unbuttoned, revealing his strong collarbone.
Her hair was carefully taken care of, and she looked energetic and handsome.
Jonathan stood next to him, holding a tablet and checking the guest list.
The first ones to come are the team's teammates, then the women and Auxerre's teammates who came from France when they have time, and the last ones to come are the club's senior management and coaching staff.
After a while, many people came to the banquet hall, but the ceremony hadn't started yet because there were still a few people who hadn't come.
Rooney is sitting at one end of the long table, playing mobile games with his teammates.
Ferdinand and Vidić were standing in the drinking area, each holding a glass of beer, chatting about something. The topic of the two people was, of course, about Zhang Kuang.
"Rio, who do you think this kid can bring today?" Vidić asked.
"I don't know, but I heard from Rooney that there seem to be quite a few girls." Ferdinand said.
"Female? What girl?"
"Rooney didn't explain clearly, so he just said 'a lot of beautiful ones'." Ferdinand smiled, "You know Rooney's aesthetics. What he said about beautiful might just be average."
"Yes." Vidić nodded.
Owen and Carrick were sitting in the corner, drinking champagne quietly. Owen is thirty years old and is no longer the trend-chasing boy he once was, but his smile is still warm.
"Zhang Kuang, this guy is not simple." Owen said.
"How to say?"
"Look at his football skills, and then look at his behavior. It's not easy for him to do this at the age of 18."
Carrick nodded and did not answer the call.
Pogba was gathered with several young people from the reserve team, taking videos with their mobile phones. Pogba was wearing a fancy shirt today, with his hair braided, looking like a hip-hop singer.
"Paul, you are very cool today." A young man from the reserve team said.
"Of course, Brother Zhang's birthday party must be more handsome." Pogba said with a smile.
"You have a good relationship with Zhang Kuang?"
"He is very good to me and often guides me in training." Pogba said, "And he is really good at playing football. I admire him."
Next came the two captains Pedretti and Hengbart. They came here on behalf of the Auxerre team members, but the other teammates did not come.
Zhang Kuang first greeted Pedretti and Hengbart, and then asked them to sit down.
Everything looks normal.
Until--twenty-three women appeared at the door of the banquet hall, and the one at the front was Matilda.
She was wearing a black evening gown with the skirt slit above her knees, revealing her slender legs. She had long hair shawl, delicate makeup, and flaming red lips. She looked like she had stepped off the cover of Vogue magazine.
Behind her are eleven members of France Study-Abroad Squad - these Middle East girls are all dressed up today. Some wear long skirts, some wear dresses, and some wear suit pants and shirts. They have different styles, but each of them is incredibly beautiful.
They have deep facial features, healthy wheat-colored skin, tall figures, and outstanding temperament. Some wear exquisite headscarves, and some don't wear them at all, exposing their long black hair.
Their appearance made the lights in the entire banquet hall dim a bit.
Behind them are four female reporters - Amanda, Laura, Emily, Sophia.
They were dressed relatively low-key, but still looked dazzling under the light of the eleven Middle East girls. Amanda was wearing a white shirt dress, Laura was wearing a dark blue long skirt, Emily was wearing a red short skirt, and Sophia was wearing a golden suspender skirt. The four of them stood together, like four different seasons.
At the end, there are four beautiful young women - Isabelle, Caroline, Marion, Helen.
They are slightly older, between twenty-five and thirty-three years old, but their temperaments are more mature, and there is a calmness in their movements that young girls do not have.
Isabelle is wearing a dark green velvet dress, Caroline is wearing a black lace dress, Marion is wearing a white suit skirt, and Helen is wearing a burgundy long dress. There are smiles on their faces, and a kind of certainty brought by experience in their eyes.
The moment twenty-three women entered the banquet hall, the entire banquet hall was silent for at least five seconds.