Chapter 114: United vs Chelsea FA Cup Semis III
David sat quietly in the Manchester United locker room, a privilege Ole had allowed him despite not being part of the matchday squad. He didn’t speak—not that he could if he wanted to. The weight of the game pressed down on him, and the air in the room was thick with frustration.
The only sound came from the heavy breathing of exhausted players and the occasional shuffle of boots against the floor. No one dared to speak. Some sat with their heads down, others leaned back against their lockers, staring at the ceiling, and a few were furiously gulping down water, trying to regain their strength.
Then came the explosion.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s voice thundered through the room, shattering the silence like a whip crack. His face was flushed with anger, his usual calm demeanor replaced with fury. He stood in the center of the room, glaring at every single player.
"You call that football?!" he continued, shaking his head. "You lot are playing like you’re scared! Where’s the urgency? Where’s the fight? You want to sit back and let Chelsea walk all over you?!"
No one answered. They all knew better.
Ole clenched his fists. "We’re equal and you all are acting like its all over. We can still turn this around score more, but you have to WAKE UP!" His eyes darted to Daniel James, who had been struggling all game. "James, you’re off."
James swallowed hard but didn’t argue. He knew.
"Greenwood, you’re in." Ole turned to the teenager, his expression firm. "We need goals. You hear me? Goals."
Mason Greenwood nodded, determination flashing in his eyes.
Ole continued pacing, looking around at the entire team. "Listen to me. We’re not just here to make up the numbers. We are MANCHESTER UNITED! We push. We push and push and push until we break them! We don’t sit back. We don’t wait. We take the game to them!" His voice was raw with passion. "I want intensity! I want aggression! I want GOALS! DO YOU HEAR ME?!"