CHAPTER 449: OUT OF CHEMISTRY

Zinedine Zidane

Andrea Pirlo

Claude Makélélé

Javier Zanetti

Fabio Cannavaro

Henrik Larsson

William Gallas

Gianluigi Buffon

All of the players were injured because of a virus, and since it happened so suddenly, the North-East and Central London Health Protection Unit deemed it necessary to quarantine the team. This situation added to Richard’s headache, especially with the season about to begin.

Thanks to this incident, O’Neill had never felt such helplessness before. With key players missing, he tried everything — tactical adjustments, squad rotations, even simplifying their approach.

But it didn’t matter. The reality was harsh. Because of this incident, his squad was broken mentally.

Squad Rotation (4-3-3):

Goalkeeper: Paul Robinson

Defenders: Ashley Cole, Lúcio, Lilian Thuram, Gianluca Zambrotta

Midfielders: Hidetoshi Nakata, Frank Lampard, Dejan Stanković

Forwards: Jay-Jay Okocha, David Trezeguet, Ronaldo

"There’s no question the situation has shaken the club. After that sudden viral outbreak hit so many key players, City’s start to the season looks uncertain. Andy, what do you think?" asked Martin Tyler from the Sky Sports press box.

"The coach will need to restore confidence quickly," replied Andy Gray. "If he downplays the setback, it could hurt morale even further. For now, all eyes are on how they’ll recover. There will definitely be pressure, but we’re talking about a team that has just won both the Premier League and the Champions League. We’ll have to wait and see how the new European champions perform this season."

With a 4-3-3 formation and many new faces, the playing style was bound to shift, as the players had different individual characteristics — especially with the recent transfers and promoted youngsters. With Henry, who was supposed to play on the wing, ruled out, O’Neill naturally hoped that Ronaldo could replicate his role on the flank.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that in every City match, Ronaldo was the backbone of the team, and every system was essentially built around him.

Tottenham Hotspur could hardly be considered a formidable opponent at the time — more of a mid-table side, at least for now.

Their current manager, Christian Gross, had been appointed on 19 November 1997, when Spurs were languishing in the relegation zone. His early tenure was a rollercoaster: a promising 2–0 debut win over Everton at Goodison Park was quickly overshadowed by a crushing 6–1 home defeat to Chelsea.

Despite occasional flashes of improvement, Gross became a target for relentless ridicule from the British tabloids. Much of the mockery stemmed from his shaky English and his infamous first press conference, where he arrived late from Heathrow Airport clutching a London Underground ticket, declaring it to be his "ticket to the dreams."

Of course, people — especially Spurs fans — hoped that in this match at White Hart Lane, with the new season just beginning, the team wouldn’t resort to a "park the bus" strategy. However, reality hit them hard.

When the match kicked off, Richard stood in the stands with a stern expression, notes in hand. Even after achieving massive success last season, the start of this new campaign demanded even more from him.

Coordinating the team staff, managing on and off the pitch matters, and overseeing in-game adjustments was no easy task. He needed to observe and understand every detail of the new squad’s performance — especially with so many new faces in the lineup.

Manchester City launched a swift attack from the outset. Zambrotta surged down the left flank with blistering pace, linking up with Lampard and Stanković in a series of crisp one-twos before delivering a teasing cross into the box.

Trezeguet couldn’t connect cleanly, and the clearance fell perfectly at Pirlo’s feet. Without hesitation, he threaded a sublime through ball that sliced right between Stephen Carr and Sol Campbell, putting the Tottenham defense under immediate pressure.

Ronaldo cut in from the right and unleashed a ferocious shot that clanged off the side of the goalpost — agonizingly close, but no goal.

"Manchester City looks sharp for the first twenty minutes, but Ronaldo’s finishing seems slightly off since shifting back from center to the left," remarked Martin Tyler. "He’s clearly more accustomed to playing as a center striker. Today, with the squad facing a striker crisis — only the newly promoted Samuel Eto’o available — Martin O’Neill had little choice but to deploy Trezeguet centrally and push Ronaldo back to the left as a winger."

"Exactly," added Andy Gray. "Ronaldo needs to adapt again. In previous matches, he would cut in from the left and score almost effortlessly. This shot, while powerful, just lacked his usual sharpness and precision."

Tottenham relied heavily on long passes to launch their attacks, as ground-level combination play was hampered by a noticeable gap in player quality. Their ball circulation required more time and precision, and any misstep often allowed Manchester City to intercept and launch quick counters.

Fortunately for Spurs, with Lúcio, Lilian Thuram, and Gianluca Zambrotta anchoring the defense, their aerial game was solid. Long balls struggled to penetrate the well-organized backline, limiting Tottenham’s effectiveness in the final third.

As the match approached the thirty-minute mark, Manchester City’s offensive pressure remained relentless, but the goal still eluded them.

Richard, notes in hand, paused mid-scribble to underline the root of the team’s early struggles.

Trezeguet and Ronaldo are out of sync!

Thanks to Tottenham’s low block strategy, Manchester City was forced to do the pressing. Unlike traditional defensive counterattacks, where there is plenty of space to sprint forward, a positional pressing attack demands much higher accuracy in passing and timing of movements. It also places greater emphasis on coordination and cooperation between players, making every pass and run count.

While Manchester City controlled the rhythm of the game, Ronaldo and Trezeguet frequently disrupted each other’s roles, creating noticeable friction in the attack.

Unlike Thierry Henry, who already had an intuitive understanding of switching play with Ronaldo, Trezeguet was more typical of a traditional striker on the strong side. When Ronaldo received the ball, Trezeguet often failed to move into the space required to execute a proper switch. He didn’t make the supporting runs that Henry would have instinctively made; instead, he tended to wait for Ronaldo to make a move before reacting.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, was accustomed to playing with partners who understood his timing and movement. The lack of mutual understanding meant the reverse was also true: Ronaldo struggled to anticipate Trezeguet’s positioning.

Trezeguet’s habits in training and previous matches reinforced this issue. He was used to feeding the ball to wingers in a flowing, structured attack — whether it was Henry, Shevchenko, Okocha, or Pires. As long as there was space, these wingers would instinctively cut in from the flanks to receive the pass.

Without that movement from Ronaldo, Trezeguet was left with little option but to deliver a simple ground pass, often stalling the attack. When the attack did continue, it usually ended in crude methods: a cross into the box with Ronaldo tightly marked, or a forced, low-quality shot.

Richard knew he couldn’t rely on the forwards to develop chemistry on their own; he had to enforce strict guidelines to ensure their cooperation. First, they needed to establish a basic synergy, and as they became familiar with each other’s play styles, their interactions would gradually flow more naturally.

Now, all he could do was hope that O’Neill could quickly solve this problem.

From the 30th to the 40th minute, City repeatedly created chances, only to waste them, leaving their own players frustrated. And in the end, it was Tottenham who capitalized on these lapses.

Tottenham couldn’t generate many opportunities, but the ones they did create were executed with incredible efficiency and precision. Without ex-City stars Chris Armstrong and Steffen Iversen to stretch the game, Spurs’ attacks were initially slow and predictable. Without Allan Nielsen and David Ginola pulling the strings in midfield, possession often felt meaningless.

Yet to their credit, they defended like warriors for forty minutes. Sol Campbell seemed to anticipate every City pass, shrinking spaces perfectly as City attempted to shift play to the left. He threw himself into every tackle. Ian Walker made save after save, and for a brief moment, it seemed like Spurs might hold on for a hard-earned draw.

Then, in the 41th minute, disaster struck.

A simple clearance should have been routine, but Ashley Cole pushed too far forward and miscontrolled the ball in midfield. City pounced, launching a swift counter-attack. A precise cross into the box, a scramble — and then:

GOAL.

Steffen Iversen punished City first, and White Hart Lane erupted.

On the sideline, O’Neill stood motionless, jaw clenched, fists buried in his pockets. He could already hear the headlines writing themselves.

And to make matters worse, in the 44th minute, just before the end of the first half, Tottenham was awarded a free kick. The tension in the stadium was palpable as David Ginola stepped up.

With his trademark precision, he curled the ball beautifully over the wall — and it smashed past Paul Robinson into the net.

White Hart Lane erupted in celebration once again, while the City players stood frozen, stunned by the sudden blow.

Half-time score: Tottenham Hotspur 2 – 0 Manchester City

"Incredible! Tottenham have stunned Manchester City with that goal! David Ginola steps up and curls it beautifully over the wall — Paul Robinson had no chance!"

"The timing couldn’t be worse for City, coming in the 44th minute, just before halftime. After controlling the ball and creating several chances, they now find themselves trailing. You can see the frustration on the City players’ faces."

PHWEEE~

When the first half ended, the City players were visibly frustrated. Throughout the match, Tottenham had committed several fouls, and the refereeing decisions sparked heated discussions. At one point, the City staff had to rush onto the pitch to separate the players from the officials.

Richard, too, immediately stood up — for the first time this season, using his trademark "high-performance head pass" to storm into the City dressing room. But he wasn’t there to give instructions or motivate anyone.

Instead, he walked quickly toward a young boy, a curly-haired, big-toothed kid in the squad.

"Hello, boss."

Of course, Ronaldinho knew he was facing the big boss, but he was confused as to why this top dog was standing right in front of him. Still, his bitter experiences in Brazil and the kindness Richard had shown him and his family during their time in England gave him the confidence to greet him confidently.

Richard simply smiled and extended his hand. They shook hands like adults, and Ronaldinho thought that was the end of it. A polite exchange, nothing more.

But then came the next words, and Richard stunned him.

"Want to play?"