No one would have believed that Manchester United, with its squad and strength, would remain in the relegation zone.
And yet, that had been the reality.
After losing to Arsenal in Round 7 of the league, Manchester United experienced a resurgence.
First, they defeated Everton 3-1 away, then beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 at home.
They followed that up with a 3-2 win over Southampton away and a 3-1 victory at West Ham.
They then held Manchester City to a 0-0 draw at home and edged Sheffield United 3-2 away.
Across the six matches, United posted an impressive record of five wins and one draw, climbing steadily in the standings.
After 13 rounds of Premier League matches, Manchester United had risen to 11th place in the league, long out of the relegation zone and firmly into mid-table.
Leeds United continued to lead the Premier League standings, followed by Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, and Newcastle United. Manchester City, struggling with form this season, sat sixth.
United's run of positive results boosted team morale and restored belief within the club.
Along with United's turnaround, Solskjaer's reputation had also recovered.
It was quite interesting, really.
When Solskjaer first took over at United, he went on a winning run that earned him the nickname "Solskjaer the Saint."
But throughout his managerial career, perceptions fluctuated. One moment, it was "Solskjaer in," the next, "Solskjaer out," swinging between loyalty and boredom.
Now, Solskjaer was back in the spotlight.
Both the British media and United fans praised the recent six-game unbeaten run. Aside from the relatively underwhelming performances of the new signings, United had played to expectations.
Of course, not everyone agreed.
For example, United conceded goals in five of those six matches. Only the goalless draw against Manchester City ended in a clean sheet. But even that was a tough battle, and it could be said that the clean sheet came down to a tightly compacted defense.
More importantly, City's form had dipped recently, giving United an opportunity.
In the other five matches, United conceded seven goals in total.
Scoring 14 in five games was certainly a welcome change, but conceding 7 was a worrying sign.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville commented in his column that the team's defense still had issues. The real problem, he argued, was that United failed to bring in a reliable centre-back during the summer window.
"We've always known Maguire needs a strong and capable partner."
"As far as I know, the technical team had scouted Upamecano and rated him highly. Chelsea's Koulibaly was also on our radar."
"Saliba at Leeds and Fofana, who was on loan at Saint-Étienne from the White Roses, were both targets, but we missed out on them for various reasons."
Gary Neville expressed his concern.
"Leeds United have the most potent attack in the Premier League, even in all of European football. They have a player like Haaland who's in godlike form. If he keeps scoring at this rate, he could go beyond forty league goals this season, which would be an astonishing figure."
According to the former United defender, with the current state of the defense, United cannot afford any mistakes against Leeds.
Many media outlets echoed Neville's view.
More importantly, United had not rotated their starting lineup during this six-match run.
In some ways, that's a good sign. It showed Solskjaer had found a stable and consistent setup, but the downside was that the bench players were underutilized, and the system had become predictable.
That was a huge problem in top-level matchups.
Still, in the glow of United's unbeaten streak, such rational voices were drowned out.
More importantly, as reported by The Sun, United's performance over the past two months had been the second-best in the league, behind only Leeds United. So, naturally, many believed United could challenge the leaders.
Leeds were not invincible.
For instance, their defense wasn't always solid. Their squad was young. They...
In short, Manchester United had a chance of winning at home against Leeds United.
...
One match. Two teams. Fans on both sides, with completely different perspectives.
Ratcliffe, of course, had no hesitation in throwing his full support behind United.
When the team lost to Arsenal and fell into the relegation zone, he had stormed into the dressing room and nearly fired Solskjaer on the spot, only to be talked out of it later.
Now, things were looking much better. The team was performing, Solskjaer was back on track, and Ratcliffe had stepped into the role of the composed owner, receiving praise for supposedly keeping faith in Solskjaer even at United's lowest point.
His image among United fans improved slightly, and the boos grew quieter.
Ratcliffe was quite pleased with the atmosphere.
After the 13th round of the Premier League, he revealed something in an interview with the Daily Telegraph that caused a stir among media and fans alike.
United had invested millions of pounds into building a customized training system tailored specifically to the team. It included not just high-tech infrastructure but also artificial intelligence and data analysis features.
"Without a doubt, we are not as ambitious as some people or some teams. We just want to serve our club better, so we built a system suited for ourselves."
Ratcliffe stated that United would not rule out licensing the system in the future, but for now, it would be exclusive to Manchester United.
"Our coaching staff told me this system is in no way inferior to Leeds United's."
He believed it marked a significant step forward for the club.
When asked why Leeds spent years and a massive sum to develop their system, while United had done it in just six months and with a few million pounds, Ratcliffe replied:
"Research and development isn't just about burning money, hiring more people, or taking more time."
"It's about creativity and efficiency."
Ratcliffe emphasized that he had always valued R&D.
"At INEOS, our R&D team is the best in the chemical industry. We invest heavily every year, and the output is clear. No one understands the essence and value of R&D better than I do."
"We've recruited the best industry experts for Manchester United. We've scouted the world for talent. We use our brand power to attract top minds, and that's where our advantage lies."
Ratcliffe claimed United's data model had run hundreds of simulations for the upcoming Round 14 clash.
"I don't remember the exact number, but Leeds United didn't win a single one."
...
Ratcliffe's words quickly made waves across the UK and European football.
The Roses Derby had transcended its historical roots and once again become one of the Premier League's most compelling fixtures.
Especially after the summer conflict between Gao Shen and Ratcliffe, this encounter had become even more anticipated.
At this crucial moment, Ratcliffe's public comments were like tossing fuel onto the fire, sounding the trumpet for war.
Very little was known about United's new system, largely because only they were using it.
By contrast, Leeds United's system had been adopted by several clubs, including title contenders like Manchester City. Guardiola had praised it publicly, viewing it as a sign that top-level football was entering the high-tech era.
Now, United claimed to have built something just as good. That alone was explosive.
As the two most in-form teams in the league, this match had the attention of fans and media alike.
The Times argued that United hadn't faced any truly top-tier opponents during their unbeaten stretch.
The only elite team was Manchester City, and that 0-0 draw had come through ultra-defensive tactics at home, casting doubt over the strength of United's resurgence.
To be fair, The Times didn't outright say that United would lose, but they pointed out that Leeds were also in great form.
Media outlets supporting United argued that Leeds were too young, and that the club had sold several key players last summer. They believed Leeds would find it difficult to win at Old Trafford.
What? They beat Liverpool at Anfield in the season opener?
Please, that's Liverpool.
We are Manchester United.
Old Trafford is no Anfield.
To lift morale, United moved their Christmas dinner forward, inviting players and their families.
Ratcliffe prepared gifts for each player and promised an extra personal bonus if they beat Leeds United at Old Trafford.
Moreover, The Sun revealed that during the dinner, Ratcliffe privately met with Solskjaer's coaching staff and gave them a direct order:
"We absolutely cannot lose this match."
This quote, according to an inside source, was Ratcliffe's exact wording.
He had previously stated to the media that Manchester United must never lose to Leeds United. They could lose to anyone else, but not them.
Now, the time had come to prove it.
According to media reports, the atmosphere inside the club was extremely upbeat. The six-match unbeaten run had restored confidence, and players now believed that the team was returning to peak condition after a rough start.
More importantly, United had always been strong around Christmas and during the winter stretch.
It had been that way since the Ferguson era, and many believed the tradition would continue this season.
However, Sir Alex Ferguson had remained completely silent ahead of this Roses Derby. Not a single word.
As the Roses Derby approached, the British media began hyping up one particular issue.
And it was something that made Gao Shen feel especially awkward.
(To be continued.)