"Beautiful!!!" After Rashford scored, Gao Shen also jumped up from his seat and shouted excitedly.
The Leeds United players were wildly celebrating on the pitch.
More than 70,000 Manchester United fans at Old Trafford booed in waves, unsure if they were jeering at Leeds United or their own team.
But regardless of who the target was, it didn't change the current situation.
"We need to strike while the iron is hot, overwhelm them directly, and keep attacking until Manchester United completely loses confidence!" Gao Shen shouted loudly.
He seemed particularly fired up, not caring at all that Manchester United's top executives, including the British billionaire Ratcliffe, were sitting nearby with grim faces.
Conceding two goals in quick succession was never a good sign.
"Manchester United's formation is completely disjointed," said Borell with a smile when Gao Shen returned to his seat.
"This was inevitable. While two tall defensive midfielders can offer excellent protection and block direct attacks, their coverage is limited and they don't have the mobility to cover a large area," Gao Shen analyzed.
This was actually a well-known problem.
Just like over a decade ago, when Ibrahimović fell out with Van Gaal because the Swedish striker felt it was unreasonable to make a tall center-forward like him keep running when he didn't have that kind of stamina.
Similarly, the double pivot of Matić and McTominay also struggled with mobility and coverage.
Looking deeper, this was a structural issue.
What were Manchester United's current strengths?
Their midfielders and defenders were physically strong. Their attackers had good technique and speed. Full-backs like Wan-Bissaka, Luke Shaw, and Alex Telles were all competent. On paper, it looked fine.
But in reality?
Nothing was good.
The defenders were strong, tall, and physically dominant, but they lacked agility and pace. The center-backs preferred staying deep and defending rather than stepping out to press, which left the defense lacking in depth.
Once the team pushed forward, any ball played behind them became a nightmare.
The midfield lacked technical quality overall. The double pivot of Matić and McTominay couldn't control the game.
It was like a machine without a stabilizer—sometimes running fast, sometimes sluggish.
Adding to that, the attacking players didn't have the awareness to track back and help the full-backs. So now, Leeds United specifically targeted both flanks, switching the play frequently, dragging Manchester United's midfield out of shape and exhausting their defensive midfielders.
It could be said that Leeds United now had complete control of the flanks.
Leeds' flanks were famous. Let alone Sancho and Rashford, even players like Vinícius Jr., Rodrygo, Ansu Fati, and Foden were exceptional wide players.
Ask anyone across Europe, who doesn't pay special attention to the flanks when facing Leeds United?
But now?
Both of Manchester United's conceded goals came from the flanks, then switched to the center or the opposite side for the final blow.
The Red Devils had no way to respond.
"You'll see, Pochettino will definitely strengthen the wing play even more, and then completely crush Manchester United from the flanks, breaking their will and destroying their confidence."
Gao Shen paused, then smiled. "If things go smoothly, who knows what the final score will be."
Had similar matches happened before?
Yes.
That 6-1 humiliation at Old Trafford when Manchester United lost to Tottenham.
Interestingly, Mourinho's team also had excellent wing play.
Even though the attacking styles were different, the core idea was the same.
After all this time, Solskjær still hadn't solved Manchester United's systemic issues.
Of course, it wasn't entirely fair to put all the blame on him.
Some problems were like congenital defects, present from the beginning when the squad was built.
Maybe someone would ask, did Manchester United have no other options?
Actually, they did.
For example, Solskjær's defensive counter-attacking approach was one way to deal with it.
But that leads back to what Gao Shen said earlier: modern football is about system-based tactics. Defending alone isn't enough. You need to exert enough offensive pressure to pin the opponent back.
Even with a counter-attacking system, you still need someone to hold the ball up front.
But in Manchester United's current squad, there wasn't a single forward who could hold up play.
Counterattack?
How?
Who to pass to?
High ball? Low ball? What's the plan?
Even the player responsible for ball distribution in midfield was a problem.
In Gao Shen's previous life, at least there was Bruno Fernandes, who could deliver quality passes. But now?
Jesse Lingard?
Are you really calling him 'Lord Lingard'?
"If things go well, we might really get a 5-goal win, just like Spurs did," Borell said optimistically, smiling.
Gao Shen smiled but didn't reply.
Brother, your ambition is too small!
...
Rashford dropped deeper on the left to receive and transition the ball, while Haaland stayed up front.
He had been closely observing the match.
Enzo Fernández made a horizontal switch, transferring the ball from the left to the right.
Sancho moved into position to receive, and Valverde immediately pushed forward, along with Hakimi, forming an attacking triangle.
Haaland wasn't in a hurry, walking slowly.
Just now, Enzo's long pass was a bit high and lacked pace, giving Manchester United time to react. By the time it reached Sancho, United's defensive focus had already shifted.
The Argentine had done well, but if the pass had a lower arc and more speed, it would have been more dangerous—like those trademark Toni Kroos passes: fast, precise, and deadly.
Of course, for his age, Enzo was already performing exceptionally.
Valverde and Sancho combined, and Hakimi surged down the right flank.
Sancho dribbled diagonally toward the right corner of the penalty area, preparing to break into the box.
This was Leeds United's classic wide attack pattern.
If United's full-back tracked Hakimi, Sancho would have more room to operate. If not, he would slip it down the line, and Hakimi would cross for Haaland in the middle.
The young Norwegian striker was 'strolling' on the left side of the arc, but in fact, he was watching the right flank closely.
He saw Luke Shaw move to close down Hakimi.
As a result, Maguire had to position himself toward the edge of the penalty area, staying near Luke Shaw.
McTominay had returned to the right side of the box, forming a defensive angle with Maguire, trying to block Sancho's inward run.
Lindelöf kept an eye on Haaland, while Matić monitored Valverde, who was making a second-wave run.
A huge gap had now formed in United's defensive structure, right between Lindelöf, Maguire, McTominay, and Matić.
Haaland saw it.
This was all by design.
Leeds United's entire attacking shape, the players' movement, and passing patterns, had been orchestrated to create this space.
Now, only the final move remained.
Haaland entered the box, slipping between Wan-Bissaka and Lindelöf.
When he saw Sancho dribbling toward him, he pointed forward, called for the ball, and suddenly darted diagonally from between Wan-Bissaka and Lindelöf toward the left corner of the six-yard box.
Almost simultaneously, Sancho, facing pressure from Maguire, McTominay, and another defender, slipped a pass with his right foot, threading it perfectly between United's center-back and defensive midfielder.
Both lunged to block but missed.
The ball zipped diagonally to the left edge of the six-yard box, right into Haaland's run.
The young striker used his left foot to control it, leaned into Lindelöf, then quickly shot with his right.
The awkward motion threw him off balance and he fell inside the penalty area.
But the ball shot like a bullet, piercing through De Gea and flying into the net.
"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"
"In the 34th minute, Haaland scores again for Leeds United!"
"3-0!"
"Another attack that started from the flank, and it's Haaland again!"
It may sound long in words, but the whole sequence happened in a flash.
Haaland made a sharp late run, controlled with his left, shot with his right. Fluid, crisp, and lethal. After conceding three goals in a row, United players looked visibly anxious. Some had already lost their fighting spirit.
They just wanted this nightmare first half to end.
But Leeds United were different. Their entire squad was full of fire and high morale.
In the 42nd minute, Leeds United intercepted United in midfield again.
Enzo put pressure on Matić, forcing him to pass to Martial, but the ball was intercepted by Valverde.
The Uruguayan surged forward with the ball, broke into the top of the penalty area, then fed it diagonally to Haaland.
The young striker brought the ball into the box, used his body to shield Lindelöf, then burst into the left side of the area before smashing a shot with his left foot toward the near post.
De Gea dove, but he couldn't reach it.
4-0!
Haaland scored again!
"Oh my God!"
"Manchester United's defense can't stop Leeds United. They're getting torn apart over and over."
"4-0! Four goals conceded in the first half. This is a disaster!"
"You can see the United players have completely lost confidence."
"Look again. Their buildup was disrupted by Leeds. Even Matić made such a basic error. It's hard to excuse."
"Leeds United's fast counter-attacks are devastating. Haaland has now scored a brace and looks unstoppable."
"This is clearly not Manchester United's day."
"Solskjær has to find a way to stop the bleeding, or the second half could be even worse."
(To be continued.)