The Next Big Thing
Chapter 181: Second Half

Chapter 181: Second Half

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to Old Trafford!" Michael Bridges’ voice burst through television screens around the world, his tone thick with excitement and anticipation. "Forty-five minutes left on the clock, and Manchester United find themselves down two-nil against Crystal Palace. Can Erik ten Hag clinch his first Premier League win as manager of Manchester United?"

"And can Cristiano Ronaldo mark his return to Old Trafford with a comeback performance for the ages?" David Stowell chimed in, his voice cutting clean across the background roar of the fans. "Let’s not forget, the spotlight’s been blinding today—new manager, old legend, young players, and the home fans demanding blood. The question is—does United have the stomach for this fight?"

As the broadcast cut to a wide view of the stadium, Michael added, "And here come the players now... both sides trotting back out onto the pitch for the second half."

Then, silence—followed by a stunned chuckle from Stowell. "Wait... wait, what’s this? Erik ten Hag... hasn’t made a single substitution?"

"Wow! That is a shocker, David!" Bridges exclaimed. "After that first-half performance? I mean, that was one of the worst forty-five minutes we’ve seen from a United side in recent memory—lethargic, disconnected, all over the place. And yet... Ten Hag’s sending out the same eleven. No changes whatsoever."

"That’s bold. No, scrap that—it’s risky. It’s either genius... or madness," Stowell murmured.

The camera panned toward the far side of the pitch where Crystal Palace’s Tyrick Mitchell was seen chuckling with one of his teammates. His teeth gleamed under the stadium lights, his body language relaxed, even playful.

"Oooh, what’s that?" Bridges said with a half-laugh. "Tyrick Mitchell... is that a laugh I see there?"

The screen showed Mitchell animated, grinning broadly as he pointed subtly across the pitch toward someone—David Jones.

"Well, can you blame him?" Stowell replied dryly. "I mean, come on. He dominated his matchup in the first half. Owned that entire flank. And now he looks across and sees the same kid—David Jones—coming out again? No surprise he’s laughing. To him, this might as well be a light training session now. Crystal Palace are licking their lips."

Bridges didn’t hold back. "And speaking of David Jones—the sixteen-year-old United winger—he’s absolutely getting roasted online. Let me tell you, the comments are brutal. Fans questioning his inclusion, asking why he’s even in the squad, especially after his lackluster first half."

"This is pure outrage, Michael," Stowell cut in, frustration evident in his tone. "What is this coaching staff doing? Are they trying to set this kid up to fail? Everyone saw that he was off-pace, slow, sluggish—he couldn’t beat his man once, couldn’t recover, and offered next to nothing going back. And they still sent him out for the second half? Are they protecting him or what? isn’t this nepotism we migth need to check his family and the coaches own"

"Protecting him?" Bridges echoed. "That’s quite the tall tale, David."

"Is it really?" Stowell snapped. "Let’s not forget—it was this same David Jones who was involved in that hospital bust-up with Jadon Sancho. And who was it that got benched indefinitely? Not Jones. Sancho isn’t even in the squad today. Meanwhile, the kid who was involved in a fight, recovering from a serious injury, is not only starting—but he’s still on after that first-half disaster. Feels malicious, if you ask me. Feels like someone upstairs is trying to protect him at all costs."

Bridges exhaled heavily. "Well, let’s put that controversy on pause—back to the pitch now, where Cristiano Ronaldo is standing over the ball. He looks sharp. Focused. Ready to go."

"And now..." Stowell said quietly, a beat passing, "we are underway for the second half at Old Trafford!"

Meanwhile, on the Manchester United bench, Erik ten Hag’s face remained unreadable.Arms folded tightly across his chest, eyes locked on the pitch, he looked every bit the calm, composed tactician. But inside? Inside, he was at war with himself.

He wasn’t just watching the game unfold—he was living every second of it in his head, replaying every defensive lapse, every shaky pass, every moment his team looked one misstep away from disaster.

Ten Hag had made a decision, one he knew the fans and pundits wouldn’t understand. He had chosen not to make any substitutions—not yet at least. Not because he didn’t care. Not because he didn’t see the problems. But because, honestly... who could he even bring on?

Yes, it was true. The defense was the root of the chaos. Sloppy mistakes, careless clearances, players out of position—it had all unraveled far too easily. And unlike the fans who would yell to yank Maguire off the pitch or scream at the top of their lungs for some "urgent change," Ten Hag had to look at the bigger picture.

Remove Maguire? And replace him with who—Alex Telles? Eric Bailly?

Telles had been abysmal in training, and Bailly was a shadow of the player he once was—reckless, inconsistent, and unreliable. Plugging either of them in would be like pouring oil on a fire and praying for rain.

He’d always known the backline was fragile, but this match... this match had ripped the veil off completely. It wasn’t just fragile. It was broken. And now, to make things worse, even David de Gea seemed to have caught the disease—fumbling saves, slow to react, as though the rot at the back had finally reached the last man standing.

And yet, not everything was bleak.

The midfield wasn’t a disaster. Bruno, sharp as ever, just hadn’t had the space to unlock his usual attacking brilliance. He was too busy patching holes left by the defense, tracking back, covering for others. Rashford was doing the same—sprinting back to help on Shaw’s side, the flank that had been the most ruthlessly targeted by the opposition.

They were stretched thin, but they weren’t the problem.

And then, there was David.

Ten Hag exhaled, slowly, deeply.

Yes, he would’ve loved to sub David off. No sugarcoating it—the boy was playing well below par. He wasn’t offering enough, not with the ball, not without it. And yet, it wasn’t as simple as pulling him off and throwing on Greenwood or Antony. Those two could bring fire—he knew that. They could twist a game in seconds. Dangerous players. Game changers.

But Ten Hag wasn’t just managing a game. He was managing people. Minds. Hearts.

He remembered the look in David’s eyes at halftime. Not anger. Not fear. Just confusion. Hurt. The look of someone who knew they’d failed—and expected to be punished for it.

Ten Hag had seen that look before. And he knew what pulling David off would do.

It would break something in him.

David was young, talented, prideful. He wore confidence like a second skin—but it was a fragile armor. If he’d benched him at halftime, it would’ve looked like abandonment. Like rejection. Like giving up on him.

And so, Ten Hag chose trust.

He left him on not because he believed David was playing well—but because he believed David could become something great. And greatness doesn’t bloom when you yank someone off the pitch the moment they falter. It grows when you let them fight. Let them learn. Let them redeem themselves.

He was giving David a chance to prove he was still worth believing in.

And if, by the 60th minute, things were still falling apart? He’d pull him off gently, under the guise of rest. Save face. Save confidence. Still protect the team. But for now, this was a test. A lesson.

Even if he had to sacrifice one game for David’s mental growth, he would. Because a broken player recovers slowly. But a doubted player? They might never come back the same.

Ten Hag had made up his mind. He’d take the criticism. The blame. He’d carry it all—if it meant David walked off the pitch tonight not broken, but burning with resolve.

But while Ten Hag had steeled himself—prepared to stomach defeat—someone else wasn’t ready to give up.

Someone else still believed this match could be turned around.

David stood on the far right flank, eyes narrowed, chest rising and falling beneath the weight of his thoughts.

The whistle hadn’t blown yet. It was still the restart. Still time to breathe. To think.

And God, he was thinking.

At first, he had expected to be benched. He had even braced for it. The way he’d played in the first half? Shaky. Passive. Nowhere near his level. When the second half started and his name wasn’t called off, he’d been shocked.

But that shock had turned into something else. Something deeper.

Ten Hag had trusted him.

Not Greenwood. Not Antony. Him.

That kind of trust—it wasn’t blind. It wasn’t kind. It was weight. It was fire. It meant Ten Hag still believed he could deliver.

And now, David knew he had to.

He couldn’t shrink. Not now. Not after that kind of vote of confidence.

As he waited, his boots light on the turf, he clenched and unclenched his fists. His jaw tightened. His eyes scanned the field. He wasn’t just standing anymore. He was coiled. Ready.

The referee’s whistle pierced the air.

The second half began.

And David moved.

Manchester United shifted like a machine slowly coming alive. The ball was worked back, midfielders scrambled into space, and then—just like that—it came to him. A low diagonal pass from Bruno, perfectly placed, skipping across the pitch and meeting his stride.

David’s first touch was clean. Soft. Sure.

And standing in front of him, waiting with a wide grin and the air of someone who thought this would be easy, was Tyrick Mitchell.

David’s expression didn’t change. He didn’t smile. He didn’t blink. He stared at Tyrick, at that grin, at the arrogance painted across the defender’s face.

And he made a vow.

"I’m going to win."

He didn’t whisper it. He didn’t scream it. He thought it, crystal-clear, like a statement carved into stone.

His legs moved first—sharp, sudden, like electricity surging through them.

Tyrick reacted instantly, but David was quicker.

The Game was ON