"Well, Sir, I will make sure City doesn't get any points from this match," Van Gaal was seen holding a phone to his ear, speaking with someone.
"Alright, good night." Van Gaal ended the call and shook his head.
"Who was that on the phone, my husband?" Truus, Van Gaal's wife, asked.
"Sir Alex, he called me about the next match."
"Why is he calling so late?" Truus asked, puzzled.
"He's very fond of the club. You know, I get messages from him every week. If it weren't for his health issues, I'm sure he'd still be managing until the end of his days," Van Gaal replied.
As the manager of Manchester United, Van Gaal hoped Sir Alex Ferguson would stop bothering him and cease influencing the club. But he knew Sir Alex's influence was immense at the club, so he could only hold back and continue his work.
"Let's go back to sleep," Van Gaal suggested.
The next day, Van Gaal let his assistant lead the training session while he focused on analyzing Manchester City's recent matches.
"Yaya Touré, he is their weakness," Van Gaal concluded after several hours of watching Manchester City's games.
One of the analysts offered his opinion, "In Pellegrini's formation, there are too many players focused on offense. When their attack is functioning well, the problem might not be visible, but when they hit a dead end, that's when the problem shows."
"Last season, Yaya Touré was a huge contributor to Manchester City's attack, but now his contribution has decreased even though his playing style hasn't changed at all."
"He's also less involved in defense, much lazier than last season. Maybe fatigue is one reason, considering Pellegrini relies on him too much."
Van Gaal paused for a moment, then rewound the video on the large screen. He stopped it when the video showed the face of a 16-year-old youth.
"This is the problem. Kenneth. He has become a vital figure for Manchester City since the second half of the season. He has repeatedly saved City from bad results."
Van Gaal couldn't deny that Kenneth was a talented and mature young player.
"Are we going to play pragmatically?" asked one of the analysts.
Van Gaal thought for a moment. While Manchester City was somewhat vulnerable defensively, their attack was formidable. Playing openly would almost certainly result in Manchester City scoring.
As Van Gaal made up his mind, he suddenly remembered Ferguson. He started thinking about impressing Manchester United's fans. He didn't just want to win; he wanted to win big. He wanted to break free from the old man's influence as soon as possible.
"We'll play openly," Van Gaal said.
In the afternoon, Van Gaal held a pre-match press conference. He answered questions from journalists and confidently stated, "We will attack, and we will win. This is our home, and we want to bring back the glory of Old Trafford. We are confident we can win. Manchester City is a strong team, but we believe we can overcome them."
Van Gaal's remarks didn't immediately convince the journalists of his confidence. Manchester City had a strong record at Old Trafford in recent years.
On March 25, 2014, they won 0-3. On April 8, 2013, they secured a 1-2 victory. And in 2012, one of the most iconic matches in Premier League history saw Manchester City triumph 1-6 at Old Trafford. That match is forever remembered for Balotelli's celebration, revealing a shirt that read, *"Why Always Me?"*
So far, under Van Gaal's management, Manchester United had been performing reasonably well this season. They had achieved 18 wins, 8 draws, and 5 losses, accumulating 62 points.
Meanwhile, Manchester City had won 22 matches, drawn 6, and lost only 3, collecting 72 points to sit atop the table temporarily, as Chelsea had yet to play their 31st match.
If Chelsea were to win all their remaining fixtures from Matchday 31 onwards, they would secure the title. This meant Manchester City had to keep winning to maintain pressure on Chelsea. The match against Manchester United was a significant hurdle in City's path to reclaiming the Premier League crown.
This was undeniably a test for Pellegrini and his squad.
The 12th of April finally arrived. Both Manchester United and Manchester City fans eagerly prepared to watch the highly anticipated derby. Many flocked to Old Trafford, while City fans unable to get tickets gathered at nearby bars to watch the game together.
At 2:00 PM, Manchester City's team bus arrived at Old Trafford. The match was scheduled to kick off at 4:00 PM BST, giving the team two hours to prepare.
"You look a little tense, Lee," David Silva said, patting Kenneth on the shoulder.
"It's my first time here as a player, but I've been here a few times as a spectator. What I remember most is when we won 1-2 in the 2007/08 season. That year, United won the Premier League and the Champions League. It was my first time at this stadium," Kenneth explained.
"So, what do you think of Old Trafford?" Silva asked.
Kenneth smiled and replied, "It's a beautiful stadium, and that's why I want to create more beautiful memories here."
David Silva chuckled softly at his response.
The two continued chatting as they made their way to the dressing room. Inside, the City squad changed into their training gear and headed out to the pitch for a warm-up session before the match.
On the pitch, Kenneth noticed several of his England teammates, including Rooney and Phil Jones. He initially considered greeting them but decided against it after seeing their serious expressions as they focused on their pre-match routines.
At 3:30 PM BST, the warm-up ended, and the players returned to the dressing room.
"This is an important match. I believe in all of you. I trust we can secure a positive result here. Go out there and show the world that Manchester is blue," Pellegrini said in his final pre-match speech.
City lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Kenneth was once again trusted to start as the attacking midfielder. He, along with David Silva and Jesús Navas, formed the attacking midfield trio supporting Sergio Agüero.
Yaya Touré and Fernandinho operated as the double pivot in midfield. In defense, Zabaleta took up the right-back position, with Kompany and Demichelis partnered in central defense, and Clichy at left-back. Joe Hart, of course, started in goal.
As Kenneth walked through the tunnel, he glanced at the Manchester United players preparing for the match.
Of Course, the goalkeeper position was occupied by David De Gea. Jones and Smalling, two defenders who were called up to the England national team a few days ago were played by Van Gaal. Helping them were two fullbacks Valencia and Blind.
The three midfielders for Manchester United were Carrick, playing as a defensive midfielder, supported by Herrera and Fellaini.
Ahead of them, Rooney occupied the central attacking role, flanked by Juan Mata on the right and Ashley Young on the left.
Kenneth then walked out of the tunnel alongside his teammates. He was immediately greeted by the roaring atmosphere of Old Trafford, packed with Manchester United fans proudly singing their anthems.
The grandeur of the scene could easily intimidate any player stepping onto this pitch. However, Kenneth felt the opposite—energized and eager. The overwhelming atmosphere only fueled his determination to defeat Manchester United.