i am beckham

Chapter 307 Difficult March

Ferguson has had some headaches recently. This is the most tossing season since he coached Manchester United.

To be honest, so far, Manchester United's results are not bad.

Not only is it not bad, but it is also better than the situation in previous seasons.

Leading the league, the Champions League entered the knockout round as the first in the group, and played to the fifth round of the FA Cup relying on the rotation.

Apart from the innocuous Carabao Cup, the other games are doing well.

Today, two seasons ago, Manchester United was still three games behind Newcastle. At that time, Manchester United cleaned up three absolute main players. Not only was the lineup thin, but many players were injured.

Manchester United's performance in the first half of last season was not bad, but after a big loss to Newcastle, the team lost several games in a row, and even fell out of the top three in the standings.

If it weren't for the heroic state in the middle and late stages of the season, and the domineering performance of 16 unbeaten games, I am afraid that he would not even be qualified for the championship at the end of the season.

In comparison, Manchester United's first half of this season was smooth sailing. Except for the fact that they were not going well against Arsenal, the other games completely showed a "bullying" momentum.

The team not only continued its strong performance in the league, but even defeated the defending champion Juventus in the Champions League group stage, winning all 6 games and qualifying first in the group, and then drew the ordinary Monaco in the knockout round.

Monaco are creating a youth storm under the leadership of Tigana, and Henry has just emerged in the team.

Such a team played smoothly, but Manchester United is not afraid of them at all. After all, the Red Devils are not bad at all when they play Youth Storm.

But to be honest, this is the first time Manchester United has played on multiple fronts, and every line has strong expectations.

Manchester United was burdened with unbelievable expectations as a guest at the Louis II Stadium, but they did not expect the opponent to have 5 defenders at home.

What needs to be emphasized is that these 5 full-backs did not play tricks on the wing. They put two offensive full-backs like dog meat. They seemed to be defending and assisted the midfielder at every turn.

There are really 5 defenders in the Monaco team's lineup, and the 3 players in the midfield are French muscle sticks who can fight and play.

The appearance of Henry seemed to embarrass Gary. He has been cruising on the right side of Manchester United, showing his athleticism to the right side of Manchester United when he gets the ball.

Gary Neville, Manchester United's main right back, was so embarrassed by him that he could only use fouls to limit his breakthrough.

Seeing the opponent play like this, the Manchester United team in the away game is also very cautious.After all, there are two rounds in the knockout round, and the second round will be played at Old Trafford.

The opponent is purely defensive, and they are not in a hurry.

So the process of this game was very boring, neither team created too good opportunities, and the score of 0-0 was an acceptable result for both teams.

As soon as the first round of the Champions League quarter-finals ended, Wenger started the connotation mode of beating around the bush.

On the surface, he praised the momentum of the Manchester United team, making Monaco only have 5 defenders at home.

In fact, Manchester United's control ability is almost meaningless in connotation, and it has not formed dominance in the Premier League.

Ferguson just reminded the other party lightly: "In the face of the result, no amount of whitewashing is futile."

Wenger continued to make a soft knife: "So after recognizing the result, giving up fighting is also a solution."

Ferguson didn't bother to pay attention to the other party. He felt that France's big nose and brain were sick, and he often said some strange things.

To be honest, he has been paying attention to the Frenchman since last season.

Wenger came to Arsenal, and without a "revolution", he let the five defenders follow him to play pass-and-control football, and even helped Adams, who had been drinking for many years, successfully quit drinking.

The first thing the Frenchman did when he came to the club was to rebuild the training base, and then he intervened in the players' diet, and the training methods he gave were also ingenious.

There are three main directions for the Frenchman's signings. The first direction is players who have done business before, the second direction is players with good strength but in a bad situation, and the third direction is the little monsters he thinks are talented.

He used this method to get Vieira and Anelka last season. This season, he simply bought Overmars, Pettit, Grimandi and other good players in one go. What's more, he introduced the world's footballer George Weah.

Although the Liberian's career has shown signs of decline, it is still a terrifying existence.

Arsenal don't need him to go straight, don't need him to organize and support, pass and control play doesn't need to go straight, and with Bergkamp by his side, he doesn't need to turn around to support.

Liberians now have only one task, and that is to eat cakes in the restricted area with peace of mind.

In the first 28 rounds of the league, Weah scored a total of 20 goals, even the goal machine Shearer can only be behind him.

Manchester United is more embarrassed. Everyone found that the players Ferguson relies on and trusts are still the 92 to 16 players in the "Class of 18".

In mid-February, Manchester United had a huge 2-point advantage over Arsenal, and everyone did not include this London team as a title contender at all.

But Beckham is very clear that the old man has been paying attention to the situation of the Arsenal team, and he is using all means to inquire about the French team.

He tried to understand Arsenal's recipes, training methods, and signing information. He was full of curiosity about Wenger, a "new species" who entered the Premier League.

But the old man did not let others see his concern for Arsenal, and he hardly responded seriously to the other party in the media.

The media's propaganda method can be completely understood as being ignorant. They think that "Ferguson and his Manchester United have already booked this season's league championship in advance!"

Now, he finally understands why the media said that. After Arsenal won three make-up matches, the gap between the two teams was only 4 points.

Then the media got excited again. In their rendering, Arsenal looked like a strong warrior. After long-term preparations, they were about to take up arms and challenge the king of this land.

Because Manchester United has dominated the Premier League for many years, out of blind superstition and admiration for Ferguson, many critics also believe that the championship will eventually belong to Manchester United.Ferguson was also full of confidence in an interview: "Arsenal? Blackburn? I don't need to care about their results. As long as Manchester United continues to win, they can win the championship!"

Manchester United is full of confidence up and down, but a hidden shadow also accompanies the Red Devils.Manchester United's stable main lineup throughout the season is not large, and many players have played far more time than the main players of other teams.

Because of Keane's injury, Cruyff's absence, and Pallister's old age, Ferguson actually relies on and trusts the main roster, which is about 92 people mainly in the 18nd class.This is really too difficult for a team that needs to compete for 3 championships.

Among them, the injury that caused Manchester United the most was Keane's injury. No one could have predicted that the most durable midfielder in the Premier League would be injured at the beginning of the season, and it would be a long-term injury.

There are only two meat grinder players in Manchester United's midfield. After Keane's injury, only Butt is left.

This once considered the hardest position of the Manchester United team has suddenly become very weak this season. Butt has carried all the games alone, and the fatigue battle made him start to get injured after entering January.

Beckham also played in midfield for a while last season, but putting him in the middle would dampen his attacking talents.

What makes Ferguson difficult is that if Beckham leaves the wing, his replacement Poborski is not very useful.

The Czech has not yet realized how to play in the Premier League. He is only willing to play in the midfield and rarely returns to the defense to protect the full backs.

This exposes Gary Neville directly to the opponent's winger, and black is a common problem for wing defenders all over the world, which makes him struggle in defense.

So before Keane returns, Bart can only be used as a top.

But the schedule did not give Manchester United any respite. Entering March, Manchester United's schedule is the most intensive. This will also be the most tormented by Manchester United's main players, and the most difficult period for Ferguson throughout the season.

曼联从3月4日开始到3月18日，15天之内要打5场比赛，平均3天就是一场大战！
It's an anxious schedule.Especially compared to the schedule of the first 15 days, Manchester United was only scheduled for one league game in the second half of March, and it was against Wimbledon on March 3.Five games are played in the first 28 days, and only one game is played in the next 15 days. This is the most silent schedule in the world.

Ferguson applied to the FA to change the schedule, but was strongly opposed by Arsenal and other teams, and was eventually rejected by the FA.

"The result of a draw is not a failure. We have the advantage and our chances are far more than our opponents." Ferguson was full of confidence in an interview. "We always have to prepare for a difficult schedule. Now everything is still under our control. What is there to worry about?"

As the top battle with Arsenal approaches, Ferguson is still talking about the match against Monaco. He still does not intend to put Wenger on an equal footing with himself in front of the media.

In the 29th round of the league, Manchester United ushered in the menacing Arsenal at home.

Ferguson finally mentioned Arsenal the day before the game: "Arsenal have brought change to football? They make football beautiful? Full of inspiration and charm?

No!I don't think they play elegantly and beautifully. I don't think their football is attractive. Look at their red and yellow card records. There are so many rough fouls. They are also called gentlemen? "

Ferguson was preparing for a psychological offensive against Arsenal, but to his disappointment, Wenger did not respond. The reporter relayed Ferguson's remarks, but Arsenal's coach just pretended not to hear: "We are trying our best to play our football, try our best to increase the passing of the ball at our feet and team cooperation, and increase offense. We insist on this style.

We're on two fronts now and we've been working on titles rather than lip service. "

Until then, Beckham realized that the French are not good men and women.Some time ago, I was still talking about Manchester United, but when Ferguson was facing each other, he didn't accept the move.

Obviously, he knows Ferguson's temper well and knows how to irritate him.

Unfortunately, Arsenal beat Manchester United 6-1 in a game worth six points.

In the 25th minute of the game, Weah went on a rampage after receiving a pass from Bergkamp in the penalty area. Pallister was knocked off balance and the Liberian striker scored with a blast.

After the goal, Arsenal immediately played possession tactics. The central defender combination of Adams and Keown carried Hesky, and Cole wasted the best scoring opportunity of the game.

It was difficult for Scholes and Butt to beat Vieira in the confrontation. Beckham and Giggs were forced to join the midfield competition, and there was no way to free up their hands to attack with all their strength.

At the end of the game, a sullen Ferguson didn't even look at Wenger when he shook hands.

Manchester United's lead at this time is only 1 point, and the tragic championship battle officially kicked off.

At this time, Beckham's biggest feeling is fatigue. If even he feels tired, one can imagine the state of other players.

At this time, the team suffered another injury. Schmeichel sprained his knee and needed to rest for at least a week.

Hard times are coming for Manchester United.

(End of this chapter)