It has been half a year since I joined Liverpool, but sometimes, Gareth Barry still feels like he is dreaming.

For example now.

On March 1, 2009, at 3:00 pm, Wembley Stadium, London.

League Cup final!

This is the first final of Gareth Barry's career. Although it is only the League Cup final, it is still the most important game of his career so far, no doubt.

The League Cup is useless, but that is compared to the giants. For Gareth Barry, who has played for Aston Villa for a long time in his career, the League Cup is not useless, but a respected honor.

And what made Gareth Barry even more grateful was that he was qualified.

...

A week ago, the team beat Real Madrid four-0 away, and Gareth Barrie played as the left midfielder and performed very steadily.

Three days ago, the team defeated Middlesbrough 2-0 away. Gareth Barry was rotated by the head coach and did not get any chance to play. The purpose was to allow him tonight's League Cup final.

Also hidden are Yang Yang, the core main player who broke Real Madrid, and Mascherano, who was in the midfield.

Gerald and Xavi Alonso, who returned from injury, directed a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough away with the help of Lucasreva, and both players sat on the bench.

Facing Manchester United, Liverpool coach Benitez changed the lineup and adopted a 442 formation, allowing Yang Yang and Crouch, who returned from injury, to play two forwards, Gareth Bale and Bernardon on both wings, and Gareth Barry and Mascherano have two midfielders.

The head coach's game strategy is very obvious, that is, he must fight to the end with Manchester United.

...

Ferguson was also not idle.

Manchester United currently lags behind Liverpool in the Premier League standings. As time goes by, Manchester United's chances of reversal are getting smaller and smaller, and the time left for Manchester United is getting shorter and shorter, so Ferguson attaches great importance to the Cup.

The godfather of the Red Devils knew very well that Manchester United must first keep the cup to avoid being empty after the season.

Therefore, after drew with Inter Milan from zero to zero away in the middle of last week, Ferguson returned to the Premier League and made a rotation, defeating Portsmouth 2-0 at home, while all the main players were left to the League Cup final.

Rooney, Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo, Scholes, Carrick, Anderson, Vidic, Ferdinand... Manchester United sent all the main players in this game, and their goal was also very clear, that is, to kill Liverpool in the rotation.

...

After joining Liverpool for half a year, Gareth Barry has become an important rotation role for the team.

He is basically satisfied with the treatment he received, but he is also determined to go further and prove his strength and value. Therefore, every time he appears, he tries his best to show his best form.

Unlike Aston Villa, Liverpool is a giant team with a group of outstanding top stars.

Such as captain Gerald, vice captain Carragher, and midfielder Xavi Alonso and Mascherano are all top stars in the world. Even center Crouch and forward Kuyt are European stars with very distinctive and advantageous characteristics.

But what surprised Gareth Barry the most was the team's number one star Yang Yang.

All professional players are not unfamiliar with Yang Yang.

Gareth Barry was already familiar with this player when he was playing for Aston Villa. He even competed with Yang Yang several times as an opponent, but as a teammate, he truly felt why Yang Yang was able to reach this day.

Work hard! Be diligent and self-disciplined! Work hard! Never give up!

Media reporters and fans outside often only see the surface and Yang Yang presents them, but only as teammates and the closest comrades on the court, Gareth Barry can truly feel Yang Yang's heart.

He is Melwood's most popular player!

Not only that, if both sides want to fight side by side on the court, Gareth Barry also needs to know Yang Yang better than others.

For example, he needs to know how fast Yang Yang's extreme sprint is, how to pass Yang Yang with a more comfortable ball, he also needs to calculate how much advance amount is given to best exert Yang Yang's threat...

From childhood to adulthood, everyone said that Gareth Barry is a very smart player who is good at thinking with his brain.

But after arriving at Liverpool, he found that when facing Yang Yang, his mind always seemed to be insufficient.

It's like tonight.

...

After the opening, Manchester United attacked very quickly.

The start of the game is Ferguson's specialty and Manchester United's habitual trick.

The Red Devils and Manchester United are domineering in the Premier League. This is the dominant temperament accumulated by long-term domination of the Premier League. Even though there has been some decline in recent years, Manchester United is still Manchester United, and Ferguson is still still Ferguson.

Gareth Barry is the core of Liverpool's midfielder. As a left-footed player, he appears in the area where the double midfielder is left.

Facing the pressing and strangling tactics of Manchester United midfielder, it is difficult for Gareth Barry to create opportunities.

The situation in Liverpool is just like the situation facing Gareth Barry, and was suppressed by Manchester United at the beginning.

In the first seventeen minutes, Manchester United created six good offensive threats, but Liverpool did not even play one offense.

Yang Yang and Crouch were in isolation in front, and it was difficult to pass the ball.

Ferguson is not Juandra Moss, and the Manchester United coach is the top tactical master in Europe. Ferguson is not at all in the position of arrangement and formation, facing Benitez, who has the same super tactical ability.

Of course, although Liverpool missed the lead, it also did not give Manchester United a chance to attack.

The two sides fought very fiercely. Liverpool did not create an opportunity until the 18th minute, but Ferdinand cleared the ball before Yang Yang.

Nine minutes later, another cross from Bernardon from the right was made. Yang Yang got the opportunity to kick the ball on the left side of the penalty area, but his body was forcibly suppressed by Ferdinand. The shot failed to hit the ball, and the ball was easily confiscated by goalkeeper Van der Sar.

Obviously, Ferguson specially arranged Ferdinand tonight to focus on taking care of Yang Yang.

Even if Benitez did not change Yang Yang's position, O'Shea was on the right side of Manchester United.

The old Scottish man learned from Juandra Mos's experience and lessons, for fear that he would repeat the mistakes of Real Madrid, so he was more cautious in targeted defense.

After the opening, he did not get any chance for a long time, and then created opportunities twice in a row, but they were suppressed by the opponent's central defender. If it were other players, he would definitely be somewhat emotional, but Yang Yang seemed to be as usual.

When he saw him walking back, he applauded at his teammates, smiled bitterly and shook his head. He looked a little disappointed, but he didn't feel much anxious or panic.

And when he walked back and came near the center line, he suddenly walked towards Garethbarri and whispered, "Come on the right and pass the ball behind the left."

Gareth Barry was a little skeptical about this, because Manchester United deployed heavy troops on this side, and O'Shea and Ferdinand were both on this side. On the right side, Evra liked to attack, so the right side got more opportunities.

This is why Liverpool's two attacks were planned by Bernardon on the right.

Although he was a little puzzled, Gareth Barry still nodded and agreed, because he knew that Yang Yang was the number one star in the team and the offensive leader on the court. Not to mention him, even if Gerald was present, he often had to obey his opinions and attack around him.

...

Soon, the game started again.

Liverpool still tried to launch an offensive from the right, but due to the tacit understanding before, this time, after receiving Benardon's pass from the right, Crouch immediately passed back to Mascherano and then crossed to Garethbarri.

At this time, Gareth Barry happened to face the left line of Manchester United's penalty area. He stopped the ball, looked up and found that the situation ahead had changed.

Vidic was taken away by Crouch, and Yang Yang appeared in the middle. Ferdinand and Oshei clamped him in the middle, one left and one right, but Yang Yang was winking at him and signaling him to pass behind him.

Gareth Barry is not a fool, on the contrary, he is very smart and realizes the problem at once.

After Manchester United's defense line is pressed up, Yang Yang's speed will give him a chance in the double-team of the two players.

Just as hesitated, Gareth Barry made a straight pass with his left foot.

Carrick was going to come up to force him, but he was one step too late.

The ball slid past Carrick, crossed Osheim and landed on the left side of the penalty area.

Yang Yang turned around as fast as possible and inserted obliquely behind Oshei.

Manchester United's right back responded passively. As soon as he turned around, Yang Yang threw it away.

Only Ferdinand, who had been paying attention to Yang Yang, followed Yang Yang all the way, O'She ran to the middle, ready to assist in defending behind Ferdinand at any time.

At this moment, Gareth Barry suddenly felt a moment of regret because he hesitated for a moment, allowing the experienced Ferdinand to see the clues. If he believed Yang Yang's words, he would pass directly behind him as soon as he caught the ball, which would definitely be a wonderful single shot.

But now, Yang Yang is entangled by Ferdinand again.

Gareth Barry, as a teammate of the national team, is very clear about the strength of the England central defender. In this game, Ferdinand wore Manchester United's captain's armband and performed extremely excitedly.

Yang Yang failed to gain advantage from Ferdinand in the first two times, and this time he was entangled again, which is probably a big deal.

After all, if the attack is not effective this time, it will be him who will drag down Yang Yang.

...

Yang Yang didn't think too much about it. When he saw Gareth Barry passing the ball, he immediately inserted behind Osheim.

Ferdinand reacted very quickly, and he was not slow, and he chased him reluctantly. He even secretly pulled Yang Yang's jersey behind him, which caused Yang Yang to slow down.

But he had the advantage in the position. Yang Yang took the lead and caught up with the ball. He took a quick trip forward and the ball was controlled by him. The man rushed into the penalty area.

It was just that Ferdinand was always on his inside, pressing his shoulders with his hands while squeezing him with his body.

As an experienced world-class central defender, the Manchester United captain knows very clearly how to limit his opponents.
Chapter completed!