Alex Ferguson needed such a calm night to put a footnote to the hustle and bustle of the past week - defeating Chelsea, Manchester United entered the Champions League semi-finals in a thrilling way; losing to Manchester City, exiting the FA Cup; watching Arsenal take the lead at the last minute
Being equalized, a hanging heart returned with joy.
On Tuesday night, his team drew 0-0 with Newcastle at St. James Park. In the standings, the championship situation that was optimistic yesterday was in trouble again. They have one more game and are still seven points behind Arsenal. The Premier League
There are only five rounds left, but the winning situation is far from clear.
The wily Ferguson is not as optimistic as the fans. At the same time last week, calls for the Triple Crown were rising after defeating Chelsea, but over the weekend, Manchester City made them bid farewell to the FA Cup.
On Sunday night, Ferguson, who did not leave London, sat in the stands of the Emirates Stadium and watched the match between Arsenal and Liverpool. The ups and downs in the last ten minutes made Sir Alex Ferguson's heart suffer again. Fortunately, Liverpool equalized at the last moment.
The score gave Manchester United a temporary reprieve.
The next devilish schedule makes Ferguson prepare to let his team take a breather. Facing the Magpies who have not defeated him in ten years (17 games), at St. James Stadium, Ferguson rested Valencia, Park Ji-sung, Ferdinand and Li Yu.
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But even though Little Pea almost scored after receiving a pass from Rooney in the first two minutes, the game was more like Sir Alex Ferguson said, "Newcastle was under control in the first 20 minutes." Ameobi had a chance in front of the goal, Lowencrantz
Even people in the penalty area looked at the header and headed it wide. Button, who claims to be England's best midfielder, showed off his passing skills. Even Argentinian Gutierrez also performed a stunt of passing three people in a row.
Manchester United did not have no opportunities. Rooney missed the chance of a single shot and a long-range shot. Giggs also had two excellent opportunities in front of the goal, but the Red Devils always felt bad. Perhaps, the Red Devils, who are good at reversal, have no disadvantage.
Turnable moments are also hypnotized.
When Evra broke into the penalty area and passed back to Giggs, who missed the shot, the Welsh legend actually laughed. Manchester United wasted time in ease.
Until the last moment of the game, Little Pea dribbled the ball from the left side of the penalty area to avoid Simpson and fell to the ground. Ferguson seemed to have waited for the last chance, but the referee Probert resolutely gave the Mexican a yellow card warning. Manchester United's last chance was shattered.
And this also continues Manchester United's poor record of 17 away games this season with 5 wins, 9 draws and 3 losses (Editor's note: Arsenal has 8 wins, 6 draws and 2 losses away from home). The league has been slow to gain momentum since then, and it has also caused problems for the next championship.
The dispute added more surprises.[
"I'm very satisfied with the performance of the players. Newcastle performed very well. They posed a great threat to us in the first 20 minutes, but they did not threaten our goalkeeper. And I am satisfied that we can perform like this after Wembley.
, After all, Wembley will require you to consume too much." Ferguson concluded after the game. "I am very confident that we will be very good, we are in a better position than Saturday. One less game, we are still the same
Location." The old gentleman said easily.
"Chelsea will now play three consecutive home games, and we have to see how they respond. Fortunately, we have a goal difference advantage." Inexplicably, Ferguson positioned Chelsea as the most threatening competitor after the game, and he could no longer be there.
The referee made a fuss, and the wily Ferguson resumed his long-lost psychological warfare this time. In the league standings, they were 7 points ahead of Arsenal and 9 points ahead of Chelsea. The most threatening opponent should have been the Gunners.
"The away game against Arsenal and the home game against Chelsea are very important to us now." Ferguson concluded. Manchester United now has five league rounds, namely against Everton at home, against Arsenal away from home, against Chelsea at home, and against Chelsea away from home.
Blackburn and Blackpool at home, anyone with a discerning eye can see that Manchester United is the most threatening
Their opponents happen to be two competitors for the championship. Chelsea will face West Ham, Tottenham, Manchester United away, Newcastle at home, and Everton away; Arsenal will face Bolton away, Manchester United at home, and Everton away.
There are games against Stoke, Villa at home and Fulham away. Even from the schedule, the weakest opponent is Manchester United.
But Ferguson's problem is that in the two games against Arsenal and Chelsea in the middle of the week, they happen to participate in two Champions League semi-finals. This makes it even more difficult for the Red Devils, who often have ups and downs in two-front operations. Don't talk about another game.
A draw will create confusion about the situation of winning the championship. Even if the players in the team are injured, it will make Ferguson worried for a while. Because the impact will definitely not only be reflected on one battlefield, but also have a chain reaction.
Ferguson could not be dissatisfied with the suspense of the Premier League. At the beginning of the league, when Chelsea took the lead, many people had already awarded the league championship to the Blues in advance. However, after getting out of the vicious cycle of losing away games, the stable Red Devils slowly
To catch up and dominate the Premier League. But this season's Premier League is destined not to be a stage for one team to laugh alone.
When Manchester United lost to Wolves for the first time in the league this season, they left their opponents with a chance for the first time. Unfortunately, Arsenal was chased four goals in a row by Newcastle in a good situation with Newcastle leading by four goals. Referee Dodd
The opponent was inexplicably given two penalty kicks. Compared with Manchester United's always poor away game without scoring, the two points lost by the Gunners were obviously more regrettable.
But on the weekend after Chelsea defeated Manchester United, the Gunners failed to score all three points because the referee misjudged Arshavin's last-minute goal (offside) (Editor's note: Arsenal lost 4 points due to the referee's fault in the second round). Manchester United
They didn't take advantage of this, and were defeated by Liverpool again the next day; but the Gunners, who were close, were once again within reach, and they lost another four points to West Brom and Blackburn in succession. Chelsea, who was already about to catch up, now
But they also lost points in a draw with Stoke City.
When Manchester United fell behind by two goals at West Ham and then chased four goals in a row, everyone believed that the most stable and powerful team in the Premier League this season was the Red Devils. But now, the suspense continues with the one point against Newcastle.
There is no doubt that this season’s Premier League will be the most intense season in the history of the league.
When Li Yu won the best trophy of the year, what was left was that the backbone of the traditional top four was weak this season.
Here, there are no fleeting opportunities, nor quick eyes and quick hands to seize opportunities. Manchester United's away games are slow, Arsenal's home games and critical moments are weak, Chelsea's ups and downs and front line confusion, no team has a conquering performance.
.So, even if Ferguson and his disciples can win a record 19th top league championship trophy at the end of the league, they will not be able to become the real kings of the world.
In the middle of the league, Ferguson once lamented, "This season's Premier League is like the Champions League, the rankings are staggered. It is incredible that Sunderland, a relegation team at the beginning of the season, can turn around and compete for the European Cup position." Now, Sunderland has lost nine games.
They are close to the relegation zone. As for Manchester United, even if their opponents in the last five rounds seem weak, in this season where everyone is protecting themselves (the relegation situation is serious), the Red Devils cannot encounter an opponent who surrenders easily. This season's Premier League is destined to be entangled.
Fight to the end.
In the game against Newcastle, Ferguson gave Ferdinand a day off, who had played three consecutive games since his comeback. This was not only because the former England captain stepped forward to teach Balotelli a lesson after being eliminated from the FA Cup last week, but also because
It was because Leo welcomed his first daughter, Tia, in the early hours of last Sunday. More importantly, Leo was waiting for the court's sentencing of a woman who had entangled him.
Suzanne Ibru is a 38-year-old black woman. This woman who claims to have visited Leo's stepfather's house in 1998 and "fell in love at first sight" with him drove the 400-mile round trip multiple times last year to the place uninvited.
Leo's home in Cheshire caused great trouble to Ferdinand's family.
"I'm really worried. The safety of my family is very important to me and to everyone." Ferdinand told the media.[
In his opinion, he didn't know this woman at all, and Suzanne first went to Old Trafford to harass him, and then found Ferdinand's mother's phone number in the church and frequently called the old lady to "send hello" and inquire about Ferdinand's current situation.
Unable to bear it, Ferdinand finally took the woman to court.
In the absence of Suzanne, Judge Sanders convicted her of harassment and issued an arrest warrant. Leo still doesn't know whether the gray sister-in-law who often rings his doorbell in the early morning will come again.
Visit him. But finally, the Football Association has announced that it will not make any punishment for the trouble between him and Balotelli last weekend.
Fortunately, Manchester United has become accustomed to the days when the defense lacks him. In this game, Vidic had 11 effective steals and became the best player in the game. The youngster Smallin has also grown rapidly and blocked Gutie in the first half.
Reis shot past three people.
Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson said that Chelsea is the number one opponent in the fight for the Premier League title and Arsenal has "no chance".
Now in the Premier League standings, Chelsea has surpassed Arsenal with a goal difference. Ferguson had long expected this situation. He said: "I said a few weeks ago that Chelsea will be our main challenger.
, but I don’t know if anyone could listen to this at that time.”
"Now they have surpassed Arsenal. Look at Chelsea. They are more experienced than Arsenal, with a strong squad and strong experience."
"Arsenal can play better football, but Chelsea is the better, stronger team. Both teams are six points behind us. I think Chelsea will be more threatening because their schedule is easier."
"But they have to come and fight at Old Trafford and it won't be easy for them and given our experience we have the ability to deal with the chase. You have to confirm who is behind you and can't be complacent. If we beat Everton
, there are only four games left, and they may still be at least six points ahead, so the subsequent games may not be enough for them to catch up."
Ferguson also said that having Chelsea chasing you can give Manchester United more motivation. "It's good to know that someone is chasing you. You have to concentrate. Over the past many years, we have been in similar situations and have similar experiences. I hope this
It will allow us to reach our final destination.”
The good news for Manchester United is that Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher is back. He has been recovering from injury since losing to Liverpool on March 6. Ferguson said: "Darren is back in training now and he has practiced well this week.
, maybe he can play in about ten days, he is a very important player."
"Over the years, Darren has always performed well in important games because he has the awareness and discipline to perform any task you ask. When he comes back, he can directly enter the main lineup."
"Rafael is also back in the lineup and can play on Saturday. We will see how Li Yu performs. As long as he is on the field, Manchester United will have no lack of offensive motivation."
The next game at Everton was exactly what Ferguson said.
Raphael and Li Yu both played important roles.
In order to prepare for the Champions League semi-finals next week, Sir Alex Ferguson made a bold rotation of the team's main lineup in the home game against Everton.
When Evans made his first appearance after 34 days, I am afraid many Manchester United fans were worried about the team's defense.
But in fact, Evans performed very steadily in this game, giving full play to his advantages of heading and grabbing, and repeatedly defused the opponent's threatening counterattacks. In contrast, another Jiu Shu battle team
The fringe player once again disappointed Ferguson.
Gibson, who has proven to be extremely useful many times this season, once again received the opportunity generously given by Sir Alex Ferguson, but the Irishman completely failed to play the role he should have played as Carrick's substitute. To make matters worse, Gibson used four feet to
His shocking shooting made the nickname "Emperor of Long-Range Shooting" become a mockery.
Gibson's performance after the opening was quite positive. It can be seen that he, who is already at the forefront of the transfer, very much hopes to prove his worth. Since Manchester United takes the absolute initiative on the scene, Gibson can frequently press into the opponent's hinterland to participate in the attack. So
, the cup started...
In the 18th minute, Gibson picked up the ball in front of the penalty area, and almost reflexively took a long-range shot with his head down. The ball drew a weird arc and went straight to the stands. Seeing such an irresponsible way of handling the ball
, the home fans immediately responded with boos.
The home team players booed, which is rare at Old Trafford, but Gibson did it. However, the fans' boos did not seem to curb Gibson's desire to shoot. Gibson, who was even more eager to prove himself, did not let anyone go.
The opportunity to try a long shot seems to want the fans at Old Trafford to see: My long shot is not that bad. But it backfired. Each of Gibson's shots was like a reminder, accelerating his departure from Manchester United.
Club pace.
In the 27th minute, Gibson took another out-of-this-world shot from 25 meters away from the goal, but the ball still went wide.
Just 4 minutes later, Gibson made a comeback. With ample preparation time, the "Long Shot King" pulled away, took aim, rounded, and took another long-range shot, but the ball still missed. Gibson was so ashamed that he immediately threw his hands
Cover your face and run away, then
Then he turned around and raised his hands to apologize to his teammates. During the halftime break, amid speculation about how Manchester United would break the deadlock in the second half, replacing Gibson became the first choice without any doubt. Many fans bluntly said that with Gibson on the court, Manchester United was like 10 against 11.
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However, Ferguson still kept Gibson on the field after the start of the second half. This was probably not because Sir Alex Ferguson had any expectations for Gibson's performance, but because he was trying to give Giggs as much rest as possible before the more critical Champions League game.
After a while, it turned out that Gibson was in the
In the 58th minute, Rooney, who was looking for the ball from the side, once again performed a long-range shot against a defensive player. Rooney couldn't help but start to complain. Sir Alex, who couldn't stand it anymore, finally reluctantly replaced Gibson with Giggs.
The "Salute Show" of "Long Shot Emperor" came to an end.
Opt's post-match statistics show that Gibson missed all 4 shots in the game (in contrast, Hernandez hit all 4 shots within the goal range), with a passing success rate of 833%.
The passing success rate was 75%, and both statistics were the lowest among the four starting midfielders. "Sky Sports" gave Gibson the lowest score of 5 in the team after the game, and said that his shot had no aim at all.
It is also in name only.
Ironically, as a midfielder, Gibson was awarded the title due to his mediocre speed, ball control, confrontation, passing, defense, organization, and insertion ability. He only had some characteristics with a powerful long-range shot.
With the embarrassing nickname of "Long Shot King". Also because of his long-range shooting skills, Ferguson once intended to make Gibson "Manchester United's Lampard" and even praised Gibson as "having special abilities that other Manchester United players do not have."
But now, Gibson has even abandoned his ability to press the bottom of the box. He really can't think of any reason for the handsome Irishman to stay at Old Trafford.
In fact, Irish national team coach Trapattoni once advised Gibson to leave Manchester United. He said: "Gibson still has potential to be tapped. If I were Gibson, then I would choose to leave Manchester United and join a team where I can participate in more
The teams competing.”
Obviously, the Italian gold medal coach also believes that Gibson's current ability is not worthy of the red jersey he is wearing. Although the 23-year-old Gibson is known as the star of hope, in fact he is not worthy of it.
He is young, and if he continues to hang out at Manchester United like this, he may really be useless.
After all, Gibson's attributes of playing multiple midfield positions are quite attractive to many small clubs. Instead of becoming a useless person at Manchester United, perhaps going to a lower platform will be more conducive to making "long-range shots" possible.
"Emperor" to retrieve the scope.
The most critical goal occurred in the 81st minute. Rafael made a pass from the bottom line, and Li Yu succeeded in grabbing the point from the crowd. It was a complete kill that allowed Manchester United to get 3 points!
It was another critical moment for Li Yu. He did not show any celebration when facing his old boss Li Yu, 1:0!
In a crucial game, with Li Yu's goal, Manchester United scored a crucial 3 points!
