Last week, Manchester United lost 1-2 to Basel in an away game. Not only did the team qualify for the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the first time since the 2006 season, but it also unfortunately lost the backbone of the defense Vidic.
Due to a serious knee ligament injury, the Manchester United captain has been completely reimbursed for the season. This is undoubtedly aggravating the situation for Manchester United, which is full of injuries. Now Manchester United only has Ferdinand, Evans and Smalling at the center back position.
Phil Jones has four players, the last two of whom often need to go to other positions for emergency relief. It is equivalent to having only two pure central defenders, veteran Ferdinand and "Time Bomb" Evans, and Manchester United's defense is under great pressure.
As the leader in the locker room, the 33-year-old Ferdinand will also assume more responsibilities.
Since he does not plan to buy defense players in the winter, Ancelotti said in an interview with the Mirror before the game that he needs Ferdinand to stay healthy and become the core figure of Manchester United's defense.
The Italian coach spoke highly of Ferdinand: "I think Ferdinand played the best game of the season against Basel. We need Leo's experience to help young players grow. Ferdinand had to play 3 games in 7 days.
However, he has been in good condition in the past few weeks and his physical fitness is not a problem. Considering that Leo is 33 years old and injuries have plagued him in the past two years, we need to pay close attention to his physical condition."
Ferdinand did not disappoint Ancelotti. Although the game against Wolves was his third game in seven days, Ferdinand still showed no signs of fatigue. Facing the fierce cross attack from the left side of Wolves, Ferdinand used the ball again and again.
A clean clearance helped the team save the day.
In the 30th minute, Jarvis of the Wolves made a very threatening pass from the left, and Ferdinand headed the ball to clear the ball immediately; in the 40th minute, Jarvis made another pass, and Ferdinand jumped and jumped to push the ball out of the penalty area, which resolved the problem.
The Wolves had a scoring chance; in the 65th minute, Ferdinand intercepted the ball in the backcourt and launched an offensive, passing the ball directly to Li Yu who was man-marking in the middle line. Li Yu cooperated with Welbeck, Nani and others to form a threatening goal.
attack.
In the 72nd minute, Ferdinand once again grabbed the first point in the aerial battle. The ball was about to roll out of the sideline. However, in order not to give the opponent a chance to throw in the ball, Ferdinand, who was full of energy, rushed to the sideline and controlled the ball.
At his own feet, this move also received applause from the 75,627 spectators at Old Trafford. In the 90th minute, Ferdinand received a yellow card for a foul while defending the opponent's forward Doyle, but this did not affect his originality.
An outstanding performance in the game.
In the whole game, Ferdinand contributed an astonishing 20 clearances. In terms of this data, Evans had 10 times, Smalling 6 times, and Evra 4 times. The number of clearances made by Ferdinand alone was equivalent to the other three players in Manchester United's defense.
The sum total of people.[
In addition, he had 10 counter-attacks in the game, which can be called the anchor of the defense. In the post-match ratings of "Sky Sports", Ferdinand also scored the highest score of 8 points in the game. Manchester United's official website also placed its high praise on Ferdinand.
High praise: "Dominant defensive performance, using several beautiful headers to defuse the opponent's offensive in his own area. After taking over the captaincy from Evra, he was awarded for chasing a side ball.
received applause from the entire audience.”
After a big victory, Ferdinand, who was in a good mood, also interacted with the fans on his special message: "I am very happy to be able to dedicate a wonderful game to the fans today. The four goals are also a response to the defeat in midweek. Enjoy this night."
Bar."
Ferdinand's recent recovery in form has delighted fans. At the beginning of the season, due to injuries and other reasons, Ferdinand's poor form was criticized by Ferguson. However, after a period of recovery, the former world's number one central defender is regaining his new coach Ancelo.
Di's trust.
Due to Vidic's serious injury, there are still more than 20 days before the start of the winter transfer. Manchester United now desperately needs a healthy and stable Ferdinand to help the team tide over the difficulties.
Ferdinand also said in an interview with the Mirror before the game that he would help the team achieve a turnaround. He said: "The team has a group of experienced players and we will get back on the right track. I am not worried about the future."
Games. A few weeks ago people were saying that Manchester United would be champions, that we would be this or that, and even after being eliminated from the Champions League, those goals will not change."
This victory also has special meaning for Ferdinand himself. This is his 250th Premier League victory. Ferdinand also becomes the following player after Giggs (374), Scholes (296) and Lampard (284).
, Phil Neville (262), Gary Neville (256), he is the sixth player in the nearly 20-year history of the Premier League to achieve this feat. The 33-year-old Leo has also added to his career.
A bold stroke of color.
Since joining Manchester United from Leeds United for 29 million pounds in 2002, Ferdinand has relied on his own strength to become the absolute core of Manchester United's defense after Stam, and has contributed to the team's championship titles.
Once became the world's number one central defender.
Now 9 years have passed. Due to age and injuries, Ferdinand has lost the absolute dominance he had at his peak. However, when the team is full of injuries, morale is low, and the situation is unfavorable, Ferdinand still steps forward to become the ball player.
The final guarantee for the team's defense, using his experience to protect the growth of young players.
Winning the 250th Premier League victory in his career is a milestone achievement that is the best encouragement and praise for Ferdinand. I believe that the old and strong Ferdinand can continue this record and continue to write his own immortality while helping Manchester United win.
legend!
With Li Yu and Nani scoring twice, Manchester United won their second victory in the past six games. After being eliminated from the Champions League, Manchester United quickly stabilized their morale and did not continue to sink.
The four-goal victory was also the most goals scored in a single game in the three months since the 5-0 away win over Bolton Wanderers on September 10. It also continued the magical record of scoring in 25 games since the start of this season. There is no doubt that,
The return of super attacking power is the capital for Manchester United to continue to compete, and it also gives people hope of winning the 20th Premier League crown this season.
The actual situation also shows that the season that is not yet halfway through is not as bad as imagined, and Manchester United is not dead yet. Manchester City's new summer aid Nasri said, "Manchester United is still a major threat to us. I say this because they have greater strength."
Other teams have more championship experience."
In view of the recent criticism of the state and serious injuries, the pre-match data shows that Manchester United's game is not optimistic: in the Premier League, Manchester United's winning rate when Vidic is on the court is as high as 73%, while the winning rate of the game without the Serbian is as high as 73%.
Only 59%.
However, Ancelotti was full of confidence in young people when he accepted Manchester United's official website before the game: "Young players have done a lot of great achievements. Smalling, Jones, Welbeck are all able to play for the country - they will
He has become the cornerstone of the team in recent years, no doubt about it."
Experts from bb also believe that Manchester United is likely to win a big victory: "After Manchester United loses the Champions League, Wolves are likely to become the target of slaughter by their opponents." The final result proved this. After the game, Manchester United right back Sima
Lin believes that Ancelotti's boys have responded well to the doubts about them: "This is an important game. The coach has shown people a firm belief all season, and we as players on the field have
It’s time to prove with your performance that you deserve to be in the starting 11.”[
Yes, a big victory is gratifying, but what is even more exciting is that the team regained the most precious thing in the shortest time, which is confidence.
As the saying goes, "It's always a good time". Despite suffering a disastrous defeat in the Champions League and frequent injuries, the "Red Devils" still have confidence. Many potential facts prove that Manchester United still has the opportunity to achieve a "definite counterattack" this season.
Anyone familiar with the Premier League knows that the "Christmas Battle" in December will be a very critical stage of competition. The short and frequent schedule will greatly test the team's fighting ability. Teams that lack championship experience are likely to be
Falling behind on this road.
Let's take a look at the schedule of leader Manchester City: they will face Chelsea, Arsenal, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion from December 12th to 26th.
In January, there will be three games against Liverpool in various competitions and a match against Manchester United in the FA Cup. It can be said that these two months have been difficult for the "Blue Moon Army" who aim to win all championships.
If you are not careful, you will lose the opportunity to compete for the trophy and lose the lead in the league.
Manchester United's schedule is much better: Queens Park Rangers, Fulham, Wigan Athletic and Blackburn are Manchester United's opponents in mid-December.
This schedule seems at least easier than Manchester City, so it is the best time to narrow the points gap. If Manchester City loses at Stamford Bridge, Manchester United can at least narrow the gap to 3 points. Who will win the league championship is definitely a difficult question to answer.
The problem.
Don’t forget that in the 1995-96 season, Manchester United crossed a huge 12-point gap and reversed Newcastle to win the championship; in the 2002-03 season, the 8-point disadvantage against Arsenal could not stop the Red Devils’ counterattack; and in the face of last season,
Chelsea's perfect start, in the end Manchester United told people with their 19th top league championship trophy: the Red Devils are the boss of the Premier League!
Manchester United has stumbled all the way this season, but still achieved a good record of 11 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss in the league. You know, in the 20 seasons of the Premier League, Manchester United has only had a better record in the same period in 2 seasons.
In the 1993-94 season, Manchester United accumulated 40 points after 15 rounds, and in the 2006-07 season, Manchester United accumulated 38 points after 15 rounds. In both seasons, Manchester United eventually won the league championship.
The current league results this season have not been paid attention to. On the one hand, it is because Manchester United is in poor condition and has only a handful of victories with more than 2 goals. On the other hand, it is because the performance of Manchester City, which has a luxurious lineup, is too eye-catching and has dominated the limelight for a while.
.So for Manchester United, which is a pursuer and competes in the league in a low profile, this mentality is actually more beneficial.
Ancelotti, who was interviewed after the game, also confirmed this: "Of course we want to put pressure on Manchester City, but the most important thing is to play our own game well. If we can still perform well when the New Year comes,
, then there is still a great chance in the second half of the season.”
However, if Ancelotti wants to realize this wish, he still has one problem on his mind, that is, winter signings. Ancelotti, who had previously emphasized that he would not buy anyone in the winter, is facing an increasingly long injury period.
I'm afraid they won't sit idly by as the sick list is on the list. Former Manchester United player Robbie Savage urged the "teacher" to buy people quickly on bb: "I think Manchester United needs at least three more players to compete with Li Yu's 'x factor'
'To react and become competitive in the European arena."
In addition to the many problems that Manchester United has to solve itself, I believe that news from the outside will also give the players a lot of confidence: After Manchester United was eliminated in the Champions League group stage 6 years ago, they remained unbeaten in 10 consecutive games.
It shows that the defeat in the European competition has stimulated the fighting spirit of the players. Other famous coaches in the Premier League also believe that being eliminated from the Champions League is not the end of the world.
Arsenal coach Wenger said: "You need to learn to deal with disappointment. This is part of a big club. And don't forget that Manchester United has reached the Champions League finals three times in the past four years, so being eliminated is just a small surprise for them."
The words of Redknapp, the coach who led Tottenham in the Europa League, verified the intimidating power of the Manchester duo from the side: "How can you be eliminated from the Champions League and switch to the Europa League? If you are eliminated, you are eliminated.
Of course, if you are eliminated from the FA Cup, you will not be able to enter the League Cup. So this approach is simply unbelievable and I don’t understand it.”
In any case, it is very necessary for Manchester United, which is currently at a low ebb, to see the road ahead and formulate a detailed season operation plan. And such things as tactical play, personnel arrangements, signing issues, and the balance between the league and the cup
Whichever choice is most important, I believe it will trigger Ancelotti's thinking.
Manchester City, who were also eliminated from the Champions League, had discordant voices.
Although Manchester City lost 1-2 to Chelsea in the league last weekend, Balotelli still showed his football talent with a beautiful goal, but the "bad boy" is obviously more talented in causing trouble.
During the training before the game against Arsenal, Balotelli had a conflict with right back Richards on the training ground. Fortunately, teammates who witnessed the incident rushed over to separate Balotelli and Richards, otherwise
I don’t know what the fuss will be like, but nevertheless, Bashen’s behavior has stunned onlookers, and the British media are ridiculing, “Why is it always him?”
Manchester City was about to face Arsenal in the weekend's league match. Unexpectedly, this conflict broke out during pre-match training. The Daily Mail revealed the whole story of this conflict. The cause of the incident was ridiculous. What caused the conflict?
It was just a passing error by Richards.
Balotelli expressed dissatisfaction with Richards' passing error and shouted at Richards, "If you don't pass the ball to my feet, I won't run at all"; Richards was very impatient.
The response, "Grow up quickly, Mario."
After that, Balotelli was still cursing there. The England defender lost his cool and rushed forward. Of course, Balotelli was not to be outdone. Both sides extended their fists. Including Milner, Yaya Toure and the captain
Many Manchester City players, including Kompany, immediately rushed into the "battlefield" and spent a lot of effort to separate the two.
Subsequently, all the players were called together by head coach Mancini, who seemed to be accustomed to Balotelli's various unpredictable actions and did not react too much.
Richards later tried to calm down the incident. He said on Twitter: "Mario (Balotelli) and I have a good relationship. This kind of thing happens often in training, and we then shook hands and made peace."
Manchester City lost to Chelsea in an away game in the Premier League last weekend, with only 2 points left in the lead. Before facing Arsenal at the weekend, the first thing Mancini had to do was to handle the relationship within the team, while Balotelli
This is the most difficult problem facing Mancini.
On the eve of the Manchester derby, Balotelli and his friends set off fireworks in the bathroom of his home and almost burned down his mansion.
The day before the crucial match between Manchester City and Chelsea, Balotelli left the hotel without Mancini's permission, and the purpose was to go to the bar to drink and relax. He had a conflict with his teammates during training. For Balotelli
This is not the first time for Leeds. Defender Jerome Boateng, who has transferred to Bayern, once had a fierce conflict with Balotelli. Current captain Kompany and left back Kolarov both
There was a conflict with Balotelli on the training ground.
The more critical point is that everything that happens at the Manchester City training ground will be spread without reservation, because a sidewalk next to the training ground is open to the public, and the Manchester City club is already considering raising the fence to block outside prying eyes.
.But even if City can stop the cameras coming in, can they stop Balotelli?
Balotelli had a conflict with teammate Richards in training, but Mancini said the matter ended quickly. "I asked Balotelli, why is it always you? He said because Richards didn't take it seriously at the time.
Pass the ball to him."
"It was a silly argument, but nothing serious. It was settled after ten minutes and it was over."
"Things like this always happen on the training ground, I've been involved in it before, at Sampdoria, with Trevor Francis and Liam Brady, it's very common. When you play
In an eight-on-eight match, you will be very passionate and impulsive. This can happen to every team, not every week, but it will be very common."
"Balotelli and Richards were punching each other, but their relationship was like twins, they were very good friends. This has happened to Balotelli four times, he is the king of conflict.
, but other players also have this kind of thing."
Mancini also joked about Balotelli's fireworks incident some time ago. "However, Balotelli should be careful. It's almost Christmas. At this time of the year, there will be a high incidence of fireworks incidents. He'd better
It’s better to stay in the hotel.”
The African Cup of Nations will start early next year. Manchester City's Yaya Toure will represent Cote d'Ivoire, but Mancini hopes that he will stay until after playing Wigan on January 16. "If possible, we hope that he will
It can be saved until the game against Wigan. The game against Wigan is one week away from the start of the African Cup of Nations. If they reach the final, Yaya Toure and Kulo Toure will not come back until February 12. For us
"That's a problem, I think if we're still at the top of the table when the two brothers come back we will win the league."
When it comes to the championship situation, Mancini believes that the three teams have the greatest hope, but he does not rule out the possibility of other teams. "Currently, Manchester City, Manchester United and maybe Tottenham are the three teams fighting for the championship.
But the season is still long and Chelsea, Arsenal and maybe Liverpool can also challenge. This season is very difficult and we have a lot of games to play in the next 40 days."
