Chapter 695 Corner Kick

The announcer at White Hart Lane used his unique voice to pronounce the names of each starting player.

What is clear is that when the names of Tottenham Hotspur players are read, deafening cheers are heard every time, but when the names of Manchester United players are read, the treatment received by the Red Devils is boos and even insults. .

This is already commonplace in away games!

The players from both teams slowly walked out of the tunnel under the leadership of referee Martin Atkinson. After shaking hands, guessing sides and other game conventions, both sides went to their own half to line up.

In this game, Tottenham Hotspur started with their main lineup. The goalkeeper was Cech, the defense was Marcelo, Kompany, Thiago Silva and Alves, and the midfielder was Lazio. Musai, Pirlo and Vidal, and the front trident is a combination of Ribery, Cavani and Messi.

Since the establishment of the research center, Tottenham Hotspur has done a good job in preventing injuries. Except for some injuries caused by emergencies during the game, players are basically rarely injured. Coupled with the club's certain rotations and preventive measures, the team was able to put together a strong lineup in some key games.

Manchester United is also using its main players. The goalkeeper is De Gea, the defense is Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand and Rafael, and the midfielder is Giggs, Carrick and Scholes. Combination, the front trident is Tevez, Benzema and Rooney.

Among them, Scholes had originally announced his retirement after the end of last season, but after half of this season, Ferguson was very dissatisfied with the performance of Sneijder and Lars Diarra. Among them, Lars Diarra La Geng was relegated to the sidelines by Ferguson due to salary and contract renewal issues, and Sneijder was also reduced to a substitute due to poor form.

Under this circumstance, Ferguson re-invited Scholes to come back. After his comeback, Scholes performed very well and occupied the main midfield position. Together with Giggs, who is also a veteran, Manchester United's entire midfield Works very well.

But everyone knows that with such a midfield configuration, it is undoubtedly impossible to compete with the ideal combination of Ramsey, Vidal and Pirlo, so before the game , many media have expressed their pessimistic attitude towards Ferguson's away trip.

But Lafayette was not to be outdone. At the press conference before the game, he publicly stated that this would be a very serious game. "This game is of great significance to both sides. Although Tottenham Spurs are at the top of the table, but if they lose this game, it will be the first time they have lost in the past year."

"I told our players that this is a championship-deciding game and we need a win to continue our pursuit and desire for the championship. I believe the pressure on Tottenham Hotspur is also very high because they also hope To win this game, they know very well that it’s not going to be an easy game.”

As a famous player of Manchester United, Gary Neville also said in his column that this derby match will have a crucial impact on the future situation of the Premier League. “These are the two most powerful and successful teams in the Premier League in the past few years. It’s a battle between two teams, and I believe that everyone at Manchester United should fight to wash away their shame now!”

Losing to Tottenham Hotspur 0:8 at Old Trafford was definitely a humiliation for the Red Devils, but from another perspective, it was also an inspiration to all the players to fight against the odds. .

In fact, as soon as the game started, Manchester United had a strong intention to turn away from home.

Less than two minutes into the game, Carrick got a chance to kick the ball in the penalty area after getting in from behind. However, Kompany, who returned to defense in time, blocked the ball and made a clearance, but this obviously did not let Manchester United give up. .

In this game, Ferguson used two veterans, Giggs and Scholes, to partner with Carrick in the midfield. A very important reason is that he believes that the veterans can bring more mental strength to the team in this game. To inspire, this is something that Sneijder, Lars Diarra or Park Ji-sung and others cannot give.

But Ferguson is also very aware that veterans have their weaknesses and shortcomings when they play, especially in terms of running.

Therefore, after less than five minutes of attacking after the start, he got two shooting opportunities, but they failed to hit the goal. Then he started to shrink back and play. This was also the opening tactic specially arranged by Ferguson before the game.

"The rhythm of a typical Hollywood blockbuster!" Ye Qiu said with a smile on the sidelines.

Hollywood commercial blockbusters basically come out of the same model. The most important thing is to have a small climax at the beginning of the movie, which directly arouses everyone's emotions, and then slowly enters the theme of the movie.

Ferguson actually has to play defense in this game. He himself knows very well that in an attack, Manchester United is no match for Tottenham Hotspur. Only defensive counterattacks can have a chance, but he has no chance with other teams. It’s different. I’ll give you a few minutes of fast-paced play at the beginning. It’s best if you can score a goal. If you can’t score a goal, you’ll have to boost your morale.

"He knows us too well!" Mauro Tassotti feels that Ferguson is indeed a formidable opponent. More importantly, his understanding of football is hard to come by in today's football world. Comparable.

"This is just a small trick, Mauro. The most important thing in a football match is that strength speaks for itself!"

Ye Qiu did not deny that sometimes small tricks can produce surprising results. For example, if Tottenham Hotspur accidentally scored a goal after being attacked by Manchester United after the opening, the situation of the game would be completely changed, but this probability is very low. Small.

For a head coach, only by improving the team's strength and optimizing the team's tactics can the team's winning probability be increased.

An excellent head coach can never pin his hopes on a small probability event.

After five minutes of attacking, Tottenham Hotspur's defense stabilized in an orderly manner, and the team gradually took control of the game. Starting from the sixth minute, Tottenham Hotspur began to take the initiative. , continuously exerting pressure on Manchester United, and Ferguson's team also retreated into its own 30-meter area in just three minutes.

Tottenham had all the advantages and could even be said to have beaten Manchester United to the ground, but Ferguson's targeted tactics were still very effective, especially when Tevez and Rooney actively retreated to support the midfield. , although the team's frontcourt offense was sacrificed, it improved the defensive hardness of the midfield.

The game time passed very quickly. Apart from the shot in the first five minutes of the game, Manchester United had almost no chance to shoot. Although Tottenham Hotspur got a lot of shooting opportunities, they were not very good goals. Chance, it is difficult to threaten Manchester United's goal.

Despite this, Pirlo still firmly controlled the rhythm on the court for Tottenham Hotspur and seized the initiative, making it difficult for Manchester United to have a chance to fight back, let alone play a decent offense. .

After joining Tottenham Hotspur this season, Pirlo's performance has been very eye-catching and has returned to the level of his peak. In addition, Ramsey and Vidal are both offensive and defensive players with very good skills and excellent awareness. , making Tottenham Hotspur's midfield very resilient, and Pirlo's single midfielder problem has not been exposed.

The only big one is the away game against Newcastle, but that's it.

With the team having the advantage and controlling the initiative on the field, even if the midfield ended 0:0, Ye Qiu still did not make adjustments or substitutions. Instead, he reminded the players during the halftime break that it was appropriate. Add some forward passing in the penalty area.

Although most of Tottenham Hotspur's shooting opportunities in the first half were in the penalty area, they were all between the small penalty area and the large penalty area. It was difficult to enter the small penalty area, and they were basically on both sides. Neither are good shooting opportunities.

This is mainly related to Tevez and Rooney's return defense. They even frequently return to the bottom line, let alone the front edge of the penalty area, which makes Tottenham Hotspur not do enough in this aspect. , so Ye Qiu asked the players to increase the number of passes from the front of the penalty area, and then pass into the penalty area to create murderous opportunities.

Just at the beginning of the second half, Tottenham Hotspur got a chance in the small penalty area.

Vidal received a pass from Alves on the right side of the penalty area and sent a through ball into the penalty area. Messi received the ball on the right side of the small penalty area and wanted to dunk Vidic, but the Serbian stuck After losing his position, Messi had no choice but to accelerate suddenly, highlight an open space and then pass the ball. Cavani in the small penalty area wanted to volley and hit the goal, but he hit the ball high.

This is also the most threatening shot opportunity in the entire game. It appears in the middle of the small penalty area. As long as Cavani can suppress the ball, even if he hits the center directly without choosing an angle, the possibility of scoring is very high, even if he can't do it himself. Breaking the goal can also create opportunities for Ribery and Messi, because De Gea will definitely not be able to catch such a shot and will definitely let it go.

Cavani also felt helpless that he wasted such an opportunity, and kept waving at his teammates as he walked back.

Ferguson saw the problem and immediately made targeted adjustments, but he still did not make any substitutions. The reason was simple. If Ye Qiu didn't want to change, he wouldn't change either, because he didn't want to break the balance.

For Manchester United, being able to escape with one point from White Hart Lane is actually a very good result.

As for winning the championship, Ferguson is not that stupid. If you want to snipe Tottenham Hotspur, you have to look at your own strength. Manchester City and Liverpool may still be possible, but Manchester United really does not have such strength at the moment, unless Tottenham Hotspur Naham Hotspur themselves made major mistakes, but judging from the game process, Ye Qiu did not make any mistakes.

You know, Ye Qiu's coaching team has nearly thirty people. Except for a few core coaching staff members, everyone else has their own expertise and responsibilities. Therefore, with sufficient preparation, he wants Tottenham Hotspur to Making mistakes is almost impossible.

This is also a very interesting phenomenon. Ye Qiu and Guardiola can be said to be the most successful head coaches in the past few years. The former has a coaching team of 29 people, while Guardiola has 24 people. It can be seen that, Success or failure also has a lot to do with the head coach's assistant team.

"Good sign!" Ye Qiu was not as nervous as Ferguson. He seemed a little relaxed because Tottenham Hotspur had the advantage.

Mauro Tassotti also laughed, "From outside the penalty area, to inside the penalty area, and now to the small penalty area, pushing forward step by step, I think we are not far away from scoring!"

Although this statement is a bit far-fetched, it does make sense.

"If I don't make any substitutions now and let the game continue as it is, I should be able to score a goal!" Ye Qiu felt this way.

"If you don't change, Ferguson probably won't change either. He's too passive now!" Mauro Tassotti also felt that he shouldn't take the initiative to change players. This would only disrupt the current advantages and situation, and make Ferguson's fortune.

At least, according to the data obtained by Ye Qiu, 87.2% of the pass success rate and 57.5% of the ball possession rate are the two data that Tottenham Hotspur likes the most, and they are also the data that can best play the characteristics of Tottenham Hotspur. Why do we need to change players?

Just as Ye Qiu and Mauro Tassotti were analyzing, Pirlo suddenly made a wall-to-wall cooperation with Ramsey from the middle, rushed to the front, and made a lob pass to the right side of the small penalty area. Ribery quickly inserted himself, got ahead of Ferdinand, stuck in position, stopped the ball with his back to the goal, and turned around to shoot directly.

Although the position of this shot was not in the small penalty area, it was in the corner of the small penalty area, very close to the goal. Ribery turned around and shot directly, with great force and a tricky angle, but De Gea's reaction was also very fast. He was originally standing on the left and directly flew to save the ball from the bottom line.

"A world-class save!" Andy Gray couldn't help but cheer for De Gea's save, "De Gea, the young goalkeeper from Spain, performed very well and ensured that Manchester United's goal was not lost!"

The TV live camera repeatedly replayed the shooting action and the saving process just now. Ribery stopped the ball, turned around and shot in one go. The action was very skillful and smooth. Ferdinand couldn't even stop it, but De Gea's reaction was also fast and quick. He flew to save the ball directly, proving that his body was also in a tense state of alert.

"This is indeed a goalkeeper with great potential. He has no stage fright like a young goalkeeper and has the style of a great general!"

"Tottenham Hotspur has a corner kick opportunity!"

Pirlo steadied his hands towards his teammates, signaled that he would take the penalty, and then slowly walked towards the corner area. A quick sprint just now made him a little out of breath. After all, time is not forgiving and he is not young anymore.

Ferguson shouted to the players in the visiting team coach command area on the sidelines, "Watch out for their front point!"

Tottenham Hotspur's ground attack is indeed very good, but this does not mean that their set pieces are not good. On the contrary, in terms of free kicks, Tottenham Hotspur has Pirlo, Beckham, Messi and Ribery, who are quite good at free kicks. In terms of corner kicks, Tottenham Hotspur is relatively weak, but the threat is not small.

Pirlo placed the ball in the corner area, and the penalty area suddenly became a battleground. Tottenham players in white jerseys and Manchester United players in red jerseys were entangled with each other, and at the same time they were also playing various kinds of cover and cooperation.

The front point was Thiago Silva, Vidic stood between him and the goal, tightly entangled Thiago Silva, and the back point was Kompany, Ferdinand stood in front of him, and Cavani occupied the middle. The three tall players of Tottenham Hotspur were still very deterrent in the penalty area.

Pirlo raised his right hand high and made a gesture. The Manchester United players suddenly felt like they were facing a great enemy. They had no idea what the gesture of the right hand meant, and they had no time to think and analyze, so they could only stare at it very nervously.

Ferdinand was afraid of missing Kompany, so he gently pulled Kompany with his hand and turned his head from time to time, but at the same time he had to keep an eye on Cavani in front of him, after all, the Uruguayan's header ability was not weak, and Carrick might not be able to keep an eye on him alone.

When Pirlo started running forward, Cavani suddenly retreated from the center of the goal, so he became a barrier in front of Ferdinand, and everyone knew that after blocking the opponent with the body, as long as the ball landed in a good place, it would basically be possible to score.

Therefore, Cavani's action made Ferdinand's instinctive reaction that Tottenham Hotspur was going to attack Cavani, so he began to compete with Cavani for position. Even if he could not get back the best position, he had to at least interfere with Cavani and then hope for Carrick.

In the very short time when the ball was kicked out, Manchester United's defensive players could only rely on instinctive reactions, because they could not guess how Tottenham Hotspur wanted to play.

Ferdinand stared at the ball, competing with Cavani for position, but ignored Kompany behind him. Without Ferdinand noticing, Kompany rushed forward from Cavani's side and jumped high in the middle of the goal. At this time, Pirlo's corner kick landed on his head just right.

Kompany, with a bald head, did not hesitate at all and headed the ball into Manchester United's goal with an excellent landing point. De Gea was out of reach this time and could only watch the ball enter the net, 1:0!

After the goal, all Tottenham Hotspur players quickly rushed out of the penalty area, out of the stadium, and rushed to the front of the stands. At this time, all the fans in the stands of White Hart Lane stood up from their seats, some holding up the team's scarves and souvenirs, cheering loudly.

Ye Qiu, who was in the home team coaching area, made a very powerful fist with his right hand after Kompany scored a goal, which represented his confidence in the game.

As it turned out, the situation of the game was just as he expected. From the big penalty area to the small penalty area to the goal, Tottenham Hotspur always controlled the situation of the game, while Ferguson's team had no chance from beginning to end.

With this goal, although there are still 30 minutes left in the game, Ye Qiu is confident enough to win, because if Manchester United counterattacks, it will be right in Tottenham's hands, and if they defend, a score of 1:0 can also ensure victory.