Chapter 160 White Rose VS White Lily

After personally eliminating his old boss Ferguson, Degan, who returned to the league, completely became the god of murder. West Bromwich, Norwich and Reading have become Degan's sacrifices. Today, Degan has only one feeling, that is, it is unstoppable.

In the league table, Tottenham Hotspur is also riding a lot, and the gap between them and Manchester United is getting bigger and bigger. In this situation, even if Degan is black all his life, he has to admit that it may be difficult to stop Tottenham from winning the league this season.

In the league, Tottenham Hotspur is also moving forward all the way in the League Cup. Now they have reached the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, they will face Aston Villa, followed by Tottenham will face the FA Cup. In the third round of the FA Cup, Tottenham will go away to challenge Leeds United.

The former Leeds United Youth Guards shocked European football, but now, this white rose has withered and can only float on the Championship and League One. The proud record they once created in the top four of the Champions League can only exist in the memory of Leeds fans.

The rise of Leeds United is still at the end of the last century, and the symbol of its rise is David. O'Leary is in charge of the team. O'Leary has been the assistant of Arsenal's legendary coach Glenham before coaching Leeds United. Leeds United is the first time he has coached a team alone.

As soon as he took office, O'Reley vigorously promoted the team's rejuvenation reform, and he recruited Jonathan from the youth team. Woodgate, Alan. Smith and Stephen. McPhail, plus Cowell and Ian, who are already in the first team. Hart, Leeds United's first team was full of youth for a while.

David, the champion recalled from Newcastle United. Barty shouldered the heavy responsibility of strengthening midfield defense and guiding young players.

Oraley led the team to fourth in the table in his first season at Leeds United and won a place in the UEFA Cup.

In the following season, Leeds United rode the Premier League and once took the first place in the standings at the end of 1999. In the end, Leeds United won the third place in the Premier League that season and qualified for the following year's UEFA Champions League.

In order to meet the challenges of the Champions League, O'Reili signed his long-time favorite Australian striker Mark from the Celtics. Viduka also recruited French midfielder Oliver from Ligue 1 who played in the Premier League. Dakota, whose transfer fee of 7.2 million pounds also set a record transfer fee in the team's history. The following year, Leeds bought West Ham United and England national team player Leo for a record 18 million pounds. Ferdinand.

The 2000/2001 season has also become an unforgettable memory for Leeds United fans. The vigorous Leeds United elite will reach the top four in the Champions League, writing the most glorious chapter in the club's history with strength.

A glass of wine in the spring breeze, and ten years of rain in the world. Today's Leeds United has changed its appearance in the years, but fans will still remember the shining names of Viduka, Ferdinand, Dakota and Smith, and remember the conquest of this white "young Guards" in the Champions League, although they It is no longer at the center of the stage, although their story is as far away as a dream.

Everything originated from the match at the Spanish stadium on May 8, 2001. Sanchez and the icinged Mendieta helped Valencia beat Leeds 3-0, and the Champions League myth of the "Young Guards" also came to an end. .

If Leeds United is also regarded by the hot British media as a foot in the final after a 0-0 home draw with Valencia in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, then the head-on blow of the "Bat Army" is enough to make the flowering period of "White Rose" end early.

Even so, White Rose's performance that season is still respectable. They stood out from the group of death. They were the only Premier League team to advance to the top four of the Champions League this season. They achieved the club's best results in the Champions League.

When Leeds was in Group H with Barcelona, AC Milan and Besiktas, the vast majority of fans thought that the Premier League could "die after addiction". In such a death group, the "Young Guards" had no chance of winning. The two giants in Italy and Western Italy were the popular teams to qualify. Leeds United's first game 0: 4 The defeat against Barcelona also seems to illustrate this point.

The nightmare start did not defeat the ambition of Leeds United. In the second game of the group, Bower's long-range shot in the 88th minute caused Dida's low-level mistake. With this ball, Leeds United defeated AC Milan 1-0 and scored a valuable three points.

Next, Leeds United beat Besiktas in the third round of the group 6:0, which is a classic. After Bowyer opened the home team's first record, the "White Rose" opened fire. The goals of Viduka, Smith, Buck and Huckby completely collapsed the opponent's psychological defense line. Bowyer's push shot during the injury stoppage time for the team's big The massacre was painted with a rest. In the last three group matches, Leeds United drew three opponents in the group stage and successfully made it into the second stage of the group stage.

In the second stage, Leeds United, Real Madrid, Anderlecht and Lazio are in Group D. Compared with the first grouping, Oriri's team's life is better, but Lazio is still a difficult bone.

In the group opening match, Real Madrid gave Leeds United a 2-0 boost, but the "Young Guards" quickly adjusted their state and narrowly defeated Lazio 1-0 with Alan Smith's kill in the second round. Next, in the face of the "pointing ambassador" Anderlecht, Leeds United will certainly not miss the opportunity. In the first encounter with the Belgian strong team, they relied on Hart and Bowyer's goal 2:1 to reverse the victory after conceded a goal first. In the second round of the two teams, Leeds United easily defeated their opponents with 4:1 and played a blow. Three consecutive victories of the ileum. In the fifth round of away against Real Madrid, Leeds United lost 2:3 to their opponents. In the last round of the group, Oriri's team and Lazio played a high score of 3:3, and finally reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League with three wins, one draw and two losses.

In the quarter-final of the Champions League, Leeds United met on a narrow road. In the first round of the competition between the two sides, the "young guards" decided the world. Hart, Smith and Ferdinand's break-offs made the home team win 3:0. After the game, the British media' comments were concise: the young men of Leeds United grew out Son, they are more mature. Although they lost 0-2 in the second game, Leeds United narrowly entered the quarterfinals with a total score of 3:2.

"White Rose" finally failed to break through the encirclement of the Iberian team twice in a row. Valencia ended the pace of Leeds United, and this white-clothed legend also stopped abruptly. Leeds combined action to explain why a newborn calf is not afraid of tigers. The miracle journey of the Champions League has also made many young talents in the team famous and started a glorious thorny road in their career.

But after a short period of glory, Leeds United, which was heavily in debt due to the purchase of star players, turned into a "fallen angel". From the Premier League to the Premier League and then to League One, the "White Rose" withered and was forgotten in an inconspicuous corner in ten years.

Chairman Peter. During his tenure, the team borrowed heavily and pinned his hopes to fill the funding gap by qualifying for the UEFA Champions League to share the event's televised broadcast and sponsorship proceeds.

Leeds United attracted Seth with high transfer fees and salaries. Johnson and Robby. Fowler joined one after another, but the team has never been able to achieve results that match its investment in the Premier League. In the next few seasons, it has not been able to qualify for the Champions League, and the team has not been able to pay a huge debt.

In the end, Leeds United could only sell players and struggled to sell Leo for nearly 30 million pounds. Ferdinand was regarded as a sign of the team's financial crisis, and eventually Leedsdale and O'Reiley also completely broke up due to the player's transfer.

Venabuls, who later joined Elan Road, also failed to make a leap in the team's performance. Other players were also listed for sale to fill the fiscal deficit, including Woodgate, who was the "non-sale" that Lizdale had promised to Vinables.

During

, many players, including Bowyer, Fowler, Keane, Martin and Cowell, were transferred at a low price by the club. When Cowell left the team, the financial situation of Leeds United had developed to an unbearable level.

Although the club's management tried their best, the club still couldn't escape the catastrophe, and Leeds United was eventually relegated.

For many years, Leeds United has not been able to return to the Premier League. From the ravages of the Champions League to the sinking of the Championship or even falling into the League One, and then returning to the Championship this summer, Leeds United is a team with a story, and the ten-year record of "White Rose", which is worth every fan to carefully taste.

Tottenham's heavy introduction before the start of this season, especially the introduction of Degan at a high price, was once regarded as the second Leeds United, because after the introduction of many stars, Tottenham's total salary has reached the fourth place in 20 teams in the Premier League, second only to Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United.

But Tottenham does not have an oil godfather like Manchester City, a Russian oligarch like Chelsea, and the support of the shrewd and financially Glazer family. Once Tottenham can't achieve ideal results this season, they will be as unable to avoid collapse like Leeds United.

It can be said that Levi is gambling. He put all his money on Degan. Tottenham can fly to the sky and lose, and Tottenham will immediately fall into the endless abyss.

But now it seems that Levi has won the bet. Tottenham Hotspur is currently at the top of the league table. It has made great progress in the UEFA Champions League and the League Cup. In the FA Cup, the already withered White Rose Leeds United obviously can't stop the white lily from blooming. If everything goes on to this trend, Tottenham Hotspur even It is possible to win the unprecedented four crowns in English football.

The game between Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United is held at Elan Road, the home of Leeds United. Elan Road has not welcomed the Premier League team.

Because the team's fighter plane is getting worse and worse, the hope of revival is getting slimmer and slimmer. Even the loyal Leeds United fans can't help but be a little disappointed with the team. Since the team was relegated to League One, the attendance at Elland Road Stadium has not exceeded 50% for a long time.

"I'm afraid there are not many such a market in England." Degan walked into the stadium and looked at the empty stands around him. He couldn't help sighing.

In England, where the football atmosphere is strongest, it is not easy to meet such a home court, and Leeds United is a once brilliant team.

Today's Leeds United can no longer feel the vitality of the past, which makes people feel full of dusk, and there is no sense of hope on the faces of those players. These players come to the court as if they are all for work and to cope with their errands.

Leeds United used to be brilliant, and Degan was excited about it in his previous life, but now, everything in the past has become yesterday's yellow flower. The failure of the business strategy, coupled with the team's lack of background, has made Leeds United's white rose quickly withered before it really bloomed.

Tottenham Hotspur now seems to be on the same path as Leeds United, and they are also bringing in star players with high salaries, but Degan firmly believes that Tottenham will not take the same path as Leeds United. They will succeed and will eventually lead to glory.

Just five minutes after the start of the game, Tottenham took the lead. A standard Degan goal, with the ball in the midfield**, no one can stop him at all. Leeds United's defense is very bad, and the players on the field feel lazy. If a team like this wants to make a difference, it is simply It's a fantasy.

When Degan singledly challenged the Leeds United goalkeeper and scored the ball, the stand at Elan Road Stadium was full of curses from Leeds United fans, and Degan only saw numbness on the face of Leeds United players.

This team has long missed the opportunity to rise again.

After Leeds United was relegated from the Premier League, many people thought that it was just a mistake that should not have happened, but it turned out that Leeds United has not returned from the wrong track until now.

In the season when they were just relegated, Leeds United did sing all the way at the beginning of the Championship. At that time, almost everyone thought they would soon return to the Premier League, but after the winter break, the team sold the team's core players again. Finally, when the season ended, Leeds United only ranked in the table. The mid-stream position.

In the 2005/2006 season, Leeds United finally reached the top six of the table at the end of the season and was able to participate in the promotion play-offs. The team had the opportunity to compete for a direct promotion place, but was left behind by Sheffield United in the second half. After the team reversed Preston in the semi-finals, the final He was defeated by Watford 3:0, followed by the main striker Rob. Hess transferred to Sheffield United.

In the 2006/2007 season, Leeds United had a bad start and lost in the game one after another. Not long after the start of the season, the coach was dismissed. Although Wise tried his best, he had no choice but to have a good card in his hand. For most of the season, Wise failed to bring the team out of the relegation zone. At the end of that season, Leeds United was relegated to the third division for the first time in history.

In the 2007/2008 season, Leeds United finally ranked in the top six in League One and reached the League One promotion play-off final, but lost to Doncaster 0:1 at Wembley and lost the chance to advance to the Football League Championship.

It was not until the 2010/2011 season that Leeds United's performance finally improved and rose to the Championship, but this also seemed to have become their limit. Last season, Leeds United performed very badly in the Championship game and barely relegated until the last round of the league.

In the face of such a Leeds United, it can be said that Tottenham does not need to devote 100% of his energy and can easily win.

But I don't know why, Degan was particularly excited as soon as he came up today. After taking the lead for Tottenham Hotspur, in just three minutes, Bell cut the ball with the sidelines and was tripped by the defenders of Leeds United. Tottenham got a free kick. Degan took a free kick. Degan took the lead, an arc ball, and the football went straight into the ball. The far corner of the door.

2:0!

Two consecutive goals completely stunned Leeds United. They didn't have much spirit, but now they have disappeared. At the end of the first half, Tottenham has achieved a 5:0 lead. It can be said that the game has completely lost the suspense.

At the beginning of the second half of the game, when Degan led his brothers to play, he was surprised to find that there were few Leeds United fans in the stands at Elan Road Stadium.

Because it is an FA Cup match, there are not many Tottenham fans in this game, only more than 200, but even so, it still exceeds the number of Leeds United fans.

Looking at the corner of the stands and sitting alone more than 100 Leeds United fans, Degan even has a sad feeling. This is the famous young guard that shocked the world football. In the past ten years, everything has changed.

Seeing this scene, Degan did not have much interest in this game. In the 53rd minute of the second half, Degan received Lennon's pass in the penalty area and scored a header. After completing his hat-trick, he took the initiative to apply for the game for the first time since his debut.

When Degan walked off the court, he saw a look of relief in the eyes of Leeds United players.

Leeds United is really hard to return.

After the end, Degan did not return to the locker room, but sat next to Antiennis.

"Is it very touching?" Antienis asked with a smile.

Degan smiled and said, "Who can imagine that this is the young guard that has defeated Barcelona, AC Milan and A Coruña in the Champions League. This team has been rotten to the bone and is completely hopeless, from the management of the club, to the players, and even fans. , completely hopeless!"