Chapter 455 Chaos Premier League
After the 1-6-1 away game of Manchester United in the league, the Blue Moon Legion led by Mancini seems to have jumped into the ranks of Europe's top giants in an instant, and Manchester City's deputy coach Pratt even shouted heroic words such as "Four Champions". So it seems that Manchester City is determined to win the game. The champion of all the events of the season, even the chicken ribs of the League Cup, will not be let go. After defeating Wolves Wanderers 2-2 in this game, Manchester City has won five consecutive victories in all competitions.
That's true. Although Manchester City used the lineup of substitute + youth team to visit Wolves in this League Cup, the terrorist attack combination led by Dzeko still played to the fullest, especially in the case of falling behind 0-1 at the beginning of the first half, Mancini's team broke out a suffocating attack. Strike power: scored 3 goals in 4 minutes, completely ending the suspense of the game.
When the game reached the 37th minute, Zabaleta's right cross was barely cleared by the opposing defender, Dzeko returned, and Adam Johnson volleyed in the arc of the penalty area.
This goal brought the two sides back to the same running line, and also opened the prelude to a goal frenzy of Manchester City. In the 39th minute, Adam Johnson sent a direct pass again. Nasri broke through to the edge of the penalty area and shot the ball into the lower left corner. Manchester City overtook the score again two minutes later, but it's not over yet: in the 40th minute, Adam Johnson made a cross from the right, Scarpucci's small angle shot was barely blocked by De Frith, and Dzeko made a close-up shot into the net, 3-1! It only took Manchester City 4 minutes to rewrite the score from 0 to 1 to 3 to 1, which also completely ended the suspense of the game. Then the League Cup really entered the garbage time and Manchester City's offensive drill.
The original 90-minute game only took 4 minutes, or 1/23 to completely lose the original meaning of the game. In today's European football world, I'm afraid only the rising "Manchester City Galaxy Battleship" can do it. For this, perhaps their sworn enemy Manchester United It couldn't be clearer.
In the Manchester derby last weekend, the powerful Manchester City Legion also used their horrible and suffocating goal frenzy to destroy Manchester United's final fighting spirit and belief. Originally, after Fletcher scored a face-recovering goal in the 81st minute of the game, Red Devils Manchester United, who played at home, almost saw a glimmer of hope of equalizing. Unexpectedly, the situation was reversed again at this time. Mancini's team relied on Dzeko and Shear in the 89th, 91st and 92nd minutes. Wa expanded the score to 6 to 1 and scored three goals in four minutes, which completely destroyed Ancelotti's team and gave the Red Devils Manchester United the worst defeat in nearly 50 years.
Ancelotti suffered the first crisis of trust since taking office, and the team lost to derby rival Manchester City.
"Everything is like a nightmare. Things become helpless. Manchester United becomes like an amateur team when there is one less person. This question is strange!"
Yes, the same doubts also appeared on Li Yu. Compared with Manchester City's strikers, Manchester United's performance in this game was not exciting enough. It must be pointed out that Li Yu did not play the right level in the game!
Only use victory to reply to those questioning voices.
"What is a shooter? Sagittarius is a kind of talent, a kind of instinct. They will have some kind of intuitive element. They can always appear in the most suitable place, and I am the kind of player. Li Yu gave this explanation of her ultra-high scoring rate in an interview. In the game against Oldshot, it was Li Yu who took the initiative to play in this game. He scored the 13th goal of the season. Now Manchester United's core has finally regained the feeling of shooting, and his efficiency is still enough to make his teammates ashamed. Li Yu proved to people again with practical actions that the doubt is an unfounded speculation, and Manchester United No. 9 is just adapting to the new position given to him by the new head coach.
Objectively speaking, there are not many opportunities for Li Yu to appear in the whole game. Compared with the new star Mata, Li Yu appears in the camera only a handful of times. But every time Li Yu enters people's vision, it will make the opponent's forbidden area roar. Li Yu interprets the nature of the shooter with her actions: motionless like a mountain, moving like fire.
In the 41st minute, Mata sent a low flat pass on the right side of the penalty area. Li Yu, who had been wandering near the penalty area, suddenly appeared on the passing line. While the defender was still witnessing the ball across the dangerous area, Li Yu had completed a fatal blow near the penalty point. Although the shooting angle was very good, It was Manchester United's No. 9 hidden shooting, but the opposing goalkeeper could not predict, so he could only see the ball brushing his body and fly into the net.
Just like the team's boss Ferdinand's evaluation of Li Yu's running ability: "There are only a few players who can run like him. If I were a coach, I would let all the young strikers carefully observe his running style. This is definitely a compulsory course for a top shooter."
This goal is the seventh goal scored by Li Yu in seven League Cup matches on behalf of Manchester United. Manchester United No. 9 can be called the Red Devils' chief killer in the League Cup. The first title Li Yu won after joining Manchester United was the champion of the League Cup. Before the game, Owen said to Manchester United TV: "We will not give up the League Cup. In the past few years, we have been doing well in this event, so we will strive to win the championship this year."
Since then, Li Yu still has a chance to complete the assist. In the 70th minute, Li Yu set up a fort for Pogba at the top of the arc in the penalty area. Unfortunately, the French player's shot was slightly off. In the 75th minute, it was another wonderful pass from Manchester United No. 9, which helped Park Ji-sung get a good opportunity to shoot at the edge of the penalty area. The South Korean shook the angle and shot hard, and the ball slipped past the goal.
Just like the post-match evaluation on Manchester United's official website: Li Yu, as always, showed a strong desire to score goals, and the wonderful running position made it easy to turn Mata's pass into an assist. In addition to his instinctive performance in scoring, his cooperation with his teammates outside the penalty area is also very tacit and efficient.
After a nightmare defeat, even a League Cup victory plays an extremely important role in the recovery of the team's morale. Li Yu said calmly in an interview with Sky TV: "The weekend's game made the team feel extra pressure. Although no player started last weekend, we all have the obligation to defend the dignity of the Red Devils. Sometimes, you need to go through some sudden changes so that you can better focus on the next challenges. Last weekend's game was undoubtedly a huge setback, so we urgently need a victory to hit the bottom out. I'm glad that we did it.
When the team is at a low ebb, what comes to mind is to do its best to defend the dignity of Manchester United. Such Li Yu deserves the Red Devils No. 9 shirt. In the running, playing the strong body of the offensive fulcrum, Li Yu is still the efficient killer, which can give every opponent a headache.
Li Yu also said confidently in an interview with Manchester United TV: "We have many players who have not participated in the Manchester derby. The team will have a large-scale rotation in this game, but even so, Manchester United can still form a strong starting lineup, and I am one of them."
For her transformation, Li Yu said, "The new position needs to be adapted. Recently, there have been some ups and downs, but there is no problem with my state. I just need time to adapt and get familiar with it!"
After the Manchester derby fiasco, Ferguson's furious anger in the locker room did not happen again. The new coach Ancelotti did not continue the style of his predecessor's locker room. Now the London derby is defeated, but Boas broke out at Stamford Bridge. British media revealed that the Portuguese young coach criticized the players for the first time since he took office. The whole team was very surprised.
Boas's gentleness made him get a nickname "Bampi" in the locker room, which means that he is naive and cute, but on Sunday morning local time, when the whole Chelsea team reported to the training base to prepare for the usual training warm-up, he suddenly encountered the storm of "Little Deer". The Daily Mail revealed that Boas concentrated the whole team in the locker room and angrily criticized the players' performance in the derby for 30 minutes. Terry and others, who had always dared to speak in front of the coach, were also shocked this time and dared not speak again.
According to the Daily Mail, Boas scolded the players for being sorry for the club and did not strictly implement the tactical plan. At the same time, he asked the whole team to raise the level in the Champions League match against Genk in the middle of the week and win the league against Blackburn on Saturday.
This is the first time that Boas has criticized the players since taking office, but he did not target any individual, but emphasized the responsibility of the whole team. After that, this was recognized by the team's pillar players. They also believed that the team needed to focus on the rebound. Although the players were a little surprised by the sudden outbreak of the head coach, they were 3 to 5 After the defeat, they can all understand.
However, Benayong, an Israeli midfielder rented by Chelsea to Arsenal, was controversial because of his personal remarks. After the game in London, Benayong celebrated the Gunner's victory on his personal Twitter and said, "What a beautiful victory. Good job everyone!" Although Benayong was loaned to Arsenal, he was still a player affiliated with Chelsea. This statement aroused anger among the Blues fans. Many people scolded him as "Judas". They thought that Benayong could be silent, but on the one hand, he held Chelsea's contract while celebrating the victory of his derby opponent. An unacceptable behavior.
Chelsea's home game against Arsenal is undoubtedly a highlight of this round. Compared with several strong dialogues that have been held this season, the only similarity of this game is that it is another big score game. The Blues lost 5 goals in this goal battle, which also set a disgraceful record in the Premier League.
Chelsea lost 5 goals in the last game, dating back to 1989. Last season, Chelsea lost 3-4 at home to Newcastle United in the League Cup, but it is a well-known fact that the head coach Ancelotti at that time did not pay attention to the Cup. Although this result is unexpected, it is reasonable.
In addition, the goal match between Liverpool and Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the 2008-2009 Champions League quarter-finals made the fans more happy to win. In the 2007 feast day match with Aston Villa, although the Blues lost four goals at home, they also scored four goals.
The last time Chelsea conceded 5 goals in a single game was on January 23, 2002, in the second leg of the League Cup semi-finals of that season, the Blues lost 1-5 away to Tottenham Hotspur. In addition, in April 2000, Chelsea also lost 1-5 away to Barcelona in the Champions League, but the two sides I also experienced overtime. The last time the Blues conceded five goals at Stamford Bridge was farther away on January 4, 1998, when Chelsea lost 3-5 at home to Manchester United in the FA Cup.
In the Premier League, Stamford Bridge fans have not seen the Blues lose five goals at their doorstep. This only happened in the League One in December 1989. At that time, Chelsea lost 2-5 at two consecutive home games to Wimbledon (now Milton Keynes) and Liverpool. 22 years, 8 months and 13 days later, this scene appeared on Stamford Bridge again.
History can only tell the past, and Chelsea's reality is that defense has become Chelsea's biggest obstacle this season. Up to this game against Arsenal, Chelsea has conceded goals in nine consecutive league games, and the last time this happened was in September 2003, when Abramovic just took over the Blues, but the data of losing goals in nine consecutive games was cross-season. This season, Chelsea's only league without conceding a goal is the 0-0 away game against Stoke City in the first round of the season.
After the game, head coach Boaz insisted that defense was not Chelsea's problem. He took out the data: "Before this game, we were one of the three best defensive teams in the Premier League, so I will discuss with anyone whether our defensive organization is a problem or not." Of course, he also talked about the reason for the last two goals: "One is because a player slipped and the opponent's player formed a one-on-one with our goalkeeper, which has nothing to do with the defensive organization; the other is because we are still trying to overtake three minutes before the end of the game."
However, as the Portuguese said, is there no problem with the defense? Let's not talk about the data of losing goals in nine consecutive games. In the two strong conversations between Manchester United and Arsenal, Chelsea actually lost eight goals. Sun Tzu once said, "In the past, those who were good at fighting were invincible first, waiting for the enemy to win. Invincible is in yourself, but invincible is in the enemy. It means that defense can make you invincible, and the other party's mistakes are the reason for winning. The problem can't be more obvious. The root cause of the two big losses lies in itself. And the defense line that once made the Blue Army proud of is really full of mistakes.
The first problem with Chelsea's defense comes from the central defender. Captain Terry is the most stable person in Chelsea, but in order to prepare for this round of the derby, Boas did not take Terry to Liverpool in the League Cup in the middle of the week.
However, JT still made a mistake, and it was at a time when the team had just tied the score of 3-3 and was expected to overtake. Louis, a Brazilian who has been favored by two consecutive coaches, is a double-edged sword.
Less than a year after joining the Blues, he has sent three penalty kicks, the most among all Premier League players. Moreover, two consecutive mistakes have made Boas decide to abandon him, but Ivanovic's effect today is the same. There is a shot that can explain the problem: in the 19th minute of the game, Arsenal's corner kick was pushed out and hit the ball again. Ivanovic on the edge of the penalty area tried to make a header, but the ball was pushed near the small penalty area. Thanks to Terry leaning on Mertsack, who was 11 centimeters taller than himself, the Germans made the ball to the top. .
Arsenal's goal in the 55th minute was due to Ivan and Terry's brain short circuit at the same time. I'm afraid it's inappropriate for Chelsea to blame anyone for losing the ball. I'm afraid the problem is still in the system that Boaz denies.
Secondly, the two full-backs are also a hidden danger for the Blues. Whether it is Ashley Cole or Bosinwa, both are offensive full-backs. Taking Cole as an example, it is undeniable that his offense or assists are very positive, but the defensive pressure is too great. The responsibility of left winger Mata is to swim in the front court, but the responsibility area when defending is not on the left side. Cole needs one person as two, and he is inevitably tired of running.
Although Bosingwa on the right is easy to use when attacking, there are too many spaces behind him in defense. The second goal Chelsea lost was because Song saw the gap on his side and passed it diagonally to Andre Santos, who ** scored. At that time, behind the Brazilian was the winger Sturich, but Bosingwa was nowhere to be found. In addition, in the stoppage time, Bosingva was at a loss in the face of Van Persie, which made the Dutch striker calmly make a strong shot, and Cech could do nothing.
The third problem in Chelsea's defensive system is the back. To a certain extent, the defense line is under too much pressure, and the reason is that the midfield defense is unfavorable. Among Chelsea's three midfielders in this game, Ramirez and Lampard are both offensive and defensive, and only Mikkel specializes in defense. But the performance of Nigerians is unsatisfactory.
In terms of playing style, Chelsea's oppressive offensive style requires the team's formation to be forward. At this time, as a midfielder, it must have excellent horizontal movement ability, but Mikkel's characteristic is that the frontal defense is good, but the mobility ability is weak, which is often shown to lose the other in the game. In Chelsea's second goal, Song's oblique pass line was actually completely in Mikkel's defensive range.
In the 76th minute, Boas replaced Mickel with Merelles, and this substitution obviously achieved results: Merelles's shot from the right side of the front court and assisted Mata to equalize the score.
Moreover, Merelles had several times to break the ball on the left side of the front court, all of which formed a second attack on the spot. Obviously, it is not a problem for Merelles to move back and forth, which is exactly what Mikkel lacks. Obviously, in the arrangement of troops, Boas is considering arranging a full-time defender responsible for defense. After all, Merelles has to take care of both attack and defense. In fact, there is such a person in the Chelsea camp. This is Essien, but Essien, who is recovering, is expected to not come back until after the New Year, and the Blues will take longer. Wait.
Obviously, defense has become the biggest shortcoming of the Blues. Boas has long said that defense will be the key to the season.
But through the London derby with Arsenal, it seems that the problem is not just a person, but a system problem.
If Chelsea does not change the defensive system, it is inevitable to lose the ball, or even continue to lose by a big score in the strong dialogue. Maluda said this week: "The Premier League is our first goal." But this goal is likely to be unable to be achieved due to defensive problems.
When it comes to the Champions League, after entering the knockout stage, strong dialogue is absolutely inevitable. Even if it is the "fourth most important" League Cup, the five giants have all entered the quarterfinals. Chelsea will face Liverpool in a month. With such a defense, who can be optimistic about the Blues? In the transfer market, the names associated with Chelsea are almost all attackers. At least in the next two months, Chelsea will not be able to turn to the transfer market. What Boas has to adjust is Chelsea's defensive system.