“In the twenty-eighth round of the English Premier League that ended last night, the biggest upset was Aston Villa's away victory over Liverpool! Before that, Liverpool had won thirteen consecutive league games and remained undefeated in eighteen consecutive league games… At its peak, Liverpool led second-placed Manchester United by as many as ten points. But this invincible fleet surprisingly lost to the weaker Aston Villa in yesterday's match…”
Early in the morning, Ferguson was sitting in the manager's office at the Carrington training base, reading the newly published newspaper that still smelled of ink.
He was still most concerned about Liverpool.
In fact, he had learned the result of the game late yesterday, someone had specifically called to inform him.
But he didn't have time to watch the replay of the game. He now had to rely on media reports to learn some specific information about the match.
“…Clearly, Liverpool were tired. In yesterday's game, they were completely out of it from start to finish… It was as if the game had nothing to do with them. The only player who performed normally was Chen Hero. He worked hard in the game, but one tiger couldn't defeat a pack of wolves. Although he scored a goal for the team in the game, continuing his scoring streak, this performance was not enough to save the entire Liverpool team…”
Seeing this, Ferguson smiled.
His assessment was correct, no matter how good Chen Hero was, football was still a team sport. This game fully illustrated this.
Chen Hero scored, but Liverpool lost the game…
He also noticed a key phrase in the report: "Liverpool were tired."
Liverpool were tired, they were finally tired!
After winning thirteen consecutive league games, they were finally fucking tired!
Ferguson was a little excited after seeing this sentence, and he couldn't help but curse in his heart.
Because he had been waiting for this moment for too long! If he had to wait any longer, and still didn't get it, he really didn't know if he could still control those lads.
Now it was good, Liverpool were tired!
They finally showed signs of fatigue!
Manchester United had been playing possum for most of the season, keeping a low profile, so low that they were ridiculed, but what was it all for? Wasn't it for this moment?
You're tired?
Manchester United showed their fangs and claws: Now it's our turn!
The journalists' articles confirmed Ferguson's analysis of Liverpool, which made him a little excited.
He stood up and walked around the office twice before calming down his excited emotions. Continuing to be excited would cause problems.
In fact, Ferguson shouldn't be so excited. Wasn't it just that the other side lost a game? They were still seven points ahead of Manchester United. Wasn't it too pathetic to be so excited?
People with this question obviously didn't understand how much pressure Ferguson was under.
Ferguson was getting closer and closer to his retirement. When he first started coaching Manchester United, Liverpool was still the greatest and most successful team in the country. He had vowed to take Liverpool off their damn throne.
Now that he was about to retire, Liverpool, who he had dragged off the throne and trampled underfoot, was showing signs of a comeback. How could he retire with peace of mind?
His mission was not yet complete!
He wanted to completely seal Liverpool and shatter their hopes of revival. To tell them that even with Chen Hero, Liverpool should never think of lording it over my Manchester United again!
He was so excited because Liverpool had been so strong this season, constantly putting Manchester United under pressure.
Before this game, there were even reports in the media that Manchester United was finished this season and that they could no longer win the league title.
But Ferguson did not give up, he gritted his teeth and persisted, under tremendous pressure.
Now that he had finally waited for the moment when a glimmer of dawn appeared, how could he not be excited?
The decisive moment had arrived.
Manchester United must continue to win in the following games. He knew very well that Liverpool was now a bird startled by the twang of a bow. If they continued to put pressure on them, they might collapse!
Losing a game was just the prelude. When the pressure of fighting on two fronts came, Liverpool could make any mistake!
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When the Manchester United players were training, they noticed that the old gaffer seemed to be in a particularly good mood today. A sincere smile bloomed on his face.
This scene had not been seen for a long time.
Everyone knew that Ferguson had been under a lot of pressure from the beginning of the season.
Because Liverpool's performance this season was really too good, and Manchester United was a bit disappointing…
There were a lot of rumors about Manchester United outside, and some words directly pointed to Manchester United's manager, Ferguson. It was believed that he was the culprit for the team's poor performance this season, because he was old. It was precisely because he was old and refused to step down from the Manchester United coach position that Manchester United continued to stagnate and fall to where they were today.
Manchester United had long reached the point where they should have a blood transfusion. This blood transfusion was not about changing players, but about changing the manager. Those critics believed that Ferguson's existence prevented Manchester United from accepting new things and new ideas, and that he should have retired long ago. He had many opportunities to retire, but he insisted on staying, which was harmful to the team…
They completely forgot that just before this "disastrous" season, Manchester United had won the league title for three consecutive seasons under the leadership of this stubborn old man. If this was considered "preventing Manchester United from moving forward," then it was hard to know what would be considered a regression…
These people's words were very harsh and difficult to hear. Some words made the Manchester United players feel unbearable and wanted to stand up for their boss.
However, Ferguson, who had always been unwilling to show weakness in front of the media, was uncharacteristically silent. Not only was he silent himself, but he also asked the Manchester United players not to run to the reporters and say things that were not there just because they wanted to stand up for him. In short, Manchester United players were not allowed to express opinions related to media questioning of him in public.
This decision really surprised everyone. Some people even suspected that their coach had been replaced by aliens.
You should know that Ferguson used to announce a ban on a media outlet, not allowing the media outlet to interview himself and the Manchester United players, just because the media criticized him.
He also often engaged in verbal battles with the media.
In the media circle, Ferguson was an out-and-out villain.
It was such a person who liked to fight, but he was uncharacteristically silent.
It was really incomprehensible.
They could only understand it as the boss taking all the pressure on himself and not wanting the players to be involved.
Thinking of this, their respect for the old gaffer increased even more. It was precisely because of this that Ferguson was able to use his prestige to suppress the restless hearts within the team.
Otherwise, it would be really hard to say whether Manchester United could wait for Liverpool to lose…
Because now they all have such thoughts—he's already in his seventies, and he still has to bear such huge pressure for the team, but we are so disappointing… For the sake of the boss, we must bite Liverpool no matter what!
※※※
In fact, these players didn't know that Ferguson was not only taking all the pressure on himself, but at the same time, he was also playing the role of an old man in front of the outside world who was unable to refute the media's slander and defamation.
Doing so would certainly attract ridicule and slander from many malicious people. But at the same time, it would also make the enemy feel complacent.
Ferguson valued the latter. As for the former, after his team made a great reversal and won the league title, he would have plenty of ways to deal with those bastards.
As for Martin O'Neill, he couldn't wait for the other side to ignore him.
He wanted to create an image in the public eye of an old man who was already dying, unable to do anything in the face of the strong rise of a strong enemy, and could only gradually accept the fate of failure.
Let everyone sympathize with him, pity him, and even ridicule him, but they would not take him seriously.
Then his purpose would be achieved.
When the time was ripe, he would suddenly take off his disguise, reveal the sharp teeth under this old body, pounce on his opponent, aim at the vital point, and deliver a fatal blow!
Now, Ferguson believed that the time was ripe.
That's why he was so happy, it was really from the bottom of his heart.
Defeating such a powerful enemy was more exciting than winning five consecutive league titles!
Ferguson had been challenging strong enemies all his life. The situation of fighting against Liverpool this season reminded him of the situation when he first started coaching Manchester United.
At that time, Liverpool was also like today, high above, only allowing people to look up to this red army that swept across Europe.
He also looked up.
But he was different from those who looked up.
Others looked up kneeling, but he looked up standing, with his hands clenched into fists.
At that time, Liverpool was in full swing, but he was not afraid of this opponent, and even shouted the crazy words of dragging the damn bastard Liverpool off the throne. Manchester United at that time was different from now, and he himself did not have the prestige he has now. If he shouted such words, he would only be regarded as an idiot and a lunatic, and no one would applaud his courage.
But he did it, he really did it. Since the establishment of the English Premier League, Manchester United has become the most successful team in England, the most well-known in the world, the highest brand value, and the team with the most fans.
At this time, what about Liverpool?
Now Liverpool has risen strongly, and their position in the standings can only be looked up to, but he is still the same. Even if they are ten points behind Liverpool, he has never wavered in his belief to drag Liverpool off the throne.
Because he was still standing and looking up, and clenching his hands into fists.