Chapter Thirty, I'm Flat

The bus drove slowly towards the hotel where Manchester United lived. Scholes sat next to Kintag, and he asked softly, "Captain, what are you writing?"

Kim Tiger whispered to him, "Paul, I'm thinking about the starting lineup for the next game."

Scholes also sighed: "Today's game was really bad. At this level, it is estimated that next season will not even qualify for the Champions League."

"I thought so too, so I scolded them just now, but it's useless to be angry now. It's the correct solution to think about the lineup for the next game in advance." Jin Taige handed the notebook in his hand to Sri Lanka. Coles.

Scholes looked at it: "Almost all the starting lineups have been changed? That's fine. It was originally a training exercise, so that more players could find their form."

For the next three days, Kintiger asked Woodward to push back some commercial activities. He borrowed the training ground of the Osaka Sakura Club and let the team continue to practice together.

Over the past few days, Jin Taige felt that his lectures that day seemed to have some effect. The players obviously passed more balls, played less solo games, and their spirits improved a lot. Jin Taige nodded, it seems that the next game should be better.

Three days later, Manchester United ushered in a second friendly opponent, Sakura Osaka. This is a team that has been ranked in the top few in Japan, with good strength and small skills.

Before the game, Woodward specifically instructed: "Tiger, Shinji Kagawa must play in this game. After all, this is Japan's home court, and we have to consider the effect of sponsors."

Jin Taige nodded: "I will listen to you this time."

"Dear Tiger, you are amazing!" Woodward was content.

In fact, Jin Taige did not use Kagawa Shinji because of Woodward's recommendation, but because he really wanted to change the starting lineup on a large scale.

The goalkeeper position is still De Gea, which has not changed; the defender, Ferdinand and Vidic's midway partner have been replaced by Jones and Smalling. These two will provoke the heavy responsibility of defense in this game, and the full-back is still Egypt. Fra is on the left and Rafael is on the right; on the midfield line, Carrick and Anderson, who started the last game, were replaced. Carrick's old injury relapsed slightly and needed to rest, while Anderson's last game was like a disaster. The performance made Jin Taige very dissatisfied, so the midfielder of this game was replaced by Fletcher and Kagawa Shinji, the same one was in charge of the organization and the other was in charge of the front fork offense; the left and right sides were replaced by Ashley Young and Valencia; The forward line uses Welbeck and Hernandez's one high and one fast combination.

This lineup is completely the bench lineup last season, but it has played a very good effect.

It was only five minutes into the game. Perhaps because he was very excited in front of the Japanese fans, Shinji Kagawa was very active on the offensive end. His interspersed offense and Hernandez complemented each other. Both of them were very dexterous types. He pretended to shoot hard at the top, and the opponent's defender fell to the ground and shoveled a shot. As a result, he was lightly buckled by Kagawa Shinji, revealing the space in front of him. With a slight flick of his outer instep, Hernandez happened to be very comfortable on the offside line. The ball went straight to the bottom right corner of the goal.

The ball is in! Manchester United lead 1-0.

The players on the field were very excited, and the players shouted Kagawa Shinji's name. The biggest beauty of this ball is that Kagawa Shinji's one-stop pass is just right.

Jin Taige also stood up on the coach's bench, waving his fists and celebrating the goal.

However, the Osaka Sakura team was not to be outdone. They played against Manchester United in front of the home fans. The two teams came and went, and the scene was very beautiful. Ashley Young and Valencia on the wing sent the ball in succession. If Welbeck's ability to seize the opportunity was not too bad, it is estimated that Manchester United would have at least a 3-0 lead. At this time, Evra and Raphael were not alone, and they also frequently stepped forward to assist,

Finally, two minutes before the end of the first half, Manchester United scored again.

It was Hernandez who scored the goal this time. Rafael drove straight in from the right. After passing two players, he decisively kicked and made a cross. Welbeck headed back from the front, and Ellen from the back. Nandez outflanked to keep up, and a shovel shot through the opponent's goal again.

United ended the first half with a 2-0 advantage.

At half-time, Jin Taige praised his players fiercely in the locker room: "It seems that my lectures a few days ago are still effective, you have already realized the essence of the spirit of the Red Devils, continue like this in the second half. Kick."

"Yes, boss!" The players answered loudly. At this time, everyone's blood was boiling, and they were looking forward to the end of the intermission, and then played a few more goals.

However, at the beginning of the second half, the players on the field realized that something was wrong. The opponent replaced two young players, and then the overall formation shrank in the backcourt. The Manchester United players were at a loss for a while.

"Have they started to defend and counterattack?" Jin Taige sat firmly on the coach's bench, observing the situation on the field.

Scholes is also observing: "With their strength, fighting against us is courting death. The coach of the other side finally figured it out."

In fact, the head coach of Osaka Sakura is hard to say. Of course he knew how good Manchester United was, but the team president gave him a death order to play a beautiful game to please the home fans. So in the first half, he fought against Manchester United and was abused extremely tragically. At halftime, he disregarded the pre-match request of the chairman and instructed the entire team to defend and counterattack, and then he replaced two older players with two young, fast players as sharp weapons for counterattacks.

Even he didn't expect that his tactical adjustment was immediate. Less than 20 minutes passed in the second half, and the scoreboard on the field changed twice in a row. Now the score on the field is 2-2, tied.

These two attacks were the defensive counterattacks of Osaka Sakura, and the opportunities created by the breakthrough from the middle. Although Kagawa Shinji is dexterous, his physical fitness is not good; Fletcher is even more mediocre in defense; and Jones and Smalling are tall, but the deficiencies of the dexterous Osaka Sakura players on the opposite side are infinitely magnified; so Osaka Sakura caught Two chances to break through Manchester United's midfield barrier and score a goal. De Gea, who scored these two goals, was also very helpless.

In order to consider the strength of the players, Jin Taige hardly made any tactical adjustments, but only replaced two players who were physically weak. In the end the game ended 2-2.

Manchester United's second friendly match ended in a draw.