Chapter 886: Choking the Point of Release

Gao Xiaodong's goal changed the situation of the game.

The Tottenham team playing at home could not accept the result of defeat. After conceding the ball, Tottenham players quickly increased their investment in offense, and their forward passes also increased significantly.

Manchester United has rich experience and did not shrink immediately after the goal. Instead, it continued to maintain pressure on Tottenham's penalty area to see if it could take advantage of the opponent's unstable morale to expand the score.

Manchester United's experience brought them opportunities. Tottenham were eager to counterattack, and the pass from the backcourt was too hasty. The ball was intercepted by the diligent Rooney. Rooney took a few steps forward and crossed the front of the penalty area under the pressure of the opponent.

In Rooney's expectation, even if Gao Xiaodong and Scholes had no time to intervene, Berbatov would definitely have a chance to steal the cross. However, Rooney did not expect that Berbatov was really slow and the ball flew past the goal. After leaving the touchline, Berbatov arrived.

Rooney was very dissatisfied with Berbatov's follow-up. He felt that no matter whether Gao Xiaodong or Xiao Wandou partnered with him, he had only one assist.

However, Berbatov was also dissatisfied with Rooney's pass. He believed that Rooney could pass the ball deeper instead of blindly passing the ball with his eyes closed.

Tottenham quickly served a throw-in, and Bell once again sprinted towards Manchester United's right wing.

Rafael had reduced his involvement after Gao Xiaodong scored and stayed behind to defend, but he still failed to block Bell's attack.

Bell forcibly broke through Rafael in a space of less than ten meters and passed the ball across the penalty area on the baseline.

Maybe the ball was passed too quickly, and Bell failed to control the ball well. Crouch, who was more than two meters tall, jumped high and failed to touch the ball, and the ball flew directly out of the sideline.

In the 25th minute of the game, Manchester United launched a quick counterattack. After consecutive passes from Scholes, Gao Xiaodong and Fletcher, they passed the ball from their own half to Tottenham's half. Scholes passed directly to Berbatov. .

Although Berbatov is not fast, he plays football very smartly. When receiving the ball in the middle, he stops to the side, pulls back and then passes it crosswise to Rooney who is diagonally entering the penalty area.

Rooney followed up with a powerful volley, but the angle was a bit right. Goalkeeper Gomez fell to the ground and blocked the ball with one hand.

Gala did not dare to neglect and kicked the ball away before Gao Xiaodong's follow-up shot.

Berbatov saw Rooney miss the ball, glanced at Rooney, as if to say, the ball must be passed like this, then shrugged and walked back.

Rooney was very angry when he saw Berbatov's expression, but he didn't shoot it well. He couldn't get angry even if he was angry, he could only be angry.

Manchester United's tactics were very good. They took advantage of Tottenham's psychological ups and downs and got two shooting opportunities, but they failed to grasp them. Then Tottenham increased their pressing intensity and their formation moved forward. Manchester United gradually took advantage of the situation. The formation shrunk back, holding on to the half-court to counter Tottenham's counterattack.

At this time, Gao Xiaodong recovered his position even more, almost parallel to Fletcher, mainly protecting his center back and delivering the ball. The task of passing the ball to the three forwards during the counterattack mainly fell on Scholes.

Tottenham's last defeat at Old Trafford also summed up the lessons of the loss to Manchester United, that is, they cannot let Manchester United control the rhythm of the game and cannot let Manchester United score first.

However, after returning to the home court this time, Tottenham still failed to guard Gao Xiaodong, and Gao Xiaodong scored another goal.

It's time for Manchester United to counterattack again. If Manchester United continues to control the rhythm at this time, Tottenham will probably suffer another big defeat like last time.

If you want to prevent Manchester United from controlling the rhythm, you must strangle Manchester United's ball, so that the three forwards cannot get the ball and cannot counterattack. Once Manchester United's three forwards can only leave one Berbatov in front, the remaining two If they can go back to defend and get the ball, Tottenham will be safe, because they have two fast wingers in Bell and Lennon on the wing, who can quickly chase back, and Manchester United's counterattack will not be that big a threat.

Manchester United's goal points are Gao Xiaodong and Scholes. When Tottenham lost the ball, they asked Van der Vaart to limit Gao Xiaodong's shots and used Modric to mark Scholes. They would rather foul than let Gao Xiaodong. Xiaodong and Scholes passed the ball.

Tottenham's targeted defense has a good effect. Gao Xiaodong and Scholes are greatly affected by these two points, especially Scholes. He is older and his reaction ability is slower, and he is targeted again. Immediately after the attack, the number of mistakes doubled, making it impossible for Manchester United to launch a quick counterattack.

The most feared thing about defensive counterattacks is that there is no counterattack and the opponent repeatedly attacks the back line of defense.

Tottenham's offensive power is actually quite good. They have several attacking talents in the midfield and frontcourt. What limits Tottenham's further development is actually their defense and goalkeeper. Now Manchester United's quick counterattack cannot be played, and their own defense can't bear it. The pressure is too much.

In the 35th minute of the game, Scholes took the ball and was intercepted by Modric. Scholes tackled from behind and wanted to use a foul to destroy Modric's second attack, but Modric moved quickly and Scholes The foul failed to touch Modric.

However, Gao Xiaodong has always paid attention to Scholes' position. After Modric stole the ball, Gao Xiaodong quickly came over to defend. Modric had just avoided Scholes. Gao Xiaodong thought it was a good opportunity and quickly made a steal.

However, Modric's ball-handling skills are indeed excellent. His center of gravity was fully adjusted, but he flicked the ball and passed Gao Xiaodong again.

Gao Xiaodong couldn't let Modric pass by and faced the defender directly.

Although Vidic and Ferdinand are powerful, it is too dangerous to face Modric, Van der Vaart and Crouch directly.

Gao Xiaodong swept down Modric from behind without hesitation.

This was an obvious tactical foul. The referee blew the whistle and gave Gao Xiaodong a yellow card.

Gao Xiaodong deserved the yellow card. Gao Xiaodong didn't defend himself and just went to defend.

Although Tottenham has a high point like Crouch in the middle and even two central defenders coming over, Manchester United's air defense ability is indeed one of the best. Tottenham's free kick did not create much threat this time.

Ferguson is a coach with decades of professional experience. He quickly saw Tottenham's intentions and hurried to the sidelines to tell his defenders not to rush and pass the ball to Gao Xiaodong and Scholes. Pass the ball to the two wings, and launch a counterattack directly from the wings without going through the scheduling and organization of the midfield.

Ferguson's idea is correct. Manchester United has Nani and Rooney on the wing. Of the two of them, Nani has good skills, fast speed, and can break through people. Rooney's skills are a bit rough, but he has strong impact and speed. Quick, the two of them can launch a counterattack on the wing.

Ferguson's changes fell into Redknapp's calculations.

Tottenham are not afraid that Manchester United will not go wide. As long as Manchester United goes wide, regardless of Nani and Rooney, dribbling the ball forward, Bale and Lennon are capable of returning to their own penalty area to reduce the threat posed by Manchester United's two wings.

Even if Bell and Lennon cannot come back sometimes, except for Gao Xiaodong and Scholes, no one else can handle the ball as reasonably and accurately as Gao Xiaodong and Scholes.

Without reasonable ball delivery and precise footwork, quick counterattacks cannot be achieved.

In other words, as long as Gao Xiaodong and Scholes are controlled, the quality of Manchester United's counterattack will be greatly reduced.

In fact, before 25 minutes of the first half, Manchester United took control of the game. Gao Xiaodong also scored a goal. After 25 minutes, the game went according to Tottenham coach Redknapp's vision. Tottenham kept attacking. But Manchester United's counterattack was never able to come out.

However, Tottenham's forwards have an average ability to seize opportunities. Their continuous offense created many shooting opportunities, but they were never able to send the ball into Manchester United's goal.

The 45 minutes of the first half passed quickly. Tottenham had an advantage on the field, but failed to convert it into a goal. They could only go back to the locker room to rest with a 0:1 deficit.