Chapter 678 Choking Cherries
Manchester United's next league opponent is Bournemouth. This team has been in the lower leagues of England for a long time. In the 2014-2015 season, they were promoted to the Premier League as the second place in the English Championship. This is also the first time they have been promoted to the top league in England in 116 years since their establishment.
In the first season in the top league (2015-2016 season), Bournemouth ranked 16th in the Premier League and successfully retained its seat in the Premier League. In the 2016-2017 season, Bournemouth broke through the previous season's results and ranked 9th in the Premier League.
Last season, Bournemouth ranked 10th in the Premier League standings again, which was also quite surprising.
Halfway through the league schedule this season, Bournemouth ranked 10th, with only 2 points less than Leicester City, which ranked 7th. This is enough to show that Bournemouth's performance is quite good.
Despite this, the media does not believe that Manchester United's unbeaten record will be ended by Bournemouth, a mid-level team.
Even the local media in Bournemouth think so. They said that seeing the corpse of Arsenal still there, no one would want to provoke or talk nonsense about blocking Manchester United.
Even Bournemouth coach Eddie Howe, when facing the media's question "Can Bournemouth break Manchester United's unbeaten record", panicked and waved his hands repeatedly, saying that we don't discuss this topic. Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal, the strong teams that are tied with Manchester United in the BIG6, have no way to beat Manchester United, let alone us. This is not something Bournemouth should get involved in. We just want to play well.
………………
Bruno doesn't care what Eddie Howe said. In fact, this gentleman's attitude is so low-key that it is suspicious.
Although Eddie Howe has less than four seasons of experience in coaching in the Premier League, he is not an unknown person. This player who came from Bournemouth's youth training made 270 appearances for Bournemouth during his playing days and is a Bournemouth legend. After becoming a coach, he led Bournemouth from League One to the Premier League and established a firm foothold in the Premier League.
With his outstanding coaching at Bournemouth, Eddie Howe won the 2015 English Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year Award.
It can be said that Eddie Howe is the upstart of local coaches in England in recent years and is highly valued. And his coaching ability is also very outstanding. He can stabilize the small team Bournemouth in the middle of the Premier League, which is not something that any cat or dog can do.
Moreover, although Manchester United has been unbeaten for 58 games, it really cannot be taken lightly when facing mid- and lower-level teams.
………………
It’s not just Bruno who thinks Eddie Howe’s behavior is problematic, Mourinho does the same. Before the game with Bournemouth, Mourinho repeatedly told the players not to be confused by Bournemouth’s servility and to be careful.
The players listened more or less. In the last game against Huddersfield, their mentality was problematic and they were scolded by Mourinho.
Even so, after the game started, Manchester United's players were still shocked by Bournemouth's tough attitude and fighting spirit.
The "Cherry Army", which was very low-key before the game, burst out with huge energy after the game started. Although they didn't say anything before the game, they told everyone with practical actions: they are eager to beat Manchester United and write their names into the history of Premier League and European football!
The reality is that whichever team can beat Manchester United and break Manchester United's unbeaten record will really become famous, they will be on the headlines of the media around the world, and the names of the players who score goals will be famous all over the world.
For a small team like Bournemouth, it is difficult for them to compete for the championship award. Even the most tasteless League Cup is not something that a small team like Bournemouth can covet in the increasingly involuted English football world!
This season, Manchester United was eliminated in the third round of the League Cup. After missing out on the third consecutive League Cup title, the teams that can enter the League Cup quarterfinals are Manchester City, Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea, four BIG6 teams, and Bournemouth was eliminated by the Blues Chelsea in the quarterfinals.
But unlike the game against Manchester United, this is a decisive game. As long as they can fight hard, they have a chance to beat Manchester United and win extraordinary reputation and attention.
………………
“GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!”
“Ake! Ake!! Ake!!!” Lineker’s voice was filled with question marks and exclamation marks. “In the injury time of the first half, a goal was scored. It was not scored by Manchester United, but by Bournemouth! Ake scored for Bournemouth!”
“Brocks made a cross from the left side of the penalty area in the corner kick melee, and Ake scored a header from close range! They led Manchester United 1:0 away from Old Trafford! The Bournemouth players, who were extremely low-key before the game, took the lead!”
When the Bournemouth players celebrated wildly, the Manchester United players were frustrated and aggrieved.
After the game started, although Bournemouth was full of fighting spirit, the rhythm of the game was still in the hands of Manchester United. They had a higher ball possession rate than their opponents, and they had far more shots than their opponents.
In this case, Manchester United was broken by a quick counterattack by Bournemouth, which really made the Manchester United players a little depressed.
However, the commentators have a different view from the players.
"Although Manchester United had a high ball possession rate and a lot of shots, they failed to really threaten Bournemouth's goal. On the contrary, on the defensive end, Manchester United was a little too relaxed, and Bournemouth finally caught it. A chance to counterattack and the attack succeeded! Let's look at Mourinho, he looks very angry."
………………
Mourinho was indeed angry. The players gave him the feeling that they responded to him with a seemingly positive attitude, as if to say: Boss, we have listened to what you said. Look, we are very happy. So positive!
These guys!
Mourinho's face was ashen.
In fact, Mourinho is not as angry as his expression shows in his heart. His anger is for the players to see, telling them: I am angry! The consequences are serious!
From the bottom of his heart, he was not surprised. When a team has become accustomed to winning and has been undefeated for 58 games, it will slowly develop inertia.
This is not a derogatory term, it is a neutral term. No one can be highly focused all the time, consistently. It is even more impossible for a team with more than 20 players to do it.
In addition, the performance of Manchester United's players on the field also seemed to be concerned about gains and losses. They were a little too concerned about creating an unbeaten record of 59 games, but their football was not as smooth and reliable as normal.
To put it more deeply, Manchester United needs a defeat now, or even just one loss, the unbeaten record will come to an abrupt end, and the team's condition will return to normal.
Yes, Mourinho does not think that his players are proud. Although they have won 13 championship trophies in the past two years, this is an honor that is difficult for most professional players to obtain in their lifetime, but These young people at Manchester United still have the desire to win, and they have not reached the sage moment where "after the climax, it becomes boring".
………………
Mourinho believes that the current state of Manchester United players is actually a kind of inertia, or to put it more bluntly and appropriately, fatigue.
Physical fatigue, physiological fatigue, mental fatigue, and even fatigue from what is heard and seen... The media talks about Manchester United's unbeaten record every day, and the players are both excited and a little tired.
Mourinho understands these and he grasps these reasons, but this does not mean that he is willing to accept failure and is willing to be broken by Bournemouth.
He wants to take Manchester United forward, but when will he be revealed? Just wait. When you really can't hold on anymore, whichever one you encounter will be cheaper.
However, he hasn't won enough yet and has to continue to make great strides forward.
At the end of the first half, the score was 0:1, and Manchester United trailed 0:1 at home.
During the halftime break, what surprised the players was that Mourinho did not curse in a rage, he just told the players a truth. He understands that the team is tired, but he cannot accept the team losing to Bournemouth.
"Why should the Bournemouth people take advantage of such a great thing that goes down in history by defeating Manchester United?"
The players were stunned for a moment, and then the atmosphere became heated.
Yes, why should Bournemouth people be cheap? How shameless are they?
………………
And today's occasion is wrong. This is the day when Manchester United sets a new record. It is also the team's last game in 2018, and it is also the team's last game in this stadium.
Yes, this is Manchester United's last game at Old Trafford.
After a year and a half of preliminary construction, the reconstruction of Old Trafford Stadium is about to enter a new stage.
Starting from 2019, this century-old stadium will be demolished and a new top-level modern stadium will be built.
According to the plan, Manchester United will not be able to move into the new stadium until 2021.
In the next two years, Manchester United will have to find another venue for its home games.
Originally, Manchester United was interested in leasing the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City's home stadium, as Manchester United's home stadium for the next two years, but due to various reasons, the negotiations did not succeed.
In addition to the Etihad Stadium, Manchester United also planned to rent the New Wembley Stadium as the team's home stadium for the next two years. However, because Tottenham signed the contract first, and the New Wembley Stadium still has It is difficult to bear the task of playing home games for the England national team and it is difficult to bear the task of playing home games for Manchester United. Manchester United has to choose another target.
As a top club, Manchester United's fan base means that they will definitely not choose stadiums with too small capacity as their temporary home stadium.
In the end, Manchester United chose to rent the home of the Welsh national team, Cardiff's Millennium Stadium, as the team's temporary home for the next two years.
In the last home game at Old Trafford, Manchester United must not lose!