Chapter 145 Enough

After the winter break, the Eredivisie started the war early.

In the 20th round of the Eredivisie, Ajax challenged Alkmaar away from home, and the two sides tied 0:0.

In Ye Qiu's first game after the winter break, the team's performance was obviously not very satisfactory, especially after a long truce. The players were obviously still unable to adapt to the rhythm of the league and were still lacking in physical adjustments.

On the contrary, it was Eindhoven. They were more experienced and they defeated Breda 3:1 at their home court.

Feyenoord also drew with Utrecht 2:2 away from home.

As a result, Ajax's lead was shortened to 2 points, while Feyenoord was pushed back to third place in the league by PSV, who once again showed their enthusiasm for the Eredivisie championship. Ambition.

After this round, the Eindhoven Daily published a news article, believing that in the second half of the league, Eindhoven will launch a general attack on the league championship again, and the Eindhoven management, including general manager Ane Sendu went out to express his position, denying that Graetz will be dismissed after the end of the season. All external rumors are false.

Some media broke the news that this is because of a tacit understanding reached between the Eindhoven management and Gretz. If Eindhoven can win the Eredivisie championship or the UEFA Cup this season, he will continue to stay. Coaching at Philips Stadium.

Although Ajax performed poorly in the first game, it did not affect the fans' support for the team at all. There are still many fans coming to Detok Most to watch the team training every day, and Ye Qiu also The team's current situation allowed Peter Brandt to adjust the team's physical training plan.

In the next week, the first-team players adjusted their physical condition very well. In the away game against Willem II on February 3, Ajax was in great shape and beat Adrian Se's Willian 5:0 in the away game. II, let out a big sigh of relief, and Ibrahimovic and Robben both scored twice, and Van der Vaart scored the last goal.

In midweek, Ajax ushered in Groningen, their opponent in the Dutch Cup quarter-finals.

Ye Qiu arranged for Huntelaar, Yaya Toure, Hleb and other players to start in this game. As a result, this group of players defeated Groningen 4:0 at the Arena Stadium and successfully advanced to the next round. round, and this time Ajax will face PSV in the semi-finals, and Twente will face Utrecht in the other game.

In the 23rd round of the Eredivisie, Ajax defeated Fortuna Sittard 4:1 away from home, winning two consecutive Eredivisie games. They scored 9 goals and only conceded 1 goal in the two games. They were in very good condition. Eye-catching.

But relatively speaking, Ajax's opponent Manchester United is also in excellent form recently.

Ferguson's team has always been good at making full use of the winter break schedule. This season's Manchester United performed very well during the winter break. In addition to losing 0:1 at home to Liverpool in 12 league games, they won other games. They have won 11 games, and in the last three games, forwards Ruud van Nistelrooy and Solskjaer have scored 4 goals. Their offensive power is amazing.

But just when everyone thought that Manchester United could easily defeat Ajax, Ye Qiu led his young guards to give the Red Devils a sap, completely stunning them.

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"...Robben quickly broke through Gary Neville on the left and made a pass..."

"...Keita nodded the ball forward and the ball passed Blanco..."

"The ball went in!!!"

“GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!”

"Zlatan Ibrahimovic! This Swedish youngster took the lead in knocking on Manchester United's goal for Ajax in the 8th minute!"

"A very, very surprising performance. Ajax was very decisive after the start, using attacking tactics and taking full advantage of Manchester United's defensive weaknesses, Ibrahimovic's advantages and the players' strength. Come in and create a threat!"

"Manchester United has given Ajax three shooting opportunities in just 8 minutes, and Ferguson's team finally swallowed the bitter pill of their carelessness. This is a very wonderful goal!"

When Ibrahimovic fired a volley and sailed Keita's header into Barthez's goal, the entire Arenal Stadium was completely boiling, and all the Ajax fans cheered uncontrollably.

Ye Qiu raised his hands above his head and applauded the performance of his players. This time the attack still used the fast attack that Ajax is good at. The pace was quickened from the beginning, leaving Manchester United at a loss.

Ferguson arranged a 4141 tactic for this game. The goalkeeper was Barthez, the defense was Phil Neville, Sylvester, Blanco and Gary Neville. Keane played as a midfielder and Giger Thomas, Scholes, Veron and Beckham formed the midfield, with Ruud van Nistelrooy coming forward.

Judging from Ferguson's starting lineup for this game, he was not unprepared for Ajax's opening attack. He arranged for Veron and Scholes to start at the same time. Control of the situation and rhythm of the game.

It should be said that Veron is a key player in Ferguson's view of Manchester United's transformation from the British style of play to the mainstream style of play on the European continent, because after long-term competition with European teams in the Champions League, Ferguson fully understands the importance of defense and rhythm. importance, so he resolutely changed the British tactical style of holding high and fighting high, and instead pursued more teamwork.

But Veron is obviously unable to adapt to the rhythm of Manchester United and the Premier League, and Ferguson cannot weaken Keane. Instead, he adopts a midfield combination with Veron as the core, which is tantamount to breaking the most competitive and combative force in Manchester United. The golden midfield four.

In this case, Keane will definitely form a clamp in the midfield on Veron, who also needs the ball in his hand, because in the past Manchester United, excessive holding of the ball and distribution of the ball were Keane's responsibilities, and Veron The style developed in Serie A is somewhat incompatible with Manchester United's vigorous and fast-paced offense and defense, and it is easy to miss the opportunity.

Ye Qiu played very decisively at the beginning of this game, actively and boldly pushing the defense forward, forcing Ruud van Nistelrooy to leave the penalty area, and then launched an attack on Keane and Veron in the midfield, making it difficult for them to pass the ball forward. The ball, coupled with the lack of coordination between the two players, caused Manchester United to make many mistakes in passing and receiving in the midfield.

This time the goal was caused by a passing error by Manchester United's midfielder. Sneijder passed the ball to the left, and Robben made a cross after taking the ball for a personal breakthrough. The veteran Blanco was in the central defender position. The performance is not stable enough.

Combining so many factors, this was the goal that Ajax scored after the opening attack.

However, it is obvious that Ajax, who had tasted the sweetness, continued to put pressure on Manchester United according to the opening style of play under Ye Qiu's instructions after the restart, adopting a high defense and suppressing Manchester United in the half-court game. , but Ye Qiu also asked Maicon on the right to guard against Giggs.

Two minutes later, Van der Vaart once again broke through Phil Neville on the right and cut inside to hit the goal. However, the shot was saved by goalkeeper Barthez and won a corner kick.

Sneijder took a corner kick and Lucio headed it over.

But after that, Manchester United still couldn't seize the initiative in the game. Although they fell behind, they were still firmly suppressed by Ajax's high defense. It was difficult to attack their own half. They were very passive on the scene and could attack anytime and anywhere. There is a possibility of conceding the ball again.

"The situation of Manchester United is very dangerous now. Before the game, many people thought that Ajax would be difficult to stop Manchester United. But who would have thought that from the beginning of the game, it was Ajax who took the initiative."

The live TV camera panned Ye Qiu, who was standing in front of the home team’s coaching bench at Arena Stadium. “This is Ye Qiu, the Chinese head coach of Ajax. He is very young, only 28 years old, but he has already won a league title. He is a rising star in the European arena recently, and many people are optimistic about his Ajax.”

"It can be said that Ferguson's Manchester United were suppressed from the start of this game. Ye Qiu's work did not disappoint. I believe that if Ferguson cannot make adjustments as soon as possible, he may fail at the Arena Stadium. ”

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Red face and chewing gum, these have become the indispensable impressions of Ferguson in a football match.

The more intense the competition, the redder his face will be and the faster he will chew gum. Even he himself cannot explain why.

Although Ferguson never admits his mistakes or admits defeat in front of others, in his heart, he always maintains a calmness and rationality. He can clearly know what he should do and what he wants to do anytime and anywhere.

Turning his head sideways, he saw the young man in front of the home team's coaching bench at Arena Stadium, with a sneer in his heart.

"Arrogant guy, really think he can challenge Manchester United?"

"If Manchester United's front line had not lost speed, and lent Ajax a hundred courages, that kid would not have dared to press the team's defense so high. He has now made it clear that he just saw that Manchester United's front line has no speed. Can’t hit a quick counterattack.”

The slander against Ye Qiu ends here. Ferguson knows very well in his heart that the most important reason is that Manchester United's midfield is not functioning well, and this malfunctioning problem lies in Keane, Veron and Serie A. Coles's distribution of powers.

Manchester United's golden midfield four of Giggs, Scholes, Keane and Beckham takes the British style of play to its extreme, but this tactical style of play does not have enough control over the rhythm of the game. This is a big problem. Big problem, so even in 1999, when Manchester United was said to be at its peak, it was almost always at a disadvantage when playing against continental European teams, especially top teams.

Ferguson knew very well that Manchester United's overall rhythm was too single and relied too much on players to advance the ball. This kind of tactical play can have a lot of room for survival in the Premier League, because the Premier League has always been about playing high and high, but when encountering continental Europe, especially For teams with strong integrity such as Serie A and Bundesliga, Manchester United will be greatly oppressed and this style of play will lose its effectiveness.

Introducing Veron, the Argentinian white wizard is good at long and short passes, and is good at strategizing and winning. In Ferguson's heart, if Veron can integrate into Manchester United's midfield, he will definitely be a powerful supplement to Manchester United's golden four midfielders. , he can make a qualitative leap in Manchester United's overall strength.

Until then, that will be the truly powerful Red Devils Manchester United!

But it is a pity that Ferguson took it too much for granted. He ignored many issues, such as whether Manchester United's Class of 92 players can adapt to this continental European style of play, and can they accept Veron?

Many people in the previous life did not realize that Ferguson's assistant coach Queiroz in 2002 was from Portugal. His arrival was actually another way for Ferguson to change Manchester United's style, from introducing players to introducing coaches and training styles.

But at this moment, Ferguson still couldn't accept the failure of his high-cost attempt. He had to keep going, so he quickly gave the latest instructions to the players on the field, asking them to pass more balls to Veron.

This adjustment immediately gave Veron more opportunities on the field.

With Veron's control of the ball in the midfield, especially with more back passes and cross passes, Manchester United gradually stabilized the situation.

After seeing Manchester United gain a foothold, Ye Qiu knew that the situation had begun to change.

"We were able to suppress Manchester United for half an hour and take the lead again. We have enough!" Ye Qiu waved his hand with a smile, signaling the players to gradually retreat, abandon the previous high-position defense, and adopt a defensive counterattack tactic.

In terms of counterattacks, Manchester United only has Giggs, but Ajax has Robben and Van der Vaart, two Dutch wingers, plus Ibrahimovic's speed is not slow, which is more threatening than Manchester United in any way.

"Keita, keep an eye on that Argentine!"

Although it was a defensive counterattack, Ye Qiu did not retreat very far, because he had to be wary of Van Nistelrooy, but at the same time he did not forget to let Keita and Sneijder disrupt the organization of Manchester United's midfield, especially for Veron.

Soon, Manchester United created an opportunity. First, Van Nistelrooy found an opportunity 20 meters away from the goal and kicked directly, but the ball hit the post and went out of the bottom line. Although it did not go in, it scared everyone out of their wits. Then Beckham's direct free kick almost scared Van der Sar to death.

The Dutch goalkeeper seemed very excited in this game. He followed closely with the captain's armband. Beckham made a cross from the right. When Van Nistelrooy broke into the penalty area and prepared to head the ball, he quickly rushed out of the small penalty area, jumped high, and took the ball steadily before Van Nistelrooy.

After landing, Van der Sar made a quick long pass. Van der Vaart was like an arrow from a bow on the right, quickly passing Phil Neville. After getting the ball, he cut in from the right. Facing Sylvester who was chasing back, he made a sudden stop and passed the ball to the left. Robben, who followed up at the back point, was disturbed by Gary Neville. When facing Barthez's excellent shooting opportunity, he shot with his right foot.

Robben's left foot can play the piano, but his right foot is equivalent to a mild disability. This shot was not strong at all and was directly saved by Barthez. Ajax missed a great opportunity to expand the score.

After missing the chance to score, the Dutch teenager squatted on the ground with his head in his hands, feeling indescribable annoyance.

But soon, Manchester United also missed a great scoring opportunity. It was Scholes who got the ball at the front of the penalty area after Veron passed the ball, but the English midfielder was less than 3 meters away from the goal, but he kicked the ball directly into Van der Sar's arms.

Ferguson was so angry when he saw his favorite student miss such a good opportunity on the sidelines that he couldn't calm down.

In the second half, the two sides changed sides and Ferguson must have scolded the players during the halftime break. As a result, at the beginning of the second half, Manchester United's players were like chicken blood, and launched a round of attacks on Ajax's penalty area, but Ajax still focused on Veron.

Until the 65th minute, Ferguson finally gave up his stubbornness and replaced Veron with Solskjaer. The team immediately adjusted to 442. Solskjaer and Van Nistelrooy played a double striker tactic, and the golden four midfielders were behind the double strikers to deliver ammunition for them.

After Ferguson's adjustment, Ye Qiu realized that the situation was not good, and immediately made substitutions to strengthen the team's defense, especially the midfield defense. This time he replaced Robben with De Jong, and the team changed to 451, letting Van der Vaart return to the center to play as a shadow striker, and the four midfielders were responsible for suppressing Manchester United's four midfielders.

The advantage in numbers made it difficult for Manchester United to launch an attack, especially when Ajax shrank three lines. It was difficult for Manchester United to find an opportunity to send the ball to Van Nistelrooy. Instead, Ajax made a sharp counterattack in the 77th minute and almost broke Manchester United's goal.

But it was still Manchester United who dominated the second half.

Manchester United, which returned to the traditional 442 tactical style, showed a strong offensive power. Whether it was the combination of Van Nistelrooy and Solskjaer on the front line or the golden four midfielders in the midfield, they all showed strong combat effectiveness.

These four midfielders of Manchester United are all top players in terms of personal strength. When combined together, their characteristics are very complementary. They have cooperated with each other for many years and have a tacit understanding. They can also achieve seamless one-touch ball. The overall ball route is very reasonable and connected, like mercury pouring on the ground.

But more importantly, Giggs's personal breakthrough on the left, Scholes's insertion and passing in the middle, and Beckham's precise cross on the right all made Manchester United's offensive means changeable. Coupled with Keane who could shoot at any time, Manchester United's midfield can be said to be very aggressive.

Therefore, once Manchester United's midfield is running well, the whole team's offense becomes very aggressive and full of impact. As soon as they get the ball, they think about attacking. As long as the opponent shows a flaw, it is either Giggs's breakthrough, Scholes's insertion, or Beckham's cross, which makes people unable to defend.

Ye Qiu was terrified on the sidelines. He kept reminding his players before the game that Manchester United, which returns to the traditional 442, is the strongest Manchester United and the Manchester United that Ajax needs to be most careful of.

But sometimes, it is not enough for you to be careful.

When the game reached the 87th minute, Beckham made a signature cross like a crescent moon, the ball passed over the head of the Ajax player and landed accurately on the head of Van Nistelrooy. What the Dutch center needed to do was very simple, he just leaned forward and the ball went in!