Chapter 609 Manchester United’s Trap

Manchester United does have reasons to be jealous of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, because they are not satisfied with Old Trafford.

In the past few years, Manchester United has never stopped renovating the interior of Old Trafford Stadium, but the problem is that no matter how you renovate it, you cannot change many of the current conditions, such as Old Trafford. The pitch has clearly reached its limit.

To the north of Old Trafford is the Bridgewater Canal, to the south is the train track adjacent to Manchester, which has no possibility of expansion, and to the east is Sir Matt Busby Road. Then there's the parking lot, to the west there's the parking lot, and beyond that there's the freight train station.

Under this circumstance, the so-called renovation of Old Trafford Stadium is actually spending a lot of money to do small things. I believe that if there is a choice, Manchester United will choose to build a five-star home stadium as soon as possible instead of continuing to build a five-star home stadium in the old Trafford stadium. Trafford Stadium is a little troublesome because planning to build a new stadium is more permanent and has too many benefits.

According to media reports, Arsenal's Emirates Stadium rents out its high-end restaurant to a catering company, with the annual rent reaching up to 15 million pounds. Now a well-known catering company is in contact with Tottenham Hotspur and offers He paid a price tag of 25 million pounds a year, but Tottenham Hotspur have not relented yet. The reason is simple: the location is too good.

But at Old Trafford, they don't have the ability to operate like this. In comparison, they lose a lot of income a year.

Many people once criticized Ye Qiu, thinking that he made a very loss-making transaction, that is, he spent 300 million euros to buy a futures contract until 2013, and in order to avoid being forcibly liquidated, he also You have to keep throwing money into it.

But if the person who said these words pays attention to the calculation, it is not difficult to find that Ye Qiu not only did not lose money in this transaction, but also made a lot of money. This must mention another team, Chelsea.

The Blues have always wanted to build a new stadium, but the location of the Stamford Bridge stadium is so good. It is surrounded by wealthy or middle-class people. The possibility of demolishing and expanding Stamford Bridge is slim, even if it is allowed. You succeeded, but the demolition payment was enough to make you collapse.

And what many fans may not know is that the land ownership of Stamford Bridge is not in the hands of Chelsea Club, but in the hands of a fans organization, who bought the land in 1997 through a bank loan. Ownership, that is to say, if you want to move this piece of land, it is not only a matter of the demolition party, but also the fans organization must be convinced.

As early as when Peter Kenyon was still in charge of Chelsea, he once mentioned planning to build a new stadium, but this plan has never been completed because the reason is very simple. For Chelsea, let them leave the city of London. They don't want to, but the problem is, if you want to stay in London but also plan to build a new stadium, the price of the land alone is enough to make you want to die.

Not long ago, Chelsea paid attention to a dilapidated old power plant in Battersea, southeast of the Stamford Bridge Stadium and on the south bank of the Thames River. This old power plant is not only next to the Thames River, but to the west is densely packed with famous London roads passing through the north bank of the Thames River. The railway track of Victoria Railway Station has relatively convenient transportation, the scenery is not bad, and the area is not bad, about 230 acres, which is ideal for building a new stadium.

But the problem is that the other party is not interested in Chelsea's offer. They have offered a sky-high price of 500 million pounds, which is simply impossible for Chelsea to accept, because after they buy a piece of land, they have to demolish the old power plant and then rebuild it. Rebuilding a new stadium, building a subway station connected to Victoria Station, and a series of other supporting facilities. All the costs are calculated. Sorry, if there is not one billion, it will cost 800 million pounds!

So now a lot of Chelsea fans are complaining, thinking that the team should compete for Stratford Stadium, because according to Tottenham Hotspur's investment, plus future renovation funds, it will be 500 million euros at best. , more than 400 million pounds, and the supporting facilities near the Olympic Park are so complete and the transportation is so convenient, it is simply a great deal.

But the problem is, there is no regret medicine in this world!

In fact, this world has always been like this, hating people who are rich and hating people who are poor.

In the past, the media said that Tottenham Hotspur suffered a big loss and that it was not worthwhile to invest in Stratford Stadium. So all the fans of the English team attacked in groups, thinking that Tottenham Hotspur had done something wrong. The big fat sheep was slaughtered and helped people pay money. But now, the Stratford Stadium is completed and unveiled, and the whole world is amazed and in an uproar. So many people began to criticize, thinking that the London Municipal Government and the Olympic Organization The committee just favors Tottenham Hotspur, otherwise why would such good things come at the expense of the North Londoners?

Ye Qiu really had no choice in dealing with these comments from the outside world. At the beginning, many teams participated together. West Ham United wanted nothing to do with the Wolves. Teams such as Leyton Orient were not popular at all. Chelsea had never actively participated. In this competition, Abramovich wanted to gain a foothold in West London, which made Tottenham Hotspur finally get this cooperation.

It should be said that this is not about who takes advantage of whom, but that several other teams lack foresight!

However, many of those who criticize Tottenham Hotspur for being taken care of by the government are from rival teams, such as Arsenal, and Manchester United, which clearly has nothing to do with them. They are just trying to disgust the public. Turnham Hotspur.

The so-called mortal enemy means that even when I am having a hard time, I will never let you have a good time!

Manchester United fans have this kind of mentality now. Seeing the Stratford Stadium become popular, they are like a beautiful and refined girl. Looking at their own Old Trafford Stadium, they are simply yellow with rough skin and unkempt hair. Mother-in-law, how can I have balance in my heart?

If you are not balanced, you must find an object to vent to, so Tottenham Hotspur became such an object.

Even when the Tottenham Hotspur bus passed Sir Matt Busby Road and entered the main gate of the Old Trafford Stadium, all the Red Devils fans who gathered outside waiting to enter were excited. There were boos, and many fans even unfurled their own banners and slogans, including a cartoon that satirized Tottenham Hotspur and the London City Government's private exchanges.

This also reminded Ye Qiu of the time when Barcelona fans ridiculed and ridiculed Real Madrid for selling the old stadium. It is located in a commercially developed area in the center of Madrid and the land area is not small. How could the value of selling such a piece of land be so low? But if you think that there is a private exchange between the club and the government, that is indeed a bit much.

"It's so sour. We've been smelling this sour smell all the way from London to Manchester. It's even more sour when we don't get here. Our teeth are soft!" Ye Qiu said with a smile when he saw the behavior of the Red Devils fans in the bus. , not caring at all about being criticized.

When you come to an away game, you are mentally prepared to be criticized and humiliated by the home team fans. If you don't even have this, then you are not qualified to come to the away game.

"Boss, let's knock out their teeth and see how sore they are!" Ribery said with a smile.

All the players in the bus laughed. Although Tottenham Hotspur lost to Manchester United in the Champions League semi-finals last season, they were a double-kill opponent in the league, so for Manchester United, Tottenham There is no psychological pressure on Tottenham.

Ye Qiu also laughed after hearing the player's words, but in fact, he was still a little uneasy because he didn't know what kind of tactics Manchester United would adopt in this game.

Ferguson now has too many cards in his hands. Veterans such as Scholes and Giggs are getting stronger, while players such as Benzema, Tevez, Rooney, Sneijder, Lars Diarra and Carrick are the current players. Although he is still young, the team still has powerful stars such as Anderson, Park Ji-sung, Nani, Fletcher, and Hernandez. Manchester United’s current bench thickness is one of the best in Europe, let alone the Premier League. In this regard, Tottenham Hotspur is not as good as Manchester United.

Of course, this inferiority is because Tottenham Hotspur's bench has more young players, so it is only temporary.

Manchester United has a lot of variables this season. Ferguson has been adjusting the front trident because of the World Cup. For example, Portuguese winger Nani is Manchester United's best player at the beginning this season, but Ferguson will be in this game. Arrange for Nani to start?

After all, Nani plays on the right, how to arrange the full-back behind him? The right back has always been a major weakness of Manchester United this season, and Tottenham Hotspur's left wing, whether it is Ribery plus Marcelo, Neymar and Alba, has very good offensive power on the left, which is very good for Manchester United. The right wing will be a big challenge. What arrangements will Ferguson make?

It is precisely because of this series of doubts and the fact that Manchester United, the new Champions League champion, is also quite good, that Ye Qiu did not dare to be careless at the start of his visit to Old Trafford and played a more strategic opening strategy. Be cautious, and focus on stability.

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When the referee Mark Clattenberg blew the whistle at the end of the first half, the entire Old Trafford stadium still kept booing in the first half and was still actively playing the 12th game on the field. The power of people affects and interferes with Tottenham Hotspur's away game.

Andy Gray, a famous Premier League speaker sitting in the media box at Old Trafford Stadium, looked very depressed.

"The terrible and boring first half is finally over!" This is what Andy Gray shouted into the microphone next to his mouth as if he was relieved after hearing Mark Clattenberg's whistle. He now felt the urge to vent loudly.

"This is, from what I've said, the worst, dullest game of the season between the two teams so far, which is really rare for teams like Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. But it’s really bad.”

"The reason for this bad and dull game, I think, is mainly the strength of the two teams. Both teams played with their main lineups, and the gap in strength is not particularly big. However, Tottenham Hotspur played on the field, but the main reason was the strength of the two teams. Try to attack, while Manchester United, playing at home, has accumulated a lot of strength in defense.”

"Obviously, the head coaches of both teams have made adequate preparations before the game, especially in terms of pertinence. For example, in order to strengthen the suppression of Tottenham Hotspur's midfield, Tevez and Nani both retreated. It was very deep, and Rooney was alone in front. At the beginning of the game, Nani tried to press forward, but David Silva quickly pushed him back. "

"Then we saw that Manchester United almost didn't have much desire to attack. The biggest highlight of Ferguson's game should be the use of Lars Diarra, because Tevez and Nani both returned. Withdrew to a position close to the full midfielder, so Sneijder and Lars Diarra pressed forward to fully exert their interference on Tottenham Hotspur's midfield organization. "

"The advantage of this tactical play is that it suppresses Tottenham Hotspur's deep advancement in the center, but the disadvantage is that it also breaks up one's own offense into pieces, compromising combat effectiveness, and at the same time strengthening Ribery's defense The restrictions with Messi do not allow these two dangerous men to have many chances to get the ball.”

"Tottenham Hotspur also have a problem. If there is nothing that can be done about being suppressed in the midfield, then Ye Qiu adopted a suppressive attitude towards Alves and Marcelo's forward pressing in this game. Obviously he also wants to ensure the quality of defense.”

"The tactical width brought by the forward penetration of the full-backs is lost, and the midfielder is contained, which makes the creativity of the midfielder a bit lacking. Therefore, in order to ensure contact and create threats, the front trident must maintain a close position. So we can see that Tottenham Hotspur's several threatening attacks were created by the frontcourt trident using their own abilities to cooperate in the frontcourt, but they were too concentrated in the center, leaving Vidic and Ferdinand with a lot of problems. Good defensive performance.”

When Andy Gray said this, he actually wanted to tell all fans the fact that in this kind of strong dialogue, once the head coaches of both sides are not prone to making mistakes and the tactics are sufficiently targeted, the game will become very dull. .

"Perhaps, what we can expect is the changes in the second half of both sides, especially Tottenham. They had the advantage and initiative in the first half, but failed to create many opportunities. I think if Ye Qiu's midfielder can find an effective Breaking through Manchester United's defense and suppression will make the game more enjoyable in the second half."

"As for Manchester United, I think Ferguson may continue to adopt defensive counterattack tactics. After all, all teams still focus on defense when facing Tottenham Hotspur, but Rooney was not active enough in the first half. Benzema Will the horse come on? When will it come on? Or will Giggs come on, these are all questions."

While Andy Gray was summarizing the first half, Tottenham Hotspur, who returned to the visiting team's locker room, also began a tense fifteen-minute halftime break and adjustments.

Regarding the difficulties and situations the team encountered in the first half, Ye Qiu had already been mentally prepared. It could even be said that he was not doubtful about this, because this is the strength and performance that Manchester United should have.

Tottenham Hotspur's most threatening attack in the first half occurred in the 21st minute. Franck Ribery made a pass from the left. Edwin van der Sar struck out but missed the ball. Cavani volleyed it. But this time the Uruguayan striker hit the ball crookedly and failed to hit the right spot. There was nothing that could be done about it. After all, no scorer could guarantee that he could seize every scoring opportunity.

"We played badly in the first half!" This sentence can be regarded as Ye Qiu's summary of the first half.

The players have also been mentally prepared for this. This should be Tottenham Hotspur's worst game so far this season, including the 0:0 draw with Manchester City. But it's not that the players didn't try their best, it's that the opponent was too strong and the tactics were too targeted.

"I told you before the game, be flexible and proactive in seeking changes, instead of blindly following your opponents. They have laid mines in front of them. Do we have to follow them stupidly?"

After Ye Qiu said this, it was enough. After all, during the halftime break, the players needed encouragement, and Tottenham Hotspur now had the advantage and initiative. If he said it too harshly, the players would feel unhappy. , I feel that your head coach is making sarcastic remarks off the court, but we are working hard on the court.

"Our most important problem in the first half was that we fell into Manchester United's trap. Ferguson strengthened the defensive pressure in the midfield through Tevez and Nani's retreat. Our midfield could not operate as orderly as before. Our ball possession rate is not high, only 53%, and the pace is not fast, but the passing success rate is very low, 79.5%.”

This series of data is indeed not ideal for Tottenham Hotspur, especially the passing success rate, which is too low.

"The main reason is that our midfield is too crowded, so in the second half we need to open up the space in the middle of the midfield, but there is one problem you must keep in mind, the defense cannot move!"

You may say that Ye Qiu is conservative or wants stability, but he knows very well that the team was able to suppress Manchester United firmly in the first half because of the team's excellent defense that prevented Manchester United from counterattacking. If you are like many As people say, if the full-backs press forward, Manchester United can survive the counterattack. This is not a good thing for Tottenham Hotspur.

"David!" Ye Qiu pointed at David Silva, "I don't think you should argue too much with Nani, especially when we have the ball, so in the second half when we took the ball to attack, I hope you can move on the wing and get behind Lass Diarra!"

"Similarly, Frank and Leo must actively change positions. I need one of you to stay around Cavani at all times and support the opponent's defense line, while the other person will retreat to the side and then insert the card diagonally. Behind Rick and Lars Diarra."

"Ceske retreats to the midfielder position. I need you to maintain interaction with Yaya and ensure the smoothness of our midfield and backcourt organization with the defense!"

With Ye Qiu's series of adjustments, everyone clearly saw that on the tactical board, Tottenham's originally densely packed middle road became open, especially after Fabregas retreated, David Silva, Ribery and Messi pressed forward or pulled to the side, the midfield was vacant.

With a bang, Ye Qiu's right hand slapped heavily on the tactical board, "In a word, after the space is opened, we will go to the two wings, not obsessed with midfield control, we focus on effectiveness, quickly pass the midfield from the two wings, and create threats in the front field!"

After listening to this, the players in the locker room nodded in understanding, and they all believed that with Ye Qiu's midfield adjustments, the situation in the second half would change greatly.

Because Ye Qiu has proved his ability with his actual performance over the past years, and has also won their conviction and reliance.