Coaching legend

March is another relatively easy month.

There are only three Premier League games and two Champions League group stage games in the whole month of March. For a team like Blackburn who has already qualified from the Champions League group stage, this March is too easy.

This is also the reason why George is very dissatisfied with the current Premier League schedule.

Some months have almost one game every two days, but in March, there is almost one game every ten days. Even if you let elementary school students go up to compile the schedule, it is much better than these Football Association uncles.

On March 7, Blackburn played the fifth game in the second round of the Champions League group stage.

For Blackburn, which has already appeared in the group, this game is a tasteless game. Now looking at Bayern's momentum, it is difficult to get the first place in this group. Under the situation of the group, George is not willing to fight Bayern to the death. Just for a group first place?

Now conserve your energy, and then eliminate the strong team in the knockout stage, which will immediately increase Blackburn's reputation.

In the last round of the group stage, even if you beat Bayern away. It's just because Bayern didn't take it seriously. So George didn't want to fight Bayern to death.

Therefore, George didn't pay much attention to the match with Spartak Moscow. Let those players who haven't played in the Champions League go up and feel it. And Spartak Moscow, which has been eliminated, didn't pay much attention to this game.

The game was very dull.

In the end, Blackburn shook hands with Spartak Moscow at home with a score of 1 to 1. After five games, Blackburn had three wins, one draw and one loss, and scored ten points.

After this game, Blackburn has no league. Until March 14, Blackburn challenged the last game of the second round of the Champions League group stage away.

Facing Bayern away.

Before this game, George analyzed many gains and losses. But in the end, he decided not to fight Bayern hard. Because even if Bayern was defeated, there was only one benefit. It was to boost the morale of the team.

In addition to this effect, there was no practical benefit.

Because Bayern defeated Galatasaray in the last game. Therefore, Bayern now has five wins in five games and has 15 points. The first place in the group stage has been determined.

Bayern did not think of fighting Blackburn to death. Bayern is a European giant, and their strength does not need to be proven by defeating Blackburn. Therefore, they just went through the motions in the last game.

But this kind of game is more interesting.

Bayern and Blackburn played offensive football at the Munich Olympic Stadium. The back lines of both sides were almost defenseless, and both sides only knew how to attack. Hitzfeld is actually a slightly conservative coach, and although George sometimes likes to take risks, he is also a coach who will do anything to win.

But this game without any burden allowed the two teams to play completely freely.

The final score was also astonishing.

The two teams scored six goals at the Munich Olympic Stadium, and finally a draw was achieved with three goals.

But no one would take him seriously.

With the big names in the second round of the Champions League group stage, the list of the Champions League quarterfinals has also come out. Manchester United and Valencia broke through in Group A, with Valencia first and Manchester United second. Group B is Milan and Deportivo La Coruna, with Deportivo La Coruna first and Milan second. Group C is Bayern and Blackburn, with Bayern first and Blackburn second. Group D is Real Madrid and Arsenal, with Real Madrid first and Arsenal second.

Although many European media do not admit it, the gradual strength of the Premier League has already shown some results.

Since Manchester United won the Champions League in 1998-1999, Premier League teams have formed a group advantage in the Champions League. In 1999-2000, Manchester United and Chelsea made it to the quarterfinals. In 2000-2001, Manchester United, Arsenal and Blackburn made it to the quarterfinals.

Even in the original history, Manchester United, Arsenal and Leeds United were among the top eight teams in this season's Champions League.

It's just that the Premier League teams did not perform well in the knockout rounds, and the La Liga has been too strong in recent seasons, so everyone has not noticed the rise of the Premier League. Now the overall strength of the Premier League has been steadily increasing. As long as the number accumulates to a certain level, quantitative changes will cause qualitative changes.

What George is concerned about now is Blackburn's opponents in the knockout round. Blackburn's possible opponents are Valencia, Deportivo La Coruna, and Real Madrid, all of which are La Liga teams.

And these three opponents are not easy to deal with. Real Madrid, needless to say, is one of the strongest teams in European football. And even Deportivo La Coruna and Valencia are not easy to deal with. Deportivo La Coruna is known as "Super La Coruna" and was the champion of La Liga last season. Being able to overwhelm Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia and many other giants and become the La Liga champion also shows the strength of Super La Coruna.

Another Valencia, needless to say. It is also a team that entered the Champions League final last season. And why Valencia is famous, how did Cooper become the head coach of Inter Milan. As a fan, George remembers it clearly.

Cooper was able to become the head coach of Inter Milan because he entered the Champions League final for two consecutive seasons in Valencia. Although he failed to win the championship, this result also made Cooper a world-famous coach.

George didn't know which opponent he could draw.

However, George is not afraid of any opponent. Even if he encounters Real Madrid, George believes that the chance of appearing is 50-50.

Before going to the draw, George has to play a Premier League game.

On March 17, Blackburn faced Everton at home.

Everton is having a hard time now. George has a natural liking for Everton. This is not because Li Tie played in Everton later, but because Everton is a Premier League powerhouse in the future.

Although it cannot win the championship, no strong team dares to ignore Everton.

Because Everton has a Scottish coach Moyes. Moyes was a coach that George liked very much when he was a fan. Among the small teams in the Premier League, George's favorite head coach is Moyes.

Moyes is also a young coach who became the club head coach at the age of 34. He became the head coach of the Premier League club Everton at the age of 39.

During his time at Everton, their investment was pitifully small. But Everton is still a powerhouse that no one in the Premier League can ignore. Therefore, George has a good impression of Moyes.

He also has some good impression of Everton. However, the current Everton is not the Everton after Moyes took over. The strength is very poor and the team morale is low. Blackburn faced such Everton at home and had a massacre.

They defeated Everton 6-0 at home. Central defender Ferdinand scored two top goals in this game. And Duff also scored two goals, plus Riise's long shot and Davor Suker, who replaced Klose in the starting lineup, also scored a goal.

This 6-0 completely eliminated Blackburn's previous decline.

Unfortunately, because Manchester United also defeated Leicester City 2-0 at home in this round of games. So the points gap between the two teams is still five points.

After playing Everton, George participated in the draw for the Champions League quarterfinals.

"Professor, it's not easy to see you here again."

George saw Wenger joking with him.

Wenger certainly understood what George meant. So he smiled slightly. "Maybe we can meet in the final?"

"What a great ambition!"

In fact, George really admires Arsenal this season. They were placed in the death group for two consecutive groups, first eliminating Juventus and then Lazio in the second round of the group stage. Being able to break through the death group twice also shows that Wenger's Arsenal is gradually adapting to the Champions League.

Wenger's Arsenal was eliminated early in the Champions League in the previous seasons.

But this season's Arsenal began to stand firm.

Ferguson would not come over at all if he talked and laughed with George. Wenger did not welcome Ferguson either, and the two were like a cockfight.

Soon the draw for the quarterfinals began.

It is impossible for a weak team to appear in the current Champions League knockout stage. The teams that can break through the group stage twice are all teams with extraordinary strength and sufficient bench depth. Unlike later, after the Champions League had only one group stage, there were still many weak teams in the top 16.

Even in order to balance, there may be one or two weak teams in the quarterfinals.

But the current quarterfinals are different. All of them are strong teams.

Valencia, the first in Group A, was drawn next to Blackburn, the second in Group C. George felt that this draw was neither good nor bad, just average. It was just that George did not expect his team to be the first team drawn.

Then the draws for other teams were also over.

Manchester United met their old rival Bayern Munich, Real Madrid met Milan, which also has the Champions League gene, and Arsenal met Deportivo La Coruna.

The first game of the Champions League quarterfinals will be played on April 4.

Before that, Blackburn has another Premier League game to play.

On March 31, Blackburn will host Ipswich, the dark horse of this season. Dark horse? I'll beat you into a blind bear, that's better.

Before the Champions League knockout stage begins, George cannot let Manchester United continue to narrow the score. In this round of games, Manchester United and Blackburn kicked off at the same time. Blackburn did not give this dark horse any face when facing Ipswich.

A clean 2-0 victory over Ipswich at home.

When the news from another venue came, all the Blackburn players cheered. The whole Ewood Park became a sea of ​​joy.

Because Ferguson's Manchester United was beaten twice by Liverpool at Anfield and lost 0-2. So the points between the two teams were widened to eight points again.

George was smiling proudly on the side.

Liverpool is indeed a veteran giant. This season, they have defeated Manchester United both home and away.

George really wanted to thank Houllier at this time. Houllier, you are so awesome, I like you so much. Eight points relieved George's pressure.