Midfielder

Use all the best troops and spare no effort. This is Mourinho's first choice after they collide with Ferguson.

No one will take a step back from such a peak confrontation. What they want is a sparkling game scene, the "Theater of Dreams." Only such a confrontation is worthy of the nickname Old Trafford.

These two head coaches with extremely tough personalities, no one wants to be a coward in such a collision.

Either there are sparks flying, or it is boring to death. This is the character of Mourinho and Ferguson. However, looking at the attitude of Manchester United that is determined to win, it is basically difficult for this game to become dull.

However, Mourinho, who had long expected that this would be a tough battle, didn't pay much attention to it. Anyway, what should come will always come. After defeating Liverpool and Arsenal, he has long been waiting for a fight with Manchester United. Field.

If they can overcome this hurdle, there will be an open space in front of Chelsea. They are likely to create the greatest winning streak in the Premier League. At least Mourinho has this ambition.

Chelsea's lineup is still 4-5-1, which Mourinho believes is the safest, with a relatively balanced offense and defense.

Especially when facing Manchester United at home, it is always more reliable to tangle with the opponent in the midfield than to let the opponent get in front of you. Although Chelsea's defense is very strong, keeping the opponent out of the goal is still the best way, at least In Mourinho's mind, he does not want to test Cech's current state.

Anything can happen in a football match, there is no need to bet on the so-called luck at the opponent's home court.

Although Mourinho has enough confidence in the steel defense he has built, he is not arrogant enough to think that Manchester United's offense will hit a wall every time. At least Manchester United, playing at home, has the ability to break through the defenses of all teams, including Chelsea. , in order to cause unnecessary trouble, Mourinho chose stability.

Standing in front of Chelsea's goal is still Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech, and the two center backs standing in front of him are still old partners John Terry and Carvalho. What they have to deal with today is Rooney and Van Nistelrooy.

Although they are old rivals, Terry and Carvalho do not dare to relax at all.

Moreover, Mourinho has already hammered them, "Don't think that you could defeat your opponent last season. We will definitely win this season. Whether we can completely target Manchester United's striker is up to you."

This sentence is a task, but it is also pressure. It is really not easy to keep track of those two guys.

Moreover, Rooney's little fat guy is in very good shape recently, and he has long promised to score goals in the game.

"I believe in Manchester United's fighting ability at Old Trafford and I will definitely score goals for the team."

Although the little fat man's declaration of battle sounds a bit immature, this future candidate for the main striker of the England national team is really not someone who can be ignored casually. You know, Ferguson has now regarded him as the Manchester United player for the next ten years. A sharp edge, even Ruud van Nistelrooy doesn't get this treatment.

Maybe it's not difficult for Carvalho and Terry to keep an eye on Rooney, but if Lu is paired with Ruud next to him, it's probably not that easy to deal with.

The Dutchman has been in good shape this season since his failed transfer attempt in the summer.

I guess this guy also knows that if you don't want to sit on the bench forever when working under Ferguson, you have to work hard, not only for the team, but also to maintain game status.

The Dutchman knows very well that his future is definitely not at Manchester United, but before leaving, he still doesn't want to fall out with Sir Alex. At least he knows that doing so will not do him any good, and it will be very bad.

With such a pair of forward partners poking into Chelsea's penalty area, Cech is expected to be very busy during the game.

Chelsea's left and right full-backs are Ferreira and Ashley Cole. One is mature and stable, and the other is both offensive and defensive. However, their defensive tasks are not light this time. Manchester United has Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo respectively. No matter who is attacking from the two wings, it is enough to give Chelsea a drink on the wing.

However, Giggs no longer has the absolute speed he used to have, but when this old guy is roaming in the middle, he can still find loopholes in the defense, either cutting inside or passing the ball. For such a veteran guy, he has too many The method can tear your defense apart, and the pressure on Ferreira is not small.

The most terrible thing is Ashley Cole. Facing the impact that Ronaldo may ignite, he must be fully prepared. Otherwise, at the critical moment, he will be the unlucky one.

Even Mourinho specifically told Ashley Cole not to press for assists easily. After all, he may not be able to catch up with Ronaldo in terms of absolute speed. It is best not to leave gaps for the opponent on the wing.

"Try to keep that kid on the wing and prevent him from cutting inside. That's the most important thing."

Just like Lin Yi's explosion at Chelsea this season, perhaps due to the influence of this guy, Cristiano Ronaldo's performance in Manchester United this season has also been an earth-shaking change. The wing attack is very sharp, whether it is the national team or the club, This is the case, so Mourinho needs to remind his players.

Makelele is still guarding the center as usual, his midfielder position is unshakable, and Scholes will be his opponent. Although the ginger head is not as fierce as in previous years, he is now more and more slick.

In front of Makelele is Chelsea's midfielder Lin Yi. This kid has the heaviest task in this game. Both Mourinho and Ferguson know very well who the winner of this game is.

Chelsea will rely on Lin Yi's dispatch in the midfield to tear the opponent apart, while Manchester United will do their best to stop him.

"Play according to your own ideas, don't look at my movements, on the field, you are the commander."

Mourinho had already explained to Lin Yi when finalizing the list before the game that he would not stipulate what Lin Yi should do in this game. He has absolute freedom and can judge everything by himself.

Of course, Mourinho's response is usually the smile on the face of the young man who deceives people to death.

Lin Yi has prepared enough for this game, and the two rest games are for this game.

If Manchester United is dealt with and 15 consecutive victories are won, Chelsea can sit safely at the top of the standings.

Before the most intensive schedule is about to come, Chelsea will have enough time to adjust everything.

These tactical arrangements did not escape Ferguson's calculations, but Mourinho still played a trick on the Scottish old man at the last moment. He made a very rare adjustment on Chelsea's offensive line.

Last season, Chelsea was able to remain unbeaten against Manchester United in four games. In addition to Lin Yi's demonic performance in the midfield, its two fast wingers were a huge threat. Robben and Duff's speed breakthroughs often caught Manchester United's full-backs off guard. They were very powerful when they went down the bottom or cut inside.

But this time Mourinho did not continue to use such a double-winger tactic. He did not even put Duff on the field. Only Robben's side of the wing continued to exist, and the right side was directly replaced.

Lampard was arranged by Mourinho to a relatively right side position, but he was more likely to be close to the middle and the penalty area in the offense, but he could take on part of the defense on the wing.

The purpose of Mourinho's change of tactics was mainly because Duff's state was unstable recently.

The Irishman no longer has the brave charging ability of last season or before. His knee and Achilles tendon injuries always make him more worried and less impactful when accelerating to get rid of it.

Injuries are really terrible. Although not every injury will cause a player to retire, it can indeed wear down a person's will, especially after the player has achieved success. Injuries will always be the root cause of his decline. At this time, Mourinho does not intend to take the risk of using Duff.

What he needs is a sharp knife that is in good shape and can destroy the city, not a hesitant person.

This sign has been hinted in recent rounds of the league. Wright has replaced Duff more and more times, and sometimes he will even replace him as the starting player, but this game is different. Wright's confrontation ability cannot occupy any advantage on the wing when fighting with Manchester United.

Therefore, Mourinho would rather let Lampard move closer to the wing, and would not rashly use Wright, who is strong in attack and weak in defense, as a winger. Playing at Old Trafford must be stable, otherwise it will be bad.

Such a strange change of formation was beyond Ferguson's expectation, but Lampard's sudden pull-up action gave Gerrard space to get closer to the penalty area, and in front of him, there was Drogba, and on the Chelsea bench, there was Wright waiting to play. If the situation was not good, Mourinho could make Chelsea's offensive line adjust in an instant.

Such flexible changes, an old fox like Ferguson could not fail to see, and it was precisely because of this that Ferguson was depressed. He really envied Chelsea's current solid lineup.

Mourinho arranged a formation with a steady attack. The wing may lack a sharp knife, but the attack in the middle is very layered, which also puts Manchester United's central defense under great pressure.

However, Ferguson has never been a pushover. Chelsea is changing, and so is Manchester United. The old Sir Alex Ferguson has the advantage of home court, and he is also pursuing changes. The formation he arranged made Mourinho a little scratching his head, because the old guy abandoned the 4-4-2 he had always been accustomed to and strangely changed to 3-5-2.

Van der Sar is now the absolute main force. Although the Dutch goalkeeper is now in his thirties, his stability is surprisingly good. It is estimated that Ferguson is also grateful for being able to buy him in the summer.

The old Sir Alex Ferguson changed the four-back tactics used in previous games and directly switched to the three-back tactics. O'Shea, Ferdinand, and Sylvester lined up in a row. It seems that Ferguson has gone all out this time.

He gave up the usual stability and took the risk of using three defenders, but this was also forced by Mourinho and others. Chelsea's midfield really put too much pressure on Manchester United. In the direct confrontations last season, there were four defenders every time, but they could not prevent Chelsea's frequent breakthroughs at all.

Especially when Lin Yi and Lampard cut in the middle, they always mess up the back line.

Ferguson went all out this time, changing the formation to three defenders, Ferdinand single-handedly guarding Drogba, two full-backs guarding the opponent's cut, and two wing forwards were ready to retreat at any time to help defend the wing.

He gambled on the midfield this time. Keane failed to restrict Lin Yi one-on-one in the previous few times, allowing the kid to shuttle freely in front of Manchester United's defense, which was also an important reason why Manchester United lost to the opponent.

Now Lin Yi's state is crazy, and Keane has begun to gradually go downhill. If you still expect him to keep a close eye on Lin Yi, it is really unrealistic, so Ferguson wants to find him a partner. Keane is the main defender, but next to him, Ferguson sent Park Ji-sung, who is known as the three lungs.

Although the Korean has just joined Manchester United, this guy's ability to run and steal has been demonstrated when he was in PSV Eindhoven. Ferguson often uses his super running ability to entangle the opponent's main offensive players, and this time, Ferguson is going to let him help Keane entangle Lin Yi.

"Our double defensive midfielders must use frequent running and pressing to completely destroy Chelsea's offense and pin down their midfield core. In addition, there must be enough protection between you and Ferdinand."

When designing this tactical arrangement, Ferguson deliberately explained the task very clearly. This time he does not need his defensive midfielder to participate in the offense, but he must do a thorough job of defending the center.

Moreover, Park Ji-sung and Keane's two interceptions must form a tacit understanding with Ferdinand. Not only must they limit Lin Yi's performance, but they must also protect the penalty area and let Gerrard and Lampard play fewer long shots.

However, such a tactical arrangement is a bit risky. At least Ferguson has already bet on Ferdinand. If this guy can't keep an eye on Drogba, the old Sir Alex Ferguson is probably going to collapse.

But for Chelsea's crosses from both sides, if Drogba wants to bomb from the sky today, in addition to dealing with Ferdinand's entanglement, he has to consider one more thing, and don't forget Van der Sar.

That guy's two long arms have a large defensive area. Once he chooses to attack, it is really difficult to score with a header in front of him. The Dutch goalkeeper may be a little bit worse for diving on the ground, but if the high ball wants to slip through his hands, that possibility is really small.

How cunning Ferguson is, perhaps only those who have played against him can know, because this old guy who is almost 70 years old can always give you an unexpected surprise when you are not paying attention.

This time Mourinho was also tricked by Ferguson. When he was ready to win in a stable way, Ferguson chose a very risky style of play at his home court, and his sudden change of formation did create a lot of trouble for Mourinho's tactical arrangements made before the game.

Not only that, at the moment when the opening whistle of this peak confrontation was blown, accompanied by the shouts of tens of thousands of Manchester United fans in the Theatre of Dreams, the fierce attack of the Red Devils like a tiger made Mourinho frown. This is the magic of Old Trafford, which can give players more courage.

Manchester United's impact speed is terrifying, Mourinho has no doubt about this, but he still underestimated the madness of these Red Devils when playing at home. Less than a minute after the start, Manchester United has already threatened Chelsea's goal. Suddenly, Ronaldo, who was pulled to the right, used his speed to shake off Ferreira who tried to stop him. As a teammate of the Portuguese national team, Ronaldo is too familiar with the opponent.

After the kid broke through the wing, he directly made a very fast cross. Van Nistelrooy carried Terry with his strong body, and at a very small angle, he swung his thigh and shot a volley.

The angle was small, but the Dutchman's volley was very powerful. Although Cech blocked the angle, he was not sure to catch the volley at such a close distance, so he could only choose to block the ball.

However, the power of this shot was really too great. Even if it was blocked, Cech did not control the direction of the shot. Although the football flew out from the front of the goal, it did not bounce too far. Scholes, who was advancing near the penalty area, touched the football in front of Makelele. Without much adjustment, he shot directly in the semi-volley state. Cech was too late to save it, but Carvalho used his head to successfully save the football before it fell into the net. Rooney's header shot again was declared off target.

Although this attack did not succeed, Mourinho had already smelled the danger signal. Manchester United could play such a fierce attack at the beginning of the game, which was not good news for Chelsea.

And this was not an accidental move by Manchester United. Less than a minute after the unsuccessful attack, they made a comeback. Keane intercepted Makelele's pass to Lin Yi in the midfield. This guy did not hesitate at all and directly made a 40-meter long pass. Van Nistelrooy, as the fulcrum of Manchester United's frontcourt, jumped high and headed the ball. Carvalho, who had just saved the ball, made a mistake this time.

He wanted to get to the point to clear the ball, but the change of direction after the ball bounced off the ground made Carvalho's positioning a mistake. The mistake of heading the ball over the top is sometimes fatal, especially with Rooney behind him.

Fatty Lu would not let it go easily in the face of such a free opportunity. Unfortunately, the fat man thought a little too much at this moment. He hoped to have a single knife directly and perfectly penetrate the goal.

But when he turned to face the goal, he was not greeted by an empty penalty area, but a shadow. Before he could react, he felt his feet tighten. The football that he had just controlled was firmly held by others, and he himself fell heavily because of losing his center of gravity.

Without the referee's whistle, Lu Xiaopang and Ferguson almost roared at the referee at the same time, but they only got verbal warnings in return. Cech's attack this time was not only beautiful, but also very clean. He used both hands to hold the football to death, making Lu Xiaopang look very embarrassed.

This was a beautiful defense, but Mourinho did not feel anything to be excited about. He was in a similar mood to Cech. It would be better to have less of such thrilling defense.

Manchester United's attack was unexpectedly fierce. They didn't seem to care whether their defense was a little fragile. They just charged forward bravely. Mourinho's frown also represented his anxiety. If he let the opponent rush forward, it would only be a matter of time before the opponent broke through the goal.

At Old Trafford, the fierce red devils are beginning to wreak havoc. . .

(A moment of silence for those who died in the train. Whether it is a natural disaster or a man-made disaster, life is always fragile...)