The Godfather of Football

"Viewers, viewers, this is Sky TV Sports Channel. Andy Gray and Richard Keith are now at Old Trafford Stadium to commentate on this Premier League 2011-2012 season. In a focus battle of the second round, the Red Devils Manchester United faced the White Lily Tottenham Hotspur at home!”

"The Red Devils and Manchester United's home record has always been very ideal. Old Trafford has been a nightmare for Premier League teams for a long time, but in the past two seasons, Tottenham Hotspur's results against Manchester United have been very good. Excellent, they have achieved an overwhelming advantage, and not only that, Tottenham Hotspur has won three consecutive Premier League titles in the past three seasons!”

When Andy Gray said this, he couldn't help but sigh, "A very good team, and also the strongest team in European football now. Many people regard it as the winner of the Premier League this season." The number one favorite, and if Tottenham Hotspur wins the championship again this season, they will create four consecutive championships that have never been seen in the Premier League in the past century!”

Richard Keith heard this and immediately took over, "Yes, Tottenham Hotspur's results are indeed very good, and this team has always been known for its offensive football and has always been the most offensive in the Premier League. A strong team, but what is surprising is that Tottenham Hotspur’s chairman and head coach Ye Qiu has sold Yaya Toure and Cesc Fabregas in one go in the past six months. The three main midfielders including David Silva!”

"These three players are all top-level players in the world. After selling them all in one go, Ye Qiu introduced Pirlo, but this 32-year-old veteran had lost his main position in AC Milan last season. Many people even say that AC Milan won the Serie A championship without Pirlo, and Allegri also said that Pirlo is no longer indispensable.”

"The other player is Chilean midfielder Arturo Vidal from Leverkusen. If the introduction of Pirlo makes people understand Ye Qiu's intention, then the introduction of Vidal is very strange. , because this player seems to be very inconsistent with Tottenham Hotspur’s past midfielders who focused on delicate footwork and creativity.”

"That's right!" Andy Gray took over, "And Vidal has never made an appearance since he joined. Some people say he is injured, but judging from the starting lineup we got before the game, Ye Qiu is One game is finally going to take him out.”

Richard Keith chuckled, "This season is a big gamble for Ye Qiu. If he is not the chairman of the team, even if he is Ferguson and Wenger, he will sell three world-class players in the team in one go. In midfield, the fans are enough to drown him in saliva, and the board of directors will definitely expel him.”

"So, this season is very stressful for Ye Qiu. Before this game against Manchester United, he also said in a low-key manner that the team did have problems, but he did not directly answer what the problem was. place, and according to my guess, it is still in the midfield position!”

At this time, players from both sides appeared one after another, and the live TV screen also showed the game rosters of both sides, as well as the starting lineups, in the order of first home and then guest.

Manchester United's starting lineup, the goalkeeper is De Gea, the defense is Evra, Evans, Ferdinand and Rafael, the midfielder is Tevez, Carrick, Las Diarra and Nani. The two forwards in the frontcourt are Benzema and Rooney.

Tottenham Hotspur's starting lineup, the goalkeeper is Cech, the defense is Alba, Kompany, Thiago Silva and Alves, and the three midfielders are Ramsey, Pirlo and Vidal, the front three is still the world's top combination of Ribery, Cavani and Messi.

"Judging from Tottenham Hotspur's starting lineup, the three midfielders Ye Qiu relies on this season should be Ramsey, Pirlo and Vidal, and we should all know that Ramsey last Although the season has been good, it has definitely not reached the level where it can replace Cesc Fabregas and David Silva!" Andy Gray analyzed.

"Yes!" Richard Keith immediately went on to say. The two have worked together for many years and have a tacit understanding of each other. "Ramsey is called the new Cesc Fabregas, but we should note that He has different characteristics from Cesc Fabregas. Our Sky TV once did a program on Ramsey. His skills are indeed excellent, and his passing is also very unique. There is no problem with long and short passes, but What our scouts rated him the most was ball protection and turning away.”

Andy Gray nodded, he was a professional player, "Our scouts really rated him very highly, and he is the kind of player who is excellent with both left and right feet. This type of player is very popular, and Ye Qiu is very I like players like this. Look at Ribery, who is very good with both left and right feet. Eden Hazard and Neymar are all players who are very good with both left and right feet.”

"The other thing about Ramsey that impressed me very much is that he can run very well. I remember when he was interviewed by me, he once said that he won the Welsh primary school pentathlon championship at the age of nine and his endurance is very good. , and after engaging in football, his physical fitness is very good, which allows him to find opportunities through constant running and constant movement in many cases. I think this is why he is better than David Silva and Fabregas is even better!”

After hearing this, Richard Keith nodded in agreement, "But you must also see that whether it is creativity, penetrating passing, or even personal skills at the feet, he and the two Spanish midfielders have the same There is a certain gap.”

"Yes, he still lacks a transformation. He needs to become more confident, especially when handling the ball, and with his skills, he will not become a weakness whether in the Premier League or any other wealthy team. The ball is pretty good too.”

When the two commentators were talking, both sides on the field had already finished guessing the side. Tottenham Hotspur, who was playing away from home, took the lead to kick off. Cavani and Messi appeared at the center circle serving point. Left and right, while Ribery stood slightly further away.

"From this bird's-eye view, we can see more clearly that the formation of Tottenham Hotspur, who are wearing white jerseys, is a bit interesting. Ramsey and Vidal are obviously further forward, and Pirlo plays as a lone midfielder. , the defense is still in a shallow saucer shape, and it seems that Ye Qiu is obsessed with Pirlo playing as a defensive midfielder! "

Tottenham Hotspur's defense formation is in a wavy position. Although the two full-backs are positioned forward, they still have to wait until the game starts to see the wavy position, and the game has not started yet. At first glance, it does look like a shallow saucer-shaped stance.

Richard Keith smiled and said, "In the game against Everton, Pirlo's effect as a single defensive midfielder was not ideal, plus Phil Jones in front, Tottenham Hotspur's midfielder Obviously there is no effective rhythm and operation mechanism. I wonder if it will be better if Vidal is replaced in this game? "

This highlight game is scheduled to kick off on time at 20 o'clock in the evening. This can be said to be a prime time period. This shows how much the FA attaches importance to this game. It is foreseeable that this game will definitely It will be the most watched game tonight in the UK and even in Europe.

Who doesn't want to see the strong showdown between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United?

"The referee of this important game is Howard Webber, our bald referee in England!" Andy Gray said with a smile. "Although there have been some controversies in his enforcement, his ability is unquestionable."

As the referee Webber blew the whistle, Cavani quickly kicked the ball to Messi. The latter directly knocked back the long pass and passed it to the feet of Thiago Silva at the end. , the Brazilian central defender passed the ball to Kompany, who spotted an opportunity and directly made a long pass to find Ribery on the left.

But this long pass was a bit too big. Rafael retreated to the left side of the penalty area. After blocking the position with his body, Ribery kept pushing forward. In the end, he had no choice but to turn around and kick the ball. To Ribery's body, out of the sideline.

"Manchester United's throw-in, Manchester United regained the ball in less than eleven seconds. Kompany's long pass was a bit too hasty. The game has just begun. You should stabilize your rhythm first. right!"

As the camera switched, it was shown to the sidelines, first to Ferguson in the home team's coaching bench, and then to Ye Qiu standing in front of the visiting team's coaching bench. Both of them had a close-up of the two of them. Among them, Ye Qiu After seeing Kompany's long pass, he raised his hands towards the field.

"The 70-year-old coach Ferguson and the 35-year-old young coach Ye Qiu seem to be a little dissatisfied with Kompany's long pass and think you should not be so anxious and should stabilize the rhythm first! "

Richard Keith laughed after hearing this, "Maybe Kompany doesn't trust his teammates in the midfield in front of him!"

Manchester United sent a throw-in, but Tottenham Hotspur pressed hard in front. Ferdinand directly made a long pass, and also wanted to find Benzema and Rooney in front, but Thiago Silva steadily One stepped forward, intercepted Ferdinand's long pass with his chest, and took two steps forward.

Tevez pressed forward immediately, and Thiago Silva made a pass to find Vidal in front, but Vidal's position was blocked by Carrick. When he jumped up, he was not high enough. The ball fell to the feet of Evans behind Carrick, who passed a diagonal pass to the feet of Lars Diarra.

Lars Diarra took the ball and brought it forward, but soon Ramsey rushed over from the side and pressed him closely. Lars Diarra wanted to pass an overhead ball to Rooney. , but Pirlo headed the ball to Alba on the left.

Alba grabbed the ball and quickly brought it forward. Before he reached the center line, he caught a chance and directly passed the ball from a long distance to the ground.

"Beautiful direct pass, Ribery fought with Rafael on the wing and Ferdinand quickly returned to defend and got the ball. Ribery pressed Ferdinand and Tottenham forced after the opening. Very fierce, seems to have the idea and intention to swallow Manchester United in one breath!”

Manchester United is not a fuel-saving lamp. Ferdinand knocks back and knocks De Gea, who then passes forward and passes it to Carrick.

Soon, Manchester United's ball passed into Tottenham Hotspur's half again.

"Tottenham Hotspur did not play conservatively in this game!" Andy Gray has a feeling. "This game should be very interesting. It depends on who can overwhelm the other!"

"Yes!" Richard Keith was also a little excited. After the start of the game, the rhythm of the game was very fast. It only lasted a little more than a minute, but the ball had already changed hands several times. Not conservative at all, "Look, Tottenham Hotspur's defense did not retract at all. It was placed directly at the front of its 30-meter area, and then quickly retreated through the midfield and frontcourt to form a defensive front and rear attack! "

"This kind of defense has become a label for Tottenham Hotspur, and we have to note that this is an away game. Manchester United playing at home has no reason to be conservative, but Tottenham Hotspur playing away from home lost three players. With a world-class midfielder, he still dares to press forward and play like this, which really makes people admire Ye Qiu’s courage!”

The two sides fought fiercely after the start. The key area of ​​the fight was in the midfield. Manchester United's attack this time still failed to enter the penalty area. Kompany intercepted the ball from the front. After the ball was poked away, Las Dia Lha followed up with a kick that went straight to the side, but no one responded.

However, another wave of attacks from Tottenham Hotspur once again broke into Manchester United's 30-meter area. They were still on the left, looking for Ribery, but Manchester United seemed to have been prepared and targeted Tottenham. Tottenham will use Ribery to beat Rafael, so they strengthen their defense on the right and win the ball again.

Passed back to the center, Ferdinand passed to Evans, who passed to the left to Evra, but Evra quickly passed it to Carrick, but when Carrick dribbled the ball forward, Messi, who was retreating from the front, suddenly shot out from behind and passed the ball to his teammate, Pirlo, who was sitting in the middle.

"Pirlo took the ball and made a long pass over the top, beautiful!!!"

At this moment, Andy Gray exclaimed, and even Richard Keith let out an ouch.

Just now I saw that Carrick was about to dribble the ball forward, preparing to organize Manchester United's attack, so Manchester United's entire defense was obviously a little lax. After all, the ball is in his hands now, and Rafael's position is also very important. Moving forward, who could have imagined that Messi suddenly retreated, stole the ball from Carrick and passed it to Pirlo, and the Italian midfielder directly passed the ball over the top.

At this time, Ribery was like a bolt of lightning. He quickly rushed through Ferdinand's defense zone with almost no interference from anyone. While watching the ball fall from the sky, he swept the young player Dehe who left the goal. Ya, he made a quick judgment, and just when he rushed into the penalty area, he jumped high, met the ball's landing point, and headed the ball.

This one just pushed the ball back, past the attacking De Gea, and fell behind the young Spanish goalkeeper. After Ribery landed, he quickly rushed forward and got ahead of Evans who was replaying. , directly pushed the right foot into the empty goal!

"The ball went in!!!!!!!!!"

Andy Gray let out a burst of cheers, "In less than two and a half minutes, Tottenham Hotspur took the lead in knocking on Manchester United's goal, 1:0, from the French left winger, Franck Ribe. Goal from inside!”

There was a sigh of disappointment throughout Old Trafford, and even strong boos. They obviously did not expect that this game would start like this. Manchester United was actually at their home court. They were so embarrassed by Tottenham Hotspur from the beginning.

Conceding the goal in less than two minutes was a huge blow to Manchester United, who were playing at home!

"A very beautiful goal!" Andy Gray was watching the slow-motion replay. "We saw that Messi suddenly defended and intercepted Carrick's ball. Carrick was careless at this time. He He didn't notice Messi behind him, and it was too late to remind his teammates. Messi stole the ball and gave it to Pirlo. Pirlo would not waste such an opportunity and directly passed the ball over the top with a very good arc and a good landing point. He also knows it very well. This is the passing that veteran Pirlo is best at!”

"Ribery also reacted very quickly on the spot. He got ahead of De Gea, headed the ball, and then caught up and pushed the empty goal. This reaction really made De Gea powerless. I can only say that Tottenham Hotspur The personal abilities of this group of players and their on-the-spot reactions are so fast!”

Richard Keith laughed out loud when he saw this goal. "I think Tottenham Hotspur have hit Ribery at this point many times since the start, such as Kompany's just now." A direct pass, if Ferdinand hadn't returned to defense in time, with Ribery's strength, as long as he holds the ball in the frontcourt, it would be useless for you to defend him with two or three people. "

"Yes!" Andy Gray nodded, "If Cavani and Messi come up behind him again, the possibility of scoring will be very high. Therefore, Ye Qiu should have consciously wanted to play this game in this game. point!"

Looking at the court, Ribery rushed out of the court excitedly. Ribery, Messi, Cavani and others celebrated outside the court. When he saw Pirlo rushing up, Ribery opened his arms and hugged him tightly. It was really comfortable to pass the ball to the Italian. It can be said that Pirlo played an important role in scoring this goal.

Of course, if we want to talk about credit, Messi's sudden return to defense and interception of the ball also deserves the most credit!

"1:0, less than three minutes after the opening, Tottenham Hotspur took the lead in knocking on Manchester United's goal. This is indeed a big blow to the home team, but Ferguson should stabilize his position as soon as possible. Tenham Hotspur are playing so fiercely now, Manchester United should organize their defense first!”

While Andy Gray was talking, referee Webber walked to the sidelines and called for Tottenham's players to return to the field. The ball had already been placed in the center circle kick-off area. The game had just started for less than three minutes before it was restarted. This was indeed a painful blow to the home team.

Ferguson was helpless watching from the sidelines. He could only say that Tottenham's pressure and attack after the opening caught him and his Manchester United off guard, and Tottenham's pressure ability seemed to be stronger and better.

After all, although Fabregas and David Silva also participated in pressure and pressing, they were still inferior to Ramsey and Vidal who were more capable of running.