Chapter 572 Awe From Opponents

However, with Ferguson and Dong Fangzhuo so high-profile, Mourinho will not sit still and wait for death.

"I don't know exactly between 50 million fans and 500 million fans, but Manchester United is indeed popular, especially among the referees. Tottenham's Mendes' shot that crossed the goal line two meters was actually called out. Ding got a penalty kick in the first three minutes and it was over before it even started. We can’t imagine what this kind of treatment feels like.”

Mourinho and Ferguson met, and the war of words between the two was never boring. In the Champions League in the 2003-04 season, Porto's Costinha scored the winning goal to eliminate Manchester United. Mourinho rushed past Ferguson and sprinted 40 or 50 meters at Old Trafford and knelt down to celebrate wildly. After the game, Sir Alex rebuked Porto for being too fond of diving, and Mourinho retorted that Ruud van Nistelrooy was worth as much as the entire Porto team, and Ferguson was embarrassed to find a way out.

In the second half of last season, Manchester United once frantically chased points to put pressure on Chelsea, and the gap narrowed to 2 points. Ferguson, who had regained hope, said that Bolton could stop Chelsea at the Reebok Stadium. Mourinho responded jokingly, saying that he would be better The concern is about bird flu. As a result, before Chelsea could stumble, Manchester United died of "cat plague" first, were stabbed by Sunderland who died prematurely (they were forced to a 0-0 draw at home by the Black Cats), and were stepped on by the Blues at Stamford Bridge.

When Ferguson met Mourinho, his record of 3 wins, 2 draws and 5 losses in the previous 10 games was one head lower. For two consecutive years, he was overwhelmed by Chelsea at the start. However, there seems to be signs of a reversal this year. Manchester United took the lead at the start and played the Blues at home with a 3-point advantage. They have changed from passive to active, so much so that some British media followed suit, saying that Manchester United was winning this game. "Everything in November" It’s over.”

The British media compared all aspects of the two coaches before the game. Mourinho seemed to be slightly better in terms of motivation and tactics. Psychological warfare is an area that Ferguson has always been good at. In the 14 years of the Premier League, no one can take advantage of Ferguson's words. Keegan was once "driven crazy" and lost his temper on TV. His angry words "I will feel great if I beat Manchester United" were rated as the best in the Premier League in 10 years. In quotations, Wenger was said by Ferguson to be exempt from the war and declared that he would "never talk about that person again."

However, Mourinho seems to be unyielding in the war of words. Last year, he said, "In a giant club like Manchester United, I can't bear not winning the championship for three years." It poked at Ferguson's inner weakness. Before the madman arrived, no one dared Such a bold move went straight to Sir Alex's heart.

Although the quarrel was fierce, it was only part of the two people's work. Ferguson and Mourinho actually had a good personal relationship. Terry once said that Mourinho is completely different in front of the media than in ordinary days. The madman himself has also said that he is willing to sacrifice his image for the club. Off the field, both Ferguson and Mourinho were less aggressive. Mourinho said that after defeating Manchester United 1-0 in the first game of the 2004-05 season, Ferguson was waiting in the tunnel with a bottle of red wine, which moved him very much. "My door is always open to Ferguson, and so is his. The two of us drink together, talk about football, and other games. Although they are not good friends, they respect each other."

Ferguson actually also admires Mourinho.

"He's a guy who fights for the club off the pitch and that sometimes puts us at odds. But I can accept that because he's a bit like me, he says what he thinks and I understand his passion. In life, we can We live in harmony. There was a charity party in London to raise funds for a child. We both went and had a good chat. No matter what the result of the game, I welcome him."

This is the war and personal relationship between two men.

At Old Trafford, Chelsea is the team with the best performance. They have played Manchester United away from home 14 times in the Premier League. The Blues have 4 wins, 6 draws and 4 losses. Last season, Chelsea lost 0-1 away from Manchester United. , this is also the first time since April 1995 that they failed to score in an away game at Old Trafford.

In the past two years, Manchester United has been left behind by Chelsea, but one of the highlights was the 1-0 victory over the Blues last season. Dong Fangzhuo's header opened the opponent's door. If the Red Devils can repeat their victory this time, they will enter the crucial December schedule with a 6-point advantage. At present, Manchester United is in excellent form in the Premier League and has won 13 consecutive victories. If Chelsea wants to regain the top spot, it must beat Manchester United by at least 4 games. However, in Mourinho's mind, winning is all that matters...

As for Manchester United, except for Park Ji-sung who continues to be injured and Ryan Giggs who still has not returned to the team, there are no other injured players. Another question is whether to use Evra or Heinze at the left back position. When Heinze returns, Evra's main position is no longer guaranteed.

For Chelsea, Kalou is injured and unable to play, but Drogba and Ballack, who were injured in midweek, are expected to be able to play. Carvalho will also return after an ankle injury, Boraluz will return to the bench, and Gray Rice continues to occupy the right back position. The biggest benefit is Lampard's return. He was absent due to suspension in midweek and has plenty of energy for this game.

Lampard also looked forward to the game and was very wary of Dong Fangzhuo:

"The start is very important. We watched Manchester United's games. They always play high-pressure football at the beginning and have a fast pace. We must also start well and try our best to show ourselves. If we do this, we have the ability to beat anyone. team."

"I have confidence in the team, the better team is not the one that wins on Sunday but the one that wins the league, but we believe we can beat anyone and we have to be so confident."

Lampard also said that playing against Manchester United is like playing against Barcelona. They are important games and the atmosphere will be very lively. "The atmosphere and attention are similar to those against Barcelona. We have to show tenacity and we have to show that against Manchester United."

Lampard also mentioned the role of Mourinho: "The head coach will always be an important part of the club. If Ferguson is not at Manchester United, can they still be so successful? Quite simply, if Ferguson leaves, it will be difficult for them to find a replacement. .”

"We love playing under Mourinho and we've been successful so we hope he stays here for a long time and takes the team forward."

"Of course, I hope that the Manchester United captain can sit on the bench, but obviously it is not possible. Our defense has done the best defense against him. Terry, Carvalho, Makelele and I have made plans for this. We used a tight tactic against him and I believe we can stop him from scoring this time. Yes, he is very strong and I am in awe of him."

The fact that these words can be said from Lampard's mouth is enough to show how afraid they are of Dong Fangzhuo...