Football No. 10: God's Perspective

Chapter 241 Old Trafford

As a child, Wang Po had only seen this legendary Old Trafford stadium on TV, but now that she is here in person, it feels like stepping into a fairy tale.

The Red Devil in my impression was invincible for the time being, sweeping across the European continent.

On the coach's bench was an old man chewing gum, panting, and wearing a black wool coat with a red nose and gold-rimmed glasses.

It's a pity that things are different now, and the Red Devils Manchester United are no longer the existence that makes European clubs terrified.

The glory of the past seemed to be right in front of our eyes, but after thinking about it, it was already ten years ago, which made people sigh.

After standing outside Old Trafford for a long time, Wang Po just regained his composure and walked into the stadium slowly.

This Champions League 1/8 knockout round is about to begin.

Re-advancing to the second round of the elimination track, and encountering a weak team that the fans think is very likely to advance, the emotions of Manchester United fans are particularly high, and the entire Old Trafford stadium is full of seats.

The stadium with a British tradition, the moment you walk out of the player tunnel, you can feel the pressure from the Red Devils fans.

Next to Wang Po are Manchester United players. In this game, Manchester United coach Solskjaer has formed the strongest starting lineup.

Goalkeeper De Gea, central defender Maguire, Jones, left and right full backs are Luke Shaw and Wan Bissaka.

The midfielder is a combination of Fred and McTomina.

In the frontcourt, Brono appeared in the midfielder position, Pogba was on the right, and Rashford was in the center position. The only difference is that the main position of French star Martial was replaced by "Aoki" Glenwood.

The Manchester United rookie has scored 6 goals in the past 4 games and is in good form. This performance has also won countless fans for the little "Aoki". Solskjaer also hopes that this young player can also gain something in the European war.

The starting position in the knockout round is the best reward for Greenwood's excellent state in recent days.

For the Ajax team, Ten Hag also put out the strongest formation.

The referee blew the whistle to start the game, cheered by the Manchester United fans.

Inside the Old Trafford Stadium, the roar of mountains and tsunami roared like a thousand troops. This kind of prosperity at home has not been seen for some time.

After the game started, the Manchester United players were also very excited and very proactive.

Although Pogba appears on the left, he is still the core of the team's tactics. He is tall but not slow, has a wide vision, imaginative passing, and delicate skills at his feet are his advantages.

When he was at Juventus, he was also a midfielder who could move from the front of his own penalty area to the front of the opponent's penalty area.

Looking at football, there are very few midfielders who can move between the two penalty areas, and they are all valuable high-end goods.

Pogba belongs to this type of player. For this reason, in order to be able to poach this midfielder, Manchester United paid him a full 1.1 million euros.

This deal shocked the football world at the time, and Pogba's return was also highly expected by Manchester United fans, and it was considered a turning point for the team's revival to its peak.

It's a pity that the team's performance did not make a breakthrough because of the return of the Frenchman. On the contrary, high investment, low return, and poor locker room made this club more and more complicated.

Cut constantly, the rationale is still chaotic.

At Juventus back then, Pogba had the "master" Pirlo sitting next to him, and behind him was Vidal who was in peak form to help him clear the defensive obstacles.

Even for the French national team, there is also Matuidi, who has a wide coverage, and the existence of the first midfielder Kanter.

At Manchester United, there is clearly no such staffing.

In fact, Pogba is more like a card dealer player, the world's top ball dispatcher.

The advantages are obvious, but the disadvantages are also obvious. He plays loose, is prone to waves, and is afraid of double-teaming. Once such a player loses the ball in midfield, it is tantamount to opening the team's door. The opposite forward directly faces the defender. The consequences are disastrous.

Therefore, in the end Pogba's position was also fixed on the left.

However, Pogba has no speed compared to a pure wide player and can only rely on Luke Shaw behind him.

This road has the strongest offense and the weakest defense. Not only that, but one thing to note is that Luke Shaw has never had a good substitute player to help him share.

And this one-sided kicking method is extremely exhausting for the body.

For the Ajax team in this game, Pogba and Luke Shaw are also the key targets on the left. What kind of effect can be achieved depends on the performance of Mazraoui and Jim on this side.

The preemptive one is obviously Manchester United.

Solskjaer formulated a strategy for the opening attack before the game.

The three lines were pressed up, and it was a mad attack against the goal of the Ajax team.

In terms of defense, Jia's players have already been polished to be outstanding. Manchester United's offense is only blossoming but not fruitful. There is really no chance of a real threat.

Changing the "playing dead" mode of the group stage, Wang Po assumed the posture of taking over the game from the beginning. More balls did not pass through De Jong and Van der Beek, but he controlled the ball back and forth, whether to stabilize and control the rhythm, or to attack quickly.

Even though Wang Po played back before, everyone knows that the core of this team is still the Ajax No. 29.

Fred and McTomina took turns taking care of Wang Po.

But as a player with very comprehensive abilities, this kind of following and even double-teaming have existed since he stepped into the professional arena.

Of course, as a midfielder, the team's metronome, card dealer, such double-teaming, marking, and posting are commonplace. The stronger the opponent's defense against you, the more proof of your strength.

Wang Po has long been used to this kind of defensive treatment, and has already adapted to it.

As soon as Ajax No. 29 took the ball to De Jong, Van der Beek immediately surrounded him and provided a spot for the ball. When Wang Po faced the opponent's goal, the two players on the wing, Casiela and Jim, waited for the opportunity to sprint forward at any time. The center Dolberg retreated deliberately to bring out the opponent's central defender, and secondly to create space for the wide players to cut inside.

In the 19th minute of the first half, Wang Po made a low and long pass and found the foot of Dolberg who retreated from the center position to the midfielder. The latter brought the center back Jones out.

Dolberg, who got the ball, was not in a hurry to turn around. With him as the axis, the two sides have already started to move.

At the same time, Wang Po also quickly responded to Dolberg. After getting the ball at his feet, he made a 45-degree diagonal pass. The ball hit Manchester United's left from the right.

(End of this chapter)