Jagged Wings

Chapter 36 Ronaldo's position
May 2005, 5, Wales, Cardiff Millennium Stadium,.

Cardiff's Millennium Stadium is home to the Welsh national team and is also the venue for the FA Cup final.

Cardiff Millennium Stadium also has a "South Wing Locker Room Curse". It is said that teams using the South Wing locker room will often lose the game.

And this game was so deadly, Arsenal was arranged in the South Wing dressing room.This is a painful memory for Wenger. In the 2001 FA Cup final, Arsenal used the south wing dressing room and lost.

So, believe it or not, Wenger does not want to use the South Wing dressing room: "I strongly demand to change the dressing room!"

But no matter how coordinated, this point has been arranged, and it will definitely not change.

An hour before the game, Arsenal's bus drove into the parking lot of the Millennium Stadium, and the players, led by Wenger, came out one by one.

"Mr. Professor, Henry is injured, tell me about your arrangement for this match?"

"It was reported that Vieira was at odds with you before the game. Will he leave?"

"In this game, how will you defend the combination of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rooney?"

The reporters put their microphones into Wenger's mouth, but Wenger bowed his head and said nothing.

The unreconciled reporters pointed their finger at the players behind.Reyes looks amiable, so the reporters who asked him the most.

"Antonio, there are two curses in the Premier League. One is that the Community Shield champions cannot win the FA Cup. The other is that the team that uses the south dressing room at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff will lose the final. Now Arsenal can say What do you think of the collision of the two major curses?" the reporter asked.

"Two big curses, right?" Reyes thought for a while: "If you get a negative, you get a positive, let's win the championship!"

"Negative is positive?" The reporter was stunned when he heard these four words.

After answering the question, Reyes saw the reporter in a daze, and left with his bag.Unaware of the impact of these four words in the reporter's mind.

Negative is positive?

Right?

just?
The reporter suddenly felt like his three views were ruined.

***************
"His injury is a blow to Arsenal. Without him, Manchester United's championship trophy will be more secure." At the pre-match press conference, Ferguson still couldn't forget to attack Wenger.

But when facing his players in the locker room, Ferguson put away his careless look, and said to his players seriously: "But don't be in this game because their top scorer is not there." Just take it lightly! Even if he doesn't play, the rest of them have scored more than 60 goals this season."

"Boss, do we still need to mobilize to play against Arsenal? Seeing these three words, my fighting spirit is high!" Roy Keane laughed.

"Me too!" Ronaldo clenched his fists. He still remembered the red card of the last confrontation.

In that game, after the end of the game, Ronaldo smacked his lips and suddenly realized that he was being bullied by that Spanish kid.

"I have always been the only one to bully others, how can it be someone else's turn to bully me?" Ronaldo was a little aggrieved.

"Cristiano!" Ferguson's displeased voice came: "Are you listening to me?"

"Sorry, I just lost my mind, boss." C Luo Gan quickly admitted his mistake.

Ferguson said: "Then I'll tell you again, you play on the left in this game, and let Wayne play on the right."

"Why? Don't you think my ability can't surpass that Spaniard?" Ronaldo said, Ferguson's doting made Ronaldo directly express his dissatisfaction.He thought that Ferguson did this to let him avoid Reyes. In that case, it seemed that Ronaldo was afraid of Reyes.

"No, you must be the strongest, Cristiano!" Ferguson comforted: "I made this arrangement out of tactical needs. You are the one in the Manchester United team who can pose a threat to Arsenal, and they will definitely treat you Some deployments, switching to the left disrupted their plans. And this way there are more opportunities, what do you think?" Ferguson patiently explained his tactical thinking to Ronaldo.

"That's right!" Ronaldo nodded with satisfaction: "Then I am quite satisfied!"

Roy Keane silently glanced at Ronaldo without speaking.

**************
In this game, some main players from both sides did not appear on the court.As for Arsenal, although Campbell returned from injury, Senderos still started. In addition, Xiaofa replaced the injured Ljungberg as the starting midfielder.For the forward line, Van Persie played instead of Henry. Henry could only sit in the stands in a suit and tie and watch his younger brothers fight.

For Manchester United, Reyes' old rival, Gary Neville, is also absent. He is replaced by Manchester United's "Jackpot" O'Shea at right back. At the left back, Brown also replaces Heinze.O'Shea and Brown are considered to be between the main force and the substitute at Manchester United. In 2011, they were packaged and sold to Sunderland by Manchester United.

In the midfield, Giggs did not start, Ronaldo, Keane, Fletcher, Scholes, Rooney were in the midfield. Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has been injured continuously this season, has recovered well and caught up with this heavyweight game.

At the beginning of the game, Manchester United kicked off first, but Reyes was a little surprised when he looked up.It was Rooney who appeared at Manchester United's right midfielder, but the main force of Manchester United's right midfielder has always been Ronaldo.

So where did Ronaldo go?Reyes looked up at United's entire line-up and spotted Ronaldo at left-half.

Manchester United have changed!
Wenger on the coaching bench was also a little surprised. He didn't expect Ferguson to win Giggs and let Ronaldo start.You know, Arsenal's pre-match deployments are all based on the idea of ​​"C Ronaldo is on the right".Just such a position adjustment disrupted Wenger's tactical arrangements.

It's not that Ronaldo has never played on the left. He is proficient in both left and right feet, and he can shoot left and right. Being on the left or right has little influence on him.Arsenal's right-back Lauren is a little nervous. Frankly speaking, Lauren is not an outstanding player. In Arsenal's luxurious lineup, his abilities are very average: average offense, average defense, and average speed , Awareness in general...

Because he is too mediocre, he is also considered to be the weakest point in the undefeated Arsenal team in the 03-04 season.

This is also a tricky point of Ferguson. Arsenal's right-back Cole seems to be strong offensively and weakly defensively, but in fact, the attack power of Reyes and Cole on the left is already strong enough to overwhelm most opponents. The offense was suppressed.Besides, Ashley Cole, who is the main left-back of the England national team, how weak can his defense be?
The fact is also the same. After a few minutes of testing in the first few minutes, the two teams that are quite familiar with each other began to show their sharp teeth.

And Manchester United, which is superior in strength, is also superior in offense. Cristiano Ronaldo and Scholes cooperated to pass Xiaofa with two passes and one pass, facing Lauren's defense, Ronaldo seemed to be very familiar with it. Ronaldo easily made Lauren dizzy with his fake moves, and then made a pass directly from the bottom.

Ruud van Nistelrooy hit the ball, but under the interference of Senderos, the football went over the bar.

Please applaud Ronaldo and thank him for passing the ball. Ronaldo gave a thumbs up, indicating that he is in good condition today.

Fanny grinned happily.

Then Arsenal fought back. Reyes dribbled the ball inside and then shot. The football was saved from the bottom line by goalkeeper Carroll.

"It seems that both sides are playing on the side in this game, so the result of the game between the two sides is likely to depend on the duel between Ronaldo and Reyes, a pair of side opponents. They are not on the same side, so they use their own performance to compete with each other.”

In the next game, without Henry, Arsenal lacked a man who could create enough ability for Manchester United in the frontcourt, making Arsenal somewhat passive.

The left road has also become Ronaldo's back garden. Ronaldo took the ball again, this time he didn't go down, but from the midfield to the right.Xiaofa and Silva stepped forward to double-team, trying to break Ronaldo's football, while Vieira waited for an opportunity nearby to grab it.

When everyone's attention was focused on Ronaldo, it was unexpected that Ronaldo passed the ball.Vieira stretched out his feet subconsciously, and the football flew past his toes.

"not good!"

When Vieira turned around, he saw Scholes, who was plugging in, swinging his legs and shooting at the ball.

Although the goalkeeper Lehmann tried his best to jump up to block it, Scholes exerted enough force and the ball was too fast. Lehman had just vacated before the football flew into the goal.

1:0
"Oooh, Ronaldo with the ball, he faced two double teams... He passed the ball... Vieira didn't intercept it... Scholes shot! Goal! Great Scholes! "

"Scholes' signature powerful shot! Nobody can stop him! Nobody!"

Scholes was so excited after the goal that he ran to the stands like a child.Scholes's career is low-key and outrageous. He doesn't score many goals, but he is a classic.Just like today, when Manchester United needed goals most, he stood up.

Reyes was helpless on the other side, which is what happens sometimes.He is not the head coach, nor is he a defensive player, so he can only watch helplessly when the team concedes goals more often.

But you can't do nothing, can you?

Reyes looked at the frontcourt. Van Persie, who is 186 tall, was seen as temperless by Rio Ferdinand, who was 189 tall.

There must be a way to change!
So what are the weaknesses of this Manchester United lineup?

In fact, Manchester United and Arsenal have similarities this season. The defenses of the two teams have never been neat, and there are big problems in the goalkeeper position.

For Arsenal, it was Almunia who played unstable, and Lehmann and Wenger didn't get along well.Of course, if compared with the two goalkeepers of Manchester United, they are much more competent.

In the semi-finals of the League Cup this season, Manchester United goalkeeper Howard was "stunned" on the spot and sent Chelsea to the final with his own hands; another goalkeeper Carroll was very reckless. In the last round of the league against Southampton, her cat was The primary gave Southampton no less than two chances to open the door.

And now, it is Carroll who guards the goal for Manchester United!

(End of this chapter)