Manchester United legend

Chapter 128 Season turning point
In the 20th round against Everton, Manchester United defeated the Toffees 2-0 with the goals of Borg and Cole and achieved three consecutive victories.In this game, Cole also scored an incomparably wonderful spoon lob shot. He sprinted two steps outside the penalty area and then stopped suddenly.
Cole's words after the game revealed the secret: "I just want to pay tribute to Cantona through such a shot!"

That's right, the king also performed such magic back then!Red Devils fans will definitely remember Cantona's expression of turning around and looking around the field proudly after scoring that goal, wearing a red jersey with a high collar turned up.

Manchester United is in such a hot state. After winning Everton, if only the league is counted, they have already won seven consecutive victories.

Since being wronged at Highbury, Ferguson's team has seen whoever is defeated, met the gods and killed the gods, crushed all ghosts and snakes on the way forward, and won against several teams at the top of the standings.

Under the seven-game winning streak, Manchester United also has a little slack.Therefore, when they lost 21-2 away to Coventry in the 3st round, even the media did not dare to question the state of the team.

The tone of Fleet Street is frivolous, "Under the huge advantage, Manchester United decided to wait for the chasers, or they think this kind of league is too boring."

Yes, after playing the game in December, Manchester United ranked first with 12 points in 21 games; Blackburn scored 46 points in 21 games, which is more than one game behind.Arsenal, led by Wenger, only scored 41 points in one less game.

The gap between Manchester United and the Gunners is 12 points - a gap of 4 games!

Is this a point difference that is almost impossible to surpass?

Playing away at Coventry, with the advantage of 7 consecutive victories in the league, against a weak team that was lucky to relegation through the play-offs last season, it is impossible for Manchester United to say that there is no trace of pride.

The fact is that the Coventry team severely taught the proud Manchester United at their home court, 3 to 2!

Such a score made Ferguson blush and left the Manchester United team speechless.

Of course, it was Coventry that the reporters made a big fuss about, and most of Manchester United's losses were lightly let go.

In fact, the serious consequences of losing to Coventry can only be analyzed by Ferguson and Manchester United fans after the end of the season.

It wasn't just an "unexpected loss," it wasn't just an "insignificant loss."

This loss caught Manchester United off guard and wiped out Manchester United's luck for the entire season.

Manchester United's loss to Coventry was not as simple as losing three points. That game exposed serious problems on Manchester United's defensive end, exposed huge loopholes in Manchester United's defense, and also exposed the extreme flaws in Manchester United's main style of play this season.

Ferguson used the same 433 formation as the previous game.However, this formation is surprising.

The three most aggressive strikers all played, Giggs, Scholes, Beckham also got the starting lineup!To some extent, Manchester United has sent 6 frontcourt attackers!

Such 433 did not display a terrifying offensive power in actual combat. In fact, it was even more top-heavy and unbalanced offensive and defensive.

Three such midfielders, to some extent, cannot effectively protect the defense.

The commentators on the scene expressed the feelings of many fans, "Are Manchester United planning to come to Coventry to beat their opponents? Or do they think that the opponents must raise their hands and surrender from the beginning, and then they will score fewer penalties to save the home team some face?"

On the other hand, the opponent Coventry, although Coventry performed poorly last season and was almost relegated, but this season Coventry has a new look under Strachan's coaching.

Coventry belonged to a super dark horse that season. They went crazy and achieved 13 unbeaten games in the Premier League!
And Manchester United actually came to them when they were in hot form.

Therefore, Manchester United will suffer a lot if they underestimate the enemy against such a team.

The first goal Manchester United conceded was seriously misplaced in terms of defensive arrangement.

At that time, there were not many defensive players that Manchester United could participate in: Gary, Giggs, Scholes, Borg, Johnson and other players were all there, and they did not really lose their defensive positions.

But even so, Manchester United’s defense was overwhelmed by the opponent from the left all the way. Coventry’s winger Hagby was very sharp throughout the game. This time, he and the midfielder made a very simple two-for-one cooperation and passed Gary Neville. Poor Gary was still standing still stupidly.

When Coventry's Hagby entered the penalty area, Manchester United's central defender David May stepped forward to cover, using a dangerous tackle.

Although David May avoided fouls and penalties, he failed to intercept successfully, allowing the opponent to make a cross from the edge of the bottom line in the penalty area. After forward Dublin made the ball, Wynn made a shot from 9 yards from the edge of the penalty area without any Manchester United players marking him.

Then Manchester United counterattacked aggressively. Solskjaer and Sheringham scored two goals in a row to overtake the score to 2-1, and kept this score until the end of the first half.

Shortly after the start of the second half, Coventry's Hagby attacked Manchester United on the right again. He broke into the Manchester United penalty area and was brought down.

Dublin scored and Coventry successfully tied the score to 2-2!Coventry, who equalized the score, boosted their morale and set off a crazy wave of attacks in the final period of the game.

The final terminator is Hagby again!He dribbled the ball from the left side of Manchester United into the center alone, stumbled through the siege and press of the five Manchester United players in the arc of the penalty area, broke through the encirclement and entered the penalty area unbelievably, and finally formed a single-handed Hagby low shot. Locked the score at 5-3 for the Coventry team!

This is one of the greatest victories of the season for the Coventry team!

Manchester United suffered a lot from their arrogance and carelessness.

First of all, the players underestimated the enemy, and the casual attitude of the game was the core reason for the loss.

The goal Manchester United conceded at the end of the game was just a reflection of Manchester United's over-conceitedness. Five players couldn't catch one of their opponents.

Therefore, that conceded goal was also the sharpest and most direct punishment for the Coventry team.Second, Manchester United's 433 formation contains great risks.

This formation puts too much emphasis on offense, and Manchester United's midfielders are actually insufficient in defense and mopping up personnel. Jost is still recuperating from his injuries. It is impossible for Bart to fight for a long time without rest or rotation, and Johansen is only temporarily recruiting strong men.

Just like in this game, once the three-man midfield team uses players with little interception power, such as Scholes, Beckham, and Giggs, it is easy for the opponent to break through directly from the wing. Manchester United's two key conceded goals are actually due to the ineffective sweep of the midfield, allowing the defense to directly face the opponent's attacking players, which ultimately made a big mistake.

The 433 that Ferguson tried for Manchester United looks extremely powerful. Solskjaer, Cole, and Sheringham's scoring ability is super terrifying, but the three of them are also forwards who basically don't return to defense, so Manchester United's offensive and defensive balance is difficult to achieve.

Regarding Manchester United's risky style of play, the opponent can say that they have thought about it early.So this time, Coventry's head coach Gordon Strachan put his mind to it. Ferguson's 433 was fully suppressed and sharply attacked by his opponent!
It can be said that Coventry's victory gave latecomers a successful case of how to beat Manchester United, and also gave many coaches guidance for thinking and breakthroughs.

Really don't underestimate Coventry, their team's main striker Dion Dublin broke out suddenly this season, scoring a total of 18 goals throughout the season, tied for the top scorer in the league.

Another example can prove that this team that broke out suddenly drew Arsenal 2-2 at home, and the scene did not lose the wind!

Under the carelessness of Jingzhou, Manchester United lost to Coventry. I think this is the turning point of Manchester United's entire season.

A seemingly insignificant defeat actually took Manchester United off the normal track.Strachan's resentment became Manchester United's disadvantage for the next half of the season.

In the rear where Manchester United did not pay attention, Arsenal was like a beast gradually recovering its health. It began to escape from the embarrassment of 6 games and 4 losses. It opened its sharp fangs and slowly released a terrifying killing intent.The arsenal's pace of catching up is gradually accelerating.

Soon, in the next month, the soul of Arsenal, captain Adams, returned from injury, and Wenger's army began to sprint with all their strength, scoring crazy points.

They ruthlessly crushed all obstacles and accelerated to catch up with the Red Devils Manchester United, which once seemed out of reach.

(End of this chapter)