Manchester United legend

Chapter 210 Chapter 210 Enemies
When York returned to China to participate in the national team competition, Manchester United relied on the contributions of the two "enemies" Sheringham and Cole to grab the top spot in the standings.

This makes people have to admire Ferguson's management of the team and control of the locker room.

The conflict between Cole and Sheringham is well known throughout the Premier League, even they themselves do not shy away from it.

The conflict between Cole and Sheringham began in 1998. At that time, in their game against Bolton, Sheringham accused Cole of wasting a key opportunity.

After 2001, the two golden strikers fell out of favor and left Manchester United, but the conflict has not been resolved.

But Ferguson once said seriously, "I don't care about your personal opinions and grievances. I just want you to maintain a professional player attitude. Play your own level on the court and give everything for the team to win the game."

Such a request made both of them consciously put aside their personal grudges, and they were able to actively cooperate when serving as forwards together, seeking support and help from each other.

After the game, Cole also took the initiative to say in an interview with reporters that the indifferent relationship with Sheringham did not affect his partner on the field.

Cole said: "Since the dispute with Sheringham in the Bolton game two years ago, we have been completely strangers. We don't speak a word outside the pitch. Any communication is a waste of time. But personal grievances aside, we are Manchester United first, professional footballers.

The media couldn't understand personal feelings and professional missions. They provoked that if Sheringham didn't pass the ball to Cole, he might not be so famous.

Sheringham countered coldly, "Yes, you most want to see us fight on the court, so you will sell more ads! We are not friends, but we are still teammates. If he has a better position than me, I will pass it to him. I believe he will do the same."

Ferguson concluded: "In the matter of playing football, they embody the demeanor of professional players; as Manchester United players, they use their actions to explain to us what is in the best interest of the club. Only when the club succeeds is the best result for them."

Ferguson scoffed at the idea that the discord between the two would affect Manchester United's strength, "Please, they are already adults, not so childish."

It was not until February 2000, 2 that Manchester United suffered a defeat in an away game at St. James' Park.

This is Manchester United's first defeat after creating 12 unbeaten rounds in the Premier League.Newcastle United's incredible 3-0 victory over the Red Devils.

Manchester United's defeat in this game was full of weird factors.The game was played at Newcastle United's home court. After Robson took over Gullit, Newcastle's performance improved and gradually got rid of the relegation crisis.

Moreover, the ability of the Magpies to play at home has always been very strong. So far this season, they have maintained an unbeaten record of 12 home games.

Although the opponent is not easy to mess with, Manchester United still dominated the game in the first half and took the initiative.The Manchester United players moved very scientifically and accurately as a whole, tearing apart the opponent's midfield interception.

At the beginning of the game, Sheringham almost broke the goal with a shot that wiped the lintel.Feeling blessed by luck, Newcastle gained a firm foothold and started a midfield entanglement with Manchester United.

Robson's strategy is to turn the midfield into a "meat grinder", through which players are familiar with the advantages of the home grass and at the same time display fierce confrontation to fight for the initiative.

Newcastle's style of play began to become rough, and the confrontation became fierce. They competed with Manchester United in the midfield. Their non-stop fouls hindered Manchester United's fast attack, which made Manchester United players uncomfortable.

In the 26th minute, Newcastle United opened the scoring with a magical cooperation and a super difficult shot.

After Newcastle attacked the frontcourt and made a cross, Shearer flew the header, and another center, Ferguson, responded to the second point outside the penalty area. He made an extremely difficult move: he turned around on the spot to catch the ball and then volleyed. Such an unpredictable move, such an unexpected shot!
The ball turned into a heavy artillery and smashed through the net: Newcastle led 1-0.Such an incredible goal also boosted the morale of the Magpies, and the offensive became more violent.In the 31st minute, Newcastle made a pass from the right. The ball hit Stam's leg and hit the left goal post. Manchester United's defense almost lost an own goal again.

Throughout the first half, Manchester United suffered from the opponent's fierce and rough style of play. The players had to concentrate on the midfield and fight the opponent resolutely. Their strict and high-speed system did not have many opportunities.

Newcastle shot as many as 9 times throughout the half, far more than Manchester United's 4 times.Not only that, because of dissatisfaction with the referee's rough fouls that repeatedly let Newcastle players go, Jost cursed the referee and received a yellow card.

During the intermission, Ferguson's face sank, "This is not a friendly place, but how can we show weakness in the face of roughness?!"

After the start of the second half, Manchester United stabilized their position, but their opponents were still crazy.In the 10th minute, Newcastle's Shearer fouled fiercely again, and the referee took out a yellow card-that action should actually be a red card.

In the 15th minute, Beckham made a pass from Manchester United's left, and Cole grabbed a shot in front of the goal. The opponent's goalkeeper Harper made a low-level error, and he missed the ball!
But then an astonishing scene happened. Harper turned around at high speed and pushed the ball that had already entered the goal line out of the goal line-the referee actually thought that Manchester United's shot did not cross the line!

Slow motion reveals the truth, but the results cannot be changed.Affected by this penalty, and because the opponent was so rough, the Manchester United players could not control their emotions, and their movements gradually got out of control.

In the 19th minute, Jost was fined for a foul and eventually received a red card to leave the field. Cole and the referee also got a yellow card for theory.

Ferguson fought all the way to the death, and replaced the attacking players to strengthen the offensive.

In the 31st minute, Shearer took a long shot from the front of the penalty area, and Bosnich was beyond his reach, watching the ball bounce into the net.

In the 39th minute, Stam was given a yellow card by the referee for a not-so-serious foul in the backcourt.

In the 40th minute, Shearer received a wonderful pass from his teammate and pushed a shot into the penalty area to break the net.In the end, Manchester United revealed an upset in this round of the Premier League. They lost to Newcastle by a big score, swallowing their third defeat of the season.

(End of this chapter)