In the dressing room, Manchester United's players are scolding Stoke City, an FA Cup final that fans all over the world have watched from the beginning, they have not even had a decent attack in the half-time, they are not afraid of embarrassment at all, and they are simply shameless.

Ferguson slapped the table unhappily, "What's the use of saying this! Football speaks by results, if you can win, you are a hero, if you can't win, you are a bad seed." ”

Facing a team like Stoke City, there was no goal in the half, which is not a shameful thing, mainly because the game process was too embarrassing, Manchester United was like a tiger against a hedgehog, there was no place to mouth, and the game was very awkward.

Rio Ferdinand explained: 'We were a little unlucky in the first half, otherwise we would have scored. ”

Ferguson still had a calm face, "Do you have to count on luck to win against Stoke City?"

Ferdinand sneered: "I didn't mean that, the opponent set up an iron bucket formation, and no one can fight." ”

Old men like Scholes and Ryan Giggs have a good relationship with Ferdinand, and they all came out to say that the bucket formation is really difficult to play, and if there is no good way to attack, it may not be possible to break through the door of Stoke City in the second half.

Ferguson just wanted to knock his disciple and didn't want to spend the precious 15 minutes on criticism, but in the face of Stoke City's complete resignation, even the extremely experienced Ferguson didn't have a good idea.

In the first half, Ferguson and several members of the coaching staff were also discussing how to score.

If the two sides pull apart to play, any team will have weaknesses, and it would be good to seize the weaknesses and attack fiercely, but all the players of Stoke City have shrunk to the vicinity of the penalty area, and in the absence of much space, all the weaknesses are covered up and can only be attacked.

Ferguson has been in charge for decades, and no one has more experience than him, and after thinking about it, Ferguson decided to play a long game.

The FA Cup final is a winner-or-loser, 90 minutes of extra time if you can't tell the difference, and if you can't tell the winner, you will shoot a penalty.

United certainly don't want to play Stoke City on penalties, but now that Stoke City's morale is high, it will be a bit difficult to win the game in 90 minutes, so Ferguson wants to keep pressing in regulation time and score better, and wait until extra-time to launch a fierce attack.

In the other dressing room, the Stoke players and coaches were excited, and although it was only a half-time clean sheet, it was enough to make them happy, against Manchester United, one of the strongest teams in world football today, and they are only a relegation team.

The iron bucket formation is definitely ugly, everyone wants to play the same all-out attack and defense, but a relegation team and a big club game, not ugly and practical how to win.

The first-half clean sheet also gave Stoke City a strong sense of confidence, and since they can keep a clean sheet for 45 minutes, they will have no problem keeping a clean sheet for another 45 minutes, and if they are lucky, they may be able to steal one.

Stoke City manager Pelis believes that Manchester United will definitely not let themselves drag the game into extra time, that is too unstable, Manchester United should attack desperately in the second half, maybe at that time, Manchester United's flaws will be exposed, as long as Stoke City can give a fatal blow, Stoke City's dream of winning Manchester United may be realized.

Second

Manchester United and Stoke City made no substitutions, and everyone returned to Wembley with different minds.

As in the first half, Stoke City didn't even make a tentative attack, shrinking into their own half and waiting for Manchester United to attack.

The United players were told by Alex Ferguson at half-time that they didn't have to score in the second half, and their main task was to press, drain the opponent's energy and spirit and make them make mistakes.

It has to be said that Ferguson's experience still has a role, and his arrangement has fundamentally eliminated the anxiety of the Manchester United players, allowing them to lay siege to the Stoke City goal with relative calm.

Breaking down the dense defence is a worldwide problem, and the tricks are long-range set-pieces and header bombardment, which United have tried several times in the first half, but they have not had much effect, and it is easy to have two lethal shots on goal, but they hit the post again.

Without the calming and motivating work that Alex Ferguson did at half-time, the mentality of the United players would have collapsed if there had been no progress in the second half.

Now, although Manchester United's attack is still ineffective, the players are very stable, they believe in Ferguson's tactics, and believe that under constant pressure, the Stoke City players will definitely not be able to withstand it.

Fifteen minutes into the second half, United had a chance to open the scoring.

Gao Xiaodong pulled to Nani's side, and the two launched a strong attack on the side.

Nani and Gao Xiaodong are both players with one-on-one ability, and the two attack on the wings, while Stoke City cannot defend themselves with full-backs and full-backs alone.

However, Stoke City did have enough, with a crisis on the right, and their defenders in the middle did not help to defend on the wing, but the striker Jones who was in charge returned to the wing.

Three defenses and two must be good defenses, but Gao Xiaodong, who has always been not very good at breaking through, suddenly broke out, he faked Jones, and then forced Wilson after wearing the crotch, and cut into the penalty area from the side with the ball.

Gao Xiaodong's long-range shooting ability is very scary, let him enter the penalty area, and goalkeeper Sorensen will be greatly tested.

This sudden change in the situation suddenly became tense in an instant.

Stoke City's central players also didn't care about the defense in the middle, and central defender Hut and midfielder Whelan immediately made up for the side defense, one to prevent Gao Xiaodong from shooting, and the other to prevent Gao Xiaodong from passing.

As soon as Gao Xiaodong entered the penalty area, Hute arrived, Gao Xiaodong bullied Hute for being too tall and not flexible enough, he made a gesture to shoot, and when Hute wanted to block, Gao Xiaodong buckled the ball and shook it over.

Hute's biggest problem is that he turns slowly, and the others are very powerful, but this time he was finally used by Gao Xiaodong.

However, the densely defended Stoke City has no shortage of defenders, and before Gao Xiaodong could shoot again, Whelan arrived.

The opportunity to shoot was gone, and Gao Xiaodong had no choice but to pass the ball back to the front of the penalty area.

This time it was Wayne Rooney who stood at the edge of the box.

Just when Gao Xiaodong broke through from the side, Rooney saw so many people in the penalty area, and took the initiative to retreat to the front of the penalty area to wait for the opportunity.

When the opportunity came, Rooney rushed over like a gust of wind and hit the ball, not giving the Stoke City players a chance to block at all.

Rooney played very decisively, but goalkeeper Sorensen was in really good shape, he had just been attracted to the side by Gao Xiaodong, but he still moved quickly and flew to block the ball.

Hernandez had been cruising in the box, and the ball bounced right at his feet, and Hernandez's side was a man who didn't have time to stop the ball, and hurriedly pushed the arch of his foot.

The goalkeeper had already fallen to the ground and the ball was just inside the woodwork, but Hernandez struck the post in a hurry.