Ferguson has always had a good impression of the brand new Wembley Stadium.

Here last season, his side beat Tottenham Hotspur to win the Carabao Cup.

And this afternoon, his team will face a battle to defend their title.

But this time the opponent is no longer Tottenham Hotspur, but Manchester City coached by Gao Han.

'We're going to play against a different team than anyone we've done before, they're more scary and tougher, so we have to be mentally prepared for it to be the toughest game of the season. ”

"If we want to win, we have to work harder than usual. ”

In a conference room at the hotel where United were staying, Ferguson and United were having a morning tactical preparation meeting, assistant coach Mike Perrin had just detailed the strategy for the game against Manchester City to all the players, and Ferguson was as usual to make a final summary before the game to unify the team's thinking.

It's crucial for Manchester United.

Only when they are unified can they know exactly what they should do when they are on the field.

"What is the strength of Manchester City, I believe I don't need to say more, everyone knows it, there will be no surprises in this game, I can guarantee that Gao Han will still use the way of play that he admires and which he is best at, that is, possession and attack. ”

This season's Manchester City is like a towering mountain in front of all the Premier League teams, which is to be looked up to.

More than two dozen consecutive wins not only continued Gao Han's legendary resume, but also made the blue moon a nightmare for all Premier League teams, and you must know that this team only finished 10th in the league last season.

Looking at the world, who else has this ability to turn decay into magic, except for the high cold?

As for Manchester City's investment of more than 400 million euros, it did play a role, but if it weren't for Gao Han, let alone their performance as good as they are now, I'm afraid it's hard to say whether the more than 400 million euros can be spent.

And Gao Han has been facing any team this season, no matter how his team lineup is rotated and adjusted, there is only one way he plays, and that is passing.

So far this season, Manchester City's stats have been quite staggering, averaging close to 70 per cent of passing possession per game, which is simply an unbelievable statistic, but what is even more terrifying is that Manchester City have played with amazing attacking power and scoring ability.

According to the current efficiency, by the end of the season, there is no suspense that Manchester City will break 100 goals this season, and may even exceed 110 goals, which will set a new record for the number of goals scored in a single season in the Premier League.

In addition to the team as a whole, Cristiano Ronaldo's goalscoring efficiency is also quite impressive, and with the likes of Benzema, Alexis Sanchez and Kaka at his side, City's entire attacking line-up is fearsome enough.

In this game, Manchester City is uninjured and sick, and it is estimated that the main force will be played.

"Believe me, against Manchester City, you must not retreat, if you retreat, you will only die faster and worse. Ferguson shouted in a resolute tone, "We have to defend the midfield no matter what, fight with them, grab with them, and not let them control the ball as they want." ”

"I don't care what method you use, as long as you don't get cards easily, as long as you don't get red cards, you can do everything you can to stop them from having the ball. ”

What Ferguson meant by these words was well known to everyone present.

'Manchester City are very pressing in possession, they are quite dangerous in attack, and a lot of teams will inevitably have a sense of safety when facing their style of play, but I want to tell you that playing Manchester City, retreating will only make us die faster and worse. ”

"So, in this game, our midfield, our front, we have to be mentally prepared, no matter when, no matter what the situation, we must carry Manchester City to the death, never take half a step back. ”

The more Ferguson spoke, the more energetic he became, and the more he spoke, the more powerful he became.

Manchester United have been quite embarrassing this season, and it can be said that it completely contradicts the strategy that Ferguson had drawn up before the season.

Ferguson said at the beginning of the season that Manchester United should strengthen the efficiency of scoring points in strong conversations, but as a result, except for Arsenal, Manchester United faced Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea in all of their games, and there were no draws.

So much so that many fans ridiculed that Ferguson's Manchester United could only bully Arsenal's little daughter-in-law.

Ferguson also knows everything about his team, and he knows exactly what the problem is.

Therefore, in this game against Manchester City, he was also mentally prepared and discharged the Christmas tree formation of 4321, the purpose is very clear, he is to fight Gao Han to the death.

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At 15 p.m., Wembley Stadium, the League Cup final started on time.

Ferguson lined up in a four-three-two-one formation, with Edwin van der Sar in goal, Leyton Bynes, Pepe, Rio Ferdinand and Gary Neville at the back, Nemanja Matic, Michael Carrick and Fletcher in midfield, Tevez and Park Ji-sung in front, and Rooney as the lone striker.

Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, two of the team's most creative and attacking threats, were left on the bench by Alex Ferguson, which was clear from the start.

The bayonet sees blood, and it is dead!

Manchester City's starting lineup is not surprising at all, and in the absence of injuries or illnesses, Gao Han is also the main force.

The goalkeeper is Petr Cech, the backline is Vincent Kompany, Xavi Martinez and Mascherano, the midfield is Javi Alonso, up front David Silva and Luka Modric, the midfield is Kaka, and the front trident is Cristiano Ronaldo, Karima Benzema and Alexis Sanchez.

From the start of the game, Manchester City took the lead and won a free-kick in front of the field in the first minute, when Cristiano Ronaldo got the ball and was about to start, he was tripped by Gary Neville.

David Silva took a free-kick and crossed into the box, but failed to create a threat.

The game restarted as United continued to tighten the pressure on Manchester City in midfield.

Ferguson's line-up in this game is obviously to restrain Manchester City's possession, Park Ji-sung and Tevez are relatively far behind, keeping a distance from Nemanja Matic, Carrick and Fletcher, forming a five-man midfield pressing group, specifically suppressing Manchester City's midfield possession, and the battlefield is focused on the halfway line.

Wayne Rooney roamed up front alone, patiently waiting for his chances, while also pressing City's backline, while Rio Ferdinand's backline was also very targeted, keeping a tight midfield while restraining City's trident.

Movement and teamwork have always been United's strengths, and they showed a very high standard in the start of this game, especially when Manchester United's players committed decisive fouls in the game, never dragging their feet, making it difficult for Manchester City to organise an effective attack despite having an advantage in possession.

Even the first threatening shot of the game came in the twelfth minute, when Sanchez got rid of Layton Baines after receiving a pass from Luka Modric and broke through along the right flank, but the ball hit Pepe's feet and bounced out of the penalty area.

But soon, United regained their footing.

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Standing on the sidelines, his eyes fixed on the situation like electricity, he was well aware of Ferguson's calculations, but he knew even more about how City were going to win the game.

There are two ways to win a game on the football field, the first strike or the last come.

The former are usually strong teams and can take the initiative in the game, while the latter tend to be more passive, basing themselves on undefeated first, and then waiting for the opponent to make mistakes.

Manchester City now undoubtedly belongs to the former, so Gao Han's perspective is often how to better play to his own advantages, and then break through the opponent's defense and defeat the opponent.

Manchester United's targeted tactics in this game are to contain Manchester City's possession, make Manchester City anxious, and they will take the opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

So, Gao Han quickly walked to the sidelines, shouted loudly to the players on the field, and motioned to Xavi Alonso to stabilize the team.

'Don't worry, control the ball, keep the tempo down, be patient, it's just starting and it's in our favour. ”

Gao Han shouted without hesitation, and naturally it reached the ears of Ferguson in the coaching area on the other side.

In fact, Gao Han deliberately shouted to him, and Ferguson himself knew it.

Teams that use pass-and-control play often have an advantage in terms of physical exertion, and a style of play like Manchester United may be able to hold up in the first half, but once the physical consumption reaches a certain level, it can't hold this kind of scene at all.

On the pitch, Xavi Alonso, as the captain of Manchester City, is also loudly communicating the manager's meaning to his teammates around him, he is very calm, he knows the situation on the field well, and knows that he can't rush it now, so soon, David Silva, Luka Modric and Kaka all began to cooperate with Xavi Alonso, trying to control the ball first.

But Manchester United is not a fuel-efficient lamp, the Red Devils players look energetic, chasing the ball, not allowing Manchester City to control the ball easily, the referee's whistle is also one after another, endless, the game is frequently interrupted, and it seems a little chaotic.

But the look on Ferguson's face on the sidelines did not relax at all, because he knew Gao Han's intentions.

Fight a war of attrition.

This is also what Gao Han is best at, through the advantage of passing and controlling the ball, using the pass to consume the physical energy of the opposing players, and when the consumption reaches a certain level, that is when they start to exert their strength.

The game passed quickly, the competition was fierce, the ball changed hands back and forth, and the pace was fast.

Manchester City had the advantage of possession but were never able to organise an effective attack, often advancing the ball into the United half, and were soon forced to pass back to their own lineup, and Manchester United were in a worse position to stop City's attack and passing by pressing or nipping the danger in the bud with foul tactics.

Fortunately, the referee of this game was soft.

Ferguson said secretly glad in his heart.

If the referee had been tougher, Manchester United would have won the card long ago.

Of course, on the other hand, if the referee is the whistle, the actions of the Manchester United players will definitely be appropriately restrained.

They are all professional players and everyone knows very well how to keep their movements within the tolerance of the referee.

But with the passage of time, under the fast-paced offensive and defensive battles, the consumption of Manchester United players is indeed not small, especially when Manchester City has repeatedly torn up defensive holes through passing, in order to ensure the solidity of the midfield, Manchester United has to retreat again and again.

Ferguson watched anxiously from the sidelines, constantly shouting at the players, signaling that they could not retreat, but to no avail.

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