Let Chu Ge continue to be the captain, which is what Ferguson meant.

This is not a birthday present for Chu Ge.

It's just a coincidence.

Just in time for Chu Ge's birthday, the captain of the derby is like a birthday gift from the team to Chu Ge.

The specific reason for this is clear to the players of Manchester United after a little thought.

Wayne Rooney is the team's regular captain, but he has returned from injury and is not in the best form and fitness, so it is unlikely that he will start. Carrick is also unlikely to start, while Chris Smalling and other players are still recovering from injuries.

It's the same situation as in the last game.

Chu Ge became the captain of the team again, so it naturally became a reasonable thing.

But.

The situation is still a little different from the last game.

In the derby against Manchester City, Valencia should have time to return.

Generally speaking, when other senior players can't start and Valencia can, the captain's armband is worn on the arm of the 30-year-old Ecuadorian uncle.

The coach chose Chu Ge instead of Valencia, and the deep meaning is self-evident.

Many of the United players were thoughtful.

……

Soon after.

After announcing the squad for the derby match with Manchester City, Phelan announced the end of training.

Chu Ge took the initiative to stay.

As usual, he started to practice free-kicks.

With his teammates gone, Carrington's training ground became empty. Chu Ge set up the football and looked at the goal behind the prop wall.

"It's 90 percent."

He glanced at the system.

It may be that he is really talented, or he may have found the right idea, Chu Ge's progress in practicing free kicks is very fast. At this rate, it won't be long before he can take a 100% free-kick kick.

Chu Ge was curious about what would happen when the "way of free kicks" reached 100%.

Two-step run-up.

With a strong push with his left foot, the ball spun in the direction of the boot and flew up quickly.

Soon, the ball went around the wall and spun straight into the top left corner of the goal.

"This arc is so beautiful."

Ferguson watched Chu Ge's free kick from a distance and couldn't help but admire.

Beside him, Giggs, dressed in a black suit, nodded in agreement.

"He's getting better and better at curling." Giggs sighed.

And at this time.

After the penalty shot, Chu Ge stood in place. He shook his head, seemingly unhappy with the free throw.

He didn't rush to continue the free throws, but stood there thinking for a while.

About a minute or so later, Chu Ge began to make another free throw.

This time, he adjusted slightly when kicking, and the swing of his ankle changed slightly. As a result, after the football was released, it was blocked by the human wall.

Hit the head of the "player" on the far left of the prop wall.

When he directly scored the football before, Chu Ge shook his head. This time, when the free-kick was blocked, he nodded his head, and it seemed that he couldn't score but the result he wanted.

This came as a surprise to Ferguson and Ryan Giggs.

They continued to observe Chu Ge's free-kick practice for a while. As a result, the two found a very interesting phenomenon,

Any free kick that bypassed the prop wall, even if it was a goal, Chu Ge was not satisfied. Instead, those free-kicks that hit the wall, he would nod his head.

"He seems to be looking for someone on purpose?" Giggs was a little puzzled when he saw this.

Ferguson nodded, "On either side of the search wall, to be exact." ”

"This ......" Giggs scratched his head and said in disbelief: "It's good that a free kick can go over the wall, deliberately looking for the side of the wall to kick, it's not necessary, right?" Moreover, it is too difficult to point where to hit. ”

Ryan Giggs was also a free-kick master when he played.

His free-kick skills are good.

But even with Ryan Giggs, he couldn't take a free-kick anywhere.

In fact, it's not just Ryan Giggs who can't do it, but the vast majority of set-piece masters can't do it.

If a player takes a free-kick and can kick the ball wherever he wants, then he is very close to scoring a goal. It's not an exaggeration to say that it's basically the level of nine out of ten.

"If it were someone else, it would be too difficult. But if it's Chu ......" Ferguson shrugged and smiled; "Maybe it's a possibility. This kid always gets things done. ”

"Haha!" Giggs laughed, "You always have confidence in him. But I don't believe anyone else can do that. ”

Between words.

Chu Ge kicked the ball accurately on the rightmost corner of the human wall, and there was a crisp sound of "clang".

"Look, isn't this just where you want to hit?" Ferguson smirked.

Giggs was speechless.

"It's luck, good or not. The more you kick, the more you get closer, the more you get closer to the target. He was not convinced.

……

About five hours before the derby kicks off, Son walked into the Sky Sports studio.

After leaving the Premier League, this well-known Chinese international, a star who has been in the Premier League for many years, has basically not received a program announcement from the English TV media.

And just before the Premier League clash was about to begin, Son received a warm invitation from Sky Sports to participate in the recording of the Manchester City derby.

In order to invite Sun Jihai, the program team not only reimbursed him for his round-trip travel expenses, but also paid a lot of money.

As soon as he walked into the studio, Sun Jihai saw a huge poster on the electronic screen on the background wall.

Sky blue on the left and fiery red on the right.

On the left, sky blue is the colour of Manchester City, while on the right is the Red Devils, Manchester United.

The most eye-catching position of the poster is the two star players.

Aguero on the left, Chu Ge on the right.

Both of them are plump, high-spirited, and imposing, with indomitable perseverance in their eyes.

Sun Jihai saw Chu Ge at a glance.

Dressed in red, his handsome face is unforgettable.

Underneath the two top stars, Chu Ge and Sergio Aguero, a line of letters is prominently written in red and blue.

"Super Dialogue, Red and Blue War! INTERVIEWER What kind of colour does Manchester belong to? ”

Sun Jihai looked at Chu Ge's photo, and then at Aguero, and couldn't help but feel proud in his heart.

"In terms of strength, our China and Argentina cannot be compared at all. However, Chu Ge is no less than Aguero's top star! In our country, there can actually be an outstanding talented star like Chu Ge. He not only joined England's top giants such as Manchester United, but also became the top name of Manchester United in the eyes of the English media. All of this is like a dream! It's incredible, it's so proud! ”

Sun Jihai knew it very well in his heart.

The reason why he was able to get an invitation from Sky Sports England today is because of Chu Ge, because of this wonderful compatriot of his.

As a player, Son played for Manchester City for a long time and also wrote the history of this team, and is one of the best players in Manchester City's history.

That's not why Sky Sports invited him, though.

The British are not only interested in Sun Jihai's Manchester City celebrity status, but more importantly, he, like Chu Ge, is from China.

is also from China, which is not developed in football, and has also broken out of its own world in the Premier League, one is a meritorious former minister of Manchester City, and the other plays for Manchester City's city rival Manchester United, and is one of Manchester United's leading stars today.

Now that the Manchester derby is approaching, inviting Sun Jihai to the studio to talk about the game will have a lot of topics.

That's the real reason why Sky Sports invited Sun.

Sun Jihai knows this.

He was quite emotional.

……

As time went on, the rest of the guests, as well as the host Lineker, came to the scene.

Among the guests were two of Manchester United's most decorated players, veteran captain Gary Neville and "Ginger Head" Paul Scholes.

Similarly, there are two Manchester City veterans.

One of them is very familiar with Sun Jihai, that is Wright Jr., Wright Phillips.

The two used to be teammates.

Even did a direct competitor for a while.

They are competing for the position of the team's main full-back.

Later, Son Jihai gradually became the main force, while Wright Jr. transformed into a full-back and even a winger.

Although the two have a competition for positions, they have a very good personal relationship. Little Wright saw Sun Jihai appear on the scene this time, and immediately greeted him happily.

In addition to Wright, another former Manchester City player is Brazilian, Robinho.

Robinho is not familiar with Son Jihai.

In 2008, when Son Jihai left Manchester City with a record of 150 English league appearances, Robinho, the "bicycle boy", had just left Real Madrid and joined Manchester City at a record transfer price of 42 million euros.

The two have nothing to do with each other at Manchester City.

On the contrary, Wright Jr. also happened to return to Manchester City that year and was teammates with Robinho for a while.

The guests took their seats and exchanged pleasantries.

Due to Chu Ge's relationship, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes were quite enthusiastic about Son Jihai, a former Manchester City star, and took the initiative to greet him.

Soon, the show officially began with the addition of an English beauty with the ball to the studio.

In the beginning, it was naturally a preview of the game.

This Manchester derby is the 174th derby between the two teams. Previously, Manchester United had 72 wins, 51 draws and 50 losses, with a clear advantage.

However, Manchester City have been strong in recent years, while Manchester United are in a period of rebuilding.

Past head-to-head statistics are not indicative of the current level of the two teams.

Lineker shows a map of England.

On the map, those who support Manchester City's victory are painted blue; Those who support Manchester United are red.

It is clear that the area of blue greatly exceeds that of red.

"If you let the fans in England vote, Manchester United will lose this game." Lineker quipped.

"And in fact, Manchester City also had a big advantage in this game." Little Wright answered.

The crowd nodded.

Neville and Scholes looked at each other with helpless expressions.

"In the first leg, it was Manchester City who won. And Pep Guardiola always has the upper hand in the contest with Ferguson. Lineker laughed.

When it comes to the direct dialogue between Guardiola and Ferguson, Sky Sports is particularly "bad".

They cut out this classic picture of Ferguson's "shaking hands" in the live broadcast screen.

It was when Manchester United and Barcelona met in the Champions League final.

In 2011, at Wembley Stadium, the Barças dominated that game. They planted red and blue flags in Trafalgar Square, and fans sang songs and celebrated the victory.

Ferguson's trembling fingers, Van der Sar hugging Giggs's tearful eyes, tell the spirit of Barcelona in that era, unbeatable.

This is the sweetest memory for Barcelona fans.

That's the mark of their team at the pinnacle of a cycle.

It was also a very sad time for Manchester United fans.

The Red Devils, who can always explode in the face of adversity, were ultimately powerless to stop Pep Guardiola's team, bowing their heads and watching their opponents reach the top.

'They are the best club I've ever seen in my coaching career.

'There has never been a team that has given us the same chance as we have today.

"The stronger team got the win today."

After the game, Ferguson's words showed obvious fatigue.

Speechless and desolate.

Today, the two coaches reunited on the field, and people were reminded of that game.

Neville and Scholes smiled wryly at each other again.

They also experienced that game six years ago, and they can better than anyone else appreciate Pep Guardiola's strength.

'Hopefully this time, Manchester United won't have to go through that kind of rout.' Neville prayed in his heart.

The powerlessness of that game, Gary Neville didn't want to experience again.

"In addition to the record advantage over Alex Ferguson, City's physical advantage is also clear. Manchester United also have to be distracted by Europa League fixtures, while Manchester City only have to care about the league. Manchester United had to play a make-up game because of the Carabao Cup, while Manchester City had an extra week off for that game. ”

'In terms of injury attrition, Manchester City are also clearly better off than Manchester United.

'Ibrahimovic, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Chris Smalling, Juan Mata, these are the key players at Manchester United. And they will both miss this game due to injury. Among them, Ibrahimovic, Rojo and Luke Shaw are all reimbursed for the season. Midfielder Paul Pogba left the pitch injured near the end of the last game and has been confirmed to be unable to participate in this round of derby. ”

"Manchester City, on the other hand. Although Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho have also had some injuries, neither of them has serious injuries and they have also been named in City's squad for the game. The only one who was unavailable was Spanish star David Silva, who was injured in training before the game. Moreover, Manchester City also welcomed Gabriel Jesus, Sagna and John Stones, and the lineup is basically complete. ”

"On the one hand, the core players have been injured one after another, and they are tired of fighting; On the other hand, the wounded returned one after another. Manchester City is indeed the more optimistic side. ”

Although Lineker is a loyal fan of Chu Ge, he still carefully analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of the two teams from a professional point of view.

From the current point of view, Manchester City is indeed the side that more people are looking for.

Whether it is the strength of the team, or the depth of the squad, as well as the ability of the coach and the home game, they are faintly overpowering the Red Devils.

Pendulum data is not enough.

Lineker also took out the bookmaker's offer.

The major European gambling companies are also more optimistic about Manchester City.

"But," Neville and Scholes looked at each other, "a derby is a derby after all." ”

'I'll admit that Manchester United are a bit of a big deal at the moment and Manchester City are in good form and in good shape. But the derby is different from your average game. The derby game can make the players play 120% fighting spirit and 120% passion. Neville said.

"Manchester United have always been a tough team. The more unfavorable the situation, the better it can be. Regardless of the outcome of the game, I am sure that the lads at Manchester United will give it their all and fight until the very end. Scholes added.

'Personally, I have no doubt that I hope City can win. Because she's the team I've played for many years. But...... In this round of games, I am probably more supportive of Manchester United. ”

"Because Manchester United is Chu Ge's team."

"In the absence of Ibrahimovic in the last round, Chu Ge proved his ability to lead the team single-handedly. Today, despite facing the unfavorable situation of Pogba's absence, Chu Ge will definitely show a better performance and lead his team to charge for victory. ”

"He's Chu Ge, he's one of the best players in world football."

"I'm always going to support him."

After a little hesitation, Sun Jihai still chose to stand on the side of Manchester United, like many Chinese fans.

And at this time.

In the studio, the TV signal of the game site began to be connected.

The camera goes from high to low and then takes a 360-degree view of the stadium, showing the enthusiasm of the fans at the Etihad Stadium.

Forthwith.

The long shots begin to focus on the players who started the two teams.

Toure, Fernandinho, N'Golo Kante, Marouane Fellaini, Bravo, De Gea, Kompany, Manolas, Sane, Anthony, De Bruyne, Rashford...... Star-studded stars appear in the picture one after another.

The camera lingers on Aguero for a while.

This is City's best striker.

In 40 games this season, Ah Kun has scored 30 goals. He's enjoying the best season of his career.

Sergio Aguero, meanwhile, has also been the top scorer in a Liman derby in recent years. He made six appearances against Manchester United and scored against David De Gea six times and was a well-deserved derby killer.

Sergio Aguero is undoubtedly the focus of attention in this game.

The camera lingers on the Argentine star for three seconds.

Subsequently.

The camera turned.

A big close-up.

The camera is aimed at Chu Ge!

He wears Manchester United's captain's armband.

He wore the captain's armband again!

On stage at the 174th Manchester derby, right in the middle of the Etihad Stadium!