Chapter 198: M1 Highway Derby

At the training base these days, most of the discussion has to do with Ajax.

For veterans like John and Mel, the more popular topic of conversation is the derby against Watford.

Watford are now in the Championship and the two sides have met at least twice a season when Luton Town were also in the Championship, but they haven't met again since Luton's relegation.

"Watford?" Gao Bo is interested in the team's sworn rivals, and he knows that this team will have a firm foothold in the Premier League in the future.

"Is it like the relationship between Manchester United and Liverpool?"

"It's better than that!" John said very seriously.

"Okay, okay! John. Gao Bo relieved, "We can win them!" ”

"It's a derby! Derby, you know what. High! Mel leaned over and said.

"Of course I understand, I've been in England for seven or eight years." Gao Bo waved his hand and said.

"You can't lose this game, can you?!"

"You can't afford to lose!!" Both nodded and said.

For Luton, a win over Watford may be more important than any game this season.

This game is a battle for Luton! A battle that must not be lost.

Derbies are very important in football culture, the matchup between two teams has nothing to do with strength or weakness, it has nothing to do with the league format, the only goal for both sides is to win and win against their mortal enemies!

However, there are three league games to play before the Watford game.

Before Christmas, on December 21, the team won 2-0 at home to Stoke Port in the 21st round of the league, and then in the Christmas game, the team faced Brentford at home, and finally won 2-1 at home thanks to Vardy's brace. And then on December 28, in the 24th round of the league, the team was forced to draw 1-1 by Exeter City away from home, but Charlton lost in this round of the league, and Leeds United also drew it, so Luton instead tied Luton in points with this point draw, and then ranked first with goal difference.....

.......

The New Year of 2010 passed quietly, and Luton was a small city with no New Year's Eve and no revelry.

The team didn't even have a holiday on January 1, because on January 2, the team was due to face Watford. However, on the afternoon of January 1, Gao Bo still ended training two hours early, and asked the players to go home to reunite with their families for the New Year.

And Gao Bo had a hot pot with Lin Sen, Haruko, and Li Yuanshan, who was picked up from the Youth Academy, in the apartment.

"Happy New Year!"

Four strangers from the East raised their glasses—of course, Li Yuanshan's cup contained orange juice......

"Happy New Year!!

A light meal is considered the New Year.

In 2010, it has been a year and a half since Gao Bo coached Luton.

.......

At 5 p.m. on January 2, the Wowwell Stadium was packed.

Compared to usual, Luton's fans had a little more crazy momentum, and as soon as Gao Bo walked into the stadium, he felt that the stadium had a different atmosphere than usual.

It's a kind of.... Murderous?!

Gao Bo is not so sure, but he can confirm that today's opponent is indeed very special for Luton fans.

It's a derby...

The derby between Luton and Watford is called the M1 derby, hence the name because the M1 connects the two places.

If Milton Dons Dons is at best a noisy neighbour to the disgust of Luton supporters, Watford are the team's bitter rivals to Luton supporters.

Luton's hatred of Watford can be heard in Luton's team anthem, and about forty seconds of the song, which is only about two and a half minutes long, is devoted to insulting Watford.

When the players from both sides came in, the Watford players heard it.

But it's not just Luton, it's Watford – there's also a section in Watford's anthem dedicated to Luton...

This is a pair of true rivals.

......

The derby will have the atmosphere of the derby.

Intense physical confrontations, frequent falls, piecemeal play.

Amid the frantic shouts of the fans at the scene, the adrenaline of the players has also begun to soar!

It was only ten minutes into the game, and the players on both sides combined had already received five yellow cards!

Three of them went to Watford and two to Luton!

The pace of the game is starting to spiral out of control.

Gao Bo frowned from the sidelines.

Once again, Griezmann was tackled to the ground. It was Watford striker Rasiak who was booked for the tackle, but he didn't seem to care at all and got up and left.

Gao Bo immediately stood on the sidelines and yelled at the referee on duty, Mike Dean: "This is a tackle from behind!!" You should give this guy a red card!! ”

Mike Dean glanced at Gao Bo on the sidelines, and as long as Gao Bo didn't say anything foul, he didn't plan to pay attention to Gao Bo who complained on the sidelines.

Gao Bo's shout, the referee did not respond, and the smell of gunpowder on the field became thicker and thicker.

In the twentieth minute of the game, Kevin Keane made a vicious tackle in the midfield and brought down Watford midfielder Smith!

Such a ferocious tackle is rarely seen in Kevin Keane's games in the past!

The game seemed to be about to turn sour, and both sides fell to the ground frequently in midfield.

Flying tackles, quarrels, clashes, yellow cards!

These things have already appeared on the field in turn in just over twenty minutes.

To be honest, such a game is not pretty.

But the pitch was so enthusiastic, with every tackle from the Luton players eliciting a tsunami of cheers and the adrenaline pumping from the fans.

The same is true for Watford, whose players are also ruthless on and off the pitch!!

Gao Bo frowned, he was a little worried that if the pace of the game continued like this, whether there would be enough players on both sides to stay on the field after the game was over...

In just 30 minutes, there have been seven yellow cards.

"That's a record number of yellow cards, right?" Gao Bo turned to John and complained.

In this game, Gao Bo felt completely out of control of the game, and the game slipped almost uncontrollably in the direction that the derby should be.

"How is that possible?" John shook his head, "It's still early." I remember one year in a derby, there were two penalties from each side in the first half...."

"This is the derby..."

Gao Bo thought he knew a lot about the derby culture in England, but it wasn't until he experienced it for himself that he realized how crazy it was.