Just when Li Lei was immersed in training, only going back and forth between the Carrington base and the Ferguson house every day, time was passing rapidly, and August 2003 arrived, which meant that the 03-04 Premier League season was about to begin, and the countdown was officially begun. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

By this time, Ferguson had already returned to Manchester with Manchester United. After a couple of tepid warm-up games, they had just over two weeks left to prepare.

However, before the Premier League first round at home to Bolton, last season's Premier League champions Manchester United still have a traditional English cup tie to play - the Community Shield. On 10 August, they will face their old rivals, last season's FA Cup winners, Gunners Arsenal, for their first title of the new season.

Although it was only a cup match with a warm-up nature, the clash between the two Premier League giants, Manchester United and Gunners Arsenal, still ignited the enthusiasm of English football. After a long off-season, England fans, media and celebrities alike were eager to give enthusiastic feedback on the Community Shield match.

In addition to the re-encounter between Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, and the strong clash between Manchester United and Arsenal, one of the biggest highlights of this Community Shield is whether Manchester United can continue to maintain its super competitiveness in previous seasons after losing its legendary No. 7 Beckham.

In fact, after the loss of the golden goal combination of Beckham and Ruud van Nistelrooy, the outside world has been very unoptimistic about Manchester United's performance on all fronts in the new season. Although there have been constant doubts about whether Beckham is a star or a star, no one can deny Beckham's indispensable tactical position as a golden midfield in the Manchester United team.

The golden midfield combination is no more, and the members of the Class of 92 are either leaving or aging...... After Beckham's departure, these comments that are not optimistic about Manchester United's prospects for the new season have gradually increased, and have been recognized by a lot. Although many of them are naturally hostile to Manchester United, and they can't see Manchester United good, but it is a fact.

Even though Ferguson is still tough on words, he has refuted such statements in media interviews more than once, and has strongly stated that Manchester United are still the biggest favorites to win the title in the new season, but he knows very well that with the departure of David Beckham, Manchester United has inevitably entered another period of reconstruction.

Because the departure of Beckham marks the official collapse of Manchester United's golden midfield system that Ferguson built and is proud of. The collapse of a system is not something that Manchester United can make up for by buying just a few players. Unless, Ferguson can bring another player to Manchester United who is exactly like David Beckham, which of course is impossible.

In fact, when he handed over United's legendary No.7 shirt to new signing Cristiano Ronaldo, it showed that the veteran boss knew it.

However, for the stubborn and proud Alex Ferguson, he has not given up on the fight for the Premier League title in the new season, even as Manchester United enters a rebuilding period, and he is a legendary manager with a strong competitive spirit.

"Bang!"

In his office, Ferguson slammed a copy of the Daily Mail onto his desk and angrily cursed, "Shit! I knew that damn sinister old guy wasn't going to let this opportunity go! The old handsome's face was flushed with anger at this moment, and his trademark big red nose was opening slightly in anger, inhaling loudly again and again.

It turned out that just now, he saw in this Daily Mail that his old rival, Professor Arsene Wenger, was interviewing about the upcoming Community Shield. Although Ferguson didn't expect Wenger to say anything nice, he didn't expect Wenger's interview to make him so angry, and his sensitive points were stimulated.

The original article in the newspaper reads: "Community shield? I'm certainly full of confidence. Because Manchester United is no longer the Manchester United it used to be, David Beckham is a great player and a treasure trove of English football. His departure is a major blow and a blow to Manchester United and if it were me I wouldn't have kicked him in the face with my shoes because it's definitely a dizzy, irrational act. Arsenal and I will prove it in the Community Shield, we have to go back to the Premier League for the next season and the team is at its best. (Laughs). ”

God testifies that when Ferguson saw this, he was eager to pull out his gun and give him a hard shot in Wenger's smiling picture head, venting his anger. Arsene Wenger's words stimulated the most concentric and sensitive part of his heart that he did not want to admit it.

Yes, he regretted it, regretted sending Beckham, who was once like his own son, away. But the incident was irreparable when he accidentally kicked his shoe in Beckham's face. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but curse in a low voice: "It's all to blame on that damn woman!" ”

However, Ferguson is Ferguson in the end, even if he regrets it in his heart, but in the face of the already difficult situation, he immediately abandoned the past and began to build a new Manchester United with all his might, and this season with Cristiano is just the beginning. As the true king of Manchester United, Ferguson certainly has a warm side of humanity, but for the sake of Manchester United, he can only show more of an iron-faced and ruthless side. He has long been accustomed to this.

But it will take a long time to rebuild the team's system, and a summer offseason alone is simply not enough. Under such circumstances, how to ensure that Manchester United, which is in the transition period of the new season, can still ensure sufficient impact to wrestle with old opponents such as Arsenal has become Ferguson's most important task at present.

The seasoned Ferguson is well aware that the Community Shield will be the first hurdle of the new season. Should he and Manchester United lose at the Millennium Stadium in Wales, the talk of "David Beckham is gone, Manchester United will not be able to do it" will immediately become mainstream and put a huge pressure on Manchester United's performance at the start of the new season.

At the same time, it will be a huge blow to the atmosphere and confidence in the Manchester United squad.

And this is the main goal of Wenger's statement in the interview, which is to put psychological pressure on Manchester United before the game. That would mean that if United lose the Community Shield, his Arsenal will have the upper hand in the competition with old rivals Manchester United at the start of the new season.

Ferguson was well aware of this, otherwise he would not have been so angry and scolded Wenger for being insidious, although he would have done the same if he had been put in Wenger's position.

However, it is all based on the premise of Manchester United's failure. Therefore, Ferguson's most crucial task now is to lead the team to win Arsenal in the Community Shield. That way, with his sheer dominance in the United dressing room and his WeChat, his players can retain their absolute confidence and momentum as Premier League giants, and thus ensure that the whole team starts the new season with vigor and competitiveness.

However, knowing is knowing, but it is very difficult to do. First of all, as Manchester United's biggest rival in the Premier League today, he is naturally familiar with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal. In this regard, even if he is stubborn and refuses to admit defeat, he has to admit that Wenger's Arsenal has fully matured and is at the peak of the team's strength.

Compared to Manchester United, which is now being rebuilt, there is no doubt that Arsenal is a little stronger.

Then, United are not stable in the goalkeeper position, which will be a huge concern. A good goalkeeper can top the top half of the team, and a poor goalkeeper, even if he stays in the strongest team in the world, can make the team miserable, not to mention that Manchester United's real strength at this time is no longer one of the strongest in European football.

As for this goalkeeper problem, Ferguson didn't even sleep well during this period of time. Originally, French goalkeeper Barthes, who joined Manchester United in 2000, was very good at first. In his first season, he helped United win the Premier League. But as time went on, his performances began to show a slippery slope that Ferguson could not bear.

If Butters' second year at Manchester United was just up and down, Ferguson could grit his teeth and endure it. Then, the performance of the French goalkeeper in the 02-03 season made Ferguson completely unbearable.

Among them, after losing to Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals, Ferguson's patience with him finally reached the limit. In all of United's next games that season, Ferguson dropped him and replaced him with Northern Ireland goalkeeper Carroll. Thankfully, it was Carroll who played well and allowed United to retain their top spot and win the title that season.

In such a situation, Ferguson bought American goalkeeper Howard during the winter break as a supplement to the goalkeeper position. But even so, he can't be completely reassured about the position. Putting aside Butters, who didn't leave because he couldn't find a home for a while, Ferguson still hasn't made a final decision on the starting goalkeeper position in the Community Shield.

He is well aware that neither Carroll nor Butters are the kind of goalkeepers who are so stable that he can be completely reassured. It's just that they haven't shown the bad side in front of him. It's like a time bomb, no one knows for sure when the bomb will explode, and if it can't be defused, people can only be extremely anxious.

And at this time, Ferguson was the one standing on the edge of the bomb. For him, there are only two options, Howard and Carol, although he is not happy with anyone.

Just as Ferguson was starting to feel a dull headache about this, there was a sudden knock on his office door.

It's Jimmy.

"Hi Alex, I have good news for you."