Chapter Twenty-Six: Bournemouth (Part II)
There was some excitement in the squad after the goal, but Kilkenny shouted out to his team-mates and reminded them that it was a very easy time to concede!
But fortunately, Muller's goal happened at a coincidental time, and it didn't take long for the referee to end the first half of the game!
The visiting dressing room at Dean Court Stadium is not as comfortable as the home at Elland Road, and the already cold dressing room is even more damp after the players enter, after all, everyone is drenched in heavy rain, but the goal before half-time still helps to boost morale!
Poyet and the team's support staff handed out dry towels to the players, and although these guys were all in shape like cows, Michu didn't want to risk the whole team catching a cold!
Everyone was wiping the rain on their bodies while exchanging their experiences with each other, and at this moment, Mi Chu cleared his throat and said, "First of all, I want to thank everyone! It's the united defense that can ensure that the team doesn't concede a goal, even if the opponent's attack does have two brushes! Seeing Huntington nodding solemnly at Royce beside him, Michu knew how much this guy had suffered in the first half!
"But defending is our strategy and it's what keeps us winning, maybe we don't have as much possession as the other side, maybe we don't have as many shots on goal, but who is the leader? It's you who know it's not easy to defend, and I know how stupid it can be to play a game of grabbing around the opponent! But we did it!
If it were the other side, would they be willing to lower their heads and focus on defense like we did? No, they can't, but we can!
Even if it rains outside, we can't overwhelm our defence, maybe in the second half we will face more unbridled attacks, but the brave are fearless! Whatever the outcome, I always believe that you can do your best! I've only heard of concrete defense, and I hope you can give me an eye-opener today! Thank you! ”
For a while, there was thunderous applause in the locker room!
This is the effect that Michu has been pursuing, although he used to be very ashamed to speak in public, but now it seems that he has completely buried his oratorical talent!
You must know that in this extremely passive situation, the tactical discipline of a team can be best reflected, if your team can't resist the unscrupulous humiliation of the opponent for a while, and instead bet on it, then Michu thinks that it is impossible for him to get the current score!
Only in the case of going against the trend, the player who still adheres to the pre-match strategy and can not be carried away by emotions is the most likely to win!
Football is full of passion, this is the charm of football, but to win in competitive sports, you can only have iron discipline!
It is impossible for everyone in a team to be heroes, when you have players like Maradora, Messi, Ronaldo, of course, you can rely on their genius, but there are only a few superstars, ** if you want to counterattack! Only iron discipline can be relied upon!
These players can still insist on defending and counterattacking steadily under the condition of being passive in the overall situation, and even Michu has to be proud of these players! After all, young people are the most arrogant!
Michu, who returned to the court after halftime, found that the rain had subsided, but the lawn of the court was still a little slippery, but this was no longer an obstacle in Michu's eyes!
'It was probably the toughest Leeds game of the season so far, and the first half was pretty much a Bournemouth half-time drill! However, the current score is Leeds United 1-0 lead over Bournemouth, and Michu's players only need 2 shots to complete the job that the opponent failed to complete with 10 shots! In the second half of the game, I believe that Bournemouth's attack will only be stronger! ”
The second half didn't look slightly easier for Leeds United because of a one-goal lead, on the contrary, Bournemouth set off wave after wave of attacks amid the shouts of nearly 20,000 fans in the stadium!
Bournemouth obviously didn't expect Michu's team to be able to organize the defense so tightly when the disadvantage was so obvious, and the center-back combination of Huntington and Marquis simply became an insurmountable barrier for the opponent, and the opponent's crosses again and again were ruthlessly resolved by the two!
And the team's active return defense in the front court also made the already crowded half even more overcrowded, of course, this means different things for both the offensive and defensive sides!
As the opponent's attack strengthened, Leeds United's formation became more flat, and even Kandal, who was at the front, had returned to the half to defend!
In Michu's opinion, this kind of crazy attack of the other party can only be made by people who have lost their minds in anger!
Especially considering that Bournemouth still has an advantage in the current standings, and the opposing manager can let his players press so wantonly, Michu thinks that it may be his team's too strong defense to annoy the opponent!
The sparring partner who should have obediently disarmed is now counterattacking, which may be the reason why the other party is so reckless!
Frequent long-range shots, crosses, headers, Bournemouth almost tried their best but still couldn't break through the door guarded by Ankeberen! But the overly flat formation is also the fact that Michu's team has lost the attacking manpower needed in the front court when counterattacking! In this way, the stalemate continued until 80 minutes.
At this time, Muller was hit on the cheek by the opponent in a scramble near the sideline, and the ball rolled out of the sideline. What shocked Michu and others even more was that the opponent completely ignored the injured Muller and quickly sent a throw-in, and the referee still ignored Michu's loud complaint!
The opposing winger Nicky seized the opportunity to dribble to the bottom line and chose an inverted triangle cross, Fleison in the middle deliberately exposed the ball to Mane behind him, Mane no longer hesitated, and met the ball before Holsen and Huntington blocked, the ball bounced off the turf and went past Ankerberg's finger into the corner of the goal!
The crowd immediately erupted in wanton cheers, and all the Leeds United players surrounded the referee on duty, signaling why he didn't stop the game! Michu also complained loudly to the fourth referee on the sidelines! The team doctor was busy dealing with Mueller's bleeding nose when he was hit!
For this unsportsmanlike behavior, the referee failed to stop it in time, which led to Leeds United conceding a goal, and Leeds United could not change the result after paying yellow cards for Huntington and Delph!
In the next game, Michu's boys played against each other in a tense atmosphere, but fortunately, there was not much time left, and in the end, Michu's team got a valuable point away from home!
At the post-match press conference, Michu suppressed the anger in his heart while watching the opposing manager's wanton talk about the suppression of Leeds United, and when Michu answered, naturally all the reporters' questions were aimed at Bournemouth's goal,
"You don't need my reminder to understand the unfair treatment our team has suffered, it's a disgraceful goal! My lads did their best, but were knocked out by an opportunity that wasn't a chance!
If we get that opportunity every game, I'm sure we'll be the number one team! But it's a shame for the fans who support us that we've never had such an opportunity; We don't bother to get that kind of opportunity either! Justice is at ease in the hearts of the people! After saying that, Michu left the scene of the press conference!
To Michu's gratification, the Leeds United players did not lose their minds because of the team's 3-point turn-1 point, on the contrary, the team's players' confidence when they left here is what Michu believes is the team's biggest gain! Michu believes that Leeds United, who are in such a performance and such a state, will have the strength to reach a higher stage!