Chapter 20: Shaq and the "Beast"

On 27 September, Manchester United beat Sunderland 1-0 away thanks to Nani's goal.

After the game, the media commented that Shaq's goal luck seemed to have been used up in the last Carabao Cup, and he only played a good role as an attacking playmaker in this game, with 66 of the 74 passes completed in the game, and while revitalizing his own attack, he also contributed to the defense with 4 tackles and 6 headers, and the statistics are still very good.

But the fact is that after Shaq scored five "Shaq GOALS" in the last League Cup 7-0 victory over Northampton, his desire to score seems to have been alleviated, and it just so happened that Shaq, Rooney, and Nani were happy again, and Shaq and Nani's intimacy also reached 100%, and it was also an opportunity to give Nani a test of his teammates' bonus.

Shaq's scoring frenzy came to an end, as did Carlos Tevez, another of England's most ferocious goalscorers this season, and Leeds United drew 1-1 at home to Norwich City. Oliveira had some chances, but the Portuguese did score, but the "Young Guards" drew 1:1.

The collective mute of the two top scorers in English football has made the English media quite interested, and they all think that they want to continue the competition for the "top scorer" to the Champions League.

At the moment, Shaq has scored eight goals in six league games, five in the Carabao Cup and three in the Champions League, for a total of 16 goals in eight games, an average of two goals per game that is a miracle.

But the Beast's statistics are no less impressive than Shak's, with 13 goals in six league games. Including the Carabao Cup, UEFA Super Cup and the first round of the Champions League group stage, Tevez has scored a total of 15 goals in nine games.

Shaq and Tevez have become the biggest competitors in the "top scorer" competition this season, Shak's goal division is more balanced, but Tevez is five goals more than Shaq in the league, speaking of who can have the last laugh is also an important highlight of this season.

Just like in Spanish football in recent years, it is Messi and Cristiano? Ronaldo and the two continue to score goals to set a new personal goal record. Barcelona and Real Madrid have also turned La Liga into the Spanish Super League, and the confrontation between the two super giants, Messi and Cristiano? The competition between Ronaldo has become one of the few points in the Spanish league.

But the pattern of English football is completely different, in the past, the two giants, the "Gunners", "Reds", "Blues", plus the later rise of Tottenham Hotspur, they formed the Premier League title contenders, and other weaker teams also because of a lot of money, the team can also raise a good star or two. That's what makes the Premier League so vibrant.

It's just that in the past two years, because of the rise of the "Young Guard" and the retirement of "Old Gentleman" Ferguson and "Professor" Wenger, the pattern of the Premier League has changed dramatically.

The accumulation of famous coaches such as "Brutal Simon", Jose Mourinho, Pellegrini and Van Gaal, the transfer of Shaq, the net transfer investment of up to 360 million pounds by 20 super teams this season, and the total salary of players up to 1 billion pounds, all of which have filled the Premier League this season with countless unknowns.

Can the 'Red Devils' Manchester United be revived?

Will the "Young Guard" continue its glory?

Can the Gunners enter the post-Wenger era and continue their excellent record?

Will Liverpool be able to win the league title before Steven Gerrard retires?

Can Jose Mourinho lead the Blues to a rise this season?

With so many things to watch, this season's English Premier League is unanimously agreed to be the best season in the last decade.

However, after six rounds of league matches. The "Red Devils" Manchester United has shown a strong resurgence, winning all six games and accumulating 18 points to top the table.

The Blues Chelsea are under Jose Mourinho. It also has an unbeaten record of 5 wins and 1 draw, accumulating 16 points, and is in second place.

On the contrary, the defending champion Leeds United, which has only risen in the past two years, has only achieved 4 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss, accumulating 13 points and ranking third, and Van Gaal's coaching ability has been questioned for the first time.

Leeds United fans claim that the team's defeat to Manchester United away is acceptable, after all, although the "Red Devils" who played at home beat Leeds United 4-2, the "Young Guards" still showed strong competitiveness throughout the game.

However, Leeds United drew 1-1 at home to the likes of Norwich City. And it was tied when the score fell behind in the first half, and it almost suffered a defeat at home, which is not acceptable to everyone.

Even many professionals in the football circle are wondering why Van Gaal, an old man, obviously played 4-2-3-1 with Leeds United, so why did he suddenly switch to 4-4-2. Do you really think that after winning four games and wrestling with Manchester United, you can underestimate other Premier League opponents?

In Carrington's base, Manchester United's stars are training quietly, and from time to time everyone jokes, their form has adjusted to a peak, facing the upcoming Champions League group stage second game against Stuttgart, the "Red Devils" are full of confidence.

Shaq has already cemented his place in the team through his recent performances, and the new contract he has just signed means that the violent striker, who only joined this summer for £50 million, has become the club's big brother.

Rooney, who has always loved money, lost the position of the highest salary in the team this time, and even his status as the "king" of Manchester United was in jeopardy, but this time he did not have an awkward relationship with the team, but calmly voted in favor of the club's decision.

"I already knew Shaq was a great lad a few years ago and now it seems that I have a good eye, but we all underestimate him, he has the potential to be a great player, I have never seen a player as talented as him! Shaq is the best, he's going to be number one in the world! I'm sure everyone who's ever played with Shaq will feel ...... Great! ”

Rooney admires Shaq very much, naturally not because they have a lot of fun together. It's because he really thinks that Shaq's ability is stronger than his own, and he is convinced.

And "Chubby" now enjoys the feeling of playing with Shaq, whether it was in Manchester United or in the "Three Lions", Rooney has always been the one with the most pressure, but since playing Shaq and growing up, Rooney feels that he is under less and less pressure. Even now, a lot of times he can get out of the opponent's defense and play the way he likes, and this feeling of freedom is something he hasn't enjoyed since he became famous, so ...... It's a pleasure to play with Shaq!

On September 30th, the Old Trafford Stadium welcomed the German powerhouse Stuttgart, a veteran powerhouse that was once famous in German football. Under Labadia's tutelage, he has finally gradually recovered in recent years, and this season he even reached the Champions League final, and is known as "Germany's Leeds United" by German football.

But this time. Stuttgart, however, suffered a ...... at Old Trafford that was enough to blow their confidence Defeated!

Only 5 minutes into the game, Shaq and Ganso in front of the left penalty area to make a wall cooperation, the two of them through running and passing directly tore through the triangle defense of three defenders, Shaq received Ganso's pass in the penalty area, stopped the ball in the air with his right foot, did not wait for the ball to land, the left heel went up and pumped the ball into the far corner...... 1：0！

On 27 minutes, United took a corner from the right. Papadopoulos leaped high from the left side of the six-yard box and smashed the ball into the Stuttgart net with a powerful header...... 2:0！

The game lasted 40 minutes. Left-back Jose? Angel assisted to the front, after receiving Di Maria's return pass, the diagonal line 45 degrees hoisted the ball in front of the small penalty area on the right side of Stuttgart, "little fat" Rooney ran to the ball landing point, leaned on the Danish defender Kwest, the only one who was marking him next to him, and nudged the arch of his left foot. The ball rolled into the empty net...... 3:0！

The three-goal lead in the first half was not the most satisfying for the United fans, and the Red Devils' possession rate of 73 per cent was truly comforting, and the ball was passed back and forth at the feet of the United players for the entire 45 minutes, barely leaving the Stuttgart half. The German's only shot went high.

In the second half, the Manchester United players played too relaxed, playing all kinds of tricks, and the result was a wonderful hanging shot by Shaq and Wayne Rooney, one lifted the ball to the intersection of the right post and the crossbar in Stuttgart, and bounced the ball horizontally along the goal line to the goalkeeper, and the other bounced the ball off the left post.

These two shots were the two most threatening shots of Manchester United in the second half, and the other shots were wasted by them, and the score of this game was always fixed at 3:0!

After the game, Simon? Grayson was very magnanimous, and said with a smile on his face: "The team can win the game, this result is very important!" On the premise of guaranteeing victory, if the players can enjoy the game, that's what I'd like to see! ”

After the "solar system tactics" took root in Manchester United, Simon? Grayson is less demanding of the team, and why not let the players enjoy football while the team keeps winning the team?

As the defending champions of the Champions League, last season's "quadruple winners", Leeds United should have been the favourites in the Champions League this season, and they seemed to prove it when they beat Austrian underdog Salzburg 8-1 in the first game of the group stage, but only two weeks later, Leeds United lost 1:3 away to Benfica.

Nelson? Oliveira scored Leeds United's only goal, and although it was his former club who had broken the door, he was happy as his goal gave his side the lead in the first half.

Na Cheng wanted to change the situation in the second half, and the Benfica team playing at home scored three goals in a row, and finally reversed the game 3:1.

After the game, Tevez, who was substituted in this game, fired at Van Gaal: "I don't know why Van Gaal didn't send me to start, but I'm sure there is nothing wrong with my body! ”

After Van Gaal's inclined employment style brought continuous setbacks to the team, the "beast" has begun to be restless, you must know that Lavic, who replaced Tevez to play the starter, is a player who can't even enter the Argentine national team, but because he was bought by Van Gaal for 15 million pounds, he replaced Tevez's position in the club, even if Tevez has always used his goals to constantly push the "Young Guard" forward.

At least three more today, I will return ^_^ 250+ (to be continued......)