15 April 2005, Cobham Training Base, London.

Chelsea's first-team training for Old Trafford was taking place amid laughter, the players were happy and the scene was unusually friendly.

Suddenly, assistant coach Villas Boas shouted angrily.

"Stop, stop! What are you all doing? Wayne Rooney, do you know what you're doing? If you want to perform acrobatics, go to the stage instead of on the football field! And you Cole, don't you understand my request? These 30 minutes are for short passes, not long passes! ”

The training on the field was completely commanded by Boas, and he faced the generals with a blushing face: "Don't laugh! Cannavaro, you're a centre-back rather than a centre-forward, and I'm asking you to make it easier to pass the ball, will you be able to dribble into the Manchester United goal the day after tomorrow? And what are you thinking about Sergio, Peter? ”

At the first-team training ground at Cobham's training base, the long-term amiable assistant coach Villas-Boas suddenly erupted into an angry lion-like roar, with a huge noise that even startled the reserve players at other venues.

Everyone was blown away!

Including Qiao Wanxian, who had been standing on the sidelines with frowning eyebrows and watching the supervised training.

Rooney, Joe Cole and Cannavaro, who were named and scolded by Boas, had red and white faces. If you count it, this is definitely the first time that Boas has been angry, and even head coach Qiao Wanxian has never been so harsh.

After interrupting the team's training in one gulp, Villas-Boas stood in the middle of the pitch and once again loudly announced the training content requested by the coaching staff for today's training session: "Short pass! Cooperate! ”

"That's what the coaching staff asks for and if someone doesn't understand, I don't mind saying it again! Remember, you're all pros, so look at the blue jersey you're wearing before you do anything! ”

Boas said these words in an angry tone, and then swept his eyes like angry eyes over the players who had behaved casually in the practice just now, and the players all bowed their heads, and no one dared to look at him at this moment.

After returning from Munich, Germany, the team is full of an unprecedented laziness and pride, the league championship, the League Cup, the FA Cup semi-finals, the Champions League semi-finals, such results, has created Chelsea's history, even if Chelsea really lose in the semi-finals, it is definitely the highest honor for everyone here, can only look up!

Now, such results have led to a kind of buoyancy in the team.

Boas knew Jovan's temper, and he was almost laissez-faire with his favorite players, never really venting his anger; He never gets angry with players he doesn't like, but directly asks him to leave, like Mutu at the beginning of the season and Gallas during the season.

Although Boas is not very old, his heart is no smaller than that of Qiao Wanxian, and at this moment, his desire for the four crowns is better than anyone else's! He understands that the atmosphere in the team is definitely not right and must be corrected in the crucial period of the title race.

Boas's anger is not groundless, but a desperate desire for a championship!

Qiao Wanxian did not express his position.

Next, the training continued in a trembling atmosphere, and a few players secretly glanced at the head coach who had been standing on the sidelines without speaking from time to time, but the Ray-Ban sunglasses that covered all their thoughts made them unable to read any of Qiao Wanxian's thoughts at all.

The morning training was slow and awkward, and the atmosphere was eerie.

The Cobham training base lacks the relaxed atmosphere of the past, but the players are much more serious in training, the training arranged by the coaching staff has been strictly implemented, and no one is as careless in training as before.

On the sidelines of the training ground, Qiao Wanxian wore his big sunglasses and was expressionless.

However, his heart is not at all as calm as it appears, and even ...... Rough!

How do you deal with the relationship with the players?

There are many iron-fisted coaches in football, the most famous are of course Ferguson, Lippi, Capello and Mourinho, deposing Beckham, Baggio, Ronaldo, Casillas and other superstars, implementing autocracy in the team, maintaining a high degree of unity in the team through power, and upholding the competition for the championship.

Of course, there is also Boas's democratic governance, Ancelotti's orders and down, and Guardiola's collection of thousands of favors...... It can be said that any Shijie coach has a unique way of leading the team, reasonably and effectively controlling the locker room.

But what about Qiao Wanxian?

Qiao Wanxian mingled with the players through his witty and easy-going side, and relied on the team's perfect results to enhance the players' trust and admiration for him. But not every player is a hard-working type, and the football world is full of countless players who rely on talent to eat their old books, which must rely on the supervision of the coach.

Boas did the right thing, and his harsh words reversed the team's current optimism.

One sings red face, the other sings white face.

After the training, Qiao Wanxian called all the players to his side.

"Psychologically uncomfortable, isn't it?" Qiao Wan said lightly.

Silence, deathly silence.

"I said at the beginning of the season that our goal is clear, to win all the titles! Think about it, with the attitude you just had on the training ground, can you win the championship? Look at Manchester United, look at Juventus, their players are sweating the training pitch just to be able to beat you! It is true that we are strong, there is no doubt about this, but what does the strong rely on? It's sweat! If you want to defend the face of the strong, you must prepare harder and more carefully than them! Football, there are no shortcuts! ”

If there were still people whispering under Boas's reprimand and refuting in their hearts, but Qiao Wanxian's heartfelt words spoke to everyone's heart.

Qiao Wanxian's face showed a little regret, and he said earnestly: "Guys, most of you are still relatively young and have a long career. And I can make no secret of the fact that all of you, with great football talent, will become the best stars on the planet! But don't squander your life with talent. ”

Rooney bit his lip fiercely, he deeply felt the manager's heartfelt words, a smell of blood appeared in his mouth, and several other players also bowed their heads silently.

This is a lifelong admonition.

After the admonition, Qiao Wanxian's voice suddenly became firm.

"As a piece of news, the line-up for the game against Manchester United in two days will be decided by Villas. If Villas-Boas thinks you've been doing well in training over the past few days deserves a spot, then you've got a chance to feel the frenzy of the Theatre of Dreams at Old Trafford, and if he says you don't deserve it, then I can only say sorry to you. Don't forget, there are still a lot of good players in the youth team waiting for the game. ”

As soon as he finished speaking, Qiao Wan turned around and left.

On the training ground, everyone is reflecting......

In the 33rd round of the Premier League, Chelsea played Manchester United away on April 16, which obviously clashed with the FA Cup match, so after the FA's adjustments, the game was adjusted to May 11.

Because Arsenal also have FA Cup matches, Manchester United, who are second in the league, and Arsenal, who are third in the league, have byes at the same time, and the top few places in the table have not changed after this round of games.

However, Liverpool, who have been eliminated from the Champions League, have put their hearts and minds on the league, and Liverpool, who are fifth in the league, are far away from next season's Champions League places, and Benitez's team is starting to make a difference.

In the home game against Tottenham Hotspur, Villa scored twice, Baroshe, Gerrard and Gallas all contributed to the 5-1 victory, but Liverpool managed to rise to fourth place in the league due to the postponement of the match between Everton and Arsenal.

That evening, Villas-Boas handed Jovin a list of what he considered to be the best 11 starters for tomorrow's game against Manchester United.

Qiao Wanxian didn't glance at the list at all, he directly shook his hand and said with a grin: "Directly pass it to The Times for publication." ”

Boas was stunned in surprise: "Wan Xian, you ...... You'd better take a look, in case ......"

Qiao Wanxian waved his hand and said with a smile: "How can there be so many whatevers?" Can't I trust you? Go publish! ”

Boas felt this dignity and trust deeply, his eyes were hot, and he quickly dodged away.

The next morning, the Times Jo Wan Xian column announced Chelsea's starting line-up for the FA Cup semi-final: Cech, Ramos, Terry, Nemanja Vidic, Grosso, Roy Keane, Van der Vaart, Kaka, Joe Cole, Rooney, Owen.

The average age is less than 23 years old!

Experienced players such as Cannavaro, Claude Makelele, Frank Lampard and others have been put on the bench to challenge Manchester United with a group of kids?

Even if Manchester United has not been in good form since Beckham left, but the emaciated camel is bigger than the horse, so despise others?

Moreover, the two-sided forward combination of Ronaldo and Robben has begun to show results, and they are sitting at the Dream Theatre at Old Trafford, such a lineup has aroused discussions among the media.

This is Chelsea's second visit to Old Trafford this season, with the last being in the Carabao Cup. With very limited attendance at the Theatre of Dreams and a semi-main squad from Alex Ferguson, it was clear that United had abandoned the competition and were not playing at full strength.

In this FA Cup semi-final, Manchester United will definitely attach great importance to it, because ...... This is related to the first championship of English giants Manchester United in the past two seasons!

In the first semi-final on April 16, Arsenal completed Blackburn Rovers 3-0 at home and advanced to the final first. On the morning of 17 April, the entire Chelsea squad travelled from London to Manchester.

There are not many focus battles in England this season, and Manchester United vs Chelsea is undoubtedly the focus of attention.