After the match against Tottenham, the entire Premier League will have a long break. Then, Leeds United's next match will not be until early March, when they will compete against Manchester United for the League Cup title!
This week, everyone's attention was still focused on the European football scene, but the two-day Champions League schedule dealt a blow to English fans, as apart from Arsenal's home draw with Real Madrid and advancement to the quarterfinals on away goals, Liverpool and Chelsea were both eliminated from the Champions League.
What fans found most unacceptable was that Chelsea at least managed a draw at Camp Nou, while Liverpool were thrashed 0-2 at home by Benfica, failing to score a single goal in two games and suffering a humiliating exit from the competition.
In Li Shiguang's opinion, English fans should really thank the current Premier League teams. Regardless of whether they win the championship, at least one Premier League team will reach the Champions League final every year. You know, in a few years, starting from the 2012 season, for a full six years, English fans will not see any Premier League team reach the Champions League final.
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March arrived quickly, and the focus of English football gradually shifted from European competitions back to domestic matches. With only three days until the Leeds United vs. Manchester United match, supporters of both sides had already begun arguing on various platforms.
"Leeds United should focus on securing their top-four position first! Forget about winning the League Cup!"
"Manchester United are bottom of their Champions League group, hehe, just kidding."
"Ha, so what? At least we played in the Champions League!"
"Manchester United are bottom of their Champions League group, hehe, just kidding."
"Hey upstairs, is this all you can type? Even though we're out of the group stage, at least we've basically secured a Champions League spot for next season, unlike you guys who are still struggling!"
"Manchester United are bottom of their Champions League group, hehe, just kidding."
"Upstairs, where do you live?"
"Manchester United are bottom of their Champions League group, hehe, just kidding."
"You son of a bitch....................."
In reality, the League Cup is practically a mere formality in England. In the hearts of fans, its importance is only second to the Community Shield. The reason this match has garnered so much attention is largely because the League Cup may be the only trophy these two teams can compete for this year. Simply put, whoever loses will end up with nothing for the entire year.
In contrast, Leeds United fans are more rational. They know that Leeds United's biggest goal this year is to qualify for the Champions League next season. As for the League Cup, it would be best to qualify, but there's no need to curse if they don't get it.
For Manchester United fans, however, this year has been a rather dark one.
Manchester United were eliminated from the FA Cup by Liverpool, and their Champions League campaign was even more absurd, finishing bottom of their group and being eliminated. As for the league, although Manchester United are only 12 points behind Chelsea and still have a chance to win the title, it is obvious to everyone that Chelsea have no cup competitions left to play. It goes without saying how terrifying a Chelsea team that focuses all their efforts on the league is. Therefore, in the hearts of Manchester United fans, there is a reason why they must win this game!
Besides the trash talk between the two sets of fans, the pre-match banter also drew considerable analysis from major English media outlets.
For example, the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United's mouthpiece, analyzed the two teams in an earlier column: "Leeds United's recent form has been quite good, achieving three wins and one draw in February. However, if you look closely, you'll find that this record is somewhat inflated. Of their four opponents in February, Liverpool and Arsenal conserved their energy due to their Champions League commitments and didn't go all out against Leeds United. Everton, as everyone knows, was already in poor form, and their midfield linchpin was injured and unavailable. So, looking at the four matches, only Tottenham truly put up a serious fight against Leeds United, but Leeds United failed to win that game. On the other hand, Manchester United's form in February was explosive, winning all four matches with a goal difference of more than three in each game. Moreover, there is a significant gap in the quality of the two teams' managers and players! Therefore, in conclusion, we believe Manchester United has an 80% chance of winning this final!"
Although Manchester United are widely favored to win, Ferguson is not underestimating his opponent. In recent training sessions, the players have felt the pressure from Ferguson, their expressions extremely serious, and their demands for tactical execution meticulous. Any slight mistake during training is met with a reprimand from the manager. Under this atmosphere, even Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, who usually enjoy joking around in training, have become much more restrained in recent days.
What they didn't know was that after training, Ferguson didn't go home as usual. Instead, he went back to his office and watched Leeds United's recent match videos over and over again until late at night. For several days in a row, the light in Ferguson's office was the last one to go out at the Carrington training ground.
The reason the old man took this match so seriously was that, unlike those armchair critics who only offered opinions online or in newspapers, Ferguson had actually fought against Li Shiguang. He knew exactly how tough the young man was, and he knew he had to give it his all to have any chance of winning the final.
Moreover, Manchester United hasn't won any trophies in two years. For the current Manchester United, the League Cup, which isn't considered a very prestigious title, is an honor they can't afford to lose!
Like Ferguson, Li Shiguang also had a reason not to lose. After all, this was his first cup title as the team he led, and as many have said, it was also the only title Leeds United could compete for this season.
Amidst this somewhat tense atmosphere, the time arrived at March 1st, and the final of the 2005-2006 English League Cup was about to kick off!
"Ladies and gentlemen! I am your live commentator for tonight, Gary Lineker! It is an honor to be with you all here at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium! Tonight, Leeds United and Manchester United meet here, and in 90 minutes, one of them will lift the English League Cup trophy this season!!!"
"Now, let's welcome both teams onto the field with the warmest applause and cheers!!!"
As Eddie Gray's voice faded, Leeds United players in white jerseys and Manchester United players in red jerseys walked out of the players' tunnel under the referee's guidance.
At the same moment, as if by prior arrangement, Li Shiguang and Ferguson looked at each other simultaneously, both seeing the fighting spirit in each other's eyes.
The final battle is about to begin!
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