To stay or to leave?
This problem has been troubling Mourinho for two whole days!
He knew that the rift between him and Abramovich was widening, and his previous complaints to Mendes were mainly because he needed an outlet for his emotions.
Actually, even Mourinho himself hasn't decided whether to leave yet!
So the news about Mendes really hit him pretty hard, so much so that he hasn't been able to fully concentrate on preparing for his duel with Li Shiguang these past two days.
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"Alright! Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome back! This is Sky Sports, and I'm Lineker. We'll be bringing you the second match of the day, with Leeds United hosting Chelsea!"
"Hello everyone, I'm Jon!"
After finishing his opening remarks, Reinkel excitedly asked Jon, "Come on, Jon, predict who you think will win this match!"
Jon was also very excited, and it was clear that he hadn't yet recovered from Arsenal's last-minute equalizer in the previous match: "I'm a Chelsea fan, and without a doubt, I'm more optimistic about Chelsea. Moreover, Chelsea's recent form is indeed better. Including the Champions League, they have achieved five consecutive victories since October!"
“What you said does make some sense,” Lineker countered, glancing at the data on his computer. “But Leeds United aren’t in bad form either. Although they drew with Portsmouth, don’t forget they haven’t lost in a long time either, and today Leeds United had the home advantage!”
"That's why I said this is a fierce battle!" Jon didn't refute Lineker's point of view. "Just like the other match that just ended, putting aside the question of who our home team is, I hope that the two teams that will take the field next can give us a wonderful goal-fest, just like Manchester United and Arsenal just now!"
"I hope so!" As soon as Lineker finished speaking, the director's reminder came through his headset, and at the same time, the starting lineups of the two teams appeared on the computer in front of them.
"Alright! Both teams' players are ready. Let's take a look at the starting lineups for both teams today."
"First, playing at home against Leeds United, Lee is fielding his favorite 4-2-3-1 formation today, with Neuer in goal. In defense, the two center-backs are Thiago Silva and Kompany, with Lahm on the left and Sun Jihai on the right. In midfield, the two holding midfielders are Modric and Xabi Alonso, with Kaká in the center, Gareth Bale on the left, and young Kevin De Bruyne on the right! Adriano is the center forward!"
After introducing Leeds United's starting lineup, Lineker didn't immediately introduce Chelsea's lineup. Instead, he strangely asked Jon, "Jon, have you noticed that in the last few games, Lee hasn't started Cannavaro? Instead, he's paired Silva and Hummels with Kompany! Do you think this might be related to Cannavaro's blunder in the Portsmouth game?"
"Hehe, I told you to pay more attention to the newspapers, but you never listen." Jon shook his head with a smile. "After the match against Dynamo Kyiv, Li said in an interview that it had nothing to do with that, but rather that Cannavaro voluntarily offered to step down and give more opportunities to the younger players!"
“Huh? I haven’t seen this report before.” Lineker looked puzzled. “But this doesn’t make sense. Since the start of the season, apart from the game against Portsmouth, Cannavaro’s performance has been quite solid!”
"He is indeed steady," Jon nodded, "but his age is a factor, especially in terms of explosiveness, which is not what it used to be!"
“We can face Chelsea, especially Drogba’s attacks…” Lineker looked troubled. “To be honest, with Cannavaro out, I still feel there are some concerns…”
“Li has always been known for his unconventional approach, so it’s too early to draw conclusions now,” Jon shrugged, ending the conversation.
“Alright… let’s take a look at Chelsea’s starting lineup now!” Lineker didn’t dwell on it any longer and began reading out Chelsea’s starting lineup. “Chelsea will still be using their signature 4-3-3 formation! Goalkeeper: Cech; the four defenders from left to right: Bridge, Alex, Carvalho, and Belletti! In midfield, it’s still the same trio of Lampard, Essien, and Mikel. When attacking, Lampard will form a double attacking midfield with Essien or Mikel, while when defending, Mikel and Essien will drop back to become a double holding midfield! Up front, Didier Drogba will be in the center, with Wright-Phillips and Malouda on either side of him!”
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When the players from both sides entered Elland Road Stadium, they were greeted by a deafening roar of cheers.
Compared to Stamford Bridge, which can only accommodate more than 40,000 spectators, Elland Road Stadium, which has been expanded to seat more than 50,000 fans, creates a much more enthusiastic atmosphere.
After the players had all left the player tunnel, Li Shiguang walked to Chelsea's substitutes' bench and greeted Mourinho: "José, welcome to Elland Road."
After shaking hands with Li Shiguang, Mourinho said in a low voice, "Thank you, Li!"
The two didn't say much, just a few simple sentences, and then Li Shiguang turned and walked back.
But as soon as he turned around, Li Shiguang frowned.
For some reason, he felt that Mourinho seemed somewhat distracted when he shook hands with him earlier.
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Meanwhile, in the Sky Sports studio, Lineker was also reviewing the head-to-head record between Lee Shiguang and Mourinho.
"...Since returning to the Premier League in the 2005-2006 season, Lee and Mourinho have faced each other four times in the league. But there's some terrifying news to share: Lee won all four of their previous league encounters! Mourinho, on the other hand, only managed to defeat Leeds United, who fielded a largely reserve team, in the League Cup!"
"...This head-to-head history is better left unreviewed, because once you do, it's really quite frightening! Even in the 2005-2006 season when Chelsea won the league title, they were still defeated twice by Leeds United, once at home and once away!"
"Jon, I have to say, based on this historical head-to-head record, even if I disregard my status as a Leeds United fan, I think Leeds United will definitely have the upper hand today!"
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