After this round of matches, the first round of the 2005-2006 UEFA Champions League group stage will take place midweek.
Although Li Shiguang was reborn, the era was too far back. He only vaguely remembered that Barcelona won the final championship this season, but he couldn't even remember who Barcelona's final opponent was.
In the past, as long as he wasn't too busy with work, Li Shiguang basically never missed any Champions League matches. Back then, he would often watch the games late at night and then go to work the next day with huge dark circles under his eyes, which earned him a lot of scolding from his boss.
Now that he has arrived in this era and has become a head coach himself, he naturally wouldn't miss out.
Thinking of it as a preview for next year, when the Champions League group stage draw was announced, Li Shiguang had already analyzed the qualification situation of each group from the perspective of the four Premier League teams.
Of the four teams competing in this year's Champions League, Arsenal is in Group A. On paper, of the other three teams in the group, only Ajax from the Netherlands might pose a threat to Arsenal. Although they have been in poor form recently, Wenger should be able to get the team back on track soon, so Arsenal should have no problem advancing from the group stage.
Manchester United, on the other hand, has been placed in Group D, along with Villarreal from La Liga, Benfica from the Portuguese Primeira Liga, and Lille from Ligue 1. In all aspects, Manchester United holds a significant advantage in Group D, so Li Shiguang believes they are well-positioned to advance.
Ironically, Chelsea and Liverpool were drawn into Group G together, but Real Betis and Anderlecht, who are also in the same group, are of average strength. Barring any surprises, both teams should be able to advance from the knockout stage.
Chelsea and Leeds United played their matches on Wednesday, both defeating their opponents. However, Thursday's games were a major surprise for Li Shiguang. Arsenal won comfortably at home, while Manchester United drew with Villarreal away.
After the match, seeing Ferguson's gloomy face on TV, Li Shiguang knew that the Manchester United players would inevitably receive a severe scolding from Sir Alex Ferguson after the game!
After the Champions League schedule ends.
Leeds United are about to face another round of three matches a week.
This Sunday they will host Middlesbrough in the 7th round of the league.
Then next Tuesday, they will face their first opponent in the EFL Cup, Bournemouth from League One.
After a two-day rest following the Bournemouth match, they will travel to Liverpool for an away game against Everton.
Such a dense schedule not only made Li Shiguang complain about the FA's terrible arrangements, but also strengthened his determination to continue to recruit players in the winter. The first team only has 21 players, which is incomparable to other clubs that have 29 or 30 players.
On Sunday afternoon, Elland Road Stadium, which had been quiet for almost a month, returned to its usual weekend liveliness, with the cheers of Ere Geddy and more than 20,000 Leeds United fans once again echoing throughout the stadium.
Leeds United certainly lived up to expectations, decisively defeating their opponents 2-0 and maintaining their unbeaten record.
But fortune can change in an instant, and the weather can be unpredictable.
In Tuesday's EFL Cup match, what Li Shiguang had been worried about finally happened.
Originally, the opponent in this match was only a team from the third tier of English football, whose overall strength was not particularly strong. Li Shiguang struggled with the decision for a long time before the match, but in the end, he chose to field his strongest lineup, hoping to launch an attack and establish a sufficient lead in the first half, making adjustments at halftime.
However, things did not develop exactly as Li Shiguang had anticipated. While they did take the lead, Leeds United scored three goals in less than 40 minutes, but the price they paid was indeed quite high.
Modric was injured and fell to the ground during a challenge with the opponent. After a brief examination, the team doctor immediately made a substitution.
Subsequently, Bale and Ribery were injured one after another. Bale, in particular, suddenly sat down while making an off-the-ball run. After leaving the field, the team doctor gave him a brief examination and then gently shook his head at Li Shiguang, indicating that he should be taken to the hospital.
Before the first half was over, his key defensive midfielder and two wingers were injured and had to leave the field one after another. This made Li Shiguang feel a chill run down his spine. After returning to the locker room, the joy of having taken a 3-goal lead in the first half had vanished.
Although he ultimately won the match, Li Shiguang felt a growing unease.
Sure enough, before he even left Elland Road, he received a call from Allen. Modric and Ribery would be sidelined for at least 3-4 weeks, while Bale had strained his calf muscle and, optimistically, would need 4-5 weeks of rest to fully recover.
But Leeds United's injury slump is far from over. Their midweek match against Everton seemed to confirm the old Chinese proverb, "Misfortune always finds its way to the unfortunate."
Kompany and Lahm were injured again during the match.
Moreover, the overly dense schedule meant that the players had very little time to rest.
So after the match started, Leeds United were able to keep up with Everton in the first half, but after 70 minutes, due to a rapid decline in physical strength, Leeds United's players gradually couldn't keep up with Everton's attacking pace, and in the last 10 minutes, a large number of players suffered from cramps.
In the end, Everton scored a goal each in the final moments through Arteta and Osman, making it 2-0! Everton handed Leeds United their first defeat since returning to the Premier League!
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Perhaps due to the widespread injuries, or perhaps because of the lost game, the atmosphere of the entire team seemed very low on the way back to Leeds. Li Shiguang checked the system in the car and found that the team's mood had changed from positive and energetic to normal.
So the first thing Li Shiguang did after returning to Leeds was to announce that the whole team would have two days off, so that the young men could have a good rest, spend time with their families, and adjust their mindset.
The only exception was himself; he only rested for half a day on Monday and came to Thorpe Arch after lunch.
He needs to make tactical preparations in advance.
After the match against Everton, Leeds United now have a total of 5 injured players. Even if no new injury reports appear in the subsequent matches, they will only have 16 first-team players available at the moment. However, injuries are inevitable in competitive sports, especially in a high-intensity sport like football.
However, there's no use in Li Shiguang being anxious. There are still more than two months until the winter transfer window opens. If new injuries occur later, he will probably have to call up players from the youth team.
Just then, a figure pushed open the office door.
"Boss, here are the medical team's reports on the injured players and the latest scouting report you requested. I've brought them to you."
A clear, crisp female voice came from the doorway.
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