Chapter 202 Question Hand

Yang Huan didn't really take the bet with Abramovich seriously.

Neither Matic nor Sturridge are the type who can fight immediately. Their arrival can at most strengthen Southampton's lineup and contribute to the team's multi-line operations in the next season.

Manchester United, who reached the FA Cup final, has already won the Premier League title and will enter the UEFA Champions League next season.

According to the rules, Southampton, who also reached the FA Cup final, will participate in the Europa League next season.

This is undoubtedly a very tempting opportunity for Southampton.

For top clubs, the Europa League may be a waste of time, with little prize money but many games.

But for Southampton, this is a rare opportunity to demonstrate its strength and club influence.

Next season, we will be fighting on four fronts: the Championship, League Cup, FA Cup, and Europa League, and the pressure of the competition tasks will be very high.

Therefore, it is imperative for the team to further expand its lineup this summer.

Even without Matic and Sturridge, Yang Huan can still introduce other players to achieve his goal.

Relatively speaking, what Yang Huan cares most about is the FA Cup!

Southampton needs a championship trophy!

After a year of hard work, the players also need a championship trophy!

It is rare that after defeating Premier League giants such as Arsenal and Chelsea one after another, they can defeat Manchester United in one go. This will greatly boost the morale and fighting spirit of everyone in Southampton.

Therefore, Yang Huan wanted to win this game, but not just for the bet.

After leaving the royal box, Yang Huan took the elevator directly to the locker room passage below the stands.

As I walked out of the elevator and turned the corner, I saw the referee team walking down the court.

Leading the way is Martin Atkinson, a rising star in English football.

This international referee is very strict in his refereeing, but he is jokingly called a Chelsea fan by many people because the Blues basically win all the Chelsea games he officiated.

As his name suggests, Martin Atkinson always has a serious face even when he walks off the court.

Even if he saw Yang Huan, he just glanced at him without stopping for the moment.

Instead, the assistant referees following Martin Atkinson all nodded and greeted Yang Huan with a smile.

However, these people did not stop, but walked straight to the referee's lounge.

"He looks familiar. Who is he?" Yang Huan was puzzled.

But there are so many referees in England, how can he remember who is talking to whom?

When Yang Huan walked outside the South locker room, he didn't hear any movement inside.

It can be guessed that everyone inside must be very depressed at this time.

Southampton has really no way to blame anyone for the goal lost so far?

The characteristics of Stroman and Vidal have always been like this. They have never been the traditional defensive midfielders who can hold their own.

To be honest, the team’s defensive midfielder problem was exposed the last time they played against Chelsea.

If Ferguson, this old fox, is not taken advantage of, all his years of work would have been in vain.

If we really want to hold someone accountable, we have to go back to the beginning of the season. After Mascherano moved to Barcelona, ​​Yang Huan failed to promptly introduce a high-level defensive midfielder that met the team's tactical needs.

This also made Yang Huan determined that no matter what, no matter how much it cost, he must introduce a high-level defensive midfielder this summer to fill the soft spot in the team's tactical puzzle.

Yang Huan stood outside the door, hesitated for a while, raised his hand, and gently knocked on the locker room door.

Knock~knock~knock~

In the originally silent locker room, everyone looked over when a knock on the door was heard.

Louis Borini walked over to open the door and was surprised to find his boss standing outside.

"Master Huan, why are you here?"

Yang Huan's sudden appearance made everyone in the locker room stand up.

"Master Huan!"

"Master Huan, OK!"

The players greeted Yang Huan in a disorganized manner.

"Sit down, everyone!" Yang Huan stretched out his hand to signal the players to sit down.

The players looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, and only sat down at Yang Huan's urging.

"I don't have any other intentions, I just want to come and see you all!"

Yang Huan walked to the middle of the players with a smile. He seldom came to the locker room because he felt that this was not the place for him.

Even at Staplewood, Yang Huan was very careful to maintain the authority of the coaching staff, especially head coach Bielsa.

So, he looked at Bielsa and asked, "Can I say a few words to them?"

Bielsa knew that Yang Huan respected him, so of course he would not say no, and immediately nodded in agreement.

"I know everyone cared about me before. Although the matter has been resolved, I still want to apologize to everyone."

As he said this, Yang Huan actually bowed his head towards the players and apologized.

"Master Huan!" The players stood up again one by one.

Yang Huan stretched out his hand again, motioning them to sit down, have a good rest and not move.

"I promised, I said, my responsibility is to make all the players who join Southampton play football with peace of mind. I feel ashamed for what happened this time, but I promise it won't happen again!"

He just didn't believe it. After this incident, the company could be said to be in a slump.

In the future, other underground gangs that want to attack Southampton will have to consider their own weight.

"Your job is to win games on the football field, and my job is to make sure you can play football with peace of mind."

After hearing this, the players nodded continuously. This was indeed the agreement and tacit understanding between Yang Huan and the team.

But Yang Huan's words made them all clearly understand their responsibilities once again.

That's to play football and win the game!

"I don't understand the specific tactical aspects, but I want to say one more thing: don't give up, the game has just begun!"

Yang Huan smiled, "Just now in the stands, Chelsea's owner Abramovich said that after we lost the goal, our odds on William Hill plummeted, and no one was optimistic about us. Even Abramovich said that if we won, he would let us pick any star player from his team for free, and he would even pay us a salary."

The players were all a little shocked when they heard this.

Is this Abramovich a sucker?

But soon, they gradually realized that he was not a fool, but looked down on Southampton!

He thought that after falling behind by one goal, it was impossible for Southampton to win!

This made everyone present feel annoyed and angry.

"I guess Ferguson must be laughing so hard right now, and many media outlets must have already thought of what to write on the front page of tomorrow's newspapers!"

Yang Huan said this but shook his head, "But I still believe in you. Don't give up. The game has just begun!"

After saying that, Yang Huan nodded to Bielsa, then turned and walked out of the locker room.

During the entire process, Yang Huan did not say much, nor did he make any passionate remarks.

But he ignited the raging fire in the hearts of every player in the locker room.

Do you remember those powerful words you said in the interview with Southern Echo yesterday?

Do you still remember the boast he made during the BBC interview before the game?

Remember the expressions of those media reporters sitting in the stands, waiting to see Southampton make a fool of themselves at any time?

Also, those Saints fans in the stands who are eager to see their team win, they haven't given up yet, right?

Ibrahimovic sat in his seat, raised his head, looked at the door of the locker room, his eyes seemed to be spitting fire.

What he hated most was being looked down upon.

But now, some people look down on him!

He was unwilling and unable to accept it, so he wanted to fight back!

But how many teammates have the same idea as him?

Never mind!

Ibrahimovic suddenly stood up straight and looked around at his teammates.

"Damn it, our slogans before the game sounded nice, but when we really got into the game, did we try our best?"

The Swedish center's question made the other ten players on the field ask themselves.

Did you really try your best?

"I don't care. If we can't win this game, how can we go back to Southampton with dignity? We said so much before, but it was all bullshit. We did so much before, but it was all useless."

Ibrahimovic's words seemed to rekindle hope for the other players.

"Master Huan is right, the game is not over yet. As long as we don't give up, there is still hope!" Captain Adam Lallana also stood up to boost the team's morale.

"That's right!" Vidal also stood up, "I am responsible for the ball lost in the first half, I will definitely get the ball back in the second half!"

Stroman also stood up and patted Vidal on the shoulder, "I also have a responsibility, let's fight side by side!"

"Yes, as long as we work together, there is nothing we can't accomplish!"

"We at Southampton can beat Arsenal and Chelsea, so we can beat Manchester United now!"

"Well said, beat Manchester United!"

"Kill them, fight them!"

Bielsa and Luis Borini were greatly encouraged after listening to the players' passionate words.

On a tactical level, there is actually very little they can do.

Southampton's Achilles' heel is obvious, and Manchester United's weakness is equally clear.

So, to some extent, it is no longer a tactical confrontation.

Because everyone knows each other well and is very familiar with each other.

What is being tested now is morale, fighting spirit, and who can persevere to the end.

In a final like this, mental strength is more important than tactics and strength!

…………

…………

After a fifteen-minute break, the two teams returned to the competition venue.

In the stands, Southampton fans and Manchester United fans are still fighting for dominance of the atmosphere in the stands.

Although they were at a disadvantage on the field, Southampton fans were not inferior to Manchester United in terms of momentum.

On the contrary, because the team was behind, the fans' fighting spirit was even higher.

When Yang Huan returned to the royal box, he happened to hear Wilkinson and Prince William discussing the progress of the game sitting in the back row.

The view of England's respected coach is that Southampton is in a very bad situation, but there is still a chance.

"It's a question of how long Scholes and Carrick's central midfield combination can last."

Wilkinson's view is very insightful.

"If we have to change, who to change is also a problem!"

"Another point is that Manchester United's counterattack is indeed very threatening, but Bielsa will definitely make targeted adjustments in the second half. Once the counterattack is contained, how can the positional attack be carried out? Hernandez alone at the front will be ineffective!"

Wilkinson's eyes are very sharp.

"Southampton's Vidal doesn't play a big role. How to make good use of him, or just replace him, requires Bielsa to weigh the pros and cons."

"Manchester United is also facing a problem in terms of how to adjust their central midfield and forward positions."

Having said that, Wilkinson looked at Yang Huan who was sitting next to Princess Kate, smiled slightly and nodded.

“So, the first half is just an appetizer, the real main course is in the second half!”

In fact, at the beginning of the second half, the two sides were at loggerheads and the game was extremely fierce.