Chapter 599: A Hundred Years of Waiting

"Tony, it's me, Alex!"

When Tony Pulis walked into the head coach's office at the team's training base, his cell phone suddenly rang.

"Hello, Sir Alex Ferguson!"

Tony Pulis smiled and was polite to Ferguson.

He has a very good relationship with Ferguson. At the very least, after every game, whether home or away, he would invite his opponents to his head coach's office for a drink.

Moreover, as one of the few head coaches in England who was favored by Ferguson, Tony Pulis also took advantage of Ferguson's Manchester United. For example, the current Stoke City captain Shawcross came from Manchester United.

Shawcross did not play in Manchester United that year, but he was a veritable defensive star and attracted the attention of many teams.

As a result, Tony Pulis relied on his good relationship with Ferguson to sign Shawcross by first renting him and then buying him out. Even though Shawcross performed very well in Stoke City, the transfer fee was only one million pounds.

Therefore, sometimes, there is no need for mid- and lower-level teams to compete with top teams in terms of financial resources.

All you need to do is quietly follow the top teams and pick up their spoils, and you will never have to worry about food and drink.

This is the case with Manchester United, isn't it also the case with Real Madrid and Barcelona?

Robben, Sneijder, Van der Vaart, Huntelaar, Ibrahimovic...

How many teams have benefited?

Precisely because of their good relationship, Tony Pulis knew very well what Ferguson meant by calling at this time.

"Jazz, if I'm not mistaken, you're here for the make-up game, right?"

Tony Pulis' tone remained as calm as ever, but the expression on his face was full of teasing.

If it were in the past, he would never have believed that Ferguson would come to him for help on his own initiative!

You know, every time in the past, he went to Ferguson for help.

But now, the godfather of the Red Devils Manchester United has been forced into such a state of embarrassment by the Saints, and even has to come to me for help. Just thinking about it makes me feel satisfied and proud!

Ferguson on the other end of the phone was obviously a little embarrassed to speak up, but there was nothing he could do. The current situation was no longer under Manchester United's control. The Red Devils had lost too many points and had lost the initiative to win the league title.

Whether we win the championship depends on the result of this make-up match!

As long as Stoke City draws with Southampton away, Manchester United will win the championship!

"Tony, I know you have always been good at defense, and I believe you will not let us all down this time. What do you think?" Ferguson said tactfully on the phone.

In fact, his subtext is, Tony, you must play to your fine tradition of excellent defense over the years. Even if you can't beat Southampton away, please draw with them and contribute to our Manchester United's championship cause!

"Sir, I believe you are well aware that Southampton's offensive ability is second to none in the Premier League, and even in Europe!"

Tony Pulis obviously didn't dare to agree immediately.

"I can only promise that I will do my best!"

This is the highest promise Tony Pulis can make.

Just kidding, Southampton's attack is so strong this season, with the front trident of Ibrahimovic, Neymar and Gareth Bale. Each of these three players has scored double-digit goals and assists.

Also, Vidal in the midfield has scored double-digit goals.

With such an attacking lineup, who dares to say that they can definitely stop it?

Ferguson also knew that it would be too much to ask the other party to make a promise.

"Tony, I know that you are not having a good time in Stoke City right now. I know that several mid-level Premier League teams are considering changing coaches. If you are interested, I can recommend one to you."

This can be considered a big piece of cake thrown by Ferguson.

"As for Southampton, facing such a team, we must do everything we can to suppress their midfield, force Ibrahimovic to leave the penalty area, and treat Neymar on the left specifically."

"Gareth Bale on the right has been forced to hone his skills since his move to Southampton, but if he wants to be the most threatening, he still needs space to sprint and cut into the penalty area."

"As long as your defense can target these points and make arrangements, I believe there is a good chance of preventing Southampton from scoring!"

Even though Ferguson said so much, he only said that there is great hope.

Ultimately, Southampton's offensive capabilities are too strong and too comprehensive.

Neymar's passing and control on the left are both at a superstar level, and Gareth Bale's impact and speed on the right, as well as his greatly improved scoring ability this season, make everyone afraid.

In addition, there is Ibrahimovic who can fight one against two in the middle and still hold his own.

Let me ask you, who can stop Southampton's attacking lineup?

Whether you want to play high or low, no matter what defensive strategy you adopt, the Saints have a way to deal with it.

Especially after the introduction of Modric this season, forming a double defensive midfielder with Toni Kroos, this technical combination of double defensive midfielders has amazed and made the entire Premier League tremble.

They are Southampton's engine, providing endless power for the super attacking combination in front.

So, even though what Ferguson said sounds very targeted, in reality, how many teams can actually do it?

There are only a few!

"Sir, please rest assured, we will do our best to snipe Southampton!"

Tony Pulis once again solemnly made his promise.

Because he knew very well that Ferguson was going to retire.

If the team fails to win the league title this season, Ferguson will definitely leave the professional football world empty-handed and with great regret. This is a great humiliation for the proud Ferguson!

"Then...I'll leave it to you!" Ferguson had to say humbly.

Tony Pulis quickly replied: "You're so polite, sir!"

…………

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No one else knew about the call, which took place in Stoke-on-Trent.

So, in Southampton in southern England, the whole city is excitedly waiting for that sacred moment to come.

More than a hundred years!

The people of this city have been waiting for more than a hundred years for the English Premier League championship trophy that countless predecessors have dreamed of!

Now, they finally have the chance to do so!

This is an honor for the Southampton Saints and a memory that they will cherish throughout their lives!

So, the game hasn't started yet, but the city is already boiling.

Walking on the streets of Southampton, you can see Saints fans wearing red and white arrow striped jerseys everywhere.

Some of them are native citizens of this city, some are saints who have moved to other places but came back to support the team, and some are international students from all over the world in Southampton and London.

The most surprising thing is that there are many fans from all over the world who come all the way to Southampton!

The purpose is just to witness this game that has been awaited for more than a hundred years!

In Southampton's fan gathering place, Saint Harry's Bar, everyone was busy coming in and out, like industrious little bees, shuttling back and forth non-stop.

Harry, with the rosacea, stood in the bar, commanding everyone with his signature loud voice.

"Hey, Jack, hurry over to the university town and tell the Saints fan club that we need to have some fun tonight, get organized, warm up, and make sure we don't mess it up!"

"John, go to St. Mary's Stadium right away and contact them about the tickets. We are short of money here!"

"Oh, Maria, tonight, there will be a lot of Saints fans from all over the world who will come to our Saints Harry's Bar to show their support. We have to create an atmosphere and make them all excited. After all, we are featured in the club's official magazine, so we must not tarnish the reputation of the Saints!"

"Oh my god, Judy, what's wrong with you? Didn't I tell you that Master Huan's advertising image should be bigger and posted in the most conspicuous place? What? You said Master Huan likes to keep a low profile? I tell you, this is already quite low-key, okay?"

Anyone who walks into the bar can immediately hear the loud voice of Saint Harry.

And...his messy roars are sometimes really ridiculous.

But seeing everyone in the bar busy and bustling, I believe anyone can feel the enthusiasm, excitement and anticipation from the bottom of their hearts.

To them, Southampton is more than just a football club!

That is a belief!

A belief that started from their ancestors, was passed down to them, and will be passed on to their descendants!

Therefore, this time, they want everyone to feel the power of the saints' faith!

"Harry!" John ran up to Harry, who had a red nose.

"How about it?"

"I called and asked, there are no tickets!"

Saint Harry cursed loudly, this was just his catchphrase and was definitely not directed at any particular person.

"The club had been actively preparing for this event, so it was launched immediately after the last round of matches. All Saints members can grab match tickets through WeChat. It is said that the group of guys abroad snatched more than 3,000 tickets!"

"Wow, how many tickets are there at St. Mary's Stadium? And they've allocated more than 3,000 tickets to foreign fans?"

Saints' Harry was unhappy, "If you add in the more than one thousand tickets from the Saints Fan Club, the team's season tickets, and representatives from sponsors..." It would be difficult to have any tickets left!

"what to do?"

Saint Harry thought for a moment and said, "I'll call Matthew and ask him to think of a solution quickly. We have to build up the entire St. Mary's Stadium this time. If we don't get more tickets, what should we do?"

John also nodded continuously.

But these more than 3,000 tickets have already been given away, and these fans will definitely spend money when they come to Southampton. This is simply boosting the economy for this city!

So, it might be difficult to get these tickets.

"John, go contact other fan clubs right now and tell them about our plan!"

John nodded immediately.

"Also, tell them that after the game, the team won the championship, and we want every corner of this city to hear our voices and celebrate for us, understand?"

John obviously felt the pressure when he heard this, and kept nodding his head.

"Okay, I'll be there right away!"

"Well, go ahead!"

Saint Harry sent John away, but he was still somewhat unhappy in his heart.

Damn it, it turns out having a high team attendance is also a very annoying thing.

At the very least, if they want to organize some activities, it is always difficult to gather enough people, and there will always be some fans who cannot buy tickets.

It seems that before moving into the new stadium, more members need to buy season tickets!

Well, we have to hurry!

It’s too late, I’m afraid I can only buy season tickets for next season!

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