Manchester United lost, and it was the first thing that went viral online.
Manchester United fan forum has been blocked.
One post was titled. "Where is Zhang Kuang? Where is Zhang Kuang? Where is Zhang Kuang???"
There was a wailing reply below, "Ferguson's brain is flooded, who can't take turns to take Zhang Kuang?"
"Berbatov is also taking a break, both forwards are on rest, what can we win?"
"I just want to ask: When will Zhang Kuang come back? Can he be on the next round?"
Some fans pointed the finger at Evans: "How can a player like Evans wear a Manchester United jersey? My grandma can defend better than him on the line!"
"What is Rooney doing on the court? He has the highest salary. What kind of performance has he shown?"
"The new guy Mexico is pretty good and has good information."
"Can't everyone reflect on it, we can't win without Zhang Kuang, is this Manchester United really what we want?"
"It's just a loss. Manchester United can't lose? If you lose, you will be beheaded on a beheading platform?"
"The whole team must be distracted."
"..."
Arsenal fans' forum is like Chinese New Year.
The title of a front-page post on the Gunners forum is. "Manchester United loses! Undefeated end! Premier League still has something to watch!"
The reply area was full of joy, "Red Devils finally overturned, hahaha!"
"Nasri is right, they are not invincible at all."
"Without Zhang Kuang, Manchester United is a mid-tier team. There is no need to prove this."
Someone else took a screenshot of Ferguson's expression after the game. "Sir Alex Ferguson's face is colder than Arctic Ocean's sea water."
Chelsea fans are also very satisfied.
Ancelotti tried his best to maintain his demeanor during the interview, but he couldn't hide the smile on his face, "Manchester United's defeat proved one thing: football is round, there is no team that can always win, and we still have a chance."
Chelsea fans frantically forwarded on social media. "Coach An told the truth!"
The most lively ones are Manchester City fans.
Balotelli posted a tweet on Twitter, just three words: "ITOLDYOU."
It was followed by a series of smiling emoticons.
The comment area went viral, with Manchester City fans frantically retweeting. "God Ba is always right!"
"Manchester United and Manchester are not the best, now everyone knows it!"
Someone else added a picture to Balotelli's tweet: Zhang Kuang is sitting on the sofa, Manchester United is throwing the ball on the TV, with the words: "I'm not here, this is your level?"
Liverpool fans also came to join in the fun.
A Liverpool fan posted on the forum. "Manchester United lost to Wolverhampton Wanderers? Hahahahaha! I can drink two more glasses of wine tonight!"
The following reply, "Who do they think they are? Undefeated? That's what we Reds did!"
Manchester United fans on social media spontaneously started a topic: #BringZhangBack.
This topic quickly became a hot search on Twitter. Someone wrote, "Ferguson, did you see it? Without Zhang Kuang, we couldn't even win the worst team of Premier League."
--
In addition to the heated discussion on the Internet, the media is also abuzz:
On the front page of the sports section of "The Sun", the headline is just three words: "UNITEDINSHAME" (United of Shame).
The accompanying picture is a close-up of Evans being pinned down by Doyle and heading the goal. Doyle's knee was on Evans's face. Evans's expression was twisted as if he was being tortured.
A line of small print below. "Without Chinese Zhang, Manchester United wouldn't have won?"
The article took two full pages to analyze. "Manchester United's winning rate with Zhang Kuang on the court is 86%, and without him it plummets to 44%. This is not a coincidence, this is dependence, a pathological dependence."
"Daily Mail" is even more ruthless.
The front-page headline read, "Bloodless, uninspired, and utterly mediocre."
The article criticized Carrick and Evans by name. "Carrick's performance when he lost the first ball was outrageous. He stood there and watched the ball pass over his head without even jumping.
Evans? He is like a lost sheep. Doyle, the forward of Wolverhampton Wanderers, ran nearly two kilometers more than Evans in this game. It is hard for you to believe that Evans is the player who earns hundreds of thousands of dollars a week."
"The Times" exposes Manchester United from a tactical level.
Reporter Paul Hurst wrote, "Manchester United loses Zhang Kuang, and loses its only weapon to break the dense defense. Wolverhampton Wanderers shrunk the defense line throughout the game and deployed five people in the midfield. Manchester United's offense was like a fist hitting cotton.
Carrick, Valencia, Giggs? They could only play outside the penalty area without even a decent penetration.
What's even more sad is that when Wolverhampton Wanderers contracted, Manchester United actually chose to pass the ball long, which is clearly Stoke City's play style."
This article accurately pointed out Manchester United's tactical dilemma in that game: without the pull and breakthrough of a breakthrough forward, Manchester United's offensive methods were extremely lacking in the face of a densely defensive team.
As Sky Sports commentator Neville pointed out many times later, Manchester United often complicates simple things when facing mid-to-lower teams. Although he could use a more direct style of play, he insists on focusing on formation and selection, and ends up getting himself involved.
"The Guardian" throws out a concept. "THEZHANGDEPENDENCY (Zhang Kuang dependence)."
This article took up half of the front page, citing information. "Before Zhang Kuang took a break, Manchester United was undefeated for 25 rounds; as soon as he took a break, Manchester United lost."
Here's the question: If the absence of one player can cause a giant team to lose to the vice squad leader of the league, does this giant team still deserve to be called a giant club?"
The article finally added, "Ferguson's reason for resting Zhang Kuang was to 'protect the players', but now it seems that what he should protect more is Manchester United's face."
The title of "Daily Star" is full of schadenfreude. "Who's laughing now?"
The accompanying picture is a photo of Redknapp being interviewed before the game. The famous Premier League coach publicly asserted two weeks ago, "I think this Manchester United will not only lose, but also lose in more than one game."
Now, Redknapp is smiling happier than anyone else. His original words in the post-match interview were. "I have already said that Manchester United without Zhang Kuang is another team. I don't need to read the information. I have watched football for thirty years and can tell it at a glance."
"Manchester Evening News", as a local media, should have defended its shortcomings, but this time it showed no mercy.
The front page title: "Two Cancers", and the subtitle reads, "Carrick's offense and defense are out of position, Evans is embarrassed, and Manchester United's defense is terrible."
The article even quoted an anonymous Manchester United insider. "The atmosphere on the training ground was terrible. Some players blamed the loss on rotation, but more people were just ashamed - they lost to a team that was almost certain to be relegated."
--
If the print media reports still retain some professional restraint, the TV programs are as lively as the Chinese New Year.
In the studio of BBC's "Match of the Day", Lineker was smiling from ear to ear. The England celebrity always commented on Manchester United with the attitude of "watching a good show", and this time he was even more enthusiastic:
"I have long said that they cannot be undefeated throughout the season! They are not strong enough to do this, that is for sure."
Next to Alain·Shearer's CS: "Zhang Kuang sat at home and watched this game. He may be thinking: 'What can I do if I play?' The answer is: He can't do anything because he is on a rest."
The camera cut to a pre-match interview: Ferguson said "Zhang Kuang needs to rest."
Then Shearer spread his hands. "Okay, the result of the break is that the team loses to the deputy squad leader."
Sky Sports and "Soccer Saturday" are even better.
The host took out a tactical board and drew four red circles on it. "Attention, the two goals conceded by Manchester United were both set kicks: both were corner kicks.
What does this mean? It means that without Zhang Kuang to restrain you from the front, the opponent's defense dares to press forward and press forward. Manchester United's offensive threat is greatly reduced, and the opponent is no longer afraid of you!
Wolverhampton Wanderers dares to press out and play in Old Trafford? Dare not. But they dare in Molineux, because they know: without Zhang Kuang, Manchester United's offensive line is a paper tiger."
Guest Carragher took over the conversation and smiled meaningfully, "This is football. Do you think you are invincible? No, you just haven't met the right person yet.
And today, Wolverhampton Wanderers is the right person, even though they are the deputy squad leader."
He paused and added another shot, "And have you noticed that after Manchester United lost the ball, the players threw their hands at each other more times than they took shots. What does this mean? It means they don't know where the problem is."
"Soccer Saturday" also specially invited several tactical analysts to dismantle Manchester United's offensive system.
An analyst drew Manchester United's passing route diagram on the screen: it was all cross passes and back passes, and the proportion of forward penetrating passes was only 60% of the season average.
"This is a typical 'non-threatening possession'," the analyst said. "Without Zhang Kuang, Manchester United's passes are all safe balls. Why? Because no one is running in front to pull the defense. Carrick and Valencia are both waiting for the ball in place, and their running volume is nearly two kilometers less than the season average."
Another analyst pointed the finger at Berbatov's rotation. "Ferguson rested Zhang Kuang and Berbatov, the two most important attackers. The trident lost two prongs, so the offensive line collapsed.
The connection between the new aids Hernández and Rooney is always not a tacit understanding, which leads to Manchester United having only one decent attack in the whole game, which is equivalent to taking the initiative to pull out teeth. The psychological pressure on the Wolverhampton Wanderers defense line before the game may be zero, they only need to stand in a good position.
If the frontcourt cannot put pressure on Wolverhampton Wanderers, then Wolverhampton Wanderers will definitely put their strength into the offensive line. Even if their front line is weak, they can always score a few goals if they have more opportunities."
--
In addition to the discussion and criticism from the United Kingdom media and fans, Europe the mainland media will also not let this feast go.
The front page title of Spain "Marca" is: The End of the Legend. The accompanying picture is a composite photo: Zhang Kuang is sitting on the sofa at home watching TV. The score of 2-1 is clearly on the TV screen. Zhang Kuang is holding a cup of tea in his hand with a calm expression.
Below it reads, "China forward is absent, and Manchester United's undefeated streak has been shattered. Facts have proved that without him, Red Devils is just an ordinary person."
Barcelona's "Mundo Deportivo" is also not idle. "Manchester United's 'invincible myth' came to nothing in Molineux.
Wolverhampton Wanderers's tactics are very simple: intensive defense, limiting space, and then using set pieces to resolve the battle. Facts have proved that this tactic is more than enough to deal with 'Manchester United without Zhang Kuang'. Ferguson's rotation decision is questionable. Did he underestimate Premier League?"
Madrid's "AS" provides an in-depth analysis from a tactical perspective. "Manchester United's offensive system is completely based on Zhang Kuang's ability to break through, score goals, and assist. As long as he is on the field, he can involve the defense of three to four people and dominate almost all offenses.
When he was not on the court, Manchester United's offense seemed to have had its backbone ripped out, making it weak and devoid of threat. Wolverhampton Wanderers's defensive players even said after the game, 'This game was much easier than we expected.' What a humiliation to Manchester United."
Germany's "Bild" has a straightforward title: Without China's star, Manchester United collapses.
Italy's "Milan Sports Newspaper" took aim at Ferguson: "Ferguson was not prepared at all for not having Zhang Kuang on the court."
France's "L'Équipe" summed it up in four words: "Manchester United crisis."
Netherlands's "De Telegraaf" said, "All Premier League are looking forward to Manchester United losing, and they are all reveling in it. Why? Because they are all Manchester United's opponents, and they don't want to see Manchester United being unstoppable. If Manchester United stops, they will profit!"
--
Zhang Kuang's social media has also fallen into trouble. The number of comments under his latest post exceeded 20,000 in three hours.
There were various comments, but Zhang Kuang did not reply to anyone, but posted a new update.
"It's just a loss. Which team would not lose? However, it is indeed a big event if Manchester United loses. Because if ordinary people fall, no one will care, but if the king falls, it is a big deal.
Why did the king fall? Was he sick? Or was he weak from the heavy affair in bed last night? Or was the guard management lax? Someone deliberately murdered the king? The prince couldn't wait any longer? The enemy country was carrying out an assassination...
Yes, the king's fall was entirely because he accidentally fell while practicing kung fu. In fact, this fall may have made his kung fu improve even more, but that was not the case in the eyes of others.
Manchester United is not a team that can't lose, so why can't it lose? What's wrong with losing once? The purpose of accumulating strength is to punch better, and losing once is for a longer winning streak.
Manchester United fans, please rest assured that your uncle is still your uncle, the king is still the king, Manchester United is still Manchester United, the league championship will not be lost, UEFA Champions League is working hard to win the championship... Please look forward to the exciting schedule in the future!"
As soon as Zhang Kuang's post appeared, it immediately attracted a large number of reposts, comments, and reports.
"Zhang Kuang, you said it well, your uncle is still your uncle, the king is still the king, Manchester United is still Manchester United. These words are domineering and full of energy. It's just a loss, so that's nothing."
"Yes, Chelsea didn't lose for more than half a season? Manchester City didn't lose? Real Madrid didn't lose? Barcelona didn't lose... lost a game That's all, as long as Zhang Kuang is still there, Sir Alex is still there, and the main force of Manchester United is still there, then Manchester United is still Manchester United."
"To be honest, I believe Manchester United is still Manchester United when it comes to Zhang Kuang. If Zhang Kuang hadn't spoken, I wouldn't recognize Manchester United."
"Zhang, just like Manchester United, you can't score goals every game. There will always be times when you don't score, just wait."
"Zhang, what do you think about Manchester United's current dependence on you?"
"Zhang, Manchester United won't win without you, what should I do?"
"..."
--
After Zhang Kuang posted this blog post, he received many calls from his teammates. They all expressed their support and thought that what he said was right. This was the best response to the current media.
On February 7th, at Carrington Training Ground in Manchester, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it could make you cry.
Ferguson stood at the door of the locker room, his eyes scanning every dejected player.
He was silent for a long time, and then he spoke. His voice was not loud, but every word stuck in the players' ears like the Nail.
"Did you see it? Did you see what those people outside said? They said we relied on Zhang Kuang. They said that without him, we would be a mid-table team."
He walked to the tactical board, picked up a pen, and tapped the board.
"Are they right?"
Silence.
A few seconds later, Rooney whispered, "No, boss."
"No? Then tell me, what was the result of the game?" Ferguson's voice suddenly rose, "We lost! We lost to the last place in the league! You conceded two set kicks in the first half, like a group of amateur players defending! Is this your answer?"
Evans buried his face in his hands.
Carrick stared at the floor as if he wanted to make a hole in the floor.
Ferguson turned around and lowered his voice again. "Although I don't care what those people outside say, what I care about is your attitude. If you really tried your best and lost, I won't feel ashamed at all, but you know the truth better than me.
Okay, actually I have nothing to admit. In fact, we do rely on Zhang Kuang, but this is nothing to be ashamed of.
Because we not only relied on Zhang Kuang, but also relied on every player on the court. We all won together.
Zhang Kuang's blog post is very well written. Losing a game is nothing. If we are Manchester United, we can't lose. The key is what should we do after losing?
Manchester City, Old Trafford, next weekend. If you still want to prove something, this is your chance. Moreover, you know the purpose of my rotation, to cope with the game against Manchester City.
Although everyone scolded us for losing to Wolverhampton Wanderers, they actually scolded us for our insufficient attitude and laxity. But if we lose to Manchester City, what do you think the public opinion will say?
That would definitely mean that our Manchester United is not strong enough. We cannot even defeat a championship opponent, and we cannot even deal with a noisy neighbor."
Yes, Manchester United needs a victory to prove that public opinion's ridicule of Manchester United is boring. They want to prove to public opinion that 'your uncle is still your uncle, the king is still the king, and Manchester United is still the same Manchester United'!
On February 11, 2011, reporters asked Ferguson questions.
"Sir, will Zhang Kuang and Berbatov debut tomorrow?"
"Jazz, are you confident that you can win Manchester City tomorrow?"
"Jazz, Manchester United will lose if Zhang Kuang plays without Zhang Kuang again?"
"Sir..."
Ferguson pressed his hands in the press release hall.
Ferguson: "Tomorrow Manchester United's trident will return, all playing, and now they are ready. Our last loss was just an accident, there is no need to make a fuss. We will definitely win Manchester City at home tomorrow.
As for our Manchester United suffering from Zhang Kuang dependence, isn't this normal? He can break through, involve opponents, assist, and score goals. Why don't we rely on him?
We not only rely on Zhang Kuang, we also rely on every player on the field. Without any of them, it will be very difficult for us to win..."
Mancini was also asked many questions.
"Mr. Mancini, Manchester United showed their fatal problems in the last league game. Can you defeat Manchester United in a row tomorrow?"
"Mr. Mancini, do you have any means to restrict Zhang Kuang?"
"Mr. Mancini, is it reasonable for Manchester United to rely on a certain talented player?"
"Mr. Mancini, how confident are you about tomorrow's game?"
"Mr. Mancini..."
Mancini: "I don't know what you are talking about, but what I want to say is that we will definitely win Manchester United tomorrow. In addition, what I want to say is that Manchester City is not Manchester United. We will not say that we can't play football without any player."
Mancini turned around and left after saying that.
The devil will not be silent forever.
February 12th 12:45, Beijing time 20:45.
Manchester Old Trafford Stadium, there were 75,322 people in attendance, and the whole place was dark and filled with human heads. The key was that these human heads were still singing, dancing, waving flags regularly, and making huge TIFOs.
Zhang Kuang leaps over Xiongba's goal celebrating action has the largest TIFO and is also the most conspicuous!