Manchester United: Why Had These Past Few Days Felt Like a Roller Coaster? Sorrow After Joy?

On the morning of November 18, the Manchester United team took a bus for four and a half hours from Manchester to Swansea. After checking into the hotel and having lunch, assistant coach Phelan took the players to adapt to the venue, while Ferguson attended the press conference in the afternoon.

At the press conference, Ferguson said, "Although we were pushed out of the top spot because we conceded one more goal in the strong dialogue, we will go back at any time.

Swansea is a mid-lower team, but we will not be careless, we will try our best, every team in Premier League may make us capsize in the gutter, so we will take it seriously."

Ferguson's statement shows that he will make great efforts to win.

November 19th, the home court of Liberty Stadium and Swansea.

The 12th round of Premier League begins, Swansea faces Manchester United at home.

Manchester United's tactics are simple: give the ball to Zhang Kuang and let Zhang Kuang do what he is good at.

In the 17th minute, the three frontcourt players exchanged positions. Rooney came to the center position. He retreated to the midfield to get the ball, and then sent a through ball. Zhang Kuang successfully countered offside, faced the Swansea goalkeeper alone, and scored with a light shot. 1:0.

In the 34th minute, Zhang Kuang took the ball from the left, cut inside continuously and passed two Swansea defenders before shooting low into the far corner, and the ball flew into the net. 2:0.

In the 58th minute, Rooney scored with a header from Ashley Young's pass. 3:0.

In the 81st minute, Carrick made a long pass from the backcourt, Zhang Kuang stopped the ball with his chest and then volleyed, and the ball hit the dead corner. 4:0.

At the end of the game, Manchester United defeated Swansea 4:0 in the away game.

Zhang Kuang completed a hat trick and was named the best of the match after the game.

He said in the interview, "The team is in good shape now, but we cannot relax. Manchester City is only one point behind. We must win every game."

The title of "Manchester Evening News" is. "After the derby, Zhang Kuang continues to tell Manchester City with a hat trick: We are not done yet."

November 22, Round 5 of UEFA Champions League C group: Manchester United vs Benfica.

Old Trafford, UEFA Champions League night.

Manchester United has qualified early, but Zhang Kuang is still starting. He wants to score goals, and he doesn't want to miss any games between UEFA Champions League and Premier League.

In the 9th minute, Berbatov responded in the penalty area, and Zhang Kuang turned around and volleyed the goal, 1:0.

In the 33rd minute, Berbatov's long shot from outside the penalty area hit the defensive player and changed the line into the net, 2:0.

In the second half, Benfica stepped up its attack.

In the 51st minute, Cardozo took advantage of the mistake of Manchester United's defense to get a goal back, 2:1.

In the 60th minute, Aimar's shot from the left side of the penalty area once again penetrated De Gea's fingers, 2:2.

Manchester United defense line once again exposed a problem.

But in the 67th minute, Zhang Kuang dribbled the ball 40 meters in the counterattack, passed the last defender and shot into the empty goal, 3:2.

In the 74th minute, Park Ji-sung took a corner kick from Carrick and scored with a header, 4:2.

In the end, Manchester United defeated Benfica 4:2. UEFA Champions League won all five games in the group stage and secured first place in the group ahead of schedule.

After the game, Ferguson showed no mercy to the team. "We scored four goals, but also conceded two. On the defensive line, we still have many problems to solve. If Benfica's forwards had seized the opportunity better, the result might not have been so optimistic."

The reporter mentioned the issue of Manchester United's midfielder. "Sir Sir Alex, do you think the midfielder needs reinforcements? Benfica is better than Manchester United in terms of midfield control."

Ferguson's expression turned cold. "Now is not the time to discuss this."

November 26, Premier League Round 13: Manchester United vs Newcastle.

Old Trafford, Manchester United vs. Newcastle. This was not a focus battle, but Zhang Kuang's performance turned this match into a personal performance.

In the 12th minute, Zhang Kuang received a pass from Ashley Young from the left, jumped high in the middle of the penalty area and scored with a header, 1:0.

In the 27th minute, Zhang Kuang responded to Evra's counterattack at the top of the arc in the penalty area, pushed the ball into the far corner, and the ball flew into the net, 2:0.

In the 45th minute, Rooney took a through ball from Hernández and scored with a single push shot, 3:0.

In the 56th minute of the second half, Zhang Kuang received a pass from Berbatov on the right side of the penalty area, turned and volleyed, and the ball hit the lower edge of the crossbar and entered the net, 4:0! Hat trick!

In the 70th minute, Hernández followed Zhang Kuang's through ball and pushed the goal from a small angle, 5:0.

In the 77th minute, Ashley Young cut in from the left and scored from a long shot, 6:0.

Newcastle scored a goal in the 84th minute from Demba Ba, 6:1.

At the end of the game, Manchester United defeated Newcastle 6:1 at home.

Zhang Kuang scored a hat trick, Rooney, Hernández, and Ashley Young each scored a goal.

The title of "Manchester Evening News" is. "Zhang Kuang three goals! Manchester United beat Newcastle 6:1. Wait for the Manchester City result to see who is on top!"

On November 28th, Manchester United turned into 'fans' of Manchester City. However, these 'fans' did not expect Manchester City to win, but expected Manchester City to lose.

Liverpool plays Manchester City at home.

As soon as the game started, Manchester United suddenly became a loyal fan of Liverpool. Every time Liverpool steals, attacks, and shoots, Manchester United is excited.

And every time Manchester City steals, attacks, or shoots, Manchester United is booing them.

Finally, the game is over.

The two sides tied 1:1.

As a result, Manchester City's points have become 11 wins, 2 draws and 35 points.

And Manchester United has 12 wins, 1 loss and 36 points.

Manchester United returns to the top of the list!

Manchester United breathed a heavy sigh of relief and was very excited.

When Ferguson was interviewed by reporters outside Carrington Training Ground, a long-lost smile finally appeared on his face:

"The stability of Jinyuan Football is still a bit lacking. As a neighbor, we still need to settle down. We just need to do our own thing well, and the standings will tell us the answer."

Manchester United fans are furious on social media:

"Haha, Manchester City overturned! Liverpool is great!"

"Back on top! Long live Manchester United!"

"Although they have returned to the top of the list, Manchester City is still worthy of respect. The fact that they can hold on so tightly shows that they are quite capable."

"I hope Manchester United can maintain this state, and Villa will win in the next round!"

"Manchester City is indeed a strong team, but they also have their moments of failure. This is why the Premier League champion has to play 38 rounds."

"..."

Ferguson and Manchester United were only happy for two days.

On November 30th, League Cup quarter-finals, Manchester United played against the Crystal Palace at home.

Ferguson rotated most of the main players, sending out a lineup composed of veterans such as Berbatov, Owen, Carrick, Park Ji-sung.

They thought it was just a EFL Championship team and the remaining team could easily win. In fact, they were careless. Not only the Premier League teams in the middle and lower reaches should not be despised, but also the EFL Championship teams.

In the 23rd minute, Owen received a through pass from Carrick in the penalty area and calmly pushed the ball to score, 1:0.

The veteran has made a great contribution.

But then, Crystal Palace's counterattack began.

In the 34th minute, Crystal Palace took advantage of a corner kick opportunity and central defender Murray scored with a header, 1:1.

In the second half, Manchester United's offensive had no effect.

Carrick, Park Ji-sung, and Berbatov took turns attacking Crystal Palace's defense line, but were unable to break through the opponent's iron barrel formation.

In the 78th minute, Crystal Palace took advantage of a counterattack opportunity and forward Sulejmani scored with a single push, 1:2!

Manchester United was eliminated by the Crystal Palace at home and League Cup was eliminated!

There was dead silence in the stands of Old Trafford.

Ferguson looked livid on the sidelines and threw the water bottle angrily. This was the most embarrassing defeat for Manchester United this season.

After the game, Ferguson did not attend the press release meeting, and the assistant coach hosted the press conference on his behalf.

The assistant coach said, "Mr. Ferguson is very disappointed with the result, but he believes that the team must accept this result and then focus on Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

Yes, we missed the opportunity of the Grand Slam. Perhaps the best perfection is imperfect completeness. The Grand Slam is not that easy to win. You cannot lose every game. This is very difficult to achieve.

We will take every next game seriously and try our best not to lose or be eliminated..."

Manchester United fans cannot accept this result:

"League Cup is out like this? Crystal Palace? We can't even beat Crystal Palace?"

"Did Ferguson have too many rotations in this game? They all came on as substitutes, and of course they were eliminated."

"Zhang Kuang didn't play, Rooney didn't play, Manchester United's midfielder was completely out of control. This is the price of rotation."

"We talked about a Grand Slam before the season, but now League Cup is out. Where is the Grand Slam?"

"Premier League and UEFA Champions League must concentrate on the next step and cannot make any more mistakes."

"..."

And worse things are yet to come.

Less than an hour after the game, someone took photos of Zhang Kuang interacting intimately with several women in the hotel lobby.

The paparazzi also captured the sneaky figure of Rooney entering and leaving Fengyue Store.

The title of "The Sun" is. "Red Devils missed the Grand Slam opportunity and the team indulged? Zhang Kuang's indulgence, Rooney's sneakiness, Ferguson's anger!"

The article read, "Manchester United After League Cup was eliminated, the atmosphere in the locker room was already very tense. Ferguson was extremely dissatisfied with the team's performance, and what made him even more angry was that some players went to nightclubs and hotels to be excessively intimate with the opposite sex after the team lost.

The behavior of players at this moment deeply hurts the hearts of Red Devils fans. What about the discipline of Red Devils? Therefore, certain players must be severely punished!"

Manchester United fans exploded on social media. Some people scolded Zhang Kuang for being unprofessional, some scolded Rooney for not living up to expectations, and some scolded Ferguson for poor management.

"Zhang Kuang, are you crazy? You still want to pick up girls after losing the game?"

"This is why Manchester United lost to the Crystal Palace, the players didn't take the game seriously at all!"

"Rooney is the same. If you lose, you go to the nightclub. Is there any professional ethics?"

"Ferguson It's time to take good care of these people, otherwise this season will be over."

"Stop scolding, players are human beings too, and they should relax even if they lose. The key is to win the next game."

"You fools, are you instigated and taken advantage of so easily? Players want to relax because they have lost the chance of a Grand Slam. Is this wrong? If you are used to attack the team, put Rooney, Zhang Kuang has all been fined, and will not be allowed to play for three games, okay? What about Manchester United's offensive line? What if we lose? Are you happy? Or are the people behind the instigation of you to force Manchester United happy?"

"Fuck, I almost fell into the trap of some people. These thoughts are so bad."

"That's it, that's it..."

"It's okay. It's okay for players to relax when they're not in a good mood."

"Yes, when I am in a bad mood, I will secretly go to my aunt when my uncle is not at home..."

"Looking for your aunt? Why?"

"..."

In Carrington Training Ground, Ferguson there was a big fuss in the locker room the next morning.

He didn't name anyone, but everyone knew who he was talking about. "If anyone thinks that our current situation allows him any relaxation, he is dead wrong.

We are back on top, but only ahead by one point. If we want to win the Premier League championship, we cannot let up any slack. From now on, everyone is gathering at the base to train, no one is exception."

After Ferguson's anger was calmed down, and the team's ups and downs in the past two days, the players' emotions also stabilized.

They are champion players and leaders, how can they be so easily influenced?

Next, in the 14th round of Premier League's Aston Villa vs Manchester United match on December 3, Zhang Kuang performed a big four, Hernández scored 1 goal, and beat Villa 5:0 in an away game.

This is a very happy thing, right?

After the game, Ferguson happily praised Zhang Kuang at the press conference, "Yes, we Manchester United do not have many top players, because we only have one Zhang Kuang. He can do anything, he scores goals like crazy, and he is unstoppable."

After the game, "The Guardian" used this sentence as its title. "Ferguson: He can do anything, he scores goals like crazy, and no one can stop him!"

The rather domineering Hero aura hit his face, which made all the stars feel a little unconvinced, but there was nothing they could do.

Because based on the data alone, they can't compare. Except for Zhang Kuang, no one on this planet can average more than two goals per game.

This time they no longer have to wait for their competitor Manchester City to compete, they are firmly on top.

However, a list on December 5th turned the football world upside down.

The final 3-person list of Ballon d'Or in 2011 was announced on this day: Messi, Zhang Kuang, Cristiano·Ronaldo.

"What does this list mean? Zhang Kuang is ranked second by Messi? Haha, what can Messi do to push Zhang Kuang into first place?"

"Don't be so excited. I didn't say that the name ranking is the vote ranking. Maybe it's just a matter of the order of the names?"

"A question of order? That should be C first, M second, Z third, that is, Cristiano Ronaldo is first, Messi is second, and Zhang Kuang is third."

"That is, what is this ranking? The current voting ranking? Messi is going to be ranked before Zhang Kuang? Are you crazy? Those people don't even have a face?"

"FIFA, "Football Weekly", come out and explain, is it possible that you still have to be the first in goals last year, win the league championship and UEFA Champions League championship, and The Football Association Cup champion, Europe Super Cup, can't compare to Messi, who didn't even win a UEFA Champions League last year and scored far fewer goals than Zhang Kuang? Then what's the point of your awards?"

"Yes, that is, if the awards are not based on data such as championships and goals, how can we convince others?"

"Tsk, tsk, is the value of this Ballon d'Or going to drop so soon? Just set up a private award, which will be more impartial than Ballon d'Or."

"Shameless FIFA."

"..."

As soon as the name was announced, the Internet was abuzz, and reporters immediately came to block Zhang Kuang.

Zhang Kuang: "I saw the announcement of the list. I am honored to be among the final three people. As for whether I will win or not, to use the words of a poet from my country a hundred years ago, 'I am lucky if I win, but my life is lost.' If I win, it will be better. If I don't win, there is nothing I can do about it."

Reporter: "If I don't award it to you, don't you think it's unfair?"

Zhang Kuang: "I don't have the final say on fairness. Fans have scales in their hearts. They will weigh whether it is fair or unfair. In fact, this award is not to convince the award-winning players that the award is unfair, but to convince the fans that the award is fair. As long as the fans agree, it is fair and I have no objection."

The reporter gave a thumbs up. "You are right. This award needs the recognition of the fans, not the players. If the fans do not recognize it, then the award will lose its gold content."

"..."