On April 7, Premier League's 32nd round, Manchester United's home match against Wigan Athletic's pre-match press conference.
Ferguson said before the game, "Wigan is a respectable team. Although their ranking is far lower than Manchester United, it is because they have less investment.
However, their playing style is very aggressive and their defense is very methodical. This is not an easy team to deal with.
Therefore, we will take it seriously and we will do our best to ensure that Premier League's championship trophy can be lifted by Manchester United in today's Old Trafford."
Wigan Athletic head coach Martínez was quite honest at the pre-match press conference. "We know that Manchester United may win the championship tonight, but we will not give it up. This is football, not a favor, and many people hope that we can stop Manchester United. May God bless us."
April 8th, this day of Old Trafford, was particularly lively, because the fans were ready to welcome the team to win the 13th Premier League championship (counting from the first year of Premier League in 1992) and the 19th England top league championship.
Ferguson's achievements under the leadership of Manchester United are unprecedented and will probably be unprecedented.
At least in the more than ten years since he left, Manchester United has never won the Premier League championship. After 2026? Who can say for sure? Maybe Manchester United will reshape the dynasty sooner or later. It is also possible that Manchester United will sink in a certain season, and then fall to the secondary league, and then fall deeper and deeper, and the club will be disbanded in a few years.
Therefore, I am afraid that it will never happen again. This is a high probability event.
Before the game, Old Trafford fans in the North Stand spelled out a huge "19" with red pieces of paper, symbolizing that Manchester United was about to win the 19th top league championship.
A 75-year-old old fan, holding an old scarf from the 1968 UEFA Champions League final, excitedly told the camera before entering the stadium, "I witnessed Busby Babes, and I also witnessed the children of Ferguson, and today I will witness another championship!"
Just after three o'clock in the afternoon, the atmosphere outside the stadium had reached its peak.
Manchester The spring sunshine is rare and generous, shining on the red brick exterior wall of this football temple, reflecting a warm halo.
Fans coming from all directions merged into a red river, scarves fluttered in the wind, and singing continued.
The melody of "GloryGloryManUnited" almost covered the entire area around Old Trafford. The vendors selling hot dogs and beer were sweating profusely, and the queue at the souvenir shop reached the corner of the street. Everyone wanted to buy something to commemorate this upcoming historical moment.
Sky Sports's broadcast truck has long been parked outside the stadium, and Martin and Neville are making final preparations in the studio.
Martin held a stack of information in his hand, turned to Manchester United's information page for this season, and couldn't help but clicked his tongue.
"What do you think of Manchester United's championship match today? Will there be any accidents?"
Neville leaned back in his chair and smiled, "Accident? I would rather believe that aliens will attack the earth than that Manchester United's victory today will be unexpected. Don't worry, it's very stable."
Martin: "Wow, are you so sure? If the fans who believed you lose their bets, you have to be responsible."
Neville: "Of course I am responsible, but the premise is that I will wait until my Twitter is certified, and then I will be responsible. If I lose, I will pay. But if I win, I don't want more, just one-third of the profit."
Martin: "Oh, it turns out you want everyone to help you make money. Your business plan is really good."
Neville: "That's for sure. You can't just let me take the blame and not get the benefits, right? Then I guess God won't do such a business."
Martin smiled and shook his head, "You are right. Okay, let's take a look at the scene. The fans have basically finished entering..."
In CCTV studio, He Wei and Zhang Lu are already in place.
He Wei: "Good evening, audience friends. Welcome to the focus match of the 32nd round of England Football Premier League in the 2011-12 season, Manchester United vs. Wigan Athletic at home.
The significance of this game is extraordinary. If Manchester United wins, then Manchester United will win the Premier League league championship this season six rounds in advance. I am He Wei, and the one who is commentating with me today is Zhang Lu Director Zhang."
Zhang Lu: "Hey, everyone. This game, to put it bluntly, is Manchester United's coronation ceremony. Although Wigan Athletic is still fighting for relegation, with Manchester United's state this season, especially Old Trafford, it will be difficult for them to prevent Manchester United from winning the championship early.
Zhang Kuang has scored 83 goals in the league this season. What do you think about this concept? 83 goals, in many seasons, is the total number of goals scored by a team in the entire season."
He Wei: "Director Zhang, how many goals do you think Zhang Kuang can score this season?"
Zhang Lu: "Hey, it's hard to say. He himself said that he hopes he can score more than 100 goals in the league, and there will be games for Football Association Cup, UEFA Champions League, and even national team games.
With his average efficiency of 2.67 goals per game, if Zhang Kuang is fully present in the remaining 7 rounds, it is very possible to score another 15-21 goals. That will end up with 98-104 league goals.
What is this concept? That is to say, the number of goals he scored alone is more than the total season goals of most of the other 19 teams in Premier League. This is not horror, this is a dimensionality reduction attack.
As for UEFA Champions League and Football Association Cup, as well as the national team games, that's another matter. I estimate that his total goals this season will reach 130-140."
He Wei: "The information mentioned by Director Zhang is very scientific. We also hope that Zhang Kuang can continue to set records and win more championships, so that he can continue to beat Ballon d'Or.
Okay, let's take a look at the scene. Players from both sides are ready to enter the stadium. At the same time, we will also introduce to you the starting players of both sides in this game..."
At 3:25 p. m., the live broadcast rang.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Old Trafford! The visiting team entering now is: Wigan Athletic!"
Wigan players filed out and were greeted with polite applause.
They were wearing blue and white striped away jerseys and looked a little nervous. After all, they were facing Manchester United, who were about to win the league championship, and in Old Trafford, no visiting team could easily take away points.
Then, there was a different voice on the radio, obviously a little more excited.
"The one entering now is... Team Manchester United!"
In an instant, Old Trafford seemed to be on fire.
The cheers of 75,000 people almost brought down the ceiling, red confetti sprayed out from all directions, fans waved scarves, and the air was filled with the smell of champagne, sweat and excitement.
Manchester United players stepped out of the tunnel, and the sun just shone on them.
Zhang Kuang is walking in the middle of the team, with "ZHANG33" printed on the back of his red jersey, which is particularly eye-catching under the light.
He habitually looked up at the stands where the Manchester United fans were: the red was burning like a flame, the flag was flying, and the word "19" on the TIFO was clearly visible.
He had a smile on his face, it felt so good.
Martin: "Welcome to Old Trafford! Players from both sides have arrived. Manchester United is wearing the traditional red jersey, and Wigan Athletic is wearing the blue and white striped jersey.
Today's referee is Martínez. Dear viewers, what you are about to witness may be a game that will go down in history. Manchester United only needs one victory to win the 2011-12 season Premier League league championship six rounds ahead of schedule!"
Neville: "As a player who has played in this stadium, I can tell you that the atmosphere today is special.
You can feel that there is a smell of 'something big is about to happen' in the air. The fans are not just here to watch the game, they are here to participate in the celebration. The same goes for the Manchester United players. You look at their expressions and they know what they are going to do next."
Martin: "Let's first take a look at the starting lineups of both sides. Manchester United arranged a 4-3-3 formation, with goalkeeper De Gea and defense Phil·Jones, Evans, Ferdinand, and Evra.
The midfielder Carrick is behind, Giggs and Valencia are separated on the left and right. On the forward line, Zhang Kuang is on the left, Hernández is in the center, and Rooney is on the right. This is the most stable and efficient attacking combination of Manchester United this season."
Neville: "I, Gary·Neville's evaluation of this lineup is-'This is the strongest offensive team in Ferguson's coaching career Manchester United'."
I think my evaluation is very fair. Think about it, Zhang Kuang has 83 league goals, Rooney has 25 goals, and Hernández has 29 goals.
83 plus 25 plus 29 equals 137. The total number of league goals scored by these three people is 137, which is more than twice as many goals as the Wigan team."
Martin: "Wigan formed a 4-5-1 formation today, with goalkeeper Al-Habsi and defense Boyce, López, Caldwell, and Figueroa.
The five midfielders are Moses, McCarthy, McArthur, Watson, Maloney, and the lone forward Di Santo. This is a typical defensive counterattack formation. Martínez knows very well that attacking Old Trafford against Manchester United is courting death."
Neville: "But the question is, can you defend well? Manchester United's average goal in Old Trafford this season is 3.2.
Wigan's defense is at the lower level among the entire Premier League. Facing the Manchester United Trident today, I feel a pinch for them."
Martin: "There is another interesting tidbit before the game: Pogba and Welbeck made a bet, Pogba bet that Zhang Kuang would score at least two goals, Welbeck bet on a hat trick, and the loser would treat the whole team to dinner.
However, as Zhang Kuang's most loyal little fan, Pogba thought he was betting that Zhang Kuang would perform better, but his arithmetic is a bit... hmm."
Neville: "Haha, Welbeck, this bet will ruin Pogba's reputation. It's too bad."
Martin: "Young people, these are all little jokes."
"..."
"Beep--!"
At 3:30 in the afternoon, Martínez blew the whistle to start the game.
Wigan Athletic kicked off the ball, Di Santo passed the ball to Maloney, and then immediately ran forward.
Manchester United's frontcourt trident pressed forward at the same time like three cheetahs, instantly surrounding Wigan's ball-carrying player. Maloney panicked and hurriedly passed the ball back to Caldwell. Ferdinand immediately stepped forward to press for the ball.
In the 3rd minute, Manchester United's first threat came.
Zhang Kuang received a pass from Evra on the left. Facing Figueroa, he made a shoulder-heaving fake move, and Figueroa's center of gravity was immediately deceived to the left.
But Zhang Kuang didn't break through. Instead, he gently pushed with the instep of his right foot, and the ball passed between Figueroa's legs!
Crotchless!
Figueroa subconsciously crossed his legs, but it was already too late.
How could a person like Zhang Kuang, who has experienced hundreds of pinches, easily let someone pinch his ball?
Zhang Kuang bypassed him from the outside, caught up with the ball and passed directly!
The ball drew an arc and flew towards the front of the penalty area. Hernández understood it and stepped out from behind Caldwell, diving to the top!
Caldwell stretched out his foot desperately to block the ball, and the ball hit his leg and bounced out of the baseline.
"Wow--!" Old Trafford burst out with a regretful sigh, followed by warm applause.
Martin: "Zhang Kuang's crotch penetration is amazing! It's so beautiful! Figueroa was completely fooled! Hernández's grabbing points were just a hair's breadth away! In the first three minutes, Manchester United put huge pressure on Wigan's defense!"
Neville: "This is the scary thing about Zhang Kuang. He has the speed to overtake others. He doesn't need to sprint with all his strength. He can defeat his opponent with just one shoulder and an outside instep. Figueroa should now understand what kind of player he is facing."
In the 6th minute, Manchester United got a corner kick on the right.
Rooney walked towards the corner flag area. He raised his right hand and made a '2' gesture.
This is the corner kick tactic designed by Giggs in training.
Zhang Kuang was heavily guarded. Even if he was running around, there were still two or three people pestering him.
The ball was kicked out and flew to the back of the penalty area.
Ferdinand jumped high from the crowd and headed the ball to the goal! Evans followed up with a late shot, but the ball hit high and flew into the stands.
Ferguson applauded and encouraged from the sidelines, then turned around and said something to the assistant coach.
Zhang Lu: "Hey, Manchester United's corner kick tactics are very well designed. Rooney and Giggs cooperate very well on set pieces. Although they didn't score this time, this tactic has already created a threat. Wigan's defense does not look very stable in defending set pieces."
He Wei: "Yes, Manchester United showed extremely strong control in the first ten minutes. Wigan could hardly get the ball and was completely trapped in the half court."
In the 8th minute, Carrick intercepted the ball in the midfield. He did not hesitate and accurately passed the ball to the feet of Zhang Kuang.
Zhang Kuang takes the ball from the left, and in front of him are Figueroa and McCarthy who are returning to defense.
He didn't stop the ball, but pushed the ball forward, and then his whole body shot out like a bullet.
Figueroa tried to get stuck, but Zhang Kuang used his shoulder to push Figueroa away.
McCarthy stretched his legs from the side, but Zhang Kuang had already started to speed up, and his legs couldn't reach the ball at all.
At the top of the penalty area, Zhang Kuang raised his head and glanced at the goal.
Al-Habsi is positioned to the left, and there is half an empty door on the right side.
Zhang Kuang didn't hesitate, hit the center of the ball hard with his right foot, and took a violent long shot!
The ball was like a cannonball, as if it was equipped with a locator, without any rotation, and went straight to the upper right corner of the goal!
Al-Habsi flew to save and hit the ball with his fingertips, but the force was too great, like being hit by a tank. The ball changed a little angle and still hit the net!
The ball went in.
1:0!
"GOAL!" Old Trafford exploded!
Zhang Kuang rushed to the corner flag area, jumped up, turned around, moved his hands down, and roared!!
The iconic Zhang Kuang celebration.
75,000 people shouted in unison, "Zhang! Zhang! Zhang!"
Martin: "GOOOOOOOOOOOAL! Zhang Kuang! In the 8th minute! A violent long shot! This ball is so beautiful! Al-Habsi touched it but could do nothing!
Manchester United leads 1-0! Zhang Kuang's 84th league goal this season! He is pushing Premier League's record to a height that will never be reached!"
Neville: "Zhang Kuang's explosive power is terrifying, and his first step speed is definitely the first among Premier League's.
Two people, Figueroa and McCarthy, flanked him, but he got away with just one acceleration. Then came the shot. It's useless for the goalkeeper to predict this kind of shot, because it's too powerful."
He Wei: "It's in, it's in, it's in, the ball is in! Zhang Kuang! It only took 8 minutes to break the deadlock for Manchester United!
This is an iconic Zhang Kuang-style goal: taking the ball from the left, accelerating the breakthrough, cutting inside to the top of the penalty area, and shooting violently from long range! The whole process is smooth and smooth, without any unnecessary movements! It is clean and very beautiful. After watching it, it will make people feel sour and refreshing!"
Zhang Lu: "Hey, this ball is so beautiful. When Zhang Kuang started it, Figueroa couldn't keep up with it at all, and couldn't handle the physical confrontation.
Then you look at his shooting action. The supporting leg is firmly planted, the power leg is straight, and the instep is tight. The whole action is clean and neat. This kind of shooting is a talent."
On the bench, Pogba jumped up, pointed at Welbeck and shouted, "See! The first one! Get ready for a treat!"
Welbeck rolled his eyes. "Who is going to treat you? Zhang scored so early. There is a greater chance of scoring two more later. Who will lose then?"
Pogba: "Huh? The more he scores, the more I will win?"
Welbeck patted his forehead. "Oh, God, let this person read more books."
Pogba:"Isn't it right?"
Teammates: "..."
There are some things that are difficult for them to say, and if they say them, it would be racial discrimination.
That's right, that's the saying, 'Black people's IQs are worrisome and they have difficulty understanding some simple things, otherwise they wouldn't have been slaves for hundreds of years.'
It is impossible to find out where this sentence came from, but this is the most basic understanding and contempt for black people in the hearts of all white people in the West, but they cannot show it.
Forget it, you can't say too much. If you say too much, it will really be discrimination. We can't discriminate, otherwise some people will get angry.
After Zhang Kuang celebrated with his teammates on the court, he slowly walked to the midfield, applauding the audience as he walked.
Wigan Athletic's players looked a little dull. Perhaps as a mid-to-lower team, they are used to being scored by strong teams like this. After a long time, it doesn't feel that big anymore.
Wigan's head coach Martínez also shook his head helplessly. There was really nothing he could do about it. He couldn't be blamed, nor could he be blamed on the players. After all, they were just a mid-to-lower team with limited strength.
After shaking his head, he walked back to the bench, picked up his tactical notes and began to record them.
With the referee's whistle, the game continues...