Chapter 72: The Problem of the Start

Manchester United lose their first league game!

Manchester United have finally lost!!

In the media reports in England, they can clearly feel the mood of sending a sigh of relief. After all, Manchester United won like this, which made everyone's hearts tremble. There was even a suspicion that this season's Premier League might lose suspense in the twenties.

But the good thing is that Manchester United lost, Manchester United finally lost!

"The shadow fades, Manchester United is back on earth!" 》

"Sky City beat off the Red Devils at home, sending Manchester United to their first defeat of the season! 》

Mark Hughes won Ancelotti! 》

………

Li Qingshan's gloomy expression appeared on the front page of a big media after the game.

"........ Li Qingshan's performance in this game was good enough, he scored two goals for the team, two iconic headers, and twice beat Walscheid's powerful hammer! Sending football into the goal, the only regret was that his team could not win the game, and Stoke City's three attackers scored a goal each to beat Manchester United 3-2 and give United their first defeat of the season! ”

'..... Rooney's two mistakes gave Stoke two counter-attacking chances, while Shaqiri and Boyang took advantage of those chances to score. United may have far more chances than Stoke City in terms of absolute chances, but that's often the case in football, and the dominant side doesn't always win.......

"........Although the injuries at the back have had some impact on Manchester United's strength, if it weren't for Rooney's mistake, perhaps Manchester United could once again rely on striker Li Qingshan's play to help the team take away the three points, and Rooney will be largely responsible for Manchester United's loss......"

Rooney put down the newspaper and touched the top of his head with some distress that he had only succeeded in the hair transplant this year.

He put on the boxing gloves that had just left him next to him, walked into his boxing practice room, and vented his frustration at the sandbag.

He did have a reason to be depressed.

To say that he has not been unhappy with Carlo Ancelotti for holding him on the bench this season must be false. But what can he do with Ancelotti. Manchester United's performance this season is obvious to all, and without Wayne Rooney, United have been more fluid and fast in attack.

The two goals conceded in the face of Stoke City were caused by the opponent's successful counterattack after he stopped the ball a little wider.

If Rooney is a few years younger, there is no problem with stopping the ball a little too much, because he can immediately catch up with the ball with his explosiveness, which is not a problem for Rooney at all.

But when he is not as physically functional as he was when he was younger, the slightly rough flaws of his technique are exposed, and he still plays the same way he used to, which obviously does not work.

Rooney knows he doesn't have many chances, and this defeat is likely to cost him another place in the starting line-up.

In fact, Carlo Ancelotti is also weighing whether to put Rooney off the starting line-up.

Although Rooney has declined a lot in physical function, the emaciated camel is bigger than the horse, and if he had to choose someone to replace Mata, Rooney's ability should be the closest.

The problem now is that Wayne Rooney's style of play has to be adjusted, and when Mata is on the pitch, Mata can effectively connect the team, connecting the three midfielders in midfield and creating space for striker Li Qingshan through horizontal and vertical flexible movements, and he plays a role like a lubricant for the team.

In these games, Rooney frequently went to the middle to get the ball, squeezing Li Qingshan's space, and letting the right side of the line be empty, exposing the back line directly to the opponent's attack line, so that Valencia did not dare to step forward to assist. It's like the team's offense has lost its lubricant and can't flow smoothly.

………..

On the sidelines of the training ground, Carlo Ancelotti was surrounded by the media.

During the fifteen minutes of the team's open practice, the reporters were free to do the same.

"Mr. Carllow, what do you think of Rooney's performance?"

"Will you start Wayne Rooney in the next league game?"

The reporters took the microphone and reached out to Mourinho, asking all kinds of questions in their mouths. Most of them are about Rooney.

After the game against Stoke City, many media expected Rooney to be taken out of the starting line-up.

Carlo Ancelotti stood in front of the reporters, and of course he would not say anything bad about the captain of the team in the media.

'Wayne Rooney is the captain of the team and everything he's done in the past shows what he's worth. As for the starting line-up, I'll make adjustments depending on the opponent, and I can't tell you about it right now. Ancelotti said.

Journalists, of course, don't expect to hear anything valuable from the good old man Carlo Ancelotti. And United's next league opponent is Chelsea, with Carlo Ancelotti kicking journalists out of the training ground after fifteen minutes of open training. Manchester United's starting arrangements for the next league game will have to be guessed by the media themselves.

For Carlo Ancelotti, the most important thing is how to deal with Chelsea, who will play against their next league opponents.

Chelsea have been mired in the mud this season, but it is important to know that Chelsea, who had almost the same squad last season, won the Premier League.

Therefore, there must be something wrong with Chelsea's dressing room. However, these problems may now be a thing of the past.

Because just a few days ago, Chelsea officially announced the news of Mourinho's dismissal.

After the 2-1 defeat at leaders Leicester City, Jose Mourinho admitted he had been betrayed by a number of players. In fact, he mentioned the word "betrayal" three times in his pre-match tactical meetings, in his half-time talks to the team and in his post-match press conference in preparation for that game. Before the match against the leader, Mourinho sensed the existence of an "inner ghost" through a few things.

Before the do-or-die clash against Porto in the final round of the Champions League, Mourinho learned through his acquaintances at his former club that Porto knew that he was going to start Cesc Fabregas. Despite a 2-0 win for Chelsea, Jose Mourinho is convinced that at least one player in his squad is betraying him, and this is not the first time this season that Mourinho feels that this crucial information has been leaked, whether intentionally or accidentally.

Jose Mourinho returned to the Cobham training base on Friday to collect his personal belongings and bid farewell to the team and coaching staff. According to the Daily Mail, some players within the Blues were happy with Jose Mourinho's departure, but Mourinho said goodbye to all the players. Mourinho's final speech was very emotional, and he hoped that Chelsea would not let themselves go, reminding the players to never forget what made the team win the Double last season.

Chelsea owner Abou told the Chelsea players at the team's training ground the day after he sacked Jose Mourinho that the Russian had told Chelsea's stars that he did not want to sack Mourinho, but given the current situation of the team, he was forced to make that choice.

After almost half a season of struggles for Chelsea, the war between players and managers finally ended with the sacking of Jose Mourinho.

The interim head coach who took over Chelsea was Guus Hiddink, who was also the manager of Chelsea who thought he would be in the second palace.

For Manchester United, the next league opponent will be a different Chelsea under the leadership of the manager, and Ancelotti cannot afford to be careless.