opening a balotelli

Chapter 23 The Devil's Race
The first game of the devil's schedule is scheduled for the day after Christmas, which has been criticized by the coaches and players of the British Championship and the Premier League. It's fine if there is no winter break, and there is no Christmas holiday. Four games in nine days , It is also easy to cause players to be injured, so many teams will have some substitutes this week to let the main players take turns.

But Sheffield United is currently in the stage of scrambling for points. After thinking about it, Speed ​​has arranged for all the main players to play for the time being. The first opponent of the devil's schedule is Hull City, a team ranked in the middle and lower reaches. Sheffield United will naturally strive for three points.

But Speed ​​never imagined that although the team overcame the rain and snow, and withstood Hull City's counterattack, relying on Li Mo's assists and Jamie Ward, Ched Evans' rare double burst goals, Won the game, but the team's old captain Chris Morgan and left back Andy Taylor were all injured in the second half.

This is really life-threatening. After the team's defense system was rebuilt, Speed ​​was most afraid of someone getting injured. After all, the previous backup guards had tried it, and it was really useless. The old captain has been performing steadily in the position of the central defender. Maguire can have such a good performance. Chris Morgan's assistance and supplementary defense can be said to be indispensable. Now this position is injured. If the substitute defender is replaced If you can't stand it, the line of defense may return to the previous predicament.

The key is that the next game will start again in two days, and there is no time for adjustments. In desperation, Speed ​​can only let Maguire in the center, and then let the substitute defender Calvi kick Maguire's goal. Left centre-back position.

As for the left back, even the starter Andy Taylor was barely able to play, and the substitute was even worse. Speed ​​simply let a midfielder play as a wing back as he had arranged in the game before. Anyway, it's just a few games for the time being, just try to do a good job of defense.

However, after the defense replaced the two main players, the disadvantages were still revealed. Facing Norwich, who had just squeezed into the top three in the league, although Li Mo scored a goal, Sheffield United lost 1-3 in the end. The cooperation between Calvi and Maguire is very unfamiliar. Although Maguire's frontal defense is still very good, Calvi's side really can't withstand the impact of the Norwich striker.

After five consecutive unbeaten games, Sheffield United's point-grabbing action was strongly stopped by Norwich, and after the game, the team doctor told Speed ​​that some of the main players must be rotated, otherwise it is very likely that there will be Large-scale injuries will not only affect the back line, but may also reduce personnel in the midfield. Fortunately, Li Mo and Maguire have no physical discomfort. The team doctor also said that the two young players are in good health Otherwise, Speed ​​really plans to give up the next league game.

In the away game against Burnley, Speed ​​rotated four main players and planned to play defensively and counterattack, but Burnley did not know what medicine he had taken. The state of the game was very good, and Sheffield scored in the first half. Li Mo returned the ball before the end of the first half with a long shot from outside the penalty area. Soon after the start of the second half, Burnley scored another goal through a set kick. Sheffield 1 -3 behind.

At the critical moment, forward Bogdanovic, who came on as a substitute for Ched Evans, succeeded in grabbing points in the penalty area and brought the score back to 2-3. At this time, the game time has reached No. 804 minutes.

Li Mo is still trying his best to help his teammates pull Burnley's defense. He was marked again in this game. After scoring a long shot in the first half, he was closely marked by a defensive midfielder of Burnley. It still created a chance for Bogdanovic to grab points. The regular game time ended quickly, because there were no serious fouls or sudden accidents, and the stoppage time was only 3 minutes.

After Li Mo barely caught the ball for the last time, he really didn't have a good chance. He could only take the ball to the side as far as possible, and finally made a corner kick. This was basically the last chance of the audience. All Sheffield United players Trotted to Burnley's half, there were eight Sheffield United players standing in the penalty area alone, plus the defensive Burnley players, the penalty area can be said to be men on top of men, both sides give me an elbow , I gave you a slap, it's so lively.

After Stephen Quinn took a corner kick, Li Mo rushed forward under the cover of his teammates, but Stephen Quinn didn't know whether he was nervous or just blindfolded. The speed of the ball was too fast!Li Mo didn't even have time to shake his head to attack the goal, so he could only try his best to reach the ball and rub back.

After rubbing, Li Mo turned his head and looked back as much as possible while still in the air, and the football was sent flying upwards by him again. After falling slightly, a figure wearing a Sheffield United jersey fully jumped up from the back point, comfortably Stretching his body and shaking his head to attack the goal, Li Mo couldn't see if the ball went in or not. He fell on the turf. His first reaction was that the fall was too painful, and then he blurted out: "Damn it, what a big head!"

Then, his eyes went dark, and he saw Maguire running over and pressing on him in a daze, holding his face excitedly and not knowing what he was talking about, and the teammates next to him also followed suit. One by one, Li Mo yelled again, and then jumped out from the bottom quickly, watching Maguire howling at the bottom.

Burnley's home court was booed immediately, accompanied by cursing and countless obscene gestures. Obviously, the equalizer before the end made the Burnley fans unacceptable, and they were very angry!Li Mo grinned, waved his hands towards the jubilant bench, and roared loudly.

His teammates stood up and everyone made their own contributions. Bogdanovic's goal kept hope, and Maguire tied the score, which made Li Mo feel better than his own lore. Although they did not win the game, a reversal and equalization that even chased the score can also boost the morale of the team. This is more important than anything else in a difficult schedule.

After the game, Speed ​​was in the locker room and praised the players without hesitation. He finally saw the tenacity and cohesion of the team who refused to admit defeat, which gave him confidence in the hedging against the Super League. Some compensation can be made through tactics, but the firmness of mind depends on the players themselves. He believes that they will not fail this season if they maintain this momentum.

After returning home, the morale-boosting Sheffield United players faced the last opponent in the devil's schedule, the middle-ranked Doncaster, and finally gained another big victory. Stephen Quinn, Ched Evans , Li Mo scored separately, Sheffield United finally beat Doncaster 3-0, and achieved two wins, one draw and one loss in the devil's schedule.

With such results, the club's executives, fans, and coaching staff are very satisfied. After the players have left the team to participate in the national team warm-up match or are on vacation, the coaching staff also welcomes players for trial training, and the winter window signings have begun.

(End of this chapter)