Birmingham and Manchester City.

The two teams have similarities in many aspects, just like the two cities of Manchester and Birmingham. For example, the names of both teams contain "city" in their names, such as both teams have a city rival, and for example, both teams have been "possessed" by their respective city opponents for many years, the fate of the two teams is almost so similar. Because two years ago, both teams were acquired by capital from Asia, Hong Kong wealthy businessman Yang Ka-shing acquired Birmingham and became the largest shareholder, while former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin acquired Manchester City.

Just when Birmingham fans thought they could finally turn over and be the masters, they didn't know that the fate of the two teams quietly turned at this time. It was just the second season, that is, last year, when Manchester City was acquired again, while Birmingham was relegated at the end of the season. By the time Birmingham returned to the Premier League again this year, Manchester City had become a team that dared to target the league championship.

In just two years, the two clubs that were once at the same point have already been on different paths.

Fans have different fates.

As a witness who accompanied Birmingham's rebirth in the English Championship, coach McClish could only stand on the sidelines and envy Lin Sen's life for being really good, and his life was really bad.

With three wins, one draw and six losses in ten games, the seventeenth place is ranked seventeenth. Birmingham, who returns to the Premier League, has a low goal this season and is just to build a foothold in the Premier League. However, with such results, McClair's condition is obviously not much better. McClair did not expect that in this game, he would encounter a hungry Manchester City team.

At the same time, five offensive players were sent. This kind of thing that often happened in ancient times was relatively rare in modern football. Even if there were, it mostly appeared in the final stage of the game where there was no way to retreat. Now, Lin Sen made such an arrangement in the starting lineup.

Standing at St Andrews Stadium and listening to the visiting fans, Lin Sen knew what kind of controversy his "crazy" behavior would cause, but the fact is that he already felt that he could not retreat. Before that, Lin Sen racked his brains to search for his memories, but did not come up with any memory of Manchester City's Lianping this season, so he was not sure whether he was following the "old path", but it is certain that he could never accept his team's fourth draw. To put it more decisively, he would rather lose. He would not want to see that damn draw again.

Facing Manchester City, who was struggling desperately on the away game, McClish's first reaction was to be stunned for a moment, and his second reaction was to smile bitterly. Look at the five people in Manchester City's frontcourt, the combined value of all of them exceeded 100 million. If he had such five people in his hands, then he also wanted to send all of these five people, but now what he needs to consider is how to deal with these five people.

Manchester City's formation looks very similar to 4132, but after a few minutes of the game, McClish saw that this was not a top-heavy 4132, but more like 3232, because central defender Kompany's position has considerable flexibility in this tactic. In many cases, he will make up for the midfielder. Doing this will certainly reduce the risk factor that increases the defense line. But at the same time, McClish also saw that the reason why Lin Sen dared to do this was to determine that Birmingham would not play against Manchester City, so he dared to play such "technical jobs" in the midfield.

The simple explanation for doing this is that since you have very few offensives, there is no need for me to "stay so many defensive players" in the defense. Instead of doing this, it is better to add an offensive player. But in fact, Lin Sen was helpless in this game and remembered to "get from" Guardiola's moves. Of course, this Guardiola is the Guardiola in his memory.

Since Barcelona's "tiki-taka" has been the only one in the world, Guardiola in the later stage often experiments with various formations on Barcelona. People who like Guardiola say that this is Guardiola's preparations and striving for excellence. Those who don't like it say that Guardiola is pretending to be x and trying to die. In short, Guardiola is indeed seeking change, and the position he moves the most is the defense line. Why? It's very simple, because under Barcelona's ball control stream, their defense line is often "doing nothing", so many times, you can see that Pique with good skills will turn into a forward. In addition to Pique, a more familiar move by Guardiola against defense is to let the midfielder play at the center back.

This change was considered helpless at the time, because Puyol was often injured and Barcelona often had a shortage of people in the central defender position, so Mascherano, who had excellent defensive skills at the time, was often pulled to the "top of the cylinder". However, later, Mascherano often appeared on the defense line, but his work was not just as simple as the central defender's work.

Lin Sen is now allowing Kompany, who often plays the midfielder last season, to play this role.

If it were a strong team, Lin Sen would definitely not dare to "take a death" like this, but when facing Birmingham, Lin Sen was not afraid of McClash seeing it, because what could it do if it could be seen?

McClash still dared not play against Manchester City, or rather, it wasn’t that he didn’t dare, but he couldn’t. To use a popular metaphor, he had planes and cannons on his hands and dared to assault the whole army. You were Xiaomi and rifles. Even if you knew that the opponent’s entire army would attack, the rear would be empty, so what? Do you dare to take it? So, the best way is still the old way, guerrilla warfare, sneak attack.

It should be said that Manchester City's new formation was not smooth at the beginning, and Manchester City accumulated offensive players in the frontcourt. Correspondingly, Birmingham had to stock up on heavy troops in the backcourt to defend. This caused the congestion of Birmingham's backcourt, leaving little room for Manchester City offensive players. Not to mention the cooperation, they were able to control the ball smoothly and pass it out, thanks to their outstanding personal abilities.

However, when Manchester City's offensive players get used to this "crowding", the benefits of this formation are reflected, because although they are crowded, the forces invested by Manchester City are real, and there is almost no situation for players to fight alone. As long as you can pass the ball out, you will basically not have to worry about not having a response point.

After Bale, Suarez, and David Silva successfully transferred the ball from the defense zone that seemed almost to become a vegetable market to Robben on the right through a series of dazzling short passes, Sky TV commentator Charles had seen Manchester City have such a performance. In the Premier League, this was almost Arsenal's patent, and even the Arsenal's patent a few years ago, so he almost didn't praise Manchester City, and Lin Sen also benefited from it. Manchester City finally chose the right coach, and Lin Sen's change of the team in this game was a wonderful stroke...

Just when Charles was erect, Lin Sen, who was standing on the sidelines, was not as leisurely and wonderful as Charles said? It was just a helpless move.

Manchester City is still very good on the scene. Facing weak teams, strong teams always have the right to pretend to be x. Manchester City is just fulfilling this right. Relying on the advantages that are made of money, but if this advantage cannot lead to a goal, it will be useless. Charles said that if Manchester City continues to play in this way, Manchester City's goal will only be a matter of time. Because the ball "strolls" on the edge of Birmingham's penalty area for a long time, the goal seems to be only a slight slight margin.

But Lin Sen knew that this little bit of a game against Aston Villa had already cheated himself two games.

Things seemed much smoother today, because Manchester City knocked on Birmingham's goal in the 27th minute, laying the groundwork for a pass that lasted nearly two minutes. Robben passed the ball, and Suarez, the person who completed the shot, was the fourth goal of the Uruguayan striker this season. Four goals in seven games, as Manchester City's arrowhead, he was not very good, but he was already a passing score.

This is another best goal candidate in this round. The essence is not the shooting, but the prelude to the previous one.

After scoring the goal, Manchester City did not give up on offense. Instead, they continued to maintain offensive pressure on Birmingham, but what made Lin Sen a little helpless was that after that goal, the game entered the tricky mode of being in a position of being in a position and not scoring.

In the 34th minute, Robben got a one-on-one chance, but the Dutch shot the ball into the arms of the opponent's goalkeeper.

In the 41st minute, David Silva's free kick bypassed the wall and the opponent's goalkeeper, but was blocked by the crossbar.

In the 68th minute, facing the empty goal, Suarezlen gave the ball to the fans behind the goal.

In the 71st minute, Suarez was still there. This time his shot was very tricky, but he encountered the magical moment of the opponent's goalkeeper.

Three minutes later, McClash made the second substitution in this game, and the one who replaced it was a face that Linson was no stranger to, Russ Bend.

After Linson loaned to Birmingham this season, the two brothers did not get McClair's reuse at once. Instead, Sven Bend, who had better defense ability, got relatively more opportunities, but he did not start in this game. Of course, there were no avoidance terms in the loan agreement between Manchester City and Birmingham, and it was purely McClair's choice. Russ Bend's chance to play depends on the physical strength of veteran Barry Ferguson, just like the current substitution.

Before the game, I couldn't tell the old Lin Sen with the Bend brothers, and soon received a "hello" from Ras Bend, a goal.

In the 83rd minute, Birmingham had a "routine" counterattack. McFarden couldn't take the ball as soon as he took his half, because Sabareta, who seemed to have exchanged roles with him in this game, had already entangled him. In desperation, McFarden could only pass the ball to Casley in the midfield. Facing Manchester City's siege, Casley did not control the ball much, and directly passed the ball to Las Bend, who had just started the court.

Las Bend, who received the ball, originally wanted to organize the attack, but when he looked up, he saw that the ball was not in front of the village and the back of the village, and the ball was brought to a distance of more than 30 meters from the opponent's goal, so he simply swung his big foot and made a long shot.

Even Russ Bend's shot was a routine matter.

But the fact is that this shot drew a strange arc in the air, and then, Ji Wen, who had just returned from injury, flew into the upper left corner of the goal with grief and anger.

Then, amid the sudden roar of cheers at St Andrews Stadium, Lin Sen, who was sitting on the coach's seat, hit the plastic baffle next to him with his right fist.

Damn it! (To be continued)
Chapter completed!