I Am Scouted by Real Madrid

Chapter 865: Chapter 83: Double Champion! (2)

The media generally anticipates that if Ferguson adopts an attacking formation, Rooney and Hernandez will start.

Long-time Manchester United player Ferdinand also firmly believes Rooney will play a significant role, saying, ”When we all need Rooney to step up, he never disappoints.”

He considers that the winning goal Rooney scored in the Manchester United vs. Manchester City derby was not only the most spectacular goal scored at Old Trafford this season, but also demonstrated Rooney’s formidable impact in major matches, showing he’s no longer just a kid.

Ferdinand made a high-profile assessment of Rooney before the match, saying, ”Such instances this season are innumerable.”

Of the Manchester United players who played in the 2009 Champions Cup final, 10 will compete against Real Madrid tonight. Ferguson believes that the growth in match experience over two years makes Manchester United well-placed to win this Champions Cup final. He said, ”Especially Ferdinand and Vidic’s extensive experience in major matches is crucial for Manchester United.” He remarked that overall, ”Our players’ European match experience is much stronger than two years ago, giving us a chance to win.”

Before the match, Ferguson praised Real Madrid as a strong European team but stressed, ”Manchester United’s strength is on par with Real Madrid’s.” He added, ”The final will be an excellent show!”

Discussing the historical significance of tonight’s Champions Cup final at Wembley, Ferguson, after marveling at the great achievements of Manchester United and Real Madrid over the past decade, stated, ”Many people will surely agree that tonight’s Champions Cup final will be the most thrilling battle of the past decade.”

Ferguson also said, ”Manchester United and Real Madrid both have proud histories, which is also the most captivating aspect of tonight’s final.” He predicts tonight’s Champions Cup final will have ”numerous goals and many exciting moments, and the match played by both sides will be spectacular!”

Ferguson, who led Manchester United to win the Champions Cup twice in 1999 and 2008, revealed that the mistakes made in the loss of the 2009 final were already looming before the match, and this time they have corrected all the deviations to prepare for tonight’s Champions Cup final. ”We are more focused this time, and the preparation is more thorough. The mistakes in the 2009 final will definitely not happen this time.”

Ferguson believes that tonight’s Champions Cup final is very important for Manchester United.

He said, ”We have to fight for our honor!” This season Manchester United only conceded four goals on the European stage, and they recently broke the record by winning the domestic league championship for the 19th time. Ferguson remarked, ”Securing the league title one round early has made us better prepared for this Champions Cup final!”

Talking about the players, Ferguson said, ”Now Manchester United players trust each other because I have confidence in them. I believe they will perform at their best.”

Ferguson believes that the current Manchester United team is not only united but also has an impressive record on the European stage this season. He pointed out, ”Being familiar with the European match style lets us smile facing tonight’s final.”

As domestic league champions, Manchester United will face Real Madrid tonight, hailed as Spain’s ”greatest club in history”: not only with Chen Zhong but also many players from the Spanish World Cup winning team.

But Ferguson isn’t worried. He said, ”Of course we know how formidable Real Madrid is, but even the strongest opponent has a weakness.”

At the same time, Ferguson emphasized doing well on their own, saying, ”We just need to play to our level, no problem!”

Likewise, veterans from both teams talked about this final before the match.

Remember Manchester United’s super substitute Sheringham from back in the day?

As a hero of Manchester United winning the Champions Cup in 1999, this former assassin also spoke about the final at Wembley.

”Remember the glory of 1999, it was an unprecedented achievement. This was the 15th year of my career, and I had never stood on this highest podium before, and that season came with three championships. We completed a comeback against Bayern in the last two minutes of that match, and of course, wouldn’t be surprised if United replicates the brilliance of the 1999 final tonight, even if victory is decided at the last moment,” the ”super substitute” stated.

”When you play for a team like Manchester United, you persistently strive for victory, never giving up until the final whistle. Those last two minutes of the match were the most shining of my career; the equalizing goal was scored purely on instinct. As for the second goal, I remember when David (Beckham) sent a corner to the near post; I knew my position was not particularly good, so I adjusted my body and flicked the ball to the far post where I knew we had players waiting.”

The player ”waiting” Sheringham referred to was indeed Solskjaer, also known as a ”super substitute”: ”I think Ferguson already has a plan to deal with Real Madrid. Indeed, people are sometimes very afraid of the attacking lineup composed of Chen Zhong, Kaka, and Cristiano Ronaldo, as they are incomparable players. However, if Manchester United can suppress them in the half-field, they can’t display their skills and threaten Manchester United.”

Sheringham continued, ”Similarly, Mourinho must be racking his brains on how to limit Rooney and Hernandez. I sincerely hope to see Van der Sar lifting the Big Ears Cup, the highest honor in Europe, at the last moment of his career because he deserves this accolade.”