Starting with saving Manchester United

The VIP boxes at Old Trafford have a dedicated entrance and require a special ticket.

Outside the private room was a long corridor, somewhat like a hotel's guest room area.

The difference is that the hotel rooms are on both sides of the corridor, while the private boxes are concentrated on the side closer to the stadium.

The facilities at Old Trafford are a bit outdated, and even the largest boxes can only accommodate 20 people.

The interior space is not large, but it is equipped with a bar, a small conference table, and comfortable sofas.

Hello, Alex.

As soon as Ferguson entered, a bald man wearing glasses greeted him with a smile and gave him a warm hug, appearing to be very familiar with him.

"Hello, Joel," Ferguson said politely, giving him a hug.

Then came another person next to him, "Good evening, Avram."

These two are the co-chairmen of Manchester United, the Glazer brothers, Avram Glazer and Joel Glazer.

The Glazer family has always treated Ferguson with great respect.

When the Glazers were still in charge of Manchester United, they repeatedly reminded everyone that Ferguson was a crucial link between the Glazer family and Manchester United's homegrown influence, and that this should be taken seriously.

After exchanging pleasantries, the three of them sat down in the sofa area next to the glass curtain wall.

The others, knowing they had something to say, voluntarily stepped back to the conference table.

"Alex, Ed has indeed acted somewhat inappropriately lately, being too hasty, but he has already explained to us that Moyes' resignation had nothing to do with him, and he himself was very surprised and surprised."

Avram Glazer offered his explanation, hoping to ease Ferguson's unease.

Ferguson frowned slightly.

He certainly believed the Glazer brothers; after all, they were out of school, so there was no need for them to lie.

If it wasn't Woodward who did it, then who was?

There's no reason for Moyes to voluntarily give up his £10 million release clause, is there?

Ferguson's mood worsened as a possibility came to mind.

"Alex, Ed has repeatedly emphasized to us that in the original plan, he hoped that Moyes could stay until the end of the season. This is the bottom line. After all, we gave him a 6-year contract, and it would not look good to be fired halfway through."

"So things came to this unexpectedly," Ed said. "Moyes was very determined to resign that night, as if he had been deeply hurt by those fans."

It's also possible that they learned something, or misunderstood something.

Ferguson guessed to himself.

"Anyway, Jazz, thank you very much for stepping up and stabilizing the team during this turbulent time."

Ferguson was stunned when he heard Avram Glazer's words.

"Me? Step in?"

"Yeah, wasn't Mike Phelan the one you invited back to the team? And Giggs, he's been in the media a lot lately." Joel Glazer laughed, as if to say: We all saw how much you helped.

Ferguson quickly shook his head, "No, no, no, Avram, Joel, you've all misunderstood."

"Misunderstand?"

"I was not involved in the whole thing from beginning to end."

The Glazer brothers looked at each other in bewilderment.

"When Mike Phelan left Manchester United, he didn't contact me. When he came back to work for Manchester United, I had no idea. And Giggs, I knew nothing about his work at Manchester United, and had no connection with him."

Ferguson's words were more of a way of distancing himself from Giggs.

"So, you don't know what's been happening with the team these past few days?" Joel Glazer asked, quite surprised.

Ferguson shook his head firmly. "Nobody told me anything."

"Then tonight's game..." Avram Glazer was a little flustered.

Whether or not they can reach the Champions League quarterfinals is a matter of millions of pounds in revenue.

The reason the two brothers made a special trip from the United States was not only because the game was important, but also because they wanted to give Ferguson face.

Surprisingly, Ferguson did not participate.

So, the rumors circulating outside are all true.

Was all of this done by that 25-year-old rookie Chinese coach?

Can he manage Manchester United?

"Nonsense! Ed is being ridiculous!" Avram Glazer couldn't sit still any longer.

"How could he entrust such an important match to a complete rookie? Isn't that a joke?"

Joel Glazer was equally anxious. "Yeah, I think so, Alex. There's still time to make adjustments. I'll call Ed over right away. From this moment on, you'll take over the team and be fully responsible for this game."

"We believe in you. We can accept whatever the outcome of the game. And we're leaving all the remaining games of the season to you. As always, you're in charge of Carrington."

Avram Glazer nodded repeatedly, clearly agreeing with the statement.

Like all Manchester United fans, they had an almost blind trust and adoration for Ferguson.

Ferguson shook his head with a wry smile and declined, saying, "I'm sorry, Avram, Joel, my wife's emotions have been unstable since her sister passed away. I really want to spend more time with her and my family."

Are you kidding me?

Is this the time for me to take over?

Aren't you pushing me into a fire pit?

After losing 0-2 away in the first leg and experiencing a series of upheavals, who can be confident of turning the tide at home?

After a pause, Ferguson's expression turned serious, and he solemnly assured, "Since I have chosen to retire, I will no longer be involved in these matters from now on. At most, I will fulfill my duties as a director and advisor."

After all, Manchester United pays him a large retirement fee every year.

The Glazer brothers exchanged a helpless glance.

Just then, the waiter in the private room knocked on the door and came in to ask if they needed any drinks, alcohol, or lottery tickets.

They can all provide services.

In addition, the VIP box offers a special perk not available with regular tickets: a list of the starting lineups for both teams.

Although the printed list distinguishes between starters and substitutes, apart from the two goalkeepers who are listed at the top of the starting lineup and substitutes respectively, the rest of the players are ordered according to their jersey numbers.

When Ferguson received the list, his entire expression changed.

1号德赫亚、4号菲尔·琼斯、10号鲁尼、12号斯莫林、15号维迪奇、16号卡里克、18号阿什利·扬、20号范佩西、23号克莱维利、25号瓦伦西亚、31号费莱尼。

替补名单则是分别为：13号林德加德、3号埃弗拉、5号费迪南德、14号埃尔南德斯、19号维尔贝克、24号弗莱彻、44号贾努扎伊。

Ferguson already knew that Giggs wasn't on the roster.

But now, he has absolutely no idea what's going on with this list.

What about the left-back?

Are they going to use Smalling on the left wing?

What about the center-backs?

Could it be... a change of tactics?

But there's no one on the left wing; Evra is on the bench.

……

"What's with this starting lineup?"

In another box not far away, also the largest 20-person box, Giggs jumped up when he saw the starting lineup.

"What a mess! Does that bastard even know anything about military strategy?"

Scholes and the others were also completely baffled.

But if even people who have played football for decades can't understand it, then it can only prove that Yang Fan's starting lineup is simply absurd and a complete mess!

"What exactly does he want to do?" Scholes asked in a deep voice.

Giggs was still furious after getting angry from Ferguson, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.

"No matter what he's trying to do, with the starting lineup he's fielded right now, they're doomed tonight."

"Then don't blame us for kicking you when you're down and going all out!" Giggs said through gritted teeth.

He disliked being threatened more than anything in his life.

However, Yang Fan repeatedly threatened and manipulated him.

He will definitely avenge this!

……

"To all viewers at home, we have just received the starting lineups for both teams in this match."

"Now let our special guest commentator, Manchester United legend Gary Neville, introduce the details of this starting lineup."

"Hello everyone, I'm Gary Neville."

The live broadcast camera focused on the Old Trafford stadium stands. Sky Sports' commentary booth featured Gary Neville, who first described the packed stadium before introducing the starting lineup.

"It's clear that Olympiacos' starting lineup is basically the same as in the first leg, and Michel should still be using a 4-2-3-1 formation."

"But Manchester United made very big adjustments."

"We see that Evra and Ferdinand, two key defenders, are both on the bench."

"Based on the current squad, my personal guess is that if Manchester United continues to use a four-man defense, they will likely have other players fill in at left-back."

"Another possibility is a change in formation, but no matter how it changes, there will definitely be someone on the left flank."

"We don't know the specifics of the arrangement yet."

"However, I want to say that this is a do-or-die match in the Champions League Round of 16."

"Judging from Michel's pre-match statements, he was determined to win."

"Manchester United changed managers before the season started, and the current interim manager is a 25-year-old rookie with no professional football experience, which is very worrying."

"From this starting lineup, we can see that he doesn't understand football at all."

"So all we can do now is pray that Manchester United will have good luck tonight!"

"Personally, I think this might not be a bad thing for Manchester United."

"Perhaps losing the Champions League can wake up Manchester United's management. Football is different from other industries. Perhaps they should rely more on those within Manchester United who truly understand the game and are familiar with the club."

"At least personally, when I saw this starting lineup, I was already mentally prepared for the worst."

"Although this is not what I wanted to see, and it even pains me deeply."

"But I still maintain that you should respect football and respect tradition!"