green star

Chapter 207 Leeds United's Road to Europe
After Leeds United's 4-0 away victory over Blackburn, it is the national team match day, and the league will also be suspended for a week.

However, a week later, Leeds United will have another knockout match in the FA Cup. The results of the draw for the opponents that Leeds United will face next in the FA Cup have also come out. Chelsea, and what is even more detrimental to Leeds United is that in this game, Chelsea was lucky to get a good home lottery, which means that Leeds United will encounter a severe and difficult away trip.

The FA Cup matches are not divided into home and away games. After entering the knockout round, first draw lots to decide which team is home or away, and which team can advance, that is, a game to determine the outcome. If there is a tie in the 90-minute game, then a rematch will be selected. In the rematch, if the game is still tied in the 90-minute game, it will directly enter the penalty kick...

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Li Rui hasn't seen Jessica Alba since the Spring Festival with Jessica Alba. Jessica Alba is very busy now... The filming of "Fame" It has also entered the most critical stage, perhaps because of Li Rui, Jessica Alba is also quite devoted to this film, and the camera sense is also very good. It is said that director Danny Cannon is also interested in Jessica Alba. Ba's acting skills are full of praise, and he is probably already dreaming of the scene where the box office soars.

Jessica Alba doesn't have time, Li Rui is also busy now, spending all day on Alan Lennon's pineapple car, Li Rui has finally made up his mind to learn a driver's license. Rui also failed to be selected for the national team, so he contacted a driving school and learned how to drive. His goal is very simple. At the end of the competition, he can get his driver's license... Then in the summer, he can buy a car and have nothing to do , I’m going on a self-driving tour in Europe, um, take my dad and mom over, the two old people stay at the door of their house all their lives, and they also come out to travel...to see the outside world.

In addition to learning to drive, Li Rui also has to take the exams at the University of Leeds. He has already had two red lights for his homework. The time for study is really limited, and there is another important point, that is, Li Rui's university homework is all self-study, not to mention whether the effect of self-study is good, but the thick textbooks are all in English, It was enough to give Li Rui a headache.

Therefore, these days, apart from training on time and taking time to learn how to drive, Li Rui put almost all his energy into studying his homework. He only hoped that he could pass this exam. Being expelled from school is too shocking.

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The days are ordinary, training every day, taking time to learn how to drive, watching game videos, and reviewing homework. This is the portrayal of Li Rui's life after the Spring Festival. He and Jessica Alba only occasionally talk on the phone to greet each other. However, in the past few days, Jessica Alba was so busy that she didn't even have time to make a phone call.

On February 2th, the entire Leeds United team came to London by bus. This is the third time Li Rui has come to London this season. There is no way. There are four Premier League teams in London alone. However, this game does not Not the league, but the FA Cup game, Leeds United VS Chelsea away.

Eddie Gray didn't care too much about this FA Cup match. He already had the idea of ​​giving up the FA Cup. After all, relying on Leeds United's current strength, it is really difficult to fight on two fronts.

On the contrary, some media are clamoring there. From the media's point of view, Eddie Gray's team belongs to those who get excited when they meet a strong team. The most anticipated match in the knockout round of the Total Cup.

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However, Eddie Gray did not let the media get what he wanted. In this FA Cup match against Chelsea, he hid a number of main players. Now, in the league, Leeds United has 12 wins, 7 draws and 8 losses, with 43 points. The 7th place in the league is only 6 points away from Middlesbrough, which is ranked 4th in the league. It is still very hopeful to get a ticket to enter Europe directly. However, Leeds United's current strength is obviously a bit weak to deal with two-line battles. difficult.

Therefore, after discussing it, the coaching staff of Leeds United decided to give up the FA Cup and concentrate on the league, hoping to reach the top six directly and get a ticket to the European competition. Of course, among them, Eddie Gray's decisive opinion is dominant.

Therefore, in this FA Cup knockout match against Chelsea, although Li Rui also came to Stamford Bridge with the team, he did not start the game. Even after the game started, he did not play even for a minute.

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In this game, among Leeds United's first-line main players, only Albertini and Milner, who had just returned from injury, started the game. Most of the rest were substitute players, and there were a few players temporarily drawn from the reserve team.

The result of the game surprised everyone. After 90 minutes of the game, Leeds United drew 0:0 in the away game with Chelsea, who played with all the main players.

"Chelsea shot...Chelsea's chance... Another shot..." This is the evaluation of the game by The Sun after the game. The Chelsea team, which played the main force, shot as many as 23 times in the game. Leeds United's substitute players and reserve team players, who did not score even a single goal and had a rare chance to play, almost worked their ass off. Everyone participated in the defense more, and finally reaped a difficult draw.

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"Damn!" Eddie Gray looked at the 0:0 score on the electronic scoreboard at Stamford Bridge, frowned, and he turned to assistant coach Gustavo Poyet and said, "Gudy, you said Should I praise these guys, or should I punish them severely."

Gustavo Poyet smiled wryly. Of course he knew that Eddie Gray was a little depressed now. Originally, the coaching staff didn't have much hope for this game against Chelsea. They were ready to give up the cup and concentrate on playing The league is over, but I didn't expect that Leeds United, which is mainly composed of substitutes and reserve players, was able to draw Chelsea 0:0 in the away game and get the chance for a rematch...

This is really embarrassing for the coaching staff. Of course, the players cannot be blamed for this. After all, it is right to try our best in every game. The headache for the Leeds United coaching staff is that the next match against Chelsea According to the rules, the next rematch will be held at Leeds United's home stadium, Elland Road. At that time, it will be a bit embarrassing. If you still send substitutes to play, It would be unreasonable to be slaughtered by Chelsea at Elland Road.

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Fortunately, the time for the rematch has not been set yet. Let’s talk about it at that time. We can only take one step at a time. Gustavo Poyet told the head coach his thoughts. Eddie Gray frowned, no Answer... He found a problem, but he hasn't been able to figure it out...

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After this FA Cup match against Chelsea, a week later, the Leeds United team came to Manchester on the bus. However, in this game, Leeds United did not come to Manchester United’s Old Trafford Stadium, but It is an away game against Manchester City at the Manchester Municipal Stadium.

This game was once again hyped by some Chinese media as the 'Chinese Derby'.CCTV also once again got the rights to broadcast the game.

At the same time, since the 2004-2005 season of the Premier League has entered the most intense second half of the sprint stage, Chinese fans are very concerned about what Li Rui and Leeds United can achieve at the end of the season. As a result, CCTV5 also made a video of about 15 minutes, briefly introducing the tough battle that Leeds United will encounter in the next month or so.

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First of all, on February 2005, 2, in the 26th round of the Premier League, Manchester City VS Leeds United, this is the "Chinese Derby" that the Chinese media likes to talk about. Manchester City is now ranked 28th in the league, and it is basically impossible to qualify. The European competition of the season is over, so, in this match, although Sun Jihai of Manchester City has a lot of popularity in China, according to the survey of a certain sports portal, most of the fans still tend to support Leeds United, which has the hope of entering the European competition. Yes, the reason is of course very simple, Li Rui is in Leeds United.

After the game against Manchester City, on March 2005, 3, Leeds United VS Chelsea, this is a rematch of the FA Cup, the winning side will advance to the top 1 of the FA Cup this season, however, for this game, Most of the media and fans still believe that the final promotion will be the powerful Chelsea. Moreover, in the first round of the FA Cup, Leeds United sent off the bench and gave up the idea of ​​​​the cup. up.

However, what is interesting is that after the FA Cup match, on March 3, in the 6th round of the league, the opponent Leeds United will welcome at home is Chelsea. This is the first time we have met the Premier League leaders this season.

Next, on March 3th, Leeds United VS Bolton away, this is also a game that Leeds United must win if they want to enter the European arena, why do you say that, look at Leeds United in the next Opponents in the two rounds of the league.

On April 4, in the 2st round of the league, Leeds United will come to London for the fourth time this season. At Highbury Stadium, they will challenge Arsenal, who are only 31 points behind Chelsea, in an away game.

On April 4th, after returning from Arsenal's Highbury Stadium, Leeds United will welcome Manchester United, who lost to Leeds United at home in the first half of the schedule, at their home stadium, Elland Road. Although it is not a derby, it will always be more popular than a derby.

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In these few games, the opponents are very strong. Except for the game against Bolton, these few games are the traditional giants of the Premier League. Now the top three in the league standings, Leeds United will play next to each other. It can be said that this It even made Leeds United more desperate than the devil's schedule during Christmas.

In the minds of many Leeds United fans, except for the game against Bolton, it is not easy to score a point in the rest of the games.It’s not that Leeds United fans are arrogant and have no confidence in their team. It’s really that Leeds United have done their best this season. With not much investment, it’s not easy to retain the hope of entering Europe. Now, the main players of Leeds United are very tired, and it is really difficult to take turns to face the three giants who have worked hard in the second half of the season.

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Manchester Municipal Stadium, thunderous cheers.

In the match against Manchester City, Li Rui met another idol whom he envied in front of the TV a few years ago, Manchester City striker Fowler, once the golden boy of Liverpool.

In this game, Fowler showed a rare competitive state. In the 16th minute of the game, Fowler scored a goal and gave Manchester City the lead at home.

The person who assisted him was Wright Phillips, the black player's stepfather, who was the legendary Arsenal legend Wright.

Just now, Wright Phillips used his speed to continuously dribble the ball in the midfield, and after getting rid of Pennant's entanglement, he suddenly sent a beautiful direct pass.

This pass tore through Leeds United's defense. After getting the ball, Fowler suddenly cut inside. Gary Kelly immediately stepped up to defend. The two were struggling. Suddenly Gary Kelly slipped and Fowler broke into In the penalty area, facing the attacking goalkeeper Scott Carson, he directly kicked a strong low shot and smashed the football into the net.

Manchester City temporarily leads Leeds United 1:0!
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At the beginning, in 2001, Leeds United spent £1100 million from Liverpool to bring Robbie Fowler, who had no place at Anfield, to Elland Road. However, he only stayed in Leeds United for two years. In the first season, Fowler, whose level had declined seriously, was sent to his current Manchester City team by Leeds United for a jump price of 300 million euros.

This deal, until now, has Leeds United fans questioning whether it is tricky, because, from 1100 million pounds to 300 million pounds, in just two seasons, it has shrunk too much.

Moreover, even now, half of Fowler's salary in Manchester City is still paid by Leeds United. This is the price that Leeds United was eager to send Robbie Fowler away. Fowler, with a goal, came to such a knife on Leeds United, who was taken advantage of by "benevolence and righteousness".

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The camera also focused on the field. Leeds United's deputy Gary Kelly. According to media speculation, Fowler had to leave Leeds United because the conflict with Gary Kelly had become public. However, Leeds United fans know that Gary Kelly is known as a good old man, and his relationship with Gary Kelly was so stiff that he had to leave. One can imagine how angry Robbie Fowler was at the beginning.

Gary Kelly's face was ashen. This good-tempered veteran has never been so angry like this. Just now, Fowler greeted Gary Kelly's female relatives. A skid, but Fowler broke in.

3 minute later.

Fowler got the ball at the front of the penalty area, stopped the ball and turned around, and was about to dribble. Gary Kelly had already caught up from the other side like lightning, and then slid Fowler with the ball and fell out of the baseline.

Amid wild boos from Manchester City fans, referee Robert showed Gary Kelly a yellow card.

Gustavo Poyet was extremely nervous when the referee took out the card from his pocket. He was afraid that the referee would issue a red card, and that would be the end. In this game, Richardson had a cold and went to Can't play, and another right back, Caldwell, has accumulated yellow cards and is suspended. The team only has Gary Kelly as a right back. If he is sent off, not only will there be one less player, but there will be no substitute for a qualified right back. .

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Fowler was very angry that the referee only showed a yellow card. He protested to the referee angrily, but the referee Robert ignored him. The referee could see clearly that although Gary Kelly's movement was relatively large, However, the football was shoveled first.

Gary Kelly didn't shake hands with Fowler who got up from the turf at all. He glanced at his former teammate, snorted, and walked away.

It was impossible for Fowler not to hear this provocative hum, and he was irritated.

After that, after Fowler got the ball several times in a row, he didn't pass the ball at all, and directly chose to break through from Gary Kelly. Both of them moved more and more, and gradually became angry.

Eddie Gray also noticed this situation off the court. He was still applauding his team's deputy's tenacious fight. When Di Gray planned to replace Gary Kelly, the situation on the court changed suddenly.

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Fowler dribbled the ball on the penalty area line. When he was pulling with Gary Kelly, he fell down. The referee Robert blew his whistle and showed Gary Kelly the second yellow card of the game and awarded a penalty Penalty.

"What the hell!" Eddie Gray was on the sidelines, arranging for Wilcox to warm up. He planned to let Wilcox replace Gary Kelly, who was a little emotional, and make a temporary guest right back, but he didn't expect , Gary Kelly has been sent off.

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It was only when the referee pointed to the penalty spot that Gary Kelly realized that he should not get carried away with anger. However, it was too late. The frustrated veteran left the field sadly, and Fowler personally took the penalty kick. Extending the score to 2:0, after scoring the goal, Fowler shook his finger in the direction of the player tunnel... The provocative taste was obvious, and he knew that in the players' lounge, Gary Kelly would definitely be sitting on the TV Saw it in front of the plane.

That's right, Gary Kelly saw it, and he was extremely angry, but, what can he do, in a word, the veteran of Leeds United was "betrayed by the devil"...

In the final game, Leeds United lost to Manchester City with a score of 1:3. Before the end of the first half, Barton made a long-range shot for Manchester City to expand the score to 3:0!

In the 63rd minute of the second half, Li Rui was pushed down in the penalty area by Manchester City's defensive veteran Dunn, and won a penalty for Leeds United. Albertini scored a penalty to narrow the score gap, but Neither was able to change the score of the game.

When the whistle blew for the end of the game, Gary Kelly in the player lounge was holding his head in pain. Of course he understood what it meant to Leeds United to lose the planned three points in this game .

Although after returning to the locker room, no one blamed the veteran, and no one mentioned the penalty kick, but the more this happened, the more Gary Kelly blamed himself.

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"Cunning Fowler, Gary Kelly will pay for Leeds' loss"

This is after the game, "The Sun" commented on the game. In the comments, the media criticized the performance of Leeds United veteran and team deputy Gary Kelly. They believed that it was Gary Kelly's restlessness that caused the It made Leeds United lose points from the 'fishy' Manchester City when they needed them most.

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On the night of defeating Manchester, the Leeds United team returned to Leeds, preparing for the next FA Cup match against Chelsea. At this time, everyone has a question, what kind of attitude will Leeds United treat Chelsea? This FA Cup replay?

Chelsea's attitude is clear at a glance. Now, Chelsea still retains the hope of winning the league, the Champions League, and the FA Cup, and it seems that they do not intend to give up any of them. Chelsea coach Mourinho When O was interviewed by the media before the game, he also said, "It is impossible for you not to pay attention to the FA Cup, which is a very important event in the hearts of English fans." Therefore, the media also predicted that Chelsea will definitely play here. The main players played in the game.

Now, it depends on what kind of attitude Leeds United will adopt. After losing to Manchester City, Leeds United's ranking has not changed, and it is still 8th, because in this round, No.6 Middlesbrough also lost. , Now, Middlesbrough's ranking has dropped to No. 7, while Bolton, who was originally ranked No.7, swapped places with Middlesbrough, ranking No.6.

However, although Leeds United is still ranked 8th, the gap with No.6 has been widened again. Therefore, it is more difficult to directly enter the top six in the league.

However, the champion of the FA Cup can have a place in the European arena. It can be said that the FA Cup is also a way for Leeds United to enter the European arena. However, everyone knows that if you want to win the FA Cup, This difficulty is even more difficult than Leeds United's direct entry into the top six in the league.

Anyway, right now, in a word, Leeds United's trip to Europe has cast a heavy shadow. Neither path will be smooth. It depends on how Eddie Gray chooses.

However, the media generally speculates that Eddie Gray will still put all his energy in the league, send a substitute lineup in the FA Cup, let the main players rest, and prepare for the next games against Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. Prepare for the three fierce battles.

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In the office, Eddie Gray was arguing with Gustavo Poyet. There was a big difference between the two about whether they should give up the FA Cup and concentrate on playing in the league.

"Now is a critical moment. Our current strength does not have the ability to fight on two fronts, so I suggest to abandon the FA Cup and let us concentrate on the league and fight on two fronts. Our players' physical fitness cannot come..." Gusta War Poyet is holding a stack of thick reports in his hand. This is the team doctor's analysis report on the physical condition of the players. The report shows that it is now the sprint stage of the season, and the players' physical fitness has problems. If you fight on two fronts, it will be very difficult.

To be honest, Gustavo Poyet's idea of ​​abandoning the FA Cup and concentrating on the league seems to be the most sensible choice now. After all, Leeds United's points in the league are not much different from No.6 , With 10 rounds left in the league, there is still great hope for hitting the top six.

In the FA Cup, it is not easy to win the championship. Among other things, in the rematch, Chelsea will not be so easy to pass.

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Eddie Gray is also thinking about it. If, before the game against Manchester City, Eddie Gray will definitely agree with his assistant immediately, choose to give up the FA Cup and only concentrate on the league. However, after losing the game against Manchester City , In addition, the previous 0:0 draw with Chelsea in the first round of the FA Cup also made him seriously consider how to make a trade-off between the FA Cup and the league.

Eddie Gray lit a cigarette and took a few puffs, "Gudy, I admit that what you said is also reasonable, but you are only half right. Now is indeed a critical moment. Our physical fitness and players The configuration really can't support two-line combat, and we can only choose to give up one of them, but, I think, we should give up the league and shift our attention to the FA Cup..."

Gustavo Poyet frowned. He didn't think that the head coach would think of giving up the league that seemed easier to enter Europe. Instead, he thought that he should concentrate on the FA Cup.

You know, just half a month ago, Leeds United played against Chelsea in the FA Cup with a substitute lineup. If it weren't for the outstanding performance of the substitute players, Leeds United would have been eliminated from the FA Cup.

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"I don't agree with your point of view." Gustavo Poyet knew that once Eddie Gray made up his mind, he would stick to it. He saw that Eddie Gray didn't seem to have made up his mind yet, so he knew , I must express my point of view. In Gustavo Poyet's view, if the difficulty in the league is to climb a mountain, then the road to the FA Cup is like walking on a single-plank bridge all the time. If you are not careful, you will fall down.

"If, in the FA Cup, if we fail to win even one game, then we will be eliminated. In the league, we still have a chance. After all, there are still 10 league rounds left, and we are allowed to make mistakes. "Gustavo Poyet continued.

"Gudy, who is our next league opponent?" Eddie Gray didn't pick up Gustavo Poyet's words, but suddenly asked this question.

"It's Chelsea." Gustavo Poyet blurted out. The team's schedule is like a computer program stored in his mind, and it will be extracted immediately as long as it is needed.

"Are we sure we can score points against Chelsea?" the Leeds United coach asked his assistant.

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Gustavo Poyet was silent. It is not easy to score points against Chelsea. Now, Chelsea is still the leader in the league, but No.2 Arsenal is also very tight behind. This is the first top league champion in the past 50 years. It can be said that he has worked hard. It is really not easy to get points from Mourinho's Chelsea. Even Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger dare not say Will definitely be able to take advantage of Chelsea.

Seeing the assistant coach shaking his head, Eddie Gray stubbed out his cigarette, "Then after Chelsea, we play Bolton away, what chance do we have of winning?"

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Gustavo Poyet calculated in his mind, and gave a wry smile. This game is not easy to play, although it seems that this game is the easiest for Leeds United in the next few games. Opponents are analyzed in terms of strength. However, considering that Bolton is currently ranked No.6 in the standings and is Leeds United's direct competitor to enter the top six, it is not necessary for Leeds United to win from Bolton's home court. Easy, Bolton will work hard in this game.

Seeing that Eddie Gray still wanted to speak, Gustavo Poyet waved his hand and interrupted what the head coach was about to say, "Okay, Eddie, I know what you are going to say, Bolton is followed by and In Arsenal's league, Arsenal are only 2 points behind Chelsea and still have the hope of winning the championship. This game is not easy for us. Then, the next game is home and Manchester United. This game will definitely be difficult..."

Speaking of which, Gustavo Poyet also had a meal. According to this analysis, it is very likely that Leeds United will not even score a single point in these 4 games.

Seeing the change in Gustavo Poyet's face, Eddie Gray smiled. He knew that his assistant had also thought of it. If Leeds United can't score a point in these four rounds, it will be a big challenge in these four rounds. After the first round of matches, Leeds United's ranking must have dropped a lot. It is far from No.4. It can be said that a lot of points will be dropped. Then, if you want to get enough points in the remaining 6 rounds , Chase it back, but it will be too much.

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"This damn schedule..." Gustavo Poyet was a little dizzy. He thought he would feel more comfortable after the devil's schedule of double matches in a week at Christmas. Unexpectedly, there is another one here who can directly beat Leeds United. The race to hell awaits.

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"Goody, but maybe we can take points from Chelsea first, then get rid of Redknapp's old fellow Bolton, then embarrass Wenger, the Frenchman, and finally, let Ferguson, the old Scotchman, cry. .” Eddie Gray leaned comfortably on the sofa and kicked his legs on the table.

Gustavo Poyet smiled wryly. He didn't expect that at this time, the head coach was still in the mood to joke. He frowned and looked at the grass clippings on Eddie Gray's leather shoes.

Killing Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United one after another... Huh, I'm afraid even Real Madrid, which has six superstars such as Zidane, would not dare to think about it.

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However, Gustavo Poyet also understood Eddie Gray's plan a little bit. He glanced at Mr. Head Coach, meaning, just tell us what you think.

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"The league is not considered giving up, it's just that we have to shift our focus to the FA Cup. Look, in the league, if we want to make a breakthrough, we must meet Chelsea, Bolton, Arsenal in the next damn schedule. There is also damn Manchester United, after that, we will meet guys like Crystal Palace, Charlton and Southampton in the league, and they are also desperate teams."

Eddie Gray took a sip of water, and Gustavo Poyet nodded, expressing his approval of what he said, after four difficult games against Chelsea, Bolton, Arsenal, and Manchester United, in the next, we will meet Teams like Crystal Palace, Charlton, and Southampton who are going to relegation are not much easier than encountering a rich team at the last minute of the league.

Gustavo Poyet has already understood what Eddie Gray meant. Now, Leeds United is only 6 points away from No.5. It seems that there is still hope for entering the top six. However, when it comes to the specific schedule, It's really extremely difficult, let's see, it's either a direct competitor, or a team that wants to compete for the championship and runner-up, or a team that wants to relegation desperately...

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"And in the FA Cup." Eddie Gray put away his legs on the table, and continued, "We only need to play 4 games to win the championship. Don't you think that in the FA Cup In the cup, is it the most promising? As for the league, the arrangement of the league is like this, let's take a look at the players on the bench and the players in the reserve team. Those boys must have good fighting spirit, so let's decide. The goal is... the FA Cup champion!" Eddie Gray clenched his fists, "That's right, the champion!!"

Gustavo Poyet rolled his eyes. He admitted that he was tempted by what the head coach said, but he also knew that despite what Eddie Gray said was so easy, the FA Cup only needs to play four more games , won the championship, but is it so easy to win these four games?

Among other things, the FA Cup rematch with Chelsea in a few days is likely to be the end of the FA Cup for Leeds United this season...

However, Gustavo Poyet also knows that according to the analysis just now, the hope of the FA Cup is indeed greater. As long as all the energy is released in these four games, Leeds United may really be able to create miracles ?
In Gustavo Poyet's mind, the image of Leeds United winning the FA Cup actually appeared. He walked out of this impetuous thought and shook his head helplessly.I secretly pray in my heart, I hope Leeds United can have good luck in the FA Cup.

(End of this chapter)