song of the saints

Chapter 58 The Enemy Comes
After the Southampton team ended the league, Chen Zhun's suspension period was also lifted.After a day of adjustment at the Staplewood training base, the team rushed to Watford, a city in the southeast of Ireland, to challenge the Watford team, which was still struggling in the English Championship.Chen Zhun, who is aiming to win the League Cup, cannot afford to lose in this game.

Although they will face Southampton's historic rival Portsmouth three days later, Chen Zhun still played his best in this game and told the players to win quickly and win quickly.The progress of the game was also the same as Chen Zhun's arrangement before the game.Southampton's second shot in the 10th minute turned into a goal. Kevin Phillips opened the scoring. The next game went on smoothly. At the end of the first half, La Lana made another move.Chen Zhun replaced the striker combination and the main midfielder Delap during the intermission to preserve his strength.The final game was also fixed at 2-0, and Southampton successfully advanced to the quarter-finals of the League Cup.

After the end of the game, the Southampton team rushed back to Southampton City. They did not rest the next day, and quickly recovered their bodies. In the afternoon, they started a small-scale pass and cut cooperation. Tackle the pass in front of you.

The English peninsula has never lacked exciting games, especially the derby!It can be said that in England, it takes more than a hundred years for any club to be established.It is precisely because of such a long history of football that countless derby games that people talk about are produced.Such as Southern Derby, North London Derby, City Derby, National Derby, etc., but regional Derby is even more thrilling.

Chen Zhun knows that although the South Bank Derby is not as good as the famous Premier League North London Derby, Manchester Derby, Merseyside Derby and so on.But the South Bank Derby between Southampton and Portsmouth also made generations of fans in these two southern cities devote their fists and strength to it.

In the Derby in March 2004, the police seized a large amount of ammonia before the game.Fans of the two teams even pushed the fighting to other places. For example, when the Southampton team passed Portsmouth, they would always be ambushed. Addiction to fighting.Sometimes they even pretend to be fans of other teams and compete with each other in third-party stadiums.

Why the grievances between the two teams are so deep, we have to start from the beginning.

The time when the two teams formed a feud is basically certain in the 60s. A confrontation between the two sides in 1966 was considered by many posterity as the prelude to the hatred between the two teams. In that game, the Saints won and were promoted to the top league in England at that time, the First Division.After the game, a war broke out between the fans of the two sides, and many of the overly emotional fans of the two teams rushed into the stadium.Since then, the peaceful coexistence of the two sides has officially passed away.

And until the 50s, the Saints and Portsmouth were able to live in harmony on the south coast.A big part of that comes down to the fact that the two teams haven't been in the same league for much of the time, except for a stint in the Southern League earlier in the day.In that era, fans of the two teams usually followed the team's game whoever played at home.In the 84-year history, Southampton and Portsmouth have played against each other 29 times in the league, and the Saints have won 14 times, an absolute advantage.But this did not become a reason for the two teams to fight against each other, but after a game in 1966, everything changed.The conflict has been intensifying. In the fourth round of the FA Cup in 1984, some Portsmouth fans even smashed Southampton players with coins, but the Saints finally won the game.By this time, the fans of the two teams had already yelled at each other mercilessly.

In his previous life, Chen Zhun had also heard that the South Bank Derby was as popular as other famous derbies on the British peninsula.The fans of the two cities live on the port, and the toughness and bravery of the people who work at the docks are very powerful!So every time the two teams meet, the world will be turned upside down, and there is a tendency not to give up until the southern police force is exhausted.

In the previous life, Southampton and Portsmouth added a new enmity in the history. If Chen Zhun does not cross, the current Portsmouth coach Harry Redknapp should soon become Southampton's manager.The former Portsmouth coach ignored many suitors after class and jumped to Southampton.Such behavior was also seen by many Portsmouth fans as a signal of blatant provocation, and they also issued verbal threats to the coach on many occasions.For England fans who value loyalty more than life, it is unforgivable to defect to a rival team.Fortunately, these have become Chen Zhun's memory and can no longer become reality.

At the pre-match press conference.

The Guardian reporter who has been tracking and reporting on the Southampton team asked about the popularity of the derby and how the Southampton players faced it.

Chen Zhun said firmly: "Fight like a man and never back down. Derby matches are exciting, our players don't need to be mobilized, everyone knows the importance of this game in the hearts of fans, what we can do It is to defeat our mortal enemy."

"Mr. David Winston, I am a reporter from the Daily Mail. Recently, we have noticed that the Southampton team has a strong momentum. Please tell us what the goal of the Southampton team this season is."

"Hey, I know you, I know all of you. Every time I attend a press conference, there are a few of you, and I have a chance to have a drink." Chen Zhun answered this question and teased his reporter friend. He laughed at himself that he was unattractive.

"We believe that we need to score at least 40 points this season to avoid relegation. We have just won half of the points, so the current goal is still relegation. It is not too late to think about the goal when we get 40 points." Chen Zhun is completely based on his previous life. Said in the tone of the old coach Ranieri.In his previous life, the old coach had been saving character for Leicester City and himself, and finally won the Premier League championship in a low-key manner.

"Hello, Mr. David Winston, I am a reporter from The Sun. Last week you suddenly acquired nine young players. Can you comment on these players?"

Chen Zhun saw that it was a professional question from a toilet tabloid, pondered for a moment, and said: "These young players are the future of the Southampton team and our hope. I am very happy to win them at this time. I am looking forward to it." They. They have a bright future."

"Do you have any plans for the winter transfer period?"

"It's possible to buy someone, or to sell someone. It's still early to plan, that's all." Chen Zhun got up and left the press conference after speaking.But just yesterday, Rupert Lowe told Chen Zhun that Everton had once again made a transfer offer for James Beatty. The transfer fee was 700 million pounds, but was rejected by Chen Zhun. Now the state of James Beatty Very hot, Chen Zhun thinks that James Beatty deserves a higher price.

(End of this chapter)