Legend of Green: Rise of the Red Rebels

After two weeks of full recuperation, FC United are fully geared, and even Jenas is physically fit to play the full 90 minutes, although far less than in his prime, but the former England international who is willing to be a substitute is also an important member of the Red Rebels.

Probably due to the long absence of the team, FC United and Blackburn broke 1-1, Mendy really sprained his wrist when saving and landing in first-half stoppage time, and Lu Wei's "curse" two weeks ago worked.

Blackburn also took the lead in the chaos, although Lu Wei protested that the goalkeeper's injured goal was invalid, but the referee believed that Mendy's injury was caused by landing on the save, and Blackburn player's supplementary shot occurred at the same time, and there was no Blackburn player foul and the goalkeeper could not act when attacking, so the goal was valid.

Lu Wei also knew that he could not change the penalty, so he had to say a few words, and at halftime did not let Jaskolenin enter the dressing room, but stayed in the field to warm up, and Jaskolenin did not let Lu Wei down, and did not let Blackburn score again in the second half.

However, although FC United scored two goals in the second half, the first goal was blown off by the linesman raising the flag to indicate offside, and according to the replay after the game, Gnabry was only a small offside, really a "body hair" offside.

In the end, it was Michu who scored the equaliser, Tavernir crossed from the right, Michu volleyed the ball at the back post, and also overtook the departed Makaida as the team's top scorer.

FC United went unbeaten throughout April, with a five-game winning streak that kept the team moving up the table, beating the top two Burnley and Middlesbrough in the Championship, and after a 1-1 draw with Reading in the round of 45, they have 82 points to move up to fourth place in the Championship, just two points behind third-placed Brighton.

Burnley at the top of the table has 87 points, two points ahead of Myburgh and only three points ahead of Brighton, so there is also a risk of falling out of the top two, but their opponent is the relegated Charlton Athletic, can they stop Burnley without fighting intent? No one is sure, and most think Burnley's 15-16 Championship title is a certainty.

FC United are only three points away from second-placed Middlesbrough, and if they win the final round and Middlesbrough and Brighton fail to win, FC United can directly promote to the Premier League, but they are five points behind Burnley and they have lost the possibility of winning the title

But one thing that makes FC United in a very bad situation is that Middlesbrough's final opponent is Brighton, and the two teams will definitely have to fight to the death against the last straight lift, but whoever wins will dash FC United's top two dreams, even if the two teams draw, Namyburgh will crush FC United in third place by 1 point.

Lu Wei, who has been nervously preparing for the game, has not noticed the schedule of other opponents, and after the match with Reading, Steele checked the schedule before telling Lu Wei the news, and Lu Wei, who learned that the team had lost the top two places, slumped on the bus weakly, feeling that this month's efforts were going to be in vain.

Watching the head coach lose his fighting capacity, Steele played the role of assistant coach.

"Lu, don't be discouraged, there are play-offs, with our strength, who can stop it in the play-offs."

"But I'm worried that the players will lose their desire to win when they know the news, after all, the semi-finals of the play-offs are a two-legged elimination format, there are too many uncontrollable factors, and the players have been tired for a month, they have fought hard every game to get into the top two, and their fitness has reached the limit, and they have not left for the play-offs at all."

"It's true that the overall fitness of the players has reached a very dangerous point now." Steele did not directly say what he thought about the schedule, but about the fitness of the players.

"In the last game to win Burnley, the players fought the field, the game was only seventy minutes, Gnabry had cramps, which also shows that their physical consumption is really large, fortunately, there are not many games left, but if you want to play the play-offs, you have to play three more games if you want to upgrade, and the competition will be very strong, I am afraid that there will be a large area of injuries after the last round, because people are easily injured in a state of fatigue, if a few important players are injured, Subsequent play-offs will also be dangerous.

Lu Wei frowned, he had also thought about this question, but he had been focusing on the direct promotion quota, and he did not care too much.

"So what's your idea?"

"My thoughts?" Steele smiled, looked back at the players who were resting and did not notice the conversation between the two, and then said amazingly: "I want to simply give up the last round of the game, let the main players recover well, and prepare for the play-offs"

Lu Wei did not speak, but continued to look at Steele with a frown.

"Leeds don't have the pressure to be relegated, the win or defeat of the last game is not very important for them, and it is still our home stadium, it is just a formality for them, and even if we lose, we will not fall to sixth place, and in the play-offs the fourth and fifth places are the same. With the current form of the players, simply let them recover their fitness and prepare for the next play-off matches, I believe that as long as our players are in good physical condition, the Championship will not be able to beat our opponents in two legs!

Steele said slowly.

"I know what you mean, William, but we can't give up this last game." Lu Wei said with a wry smile.

"Why?" Steele was a little puzzled.

"First of all, because our opponent is Leeds United, do you play football manager for so long and don't know the rose derby between Leeds United and Manchester United? You forget how Leeds fans treated us in the first half of the season. Steele

reacted to this, although FC United and Manchester United are two teams, but fans of other teams do not think so, they all think that FC United is Manchester United's younger brother, and will also count the grudge with Manchester United to FC United, in the first half of the season at Eland Road Stadium, Leeds United fans put up a "you are not worthy of representing Manchester" slogan, and the team also lost 4-1 to the opponent, but also gave Leeds United fans a handle to ridicule.

"The last game was lost to them, do you think the players will let them continue to bully us on the red court? And you can't treat him as a game, Willian, as a manager, you have to look at the whole league including the play-offs as a whole, I made that mistake now, so I can't make it again. Lu Wei patted Steele's shoulder.

"Now the team is unbeaten in nine consecutive games, it is on the momentum of winning, the last league game must also be boosted with a victory, the spirit of the players is raised to the highest point before going to the play-off game, this game must not be lost, otherwise the momentum of the players will fall, go back and let Marseille and Gardner sort out the physical condition of the players, there are eight days before the last round of matches, then I will arrange the appearance according to the physical condition of the players."