With almost all the bullets running out of the Champions League knockout round against Atletico, The FA Cup semi-final between Manchester City and Liverpool lacked some of the flavor of Mars hitting Earth. Even from the content of the game to the result, it was covered by C Luo, who scored a hat-trick next door. But for one man, the game has a special meaning, and he is Fernandinho.
The Brazilian veteran, who transferred from Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer of 2013, recently announced that he would be leaving Manchester City after nine years of playing for the season. As Pep Guardiola's favourite, he played from midfield to defender and has always worked hard to play a key role in the team. But the years were not spared, and with the growth of players such as Rodri, it was time for the "Asuka" to leave the Etihad Stadium. Before this FA Cup semi-final against the Reds, the Blue Moon Army is expected to compete for the title in the third line, but it is helpless to go according to people's wishes, even if Fernandinho is the most desperate player on the field, even at the cost of eating cards to help the team qualify, after all, it is powerless to return to heaven. Perhaps, the Champions League trophy is the end of the veteran's fate.
Guardiola's love will be
As we all know, Guardiola is known for being strict with his players, if he does not meet his standards and requirements, no matter how famous and senior he is, he will be shelved, and Fernandinho can get so many appearances at the age of 36, which is enough to show the self-discipline, diligence and ability of the Brazilian midfield. For the "old yellow cover" who has been playing for many years, Guardiola believes that the Brazilian midfielder still has a very important role in the team, "Everyone knows my opinion of Fernandinho, and I am very satisfied with his performance. Fernandinho was already here when I started coaching Manchester City and he always did well.
Although he is 36 years old, he has performed very well when the team needs it. At the start of the season, Fernandinho had some difficulties finding the rhythm, but now in training I feel like he's back to his best. Being able to soar in the Premier League at the age of 36 shows that Fernandinho is still a good defensive midfielder even in the World First League, which Premier League star Jamie Redknapp agrees with, saying on Sky Sports: "His time in Manchester was incredible, there were a lot of master players there. He would still be able to smell the presence of danger, he would be in a good position and never panic. He's still full of desire and he has no real weakness in the game. We don't know how long he can enjoy his game, in my opinion, he is the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League. ”
In today's Manchester City, the young and powerful Rodri is undoubtedly Pep Guardiola's first choice in the defensive midfield position, as long as the Spaniard is not sick and basically the starter, but outside of him, the team can play this position and maintain the overall offensive and defensive efficiency of the team is only Fernandinho. Although he is 36 years old, the Brazilian's rich Experience in the Premier League has greatly compensated for the decline in physical fitness brought about by his advanced age, and the almost demonized ability to pass and receive the ball has made it difficult for Guardiola to give up on him.
In the 13th round of the Premier League at home to West Ham United, Fernandinho came on in place of Sterling in the 87th minute when the score was a 1-0 lead over home. This substitution is obviously a technical substitution that delays time, but the Brazilian midfielder did not slacken off because of this, but received an assist from Jesus after 3 minutes of the debut to extend the score to 2:0, and in the 94th minute, the Hammers who did not give up pulled a goal back, which shows that if it is not for the "Fei Bird" not to relax the attitude, Manchester City's 3 points are very likely to become 1 point.
Farewell with the Champions League?
Since embracing the thighs of the Middle Eastern oil tycoons, Manchester City, which has unlimited "money- and money-throwing" authority, has never dimmed the bright starlight, but it is precisely because there are too many stars, so such an indispensable but difficult to appear in the spotlight like Fernandinho has become an obscure person. Objectively speaking, without Fernandinho's years of consistent stability and perseverance, Guardiola would not have wanted to play the pass control play at Manchester City. In Guardiola's football philosophy, it is almost never necessary to set up a double back in midfield, and it is normal for a single back to build a defensive barrier, and this single back is not only good at covering, but also has the ability to pass and receive the ball and comb the attack and defense like the front waist, and Fernandinho at that time perfectly met all the criteria of Guardiola. With Fernandinho at the back, offensive players such as De Bruyne can unleash their offensive talents, as for defense? After a high-level scramble in the front, the rest is left to Fernandinho.
However, it is precisely because of a large number of non-obvious basic work that fans always have an illusion when watching Manchester City matches, that is, it does not matter whether there is a Brazilian midfielder, anyway, the front court is fierce, and the backcourt is stable. But in fact, when the Brazilian is not on the court, City's midfield defense will drop by a notch, the De Bruyne in the front court will be delayed due to the distraction of defense, and the macho men in the backfield will have to make great strides to build the first line of defense and cause the defense line to leak everywhere, so he is definitely the invisible thigh of the team at the peak. Don't forget, in addition to being able to defend, pass and control, Fernandinho is also very good at shooting, especially in the front of the big penalty area, often becoming the team's deadlock to break the deadlock, when he was called a hexagonal warrior.
Now, it's time to say goodbye. After the players themselves announced that they would leave Manchester City, Guardiola expressed his hope to talk to the parties, showing full retention. But there is no unbroken feast in the world, and the whole Manchester City team knows that the Champions League trophy will be the best farewell gift for Fernandinho.
Text/Supine Braces - Yangyuan Zhang