"Southampton defeated Crystal Palace 3-0, a veritable London killer"
"The Saints beat the Eagles, Crystal Palace suffered a rout at home"
"Southampton finally exerts its strength, fighting for the quota"
"Kevin Keegan descends from heaven to lead the saints out of suffering"
The next day's newspaper described in detail this round of key matches in the British Championship.
Before the game, the outside world thought that this would be a fierce conflict with Mars hitting the earth, but they did not expect that the home team would be manipulated by Keegan using a "slow-down strategy".
Wang Xiaodong is Southampton's nuclear weapon. As long as he does not play, no opponent dares to underestimate Southampton.
Under this premise, the team's forward line led by Bell sprinted against the opponent, and it worked repeatedly.
Through replays and analysis of the game, the media came to such a conclusion.
The person who can really help Southampton achieve cross-generational re-emergence is not the talented boy Walcott, nor Wang Xiaodong, nor Gareth Bale, nor Lallana, but the one who has always been The wise old man standing on the sidelines, Kevin Keegan.
Just when the Saints were admiring Walcott's style, the young player yearned for high salary and a bigger platform and abandoned the club. Later, the Saints began to rely on Wang Xiaodong's steel defense, and he continued to get into trouble and suffered a tragic loss. Suspended.
Only the half-hundred-year-old man has always stood by the Saints, accompanying the team through ups and downs.
Regardless of victory or defeat, joy or sorrow, with passion, he will work hard for the team bit by bit.
The Times' analysis has led to another topic.
That is, what happened between Keegan and Dong.
The media reports in the past few days are basically untrue.
No matter how angry Wang Xiaodong was, there was no need to throw soap at Keegan. Therefore, the reports about the physical conflict between the two are simply untenable.
However, more than one player and staff confirmed that Wang Xiaodong and Keegan had an argument in the locker room, which must have really happened.
What's more, Wang Xiaodong had just experienced a red card and suspension that day. Based on the fans' understanding of Wang Xiaodong's temper, he was likely to lose control of his emotions when he was not comforted after the game.
The question now is what happened between Keegan and Wang Xiaodong after that.
What is the reason why even though Keegan puts Wang Xiaodong in the starting lineup, he is not allowed to play; what is the reason why Wang Xiaodong is not even included in the starting lineup in the key battle for ranking.
Did the two people really have irresolvable conflicts because of this?
Just like Beckham and Ferguson back then?
And after losing that day, word had already spread that Keegan was hospitalized with a high fever.
Some people even say that Keegan was forced to think of temporary strategies and remedies because of Wang Xiaodong's sudden departure from the team, so he overworked and his immunity weakened, and he ended up in the hospital with a fever.
So, to what extent did the conflict between the two go so far that Keegan would rather put Wang Xiaodong out of the game roster and temporarily modify the tactical plan for the second half of the season!
The Times continued its analysis. In a recent game against Crystal Palace, the home team’s head coach Mirren clearly did not do his homework.
Keegan put Wang Xiaodong, who reappeared, on the bench. It is very likely that he continued the "cold war" between the players and the coach, and it was not some kind of "bluffing" strategy.
The League Cup champion and top scorer, as well as the team's top scorer, Wang Xiaodong has become the spiritual pillar of the Saints.
His presence on the court will not only increase the fans' confidence, but also encourage the players, even if he is on the sidelines or in the stands. This has been confirmed in the previous game against Sheffield United.
And judging from the fact that Keegan was only willing to talk about the performance of the players in the post-match press conference, he was indeed deliberately avoiding any topic about Wang Xiaodong for some reason.
So, is the conflict between Keegan and Wang Xiaodong still unresolved?
In the only two games left, will Keegan still use Wang Xiaodong?
Since no organization or individual could interview the two, and Southampton players avoided the topic, the media and fans could only speculate.
While speculating, it also leads to another interesting topic worthy of discussion: Who can really lead the saints out of the sea of suffering?
Is it the coach?
Or a player?
In other words, who has a greater weight in the hearts of fans, Keegan or Wang Xiaodong?
If one of the two is destined to leave, who would the Saints prefer to stay?
The English media likes this tune.
Now, even if no one from Southampton has come forward to answer this question head-on, Southampton's other competitors have begun to stir up trouble behind the scenes, hoping to cause civil strife among the Saints.
You must know that among the English Championship teams currently competing for the top six positions, in addition to Reading and Sheffield United, which can almost secure the first and second positions, there are also six clubs competing for the third to sixth positions.
This is a 6-to-4, 4-to-1 battle, and every club hopes that the bigger the conflict between their opponents, the better.
...
Blessings come in pairs, and misfortunes never come alone.
Not only are the opponents in the English Championship criticizing Southampton, but fans in London have also united to speak ill of Southampton.
And their reasons are also very strange.
That is, all London teams that have played against Southampton this season, whether home or away, have not won.
Crystal Palace, Millwall, Queens Park Rangers, and even Arsenal, the king of London, were all beaten 5-0 by Southampton.
Such a "cruel" record has led fans to give Southampton this season a nickname: London Killer.
Southampton's next game is at home against Millwall, the last London team of the season.
To be honest, Millwall is notorious throughout England and their strength is not very good.
This season, they are ranked second from last in the English Championship. Relegation has been confirmed, and their strength is simply not good enough.
Moreover, they had played against Southampton twice before (League Cup and League), and they were beaten to pieces by Southampton both times.
But it is such a club that received the support of most London fans before the game.
Those London fans who didn't mind the excitement even shouted: We won't play in the winter anyway, so what do you gangsters have to fear?
In other words, Southampton's biggest "hooligan" is no longer here, why don't you take the opportunity to beat your opponent to the ground?
With the London fans fanning the flames, Millwall's football hooligans also got into the mood.
They collectively invested some money and broadcast a manifesto on a small radio station in London. The specific content was: We are relegated, and Southampton will not be able to live well.
This group of young gangsters from London went to extreme lengths after losing hope for the team!
Some Millwall fans even threatened to lead the crowd to attack St. Mary's Stadium and set off a carnival at the enemy's home court.
The news that suddenly broke out between Millwall and Southampton caught the whole of England by surprise.
As the end of the season approaches, fans are paying more attention to the Premier League champions and the only remaining English teams in the Champions League.
Who would have thought that there would be teams in the English Championship that would dominate the headlines at this juncture.
In the end, even those fans who don't follow the English Championship team know the grudge between Southampton and Millwall.
This "cross-sea" decisive battle between dock workers on the Thames and the English Channel has attracted the attention of many fans across Europe.
...
Before the game, "South Coast Sports News" invited a special guest through a TV program to analyze the current situation facing Southampton and the situation within the team.
The guest's name is Alan Ball. He is a double star of England and Southampton. He represented England and won the 1966 World Cup. He was also elected to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
Not only that, Alan Ball was also a teammate of Kevin Keegan when he was at Southampton, and after retiring, he also briefly became Southampton's coach.
Therefore, Alan Ball's views and speeches are full of authority.
"...As of right now, Southampton is a dynamic, new team."
"Completely different from the team that competed in the Premier League last season, this Southampton team has gained a new lease of life under the leadership of Keegan."
"According to the current combat effectiveness of this team, even in the Premier League, they can get a mid-table ranking and even have the opportunity to participate in the European competition."
"In this sense, Keegan is nothing short of Southampton's 'father of reinvention'."
Alan Ball's speech fundamentally affirmed Keegan's contribution. When asked which one between Wang Xiaodong and Keegan was more important to the team, Alan Ball gave a different answer.
"... Players and coaches are both inseparable parts of the team. They are independent of each other and compatible with each other. They are not two comparable objects at all."
"As for the outside world and fans jokingly calling one of them 'Jesus' and the other 'God,' in my opinion, they are all nonsense."
"It is undeniable that two people contributed the most to Southampton this season, but in the history of Southampton, the only one who can truly be called 'God' is Matthew!"
Hearing Matthew Le Tissier's name, even the host couldn't help but stand in awe.
Throughout Southampton's history, the team has not had that many great players.
Whether it is Kevin Keegan or Alan Ball, not only did they not dedicate the most glorious moment of their careers to Southampton, they were also celebrities in many clubs. For them, Southampton is just one club among many.
For those senior saints, they have only one God: Le Tissier!
Mathieu Le Tissier played for Southampton for 17 years and devoted his career completely to the team. He is the purest saint.
He scored 209 goals in 462 games. In the 1990s, Southampton relied on Le Tissier's goals one after another to successfully avoid relegation time and time again.
For this reason, fans gave him a nickname based on his name, "Le God", he is the God in the hearts of the saints.
And many people believe that if Le Tissier moves to a big club, he will definitely become a world-class star.
His skills and overall outlook are amazing, and he has the potential to become a first-class star. But in the end, Le Tissier chose to stay at Southampton, which also greatly reduced his chances of entering the international stage.
After he retired, former coach Strachan commented: "When people think of Southampton, they think of Titanic and Mathieu Le Tissier, but ships can be built better and better, but Southampton will never be able to Here comes another Le Tissier."
You know, Le Tissier and Bergkamp are the only two players with 2 goals selected into the top ten goals in Premier League history.
"Only a player like this deserves to be called 'God' by the Saints. In comparison, Dong is too immature."
Alan Ball is right when he says that people usually remember a certain person because of a certain achievement, but they often ignore the real heroes who really pay silently and maintain order without being disrupted.
Wang Xiaodong only helped the team win another championship trophy after thirty years, and he played for the team for less than one season.
Just because of a Champions League, he must be promoted to the same status as Biletissier or even higher, which fully reflects the blindness and impatience of these fans.
At the end of the program, Alan Ball concluded: "Whether it is young Dong or Keegan, they both still have a long way to go (players and coaches)."
"If they really want to leave a lasting mark in Southampton's history, then the most important thing they should do at this moment is to put aside all conflicts and reunite together."
"Don't forget, Southampton has not yet entered the top six. And if it enters the top six, there are still play-offs to play."
"The team was relegated from the Premier League last season. Returning to the Premier League this season should be inevitable in the eyes of fans."
"So don't think that helping the team succeed in reaching the Super League is such a great thing. For those Saints who have dedicated their lives to the team, success in reaching the Super League is just the beginning."
Alan Ball's heartfelt words touched many fans. Every day, some Saints held banners outside the Staplewood training base, asking Keegan and Wang Xiaodong to put aside their prejudices and fully help the team to surpass the league.
No matter how many rumors there are outside, for the fans, winning the last two games is the most critical thing at the moment.
Keegan glanced at the banners outside the fence expressionlessly, turned his head stiffly, and silently went about his duties.
Jack followed him all the time, fearing that something might happen to Keegan.
Only he knows that even though Keegan has been appearing on the court these days, in fact, he relies entirely on drugs and mental strength to maintain his current state.
If he relaxed even a little, Keegan might faint at any time.
As for the other protagonist of the fans' debate, he was absent-mindedly following the end of the group running in circles, thinking about what happened last night.
Just last night, agent Raiola called and told Wang Xiaodong that Wenger, Ferguson and the popular Premier League coach Mourinho all wanted to meet him alone.
