Ferguson lived up to his reputation as an experienced head coach. Just as he had guessed, Liverpool's players indeed held the current Manchester United team in some contempt.

This contempt came from the heart, and even Chen Hero was not immune, feeling that the current Manchester United posed little threat.

One cannot criticize Liverpool's players for underestimating their enemy. In reality, anyone would have had the same thought, because Manchester United's performance this season had indeed been less than satisfactory.

Their performance in the league had been somewhat sluggish, coupled with the media constantly touting Manchester United's decline. "Three men make a tiger," as the saying goes. The media said it every day, and even those who didn't believe it now did.

Liverpool's players were ordinary people, and naturally, they would be influenced by public opinion.

In addition, this game was at their home stadium. What reason did they have to lose to their arch-rivals, Manchester United, on their own turf?

Therefore, every reporter who came to the Melwood training base could sense that Liverpool's preparation for the Manchester United game was relaxed.

The players were laughing and talking on the first training pitch. During breaks, Chen Hero, Suarez, and their teammates could be seen joking, chasing, and playing around.

The training ground was filled with laughter, and the Liverpool fans on the sidelines were also delighted that the team had such a relaxed attitude. They shared the same idea as the players, feeling that although Manchester United had been formidable in the past, they had been intimidated by Liverpool at Old Trafford last season and would not pose much of a threat this time.

The reporters who came to interview also held this view. After all, they were the ones who had spread the "Manchester United is declining" theory.

They wrote this not just to attract attention, but because they genuinely believed that Manchester United was on the decline. They were all excited and thrilled to witness firsthand the changing of an era and the replacement of a dynasty.

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In contrast to the relaxed atmosphere at Melwood, the atmosphere at Manchester's Carrington training base was somewhat somber.

Every Manchester United player knew that this was a revenge match, and facing this game, they had no leisure to joke around.

"I heard that Liverpool is all song and dance over there..." Assistant coach Mike Phelan not only assisted Ferguson in directing team training, but his job also included scouting the opponent's movements.

Standing on the sidelines, Phelan told Ferguson the news he had gathered.

Ferguson nodded in satisfaction.

"They're in for a rude awakening!" the old manager said confidently.

Phelan looked at the stubborn old Scotsman next to him. What he admired most about Ferguson was this—no matter what the situation, Ferguson was always very tough and very confident, never doubting himself. When his companions had all surrendered, he was still fighting.

Perhaps it was for this reason that he was able to become the best coach in Manchester United's history and the most successful Scottish coach, right?

In the current situation, many Manchester United internal staff members had lost confidence in the team, feeling that catching up with Liverpool was impossible. But Ferguson was still so optimistic and strong, which Phelan greatly admired.

One must know that Ferguson was the head coach, and any problems with the team would put pressure on him. So in fact, Ferguson was under a lot of pressure right now. Under such heavy pressure, Ferguson was still able to remain optimistic and choose to be strong. Moreover, this optimism and strength were not feigned. Phelan spent day and night with Ferguson and naturally knew that this was Ferguson's heartfelt temperament. Phelan admitted that he himself could never do it...

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Although Ferguson was full of confidence in his team, this scene at the Carrington training base, as seen by the reporters watching from outside, turned into deep concern.

"Manchester United's atmosphere is so dull that I can feel suffocated... I think Manchester United's morale is low. How can such a team defeat Liverpool?"

"See, didn't I tell you? This Manchester United is indeed declining and starting to go downhill. Their spirit is not what it used to be..."

"Manchester United players must also be very clear that this trip to Anfield is fraught with danger."

"Going to play a game they're sure to lose, it would be strange if they had confidence and fighting spirit! The smart thing for Manchester United's top management to do is not to renew Ferguson's contract, but to quickly find him a replacement. The old man is about to give out, and this world ultimately belongs to young people... I heard that Mourinho's relationship with Real Madrid president Florentino has deteriorated because of Pepe being sold. I think this is a good opportunity, and it should be no problem to poach him with a high salary. Didn't Mourinho say before that he was very interested in coaching Manchester United?"

A group of reporters gathered together and chattered, commenting on the performance of the Manchester United players on the training ground.

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After finishing training that day, the entire Manchester United team boarded the bus. This team, which was already declining in the eyes of the media, embarked on its journey to Liverpool.

The cities of Manchester and Liverpool are only thirty-one miles apart, which is approximately equivalent to fifty kilometers. Such a short distance makes it completely unnecessary to travel by plane. If you were to fly, you might not even have finished climbing before you had to prepare to land.

So whether Liverpool goes to Manchester or Manchester goes to Liverpool, both sides take the bus. It takes less than an hour to get there, so why bother flying?

Watching the team bus drive out of the Carrington training base, the reporters who supported Manchester United prayed for their good luck, while the other reporters were just waiting to see a good show. They were thinking that when facing the powerful Liverpool at their home stadium, Manchester United should at least be able to hold out for a long time, so that the game would be more interesting...

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When Manchester United's bus entered Liverpool, it was "welcomed" by Liverpool fans lining the streets. Liverpool fans held up Liverpool team flags, scarves, and various slogans and banners attacking Manchester United on both sides of the road that the Manchester United bus had to pass.

Just like when the entire Liverpool team went to Manchester to play, this was a tradition between the two cities.

True arch-rivals would do this.

The Manchester United players were already used to this and turned a blind eye to it. Usually, they didn't even look at the Liverpool fans outside the window, as if they were just a mass of air and not worth paying attention to.

But today was different. Ferguson actually took the initiative to ask them to look at the Liverpool fans outside the window.

"Look at them, look. They are humiliating us." Ferguson pointed to the Liverpool fans outside the window and said to his players. "Why are they humiliating us? Why did they come here specifically to humiliate us? Because they are afraid of us! Why are they afraid of us? Because they know that we are their strong enemy, and we can threaten them! Have you ever seen them do this to other teams, not even their city rivals Everton get this kind of treatment! But we do, and you should be proud of it! Everyone is afraid of Liverpool, but Liverpool is afraid of us!"

In fact, Ferguson was subtly changing the concept, because Manchester United fans had also welcomed Liverpool in this way, and even Manchester City fans had participated. Similarly, Liverpool fans didn't do this to Everton because it wasn't necessary, since both teams are in the same city and there was no need for such a "welcoming parade."

But at this time, when he said it, it was effective.

Because in Manchester United, Ferguson has supreme authority, and no one would question whether what he said was really reasonable.

Looking at the Liverpool fans outside the window, confidence was growing within the Manchester United players.

Ferguson scanned the face of every Manchester United player. As an experienced head coach, he had a very keen eye for people, and he was also very good at observing their expressions. From the subtle changes in the expressions on these players' faces and some small movements, he knew that everyone's confidence had been stirred up by him.

He sat back down, with a satisfied smile on his face.

※※※

After training at Anfield to adapt to the field, Ferguson attended the final pre-match press conference.

At the press conference, Ferguson was as low-key as ever.

He presented an image of "hero at the end of his road" that everyone recognized.

"Liverpool is very strong, and this is their home ground. But we will not give up easily. Manchester United is the winner of the past fourteen Premier League titles, and I am sure that we still have an advantage when facing Liverpool!"

Ferguson's strong statement was not afraid of arousing Liverpool's vigilance. In fact, this was precisely his cleverness. At this time, saying some harsh words would actually make everyone think that Manchester United was truly "at the end of their road," because now they had no other weapons to attack Liverpool except for being tough on the lips.

So the tougher Ferguson was at the press conference, the more pitiful he seemed in everyone's eyes.

No one would have thought that Manchester United was really holding their breath and was determined to upset Liverpool on their own turf. They would only think that Manchester United had been reduced to the point where they could only rely on trash talk to satisfy themselves, and felt sorry for the old manager Ferguson—when had the old manager ever been subjected to such humiliation!

Of course, Ferguson could see things from the eyes of the reporters below the stage, and he sneered in his heart.

Let you think so for now!

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Sure enough, no one took Ferguson's words seriously after the press conference, and the media's focus remained on keywords such as "hero at the end of his road" and "declining."

In their opinion, how could Manchester United compete with Liverpool when playing away? Ferguson's stubbornness was just a way to maintain Manchester United's last dignity, knowing the outcome of the game...

Yes, this was already Manchester United's last dignity...

When had the Manchester United dynasty, which once dominated England and even Europe, ever been so miserable? When had they ever needed to rely on trash talk to maintain their dignity?

The more the media thought about it, the more they felt that the current Manchester United was a bit pathetic.

Some people even sympathized with this team, hoping that they could defeat Liverpool away, even if it was just by chance...

When had Manchester United ever been sympathized with? The last time was the Munich air disaster in 1958. Since the establishment of the Premier League, Manchester United had been the target of public criticism. Countless people hated them, detested them, and were their arch-rivals. How could such a team be sympathized with by others?

So now it only makes Manchester United seem more pathetic.

No one thought that Manchester United really had the ability to defeat Liverpool away.