Chapter 1 Community Shield Cup Curse

The Community Shield Cup, also known as the Charity Shield Cup, used to be called the Charity Shield Cup but is now known as the Community Shield Cup. It is an annual match organized by the Football Association, contested between the champions of the Premier League and the FA Cup. If the same team wins both titles, the Premier League runner-up plays the FA Cup winner.

In terms of the qualifications of the participating teams, it is the same as the "Super Cup" before the season in other national leagues.

This event was initially held at the end of the season, but because it was not taken seriously, the quality of the game was very poor. It was not until 1959 that it was changed to be held before the season.

Why is it called the Charity Shield Cup? Because all the ticket revenue from this match is used for charity purposes, with the donation recipients designated by the two competing sides. Between 1974 and 2000, it raised more than five million pounds. In 2002, the Charity Shield Cup was renamed the Community Shield Cup.

Regarding the Community Shield Cup, there used to be a rather interesting "curse," which was that any team that won the Community Shield Cup before the season would lose the league title. This curse started in 1997 and held true for eight years without fail.

Manchester United during the Cantona era and the Class of '92 period was unparalleled, but could it be attributed to their three consecutive Charity Shield Cup defeats in 1998, 1999, and 2000 that they achieved a three-peat in the Premier League in the 1998-1999, 1999-2000, and 2000-2001 seasons?

Manchester United won the Charity Shield Cup in 1997, before their three consecutive league titles, but Arsenal snatched the Premier League title in the following 1997-1998 season.

Liverpool won the Charity Shield Cup in 2001. This was also an important part of the team's five-trophy haul that season, but Arsenal won the Premier League title the following year. In 2002, the Charity Shield Cup was renamed the Community Shield Cup, but the name change did not break the curse. Arsenal won the league title, but in the 2002-2003 season, Manchester United miraculously exerted strength in the second half of the season and snatched the Premier League crown from Arsenal's grasp. That summer, Manchester United still took the Community Shield Cup with great enthusiasm after selling Beckham, but this quickly inspired Arsenal's "forty-nine game unbeaten run." The Gunners won the 2003-2004 Premier League title without any suspense, remaining unbeaten throughout the entire season.

In 2004, the curse reappeared, with Arsenal defeating Manchester United to lift the Community Shield Cup, but at the end of the season, the whole world saw a devastating "Rubles Army" (Chelsea).

But it ends here.

The curse of the Community Shield Cup ends here.

Encountering a madman Mourinho who was even tougher than the curse, the Community Shield Cup curse that had lasted for eight years could only yield and surrender.

Chelsea, who won the 2005 Community Shield Cup, successfully defended their league title in the following season, breaking the Community Shield Cup curse that had once made the teams that won the Community Shield Cup unhappy.

In the following season, Liverpool defeated Chelsea and lifted the Community Shield Cup. However, this was Benitez's last trophy at Liverpool, and that season belonged to Ferguson's Manchester United. It seemed that the Community Shield Cup curse was about to rebound.

But this time, another strongman came forward and suppressed the curse of the Community Shield Cup. In 2007, Ferguson led Manchester United to defeat Chelsea and lift the Community Shield Cup, and also defended the league title in the following season. In 2008, Manchester United won the Community Shield Cup again, and once again defended the league title in the season, once again completing the feat of three consecutive league titles. In 2009, Chelsea defeated Manchester United in the Community Shield Cup, and they also successfully suppressed Manchester United in the league, winning the Premier League double crown that season.

In 2010, the Community Shield Cup champion was Manchester United, and the 2010-2011 season league champion was also Manchester United.

The so-called Community Shield Cup curse has completely disappeared, and no one is interested in discussing this thing anymore.

The curse has become a memory of the past Premier League, and has no reference value for the present.

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Liverpool's opponent in the Community Shield Cup is Everton, who won the FA Cup.

This is a Merseyside derby held at Wembley Stadium.

The media teased both sides before the game.

"The league hasn't started yet, and the first game of the season is such a hot Merseyside derby, it seems that the whole season will be very hot!"

"The feud between Liverpool and Everton has extended from Merseyside to the new Wembley Stadium. Liverpool has an absolute advantage in the league, so can Everton reverse this situation in the Community Shield Cup?"

"...I think the Football Association should change the name of the Community Shield Cup, this name doesn't sound cool at all! I suggest changing it to 'First Blood' or 'Shield of Destiny'. If that's really the case, this event would be much cooler. For example, tomorrow our headline can be written as 'The Reds take the first blood of the 14-15 season!' or 'Everton holds up the Shield of Destiny against fate!' What great headlines!"

The Merseyside derby is still a gimmick that can be hyped.

However, in Chen Hero's view, this derby has lost its meaning—Everton basically has no power to fight back against Liverpool. If Everton's opponent in the FA Cup final last season was Liverpool, then there would be no suspense about the FA Cup champion, and today it would be arch-rival Manchester United who would be facing Liverpool at Wembley.

If that were the case, Chen Hero would have a bit of fighting spirit.

Now it's Everton... Of course, Chen Hero won't underestimate his opponent because of this, but even if he wins against Everton, he doesn't think the sense of accomplishment will be so strong. Because winning Everton is a very normal thing, just like a postman delivering a letter, will the postman be happy for a long time because he delivered a letter?

Unlike Chen Hero, who lacks fighting spirit, Martin O'Neill takes this game seriously.

Not to mention that the Community Shield Cup curse no longer exists, even if it did, O'Neill would ignore it. This Community Shield Cup championship is very important for Liverpool, it can make a good start for the new season.

At the same time, this game is also the best opportunity to test the team's new players and tactics before the start of the league. Unlike other warm-up matches, the confrontation in this game is stronger, and the gold content is naturally more sufficient. Everton will not surrender in the game, which requires Liverpool to put in more effort. Under these conditions, the true level and state of the newly joined players can be seen.

He decided to start Pepe partnering with Skrtel in this game, let Gerrard rest in midfield, let James McCarthy start, Michael Kelly will also replace Sanchez as the starter, and Stanton will replace Enrique at left-back. Although he is still not familiar enough with his teammates, and the language is still not clear, Martin O'Neill still let Götze start as well.

In addition, the team's tactics are also different from last season.

Last season, Liverpool used a 442 formation, playing a two-striker tactic. This summer, Martin O'Neill has been practicing another set of formations and tactics, that is, 4411, playing a single striker, with Chen Hero at the forefront, and Götze behind him, giving Götze more tactical freedom. Although the position in the formation is at attacking midfield, he is not limited to the attacking midfield position and role. He can move freely in the frontcourt, dribble and pass, create opportunities for his teammates, and at the same time he can shoot and score himself.

This tactic mainly appeared because Götze came.

Last season, Liverpool didn't have a decent attacking midfielder, so naturally they didn't need attacking midfield tactics. The traditional 442 could solve the problem.

But if a set of tactics is played for a long time, it will always be thoroughly researched by the enemy. Martin O'Neill doesn't want a situation where the tactics are thoroughly researched by the opponent and restrained to death, thus losing the game.

A team can't always rely on one set of tactics, especially when this team wants to fight on multiple fronts. The tactics used domestically may not work in the Champions League, and the tactics used in the league may not work in the cup, so at least two sets of tactics must be prepared.

In the Community Shield Cup against Everton, O'Neill intends to try this new tactic.

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Because of the large-scale use of new players, and also new tactics, Liverpool's performance after the start of the game was not good.

Although they practiced for a summer, after all, there are still many new teammates, and they are not familiar enough with each other, so Liverpool players played very awkwardly on the field.

As a result, they let Everton score a goal first.

Götze, the midfield engine that everyone had high hopes for before the game, did not perform well. Except for two dribbling breakthroughs that showed his skills, there were no other performances. Because he is not familiar enough with his new teammates at Liverpool, his passing is simply terrible.

As an attacking midfielder, many attacks need to be completed through Götze. If Götze himself does not perform well, then Liverpool's attack will be disconnected when it reaches him. When the ball is passed to him, it can no longer be passed on.

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"Götze has not shown his due level..." After Götze's dribble was intercepted, the commentators couldn't help but start criticizing Götze's performance.

"It seems that German players really can't get along in England, because the football styles of the two sides are too different... Only one Klinsmann is considered an anomaly..." The commentator who said this forgot about Hamann as well.

"Götze seems to be unfamiliar with the players. His running and passing on the court are not in sync with his teammates."

"If Götze is allowed to play as the main player, with this performance, I think Liverpool's chances of defending the league title in the new season are very slim..."

"I don't know if Liverpool's deal to exchange Schahin plus 23 million euros for Götze is good or not. But from the current point of view, Götze's performance is not as good as Schahin's!"

"Pepe, who transferred to Liverpool with a price tag of 30 million euros, has performed well. That conceded goal has nothing to do with him. McCarthy's passing and scheduling in midfield also has the style of Gerrard, Kelly's breakthrough is very sharp, but the last cross is still lacking... Stanton's defense and offense on the left are very stable... Several players who joined the team this summer have performed well, except for Götze, his performance is seriously inconsistent with his value and his reputation."

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Chen Hero basically can't get the ball in the frontcourt, because Götze can't deliver it.

He looks very helpless.

It seems that living together for four days is still too short...