In 2010, beforeUnited played AC Milan in the Champions League, Sir Alex gave very specific instructionson how to take care of Pirlo. Man-marking him was a huge part of our pre-game plan - I played against Pirlo when Milan beat us 3-0 at San Siro in 2007. We didnt man-mark him. He destroyedus. We learned and it was painful. Park Ji-Sung was theperfectman for Pirlo in 2010 and never gave him a kick[as United beat Milan 7-2 on aggregate]. For Manaus, we need an English Park Ji-Sung - one England player designated toman-mark him. Looking atthe squad, Danny Welbeck (a good defenderwho can nick the ball well) could bean option and would bea bold decision, one which gives England a creativeoutletand saddles Pirlo with defensive work. Being vexed by Park in 2010 left a mark on Pirlo, who wrotein his 2013 autobiography that Fergusons tactic caused him tolose respectfor the Scottish great. Even Sir Alex Ferguson, the purple-nosed manager who turned ManchesterUnited into a fearsome battleship, couldntresist the temptation, fumedthe Italy international. Hesessentially a man without blemish but he ruined that purity just for a momentwhen it came to me. A fleetingshabbiness came over thelegend that night. The midfielder must have been the first nuclear-powered South Korean in history. Even though hewas already a famous player in his own right, he consentedto being used as a guard dog, willfully limiting his own
Posted on: Sat, 07 Jun 2014 15:05:14 +0000
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