摘要： 在英超没有哪一支球队不希望带着胜利的喜悦来迎接圣诞节的。但联赛紧张的气氛让任何一支球队都感到了迫在眉睫的压力，就连领头羊切尔西队也不例外。在英超赛场，狂热的球迷经常边看球边大声地喊着：“他就在你身后！”以刺激自己喜爱的球队继续保持联赛领先地位。 据英国《卫报》网站报道，球迷所指的“他”通常就是人们所熟知的曼联主教练、老爵爷弗格森。虽然曼联现在仅排在联赛第4，但曼联和弗格森给每支领先球队所带来的压力，让前三名球队的主帅和球员、甚至于他们的球迷都人人感到自危。曼联就像一个巨大的阴影一般，压在其主要对手身上。在弗格森的带领下，曼联已经8获英超联赛冠军称号，其中6次是在联赛圣诞休战之前还落后几个对手的情况下，在最后关头反超的。曼联后劲十足的表现是任何一支球队都不看小瞧的。 曼联这支老牌俱乐部并不是有意为球员制造“破釜沉舟”这种局面的。但曼联的球员确实对自己“后发制人”的能力感到骄傲。在92-93赛季，曼联在弗格森的统领下一举击败此前排名领先的诺维奇队，，以胜利者的姿态登顶英超最高领奖台。现仍在队中的老将吉格斯目睹了这一辉煌的成就。在1996年和去年春天，曼联还有两次令人惊异的大逆转，他们在分别落后纽卡斯尔和阿森纳队的局面下，靠着顽强的后劲，最终击败对手夺冠，给人们留下了深刻印象。 在本赛季联赛过半程的追逐中，曼联现在和以往一样对自己充满着自信。正是这种自信支持着他们在10月份一举击败了此前不可一世的“不败将军”阿森纳队，让后者从此遭遇了一连串的打击而陷入一蹶不振之中。除了队员们的斗志外，曼联俱乐部拥有的雄厚财力也不容小觑。 即使是在欧洲，能像曼联俱乐部这样容纳了如此之多有天赋球员的俱乐部也是屈指可数的。他们对自己的年轻球员珍爱有加，对非曼联的有前途的年轻球员更是趋之若鹜。 阿森纳队也有很多年轻球员，但在联赛中启用像法布雷加斯这样才17岁的年轻球员上场，实在是主教练温格的无奈之举。海布里球场“板凳球员”的深度显然还远远不能和曼联相提并论。法布雷加斯这样的小将也只能是在队长维埃拉停赛期满前跑跑龙套，一旦这位中场大将复出，小将们只能再次靠边站。其实即使是在阿森纳队无人因伤或纪律处罚而停赛时，“枪手”们也总是显得缺兵少将。对此温格的解释是阿森 纳队的财力显然不如切尔西，按照他的话说就是“阿森纳队的投资能力比比切尔西差30倍”。如此大的悬殊，其实只能说是温格按错了计算器的按键；但作为理由，温格这样的话也还说得过去。阿森纳队在球员转会市场上确实一直缺乏大手笔。但在防守定位球方面的“屡屡败笔”，让他们不得不考虑在明年1月的转会期内引进一位强力中后卫。 同阿森纳队的捉襟见肘相比，弗格森在带领球队冲击冠军时显然要底气足得多。他的任务不是继续买进球员，而是在现有球员的基础上进行合理的调配，根据球员的特点运筹帷幄。面对曼联的咄咄逼人之势，领头羊切尔西队队长特里和球队主教练穆利尼奥一样对自己的球队充满信心：“在下个月的转会期内，我们不需要买进任何球员。” 曼联本赛季能否再次后来居上以及切尔西能否如愿历史性地登顶英超冠军宝座、阿森纳队是否会卫冕，看来一切还很难说。（张海山） There is no joviality to the Premiership panto season. When the audience cries, "He's behind you," the person in question is generally Sir Alex Ferguson. This manager casts the grimmest of shadows over his rivals. Manchester United have won the Premier League title eight times under his direction and on six of those occasions the side have been lurking a few paces away from the leaders at Christmas. The Old Trafford club do not drop points by design but the players are at least sure of their own powers of recovery. Ryan Giggs is still around to bear witness to United's first Premiership honour when they clawed back Norwich City's advantage around this juncture in the 1992-93 season. Over hauling Newcastle United, in 1996, and Arsenal, in the spring of last year, made a deeper impression. United must have as much faith as ever in their capacity to last the pace. Even before they faced Fulham at Craven Cottage last night, it was already certain that they would be closer to Arsenal than they were in October when they beat Arsène Wenger's side. Fighting spirit has been marked in Ferguson's United, but as economic advantages grow it has been the weight of the Old Trafford payroll that makes the deepest impression. Arsenal have also clung to fledglings, but only out of desperation. It was no intention of Wenger's to test the 17-year-old Cesc Fábregas's resilience, and the fear of burn-out takes the edge off the satisfaction in his vivacious display against Chelsea on Sunday. There is no depth of mature performers in the Highbury pool and while Patrick Vieira, with his suspension completed, can take over from the Spanish teenager, the manager has another topic to bedevil him. Even when no one is indisposed or banned, Arsenal are chafed by limitations. Wenger did seem to have hit the wrong buttons on his calculator when he announced that his club has "30 times less investment capacity" than Chelsea, but the reasons for anxiety are sound enough. The Highbury heroics in worldwide youth recruitment are essential when funds do not allow them to sign sufficient examples of the finished article.
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