'Fragile' Man Utd set for fewest games in season since 1914-15
状态脆弱的曼联将迎1914-15赛季以来参赛场次最少的赛季
Life moves fast at Manchester United.
When Brighton last visited Old Trafford 11 weeks ago, a third successive win seemed to be a clear sign of a corner being turned under Ruben Amorim.
Wind forward to the present day.
The grey clouds enveloped Old Trafford and the rain fell during Sunday's FA Cup third-round defeat by Brighton. It was a fitting metaphor.
Amorim is gone, United have fallen at the first hurdle in both domestic cup competitions for the first time since 1981-82. They are condemned to a 40-game season, the fewest they have played since 1914-15.
The world's oldest person, 116-year-old Ethel Caterham, was five at the time, so even she probably doesn't remember it.
After a two-game trip to Asia at the end of last season to plug a financial hole, now the mooted mid-season trip to Saudi Arabia has to become more likely - as there is a 10-day window in United's season in February and March, given the FA Cup fourth and fifth round weekends are, for them, blank.
Before that, United host Manchester City next Saturday with no manager in place to lift their "fragile" confidence.
They have one win in seven games, a fortunate triumph against Newcastle on 26 December.
Out of 13 matches since the previous Brighton visit, they have enjoyed three victories.
While their current position of seventh in the Premier League is not catastrophic, if results against Manchester City and Arsenal go to form, they could be firmly in the bottom half of the table by the time they entertain Fulham on 1 February, when the 1958 Group of supporters plan a mass demonstration against the ownership.
Where do Man Utd go from here?
For context, Bradford Park Avenue and The Wednesday were two of the teams United played in that 1914-15 season.
It was 1948 before they won the FA Cup again and 1952 before they won the league, doing so for the first time under Sir Matt Busby.
The 41-year gap between titles was by far the longest in their history.
By the end of this season, it will be 13 years since United last won the league - half the gap between Busby's final success in 1967 and Sir Alex Ferguson's first in 1993.
Yet there is no sense United are on the right track.
Interim boss Darren Fletcher tried to say the right things as he summed up United's FA Cup exit. But there is no certainty what he wants for the club will come to fruition.
"Don't waste the season," he added. "That would be the challenge I would set.
"It's not a great moment, let's be honest. We are out of the cups early.
"But true character shows itself at difficult times.
"There's still a Champions League place to fight for – and I still think that can be achieved this season.
"It's probably not what fans want to hear about Manchester United because we should be winning cups and challenging for the Premier League. But it is probably the object of this season.
"All the players' focus and energy should go into improving as a team – and improving quickly.
"Anything other than that is just noise."
'Zero indications'
The problem at Manchester United is that the noise is huge.
There is no shortage of opinion on the club from within the game, including a host of legendary ex-United players - from Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney: from Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes, who sat alongside Sir Alex Ferguson watching this sorry mess unfold.
Whoever replaces Fletcher must be able to deal with that reality.
Amorim said he felt United's ownership was influenced too much by external noise. Failure to win, an inevitability for United in their current guise, just increases the pressure.
Former United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his one-time coach Michael Carrick are the frontrunners.
Both have played for United. Both know the pressures that come with the job.
Fletcher says he has no idea what happens now, beyond his own meeting with club officials on Monday.
"I have to report tomorrow morning to Carrington, that is all I know," he said.
"I will find out tomorrow morning. I have had zero indications."
There was a theory Fletcher might put himself into contention with positive results against Burnley and Brighton.
That did not happen.
Instead, Fletcher is set to discover whether he will remain within the first-team set-up or drop back to his substantive role with the Under-18 squad.
United's players have two pre-planned days off, so the build-up to Manchester City will begin on Wednesday, by which time, the club's short-term future should become clear.
'They need to help themselves'
Fletcher genuinely hopes for the best. You could tell from the emotion in his final answer as interim boss.
"It is a massive responsibility to lead this club," he said.
"I have given it my best and I am disappointed not to win a game.
"I think there are some good things there but ultimately it wasn't enough. I am more disappointed about that than anyone.
"I care for the club, I want the club to do well and I want the players to do well. I mean that.
"I have had my time as a player and loved every minute of it.
"Now it is about them. We need to help them, the club needs to help them, they need to help themselves."
四六级核心单词解析
1. enveloped
含义：v. 笼罩；包裹；包围（envelop 的过去式 / 过去分词）
例句：Grey clouds enveloped Old Trafford during Manchester United's FA Cup defeat.
翻译：曼联足总杯失利当天，阴云笼罩着老特拉福德球场。
2. condemned
含义：v. 迫使（陷入某种境地）；谴责；判罪（condemn 的过去式 / 过去分词）
例句：The team's early cup exits condemned them to a 40-game season, the fewest in over a century.
翻译：球队早早在杯赛出局，迫使他们本赛季仅需踢 40 场比赛，这是一个多世纪以来最少的。
3. mooted
含义：adj. 讨论中的；未确定的；v. 提出（讨论）（moot 的过去分词）
例句：The mooted mid-season trip to Saudi Arabia is now more likely due to United's blank weekends.
翻译：由于曼联周末赛程出现空缺，之前讨论中的赛季中期沙特之旅现在可能性更大了。
4. fragile
含义：adj. 脆弱的；易碎的；不稳固的
例句：Manchester United face Manchester City with no manager to lift their fragile confidence.
翻译：曼联将在没有主教练的情况下对阵曼城，球队本就脆弱的信心难以提振。
5. catastrophic
含义：adj. 灾难性的；毁灭性的
例句：While their current league position is not catastrophic, poor results could push them into the bottom half.
翻译：尽管目前的联赛排名不算灾难性，但糟糕的战绩可能将他们推入积分榜下半区。
6. demonstration
含义：n. 示威；示范；展示
例句：Supporters plan a mass demonstration against the club's ownership before the Fulham game.
翻译：球迷计划在对阵富勒姆的比赛前举行大规模示威，抗议俱乐部管理层。
7. fruition
含义：n. 实现；成就；结果
例句：The interim boss is unsure if his hopes for the club will come to fruition.
翻译：这位临时主帅不确定自己对俱乐部的期望能否实现。
8. inevitability
含义：n. 必然性；不可避免的事
例句：Failure is an inevitability for United in their current guise, increasing the pressure on the team.
翻译：以曼联目前的状态，失利是不可避免的，这也给球队带来了更大压力。
9. frontrunners
含义：n. 领先者；热门人选（frontrunner 的复数）
例句：Former managers Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick are the frontrunners for the vacant job.
翻译：前主教练奥莱・冈纳尔・索尔斯特贾尔和迈克尔・卡里克是这份空缺帅位的热门人选。
10. substantive
含义：adj. 实质的；本职的；重要的
例句：Fletcher may drop back to his substantive role with the Under-18 squad if not kept in the first team.
翻译：如果不能留在一线队，弗莱彻可能会回到 U18 梯队的本职岗位。
文段翻译
曼联的局势变化瞬息万变。
11 周前布莱顿上次造访老特拉福德时，曼联取得了联赛三连胜，这似乎是鲁本・阿莫林麾下球队迎来转机的明确信号。
时间快进到现在。
周日足总杯第三轮不敌布莱顿的比赛中，阴云笼罩着老特拉福德，大雨倾盆而下 —— 这是一个贴切的隐喻。
阿莫林已经离任，曼联自 1981-82 赛季以来首次在两项国内杯赛中均止步首轮。他们本赛季的赛事被缩减至 40 场，这是自 1914-15 赛季以来最少的。
目前世界上最长寿的人、116 岁的埃塞尔・卡特汉姆当时才 5 岁，所以就连她可能也不记得那样的赛季了。
上赛季末，曼联为填补财务缺口远赴亚洲踢了两场友谊赛，如今传闻中的赛季中期沙特阿拉伯之行可能性大增 —— 由于足总杯第四轮和第五轮的周末对他们而言处于空白，曼联在 2 月和 3 月的赛程中有一个 10 天的窗口期。
在此之前，曼联将于下周六主场迎战曼城，而目前球队尚无主教练来提振他们 “脆弱” 的信心。
球队近 7 场比赛仅胜 1 场，唯一的胜利是 12 月 26 日幸运击败纽卡斯尔联。
自从上次对阵布莱顿以来的 13 场比赛中，他们只收获了 3 场胜利。
尽管目前排名英超第七并不算灾难性，但如果对阵曼城和阿森纳的比赛未能取得理想结果，到 2 月 1 日主场迎战富勒姆时，他们可能会牢牢陷入积分榜下半区 —— 届时，1958 球迷团体计划举行大规模示威，抗议俱乐部管理层。
曼联何去何从？
作为背景补充，1914-15 赛季曼联的对手包括布拉德福德公园大道队和谢周三队。
他们直到 1948 年才再次赢得足总杯，1952 年才在马特・巴斯比爵士的带领下首次夺得联赛冠军。
那次长达 41 年的冠军空窗期，是俱乐部历史上最长的一次。
到本赛季结束时，曼联距离上一次赢得联赛冠军将满 13 年 —— 这相当于巴斯比爵士 1967 年的最后一次夺冠到亚历克斯・弗格森爵士 1993 年首次夺冠间隔的一半。
然而，目前完全看不出曼联正走在正确的轨道上。
临时主帅达伦・弗莱彻在总结曼联足总杯出局时，试图说些鼓舞人心的话，但他对俱乐部的期望能否实现仍不确定。
“不要浪费这个赛季，” 他补充道，“这是我想给球队设定的挑战。”
“说实话，这不是一个美好的时刻。我们早早在杯赛出局了。”
“但真正的品格在困境中才会显现。”
“我们还有欧冠资格可以争夺 —— 我仍然认为本赛季可以实现这个目标。”
“对于曼联来说，这可能不是球迷想听到的，因为我们本该赢得奖杯、争夺英超冠军。但这很可能就是本赛季的目标。”
“所有球员的注意力和精力都应该投入到球队的进步中 —— 而且要快速进步。”
“除此之外的一切都是无关紧要的噪音。”
“毫无头绪”
曼联的问题在于，这种 “噪音” 实在太大了。
足坛内部对这家俱乐部的看法层出不穷，包括一大批曼联传奇名宿 —— 加里・内维尔、里奥・费迪南德、韦恩・鲁尼，还有尼基・巴特和保罗・斯科尔斯，他们和亚历克斯・弗格森爵士一起目睹了这场令人遗憾的混乱局面。
无论谁接替弗莱彻，都必须能够应对这一现实。
阿莫林曾表示，他认为曼联的管理层过于受外部噪音影响。以曼联目前的状态，失利是不可避免的，而这只会进一步加剧压力。
前曼联主教练奥莱・冈纳尔・索尔斯克亚和他曾经的助教迈克尔・卡里克是热门人选。
两人都曾为曼联效力，都清楚这份工作带来的压力。
弗莱彻表示，除了周一与俱乐部官员的会面外，他对接下来的事情一无所知。
“我明天早上必须去卡灵顿训练基地汇报，这是我唯一知道的事，” 他说。
“我明天早上就会知道结果了。目前我毫无头绪。”
此前有传言称，如果弗莱彻能带领球队在对阵伯恩利和布莱顿的比赛中取得积极结果，他可能会成为正式主帅的候选人。
但这并没有发生。
相反，弗莱彻即将得知自己是否会继续留在一线队，还是回到 U18 梯队的本职岗位。
曼联的球员有两天预先安排好的假期，因此对阵曼城的备战工作将从周三开始，到那时，俱乐部的短期未来应该会明朗。
“他们需要自救”
弗莱彻真心希望一切向好。从他作为临时主帅最后一个回答中流露的情感，你能感受到这一点。
“带领这家俱乐部是一项巨大的责任，” 他说。
“我已经全力以赴了，没能赢下比赛我感到很失望。”
“我认为球队有一些积极的方面，但最终这些还不够。我比任何人都对此感到失望。”
“我关心这家俱乐部，希望俱乐部和球员都能有好的表现。我是认真的。”
“我作为球员时曾效力于此，热爱每一分钟。”
“现在轮到他们了。我们需要帮助他们，俱乐部需要帮助他们，而他们也需要自救。”
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