"Beautifully done by Forest." Taylor praised the home team from the stands for maintaining the lead until the end of the first half. "Of course, I'm not saying that they played beautifully, nor is it because they're leading by a goal. In fact, in the first two rounds, Arsenal's defense has been constantly having problems, allowing their opponents to score goals. But Forest's grasp of rhythm has shown us a little … "
"A little hope of toppling Arsenal!" Gray shouted. He was not afraid of offending Arsenal's supporters.
Tang En could not hear the two commentators' praises for him, but his eyes could see that the current situation on the field was advantageous to Forest. The fans in the stands did not stop singing their cheers for Forest. Even the assistant manager, David Kerslake, who sat beside him, was beaming as he watched the game.
He had not expected such a result — leading by a point and completely restricting their opponents.
But Tang En frowned and did not show the slightest hint of joy. When the television cameras occasionally swept past his face, his expression would definitely mislead many viewers who had just turned on their televisions into thinking that Forest was falling behind.
Against an opponent like Arsenal, with Forest's current ability, even a one-goal lead would not make Tang En feel at ease.
1: 0 was the least secure score in Tang En's mind.
Soon, the referee blew the whistle to end the first half amidst the cheers of the Forest fans. Arsenal's players lowered their heads and walked quickly to the players' tunnel. They were not dissatisfied with the score, but they were depressed that they had been at a disadvantage throughout the first half. They were beaten by a newly promoted team to the point where they could not retaliate and could not even organize an effective attack. Their way of playing was leading the league. But look at their opponents? Rough fouls, no regard for their stamina, endless little tricks, and a little bias from the referee. They were beaten to the point where they could not do anything.
The Arsenal players who returned to the locker room panted heavily. They looked more tired than the Forest players who had been running non-stop in the first half.
Wenger naturally did not think that this was a sign of problems with their fitness. He stood in the locker room and scanned the field. No matter what, the team's morale could not be lost.
"I thought the last round of the league tournament was the most crucial match for us." The Frenchman opened his mouth to speak. His voice was not loud, and his speech was unhurried, as if he was talking about something that had nothing to do with him. "Remember how we were beaten by Middlesbrough at home? In three minutes, we conceded two goals in a row, allowing the opponent to equalize the score to 1: 3. At that time, everyone thought we were done for. It seemed like the pressure to tie the record was too heavy. But what was the final score? 5: 3. "Wenger stretched out his hands," 5 "on his left hand and" 3 "on his right.
"I think that after that match, all of you should have learned how to treat things like records. Even though we are opponents with the Forest team, their manager, Tony Twain, is right about one thing: Records are meant to be broken from the very beginning. Put all your thoughts on the competition and don't think about the future. "
Having said that, Wenger looked at Fabregas again. The Spaniard's head was down and he was still panting. It looked like he had been very much involved with George Wood in the first half.
So he asked, "Cesc, what do you think of No.13?"
Hearing his manager call him, Fàbregas raised his head. His breathing suddenly stabilized and he shook his head. "No problem, I can handle it."
Wenger smiled. He did not strike a blow to the proud young man's ego. Even though he could see that Fàbregas did not perform well against George Wood, whose physical attributes surpassed his in all aspects. Maybe if Vieira was there for this match, the situation would be completely different. His experience, technique, and body could allow the midfield control to be in our hands again. But … Vieira was injured before the season.
"Very good. In the second half, pay attention to reducing the time the ball stays on your side."
Fàbregas nodded. It was the first time for the proud Fàbregas to suffer two consecutive setbacks from the unknown George Wood.
Wenger was very clear about Fàbregas's thoughts. But he did not say it out loud. Instead, he turned around to discuss the gains and losses of the first half with his captain, Henry. One watched the match from the technical area, while the other experienced it first-hand on the field. The two of them needed to summarize their respective feelings.
※ ※ ※
On the other side, the atmosphere in Forest's locker room was not as high as people thought it would be with the home team in the lead. That was because the players who came in from the outside all noticed that Tang En's brows were tightly furrowed. They did not know what they had done wrong to make the manager's expression turn ugly. None of them dared to speak loudly.
Fortunately, Tang En quickly told them the answer. "Do you know why I'm furrowing my brows? You guys did a good job. I should praise you and praise you. But there are still 45 minutes left in the match. I hope you guys know this. A one-goal lead is not very secure. After we scored in the first half, we put too much energy into defense. In the second half, we need to make a slight change. "
He pointed to the tactical board on which both teams' lineups had been drawn.
"When we have possession of the ball, Ribéry, Ashley Young, the two of you cut inside slightly and give the flanks to Baines and Chimbonda, who plug in from the back. Let them pull Arsenal's two full backs. Then, you guys look for the right time to plug in from the flank. "He drew arrows as he explained." Demetrio, your task is to send the ball to the flank of the opponent's defensive line. If the opponent starts to pay attention to this position, send it directly to the middle. "
Albertini looked at the crisscrossing arrows and dotted lines on the tactical board and nodded. He felt that he was in good form for this match. It would not be a problem for him to send such a ball.
Tang En looked at Wood again and said to him, "George, when we take the ball and attack, your main responsibility is to protect Demetrio. You know what to do, right?"
Wood nodded.
"Very good. Everyone has a clear goal. Don't let your guard down. Our opponent is not a team at the level of League One. I hope to be able to celebrate victory with everyone after the match is over! "
Tang En clapped his hands and then clenched his fists.
"Let those who look down on us die!"
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