When everyone gradually stopped laughing, Tang En looked at them and said seriously, "Although we didn't beat Arsenal in the end, I'm sure you've all seen it. We forced the defending champions into such a sorry state. I wasn't lying when I said Forest isn't afraid of any opponent, right? "
"No!" The players answered loudly.
"Next time, we just need to be a little luckier, and we'll be able to beat them. It's the same against other opponents. Although Forest is a newly promoted team, we're on the same starting line as them. Did anyone doubt our future because of the draw the day before yesterday? "
Everyone shook their heads at the same time.
"Very well, I didn't either." Tang En nodded vigorously, then clapped his hands. "Go warm up. Let me do some recovery training!"
When Tang En took the lead to open the door and walk out, he was shocked. There were many fans outside the training ground, several times more than usual. These people did not make a racket, only cheering when they saw Tang En and the players walk out.
Generally speaking, training on the first day after a match was completely open because it was basically a recovery training and there was nothing to be kept secret from the media. However, it was Tang En's first time seeing so many fans gathered at the side of Forest's training ground.
Tang En did not need to think to know what they were here for. He turned back to look at the shocked players and said, "This morning's training has been canceled. Guys, go and give them autographs. Don't reject their requests." He pointed to the adorable enthusiastic fans.
In the corner, a BBC Radio 5 reporter smiled at the camera and said, "It looks like Tony Tang's team has set a new record."
※ ※ ※
Arsenal's new unbeaten record was a big deal, but for Tang En, the whole thing had nothing to do with him once the match ended.
He no longer cared about whether Arsenal would follow the history of his memory and extend their unbeaten record to 49 matches before being ended by Manchester United.
There was not much time left for him to care about others. On the 28th, Nottingham Forest visited Goodison Park to challenge Everton, which was managed by Moyes.
Tang En still remembered how he met and chatted with Moyes at the Manager's Association's reception. Although they were both young managers, Moyes was not only young at that time, but he was also capable. Tang En, on the other hand, had nothing. He was just a nobody who had just lost his job as a manager.
It was different now. Tang En had led the team to win last season's EFL Cup, fought their way into the European arena, and led the team to be promoted to the English Premier League. Although he had only led the team for half a season, at the end of last season, he was named the best manager in the English Premier League. He was just as young and just as promising.
This was a contest between two youths. After receiving the award last season, Moyes even specifically called Tang En to congratulate him. He might be the person Tang En had the best relationship with among the English Premier League managers, but there was no such thing as friendship in football.
Everton had started three rounds of the league tournament. They had one less round to play and were ranked 13th with one win and one loss. The game with one less game was against Manchester United, which was pushed to the 30th of August, after the fourth round. Moyes had put all his energy into preparing for the match against Manchester United. Even so, Tang En did not think the team would be able to get three points at Everton's home ground.
Everton's Duncan Ferguson scored two goals on his own and was the hero of the team. Forest's two goals were scored by two different people. The player who scored the team's first goal was the striker, Viduka. In the previous match against Arsenal, he had wasted a chance to score a solo goal. In this match, with his opponent closely marking him, he had even scored a beautiful header. The player who scored the team's second goal was the veteran Hierro. Forest was awarded a penalty, and Hierro was the team's first choice to take the penalty kick. With one move, he equalized the score at 2: 2.
This score was maintained until the end of the match. It was another draw.
The result of the match was 2: 2.
Judging from this result, forcing a draw against Everton in an away game seemed to be a satisfactory result. But when one recalled that Forest had already drawn for three consecutive rounds, it made people feel upset. They were clearly just a thin line away from victory, but they could not break through it no matter what. Generally, a newly promoted team would obtain three points and only lose one game in the first four rounds of the season. This result seemed pretty good. But for Tang En, a draw was useless. What he needed was a victory. And he firmly believed that as long as the first victory came, more victories would follow.
The question was … when would the first victory come?
In the post-match press conference, Tang En, as usual, expressed his trust and support for the players in the face of the reporters' questions. He praised the team's performance and wantonly announced that he was satisfied with the current results. As a newly promoted team, he was content to only lose one game.
The media were deceived. They commented in their own articles:
Tony Twain was very satisfied with his team's performance!
Forest still had a long way to go, but they were already doing very well!
Nottingham Forest's goal for this season should be to avoid relegation!
The English Premier League and the English Football League Championship were completely different leagues. Manager Tony Twain felt immense pressure!
…
And so on.
Such comments made Tang En feel amused. But he wished for it to be so. Why? Because it could confuse his opponent in the next round.
Because of the national team's match, after the four rounds of the league in August, there would be a 12-day break. The English Premier League would only be reignited on September 11th.
Tang En was very clear about what his team needed now.
Victory.
He needed a victory to consolidate the players' confidence and morale. He also needed a victory to reduce the pressure on himself. Otherwise, no matter how well he said it, the players would have their own thoughts if they did not win consecutively. His current team was newly formed. Why did the players gather together? Of course, it was not because of their love for the team. It was because when Tang En recruited them, he promised them victory and glory. If it was always a draw and a draw … What was the use even if they followed Arsenal's example and went 44 consecutive rounds unbeaten – all draws –?
He told the players that he had a great goal. What he pursued was victory. If they were with him, they would have the opportunity to obtain glory. Well, now it was time to do something to prove it.
In the fifth round of the league, Nottingham Forest faced Manchester City at home. This team was not a pushover that Tang En could casually pinch. But he and the Forest team clearly could not continue to wait any longer.
(To be continued. If you want to know what happens next, please log on to WWW. CMFU. com. More chapters. Support the author. Support original reading!)
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
