Everything was going according to Tang En's plan. Coventry City's offense was still weak, so after 17 minutes, they brought off Pipe, who was not performing well, and replaced him with Gary McSheffrey. This young player, who was only 20 years old, was the team's main scorer up until now, scoring three goals in ten appearances. If he had not strained his calf muscle in training two days before the match, McAllister would not have put him on the bench.
A young man with a head of yellow hair, he looked a little like Rooney. Of course, if he was as good as Rooney, Tang En would cry.
Although he was not as good as Rooney, McSheffrey still brought a lot of trouble to Forest's rear defensive line after he came on. He did not appear in the middle, but on the left, facing Forest's right back, the Frenchman, Matthew Louis Jean.
When Tang En saw this change, he realized he had underestimated McAllister. Although the player-manager could not see the big picture better than the off-field manager, he had first-hand information on many details. Forest's right back was indeed a headache for Tang En. The only true right back was this Frenchman. Smeka could also play as a right back, but he was clearly more effective as a defensive midfielder. The other person was the 21-year-old John Thompson. Although he could also play as a right back, his most suitable position was a defensive midfielder or a center back.
He observed Coventry City from the stands, and Coventry City's manager observed his team on the field.
McSheffrey was not a dribbling expert, but his speed and breakthroughs on the flanks gave Louis Jean a headache. Coupled with the slippery weather in the rain, it was always easy for the opponent to bypass him. Sometimes, he could only barely stop him by fouling. What was more worrying was that this person was clearly better at shooting than Coventry City's previous two forwards. Both of his shots were within the range of the goalpost. Tang En shook his head in the stands. He did not think of this and did not mention it to Walker and the others during the halftime interval. At this time, if Thompson, who had better defensive abilities, was brought on, he should be able to defend against the injured McSheffrey.
Unfortunately …
Only then did Twain realize a bigger problem. Although McAllister was playing on the field and could not make the most timely adjustments to the team, he was watching the game from the stands. He was watching the game from the stands. Even if he saw the problem and came up with a solution, he would not be able to inform the assistant managers on the sidelines … The result would be the same. They would not be able to make adjustments to the team directly.
Fortunately, ten minutes later, Bowyer and Walker made the adjustments in Tang En's mind. They replaced Louis Jean, who had been turned into a sieve by McSheffrey, with Thompson. The situation was back in balance.
Time ticked by, and the fourth official raised the three-minute stoppage sign on the sidelines. There were only five minutes left before Tang En's first victory as coach of the team. The Forest fans in the stands could not stop singing. The fans around them could not wait to come up and congratulate Tang En. In their eyes, this match was a sure win.
A smile once again appeared on Tang En's face. His mood, which had been wrecked by the two members of the Disciplinary Committee and the security guards at Highfield Road, gradually improved. In this world of black and white, there was nothing more lovely and joyful than victory.
There was an old saying that had been mentioned countless times on many occasions, and those who heard it would have calluses on their ears. But at this moment, this famous saying from the godfather of German football, Josef Helberg, had to be repeated: a football is round.
Just as the fourth official put down the electronic signboard and turned to go back. Coventry City had obtained a free kick in the front field. The position was about 25 meters in the center of the front of the penalty area. They had obtained five free kicks in the front field in this match. The first four had been wasted by McAllister. He probably had the same complaint as Ian Jess: the pitch was too slippery, the soil too loose, and he could not support his feet.
But this time …
When McAllister stood in front of the ball, the Forest fans beside Tang En were still singing and dancing. He himself stood there without any expression, focusing on the field. The more it was at a moment like this, the more nervous he became. As long as they could endure this ball, the rest would be easy. Forest could control the ball at their feet until the end of the match.
McAllister's back was facing the cheering Forest fans. There were no close-up shots on the big screen. Tang En could not see the expression on the coach-cum-player's face at this moment. In this match between the two of them, he was about to win.
The referee blew his whistle. McSheffrey made a feint, and McAllister followed up and raised his leg to shoot!
The football tore through the curtain of rain, crossed the human wall, spun, and bypassed Darren Ward's hand. Then, it crashed into the net, splashing water droplets in all directions, even covering Tang En's eyes.
Tang En blinked hard, wanting to confirm it. Very quickly, he heard deafening shouts. Those voices did not come from the Forest fans beside him, but from the Sky Blue formation on the opposite side …
McAllister was pressed under the bodies of his excited teammates. The commentator's voice echoed. "The 88th minute! Coventry City, Gary McAllister! A direct free kick. Beautiful! It's a 1: 1 draw! They've been undefeated for eight consecutive rounds! "What responded to him was a thunderous roar from the stands.
"F * ck them!" Tang En punched the seat next to him hard. The fans around him were also silent. This was an outcome that no one had expected. Coventry City, who did not have many chances throughout the match, had actually used a direct free kick to equalize the score. There was nothing more infuriating than having three points turned into one. What made Tang En even more infuriated was that he did not know where the problem was. His team's performance was almost perfect. Just because of a lucky ball from the opponent, 88 minutes of hard work had been ruined.
Coventry City's players were still celebrating, while Forest's players stood on the field with confused expressions.
It was still raining, but Tang En was no longer concerned about how the weather would affect the match. In his opinion, the match had ended here. 1: 1. He and McAllister had fought to a draw. That player-manager fellow might not have been able to use tactical adjustments to save the team, but he had done it with his own goal.
He turned to look at the disappointed fans and began to regret sitting there. It was not a good feeling to be by their side and see them change from joy to disappointment with his own eyes.
"When we return to our home ground, I'll bring you a victory …" he muttered in a low voice.
The final result of the match was that the tenacious Coventry City equalized the score before the end of the match. The visiting Forest team took away a point, but it looked like they were more regretful and unwilling than the home team.
After the 29th round of the Premier League, Forest, who had one game left, had even fallen to 14th place in the Premier League. They had accumulated only 39 points. The only consolation for Tang En was that there was only a difference of four points between 14th and sixth place. It was only a difference of two games, and they had one game left.
His teacher had left him a mess. Tang En had finally managed to get the team to have a little fighting spirit. He could not let the team fall into a slump because of the results. There were not too many problems within the team. Tang En only had one task left — to lead the team to good results.
Good results required good players, and Tang En's current situation was very awkward.
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