Everyone seemed to be deep in thought. Twain looked at the empty wine glass before he came back to his senses. "Where were we just now?"
"The essence of professional football," Walker reminded.
"Very well, the essence of professional football. Victory. " Twain took the half-full glass of wine in front of Walker and downed it in one gulp. Burns saw the empty wine glasses on the table and simply got up to get wine for the high-spirited drunkard.
"Uh, you're right, Tony. But why can't beautiful offensive football win victories and championships? "Walker still had a different opinion.
Twain nodded. "Well, let me use facts to convince you. Take the most typical World Cup as an example. Let's count from the past to the present. Forget about those that are too old. Ever since the incomparably gorgeous and incomparably powerful Brazilian national team in 1970, what teams have won the championship? In 1974, Germany, were they the team that played well? When did the Germans ever play well in an offensive way? The Dutch team that played well was the one that played well. They went all-out and created a brand new style. The great Michels, the great Cruyff, the great Netherlands, and the result? They were the runners-up. In 1978, the Netherlands, who still persisted in going all-out, were still the runners-up. They lost to the host, Argentina. Can you say that Argentina played better than the Netherlands? Moving on, 1982, Italy. Italy and the Germans were the same. They relied on a concrete defense and a kid who used to fix the ball to win the championship. Did they play well? After that World Cup, did everyone say that Italy was the representative of offensive football? No. 1986 … Uh, that was a strange World Cup. "
Twain had his reasons for saying so, and Walker would also agree. Because the World Cup in Mexico was an unforgettable memory for the English people. Maradona's Hand of God and his consecutive wins over five players was a humiliation that the English people could not erase. No matter how high Maradona's status was in the hearts of the Chinese or people from other countries, in the eyes of many English people, he was a liar.
"… That championship was won by Maradona alone, not by Argentina. Let's go back and count. The 1990 World Cup, runners-up Argentina, champion Germany, penalty kicks, penalty kicks … I only remember these. What does that mean? Is the representative of offensive football a penalty kick? "Twain sneered. "In Brazil in 1994, what was the Brazilian team that won the championship four times in their country? The ugliest and most conservative national team in the history of Brazilian football. Pereira had never been a manager who advocated offense. Santana was the godfather of Samba football. But what was the result of that World Cup? He brought back the World Cup to Brazil that had been lost for 24 years. No matter how ugly and boring the final game was, he was still a champion coach! His position was unshakable, which explained everything. People only recognized the champion. Next up was 1998. Without Zidane, could France have won the championship? Obviously not. But was France the most elegant and beautiful team with Zidane at that time? Ronaldo and the Brazilian would not agree. Furthermore, Zidane had nothing to do with France being able to enter the finals. Next up is the year 2002 … "Tang En saw Walker's face full of excitement. His mouth was slightly agape, but he stopped talking. "What are you trying to say?"
"It's nothing. I just wanted to remind you that Brazil won the championship in the end. Triple R, offensive football!" Walker finally found strong evidence to refute Tang En's "fallacious reasoning." "Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos, Cafu. Look at these people's names and the football they play. "
Tang En laughed, and he laughed very happily. Burns walked over with two large mugs of beer and asked Walker curiously, "What's wrong with Tony?"
Walker shrugged. "I don't know. I just told him that the winner of the 2002 World Cup was Brazil, who played a lot of offensive football."
Burns smiled as he passed one mug to Walker and placed the other in front of Tang En. "Are you guys arguing about this?"
Tang En stopped laughing when he saw the beer. He sat up, raised the mug, and drank a fifth of it in one go. Tang En wiped the foam from the side of his mouth and decided to teach Des a good lesson. He had hit the nail on the head.
"You're right. Brazil was very strong that time. If their offensive lineup was said to be second in the world, no one would dare say they were first. Triple R was a very good offensive tactic. Coupled with the Brazilian wingers at their peak, it was perfect. Their reward was that glittering trophy. Ronaldo even broke the curse of six goals, which seemed to be proof of the popularity of offensive football. "
Walker nodded, smiling as he waited to see how Tang En would refute.
"But … do you know how Brazil scored 18 goals in that World Cup?"
That question stunned Walker. He had never cared about such things. At that time, he had only cared about cheering for England.
"Let me tell you, 70% of the balls were not passed more than five times before they entered the goal. That's a very reasonable number. Any more and it would be too cumbersome, and it might delay the battle. "The figure of 70% was made up by Tang En, but it was probably not far off. After that World Cup, Tang En had read a professional football magazine that had analyzed Brazil's attacking style in detail. The article quoted the data analyzed by a football research organization in the United Kingdom. He could not remember the specific content, but he believed that he did not remember wrongly when it came to "five kicks."
"What does that mean?"
"What does that mean?! My God … this is a classic example of modern football! Attacking with more than five kicks is too wordy … inefficient and useless. Don't those magnificent football emphasize more ball control and more passing? Brazil used their actions to tell us that there is no need to keep the ball under their feet all the time, and there is no need for more passing. In that World Cup, Brazil did not have an advantage in ball control. Brazil's goal in the 1970 World Cup final is a classic, but it does not apply to all other games and all other teams. That was a special goal that appeared under special circumstances. " Tang En had always been dismissive of Argentina's goal of 24 consecutive passes in the 2006 World Cup. No matter how high the outside world's evaluation of that goal was, he still insisted on his own point of view: Only by passing the ball more could they score. It only showed that the team's offensive efficiency was too low. "You pass the ball 50 times in a row, and in the middle, display the players' beautiful footwork and outstanding positioning, not letting the opponent touch the ball even once, and then beautifully shoot into the opponent's goal. 1: 0. What about my team? In the period where you pass the ball 50 times in a row, you score a goal every five passes, 10: 0. Which one do you think is better? "
Walker was stumped by Tang En's question. He opened his mouth but did not know how to answer. In fact, the answer was very simple. Even a fool would know to choose the latter. However, Walker just could not accept Tang En's theory. No matter how he listened to it, it felt wrong, but he could not tell what was wrong.
"You think Brazil is very offensive, and I think so too. But this offensive football is different from our usual offensive football. Scolari's Brazil team is actually very different from the traditional Samba football. It is more European, more modern, more direct, and more deadly. Modern football is about efficiency because it is always switching between attack and defense at high speed, and the pace is faster. Continuous possession of the ball and passing the ball back and forth for a long time are actually not in line with the requirements of modern football. This is inevitable. " Tang En actually wanted to give the two an example of why Brazil's Kaka was called a "modern attacking midfielder," and what was the difference between him and the "classic attacking midfielders" like Rui Costa and Riquelme. But at this time, Kaka was still playing in Sao Paulo in Brazil, and Europeans knew almost nothing about him. Using him as an example would be too abrupt and useless.
"More time to control the ball and pass the ball means more possibilities for mistakes. The tactical basis of modern football is to reduce our own mistakes as much as possible, and force the opponent to make mistakes. We snatch the opponent's ball through a tight defense. From the moment we start to control the ball, it means that the opponent can use the same method to snatch the ball back at any time. So, three passes and two passes, sending the ball into the opponent's goal is the most economical method, and also the most realistic and efficient tactic. " Under the influence of alcohol, Tang En, the "fan", gave the two real professional players a lesson on modern football tactics.
"You … You're saying that ball control is useless?" Walker asked in surprise.
Tang En went along with Walker's words and revealed his theory of "ball possession is useless." "I think that extra ball control is really useless. We just need to maintain possession of the ball until we score. Passing the ball with five passes is very ideal. Too much is a waste of time and efficiency. My ideal football is simple, practical, direct and efficient football. This is the football that can bring the most victory. That kind of passing the ball back and forth from the backfield all the way to the opponent's goal, then letting the opponent kick it back to their own backfield, and then allowing the opponent to counterattack and score a goal is very stupid and ridiculous. " Tang En thought of a post on the Internet. It was a tactical board for each country, and it was filled with the passing methods and routes of each team. Of course, this was an exaggeration, but it truly reflected the tactical style of those national teams. Looking at the messy blackboard, with its many twisting and turning passing routes, Tang En smiled the happiest. And that picture belonged to the Brazilian team that he admired a lot.
Later on, this Brazilian team that was hailed as the strongest team on Earth, which Pereira himself called "30 years ahead of world football," had Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Adrinano, Kaka, and was hailed as the strongest attacking combination in history, which was even stronger than the 3R team. They were the favorites to win the title, the "Magic Quadrangle," but they did not even make it into the top four and returned home in "humiliation."
The other team, Argentina, had scored 24 consecutive passes in the group stage. They had the one and only "classic attacking midfielder," Riquelme, and had N number of "Maradona's" successors. However, their results were the same as Brazil's, and they stopped at the top eight. The team that held high the banner of offensive football was completely defeated in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. In the end, the team that won the championship was Italy, which played more consistently, was more efficient, and had a better defense.
"I have to say it again. Perhaps the fans would really like to watch that kind of 'relay in the air' that doesn't land even after 50 consecutive passes, but I don't like it. I only like the result of hitting the ball into the opponent's goal and winning the game. Before this, I don't care how the ball is scored, and I don't care how the game is won. There's a saying that goes: a good thing with a good ending is a good thing. "
After Tang En finished speaking, he began to drink silently. He had just said that his mouth was dry.
Walker recovered from his shock. "Tony … I always feel that your thinking is too extreme. You've completely thrown the way of controlling the ball into the trash …"
"No, no, no. I'm not throwing it into the trash. I just think that if we can't win, we have to change the way we play. From our last two games, we can see that controlling the ball too much will not bring us victory and goals. The ultimate goal of a football game is to win. Similarly, the ultimate goal of offense is to score goals. Why are people putting the cart before the horse now? They blindly emphasize beautiful ball control and beautiful scenes. Do they think they can score goals just like that? That's ridiculous. Scoring goals is highly dependent on chance. Eighty percent of the ball control does not mean that there will be eight goals. My football is very simple. Throw away those complicated things and go straight for the result. Des, I think Forest's training needs to be changed. We should put more energy into how to let the team score goals, and not how to control the ball. "
Burns did not say a word at the side, deep in thought.
"I'm the manager of Forest. I have to be responsible for the results of this team. If it's just a neutral game, I believe everyone would like to see both sides exchange blows and play offensive football. I like it too. But what if there was a Forest game? What do you want to see? Wasn't the Forest team the winner? As long as we win, everything else is not a problem. "
As Tang En spoke, there was a sudden commotion at the door. Another group of fans came in to drink and chat. Tang En looked back and saw that it was his "old acquaintances" — Michael and his gang. He said to Walker, "Look, Michael and his gang are determined to oppose me. If you're not sure if what I said just now is correct, we can go ask them what they think of what I said."
With that, Tang En raised his wine glass and greeted them.
The fat man beside Michael was the first to see Tang En. He called out, "Hey, has our Mr. Manager resigned to be a bartender?" His shout immediately made everyone's eyes focus on Tang En.
Tang En was very grateful to the fat man, because that was the effect he wanted. But he still had to be a little harsh with his words. "I'm drinking this wine for myself, Fatty."
The fat man pursed his lips. "What are you trying to do?" The moment he said that, the people beside him became alert.
"Alright, guys, I'm not here to quarrel or fight with you today." Tang En looked at the group of people with wary faces and waved his hand. "I just have a question, and I want to hear your answer."
"Why should we answer your question?" The fat man retorted.
"It's up to you whether you want to answer or not. I'm asking. As fans, what kind of game do you prefer to see? "
The group of people looked at each other, not knowing why Tang En was asking this. "Of course it's a good game!" Someone answered.
"What do you mean by a good game?" As he did not know which corner the voice came from, Tang En only stared at Michael and asked loudly.
"More goals, more beautiful teamwork, and more flashy passes!" The voice also answered loudly.
Walker, who was behind, shrugged and shook his head at Burns.
"Then what if we can't win?" Tang En asked loudly.
The voice fell silent.
So Tang En turned around and asked the others, "What if the beautiful and flashy football you like can't win? Do you still like it? Why do you go to the stadium every weekend to cheer for the team? "
"Because we like football, and we support the Forest team!" The fat man spoke, and his words were echoed by many people.
Tang En said disdainfully, "Then why did you boo the team you supported previously when the team's results weren't good?"
"Why can't we boo? Because your results weren't good! "The fat man pointed at Tang En and said. He must have been holding this in for a long time. Similarly, he received everyone's support.
Burns watched the question and answer, and a smile appeared on his face. Clearly, those people had fallen into the pit that Tang En had dug, but they did not know it.
"But you said you support the team, and you didn't say you would stop supporting the team if its results weren't good. England's football fans are traditionally loyal! "
Everyone was rendered speechless by this question.
"That … is for glory, for our own glory!" The fat man finally thought of a reason.
"Glory?" Tang En stared at the fat man and asked, "What a good word. Then let me ask you, where does glory come from? Does it fall from the sky? "
The fat man was completely speechless. He was not stupid. He knew why Tang En asked this. He had long fallen into his trap.
"Let me tell you, where does glory come from!" Tang En shouted loudly, just like he was directing the game in the stadium. "Glory comes from victory! Glory comes from being a champion! There is no glory to speak of for a losing team, and there is no glory to speak of for the fans who support it. Only victory, only victory can bring you glory! "
Walker said to Burns, "Tony drank too much."
Burns nodded in agreement.
Tang En was indeed drunk. He was especially talkative today, and he also wanted to say these words for more people to hear. In the past, when he was drinking in the CD bar, he would be laughed at no matter what he said. Then, when he was drunk, it would naturally lead to a chaotic brawl …
Now that he stood here, he hoped that what he said would be recognized.
"You love Forest Team, I have no doubt. But I also know that no one will unconditionally love a team that only loses and loses again and again! I hate failure, and I want my team to be a winner after every game! Only then will there be f * cking glory! Glory is not something that can be talked about every day. It needs the team to exchange for it with victory! "
After shouting, Tang En took a short break, and then he asked, "Now tell me, what kind of game do you like?"
The leader, Michael, finally opened his mouth. "What the f * ck are you talking about, Mr. Tang? Of course we like to win, and we also like the team to return to the Premier League after this season. We like to become the f * cking Premier League champions next season, and the season after that, we'll be the king of Europe! "
Tang En looked at this former "enemy" and smiled. "Looks like heroes think alike, Michael." Then he opened his arms and said loudly to the fans in the stadium, "That's right! Victory, championship! I like this kind of football. As long as I'm leading the team, I want the team to play this kind of football. Everything for victory, everything for the championship! A team that can't win is a lousy team, and a manager that can't lead the team to victory is simply … f * cking lousy! "
"That's right!" Someone jumped onto the table with a wine glass in his hand, raising his arms high up and shouting, "I also f * cking like victory and championship!" His words received a passionate response from everyone.
Tang En struck while the iron was hot and raised his wine glass. "Everyone's wine tonight is on me. To victory, cheers! "
"To victory!"
"Oh oh oh! To victory! "
"To … f * cking … victory!!!"
"Cheers!!!"
The bar seemed to have become the scene of a howling party. Everyone raised the wine glass in their hands high up, and the wine in the glass reflected their excited and hysterical faces.
Seeing Tang En's back view with his arms wide open, as though he wanted to embrace the entire bar, Walker shook his head lightly. "Ian told me that Tony is an expert at stirring up the atmosphere in the locker room. But I think he's wrong. Tony is an expert at stirring up the atmosphere no matter the time or place. "
"I agree." Burns raised his wine glass and clinked it with Walker's. "I like this slogan. To victory, cheers. "
"Cheers!"
The drunkards were still howling "victory" and reveling in the alcohol. Tang En turned around and walked back.
Walker raised his hands in surrender. "I'm convinced, Tony. I support your tactics. Let's build a winning team according to what you have in mind. "
Tang En smiled and turned to look at Burns.
"Tony. Yes, you know … I'm a staunch Forest fan. A loyal Forest fan definitely wouldn't want to see his team lose, right? "
"I know your answer. Kenny, Des, thank you. "
"Don't be happy too early, Tony. If your team continues to lose consecutively and is unable to recover, I believe everyone here won't mind stripping you naked and throwing you onto the streets. "Kenny laughed.
"Hehe, I won't give you that chance."
Burns punched Tony in the chest. "Do a good job, Tony."
Without any other superfluous words, Tang En could feel the weight of the expectations of an old player, an old fan.
"I will. I hope we can be in the Premier League next season. When the time comes, I'll treat all of you to a drink. "
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