Until the end of the first half, the cheers in the City Ground stadium did not stop. The Forest supporters were still excited about the goal.
All sorts of songs rang out for a full 15 minutes, from the end of the first half to the kickoff of the second half.
There were some changes in the second half compared to the first. Riquelme was more active than in the first half. Perhaps he had some interaction with Sorin during the halftime interval.
The pressure on George Wood increased, and Riquelme showed signs of recovery.
Tang En could see that. He could not let that happen.
Once Riquelme came back to life, Nottingham Forest's one-goal advantage would be in danger.
Taking advantage of a dead ball, Tang En walked to the side of the field and yelled into the field, "George! Be more ruthless! Did you not eat?! "
Since Riquelme was afraid of getting hurt and being violated, then he would let George Wood be serious.
George Wood was indeed an obedient player. Tang En had just turned to return to the technical area when he heard a whistle suddenly ring out on the field.
In the fight with Riquelme, Wood pressed down on the Argentine's neck and pushed him to the ground.
Tang En looked down at his watch. Ten minutes had passed in the second half. Relying on this method might temporarily stop Villarreal CF's attack, but it was not a long-term solution. Although he had always placed great importance on defense, he did not think it was a panacea that could cure all ailments and be useful at all times.
Under such circumstances, the best way to strike at the opponent's arrogance was to score another goal, or even more.
He turned to look at the substitutes' bench.
Then he waved at Anelka, who was sitting in the corner. "Go warm up, Anelka!"
Anelka glanced at Tang En, then stood up, took off his jacket, and ran out.
Kerslake noticed Tang En's action. "So early?"
"What's the point of not using him after buying him? Putting aside his temper and character, his ability is still outstanding, and his technical characteristics are also very useful in this game. We lack a speedy forward. If Pellegrini blocks our flank, we won't be able to attack quickly. Sending a forward will make it more difficult for Villarreal CF's defense. "
Kerslake nodded. He had no more doubts.
In fact, Tang En did not have much confidence. He did not know what the unreasonable Frenchman would do when he got on the field later. Would this sharp dagger stab the enemy's heart, or stab his own people in the back?
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Anelka kept his eyes on the field as he warmed up. He saw everything that was happening on the field. Just as he had guessed, the manager had called him up to warm up. It was obvious that he was not satisfied with the current form of the team and wanted to make adjustments. Should they strengthen their defense or attack after a one-goal lead? This showed the character of a coach.
Conservative people would choose to strengthen their defense, while those who dared to take risks would choose to strengthen their offense.
Letting him warm up meant that he had to strengthen his offense.
This was his first game since joining the team. As he was the latest to arrive, he did not even participate in the team's friendly matches. He only trained with the team for a week. Time was short, so short that he did not have any rapport with his teammates.
Of course, Anelka would not be happy about not being in the starting lineup for the first match. He felt that he should be the main force, because there was no doubt about his ability. He didn't care about their teamwork. He believed that he alone could decide the match.
Fortunately, the manager gave him a chance in the second half and did not let him wait on the bench for 90 minutes in vain.
Anelka warmed up by sprinting back and forth on the sidelines. He felt that his leg muscles were strong and powerful. He told himself that his form was still there. He had not wasted it because of his half-year in Turkey.
He had never thought that he should end his career in a godforsaken place like Turkey. He was fully capable of establishing himself in a powerhouse club. So, he came back. Starting from Nottingham Forest, he advanced step by step towards the goal he hoped for.
His two brothers had helped him a lot. He had to thank them. Now, he had to rely on himself.
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It was no longer realistic for George Wood to face Villarreal CF's offense alone. Arteta had no choice but to frequently retreat to defend. Ashley Young's side was also pushed back by Sorin. Only Ribéry remained strong. After all, his ability was higher than Ashley Young's.
This could not go on. Tang En decided to make a substitution.
He asked Kerslake to call back Anelka, who was warming up.
Looking at the Frenchman, he really did not think that such an unruly forward would one day stand in front of him, waiting to be sent on the field.
"Hmm … You go on the field. I don't need you to pass the ball for your teammates or coordinate with them. I'll let the team pass the ball to you. Once you get the ball, you only have one task: dribble the ball and score. "
Anelka nodded his head. He liked this arrangement.
"But …" Tang En changed the topic. "Your task is so simple that you just have to score a goal. So, if you don't score, you should know … "
"Then I'll take it as my performance not being up to par."
The Frenchman was very confident. He wanted to let this young team and this young manager see what he was capable of. He also wanted to shut up those who doubted him publicly or privately.
Tang En looked at the serious Frenchman, his mouth curving into an arc. "Very good! I like it! "
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George Wood used a defensive move that was infinitely close to a foul to shovel the ball out of Riquelme's feet and out of the sidelines. He was already panting heavily. It was only halfway through the second half!
At that moment, it was as if he had returned to the time last winter in Spain's El Madrigal. The Argentinian leisurely and elegantly showed off his footwork, spinning Wood in circles. His blank face clearly showed his disdain and contempt for Wood.
George Wood could not bear to see that happen to him again. More than half a season had passed. He should be stronger than he was before!
Wood's mind was filled with the thought that he had improved and that he should not lose to Riquelme again, but he had never thought about this — Riquelme was already recognized as a world-class midfield master, a player that Zidane appreciated. How long had he, Wood, been playing football? To want to take Riquelme down now was to underestimate football.
Instead, Riquelme, who had thrown away the burden of his thoughts, was playing more freely.
The chains that bound him were crumbling one by one. The Riquelme that terrified his opponents and the Yellow Submarine fans loved was returning step by step.
Sorin rushed up and wanted to quickly send a ball out of bounds, but he was stopped by the referee's whistle. The ball that had been thrown into the field was kicked back.
The referee signaled for a substitution on the sidelines.
The fourth official held up an electronic number plate. "10" was displayed in red, and "39" was displayed in green. Red represented coming off the field, and green represented coming on.
Viduka was replaced by Anelka.
Seeing this scene, the television commentator became excited again. "Oh, oh! Anelka is coming on! How long has it been? We're seeing this Frenchman again in the UEFA Champions League, even though it's only the qualifiers. The French striker has only been with the Forest Team for a short week. I'm afraid they haven't even trained together for a week. What is Manager Tony Twain thinking by replacing him at this time? It's normal to strengthen the offense when the defense is tight. But why send out a player who has yet to develop a rapport with the entire team? "
If Tang En heard the commentator's doubts, he would have scolded him for being stupid. Why send out Anelka? Why? Because I only have one striker on the substitutes' bench!
Anelka high-fived Viduka and quickly ran onto the field, not forgetting to sprint. The familiar feeling returned.
Tang En whistled from below. When all the Forest players heard the whistle, they knew that their manager was going to make adjustments to the entire team.
While everyone looked at him, Tang En pointed to Anelka, who had just come on, and gestured for him to pass the ball.
Perhaps some people were surprised by this decision — to let a striker who had yet to train with the team for more than a week be the core of the offense and bear the heavy responsibility of scoring. But they all did it. In Nottingham Forest, no one doubted Manager Tony Twain's decision and authority. Many of these players had been brought out by Tang En from the lower leagues and given glory, money, and fame. For example, Leighton Baines, Ashley Young, Chimbonda, Franck Ribéry, and so on … there were too many.
This was the advantage of building a team according to one's own wishes. The manager was clear about every player's ability, character, strengths, and weaknesses. From there, he could firmly grasp the entire team in his hands.
In English football, any team that could achieve long-term success was led by a manager for a long period of time. At the same time, the composition of the team was determined by the manager, and no one else was allowed to interfere.
For example, Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, Busby's Manchester United, Bill Shankly's Liverpool, Arsène Wenger's Arsenal, and Herbert Chapman's Arsenal. In England's more than 100 years of modern football history, there were countless such "one-man teams." Of course, this also included Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest.
Now, Tang En hoped that in the future, people would add a team and a person to this list — Tony Twain's Nottingham Forest.
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Forest quietly adjusted their tactics. Even Pellegrini did not see this adjustment, and even if he did, he would not believe it.
The Chileans would not believe that Tang En dared to let a striker who had joined the team less than a week ago, had no rapport with the team, had an eccentric personality, and had been away from high-level European football for half a year, be the key to opening the door to victory.
But Tang En really dared to do it. The adventurous gene in him was constantly thinking of stirring up trouble. Doing things that would leave everyone tongue-tied was one of his hobbies.
Anelka got on the field and quickly took over the heavy responsibility of Forest's offense. Bendtner partnered with him in the front field. His role was more to attract the opponent's energy and play the ball for Anelka.
Regardless of the direction, the football was directly sent to Anelka's feet. Next, everyone saw Forest's players choose to coordinate according to their respective roles, or stand at the back and watch the show. As for Anelka, he was like a black cheetah released from its cage, dribbling the ball as he charged toward Villarreal's goal.
Forest's tactics had not changed. They still emphasized fast-paced attacks, fast passes, fast speed through the midfield, fast offense, and at the same time, fast return defense. It was just that compared to before, they had an additional fast lane — the middle.
The beauty of Tang En's move was that if the trailing Villarreal wanted to smoothly pass through the qualifiers, it would be best if they could score an away goal in this match where they were already behind. That way, the team's morale and condition would reach a satisfactory level when they returned to their home ground. In order to score a goal, they had to attack. Attacking meant that there would be more gaps in the rear defense. At this time, putting a striker who was good at dribbling the ball, fast, and outstanding at shooting in front would not only increase the score, but it would also prevent the Yellow Submarine from going all out to attack.
Offense and defense in one.
As expected. Five minutes after Anelka came on, he dribbled the ball and launched a surprise attack. This scared Pellegrini so much that he rushed down from the manager's seat and loudly berated his own defense on the sidelines. This time, Anelka used a small trick to sneak past two Yellow Submarine players at the edge of the penalty area before shooting. The goalkeeper, Vallejo, did his best to save it, and the football slid past the goal and flew out of the end line.
This shot made Villarreal cry out in alarm and break out in a cold sweat. It also let the Nottingham Forest fans see that the French striker's strength was still there.
Pellegrini was furious at the performance of his own rear defense on the sidelines. Tang En, on the other hand, said to Kerslake in a serious tone, "David, putting aside those messy things, Nicolas Anelka's strength is still there."
Kerslake did not understand. "Of course I know that. You just said it once."
"Hmm, very good." Tang En turned his head and continued to watch the field. He did not forget to sneak a glance at Pellegrini, who was still jumping around on the sidelines.
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Defense or offense. Now, it became a problem that Pellegrini had to resolve.
Defense. Defend Anelka. Watch him die. Freeze him. Of course, this was not difficult to do. But when the 90-minute match was over, looking at the lost match, as well as the situation that had originally been getting more and more advantageous, would he feel a little indignant?
Offense. Attacking with all their might, breaking through George Wood and the defensive line behind him, and then obtaining an away goal was, of course, not impossible. However, the large gap in the rear defense would become Nottingham Forest's racetrack, allowing Anelka to gallop around freely.
Tang En's card was too much for Pellegrini to bear.
He bit his lip as he stood on the sidelines, thinking about the answer to this multiple-choice question.
Very quickly, he chose the first one — defense. Losing the match by one goal was not a big deal. Returning to their home ground, they would still have the advantage. He would leave the decisive opportunity for the second leg and let Villarreal enter the Champions League proper at El Madrigal Stadium.
A minute later, Villarreal made a substitution. The defender, Álvarez, replaced the forward, Figueroa.
This substitution was also transmitted to the Villarreal players on the field. The manager did not want to win this match. He felt that a small loss by one goal was acceptable. The team's focus shifted from offense to defense.
Riquelme had just become active when he was suddenly told that he was useless and that the team did not need to attack. His face darkened.
He, who did not return to defend, stood in the front field and watched his teammates deal with Forest's attacks from the back.
Since Villarreal had shown weakness, Tang En did not hold back. He let Arteta, who had retreated to help Wood defend, go up again. Forest's midfield formation became a diamond formation again. If you retreat, I'll attack. After all, this is my home ground. I'll eat you up!
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The situation on the field returned to a stage that Tang En was satisfied with. However, Anelka was not satisfied because he had yet to score a goal.
If he had known of Pellegrini's choice just now, perhaps he would have wished for the manager to burn his boats and let the team press forward. That way, he would have had more chances to score.
But now? The Spaniard had retreated to defend like a coward! The space for him to move around in the front field was completely compressed. There were people all around him. How could he take the ball and break through? How could he shoot and score? How could he gain the upper hand in his first contest with the manager?
He knew that he had not received the manager's approval to come to this team. He also knew that Nottingham Forest was nothing more than a springboard for him to step onto a higher stage. He did not want to lose to this young manager the moment he joined the team!
Just like how he evaluated Henry — what he was doing at Arsenal now, I did it when I was 19 years old.
He could also look at Tony Twain the same way — where were you when I was 19 years old and Arsenal's main striker?
The football was once again passed to Anelka's feet. He felt someone pushing him from behind, hoping to make him lose his balance.
The football was once again passed to Anelka's feet. He felt someone pushing him from behind, hoping to make him lose his balance. Even though Ribéry was just five meters in front of him, Anelka did not want to pass the ball. He wanted to rely on his own skills to break through the opponent and then shoot and score. This was a demonstration, a demonstration to the manager.
Anelka's upper body swayed quickly, as if he was going to pass the ball to Ribéry. Even Ribéry himself was deceived. He had been ready to go straight to the end line to help Anelka tear open the defensive line, but he hurriedly braked and turned back.
Anelka felt the man behind him readjust his center of gravity and wanted to rush directly to grab Ribéry. At that moment, he quickly stepped on the ball behind him, turned around … and passed!
Without any hindrance, Álvarez, who had just come on and had not warmed up, was passed by Anelka just like that!
It was a very dangerous thing to let a striker face the goal. Not to mention that it was a striker like Anelka, who was very good at shooting.
Anelka was twenty-five meters away from the goal when he swung his thigh and made a posture to make a long shot. Even the commentator had already opened his mouth and shouted, "Anelka shoots —"
Just as the Brazilian, Senna, desperately rushed up to block Anelka's shot, the French striker used the sole of his foot to nudge the football forward and pass Senna, who had completely lost his center of gravity.
A wave of exclamations rang out in the stands of Forest's stadium. It was rare for Tang En's team to wantonly show off their footwork skills, because Tang En placed more emphasis on the whole. The individual skills of the players he bought were not what he valued the most. This was the complete opposite of "Professor" Wenger.
Anelka's beautiful pass of Senna also ignited the atmosphere in the City Ground stadium. Huge cheers erupted in the stands. Everyone was waiting for a wonderful ball to appear.
Anelka, who had passed Senna, suddenly moved. He accelerated and dribbled the ball into the penalty area!
Villarreal's defensive line was suddenly thrown into chaos.
Those two passes were too beautiful. No one had expected it. The Forest fans were pleasantly surprised, while the Villarreal players naturally cried out.
"Stop him, damn it!"
Just as two Villarreal players wearing yellow jerseys rushed up in hopes of stopping Anelka's shot, the French striker made his move!
The swing of his lower leg was very small, and his shot was extremely hidden. Villarreal's goalkeeper, Vallejo, only realized that his opponent had shot when the football came out from under the defender's legs!
He pounced to the side, but it was too late. The football fell to the ground beside him and bounced up. When it landed again, it was already in the goal behind Vallejo.
“What_a_great_GOOOOAL！！！”
Perhaps years later, Anelka's name would not be in Tony Twain's "one-man team," and Anelka would not have any special feelings for Nottingham Forest, one of the many stops in his career. But at this moment, the City Ground stadium recorded the cheers for the French striker.
This was Anelka's first goal wearing Nottingham Forest's red number 39 jersey. It was in his first match representing Forest.
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