What was Nottingham Forest's usual method?
Asking ten people, a hundred people, or a thousand people would only get one answer.
An ugly scene, ugly defense, and one or two lucky counterattacks. The game ended with Forest's victory.
Other than Ribéry's attacks on the flanks, Forest's game was lackluster.
The vast majority of neutral fans would stand on Barcelona's side. They hoped to see the team that represented artistic football and brought them joy and enjoyment to win. They hoped to use Barcelona's victory to prove that there was still a place for beautiful football to exist in modern football, or that beautiful football still had hope of being revived.
Originally, Tang En had planned to go head-to-head with Barcelona here because Wood could not play. If Forest continued to play conservatively, they might not only fail to win, but also be criticized as ugly. There was still a glimmer of hope to go head-to-head. But after experiencing the media hype of "artistic football versus utilitarian football," he suddenly changed his mind. He wanted to use Forest's best defense to compete with Barcelona. Today's heavy rain further strengthened his belief that the field was not suitable for playing with techniques. Forest, who had the physical advantage, had no need to play to their weaknesses and avoid their strengths.
Although the team's defense would be affected without Wood, Forest's ability to get to where they were today was not entirely based on Wood's performance. Pepe and Piqué had both shown their respective talents and abilities. There was also the diligent and honest Leighton Baines, Chimbonda, and the world-class goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar. Such a lineup would not be considered weak anywhere.
Of course, this did not mean that Tang En would completely put the team on the defensive in the game. He knew that if they were to blindly defend, they would not get the result he wanted. A truly high-level defense was built on the foundation of offense, just like offense needed to be built on a solid defense foundation. A stable defense needed to rely on offense to share the pressure and restrain the opponent's forces.
Therefore, from the start of the game, it was very unexpected that Nottingham Forest, who was good at defense, launched a fierce offensive against Barcelona, a change from their usual conservative image.
Barcelona clearly did not expect Forest to take the initiative to attack. They were at a loss after the game started. Coupled with the slippery field, everything made them very uncomfortable.
Compared to Barcelona, who had exquisite techniques, Forest was more adapted to fighting in such weather. Because their offensive methods were very simple and fast. There was no complicated penetration in the middle and dazzling combination of passes and cuts. There was no individual dribbling. Two or three passes were all it took to send the football into the danger zone, and then it was time to shoot. Because of Viduka, the Forest team could pass the ball more in the air and use Viduka's height and header to ferry the ball or directly attack the goal. Such a way of playing minimized the impact of the terrible field.
If Barcelona had any weakness, it would be their defense against high balls. Perhaps their footwork skills were too good, so they disdained to put any effort into high balls.
Unfortunately, their opponent for this game was Nottingham Forest, an English team.
"Ashley Young! He's really fast! " On the right flank, Ashley Young dribbled the ball at high speed. The slippery field seemed to have no effect on him. When he faced the Dutch defender, Van Bronckhorst, he abruptly kicked the football out more than ten meters and then started to accelerate. By the time Van Bronckhorst wanted to turn around, it was already too late. His speed was completely unable to keep up with the side attacker, who was ranked fifth in the English Premier League in terms of speed. His time for chasing the ball was 10.97 seconds. After the Dutchman turned around, all he could see was his back.
After breaking through Van Bronckhorst, Ashley Young did not cut inside. Instead, he directly raised his leg to pass the ball into the middle. A high ball!
This was what Tang En had specifically instructed. He wanted the players to play more high balls on the field and use their aerial advantage to crush Barcelona.
Viduka leaped high in the crowd and snatched the ball before Puyol and Márquez to head it into the goal!
"Valdés! Beautiful save! "
Spain's number two goalkeeper pushed Viduka's header over the crossbar, shocking the Barcelona fans into a cold sweat.
"At the start of the game, Forest did not choose to defend. Instead, they used the kickoff to launch wave after wave of attacks against Barcelona. This time, they almost took the lead! "
After the corner kick came out, Pepe and Piqué both rushed in. There was another round of chaos in front of Barcelona's goal. It was only after much difficulty that Puyol managed to kick the ball out that the chaotic situation ended.
"Barcelona's header defense is really a mess. It looks like Manager Tang En has found a way to deal with Barcelona."
The television broadcast gave Tang En a close-up. He sat in the manager's seat. The short shed could not shield him from the rain falling from the sky. His pants were already completely wet, and his shirt was also half-wet. At that moment, he was staring intently at the field. He was completely in the zone.
Next to him, Rijkaard stood up from his seat. He was a little worried about the series of dangerous situations in front of the goal. With a frown, he whistled twice and told the players to pay attention to the side defense.
※ ※ ※
Rijkaard's reminder did not have any effect. Five minutes had passed. Barcelona, known worldwide for its offense, did not even have a decent shot at goal. They were completely suppressed by Forest's aggressive attacks and terrible field. They were unable to perform at their original level.
Tang En's idea was simple. While Barcelona was still not used to it, he would seize the opportunity to score a goal. Of course, it would be better if he could score more goals. He would turn the advantage into a victory, giving his team the upper hand psychologically. Step by step, he would lead Barcelona into the quagmire of impatience and mistakes.
This was the pre-match plan. Everyone was clear about it.
If the game could proceed according to plan, it would be much easier.
Tang En was not a manager who liked to plan out every problem. He also did not think his opponents would obediently listen to his arrangements. So, he placed more importance on the impromptu adjustments during the game.
Ashley Young performed well on the right side. Franck Ribéry was not to be outdone. He faced Oleg on the left side and chose to cut inside. Then, he dribbled horizontally and suddenly raised his leg to shoot after opening up an angle. Valdés focused his attention and flew to block the ball. It was another corner kick!
The Nottingham Forest fans, who did not have the advantage in numbers, burst into loud cheers. Under Forest's indiscriminate bombardment, the Barcelona fans were somewhat silent.
When the corner kick was sent out, Barcelona's defenders placed their attention on Pepe and Piqué in the penalty area. However, Forest made a change. Albertini did not directly drive the ball into the penalty area. Instead, he passed it to Arteta, who came up to receive him. It was a tactical corner kick!
Seeing Arteta receive the ball, Barcelona's defenders collectively pressed out, wanting to create an offside position. Just at that moment, the Spanish team passed the ball. It was not a high ball, but a half high ball.
Everyone ran outwards, including Forest's players, who were afraid of being offside. However, Anelka suddenly turned and cut forward when he ran halfway. Arteta's pass arrived just in time! The French striker raised his leg and sent the ball forward, touching Barcelona's defender, Márquez!
The commentator shouted. The fans in the stadium also roared loudly.
"Anelka's chance! A one-on-one! "
Valdés bravely attacked, falling to the ground to make a save at a very close distance. After Anelka brushed past Márquez, there was very little space for him to move. He could only choose to shoot with his leg arched. The ball hit Valdés's thigh and went wide of the end line.
Sighs rang out at the same time.
"What a pity! This is Forest's best chance so far! Barcelona is being pressured to the point where they can't even breathe! "
Anelka held his head in his hands, feeling very regretful that he did not manage to kick the ball in.
Tang En was just as regretful as him. When he saw Anelka break past Márquez, he stood up from the manager's seat, ready to raise his hand to celebrate the goal. He did not expect Valdés to be as miraculous as if he had taken medicine today. He had consecutively saved a few of Forest's goals, and this time was no exception. He had blocked Anelka's shot.
"What the f * ck! He really should have gone for a urine test after the match!" Tang En sat down, venting the displeasure in his heart.
Kerslake shook his head beside him. "Don't worry, Tony. Our momentum is good."
"Before we score, I don't believe in anything," Tang En said through gritted teeth as he stared at the field.
※ ※ ※
"We need to attack!" As Barcelona's captain on the field, the Catalan, Puyol, was trying to boost the team's morale. "We can't let them go on like this. Ronaldinho! "
The Brazilian's face was grim. "I know."
"Think of a way to push them back!"
Ronaldinho raised his head to look at the time on the big screen. The match had already been going on for 14 minutes. Barcelona still did not have any decent attacks. As the core of the team's offense, he naturally had the duty and responsibility to change this awkward situation.
Very quickly, he relied on his personal skills to bypass Arteta in the midfield and planned Barcelona's first effective attack since the start of the match. While Forest's defenders were focused on Eto 'o, Ronaldinho passed the ball to Giuly on the flank.
After Giuly broke past Leighton Baines with his speed, he directly raised his leg to shoot at the goal from a small angle!
Edwin van der Sar was similarly focused. After blocking the angle of the shot, he used his hands to cushion the powerful shot before holding it firmly.
"This is Barcelona's first shot since the start of the match. In the 15th minute of the match … How pitiful. The strong Barcelona seems to be a little uncomfortable in front of the crazy Nottingham Forest. "
"In addition, they're not used to the field and the weather. It can be seen that the field is very wet and slippery. Giuly's feet slipped a little before he shot. In reality, there are instances of players from both sides suddenly slipping. But for Barcelona, which is more particular about technique and coordination on the ground, the impact is greater. Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, insists on the tactic of playing high up and minimizes the impact of the field on them. "
The commentator's analysis was very accurate, but it could not help Barcelona change the awkward situation on the field. They were not good at the English football tactic of playing high up and attacking. Ground control was their tradition, and it was already integrated into their blood. It was impossible to change it in a short period of time.
"I suddenly thought of how before the match, the media believed that this match was a showdown between the artistic football represented by Barcelona and the utilitarian football represented by Nottingham Forest. But after watching the match for 15 minutes, I can't associate this team, which is suppressing Barcelona's offense, with utilitarianism. "
The commentator laughed.
As outsiders, their laughter was especially relaxed.
As the two sides fighting on the field, they could not relax at all. This was the first time Tang En's team had played against Barcelona. Before this, their understanding of this team probably came more from Piqué, their teammate who had come out of Barcelona's youth training camp.
Just when the Forest players felt that Barcelona was only so-so, Giuly used a sharp breakthrough and shot to warn them that Barcelona was no ordinary team.
George Wood sat in the box, watching the match with his mother and the club's chairman. Up until now, the impact of his absence could not be seen.
What Tang En had said before the match seemed to make sense. Forest was not a team of one person. Missing him was not fatal.
That seemed to be the case …
※ ※ ※
In the 18th minute, as Nottingham Forest continued to suppress Barcelona, Barcelona intercepted the ball in the backfield and launched a quick attack.
After Puyol passed the ball to Edmilson, Barcelona's six players rushed up in an instant. The speed was so fast that Forest, who was used to their opponents' pathetic reactions, did not expect it.
If George Wood had been there at that moment, he would definitely have rushed up to Ronaldinho immediately. But before Forest's midfield knew how to respond, Edmilson had already passed the ball to Ronaldinho in front of him.
"Ronaldinho has the ball, and there's not a single Forest player beside him!"
The impact of George Wood's absence exploded at that moment.
As there were no midfielders dedicated to defense, the area in front of Forest's center backs was empty. The rear defensive line had no choice but to move to the midfield to defend. That way, there would inevitably be large gaps behind them.
Ronaldinho did not pass the ball when no one was marking him. Instead, he continued to dribble the ball forward, attracting Albertini and Pepe to go up to defend. He shifted the entire center of Forest's defensive line onto himself. Then, he suddenly braked and passed the ball!
The African cheetah, Eto 'o, charged out from the side. No one noticed him because everyone was looking at Ronaldinho, afraid that he would perform some amazing magic. But this time, he was just bait!
Eto 'o charged out from behind Pepe. Ronaldinho had just shaken off Arteta's tackle from behind and sent out a straight pass!
"Single blade! The straight pass that pierced through Forest's defensive line came from Ronaldinho! It's not offside! "
When Tang En, who was sitting in the manager's seat, saw this scene, his eyes suddenly widened and his pupils constricted. He left his seat.
Too familiar …
Damn it!
This time, Eto 'o's beautiful insertion succeeded in reversing the offside position. He received the ball, and there was no longer a single Nottingham Forest defender beside him.
Letting Eto 'o face a goalkeeper, and at the same time, with a large space to accelerate, there could only be one result …
"Edwin van der Sar, attack!" In reality, when he saw Eto 'o's insertion from behind, the Dutch goalkeeper had already predicted what would happen next. So, just as Eto' o received the ball, he had already rushed to the edge of the penalty area.
The two met on the line of the penalty area. Edwin van der Sar fell to the ground to block, and Eto 'o used his advantage in speed to move the ball to the right. At this time, Edwin van der Sar had already lost his center of gravity. Could he just watch as his opponent bypassed him and scored?
Edwin van der Sar reached out to Eto 'o, who had jumped up. He caught his opponent's ankle, but quickly let go.
It was too late. Eto 'o fell into the penalty area!
At the side, Giuly saw the ball roll to his feet. He kicked the ball toward the empty goal. The stands of the stadium rang with the cheers of the Barcelona fans.
But …
"Foul!"
The referee's whistle rang. He ran to the goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, while the Forest players ran to him. They surrounded the referee to plead for mercy.
This was undoubtedly a foul. But how would the referee rule?
Tang En had already unknowingly stood up from his seat.
The scene he was familiar with resurfaced, gradually overlapping with what was happening on the field in front of him. Ronaldinho's pass, Eto 'o's movement, and even Xavi's follow-up shot did not change. Forest and Arsenal also wore yellow away jerseys in this match. Only Edwin van der Sar had replaced Lehmann.
"The goal is invalid … Looks like the referee is going to give Edwin van der Sar a card … a red card! God, the match has only started 18 minutes, and Edwin van der Sar has been sent off with a red card! He used his hand to pull Eto 'o down outside the penalty area. The referee showed no mercy! "
Actually, the red card was the outcome that Edwin van der Sar knew. When he reached out to pull Eto 'o, he already knew the price of this foul. But the thought of not conceding the goal occupied all his thoughts in that instant.
At that moment, he covered his face with both hands and stood outside the crowd. His teammates surrounded the referee angrily, thinking that the penalty was too heavy. Along with them, the Barcelona players surrounded the referee to demand an explanation. They were unhappy that the goal had been canceled. The Barcelona people thought that the best outcome was for the goal to be valid and for Edwin van der Sar to be sent off with a red card.
Tang En angrily kicked the shed at the side of the technical area, directly breaking the wind shield.
"This bastard referee! Does he know what the art of law enforcement is?! How are we supposed to play this match? "
While he was fuming, Kerslake had already gone to call the substitute goalkeeper, Paul Gerrard, to warm up.
No matter how angry Tang En was, even if he flipped the entire roof of the technical area, he would not be able to change the outcome.
Edwin van der Sar walked off the field dejectedly. His third Champions League final had ended just like that.
Forest had to bring on a substitute goalkeeper, and at the same time, replace a player on the field.
Tang En chose to use the substitute goalkeeper, Paul Gerrard, to replace the forward, Anelka.
When the fourth official raised the substitution sign, Anelka, who was on the field, could not believe it when he saw that he had been replaced. After confirming that there was no mistake, a large patch of dark clouds appeared on his face, darker than the night sky in Paris.
Albertini ran over to console him, telling him to hurry off the field. Instead, he dawdled as he walked off. He did not high-five Paul Gerrard, nor did he shake hands with Manager Tang En. Just like that, he walked straight back to the locker room.
When he brushed past him, Tang En did not pay attention to Anelka, who was in a bad mood. He did not have the leisure to do so. He was staring fixedly at the referee, who was directing the human wall to retreat.
It was no different from what he remembered. Was history about to repeat itself?
The rain unknowingly lightened.
(To be continued, if you wish to know what happened next, please log on to WWW. CMFU. com. More chapters. Support the author. Support original reading!)
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