There was no need to describe Nottingham Forest's away game against Arsenal, as it was shown on the sports news. Nottingham Forest, who was short of players, lost to Arsenal without any suspense, 1: 3. It could be considered a complete defeat.
Tang En followed the team to London, but due to his ban, he could not direct the game from the manager's seat. He sat in the stands with his assistant manager, Kerslake, who had also been sent off with a red card. They watched helplessly as their team was surrounded and beaten by Arsenal. They could not show any of the imposing manner that belonged to Forest.
Dunn carried out the duties of the acting manager during the match, but it was just as Tang En had once thought. But just as Tang En once thought, Dunn was an outstanding assistant manager, but not a qualified manager. He could do the supporting work perfectly, but he could not make decisions for himself.
Without a backbone, he did not know what to do. That was the case for the manager, and even more so for the players.
Without George Wood, Sun Jihai was pushed to the position of the defensive midfielder. Even though the China player worked hard, he was still unable to do as he wished when faced with Arsenal's attack group. The position of the defensive midfielder was too important. If the stadium was compared to a battlefield, the midfield was a place that every soldier had to fight for, while the defensive midfielder was equivalent to a fortress. A good defensive midfielder could defend this place impregnably, but a bad one …
It was not that Sun Jihai was bad, but that there was still a gap between his level and his opponent's.
With the midfield occupied, Forest's penalty area could not be expected to have an easy time.
There was no problem at all with the three goals lost.
The only thing worth mentioning was that Nottingham Forest still managed to score a goal in a very disadvantageous situation. Eastwood scored a face-saving goal for the team at the last moment, finally preventing Arsenal from being "shaved bald."
After the game, when Wenger went to shake hands with Dunn, he glanced at the stands, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Of course, he wanted to find Tang En in the crowd, but Tang En and Kerslake had already left the field by then.
The post-match commentary did not find the result of the game strange. Arsenal was not weak to begin with. Forest was currently lacking players, and they were also missing their soul, Tony Twain. Even if they had a complete lineup, they might not have a chance against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
The Nottingham media were bemoaning their bad luck. After experiencing a large-scale ban, they just had to meet such a strong opponent. If they had met a weak team, they might have been able to win.
Tang En did not see it that way. He was very happy to see Arsenal appear at this time. Anyway, the house was already leaking, so it didn't matter if it kept raining. It was best to squeeze all the unlucky things together. After all the bad luck was used up, it was naturally time for the good luck to show up.
※ ※ ※
After returning from London with a loss, Tang En did not have the leisure to be depressed over this defeat. He wanted to lead the team to prepare for the Champions League group stage immediately.
There was not much time left. On September 27th, Nottingham Forest would welcome their other opponent in the group stage at home — the Turkish Super League team, Galatasaray.
Ever since that earth-shattering "battle", everyone had been waiting to see it. They wanted to see where Tony Twain's team would go.
Of course, Tang En knew what the media was thinking. In England, there were many media outlets who were his enemies. They could not wait for Tony Twain to be unlucky and could not wait for Forest to lose consecutive matches. They had just lost to Arsenal in the league tournament. It would be great if they could go on and lose to Galatasaray.
However, Tang En was a person with an awkward personality. He liked to go against everyone.
As a result, Tang En won this group stage match.
The ban in the league tournament was only effective in the league tournament. In the Champions League, Forest could still send out their strongest lineup. The team also did not seem to be affected by the widespread ban. It could even be said that they were stimulated by the ban and vented their frustrations in the league tournament into the Champions League group stage.
In the match, Tang En did not use the "defensive tactics" that Forest relied on last season to rise. Instead, he boldly and unexpectedly adopted a strong attack at home, completely disregarding Galatasaray's offense.
In the end, the match ended at 3: 2. Both sides scored five goals. In the end, Nottingham Forest won by scoring one more goal than the opponent.
This was what the commentator thought — the Forest team, from the manager to the players, must be holding back their anger in this match. Continuing to carry out a defensive tactic obviously would not help them vent their anger by being pressured by their opponent at home. Therefore, it was reasonable for them to disregard everything and rush to attack. In any case, Tony Twain was not a stable person. Naturally, the team under him would not be stable either. It was normal for them to suddenly change tactics.
Tang En did not care about these comments. He had a plan in mind.
After winning against Galatasaray at home, Nottingham Forest temporarily ranked first in the group with two wins.
The scene that the spectators most wanted to see did not happen. Tony Twain's team was still alive and well.
"We were so pathetic in the league tournament. I didn't expect us to be so smooth in the Champions League …" After the match, the coaching staff of both sides still shook hands in a friendly manner. Dunn said to Tang En after they shook hands.
"That's good." Tang En nodded. "Our goal this season was originally the Champions League. We just need to guarantee a top four place in the league tournament. "
Tang En did not lie, nor was he modest. This season, he did not even consider the issue of who the league tournament champion would belong to. Putting aside the heavy encirclement of powerhouses like Chelsea, Manchester United, and Arsenal, just look at the Forest team themselves.
Since they had decided to regain what they had lost in the Champions League, they naturally had to put more energy into the Champions League. The league tournament was a long competition system, different from the elimination system of the Champions League. There was a big characteristic of the cup competition — how much you put in, how much you would reap in the end. In other words, as long as you put in hard work, there would be rewards. There were fewer uncertainties.
On the other hand, because of the long competition schedule in the league tournament, there were also many uncertainties. As the saying went, "a long night is fraught with dreams." It was very possible that after putting in all their hard work and leading for 37 rounds, they would be overturned by their opponents in the last round. Tang En did not want such a tragedy to happen to him.
In addition, even if there were a lot of strong players added in the summer, he did not think that Nottingham Forest already had the strength to win the championship in two tournaments. Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich … These world powerhouses did not dare to say that they had the absolute strength to win the Double or the Treble, not to mention Nottingham Forest.
Instead of sitting at home and fantasizing about their team winning all the championships they could win, it was better to be down-to-earth and play the most confident cup competition well. Fundamentally speaking, Tang En was a very pragmatic manager. He was a very practical person. He was only interested in things that he was sure he could grasp.
As for the league tournament, he still had no confidence in it. But he was determined to win the Champions League!
※ ※ ※
After defeating Galatasaray in the Champions League and taking first place in the group, Nottingham Forest, which looked to be in the limelight, was about to go through the experience of falling from heaven to hell. On the 1st of November, in the seventh round of the league tournament, Nottingham Forest faced Middlesbrough at home.
Having just enjoyed a match with a complete lineup, Tang En had to return to the stands to be a spectator.
Dunn continued to be the acting manager in this match, but he was really just putting on an act. Before the match, Tang En and the coaching staff had made all the tactical arrangements, letting the team play according to plan.
Facing Middlesbrough, who was no longer in the team with McClaren, Forest shook hands and made peace with their opponent on their home ground. The match was played very well, with a total of four goals scored by both sides. Forest's second lineup had no problem dealing with an opponent like Middlesbrough. In the end, they did not win the match entirely because they lacked a core figure — Tony Twain. A manager with a clear personality and fearlessness was the true soul of this team.
For Tang En, the good news was that there was still one more match before his ban ended. When that time came, he could once again stand in front of the manager's seat and direct the team in battle. He had enough of being a spectator in the stands. He had been a spectator for more than a decade in his "previous life." Now that he was starting over, he did not want to repeat that kind of life.
During the match, the television broadcast kept an eye on Tang En's performance. Regardless of whether Forest scored a goal or lost a goal, the cameras would quickly focus on Tang En in the stands to see his reaction.
The BBC football commentator, John Motson, who knew Tang En very well, smiled and said, "Of the English Football Association's severe fine, the only correct punishment is the fifth one, which is a three-match ban for Tang En. For Tony Twain, not letting him direct the team in battle is like taking away his life! "
Fortunately, these terrible days were about to pass.
On October 14th, because of the national team match, the league tournament resumed after a week's break. Nottingham Forest lost 1: 2 to Manchester City in an away game. Tang En could ignore this defeat in the match. He even wanted to sneak to the sidelines to shake hands with the Manchester City manager, Stuart Pearce, after the match ended. In the end, he was stopped by the sharp-eyed fourth official at the exit of the tunnel.
"Mr. Twain, this won't do. You can't go over."
"I just want to say hello to an old friend. Can't I?" Tang En pointed to Pearce, who was shaking hands with Dunn, and asked the fourth official beside him.
"Wait for the second half of the league tournament, Mr. Twain. If you're not banned again for some reason at that time … "Ever since he publicly criticized the standard of the entire English referees after the match, Tang En had become the number one public enemy of the referees. In these few league matches, Forest had suffered several inexplicable penalties, which could not be said to have nothing to do with it.
Seeing that the fourth official's words were so harsh and did not give him any face, Tang En's good mood also disappeared. He looked at Dunn and Pearce not far in front of him, and then looked at the fourth official standing next to them with a fake smile. He knew that if he forced his way through, who knew how many matches of ban would await him.
He snorted and turned to walk away.
※ ※ ※
Dunn shook hands with Pearce and did not chat. Instead, he went straight to the tunnel. He was not in a good mood after losing the match, so he did not want to linger in front of people.
As he passed through the mixed zone, he was stopped by a voice in Mandarin. "Mr. Dunn, Mr. Dunn!"
Dunn, who did not want to pay attention to the media, heard the familiar Mandarin and could not help but stop in his tracks.
The person who stopped him was not a stranger. It was Tang Jing, whom he had met on the plane. Speaking of which, they were both surnamed Tang. They might have been a family 500 years ago.
"Can you say a few words?" Tang Jing squeezed in front of the crowd and was very conspicuous among the mostly male sports reporters.
Since it was someone he knew, Dunn could not refuse to give her face. He walked over and planned to say a few words. But before he opened his mouth, he did not know what to say.
Tang Jing could clearly see that she had to take the initiative to ask such questions. So she asked, "What's your biggest feeling about going from an assistant manager to an acting manager, Mr. Dunn?"
"It's a completely different profession." Dunn answered concisely.
Tang Jing was fully prepared for this. She nodded and took note of Dunn's words. As for how to further develop this sentence when she went back, it was up to her.
"It's a pity that we didn't win three games." Realizing that saying so would make the other party unhappy, Tang Jing hurriedly changed the subject. "What do you think of the Football Association's large-scale punishment this time?"
"It's been a few weeks. I don't have any opinion."
"Aiya." Even if she was fully prepared, Tang Jing was still very depressed by this uncooperative attitude. She waited here for half a day, and this was the result? She was a little crestfallen. Tang En's uncooperative was deliberate. Dunn's uncooperative was completely natural. This was what made her most depressed.
Perhaps it was because he felt that it was too difficult for a woman to squeeze through such a large group of men to find an interview opportunity. Dunn also felt that it was not good to face the other party with such an attitude. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "I still can't accept not winning a game."
Suddenly hearing Dunn take the initiative to speak, Tang Jing jerked her head up and looked at Dunn expectantly. She only saw Dunn shake his head. "I'm sorry, I have to go."
"Ah, okay. We'll meet again, Mr. Dunn. "Tang Jing took the initiative to wave goodbye. Although she did not say much, the last sentence was enough.
She could not accept not winning a game.
※ ※ ※
Dunn bumped into Tang En on his way back to the locker room.
"Why didn't you go straight to the press conference?" Tang En asked, leaning against the wall.
"It's still early," Dunn replied.
"Then you have nothing to do when you come back, right?"
"I have nothing to do when I go there. I'm used to coming back here first. "
Tang En smiled. "You're destined to be an assistant manager for life!"
"I just met Tang Jing in the mixed zone." Dunn changed the subject.
"Oh? What did she ask? "
"Something the China fans are concerned about."
Tang En nodded to indicate that he understood. It was nothing more than the news of Dunn suddenly becoming the acting manager.
"I'm sorry to disappoint them," Tang En said with a shrug. "Why don't you continue, Dunn?"
Dunn shook his head and waved his hands. "I don't like it. A manager and an assistant manager are two completely different professions. Fortunately, you're coming back soon. I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. "
"Is it stressful?" Tang En asked with a smile.
Dunn nodded. "Yes."
"But I like it." Tang En winked at his partner. "Stressful means there will be more generous rewards. I have no interest in being an assistant manager at all. I liked the manager from the beginning. Our personalities are really far apart. "
Dunn smiled silently and pushed the door to enter. Tang En continued to stay outside, watching the players walk down from the direction of the stadium one after another. Then he raised his hand to greet them.
"Hey, guys, good job!"
"Don't be dejected, little monkey! It's just an insignificant league game. Have you forgotten what our goal for this season is? "
"It's no big deal. I'm back."
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
