During this period of time, Forest's results were very unstable. Ever since the pyrrhic victory over Reading, the team that had high hopes placed on them before the season had not won three games. After eight rounds of the league tournament, they had four wins, three losses, and one draw, accumulating 13 points. Their ranking in the league had already fallen to seventh place.
In fact, among the players, only George Wood was suspended for eight games. Ashley Young was suspended for only one game and had long returned. From the lineup, they did not suffer any serious losses.
The real reason for the team's unstable performance was Tang En's suspension for three games.
As the team's manager, he was also the team's soul. Forest's players were already used to Tony Twain directing their matches from the sidelines. They were still not used to the sudden realization that the manager standing on the sidelines had changed.
Humans were very strange creatures. When Tang En was on the sidelines, the players played with great vigor. Once Tang En was sent to the stands as a penalty, after three matches, the players would not be able to lift their spirits.
Everyone was used to hearing Tang En's thunderous roar when they could not lift their spirits, waking them up from their muddle-headed state. Now … Dunn was a very capable manager, and he had relied on his own standards to make everyone abandon their prejudice against his nationality. But to be honest, he was still lacking something as a manager …
Dunn himself knew very well that his and Tang En's completely different personalities had caused this deviation. Everyone recognized a manager like Tang En. Once they accepted it and got used to it, it would be useless for him to do anything else.
The experience of being the acting manager for three games had made him deeply aware of this point. Although Tang En had taken over his body and position, the current team was indeed Tang En's team. It was extremely compatible with his personality.
After the three games, he also breathed a sigh of relief. The Chinese media paid a lot of attention to the matter of him becoming the team's acting head coach. In the beginning, there was a series of reports, and their pride was evident in their words. Dunn, on the other hand, was very low-key. He did not have the slightest awareness that "Chinese football had already risen to the top of Europe's leagues."
Now that they had not won a single game for three games in a row, the intensity of the domestic media's reports had weakened significantly. Their enthusiasm quickly faded. These people did not know how to tell the domestic readers that the person they had praised so much had such poor results in leading the team.
The English media did not care about Dunn. They only cared about Tony Twain. After the game against Manchester City, the Nottingham Evening Post proudly printed a large headline — "Be careful, that man is back!" It must be known that this was against the backdrop of the Forest team losing another game.
It was clear how much trust the people of Nottingham had in Tang En.
※ ※ ※
The future of the league tournament was uncertain, but the Champions League was a triumphant song all the way.
On October 18th, the third round of the Champions League group stage. Nottingham Forest beat Bordeaux 1: 0 in an away game. In this way, Nottingham Forest maintained a clean sweep against all the opponents in the same group.
The experts had already determined that it would not be a problem for Tang En's team to advance from this group. All the remaining three teams needed to do was to fight for the second place to advance.
There were even people speculating which opponent the Forest team would face after advancing from the group stage. Tony Twain had too many enemies in the European football scene. It would be a good show to watch any one of them. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea, Inter Milan …
These battles were like Mars colliding with Earth …
※ ※ ※
Tang En did not have the time to accompany those people in fantasizing about the future.
The Champions League was progressing smoothly. The team was pumped up once they played in Europe. There was no need for him to worry about this. Now they needed to put more energy into the domestic arena. They had already slipped to seventh in the league tournament, three places away from Tang En's goal of "top four in the league." If this dragged on, the situation could only be disadvantageous to Nottingham Forest.
On October 22nd, the ninth round of the league tournament, an away game against Everton and an old friend, Moyes.
The media was very interested in Tang En's return. Quite a number of reporters were waiting at the door of the away team's locker room, their cameras aimed inside. The players were changing inside, preparing to go out and warm up. And today's main character, Tony Twain, had not arrived yet. He was probably stopped by the reporters somewhere …
Dunn walked over and looked at the three layers of reporters surrounding the door. He shook his head and walked in.
Just as Dunn entered, a hubbub came from outside. He did not need to poke his head out to know who had come.
Tang En saw the reporters surrounding the door and took the initiative to wave and greet them. He smiled brightly. "Everyone, long time no see."
Some of the reporters returned the greeting.
"Thank you for your concern, but I still hope you can make way …" He pointed to the door, which was already blocked by the media.
"If you have any questions, ask them after the game. Sorry, I don't have much time." The reporters made way for Tang En, and he strode into the locker room. Then, he closed the door.
Very quickly, the reporters who had yet to disperse heard a burst of laughter coming from the locker room.
※ ※ ※
"You must have missed me, right, guys? I've missed you too. Do you know why I'm only here now? Let me tell you, because I almost walked straight into the stands just now. "
The players roared with laughter.
"Luckily, halfway there, I was stopped by the stadium staff. He asked me curiously, 'Mr. Tang En, are you banned again?'" Tang En imitated the other person's expression and tone of voice perfectly.
The laughter grew louder.
"I want to thank the staff who spoke up for justice. At the same time, I also believe that the people from Everton Football Club will be furious when they hear about this, because they lost a chance to beat us here."
Tang En grinned as he watched everyone finish laughing.
"I'm back, guys. It's not a big deal."
His words were like a tranquilizer, calming the players' panicked and anxious hearts. This could be seen from how they could still laugh so freely before the game.
With their backbone back, there was indeed nothing to be afraid of.
So what if it was an away game? No matter what, the Boss was there for them!
"We've already gone three consecutive rounds without a win, with two losses and one draw. I don't think the situation can get any worse, so there's nothing to worry about. He let loose and kicked. Today, he kicked as he usually did. It doesn't matter who the opponent is. "
Tang En's confident smile made the whole team feel that it really did not matter who the opponent was. The low morale from the previous few games instantly rose, and in the blink of an eye, it was full.
Dunn watched quietly at the side. Using words to motivate the team … This was something that he could not do no matter what with his character …
※ ※ ※
Moyes took this game very seriously. He did not underestimate Nottingham Forest just because they had a bad year previously. On the contrary, Tony Twain had ended his ban and returned to the team, which made him even more vigilant.
This game was not easy to play, and Nottingham Forest was not easy to deal with. He knew it all.
Of course, knowing and doing were two different things, and doing and achieving results were two different things.
Moyes sent out the strongest lineup he could at home to face off against a Nottingham Forest team without George Wood. After George Wood's ban, Forest's starting defensive midfielder had always been the Chinese, Sun Jihai. The breakthrough point for Arsenal to win was here. Moyes also hoped to find an opportunity to win from here. They placed their main attack direction in the middle, forcefully breaking through Sun Jihai.
Naturally, Tang En would not let his opponent do so willingly. Albertini went up to the field to participate in the defense together with Sun Jihai. Arteta and van der Vaart were not in the starting lineup. Forest placed two defensive midfielders in the middle of the midfield. Their offense was completely reliant on the flanks and Albertini's occasional long passes.
Pepe had yet to recover from his injury, so Kompany and Piqué partnered as the center backs.
In an away game, Tang En adopted a defensive stance.
It looked like Tang En was going to defend.
Everton's lineup was not weak. In the English Premier League, it was above average. The goalkeeper was Tim Howard, who was on loan from Manchester United. The center backs were the strong Nigerian, Joseph Jabot, and Lescott, who was transferred from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The right back was Phil Neville, Gary Neville's younger brother, who was transferred from Manchester United. The left back was Portugal's Nuno Valente. In the midfield, their core was Australia's Tim Cahill, as well as former Netherlands' Andy van der Meyde, Scotland's James McFadden, and Ireland's Lee Carsley. The forwards were former Southampton's leading striker, "Saint" James Beattie, and Andrew Johnson, who was exceptionally fast in the English Premier League.
With this lineup, it would not be a problem for them to even qualify for the Champions League. Everton was currently being pressed down by Tang En's Nottingham Forest in the league rankings. Forest was seventh, and they were eighth. Both sides had the same number of points. As long as Everton could win against Nottingham Forest at home in this match, Moyes' team would surpass Forest. If Arsenal and Aston Villa stumbled in this round of the league tournament, it was also possible for them to rush to the fifth spot in the league tournament.
Tang En had the same plan as him.
Wood could not play, so he let the entire team work hard to make up for this position's defense. Their offense would completely rely on counterattacks. After Anelka was left on the bench by Tang En, Forest's offensive speed did not suffer much. The speed of the two flanks was still frightening.
In this match, Forest's offense was still flying from both flanks. It was just that Ashley Young was not in the starting lineup. On the right flank, the starter was Lennon, who was equally fast, but was better at dribbling and breaking through. His individual ball control was outstanding.
Tang En meant that every offensive player could dribble the ball into the opponent's penalty area to create a threat or score a goal. He did not need the team's support. Right now, the team did not have that much energy to support them. The offense could only depend on the individual.
On the field, van Nistelrooy's role was not to score a goal. Instead, it was to provide support for Ribéry and Lennon, as well as Eastwood, who plugged in from the back and attracted the opponent's defensive firepower.
In the 27th minute of the first half, Everton's strategy of attacking from the middle finally paid off. Andrew Johnson successfully reversed his offside position. After receiving Cahill's direct pass, he slipped past the attacking Edwin van der Sar and sent the ball into the empty goal.
"Andrew Johnson — at this moment, he's the hero of Goodison Park!"
In the stands, the blue ocean raised monstrous waves, as if it wanted to extinguish the red flames that had shrunk in a corner.
Tang En did not fly into a rage on the sidelines in the face of conceding a goal. He did not do anything. With Albertini on the field, there were some things that he did not need to worry about.
The captain, Albertini, picked up the ball from the net and clapped his hands to boost morale. "It's no big deal! Let's return the favor! "
After placing the ball in the center circle, he ran over to Ribéry, Lennon, Eastwood and van Nistelrooy one by one to instruct them. "Just run forward. Don't worry about whether you can receive the ball or not. We'll be responsible for passing the ball from the back. Scoring the goal … is your job! "
The four men nodded. They believed in their captain and their teammates.
※ ※ ※
"Nottingham Forest kicks off again. Van Nistelrooy kicks the ball out. He runs forward … The ball is passed to Albertini's feet. He looks up to observe the situation. Cahill pounces over! Oh! He's been passed! Long pass! Albertini suddenly passes a long pass … Lennon desperately chases after the ball. Beautiful! He stops … passes the ball! Van Nistelrooy … misses the front! Freddy … EASTWOOOOOD!! "
"Beautiful coordination! The ball's in! Thirty seconds after the kick off, Nottingham Forest equalizes the score! This is unbelievable! Look at the expressions on the Everton players' faces. They're still immersed in the joy of taking the lead! "
Tang En only jumped up in excitement when he saw the ball being headed into the net by Eastwood from the back. His players really did well for him!
"This is Eastwood's fifth goal of the season! After missing most of last season due to injury, he's finally regained his form in the new season. With van Nistelrooy covering in front, he's plugging in from the back, making it impossible for the opponent's defensive line to defend against him! "
Tang En raised his head and glanced at the stands. George Wood was suspended and was currently training with the reserve team. Tang En still requested that he try his best to watch every game live. He could learn a lot from it.
Hey, George. Did you see it? Did you see everything that happened before this goal? This is your goal. After Demetrio retires, you have to be like him, delivering accurate passes to your teammates at crucial moments and helping them score!
Wood sat in the stands. Next to him was the assistant manager, Kerslake, who was still suspended. He was telling Wood about the goal.
"George, because the defensive midfielder's position is towards the back, his field of view is wider than the other teammates. The more he sees, the more things he can think of. Sometimes, you can think of things that your teammates can't see or think of. At this time, as long as you have the ability to pass the ball accurately, you can send the ball to any corner of the field. Do you know, any corner! As long as you think about it, you can send it to a place that the opponent can't even think of … and then, just like this, a fatal blow! "Kerslake punched his palm.
Wood did not answer him. He was lost in thought as he watched Albertini, who was celebrating the goal with his teammates on the field. Kerslake spoke for a long time, but only one sentence moved him — "You can send the ball to any corner of the field." He had to admit that the feeling of achieving what he thought of was wonderful.
※ ※ ※
The quick equalizer greatly boosted Nottingham Forest's morale, but it also dealt a huge blow to Everton's morale.
Following that, before the end of the first half, the Forest team almost overtook the score. If Phil Neville had not hooked the ball out on the goal line, Nottingham Forest would have gone into the locker room with a score of 2: 1.
But what the Forest team did not do in the first half, they finally did in the second half.
Seventeen minutes into the second half, Nottingham Forest used a beautiful direct free kick to break through the American goalkeeper, Howard's ten fingers.
The goal was scored by the youngest player on the team, Gareth Bale. He was in the starting lineup for the game, constantly assisted on the left flank, and squeezed Ribéry into the middle. In the end, he scored a goal, which was the best reward for him.
The game was not over yet. Bale was even more excited after the goal, and his assists on the left flank became sharper. Near the end of the game, he took advantage of Everton's massive counterattack to equalize the score to coordinate with Ribéry on the flank. After a beautiful breakthrough, he passed the ball into the middle, allowing Ribéry to find a good chance to shoot. He sent the ball into Howard's goal for the third time.
Originally, Moyes had made very detailed defensive arrangements to target the Forest team's flank offense, from retreating to relying on offense to suppress. But he did not expect Bale's activity to squeeze Ribéry into the middle. This set of highly targeted tactics suddenly lost its target.
Ribéry's move to the middle was a choice made out of helplessness, but it had a miraculous effect. Bale came back to life. An assist, a goal. Ribéry also came back to life. He was no longer restricted to the flank, but instead became more threatening. He scored a goal from the flank.
Everyone around him was cheering for the victory of the game, but Tang En sat in the technical area, pinching his chin and thinking about the glimmer of light he found in it.
He was in a daze until the final moments of the game. No one knew what Tang En was thinking at that moment.
It was not until Dunn suddenly touched his arm that he snapped out of it.
"It's time to shake hands with Moyes." He pointed to the left. Moyes had already stood up from his seat in the technical area.
"The game is over?" Tang En was a little surprised.
"What were you thinking about just now, Tony?" Dunn was also very surprised.
Hearing Dunn's question, Tang En smiled at him. "I'll tell you when we get back. You'll definitely be very interested."
With that, Tang En ignored the astonished Dunn and stood up. He extended his hand and walked toward Moyes.
"I'm really sorry to beat you again, David." He winked.
"Seeing your face really gives me the urge to throw a punch," the loser, Moyes, said helplessly.
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