The next morning, before the team's new day of training began, Tang En called all the coaches in the team together for a meeting to discuss the tactical changes. Tang En told the other coaches what he and his two assistant managers had discussed the day before. Everyone had different opinions.
Some felt that Forest's previous tactics were very successful and that there was no need to reform what had been successful. Losing to Fulham was just an accident. A loss in a match could not be used as a reference. There were also those who felt that the changes had to be made, but not now. After all, the team had just gone through a period of turmoil. Stability was the main theme.
Twain had naturally taken these objections into consideration. He did not use his status as the head of the sports department to pressure his colleagues. He answered the questions one by one and explained his thoughts.
A loss in a match could be said to be a coincidence, but behind the coincidence, there must be a certainty. Everything did not appear out of nowhere for no reason. There must be a reason for its appearance. This was the so-called "what exists is reasonable." Losing to Fulham was, of course, due to Tang En's arrogance and underestimation of his opponent. But when Tang En stopped underestimating his opponent, he realized that he did not have another set of tactics to crack the opponent's tactics. Perhaps the next time they met such an opponent, Tang En could get the team to be more vigilant and go all out, ending the match with an overwhelming difference in strength. But what if he were to encounter a team that was almost as strong as him?
Sometimes, when they had to face something, it was not something that could be won by raising their vigilance and going all out. A coach's wisdom was not only used to remind everyone not to underestimate their opponent.
As for the question of changing now or later … Tang En felt that since it was already so turbulent, he did not mind a little more turbulence. That was his way of thinking. He would rather let all the bad things crowd together than have them happen every few days. Moreover, a change did not necessarily have to be turbulent. There would definitely be small ups and downs, but as long as it was well controlled, it would not hurt the team's foundation. This was just a tactical adjustment, not a major cleansing of the lineup.
In the end, he managed to convince everyone and everyone agreed that the team needed to make a change.
But after discussing for a long time, how exactly should the change be made?
This was Tang En's homework for all the coaches.
"We have plenty of time. We can take it slow. I'm not in a hurry," Tang En said. "This is a big deal. We can't rush it. I have a very beautiful picture in my mind, but I need everyone to work hard to complete it! "
※ ※ ※
The direction that the team was going to change was determined. With a goal, things were easy to do. Everyone's job was just to figure out how to achieve this goal.
Dunn was a very capable person. With him around, there was no need for Tang En to worry about such things. The team trained as usual every day. The team's morale was high after winning a game. The bad situation had passed and they believed that the future was bright. Even if the opponent in the next game was a strong team like Chelsea at home.
As for Tang En, although his opponent in the next match was Chelsea, he did not hole up in his office all day to study his opponent. There was no need to specially study Mourinho's Chelsea. It was not that Tang En was underestimating his opponent again, but that Tang En was too familiar with this team. He believed that the other opponents in the English Premier League were also very familiar with it. Mourinho's arrogant personality brought him success in his career, but it also brought him more attention. Everyone hoped to defeat this arrogant guy, just like they all hoped to defeat Tony Twain's team. Another thing that was different between Chelsea and the Forest team was that Chelsea was very, very rich. The mentality of hating the rich existed everywhere. That was why every team was especially enthusiastic against Chelsea. From this point of view, it was not difficult to understand why Reading Ding would be so crazy against Chelsea in the world that Tang En lived in.
Thanks to Tang En, nothing happened in the match between Chelsea and Reading Ding that had just ended. Čech defended peacefully until the end of the match, and Chelsea easily won with a score of 3: 1.
Tang En did not study his opponent. Instead, he took the time to watch a reserve team match.
After George Wood was suspended, Tang En placed him in the reserve team. On the surface, it was to punish Wood for his impulsiveness. In reality, it was to prevent his form from declining because he had no matches to play. During normal training, he would be with the First Team. When there was a match on the weekend, he would go to the reserve team.
The reserve team matches were often held a day earlier than the First Team matches.
The day before the match against Chelsea, the team only trained for half a day. Tang En, who had nothing to do in the afternoon, dragged Dunn to the City Ground stadium to watch the reserve team match.
In the first half of the match, Tang En discovered that Wood was still obediently staying in the defensive midfielder position, doing his job — defense.
In this match, the Forest reserve team's opponent was Chelsea's reserve team.
In terms of the reserve team, the Forest team was not as strong as Chelsea. However, because of Wood, the Chelsea reserve team's offense was not much of a threat.
However, Tang En shook his head as he watched from the sidelines.
"It shouldn't be like this." He said to Dunn, who was standing beside him. "If Wood is to continue doing this kind of work, there's no effect at all in coming to the reserve team."
"Are you going to tell McParland?" Dunn pointed to the reserve team manager sitting in the technical area.
The two of them did not tell the reserve team manager that they were here to watch the match, nor did they go straight to the technical area to watch the match. Instead, they chose to watch from a higher vantage point.
There were not many people who came to watch the reserve team's match. Most of them were very, very hardcore fans. Tang En and Dunn stood in a corner of the stands and did not attract attention.
"If it goes on like this, it'll be a waste of Wood's opportunity to train."
During the halftime interval, Tang En and Dunn walked down from the stands and went to the locker room. Then, he called out the reserve team manager, McParland.
"You're here, Tony?" McParland did not expect Tang En to come back to watch the match because Tang En did not inform him in advance.
"We came to watch half of the match." Tang En nodded. "Ian, push George up a little in the second half. Let him have more opportunities to participate in the offense. Then, tell him not to defend. "
Ian McParland was a little surprised. "Don't let him defend?"
Dunn added from the side, "Tony wants to see George's performance in the offense."
McParland understood and asked again, "Will it be the same for the next three matches?"
"Yes."
"Okay, I understand. Uh, do you want to go in and say a few words? "The reserve team manager pointed to the locker room.
Tang En smiled and shook his head. "No need. You're the master here now. "
McParland was very happy to hear Tang En say that. He invited him warmly again. "Then, why don't you go to the technical area to watch later?"
This time, it was Dunn who shook his head and refused. "The view from the stands is also very good. Thank you, Ian."
"Go do your work, Ian." Tang En let him return to the locker room. He and Dunn returned to the stadium's stands.
But this time, they were recognized by some fans in the stands. Everyone surrounded them for autographs. Tony Twain was fully deserving of being a star. There was nothing for Dunn to do here, so he quietly came out.
"I really want to know what Coach Dunn is thinking now …" Suddenly, a woman's voice rang out from behind him.
Without turning his head, Dunn knew who the person who spoke was. It was a woman who spoke in Mandarin. Who else could it be other than the reporter, Tang Jing?
"Why did Miss Tang come to watch a reserve team match?" Dunn turned his head and asked.
Tang Jing stood in front of him and said with a grin, "Because you're here."
"How did you know we'd be here?"
"Because George Wood is here." She pointed to the stadium below. "Everyone on Earth knows how much Coach Tony Twain cares about his beloved players. To the public, he announced that it was to punish George Wood for his impulsiveness. But in reality, he's afraid that he won't be able to play for eight consecutive matches and his condition will decline. "
"Now is not the time for an interview, Miss Tang."
"Can't I just have a casual chat?" Tang Jing spread her hands. "Look, I didn't bring anything. I only have a reporter's pass, a recording pen, a camera, a notebook … I bought a ticket to come in. "She took out a ticket from her pocket and waved it.
Faced with such a persistent person, Dunn could not scare her away even if he deliberately put on a cold face. So, he asked somewhat helplessly, "Why are you so curious about Twain?"
"Coach Dunn, you're wrong. I'm not interested in him."
Dunn looked up at her.
"I'm interested in you." Tang Jing pointed at the somewhat surprised Dunn and smiled proudly.
Dunn decided to respond with silence. This topic was not easy to discuss.
Tang Jing was not scared off by Dunn's silence. She continued to say, "Although the club specially held a press conference for you to answer the questions that everyone is concerned about, why do I still feel that things are not as simple as you say? Why do I still feel that things are not as simple as you say? An ordinary Chinese person quickly became a member of this team's coaching staff just because he got lucky online and got to know a professional English manager? I'm very curious … "
"Curiosity kills the cat." Tang En's voice suddenly rang out. It really scared Tang Jing so much that her shoulders trembled.
"Are you threatening me, Mr. Tony Twain?" Tang Jing, who had reacted, was a little annoyed because of the tremble just now. She frowned and asked.
Tang En smiled and waved his hands. "No, no. Don't misunderstand, Miss Tang. This is not the gangster movie series, The Godfather. A woman's intuition is really scary. Isn't that right, Dunn? "Tang En said as he looked at Dunn. The fans around him had already dispersed. Now there were only the three of them there.
Dunn could not figure out what Tang En had up his sleeve. He remained silent.
"You're right, Miss Tang. Dunn does have a secret, and it's a big secret, "Tang En said mysteriously to Tang Jing. Tang En said mysteriously to Tang Jing, "But this can't be publicized. Come closer, I'll whisper it to you."
Although it was strange that there was no one here and why she had to come closer, curiosity prompted Tang Jing to obediently tilt her head to Tang En's lips.
"Head and shoulders …" Tang En said after taking a deep breath.
"You!" Tang Jing, who discovered that she had been tricked, flew into a rage out of humiliation and jumped back.
Tang En, the rascal, laughed even more happily. "I've said before that curiosity kills the cat. If I really was a hooligan, it wouldn't be as simple as a sniff. Miss Tang is really a simple woman who trusts people easily … "
"Mr. Tony Twain, please pay attention to your image!" Tang Jing's words were stern and righteous.
"What image do I have?" Tang En shrugged and spread his hands. "Don't you media always say that I'm a bastard demon with horns on my head, a tail and wings on my back, sharp teeth, mean and malicious words, and no grace at all?"
Tang Jing froze for a moment when she heard Tang En say that. "That … is only the evaluation of the English media, not me …"
"Doesn't your newspaper have nothing better to do than to reprint foreign reports all the time?"
"I've never done that! Every word I write is typed by myself! "Tang Jing could not stand the questioning of her professional ethics. She was always in an environment of suspicion. She entered the newspaper office and was privately thought by others to have relied on her father's connections. When she came to England to be stationed there, she was also thought to have relied on her father. In short, she relied on her father for everything. Her own hard work and talent were completely invisible to others.
"Mr. Tony Twain, if you're angry because of my rudeness when we first met, I can apologize to you! But to hold a grudge like this, do you still have the grace of a man? "Tang Jing angrily rebuked Tang En and angrily turned and walked away.
Dunn finally spoke up. "Hey, Tony … This isn't very good, is it? She's a woman after all … "
Tang En glanced at him. "You should thank me. I helped you out."
"This is another matter …"
"Yo, you can't stand it anymore?" Tang En asked in return. "Feeling pity? Feeling pity for the fairer sex? "
Dunn was no match for his opponent in terms of eloquence, so he chose to remain silent.
"Hey, Dunn. You should also consider love, right? "
Dunn continued to remain silent.
"I'll take your silence as a yes. But it's nothing. As the saying goes, which girl doesn't yearn for love? Which boy doesn't yearn for love? Although you're already past the age of a boy … "
"I'm leaving too." Dunn made a move to leave, but Tang En hurriedly pulled him back.
"Alright, alright. I won't say anything if she's unhappy. But I'm really not holding a grudge against her. It's just that every time I see that smug face of hers, I really want to talk back to her so that she can't be arrogant in front of me … Hey, Dunn, do you think I'm a particularly dark person? "
"What's the use of telling me that? You go tell her …"
Tang En smiled at Dunn.
Dunn also noticed that he had lost his composure. He coughed and did not speak.
"Actually, that woman … if she's not acting all high and mighty, she's actually quite pleasant to look at …" Tang En rubbed his chin and smacked his lips.
"The second half of the match has begun," Dunn reminded coldly.
Both of them stopped talking about such meaningless topics and focused their attention on the match.
※ ※ ※
As expected, George Wood was pushed to the front of the midfield in the second half. He was basically equivalent to an attacking midfielder.
McParland did not allow him to defend. He was still a little unaccustomed to that position. He did not know what he should do or how he should do it.
There were many times when he could not help but retreat back to participate in the defense. However, he would soon be roared at by McParland.
After more than ten minutes of not being used to it, George Wood finally realized that there was nothing else he could do other than participate in the offense.
So, Tang En happily watched from the stands as Wood attempted to pass the ball to his teammate in front of him. Although his first pass was too obvious and was intercepted by the opponent midway, it was still a good sign.
McParland once again yelled from the sidelines for Wood's pass to be more covert. The second time, Wood accurately sent the ball to the feet of the striker. A direct pass, directly tearing through the defensive line!
Unfortunately, such a good pass was wasted by his teammate.
Tang En watched from below as regretful as if Wood had missed his shot.
"He has the ability to pass forward," Dunn said from the side.
Tang En nodded. "You noticed it too? Last season, his two assists were these sudden forward passes from the middle. I feel that if he goes to the side, he will be very unaccustomed. Some people are naturally suited to develop in the side, while others need to be placed in a wider space to have freedom. George is the latter. Demetrio is right. This kid has talent in the offense. It's just that he hides it too deeply. It's not just us. Even he himself does not know. "
In the following match, Wood passed more and more forward. However, due to the dense number of people in the middle and the obvious intention of passing, his success rate was not high.
However, Tang En did not care about that. He saw that Wood dared to take the initiative to pass the ball forward. If the kid did not have such confidence, he could not hope for him to unleash his potential. Having such thoughts was a good thing.
That was what Tang En wanted to see the most. He did not expect to see Wood perform like Pirlo and Redondo, directing the team's rhythm of the match and handling it with ease.
Before the match ended, Tang En and Dunn left. After seeing what they wanted to see, there was still a fierce battle waiting for them tomorrow.
"George!" McParland called out to Wood. "Good job!" He gave the First Team captain a thumbs up.
Wood was not so satisfied with his own performance. He frowned. "I don't think it's that good …"
"As long as you're willing to move forward, that's progress, George." Wood was the representative of the team's youth training. Coaches at all levels showed great care and concern for this talented player.
"Rome was not built in a day. Our future midfield all-rounder will not be formed in one match. "McParland proudly patted Wood's thick shoulders.
It was not an exaggeration to say that Nottingham Forest's glorious future was on his shoulders.
Just like AC Milan had Maldini, Real Madrid had Raúl González, Barcelona had Messi, and Liverpool had Gerrard, he hoped that the future Nottingham Forest could be proud of George Wood.
You're our flag, George.
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.
