Moyes did not expect it, the Everton fans did not expect it, and even the Nottingham Forest fans did not expect the goal in the opening game of the new Premier League season to come so quickly.
"This is the first goal of the 07-08 English Premier League season. Ten seconds! If you haven't turned on the TV yet, then you've missed such a wonderful goal! This is not the brilliance of a single person, this is the brilliance of a team as a whole! Tony Twain's overall football is undoubtedly reflected in this goal! "
The commentator was quite excited. Breaking a record was always worth writing about. When the game was over, all kinds of news about this goal would appear in the newspapers, on television, on the radio, and on the Internet.
On the field, the Forest players hugged each other. They were the directors of this goal. Van Nistelrooy knew the accuracy of Beckham's long pass and how fast Arshavin and Ribéry were. Therefore, he suggested to everyone during the warm-up that they use this method to gain the upper hand by a show of strength. Ribéry was a double insurance. If Arshavin was blocked, Ribéry would finish the shot.
The plan was faithfully carried out.
Beckham's long pass combined perfectly with Ribéry and Arshavin's speed to create this goal.
Ribéry was the hero of the goal, but when the goal was scored, van Nistelrooy was still in the center circle. He saw the ball go in but did not pounce on Ribéry. Instead, he turned and ran to David Beckham on the right.
He and van der Vaart hugged Beckham together, and the three of them ran forward to join the others.
"David Beckham. This is his first game back in England. He reintroduced himself ten seconds into the game. This iconic long pass reminds us of him at Manchester United … Although he's also wearing a red jersey now, he's already a member of Nottingham Forest … Anyway, welcome back, David! "
Beckham raised his arms with a smile as bright as the sun. Surrounded by his teammates, he was particularly dazzling.
Perhaps some people who did not know the inside story would think that Beckham was able to integrate into the Forest team so quickly because he was a world-class star, and many people had to give him face. In reality, it was not so. The Forest team was a team that valued strength. Just like what Tang En had said to Beckham's agent, Simon Fuller, "As long as you have strength and treat people sincerely, you will be treated as one of them and will never be treated unfairly."
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Moyes sat in his chair in a daze for a long time. He was no stranger to Tang En, nor was he a stranger to this team. In order to prepare for the opening game before the game, he made very detailed preparations. In order to restrain the Forest team's offense on both flanks, he also asked the team to actively plug in on the flanks and use offense to suppress the opponent.
Unexpectedly, this was really unexpected. The Forest team's strength did not drop after Ashley Young, who was fast and good at breaking through, moved to the right side. Because they had Beckham who could tear apart the opponent's defense with just one pass.
Which runs faster, the man or the ball? Isn't that nonsense? Of course it's the ball. Beckham was on the right flank, which made it difficult for the opponent's defense.
In the past, it was easy to defend against Ashley Young. They could either rely on attacks to suppress him or station a large number of troops to compress the space and not give Ashley Young a chance to break through. How could he guard against Beckham now? Offensive suppression? After the Forest team intercepted the ball in the backfield, they did not need to press up. They handed the football to Beckham and let him make a precise long pass, which matched the Forest team's best defensive counterattack tactics.
From the looks of it, although there was one less fast flank, the Forest team's offense on the flanks was actually harder to defend against. Because there were more changes.
Moyes, who had been like a stone buddha just now, finally reacted. He scratched his head. What should he do if the team fell behind after ten seconds of the home game? It was too early to adjust. He really had no idea at the moment and could only wait and see.
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Everton was definitely not a pushover. After the Forest team took the lead, the players on the field quickly completed their self-adjustment.
Nottingham Forest was the European champion and was already a strong team in the English Premier League. Everton did not think that they could easily beat their opponent even if they were playing at home. Conceding a goal was within their plans. It was just that the team was a little surprised that it was so early, even though they had made careful preparations before the game and fully expected the difficulties of the game. But the Forest team's improvement in strength and strength was still somewhat unexpected.
Having completed their self-adjustment, Everton began to try to fight back amidst the cheers of the home fans.
There were two players worth paying attention to in Everton's midfield. One was the Australian, Tim Cahill, and the other was Mikel Arteta, who had just transferred from Nottingham Forest. Cahill had been in Everton for many years, while Arteta was the new core of the midfield that Moyes planned to build in the new season.
From this game, it could be seen that whenever Everton attacked, the football would be handed over to Arteta for him to command.
Cahill was not a midfielder who was good at organizing attacks. He was more like an attacking midfielder with outstanding scoring ability. Arteta was the classic "number four" who came out of Barcelona's training camp. He was a little like the "quarterback" in football — responsible for passing the ball to initiate the attack and control the team's rhythm.
Tang En could not be more familiar with Arteta. After all, he had played under him for two and a half years. He knew that Moyes had bought Arteta to build a core playmaker that belonged to Everton. Arteta would definitely be entrusted with heavy responsibilities in this game, so he had told Wood before the game that his target for this game was Arteta.
Everyone else's tasks were assigned by Dunn. Only Wood's tasks were done by Tang En himself. On one hand, Tang En was used to this job and the way he talked to Wood. On the other hand, if it were someone else, Wood might not necessarily listen.
Freezing Arteta was really simple for Wood. Tang En did not even tell Wood what kind of person Arteta was, what skills he had, what his habits were, and what he liked. The two of them had trained and competed in the same team for two and a half years. Did he not have that much understanding?
Tang En only told him, "Completely freeze Arteta."
Mikel Arteta received a pass from his teammate. The feeling of this game was very strange. Although the people wearing the blue jerseys were his teammates, he sometimes had the illusion that the people wearing the red jerseys were his teammates. He had been with the Forest team for two and a half years and had only been at Everton for a month and a half. He was facing familiar faces. He knew their playing habits and hobbies in their lives. Yet, he did not understand his Everton teammates well enough.
He wanted to find a target to pass to. Looking up, his vision was filled with people wearing red jerseys. It's become a habit. Arteta shook his head, trying to shake off this baffling thought.
The Spanish midfielder hesitated for a moment, and the ball was intercepted by Wood.
The intense pain from his body brought him back to reality at once. He was already a member of Everton. Usually, he could only play one-on-one with Wood in the team's internal matches. Now, he would have at least two real-life confrontations in a season.
Wood had just intercepted the ball and was about to find someone to pass the ball to when he was pushed to the ground by Arteta, who had come back to his senses.
The referee's whistle rang and Arteta was judged to have fouled, giving Nottingham Forest a free kick near the center circle.
Although he had fouled, Arteta had won thunderous applause from the Goodison Park stadium. He had used his actions to announce his break with the Forest team, which had also won the favor of his new owner's fans.
Wood was just about to get up when a hand appeared in front of him. When he looked up, he realized it was from Arteta.
Wood did not take his hand. Instead, he said with a straight face, "If you want to shake hands, wait until the game is over."
Arteta was not annoyed. He knew this kid's character. Once they entered the game, there were only two kinds of people left in the world — their own people and their enemies.
He used to be one of Wood's own people, but now he was an enemy. He used to be protected by Wood, but now he …
Hey, what's the point of thinking so much? Let's play!
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Everton and the Forest team were in a stalemate in the midfield. Both sides had invested heavily and were fiercely fighting for the ball. Wood was on strict guard against Arteta, and van der Vaart was also surrounded by Lee Karsley and Thomas Gravesen.
He was even happy to see a stalemate in the game. What the Forest team was least afraid of was a stalemate, especially when they were already in the lead.
They would slowly wear down their opponents, wear down their patience and fighting spirit, and make them impatient. Then, they would wait for an opportunity to counterattack. With a two-goal lead, the situation would be even more advantageous.
So, the Forest team's game was not very interesting to watch. How could it be interesting if they were in such a stalemate?
But were they going to let the game continue like this?
If it had been the Forest team of the past, they could only wait for their opponents to become impatient when they encountered such a stalemate. Otherwise, if the flanks could not be opened up, the effect of their offense would be greatly reduced. If the score was not 1: 0 and the Forest team was in the lead, Tang En would not have a more suitable way to deal with such an experienced and cunning opponent.
But it was different now. The Forest team's flanks did not need any space to fly.
Van der Vaart passed the ball to Beckham on the right flank while being sandwiched by two people. David did not break through. Compressing space was useless to him. Defending against his passes was the way to go. But how could he defend against his passes? Pounce on him and entangle him to prevent him from passing the ball?
What about the empty space behind him when he pounced on him? Beckham could choose not to pass the ball long. Instead, he could distribute it to his teammates who plugged in from the flanks to receive him. Then, he could run without the ball and shake off the defense. As long as the ball was passed, there were dozens of ways for a professional player to advance forward.
So, a player who could only dribble and break through was not scary. A player who could pass was the scariest.
With Beckham's long passes, Moyes only had two paths. One was to compress the space at the back and not let the Forest team's forwards receive the ball easily. But this could only be limited to words. The game was ever-changing. The important thing for the rear defensive line was to maintain their formation and not run around with the two forwards. The second was to create an offside position. This was the simplest and most commonly used method. Beckham's long passes were very penetrative, and penetrative power sometimes represented an offside position.
Everton created an offside position in the game, and the rear defensive line pressed very high. Arshavin and van Nistelrooy had already been offside twice in a row.
Tang En got up and walked to the sidelines when he saw the situation. He whistled to attract the players' attention and gestured for them to continue to stick to the straight passes while increasing their coordination against the wall.
If Moyes wanted to create an offside position, let him do it. The Forest team was now constantly passing straight and straight. Even if the first nine out of ten passes were offside, as long as the last pass was successful, it would be a sure kill!
Of course, Moyes knew that creating an offside position was very risky. Tang En was considerate enough to personally deliver the risk.
Van der Vaart took advantage of a dead ball and said to a few of his teammates in the middle and front of the field, "We'll coordinate in front of their rear defensive line. Don't be afraid of making mistakes. If we lose the ball, there's George behind us! As long as we succeed once … "He clenched his fists. Everyone understood what he meant.
Nottingham Forest had never been overturned by an opponent when they had a two-goal lead!
The rest of the game was interrupted and restarted under the referee's constant whistles. It started and was interrupted again. Fouls, offside … The stalemate continued.
By halftime, the score was still 1: 0. Nottingham Forest was in the lead in the away game.
※ ※ ※
During halftime, Tang En praised the entire team's performance. Although the goal was the work of a few people, the score was the result of the entire team's concerted efforts.
Especially Arteta. It was obvious that after a month and a half, he had been molded by Moyes into Everton's midfield core. But Wood had completed his task perfectly.
By the end of the first half, Arteta's blue jersey was almost bruised to a green color. His face was also stained with some grass. He looked disheveled, but Arteta was no stranger to it. That was because most of Wood's opponents looked like that when they came off the field.
Wood did not look much better.
He was sitting in his seat to rest while listening to Tang En talk about what to do in the second half. Bale leaned over and gently touched his arm. "George," he called softly.
Wood glanced at him.
"How does it feel to go one-on-one with Mikel in an official match?"
"You can experience it for yourself."
"You know I didn't play …" Bale said with a frown. He had painstakingly dressed up, but there was no way for him to appear in front of the national television audience. It was a blow to his morale.
Wood looked at the little monkey's troubled look and could not help but laugh.
"It's all my dad's fault. When I went out, he insisted on holding me back and lecturing me for a long time, causing me to be late. Turns out I'm really going to be the starter …"
Bale was still chattering softly when he suddenly heard someone call his name.
"Bale. Gareth Bale."
He stood up abruptly. "Huh?"
This caused the locker room to roar with laughter.
Tang En did not know whether to laugh or cry as he looked at the "crane among chickens" Bale. "Were you distracted just now?"
"Ah, uh …" Bale scratched his head. "I … I'm sorry, Boss. I was distracted."
"I said, if we're still at 1: 0 after 20 minutes in the second half, I'll consider putting you on. Get ready." Tang En could only repeat what he had just said.
"That's great!" Bale could not help but shout, like a child who had gotten his favorite toy. His behavior caused everyone to roar with laughter.
Amidst the laughter, Bale sat down happily and winked at Wood.
Tang En continued, "… If we can hold on to this score until 20 minutes in the second half, Everton will inevitably become anxious. When that time comes, it will be impossible for them to create offside as neatly and uniformly as they did in the first half. There will definitely be loopholes. If Bale goes on, your main task is not to defend, but to attack and assist in the team's offense on the left flank. "
Bale nodded repeatedly. Although he was currently a left back, his offense was actually far stronger than his defense because he had started out as a left midfielder. When it was necessary to defend, Tang En would rely more on Leighton Baines. When it was necessary to let loose and attack, Bale was undoubtedly the most suitable.
It did not take long to talk about tactics. The situation was favorable to Forest Team, so Tang En did not waste any time. The rest of the halftime break allowed the players to move around freely and relax.
Beckham was very popular because he never put on airs in the locker room. After getting familiar with him, everyone liked to chat with him. There were many people surrounding him, and Bale squeezed his way over. Becoming a world-class star player like Beckham was his goal. Of course, it was currently impossible to improve his reputation and strength, so improving his appearance was the most convenient and fastest way.
His hair was meticulously combed into a mohawk with a lot of hair gel. It was very eye-catching as it reflected the lights in the changing room.
"Hey, little monkey, are you going out on a date with your girlfriend?" Van Nistelrooy noticed Bale standing next to him and tried to pat his head with a grin, but Bale dodged.
"Hey, don't touch, Ruud. It took me a long time to get this done! "Bale jumped to avoid van Nistelrooy's" black hand. "
"It'll be a mess when you get on the field," Wood suddenly said from behind.
It was the same as what his father said. Bale glanced at Wood. Wood had a head of black hair. Although not as long as a woman's, it was not short either, almost reaching his shoulders. His hairstyle was … no hairstyle. With a simple middle parting, his hair was split in the middle and parted on both sides of his cheeks. It was scattered when he played football, but it was restored with a wave of his hand. It was simple and easy.
And it was said that this was an image specially designed for Wood by Wood's agent, Billy Woox — Wood's image was his true self. Woox believed that the world was full of all kinds of pretentious celebrities. Every action and every word they said seemed to have been deliberated in their hearts ten thousand times before they said it. They were obviously heroic men, but they had to pretend to be gentle and graceful in front of the public. And everyone liked this kind of misplaced beauty.
So he asked Wood not to pretend at all and to show how he usually was in public. Such a person with such a genuine temperament was sure to win more cheers.
"There's hairspray," Bale retorted.
Wood did not continue the topic. He did not say anything and looked away.
The locker room door was pushed open and Kerslake appeared at the door. He clapped his hands and said, "All right, guys! It's our turn! "
Wood was the first to walk to the door, and everyone followed him out of the locker room.
As Beckham passed Bale, he patted him on the shoulder and winked at him.
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