In the cold rain, Mourinho still stood on the sidelines with the collar of his black trench coat up and wrapped around him. The rain fell from the sky and gradually drenched his coat.
As the same manager, Twain sat in the technical area in the rain, while Mourinho stood in the rain like a statue, ignoring the cold rain above his head.
The score was 0: 0.
Nottingham Forest took advantage of the home field advantage and launched a quick attack and raid as soon as they came up. However, they encountered stubborn resistance in front of Chelsea's defensive line. As the captain of the England national team, the defensive line led by Terry was by no means mediocre. Beşiktaş could be slaughtered by the Forest team's attacking lineup for eight goals, but it did not mean that any opponent would concede eight goals.
After attacking for six or seven minutes, the Forest team still could not break open Chelsea's defense, so they gradually slowed down their pace and slowly withdrew their defense in an organized manner to attract Chelsea to attack, so as to give the Forest team space to fight back.
This was the Forest team's style. Their defensive counterattack was famous in European football. If one wanted to study Nottingham Forest, then this defensive counterattack was a subject that could not be bypassed.
As someone who had dealt with Twain for more than three years and had never won, how could Mourinho not study this opponent? He knew that the Forest team's retreat to show weakness was just a facade. Their real killer move was hidden in this show of weakness. If he rushed forward, he would be counterattacked by the opponent. But if he did not press forward, the score would not change, and he would lose the opportunity to attack.
It was such a conundrum that stumped a lot of coaches who played against the Forest team. Most people would choose to attack and seek a chance to break the goal, even though they knew it might give the Forest team space to fight back.
Mourinho was different. He did not let his team press forward, but slowly grinded with the Forest team in the midfield. Anyway, no matter how Nottingham Forest baited, his rear defensive line did not press forward. Even if Ashley Cole assisted, he would immediately return to defend. He would never stay in front for too long.
"Oh, God … Here we go again!" The television commentator groaned painfully and helplessly. Mourinho had never been a manager who became famous for pleasing the audience with offensive football. He was a "champion manager" who won a world reputation by winning one championship after another. Therefore, his Chelsea team always put results first. Defensive football and the "1: 0 doctrine" were Mourinho's trademarks, and Capello was his idol.
This was also part of the conflict between Abramovich and Mourinho — Abramovich, as a half-baked football fan, wanted to see beautiful attacking and attacking football. However, Mourinho, as a manager who believed that results were more important than anything else, placed more importance on results. In modern football, defense was undoubtedly the safest way to bring victory.
This was a conflict between two football philosophies, but it was also the most irreconcilable conflict.
Abramovich believed that Chelsea should become a world-renowned club like Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal. He wanted children all over the world to play and play in the blue Chelsea jersey instead of the white Real Madrid jersey or the red and black AC Milan jersey. But he believed that it was not enough to win the championship title. Chelsea lacked a superstar with world appeal, and the lack of beautiful football was the root cause. Mourinho was not interested in the kind of football that Abramovich talked about. He did not like superstars because the arrival of superstars would threaten his authority and status in the team. He did not even like Abramovich to dictate the team's affairs because he felt his power was threatened.
Mourinho believed that the team should play according to his will. He was the chief manager, and even the club chairman could not extend his hand into the team. It was not that he did not like Abramovich's "Chelsea Empire Plan." It was just that he thought Chelsea still had a long way to go before it became a world-renowned club. It needed to rely on solid results to lay the foundation. The foundation would not be beautiful. It was rough but solid stone. Only when the foundation was laid well could the superstructure be built beautifully.
Abramovich could not wait for that day. Therefore, he bought Shevchenko and Ballack despite Mourinho's objections and kept talking about Ronaldinho and Kaka all day long. Because he could not bear to go to a hotel in Arabia and find that the waiters there were talking about the Manchester United player, Cristiano Ronaldo, who had just stayed there. And what about himself? Only a few people around him fawned on him all day long.
He could not stand such a situation, and he desperately wanted to change it all. But Mourinho refused to cooperate.
In this game, Shevchenko was still on the bench, and Ballack was not in the squad at all. Mourinho's statement before the game was that "Ballack has been injured." That was too fake. Just a dozen days ago, Ballack played for the German team in the UEFA European Championship qualifiers. He was full of energy and did not look injured at all.
Why was Shevchenko not in the starting lineup? Mourinho was tired of the question and refused to answer it. There was only a rumor that Shevchenko was also injured, but it was a rumor after all. Who would believe it?
Now, watching Mourinho's team push back and forth in the midfield unhurriedly with their opponents, there was pitifully little actual offense. Sitting in the VIP box, Abramovich's face gradually turned ugly.
※ ※ ※
Tang En also did not expect Mourinho to be so tough in this game. It was clear that he wanted to wear himself down in the midfield. Both teams' midfielders were not weak, and no one could completely suppress the other. Both had wins and losses. The result of this was that no one could dominate the game. The game could only be spent in a stalemate.
Such a game lacked fast and intense offensive and defensive battles. Without the star players performing amazing skills, the Forest team's advantage in speed could not be brought into play. Chelsea's Drogba also had a body full of strength but no place to use it. A game without highlights was naturally worthless to the audience.
"The game is too dull. Both sides want to win, but they can't let go. They are repeatedly entangled in the midfield, and both lack penetrating passes. Because the two teams' defensive organization is very good, too many direct passes will only bring about too many mistakes. So, whether it is Nottingham Forest or Chelsea, they all appear very cautious. The constant horizontal passes and return passes made the match less interesting to watch. Let us compare the game between Arsenal and Manchester United that just ended. That kind of intensity is completely incomparable to this game. It looks like the showdown between old rivals is still better than the newcomers. "
The commentator was not wrong at all, except for the psychological analysis of the two teams' managers.
The game between Arsenal and Manchester United that took place before this game was really like Mars colliding with Earth.
Before the end of the first half, Arsenal's captain, the French center back, William Gallas, accidentally knocked the football into his own goal in the chaos. Manchester United, playing in the away game, temporarily took a one-goal lead with this own goal. Just two minutes into the second half, Arsenal's midfield core, Fàbregas, used a long shot to equalize the score.
Next, both sides launched a fierce attack. The speed of the offensive and defensive transitions was fast, and the star players showed their unique skills, which made the audience shout. The second climax of the game came in the last ten minutes. In the 81st minute, Manchester United's winger, Cristiano Ronaldo, who had a more mature mentality this season and was in good form, scored a goal for the team to give Manchester United a 2: 1 lead.
Just when everyone thought Manchester United would retreat from the Emirates Stadium with three points and infuriate Wenger.
In the 90th minute, the Arsenal captain, William Gallas, who had just scored an own goal forty-five minutes ago and put the team in trouble, redeemed himself. He rushed to the top of Arsenal's corner kick and scored the equalizing goal for the team. When he raised his arms and shouted, the Emirates Stadium was filled with thunderous cheers. The game came to an end at the climax, and the score was fixed at 2: 2.
Look, there were four goals and an own goal in such a game. There were sinners and sinners redeeming themselves, and there was the tragicomedy of never giving up at the last minute to equalize the score. It was hard not to remember such a game. In comparison, this game, which was also played in the rain, was much inferior.
The gloomy sky seemed to be a portrayal of the game so far. The dark and gloomy performance, the uninteresting offense, and the frequent mistakes in passing. If someone liked to watch the big star players fall and roll in the mud and be covered in dirt, then he would definitely be satisfied. But unfortunately, there were not many people with such a perverted mentality.
If this was a game between Barcelona or Real Madrid, no matter whose home ground it was, the stands would be full of boos that would resound throughout the world. But the fans of both teams worshipped their own managers. Even if the game was dull, their cheers did not weaken in the slightest.
As long as they could beat the opponent, they did not care about the process of the game. Of course, if they defeated the opponent with an own goal, it would be even more exciting!
※ ※ ※
"I don't think we need to continue to be entangled with them in the midfield," Dunn said to Twain beside him. "Maybe we can try not going through the midfield and directly pass the long ball behind us?"
Twain pinched his chin and looked for a while. "What you said might be a way." He got up and walked to the sidelines to convey the adjustment to the team.
Chelsea clearly wanted to disrupt the Forest team's counterattack plan through a chaotic battle in the midfield with the Forest team. In that case, bypassing the midfield might really be a workable idea. If too much energy was put into the midfield, the Forest team would not gain anything other than George Wood becoming the best player in the game.
He made a gesture to ask the team to do a long ball.
It was an adjustment that Twain was not sure would be effective. He did it, but he did not get the result he wanted.
When the Forest team wanted to bypass the midfield and directly hit the opponent, the result was more mistakes for the team. Van Nistelrooy was alone in front and lacked support. The support of his teammates weakened the strength of the midfield.
Chelsea seized the opportunity and intercepted the ball to launch a quick attack. Lampard took George Wood away and Drogba attracted the attention of both Ayala and Kompany. The Forest team defended against all the Chelsea players they thought were dangerous. There was only one player they did not pay attention to because he was too unthreatening in the offense.
But it was this man who, after receiving a pass from Essien in the midfield, suddenly swung his leg for a long shot! A long shot thirty meters away from the goal passed through the crowd and directly penetrated the goal guarded by Edwin van der Sar!
The dispirited commentator screamed, "What a brilliant goal! Makelele beat Edwin van der Sar! "
Yes, the player who scored was the defensive midfielder, Makelele, who was least likely to score.
Twain was stunned by the scene. He had asked the players to pay close attention to several of Chelsea's offensive points before the game and completely freeze these dangerous players at all costs. He mentioned a lot of names, even Shevchenko, who did not play. But he did not mention Makelele. He thought Makelele would not be the one to deal the final blow in the offense to solve the problem.
But he was wrong.
"World Wave!" The commentator was still excited. In addition to the strong contrast brought about by the dullness of the previous game, it was also because the goal was indeed beautiful and truly deserved the evaluation of "World Wave."
The football flew straight from the midfield thirty meters away to the goal. Edwin van der Sar, who was 1.97 meters tall, leaped up and stretched his arms as far as he could. He did everything he could but still could not save the goal behind him. The football brushed past his fingertips and flew into the goal between the goalpost and his hands.
The whole process left people speechless. Of course, there was one exception.
"Damn it! Let him do it again. He won't be able to shoot such a goal even if he does it a hundred times! " Twain roared angrily on the sidelines, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the cheers of the Chelsea fans.
Twain did not admit that his tactical arrangements were wrong. He thought he had lost to luck. At that moment, Makelele was possessed by God and shot what was probably the most beautiful goal of his career.
"Just like when George Wood scored Chelsea's goal in the Champions League semi-finals! This goal can be called a classic! Both come from the defensive midfield that is usually the least likely to score goals, and both are equally beautiful! Back then, Chelsea was eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals because of George Wood's outstanding performance! Now, the Chelsea people are back for revenge! "
Mourinho waved his fists excitedly on the sidelines. His every movement caused his coat to flutter and raindrops to splatter. If anyone could see his expression, they would be surprised that he was not laughing but gnashing his teeth.
The television broadcast cut to the box very timely. In the simple box at the City Ground stadium, Chelsea's club chairman, Abramovich, was dancing and celebrating the goal. In the face of such a beautiful goal, a smile also appeared on his ice-cold, Siberian-like face.
What if the goal was not "World Wave?" He might not even be able to get up.
Judging from this scene alone, it was possible that Mourinho and Abramovich really had no conflict. However, after celebrating the goal, Abramovich clapped and sat down again. His face became "Siberian" again.
Celebrating the goal was one thing, but it did not change his view of Mourinho in the slightest.
Besides, even if Mourinho could lead the team to play beautiful offensive football like Arsenal's, it could not change the fact that he and Abramovich were incompatible in character. They were at odds with each other, and one of them was bound to leave.
Mourinho was also well aware of this. After celebrating the goal wildly, he returned to his "obsidian statue" posture. He stood in the rain with his hands in his pockets and watched the game with a cold face.
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.
