With the excitement and joy of sitting on the throne of the league tournament, the entire Nottingham Forest team flew to Barcelona to prepare for the game against the La Liga powerhouse, Barcelona.
The Barcelona fans had not forgotten Tony Twain's arrogant performance against Barcelona in the Champions League final, nor had they forgotten the hatred of Nottingham Forest's elimination of them.
Now they had a chance to return the resentment accumulated over the past two years to Nottingham Forest.
The above were all fantasized by the Barcelona fans themselves. The Barcelona players might not think so.
This was Rijkaard's last chance to save himself. He had been empty-handed for two seasons, firmly suppressed by his arch-rival, Real Madrid, and lost the first leg of the battle of the century at Camp Nou this season. There was basically no hope for the league title. The reason was not that Real Madrid was too strong, but that they did not live up to expectations. They were out of the Copa del Rey and only made it to the semifinals in the Champions League. If they could finally bring back the Big Ears Trophy, then all the failures this season would be nothing. The humiliation of being defeated by Real Madrid at Camp Nou would soon be drowned in the ocean of victory.
But … against Nottingham Forest, Rijkaard was at his wits' end. Because he did not have any good cards in his hands.
Under normal circumstances, when a strong enemy came, the team should be united against a common enemy and actively prepare to defeat the opponent.
But today's Barcelona was not like that. The Catalan media was constantly hyping up Ronaldinho's enemies in the locker room, or Eto 'o's big mouth that liked to cause trouble, as well as the weak Rijkaard's loss of control in the locker room, whether Messi or Ronaldinho was the core that Barcelona really needed, whether Henry was worth the money, Rijkaard's successor, Mourinho, and so on. It seemed to be bustling with activity. The readers would see new gimmicks every day, but there was no more news about the game. No, there was still news. In the battle between Messi and Ronaldinho, who was the core that Barcelona should trust, it was mentioned that Messi was injured and would miss the first leg of the Champions League semifinals against Nottingham Forest.
It was a great irony.
Twain and his coaching staff, as well as the entire team, made the most meticulous preparations and dared not take it lightly. But when they arrived, they found that their opponents' minds were on internal friction and did not take them seriously at all.
So, he was not afraid of the current Barcelona team.
The day before the game, Puyol came out and said that we must beat Nottingham Forest at home because it was the Champions League semi-final. After Tang En saw the report in the hotel room, he said to Dunn with a slightly sarcastic tone, "Don't tell me they just found out that this is the Champions League semi-final?"
Tang En placed great importance on the team's unity and the harmony of the locker room's internal atmosphere. Having been taught by his father, he knew the principle that "a fortress is the easiest to break through from within." Nottingham Forest's results, in addition to hard work from top to bottom, relied on unity. Real Madrid's failure in the past few years and Barcelona's current degeneration stemmed from their division.
Therefore, he would never allow the farce that was happening to Barcelona to happen to him in the future.
Take history as a lesson and learn from it …
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As the captain, Puyol stood up to speak, but the effect was pitiful. Barcelona had long been divided internally. Even if he was the captain, not everyone would listen to him.
The match at Camp Nou was very, very dull.
Defense and counterattack were naturally Tang En's first choice in an important and crucial match. Barcelona's side also did not display a high level of attack. Messi's injury and absence had a huge impact on the team. Ronaldinho once again sat on the substitutes' bench. He had not sat on the substitutes' bench many times in more than four seasons at Barcelona. The number of times he sat on it this season was far more than in the previous four seasons.
Although Rijkaard had never publicly criticized Ronaldinho and always said he trusted the Brazilian, he put him on the substitutes' bench every time. His attitude was worth studying. In addition, from a tactical level, the current Ronaldinho had changed from the "phenomenon" of Barcelona to a "cancer." The team's offensive effect on the field would be determined by the quality of his individual form. In addition, his form this season was very poor. Too much possession of the ball would lead to too many mistakes. The speed of his offense was also not as fast as when Messi was on the field. If he and Messi played at the same time, they would affect and interfere with each other. Therefore, in the matches where Ronaldinho was diagnosed, Barcelona's results were very good. But when he played, Barcelona would either lose or tie.
At first, there were people in the Catalan media who cried out, "Why don't you let Ronaldinho play? You always say he's injured, but he's actually fine. "Later, the voices gradually disappeared.
In this game, Ronaldinho sat in the back row of the substitutes' bench. He was surrounded by people all around him, but he looked very lonely. His only good friend, Messi, was recuperating at home in preparation for the second leg of the game. But what about him? He might not even be brought to England in the second leg.
Barcelona's offense was more disorderly. Despite that, Nottingham Forest held firm and did not come out. They invested very few players in the counterattack, as if they were afraid of being caught off guard after being cut off.
Could such a game be satisfactory? Boos rang out in the Camp Nou stadium. The boos were not aimed at a particular team, but at both sides. They were deeply dissatisfied with Barcelona's inability to attack, but they did not forget that Nottingham Forest was their enemy.
In the ninety minutes, neither side scored a goal. The scene was depressing. Many of the television viewers who had been excited to watch "Mars collide with Earth" had to lament that they had wasted an entire night. As for the Far East fans who stayed up late to watch the game … Were the posts denouncing Barcelona's "lack of ambition" and Nottingham Forest's "habitual passivity and conservatism" almost overflowing on the Internet?
But Twain could not care less about the feelings of these people. He left Camp Nou and the beautiful city of Barcelona with a smile. Because he got the result he wanted before the game: a draw without conceding a goal and depleted Barcelona's home advantage.
If he could score a goal, it would be a gain. If he did not, it was not bad either.
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Returning to the throne of first place in the league tournament and retreating in one piece in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final in the away game were all things that made Twain happy. As the end of the game approached, his mood had been fluctuating back and forth between the peaks and troughs. He felt depressed when they were forced into a draw by AC Milan at home. He cursed loudly when they lost to Blackburn Rovers. He had to apologize to the whole team the next day because he still had to rely on these people to win after all. When they won the game against Tottenham, he praised the whole team and was not stingy with his words. When Blackburn Rovers tied with Manchester United, he excitedly invited everyone in the bar to drink and party.
For him, every minute and every second of life was spent in great joy or great sorrow. When there was neither great joy nor great sorrow, he was always nervous and did not dare to relax for a moment. There was no such thing as a "smooth transition."
There had never been a season that made him as nervous as this season. At the final juncture, there was a chance for both championship titles, but neither was secured. In the end, they could win the Double, but they could also come out empty-handed and become someone else's wedding dress.
Back in Nottingham, the team did not even have half a day's rest before they had to prepare for the 36th round of the league tournament at home against Reading.
The time was very close, just two days later. For Tony Twain and his team, this game was a must-win. A draw would be a failure.
Manchester United had been forced to a dead end. In the first leg of the Champions League semi-final, they were forced into a 1: 1 draw by Chelsea at home. Ferguson's roar would continue. In the 36th round of the league tournament, unfortunately and coincidentally, their opponent was still … Chelsea. For this game, no matter what method was used, Ferguson would not allow his team to lose to Chelsea again, even if it was their away game, even if it was the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea after this league tournament was over.
Manchester United would definitely fight to the death against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. This game was a great opportunity for Nottingham Forest to continue to widen their lead. No matter who won or lost between Manchester United and Chelsea, Nottingham Forest could reap the benefits — if Chelsea won, Nottingham Forest would reap the benefits on the battlefield in the league tournament; if Manchester United won, Nottingham Forest would reap the benefits on the battlefield in the Champions League.
A God-given opportunity. This could only be used to describe the significance of the 36th round of the league tournament to Nottingham Forest.
"So we must win!" At the end of the tactical layout meeting on the last day before the game, Twain set the tone for the game.
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A day later, the City Ground stadium was full. The stands, which could accommodate up to 30,000 people, had tens of thousands of flags fluttering in the wind and a cauldron of voices. All the Forest fans had long known the situation of each team in this round of the league tournament, which was the most advantageous for the Forest team — the enemy was weak and the competitors fought to the death. As long as they won one hand, they would be able to touch the handle of the championship trophy.
Everyone wanted to see this historic moment — the Nottingham Forest Football Club had only won the championship of a top league tournament once in its history, and that was the English League One championship during Brian Clough's era. They took advantage of this championship to win the Champions League twice. They were the only team in the history of the Champions League that had only won the domestic top league title once, but had picked up the Champions League twice. Therefore, if the Forest team could finally pick up the league title this season, then it could really be said to be making history again.
When the Forest players came out, they received a tsunami of cheers from the stands — this was the function of the City Ground stadium as a home ground, just that today was a little more explosive. The Forest supporters also hoped to bring extra pressure to the visiting Reading in this way, so that they would be at a loss and raise their hands in surrender.
Tony Twain was like a head of state, the commander-in-chief of the three armies. He stood on the tall city gate tower, proudly inspecting the troops that passed in front of him, enjoying the huge cheers and praises of his subjects coming from the stands. The peak of his coaching career … was coming.
Of course, there was another person who felt the same as him, and that was the club owner, Evan Doughty, who was standing in the VIP box above. He was the one who should really enjoy this feeling of being an emperor, because he was the real owner of this club. Tony Twain? He was just an employee, a slightly more senior one.
At this moment, the great excitement of the arrival of glory hit the brain of this senior employee, causing his facial nerves to begin to lose control, and an obvious smile hung on the corners of his mouth. In the eyes of outsiders, he was not standing on the sidelines before the game, but after the game. As a result, naturally, his team won.
The tactics were right, and the enemy was not strong. There was no reason for this game to go wrong.
In the big game that had just ended, Manchester United had a strong away attack and defeated Chelsea 2: 1 at the cost of a red card. They temporarily surpassed Nottingham Forest in the standings, leading by two points. However, Twain believed that after this game ended, he would still be in the lead. It was just a difference of one point.
When the players from both sides stood in formation in their respective halves, the referee stood outside the center circle and put the whistle in his mouth. The City Ground stadium, which had been noisy for a long time, suddenly quieted down. The silence created an illusion for Twain. He looked back at the stands behind him. He was relieved that everyone was still there.
"Beep —"
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One hundred and twenty minutes later, nearly half an hour had passed since the end of the game.
Tony Twain sat alone in the empty technical area. Just like the technical area, the stands of the City Ground stadium and the green field in front of him were also empty.
He sat there without saying a word. There was no expression of ecstasy on his face, nor was there a look of dejection.
The sound of footsteps came from afar, but he did not pay attention.
"Tony." The footsteps disappeared beside him, and Dunn's voice rang out.
"Yes?" Twain did not even look up.
"Shall we go back?"
"I'll sit a little longer."
"You've been sitting for 15 minutes."
Twain finally shifted his gaze from the field to Dunn beside him. He did not speak, but the look in his eyes sent a chill down Dunn's spine.
Tony Twain was like an enraged beast that had lost its child. He stared at you, looking as if he could jump up at any time to pounce on you and eat you up.
He was really, really, really angry …
"You …" Dunn paused for a moment. "You didn't say anything just now. You acted very normally. Everyone thought you …"
"You're not angry, are you?" he retorted, his voice cold.
In the past, it had always been the crude Kerslake who came over to provoke Twain. But today, Kerslake had brought the team away. Only Dunn, who lived with Twain, had come.
"How could I not be angry?" he asked again. This time, there was no hint of gunpowder in his voice. "But who should I vent my anger on? After the game had just ended, when I was questioned by a group of media at the press conference, I really wanted to rush into the locker room and give everyone a good scolding. But when I thought of what happened after that loss to Blackburn Rovers, I endured it. But I didn't want to see them again, so I sent them away early. I ran over here myself and sat for a while. I felt that I couldn't vent my anger on them … No, I couldn't vent it on them. Do you know why? "
Twain looked at Dunn, and Dunn looked back at him without answering.
"Because I feel that if I trace the source of the scolding, I'm the one who should be scolded the most. But I can't scold myself, especially in front of others. "Twain stood up from his seat. "Three days after the Premier League, it's the Champions League semifinals. Three days after the Champions League semifinals, it's the Premier League. Three days after the Premier League, it's the Champions League semifinals. The players' conditions are fluctuating. They're too tired. "
"If I had been a little bolder in this game, it might not have ended like this. I didn't rotate when I should have. I wanted to use the strongest lineup to tear Reading apart, but I didn't expect that the deciding factor of the game wasn't the strongest lineup. "
"Then I sat here and thought about it. Everyone was gone. There wasn't a single person, and there wouldn't be any reporters bothering me like flies. I could think about it properly. I didn't have to pretend in front of others. I wasn't thinking about why I would stumble at this time. I just felt that this thing called fate was really strange. One moment it could send you to heaven, and the next moment it could send you to hell. "
"The more I thought about it, the less angry I got." Twain's gaze changed, and a smile reappeared on his face. He opened his arms and even danced with joy. "I admit that I was blinded by the performance in front of me at first. Some people might think this result is a cruel joke fate played on me. But in fact, I think this is just right. It's the best result! "
"I'm not stupid from anger! What was our original plan? Whether we were ahead of Manchester United or not, the final result would not have changed. We always had to talk to them directly in the final round and decide who the champion was at Old Trafford. Right? So, what's the point of who is first or second at this time? It's not bad to throw the pressure of being the front-runner to the other side. "
"Also." He winked at Dunn. "I also thought of a way to make Barcelona bow down at home. We're going to get a ticket to the Champions League final for the third time. "
He stretched. "Let's go, Dunn. Let's go home. It's good that someone listens to me. Otherwise, it's hard to keep it in. "He took the lead and walked toward the tunnel. Then he stopped and looked back at Dunn. "You know what? I suddenly felt that it was a great experience to sit in an empty stadium and think about things. The office or my own house is too small. It constrains my thinking. This is just right. "He pointed to the stadium.
"It's big enough, but it's not boundless. Otherwise, I'll be distracted." Then he muttered, "Compared to a noisy stadium, I suddenly like a quiet stadium like this. It's really strange."
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On April 26, 2008, three days before the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, in the 36th round of the 07-08 English Premier League season, Nottingham Forest was unexpectedly forced into a draw by Reading at home. Neither side scored.
Manchester United took the opportunity to complete a comeback and temporarily … no, return to the top of the table with a one-point advantage.
For Tony Twain and Alex Ferguson, there were still two rounds before the league title trophy. There was still one more round of the league tournament before the final round at Old Trafford. Would there be any more surprises?
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