Very soon, Tang En stopped thinking about what step his relationship with Shania should be considered to be. He was once again troubled by the complicated and intense competition schedule and the team's fluctuating state.
On November 15th, Nottingham Forest traveled north to the cold Newcastle United and lost 1: 2 in their away game.
On November 24th, Forest returned to their home ground and, after a tough battle, beat Everton 3: 2 and finally held onto the third place in the Premier League.
Purely based on the scoreboard, Forest's results were not too bad. Other than the gap between them and the top two teams being a little wide, they were still in the first group.
But only those who were truly familiar with Nottingham Forest knew how dangerous the Forest team's current situation was. Every victory was always filled with twists and turns, and the victories were frightening. Moreover, injuries were like a nightmare that could not be dispelled, always following Forest's steps forward, ready to pounce on them when they were tired.
Tony Twain himself had the illusion that he was walking on a tightrope.
He did not know when the team would collapse if they persisted like this. From last summer to the end of this year, his players did not have the slightest time to rest. Their physical strength had already reached the stage of collapse. How were they going to survive the cold winter? He had no idea at all.
To be able to win, they had to grit their teeth to fight for it. A slight slack could cause them to collapse a thousand miles away. But being constantly tense could cause them to collapse even earlier.
"… I'm very impressed by Tony Twain's coaching methods, and I also admire Nottingham Forest's fighting spirit and will to win. Reversing West Ham United to win, reversing Manchester City to win, narrowly losing to Liverpool at the last minute, reversing Everton to win … Tony Twain once proudly declared after the match against Everton that only his team could consecutively reverse and win against their opponents. But I think he's just trying to look impressive. Which manager would want his team to win every match with a thrilling reversal? I'm willing to bet that Tony Twain can't wait for his team to establish a two-goal lead at the start of every match, and then easily win by a large margin. "
The experts in the television station were analyzing the current situation that Forest was facing. Although Tang En always said to the outside world that his team was in good condition and everything was normal, the team's results were not bad. But even a fool could see that he was just putting up a front.
Anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance that the team was in danger. Tang En's actions were nothing more than a result of his personality.
Yes, this kind of crisis wasn't the kind of crisis where they suffered consecutive Waterloo's and their ranking kept falling. But that situation was likely to become Nottingham Forest's future. The team was now walking on a tightrope. If they were not careful and slipped, it would really be a bottomless abyss …
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Tang En took the exhausted team and flew to Minsk, Belarus, to face the local team. It was a crucial battle that determined whether Nottingham Forest would be able to make it out of the group stage. If, as the defending champion, they could not even break through the group stage, then he and his team would really become the laughing stock of the world.
No matter how bad the team's current situation was, Tang En would never allow such a thing to happen to him.
Therefore, he sent out the strongest lineup he could. Even Pepe, who was slightly injured, was in the starting lineup to ensure that the team's defense was not worrisome.
At the end of November, Belarus was covered with white snow, which covered the country in Eastern Europe. When the team went to adapt to the field, they found that there was no way to adapt to the field in advance. A thick layer of snow covered the field, and the field was sending out bulldozers to shovel the snow.
Until the day before yesterday, it was still snowing here, and it was a heavy snowstorm. Although it stopped yesterday, the thick layer of snow was still shocking. Tang En looked at the field in front of him and frowned.
Borisov's Dinamo Minsk stadium was not like the artificial turf field in Russia. If the geothermal and drainage system were not good enough, it would be a quagmire in tomorrow's game.
The players shrunk their necks and looked at the field in a daze. Could this kind of field really allow them to play to their best?
In the pre-match preparation meeting, Tang En also knew the difficulty of the game. He talked about tactics more than once, and there was no need to talk about it again. He just told the players that no matter what difficulties they encountered, they must win the game. "I don't care what method you use, even if you use your hands to hit the ball into the goal, as long as the referee doesn't see it!"
Now, the Champions League was not only related to his face. After the financial crisis affected the Forest team, the Champions League game also directly involved economic interests. If they won the game, they would get a bonus from the UEFA. The more games they played, the more bonuses they would get. In the end, the share of the television broadcasting fees would also be higher. If they were eliminated early in the group stage, the Forest team's financial losses would be huge.
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Thank God, it did not snow on the day of the game. Although dark clouds hung over the city, the white snow that Tang En was most worried about did not fall on their heads. Until the lights at Dinamo Minsk stadium were all turned on in the evening, the sky was still calm and there was no movement.
The snow that was shoveled away yesterday was all piled around the field, surrounding the green field in layers.
Tang En was a little relieved.
At the start of the game, Borisov used a long shot to graze the goal to warn the visiting team, which was bent on getting points, that they were not pushovers.
In the cold weather, the Borisov players moved freely and were full of energy. They performed better than when they played at Nottingham Forest's home games. On the other hand, the Nottingham Forest players, except for Arshavin, a player from Russia, were not quite used to the weather here in Borisov. It was so cold that even if they warmed up for twenty minutes before the game, their bodies still seemed stiff.
The ground was slippery, and the slightest force could cause a scene of people tumbling. There was clearly a chance to shoot, but because the supporting foot slipped, the football would be shot directly into the stands behind the goal. They barely managed to hit the football, but the shot was weak.
The fifty-five thousand fans who came to cheer for the home team packed the stadium stands so tightly that not even a drop of water could trickle through. Their enthusiasm could even melt the snow under the stands. There were also some tough, bare-chested fans who rode on the grandstand railings, waving the scarves in their hands, clapping loudly, singing, and shouting for Borisov. Every move of the Borisov players brought them thunderous cheers. What was more, when the Forest players took the ball on the sidelines or went to kick a corner, there would always be white snowballs falling from the sky and smashing next to the players, breaking into countless pieces and splattering out. If the snowballs were wrapped with lighters, cell phones, coins or something, it would be unthinkable if they hit someone.
The fans and the team brought double pressure to the Forest team. The team was slow to get into the state of the game and the offense appeared a little messy.
The first half was basically Borisov's bombardment of the Forest team's half of the field. The Forest team could only parry and had no power to fight back.
But in the end, they barely managed a draw and did not concede a goal.
In the second half, Borisov began to withdraw and the Forest team also began to fight back. The two sides were deadlocked near the midfield.
In the seventieth minute, van der Vaart accidentally fell to the ground when he received the ball in the front field because the ground was too slippery. The football was directly given to the Borisov player next to him. How could Borisov let go of such a big gift? They immediately organized a counterattack and charged into the Forest team's penalty area after a series of quick passes. They played a two-on-one in front of the goal, deceived Edwin van der Sar, and easily pushed into the empty goal.
The Dinamo Stadium in Minsk suddenly let out a tsunami of cheers, shaking everything in the stadium and creaking as if the sky was about to collapse.
Looking at the dazzling white lights in front of him and listening to the roar in his ears. Tang En only felt his heart tighten as if it was pricked by a needle. He gritted his teeth and stood in place without moving.
Madame Borisov was celebrating, while the Nottingham Forest players were dejected. Such weather, such an opponent, such an away game … they were somewhat powerless.
Just when everyone was at their wits' end, they heard Tang En's roar from the sidelines. "What did I say? You must win! You must win! I will never accept any result other than victory! Never! I don't care what method you use … Damn it! "
He suddenly turned around and called out to Žigić, "Five minutes!" He opened the five fingers of his left hand. "You only have five minutes to warm up. I want you to come back immediately after you warm up. Go! "He gave the big man a shove.
Žigić stumbled as he ran to warm up. Five minutes later, he stood in front of Tang En again.
"We have to change our tactics. The ground coordination and breakthroughs from the two sides obviously won't work. I don't mind making the game a little uglier. The traditional English style of play is just right for such a situation. Do you know what you should do when you go up? "He stared at Žigić and asked.
The Sevilla player's performance was mediocre after he scored a goal against Manchester City. He did not meet people's expectations. His inability to adapt to the pace of the Premier League made many people feel that this was another misjudgment by Tang En after Grosso. He himself was also under a lot of pressure. He was a substitute at Valencia and ended up being a substitute here. He was eager to prove once again that he did not sink because he was on the bench at Valencia.
He nodded vigorously. "Attack them in the penalty area."
"Make good use of your height and jumping! When you go up, tell them to pass the ball to your head. Wherever you are, the ball will be passed there! "
After pushing Žigić onto the field, Tang En continued to stand on the sidelines. Now that the night temperature in Borisov had dropped to below zero, Tang En felt a little hot. He felt that in addition to a layer of sweat on his forehead, his chest and back were also sweating, and his shirt was soaked. He had to open his black coat and then unbutton two buttons on his shirt.
A gust of cold wind rushed straight into his chest, but he felt a little relaxed and comfortable.
If the team lost to Borisov in an away game … Tang En did not even dare to think that such a situation would happen to him. He absolutely could not let all of this become a reality.
A few minutes after he brought on Žigić, Tang En replaced Lennon with Beckham. The situation was obvious. He wanted to use crosses from the flanks and headers from the middle to overcome the disadvantageous factors of the venue and the weather.
After doing all this, he basically had no more moves. What should be done had been done. What was next? Was it to do one's best and leave it to fate?
Tang En looked up at the dark sky.
His eyes suddenly blurred and a chill came over his face. The cold feeling spread directly from his face to the bottom of his heart — it was snowing.
The snow that had been held back for a day finally fell. The fluttering snow soon covered the sky above the city and the stadium.
Could this be fate?
Tang En only felt the needle-like pain in his heart become more and more obvious. He gritted his teeth and stared at the sky. The white snowflakes were already visible to the naked eye under the illumination of the lights.
A low cheer came from next door. The Borisov players and coaches saw the snow and knew that the game was developing more and more in their favor. The Borisov manager had already begun to plan whether to compete with Kyiv Dynamo for another place to advance out of the group.
"Nottingham Forest looks like they're going to be in big trouble." The ESPN commentator announced in a very calm tone that the end of the Forest team was approaching. "Once it starts to snow, the team's performance will only get worse. I think their players are about to freeze, right? The ground is full of water. The drainage system of Dinamo Stadium in Minsk is really bad, but the Belarus team clearly does not have these troubles. They are all too familiar with the ground. Playing in the snow is as normal as breathing. What is Tony Twain thinking? Maybe he wants his team to have a home ground that is three kilometers above sea level … "
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"I don't accept failure!" George Wood said to the two full backs while the other side was dawdling about to send a free kick. His expression was serious, and there seemed to be a fire burning in his eyes. "You all go up. When it's time to attack. Leave the rest to me! "
"Is it going to be okay?" Rafinha was a little worried. Borisov's counterattack was still impressive.
"There are still more than ten minutes left. What's the difference between losing one goal and losing ten goals?"
Bale nodded first. "I got it!"
Rafinha also followed suit. "No problem!"
Borisov's free kick was slightly higher than the crossbar, causing another round of cheers in the stands.
"Bastard! The Belarus team is bullying us! "Tang En stomped his feet on the sidelines and cursed. "Cheer up! We're the f * * king defending champions! We can't lose to such a team! You have to run even if you can't run! If you don't run now, you won't have a chance to run in the future! "
He knew the physical condition of the players and knew that today's game was more physically draining on such a field. But now that it was like this, he could only let the players grit their teeth and hold on. If they admitted defeat here, the season would be over.
In any case, they must advance from the group stage!
The Forest team's full backs began to frequently assist, and the strength of the assists was greater than ever before. Sometimes Pepe would dribble the ball himself to the front field to participate in the attack. George Wood stood alone in the backfield, waiting for Borisov's counterattack with his own body.
Rafinha dribbled the ball forward and saw that the opponent was going to intercept his ball. He hurriedly passed the football to Beckham. He ran forward himself, hoping to have a one-two with Beckham.
David Beckham did not pass the football back to him. He stood in place and suddenly raised his leg to pass the ball. Ten meters away from the penalty area, a diagonal pass at a forty-five-degree angle!
Žigić was entangled with the opponent's defender. When he saw Beckham raise his leg to pass the ball, he suddenly rushed out and jumped high after the sprint!
"He's too tall — GOOOOAL!! The eightieth minute! Nottingham Forest has equalized the score!! "
Dunn turned around and punched the side of the shed in the technical area.
The snow was getting heavier and heavier, but he no longer cared about such trivial matters.
"It's not over yet, it's not over yet!" Just venting his inner nervousness, he turned around and shouted into the field, reminding the players to keep up the good work.
Žigić also knew the team's current situation. He did not wantonly celebrate his goal. Instead, he picked up the football from inside the net and ran back surrounded by a group of teammates.
"High altitude bombing! F * cking high pass! Blow up their goal! " In the ensuing game, Tang En jumped and jumped on the sidelines as if he had gone mad, and his mouth could not stop spewing out vulgarities. He had no way back. Just as he warned the players, if they did not go crazy, they might not have this chance in the future …
Borisov also had to give up the idea of defeating the Forest team at home and find a way to do a good defense first. The two center backs were used to mark Žigić, and Beckham also got extra care. Next, Borisov's players began to try their best to delay the game time.
The slightest touch would cause them to fall to the ground in pain. One after another, they would hold their calves and fall to the ground with cramps. They had to repeatedly set up a goal kick twice, and they would definitely wait for the full backs to dawdle over before throwing the ball out of bounds …
Every time they saw a Borisov player fall to the ground due to an "injury," the Forest team kicked the football out of bounds out of sportsmanship. Off the field, Tang En's chest rose and fell violently. There was a burst of anger rushing out. Give him a spark and he would explode immediately.
It was not the first time he had seen such a "reasonable" use of the rules of the game to delay the game time. But when he experienced it himself, he felt very, very, very, very upset … So upset that he was about to explode.
Once, the Borisov player fell to the ground in a fight with the Forest player. Pepe did not see the situation behind him. After intercepting the ball, he passed it to George Wood in front.
The Borisov player was still holding his wrist and lying motionless on the ground.
The Nottingham Forest players did not see it, but the Borisov players saw it. In fact, in the final stages of the game, in addition to defending, they were basically paying attention to the situation of their own players. As long as someone fell to the ground, a wave of hands would be raised to signal that their own player was injured and ask the Forest players to kick the football out. And the Forest players really carried forward sportsmanship and kicked the football out politely.
But this time, when the player raised his arm and asked George Wood to kick the football out so that his player could receive treatment, George Wood was not moved at all. He easily passed the opposing player. The Borisov players still could not believe what was happening in front of them.
When George Wood passed another person, no matter how much the Borisov players on the opposite side signaled, no matter how many people in the stands booed at him, as long as he did not hear the referee's whistle to stop the game, he continued to dribble the ball forward and attack!
When he passed the second man, Borisov's men finally understood. Nottingham Forest did not intend to carry forward any sportsmanship at all this time!
One of them rushed up and wanted to use a fierce and rough foul to bring down Wood along with the ball and force a pause in the game.
Wood did not give the other side a chance to foul. He passed the football to Bale on the sidelines and then jumped to avoid it.
Bale seemed to be a little hesitant. The Borisov players on the opposite side retreated to defend while asking him to kick the football out.
But George Wood roared, "Continue to attack!"
He sent the football into the penalty area.
The Borisov players were confused by the Forest team's attack. Some of them rushed to meet the challenge and simply could not form an effective defensive protection.
When the football flew to their front door, they could not care about sportsmanship or the Forest team's shamelessness … The arrow was already on the bowstring and had to be released!
Žigić leaped high again, and the two center backs jumped close to him, trying to crush him.
The Sevilla player did not shoot himself. He ferried the football to Arshavin, who was unmarked at the back.
Arshavin was not polite anymore. He swung his leg and volleyed directly, and the football went into the net!
"Arshavin! Arshavin — Nottingham Forest has reversed the game! Now they're in the lead! Although this goal is somewhat controversial, the referee still signaled that the goal is valid! "
Twain knelt on the ground with his hands pointing to the sky. He opened his mouth wide and roared in Mandarin, "If this is God's will, I'll go against God!"
The Borisov players angrily blocked the referee, wanting to demand an explanation. Others rushed towards George Wood angrily with a murderous look on their faces.
The Forest players did not have time to celebrate the goal before they rushed over.
"This is so unsportsmanlike!" Borisov's young manager, Goncharenko, roared angrily at the fourth official on the sidelines. Sometimes, the fourth official was such a pitiful role that needed to be vented by both managers … The fourth official could only turn a deaf ear and not take it to heart.
"This is shameful! We're going to appeal! "He roared at the fourth official in broken English.
"Where are you going to appeal, Mr. Goncharenko?" Twain, who had vented to the sky, had changed to a cold smile and appeared on the other side of the fourth official. He looked at his somewhat hysterical opponent. "My players have the right to decide whether to kick the football out of bounds. As long as the referee does not whistle to stop the game and we don't kick it out, what can you do? The FIFA rules do not say that if the opposing player falls to the ground, the ball carrier must suspend the attack. Even if you sue FIFA, you can't win! "
"You … have no sportsmanlike ethics!" He pointed to Twain's nose and scolded.
Twain shrugged. "At least my players will not deliberately delay the game. A manager whose goalkeeper received a yellow card for delaying the time is not qualified to say anything to me. "
With that, he turned and left, leaving the poor fourth official to continue to vent to the already furious Goncharenko. The UEFA would not want a team with no market prospects like Borisov to break into the top 16 of the Champions League. It was easier to talk to Nottingham Forest. Borisov, who participated in the Champions League for the first time, was really inexperienced …
The situation on the field was a little chaotic. Both sides had physical contact, and the referee had to show four yellow cards to four players in a row to control the situation.
George Wood stood at the cusp of the storm. No matter how angry the opposing players were, he just clenched his fists and celebrated the decisive goal with his teammates, completely ignoring the other side's anger.
It was his condescending attitude that angered the Borisov players and made them want to punch him.
There was not much time left in the game after the players on both sides tossed and turned. The experienced Nottingham Forest's goal to overtake the score completely crushed Borisov's fighting spirit. They were uneasy and completely unable to concentrate on the game itself. Their minds were full of anger, unwillingness, grievance, regret, and regret …
Could such a team pose any threat to Nottingham Forest?
The snow was still falling, but no one cared if it would affect the Forest team.
Because the game was over, and Nottingham Forest had won! Tony Twain won!
When the whistle sounded at the end of the game, the Borisov manager rushed onto the field immediately. He grabbed the referee to question why he did not decisively whistle to suspend the game when his player was injured and fell to the ground. But because of the intensity of his words and the tugging action of his hands, he paid the price for his recklessness and youth. In the end, he paid the price for his recklessness and youth — he was directly sent off by the referee with a red card!
Twain was not in the mood to watch the young manager's passionate performance. He did not even hug and celebrate with the players who had escaped from death. He just slumped in his chair and breathed a sigh of relief. A heavy stone in his heart finally fell to the ground, but a heavier stone was hoisted up and hung above his heart.
Such a roller coaster life was almost the entire trajectory of a professional manager.
No matter how noisy it was around him, he could still clearly hear the rapid beating of his heart, as if it echoed in his ears.
The game was over and he won, but the sound did not slow down because of it. It still kept beating at this rate, just like the speed at which Nottingham Forest suddenly rose in the European continent over the past three seasons.
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