"There are two rounds left in the league tournament. These are the two most crucial rounds for Nottingham Forest and Chelsea … Now that Scolari's team has been eliminated, they have not made it into the finals except for the Champions League. If we can't participate in the Champions League next season, I believe that Scolari's life will be very good. Even though Abramovich had previously said that no matter what results we achieve this season, Scolari will not be fired. But does anyone believe him? "
The television in the bar was broadcasting Sky Television's 90 Minutes of Football. Even though the anchors had changed several times, this football program still held a very high position in the hearts of the British audience.
Unlike BBC's "Match of the Day", which was broadcast on Saturday and Sunday, the program that was broadcast on Friday evening was a preview of the upcoming league tournament.
In the last round of the league tournament, Nottingham Forest forced an away draw with Manchester United. Before the game ended, the score made many Forest fans' hearts beat faster and thought that the season had ended early. But they did not expect that before the end of the game, Chelsea would also be forced to a draw!
That night, this Forest bar witnessed two extreme emotions among the fans. Kenny Burns' beer was sold out.
"Nottingham Forest escaped death. There are two rounds left in the league tournament, and the opponents of both teams are not strong. If Forest can maintain a winning streak, then they will return to the Champions League next season. This must be the happiest thing for the Forest fans … "
In the bar, a customer shouted, "Actually, I can accept the UEFA Europa League … I don't want to give those boys too much pressure …"
Immediately, someone booed him, "Don't get it wrong, buddy. It's not those kids who are under pressure, it's that guy Tony! "
"Hope his heart is fine …"
"Hey, I heard through the grapevine … Shania sneaked back to Nottingham again …"
"Wooow — I can guarantee that guy Tony doesn't have any pressure!"
"Ahaha!"
A group of men in the bar laughed with their glasses in their hands. Even though Twain rarely came here because he quit smoking and drinking, his influence was still there. The fans who gathered in the Forest bar for a long time all considered themselves to be "Tony Twain's supporters."
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On the last night before the second to last round of the league tournament, Tony Twain spent it with his wife.
Because the last two rounds would affect the team's future next season, as well as their financial income, there were rumors that Tony Twain was under a lot of pressure. So, Shania took advantage of her free time to fly back, hoping to help Tang En get through these two weeks.
Although Tang En felt that his heart was not that weak, he did not know how many times he had encountered situations that were more stressful than this. This time, it was really not that stressful. However, he was also very happy that Shania, who had always been in the United States, could come back to accompany him. After all, they were husband and wife, yet they lived apart … It was too lonely and cold for one person to live in a villa that was hundreds of square meters.
In order to welcome Shania, he personally cooked a table full of Chinese delicacies. British food really couldn't be considered "delicacies," so he only cooked Chinese food.
"Uncle Tony, aren't you afraid that I'll get fat?" Shania asked with her hands on her hips as she looked at the sumptuous dishes on the table.
Twain mischievously pinched Shania's waist. "I don't think there's anything to worry about for the time being."
"Hey!" Shania slapped Twain's hand away and pulled out a chair to sit down. She was not in a hurry to start eating. Instead, she looked at Twain sitting opposite her. "We haven't seen each other for three months. Did you miss me, Uncle Tony?"
"You've already asked this question ten times today … Do you know? In China, there's a saying: absence makes the heart grow fonder. Reuniting after a short separation is like we're still on our honeymoon … That's how I feel right now. "
"There's such a saying … Absence …" Shania rolled her eyes and thought about it. "If I have to run around like this in the future, doesn't that mean we're on our honeymoon every time? If you put it that way, parting has become a very romantic thing! "She clapped her hands and laughed, feeling happy for her new discovery.
"I don't see it that way." Twain pursed his lips. "If possible, I hope you'll always be by my side."
Shania smiled and looked at Uncle Tony, who was a little depressed. "Uncle Tony, did you know? When I was in Los Angeles, I was always in school … "
"Huh?" Twain was a little surprised to hear her say that. He really did not know about this. Shania had never mentioned it to him before. He thought that Shania, other than socializing with the celebrities in Los Angeles, was honing her acting skills in preparation for the new film. "You're still in school? What are you learning? "
"Fashion design." Shania blinked.
Twain thought about it and understood. As a model, Shania was naturally very sensitive to fashion trends. At the same time, she also had her own unique views. If it was fashion design, Twain believed that she could actually do better than acting in movies. But why did Shania suddenly think of learning fashion design?
"Hey, Uncle Tony. Let's discuss something? "
"Hmm?"
"If I get pregnant, I'll quit the modeling and acting world."
Twain was so shocked that he dropped the spoon in his hand. He looked at Shania, who had a serious look on her face. "You're joking, right?"
"How can I be joking? I can't possibly go on the runway and act with a big belly, can I? "Shania said with a smile, but her tone was especially firm.
"You can wait until you give birth …"
"Uncle Tony, the competition in this industry is very fierce. After I give birth and regain my figure, who knows what the industry will be like? Do you know why I want to learn fashion design? "
"You've already considered such a long-term matter …"
"Who said long-term? Pregnancy is a very simple matter. "Shania looked at Twain and smiled." Let's start tonight, Uncle Tony! "
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Twain and Shania lingered at home for a night. The next day, they went to the stadium in high spirits to prepare for the match.
Every time he saw the young and beautiful Shania moaning in pleasure under him, letting him do whatever he wanted, it would make his "beast blood boil" — a desire to conquer burned fiercely in his heart. This emotion would not subside after they finished making love, but would carry over to the next day's work.
He was a somewhat chauvinistic person. Whether it was conquering a woman or conquering an opponent, it could bring him a pleasurable experience.
From this perspective, Shania's return was really timely …
Therefore, in the home team's locker room at the City Ground stadium in the afternoon, Twain passionately issued a call to his players to advance into next season's UEFA Champions League:
"Although I haven't won the UEFA Europa League so far, if there's a UEFA Champions League title, why do we still have to fight for it? Why do we still have to fight for the UEFA Europa League? Chelsea is only one point away from us. If we're not careful, they can replace us at any time. I don't want to see such a situation after the league tournament ends. You must be clear about this — only the UEFA Champions League is what I want! "
"An opponent like Middlesbrough is nothing to worry about. As long as you guys play as you normally do, the victory of this match will belong to us … Remember, don't give our opponents any chance, whether it's the opponents in this match or the opponents who are eyeing us covetously from behind, hoping that we make mistakes! "
The final result was Nottingham Forest easily beating Middlesbrough at home by 2: 0. And Chelsea also won against Hull City in an away game.
With the last round of the league tournament left, Nottingham Forest still led Chelsea by one point.
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"We're still one game away from Europe!" After the match, the Nottingham Evening Post printed such a headline.
Pierce Brosnan's voice was actually the voice of all the Nottingham Forest fans at this time.
Nottingham Forest's opponent in the last round of the league tournament was Stoke City!
Look at this name. Their luck could not be any better.
It was no wonder that some of the local Nottingham media could not wait to announce that the Forest team had qualified for the next season's UEFA Champions League.
There were also people who were worried that such a one-sided view of Nottingham Forest would make the Forest players feel complacent and then capsize in the last round. After all, football was in the park. Anything could happen in this world.
But Tang En denied everyone's worries … or rather, expectations.
He had emphasized more than once in the team's training that they had to take their opponents in the last round seriously. And for this match, he completely looked at the state and emotions of the players in training to choose the starting lineup.
Of course, he knew that there was a possibility of "capsizing in the gutter," so he thought of ways to avoid it. The person who waited for the problem to come knocking and still lamented that he should not have been in the first place was definitely not Tang En. He wanted to make Chelsea lose every last bit of hope.
To make the opponent feel despair … that would be great!
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The last round of the league tournament would start at 3: 30pm on Saturday, a week later.
Nottingham Forest would challenge Stoke City in an away game, with Chelsea at home to welcome Portsmouth.
Everyone who was paying attention to these two matches before the game believed that Chelsea would not lose to Portsmouth at home, so the focus was actually on Nottingham Forest who was playing away.
Scolari had already been exerting pressure on the Forest team during the interview before the game, and was playing psychological warfare.
He said, "My players have never given up on the ticket to enter next season's UEFA Champions League. But Nottingham Forest has done very well. They are very young, very young … There are even some Premier League first-year players in the team. To be able to achieve the results they have today is already very impressive … Young people are very driven, but at the same time, they are not stable and can't really withstand the pressure. "
The meaning of this was already very clear.
And the local London media was even more blatant: "… If Nottingham Forest can only participate in the UEFA Champions League, it won't be a big loss to the competition. The biggest loss is actually in terms of money. Participating in the UEFA Champions League and participating in the UEFA Champions League are two completely different concepts. Being able to participate in the UEFA Champions League means more financial income … Everyone knows that Nottingham Forest's financial situation for the past two years has not been very good. Allan Adams has not found a new sponsor for their new stadium until now, that unfinished project has only been left there after repairing the foundation … For a team that has won the UEFA Champions League four times, this unfinished stadium is like a scar on their bright appearance. Evan Doughty must be under a lot of pressure, and this pressure will naturally be transferred to the team — If they can't qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League, I'm afraid this stadium will continue to rot … "
Look, how brilliant. Linking the club's financial situation to the team's results, and clearly telling the Forest players — If you can't win, the pressure will be transferred to you. Who doesn't want to participate in the UEFA Champions League? Who doesn't want to make their own lives easier?
Therefore, this team of young people will constantly think before and during the game that they can't lose, can't lose … When the pressure accumulates to a certain level, it will "pop" like a punctured balloon.
This was the wishful thinking of the Londoners.
But it was a little sad … Because the team they supported already had to rely on the opponent's mistakes to get a chance, no matter how they looked at it, it was a form of "charity".
Regarding this, Twain did not start a war with the other party in the media. That would only make things more heated and more complicated. It was not a good thing for the Forest team who was preparing for the game. He kept a low profile, but it was only to use actual results to fight back after the game.
※ ※ ※
Stoke City did not want to be a foil for other people's celebration at their home ground. Their manager, Tony Pulis, said in an interview with some dissatisfaction, "I know we don't have to worry about avoiding relegation, and I also know you are very concerned about who will be the four teams representing England in the UEFA Champions League next season. But I want to say this — ladies and gentlemen, please note, this is our home ground. I will not let the away team be the main character here. "
Just as Pulis said, from the start of the game, all the Stoke City players fought hard. They were not in a hurry to attack, but rather, they solidified their defense and used their advantage in numbers to contain Forest's offense. This kind of play made Nottingham Forest a little like a wolf facing a hedgehog — they did not know where to start.
On the other hand, over at Stamford Bridge, Portsmouth had long surrendered. Before the end of the first half, the crazy Chelsea had already scored two goals, and according to the television commentator who was broadcasting that game, "Looking at Chelsea's momentum, I'm afraid there will be more goals in the second half …"
The game between Forest and Stoke City was still 0: 0 until the end of the first half. When the whistle sounded at halftime, Sky TV showed the real-time scores of the two games on the live screen.
Based on the current results, Chelsea had surpassed Nottingham Forest and was ranked fourth with a difference of two points, while Nottingham Forest had fallen to fifth.
During halftime, Twain did not arrange any tactical adjustments. He felt that there was no problem with the tactics. It was not the team that could not open the game. But if he did not say anything, the players might think that it was their own problem.
So, he said, "Guys, this is the last game of the season. Think about the summer a year ago, and look at today. What did we work so hard for a season? Maybe some people think it's not bad to play in the UEFA Europa League. Maybe some people think it's necessary to work so hard, just to qualify for the Champions League, just to reduce the club's financial burden … But I want to tell you clearly now — the above is nonsense! My Nottingham Forest is a team with the tradition of winning the championship! Although something happened last season that made us stay away from Europe for a year. But now we're back. In the days that we were not around, the European powerhouses were living very comfortably. They were eating and drinking well, and no one could threaten their traditional position. The favorites to win the championship every year were always the same few teams, and I was getting tired of watching them! But now it's different, because we're coming back. The Robin Hoods are coming back! Their honor, their wealth … They're all going to lose it! So, they're all panicking … What are we going to do next? "
Twain smirked. "Use this game's victory to repeat this fact again — That's right! We're back again! "
※ ※ ※
In the second half, Chelsea did not stop their goal footsteps. Two goals in ten minutes locked the score at 4: 0. Portsmouth had no fighting spirit at all, waiting for the game to end. And the Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge had long stopped caring about the game that happened right under their noses. Everyone wore headphones and listened to the latest news from the other stadium on the radio.
Even in the technical area where Scolari sat, there were people using the radio to listen to the latest developments of the game.
The situation was as the media predicted before the game — the highlight of the fight for the last Champions League spot was not Chelsea, but Nottingham Forest and Stoke City. To the relief of the Chelsea fans, at least until the eighty minute, the score over there was still 0: 0.
After a short period of excitement, everyone began to wait anxiously for the last ten minutes to end. They had never felt like ten minutes could be so long, as if it was going to consume all the time in their lives.
At the eighty-seventh minute, a voice came from the radio:
"… Žigić has scored with a header! It's pounced! Shoot again! This time, the goalposts helped Stoke City! Ah … There's more! Nottingham Forest still has a chance … Freddy Eastwood — GOAL! GOOOAL！！ GOOOOOAL！！ They've finally broken the deadlock! Nottingham Forest is leading 1: 0 in the away game!! "
Stamford Bridge was dead silent. Scolari and his assistants looked at each other, as if they did not want to believe what they heard.
※ ※ ※
At the same time, at Stoke City's home ground, Britannia Stadium, Nottingham Forest's technical area and substitutes' bench were in a frenzy. Everyone was hugging each other, cheering and roaring in victory. For this late goal.
Tang En was not that crazy. He just patted his chest and smiled at Dunn beside him. "I almost thought I'd miss my promise to score …"
Dunn shook his head. "Don't worry, Shania."
The television commentator was shouting, "Freddy Eastwood! Nottingham Forest's Mr. Clutch! Three minutes before the end of the game, he saved the team's season of hard work, and also saved Tony Twain's heart! Twain should really give his sneakers a big kiss! This is the Romani's twenty-third league goal of the season! He's ranked third in the league! This season, his excellent form has a lot to do with the lack of frequent injuries … "
※ ※ ※
Stamford Bridge spent the last moments of the game in a strange silence. Both sides on the field were not in the mood to continue fighting. When the referee blew the whistle to end the game, the Chelsea players on the field ran to the substitutes' bench to ask about Nottingham Forest's game.
They were greeted by the dejected faces of their teammates.
※ ※ ※
When the game ended, Tang En did not even have time to run onto the field to celebrate the victory with the players before he was surrounded by many reporters at the technical area.
"Ninth in the league last season, fourth this season. Coach Tony Twain, as a patient with a heart disease, your achievements are brilliant. Congratulations! May I ask what you have to say? "
Tang En pointed to the camera lens and smiled happily. "Tell the guys in Europe, your old friend is back again! Mourinho, we'll settle the score for eliminating my team last season next season! "
Gary Lineker turned around. Behind him was the big screen that was showing Tony Twain's interview. The English football legend said to the camera, "Tony Twain has issued a challenge to the whole of Europe. That's right, he's back. "
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