"World Wave! World Wave! The captain of the Reds has finally exploded! In the duel with George Wood, he took the first victory! "
Gerrard stood on the spot after the goal and waved his fist at George Wood opposite him.
Although he did not like to compete with others for the number one position in England, he was also unwilling to admit defeat in a match against an opponent. It was reasonable for the media to always mention him and Wood together. He also thought that George Wood was a good opponent who could compete with him. To be able to win against Wood in a one-on-one battle was indeed a very satisfying thing.
George Wood's face was gloomy and unfriendly. The goal concede was his responsibility and he did not want to shirk it.
Since it was his responsibility, he had to find a way to make up for it …
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"Ah haha! Well done! " Beesley stood up from his seat excitedly after he saw Gerrard score in the press box. He waved his fist and shouted loudly. "World Wave, absolutely, absolutely world wave!!"
After cheering for a while, he sat down again and typed on the keyboard, "… Gerrard used a world-class shot to announce that he's the best midfielder in this country … No, maybe I should remove the word 'midfielder'. He's the best player in England … George Wood's defense is good, but his scoring ability is terrible …"
As he wrote this, he glanced down the field and found Wood. He was standing on the spot and the expression on his face could not be seen.
"What a pity, it must have been very exciting …" He shook his head and sighed with a cigarette in his mouth.
But then he laughed again, because he saw Tony Twain on the television screen.
The live broadcast of the match was replaying the moment when the goal was scored and Tony Twain's reaction in the technical area.
But when the football was unexpectedly passed to Gerrard, his butt left his seat and his front body leaned out of the technical area. He was very concerned. When Gerrard finally shot the football into the goal, he suddenly fell back and sat down on the chair. He waved his right hand and was a little dissatisfied.
"Haha!" Beesley laughed happily after seeing Twain's performance. "Where do you think you are? Mr. Twain? This is our home ground! At Anfield! This is the most demonic stadium in the world! Listen to this song! You'll never walk alone, Liverpool! "
Beesley was a little deranged. But his performance was not an exception. Many people in the English Premier League enjoyed seeing Tony Twain make a fool of himself. The most representative was obviously Carl Spicer, the host of Sky TV's' Football Matters'.
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Gerrard's beautiful goal greatly boosted morale and made the singing in the stands louder.
"When you walk through a storm, please hold your head high —"
"Don't be afraid of the dark. Soaked by the storm is a golden sky, and a lark — "
"Your dreams may be —"
"Your dream might be shattered —"
"But carry the hope in your heart forward —"
"You will never alone — You will be alone — You never alone —"
'You'll never walk alone-you'll never walk alone-'
In Heysel, in Hillsborough, in Istanbul in 2005 … This song had inspired the Red Army to move forward on countless occasions, and it would definitely be the same on this night.
All Red Red Red supporters and even the Reds players thought. "
For a long time, Liverpool pressed on Nottingham Forest and bombarded them. The singing of the fans was like a baton that directed the team's offense. Every time the team attacked, the singing would become louder, and when the team was preparing to attack, the singing would become more mellow.
"This is a scenery that belongs only to Anfield!" The television commentator exclaimed. "Nottingham Forest looks like they can't hold on. Tony Twain was clearly not prepared for the tenacity that Liverpool had displayed in this game. What did he say before the game? 'No one can disturb me.' Now it sounds like a joke … "
Tang En stood up from his seat. He, too, smelled danger from Liverpool's storm-like offensive.
The Liverpool people were determined not to let themselves be a foil for Twain's tenth anniversary …
George Wood wanted to make up for his mistake by attacking, but now he was being suppressed by the opponent's fierce attacks. Gago had also gradually returned to the backfield to participate in the defense. Forest really could not take advantage of the offense for even half a day. The Liverpool players seemed to collectively be on stimulants. They had people in every position. Every pass was always accurately delivered to the feet of their teammates. Every shot seemed to be able to pierce through the goal guarded by Akinfeev … As the saying went, "You get what you want when you play well." The current Liverpool had already entered this state.
"What a f * cking bastard …" Tang En cursed from the sidelines. He really did not think that a spectacular goal could actually cause such a change in the entire Liverpool team.
And that song!
Twain was actually quite envious of Liverpool because they had such a cheering song that the whole world knew. Whether the team's performance was going well or not, the Liverpool fans would sing this song. It was more effective than shouting slogans. Unfortunately, Nottingham Forest did not …
In terms of team culture, their own team was worlds apart from theirs …
With great difficulty, they finally made it to the halftime interval. The referee had just blown the whistle to end the first half of the game when the Forest players quickly walked off the field with their heads down. They were also ashamed of their performance in the first half. The Liverpool players, on the other hand, held their heads high on the field and enjoyed the singing and cheering of the fans.
"There's nothing to be disheartened about …" Twain said to the team in the locker room. "It's still a draw. What are you feeling disheartened about? As long as we score in the second half, we will still be in the lead. You have to think of it this way … "
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While Twain was counseling the team in the locker room, a group of Forest's most hardcore fans, led by John, were gathered outside the beverage outlet in the stadium, drinking beer and sighing about the first half of the game at the same time.
"Damn it, we completely lost!" Skinny Bill waved his arms forcefully. "Our voices can't compete with their singing at all … Look at the team's performance in the first half. I think their poor performance has something to do with us not providing enough support."
"If this was our home ground … we would definitely make the Liverpool people go home crying!" Someone in the crowd shouted indignantly.
What answered him was even more sighs from the people. No matter how one looked at it, this group of people were like defeated roosters who could only show off their glib tongues.
"I say … Tony's tenth anniversary … won't be ruined just like that, right?" Someone finally asked the question that everyone was worried about.
"How is that possible?"
"Absolutely not!"
"Don't let your imagination run wild!"
A group of people hurriedly denied it all at once. But in fact, in almost everyone's hearts, the possibility of such an outcome was gradually increasing, from vague to clear, from "wild imagination" to "reality."
"Damn it, the thought of Spicer and Beesley's gloating faces if we lose the game disgusts me …" When Bill said this, his tough tone could not hide the panic in his heart.
Fat John, who had not spoken all this while, handed him a glass of wine.
"I haven't finished mine yet …" Bill raised the wine glass in his hand. He had been chattering non-stop just now and did not even bother to take a sip.
"Have another glass to moisten your throat, buddy."
"What ideas do you have now?"
"Isn't it just singing? We can't sing just because we have fewer people? In the second half, we'll go all out against them! "John said fiercely.
Hearing him say this, Bill took the glass and downed it in one gulp. Seeing this, the others also drank their own glasses of wine one after another, and then threw the disposable glasses into the trash can at the side.
"Sing our song!"
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"Alright, alright, don't think about what kind of game this is." Tang En knew that some people would carry some burdens that they should not have because of the special nature of this game. "You guys can't retreat after being attacked by Liverpool like in the first half. Are you afraid of losing the ball? If you're afraid of losing the ball, then attack! If you score a few goals against them, do you think they still have the ability to attack? Gago, your position in the first half was too messy. One moment you were in front, the next moment you were behind. Didn't I ask you to be in a position more forward than George? "
Gago was speechless. In fact, the first half of the first half was his own problem, but the second half was not his problem.
Because Wood's desire to score in the game was very urgent, he plugged in many times and snatched Gago's position. Gago later discovered this, and he retreated behind Wood according to what the Boss usually asked him to do during training: "Both of you, no matter who goes up, there must be one person at the back to be responsible for protecting." This caused his position to be erratic, making it difficult for his own people to grasp it.
Wood stood up and said, "It's my responsibility."
Tang En looked at him. Would it be useful for Eastwood to step up? He was still not sure. However, Wood's performance in the first half was like a roller coaster. He saw it with his own eyes.
"Are you going to say something about your performance in the first half, George?" Tang En asked.
"Yes." Wood nodded. "After Gerrard scored, I was a little emotional and snatched Fernando's position."
"Yes, I saw it. Can you tell us why you were emotional? "
Wood was silent for a moment. "Letting Gerrard score is my responsibility …"
Tang En laughed. "An agitated George Wood. That's a rare sight. Are you very unwilling to let Gerrard score such a beautiful goal in front of you? "
Wood nodded.
"Yes, so you desperately wanted to attack …" Tang En muttered. "How about this, let's make some adjustments. In the second half, George, you'll be in front and Gago will be behind. You'll be responsible for the attack and Gago will be responsible for the defense. Is there a problem? "
Wood looked at Tang En with some surprise.
Beside him, Gago said, "No problem, Boss." Of course there was no problem. This kind of adjustment was nothing new. In the previous games, Tang En would often let the two of them switch positions. After all, both of them were players who could attack and defend.
"Is there a problem, George?" Tang En did not give up until he did not get an answer from Wood.
"I … No problem."
Tang En snapped his fingers. "Remember your task. It's not defense, it's offense. If Liverpool finds out we've made such an adjustment, they will definitely tighten their marking on Aaron and Ibi, as well as Bentley and Fernández. " He faced the whole team and said, "I hope the four of you can be more active in the front field and run more actively. Try to draw Liverpool's defensive attention to you, and then …"
Tang En took out a marker pen and drew an arrow on the circle representing Wood, pointing directly at the opponent's goal.
"Personally, I suggest that in this situation, shooting is more effective than passing."
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After the second half started, the stands continued to ring with the singing of "You'll Never Walk Alone." Liverpool also continued their excellent performance in the first half, playing on the Forest team's half of the field.
Tang En stood on the sidelines and kept waving his hands to signal the team to press forward and not to be a coward.
Beesley's fingers flew over the keyboard of his laptop, giving all the praises he could think of to Liverpool. There was a smile on his face that he could not hide, nor did he try to hide. He was looking forward to the game developing in the way he expected.
Perhaps it was because they were tired from singing, the singing of "You'll Never Walk Alone" finally stopped. At this moment, another song rang out in the stands. It was not loud, but because it appeared at the time when the Liverpool fans were resting, it was very clear.
"The game is at the last minute. Do you think it's over? There's not much time left. The referee is looking at his watch. You think to yourself, 'Forget it, we still have the next game' — "
"The cheering song gradually died down, and some people began to leave the field early. There's a pile of wine glasses thrown on the stands, and the ground is a mess — "
"The opposing players are laughing at our last-ditch struggle, and the opposing fans are celebrating their victory in advance —"
"The Forest team's number 11 stood up, and he said, 'No! The game is not over yet! Don't celebrate too early! '"
"You — guys — don't — be — happy — too early!!!"
Thousands of Nottingham Forest fans followed and shouted the words loudly. They gave the Liverpool fans a scare.
Tang En listened attentively for a while, then turned his head to look at Eastwood beside him.
Eastwood was clearly entranced by the song. He raised his head and opened his mouth in surprise. He did not think he would be able to hear the song.
Wood also heard the song. He felt his scalp tingle and was deeply stimulated.
"Do you think I'm willing to retire?!" It was as if he was being angrily reprimanded by his collar by Eastwood, and he could not breathe. "I still want to continue playing football!"
While George Wood was in a trance because of the song, the other Forest players were similarly stimulated by the fans' "Eastwood's Song". No one could forget the scene of Freddy's farewell at the City Ground stadium. Their best comrade had no choice but to bid farewell to them because of his injury. With the game playing like this, Freddy, who was sitting in the manager's seat, must be itching to personally come up and play, right? They clenched their fists and stared at Liverpool's goal, wishing they could directly attack.
"Press up!" Akinfeev roared from behind everyone, "The boss wants us to press up! I don't want to be the main character! "
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Gago confidently passed the ball to Wood. The boss was right. No matter how the captain's performance in the previous few games was, he must trust the captain in the game. He could only be the new captain.
After Wood received the football, the person who came up to defend him was not Mascherano, but Gerrard.
After Wood made a posture to pass the football to his teammate beside him, he suddenly snatched the football first — he forced a breakthrough!
Gerrard stuck close to Wood to force him to slow down. In addition, he began to wave for Mascherano to come up and help. He realized that it was a little difficult for him to defend against Wood who was determined to attack by himself …
Gerrard was on the left, and Mascherano was on the right. The two of them were like bodyguards, "escorting" Wood forward. Gerrard interfered on one side, and Mascherano waited for an opportunity to make a move on the other side. Gerrard was not afraid of Wood's long shot. As long as he raised his leg to shoot, it would be a good opportunity for them to intercept the ball. So as long as they stuck close to Wood, Forest's attack would not be a problem …
Aaron Mitchell and Ibišević ran in front to provide support. They ran to the two flanks and pulled out the middle. Agger and Skrtel did not dare not follow. In addition, they saw that Wood had Gerrard and Mascherano working together to defend. They thought that even if they left the middle, the goal guarded by Reina should not be a threat.
Wood still had no intention of passing the ball. He continued to dribble the ball forward. In the process of running, he kept entangling with Gerrard and Mascherano to prevent the ball from being intercepted by them. He had to thank his basic training for the past ten years. His dribbling was very stable, and Mascherano and Gerrard could not find any chance at all …
Then … Gerrard raised his head. He was shocked!
The penalty area was right in front of them! When did they enter the penalty area?
A terrible thought appeared in Gerrard's mind — he had been tricked by Wood. He thought that Wood only knew how to do long shots. He did not expect Wood to directly enter the penalty area and fight one-on-one with the goalkeeper!
He dribbled the ball well, and it was not easy to intercept the ball. He could only foul … At this position, it would be too late if he did not foul now!
Gerrard did not hesitate anymore. He directly used his leg to tackle Wood from the side. At the same time, Mascherano pushed Wood hard from behind. They clearly had the same idea — to foul as soon as possible!
The ball was suddenly kicked out by Wood. Gerrard did not manage to hit the ball, but it did not matter. He was not aiming for the ball anyway.
He managed to get to Wood, but he did not manage to bring Wood down. Mascherano's push from behind became a driving force, causing Wood's body to leap forward … He dodged the fouls of the two players in one go. Even though his body was still unstable and he staggered, he did not fall to the ground and lose control of the ball.
The referee's spoon was in his mouth. In the end, he did not blow the whistle for Gerrard and Mascherano's fouls. Instead, he allowed the match to continue.
Just as Wood kicked the football out, Reyna cleverly struck. This might have been the best opportunity, but Wood's explosive power was too terrifying. Reina had just run out of the goal when Wood caught up with the ball in just two steps. Even though his footsteps were still a little unstable, it did not stop him from lifting his leg to shoot …
It was as if he had used all his strength to volley the ball. When the ball flew past Reina, he did not even see its flight path clearly. He only heard a "whoosh" followed by a "clang!"
The ball hit the inside of the goalpost and bounced into the goal! And the goal was still shaking non-stop …
Reina suddenly felt fear — if such a shot were to hit his face, would he go into shock on the spot?
Less than ten meters away from the goal, but he had used the strength of a powerful long shot. The goal was scored in a flash. Perhaps only Reina could deeply understand the power of this shot. He half-knelt on the ground and was a little dazed. He did not even turn back to look at the ball in the goal.
The song "You'll Never Walk Alone" in the sky above Anfield disappeared. There was only one voice roaring repeatedly:
"The match is not over yet, don't be too happy! Don't be too happy yet —!! "
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