Starting from Twain's bet with Carl Spicer, Nottingham Forest had won twice in a row in the league tournament. After defeating Chelsea, they won against Middlesbrough in an away game. As if they heard the bugle call to set off, the team took big strides forward. Perhaps every step was not steady, and they were even a little tired and stumbling, but they were still moving forward. His ranking had also climbed to third place. The only team between them and Arsenal was Liverpool.
On the 2nd of April, Forest welcomed their Champions League quarterfinal opponent, Arsenal, at home.
Nottingham Forest would play against Arsenal three times in a row in the coming week. Two home and away games in the Champions League, as well as one league match.
This week would be a crucial week to determine what Forest could achieve this season. Some media outlets could not wait to use the title "Decisive Battle" to hype things up.
"… Tony Twain said he wanted to win this season's Premier League title. That means he wants to go head-to-head with Wenger's Arsenal. Coincidentally, they also have two decisive matches against Arsenal in the Champions League quarterfinals. There could be many outcomes, but no matter what, it will be interesting enough for us as the audience. Arsenal will defeat Nottingham Forest twice, or Nottingham Forest will defeat Arsenal twice, or Forest will be eliminated from the Champions League and Arsenal will be restricted by the Champions League, allowing Forest to turn the tables in the Premier League. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility of the Forest team eliminating Arsenal and giving up the league tournament for the Champions League … "(Apology statement: The author wrote dizzily and forgot what he wrote. Therefore, he could only revise the previous chapters. Arsenal had not been knocked out of the Champions League yet. They still had to fight against Nottingham Forest. My sincerest apologies to the readers.)
"… Tony Twain and Wenger have a good personal relationship, but in this week, they will definitely forget all about their private friendship and fight for the championship title at the end of the season. The match might be interesting … "
"… This is the first time the two teams will meet in the Champions League since the 05-06 season. Forest eliminated Arsenal on penalties in the semi-finals last time, and they eventually lost to Barcelona in the final. Will Arsenal succeed in their revenge this time? "
"… Arsenal is in good form now. They have maintained a nine-game winning streak in the Premier League and are still six points behind Nottingham Forest. But we cannot underestimate Nottingham Forest's ability in the cup competition. I think Tony Twain is a manager who is good at playing in cup competitions. His team has a drive, and this drive is very suitable for playing in cup competitions. Therefore, the ideal outcome should be for the Forest team to give up the league tournament and eliminate Arsenal. "
There were different opinions about the endings of the two teams. At first glance, it seemed that everyone's opinions were very reasonable.
Of course, the supporters of each team would definitely think that their team would get the best result.
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At the entrance of Wilford, Tang En was blocked by a group of reporters.
"I don't predict the results of the match the day after tomorrow." Countless microphones were extended to his mouth, but Tang En just waved them off. "Yes, I have a good personal relationship with Arsene. He is a coach I respect very much. But this had nothing to do with the match the day after tomorrow. Don't try to trick me. I'm smarter than you think. "
He appeared very cautious because the team's stamina had been particularly depleted recently. Three consecutive tough matches in a week might have a negative impact on the team, such as a physical breakdown at the last moment. He did not want to be too firm with his words, nor did he want to create too much pressure on the players.
Seeing that he was about to squeeze out of the tight encirclement, a reporter anxiously shouted, "Three consecutive matches against Arsenal. Will there be a negative impact?"
"No, I think it's a good thing. We've gathered all the troubles together to solve. After we finish off Arsenal in this week, we can focus on thinking about other opponents. "Tang En was stubborn and did not let others see his true thoughts.
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At the same time, at the Colney training base in North London, Wenger was also surrounded by the same number of reporters.
"I look forward to playing against Nottingham Forest again. Tony Twain is a very capable manager. You can tell just by looking at the number of championships he has won. Arsenal will handle it carefully. "
A reporter was tired of such a bureaucratic answer. He asked loudly, "After Alex Ferguson retired, is Tony Twain the only one you feel is a rival, Arsene?"
Wenger looked up and saw the reporter who asked the question. He smiled and said, "All the managers are my rivals."
"I mean, is Tony Twain the 'special one'?"
"Of course he's the special one. He's a news figure everywhere he goes." Wenger used a joking tone to avoid this topic that could cause a dispute.
The media was very disappointed that the war of words between the two managers did not start. When Ferguson was around, every time Nottingham Forest met Manchester United, Tang En would not mind having a war of words with Ferguson. But with Wenger, such a situation always happened. It was really too boring.
Perhaps to Wenger, Tony Twain was still not the "special one". The retired Alex Ferguson was the "most special one". Just like when Mourinho left England, Tang En felt a little lonely. He did not know if Wenger would often feel the same way after Ferguson retired.
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Cesc Fàbregas, Arsenal's current captain and the flag bearer of the Emirates Stadium. Today, he was still the midfield core of the Spanish national team and could already be called a superstar in the world of football. But there was always a shadow in his heart that he had never mentioned to anyone. That shadow was buried deep in his heart before he became famous, constantly reminding him that he was not the best person in the world.
He still remembered the situation when he met George Wood when he thought he was the best youth player in the world. It was undeniable that the field that day was terrible and not conducive to his performance. But the opponent was indeed an unknown and ordinary youth player. After losing to Wood, he came back to specially collect information about Wood. The results surprised him even more — George Wood was actually a newcomer who had received professional football training for less than a year! What a complete rookie!
It was a big blow to him at that time. He thought about how he, the best player of the FIFA World Youth Championship who came out of Europe's famous youth training camp, La Masia, actually lost to a rookie who had received professional football training for less than a year. He even began to doubt whether he was suitable to play football.
This was clearly not what Wenger wanted to see. At this time, Wenger played to his strengths in training young players. He comforted Fàbregas mentally, telling him that the loss to Wood was just an accident because the field conditions were terrible. He could not deny himself because of this, he could only say that the enemy was too cunning. As for George Wood … Wenger told Fàbregas that although he was still unknown now, he was a great genius, a genius of the same level as Fàbregas himself. It was normal for two geniuses to have wins and losses in a match. There was no need to be depressed.
These words enlightened Fàbregas, and he also re-reflected on his previous ideas when he was young and famous. In this sense, the defeat against Wood helped him and became a very valuable asset in his career.
Maybe he should thank Wood? However, he would never publicly admit this matter.
This was a good opportunity because Arsenal would play three consecutive games against Nottingham Forest. He had a chance to beat Wood in the game.
Four years ago in the World Cup in South Africa, the European champion Spain was defeated by George Wood. Later, Wood was given the title of "Saint George." The title was a compliment to Wood, but it was not so comfortable for Fàbregas to hear it. He always remembered the scene of being eliminated. That year, they had high hopes, but they were eliminated early in the end …
Two years later in the UEFA European Championship, both men were the unshakable main players of their respective national teams, but they did not meet from beginning to end. Capello's team stopped in the top four, and Spain was eliminated in the top eight …
Although they would have two chances to meet each other in the league tournament every year, and there were wins and losses, none of them were crucial matches. It was not like this time, where there were three games, and each game was important. Fàbregas was eager to make George Wood lose this season.
He really admired Wood, and because of this, he especially enjoyed the feeling of beating Wood.
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George Wood did not know what his opponent was thinking, and he almost never had the worries that Fàbregas had. There were too many opponents, but he treated them all the same. He would not treat a few people as lifelong opponents — his mind lacked this concept. In his football world, there was only Nottingham Forest. Other than that, the other teams and players were just symbols called "opponents" or "enemies."
Arsenal is coming the day after tomorrow? Well, let them come, and we'll see on the field.
This was all of George Wood's mental activities.
If a reporter asked him such a question as Fàbregas, his answer would be so indifferent that it would make people wonder if he was deliberately going against the media.
There was once a reporter in the industry who conducted a poll survey: Who do you think is the most difficult player to interview in the Premier League? Who do you think is the most unnewsworthy player in the Premier League? Who is the Premier League player you least like to interview?
The first answer was all from the same person: George Wood.
Some reporters complained that he was just like his name, just like a block of wood. His answer was uninteresting and had no value for hype. On this point, he and Tony Twain were two extremes. When asked the same question, "What's one plus one?", Wood would answer succinctly, "Two." Tony Twain's reaction was much more interesting. He would ask, "You don't even know such a simple question?" or "Maybe it's three?"
Therefore, on Nottingham Forest's side, the reporters were more willing to interview Pepe, Bale … or other players. Only George Wood was a target that they did not want to touch.
Since his debut, there were only a handful of interviews about him in the media. Any reporter would feel uncomfortable when facing Wood — no matter what they asked, they would not get a warm response. A celebrity interview was actually like two people playing tennis. Someone would serve and someone would receive the ball, and then play it back and forth. This way, both the interviewee and the interviewer would feel that it went smoothly. But an interview with Wood was a one-person tennis. The interviewer would desperately serve, and Wood would not receive or pick up the ball. Therefore, the interviewer had to take on the roles of both the server and the ball boy, running back and forth between serving and picking up the ball. He was exhausted, and when he looked up, he was still faced with George Wood's wooden face. It was really an interview experience that could make one collapse.
Regarding the three consecutive games against Arsenal, the media did not ask Wood much. Only the Nottingham Evening Post, which had the best relationship with Forest, got an interview with Wood.
When Pierce Brosnan asked about his outlook for the game, Wood was not as cautious as Twain. He said bluntly, "We will win."
"Three games? Or the game the day after tomorrow? "Brosnan pressed.
"Three games."
Brosnan laughed, "But your boss, Tony Twain, did not say anything like that."
Wood shook his head, "If it's not for victory, why would we play?"
This question had a hint of philosophy, and Pierce Brosnan was speechless.
Then he used the phrase in the headline to motivate the Forest team and its fans.
"The purpose of the game is to win?" Wenger could not help but laugh when he saw the article. "It's in line with Tony Twain's football philosophy."
He was sitting on a bus from North London to Nottingham at the moment. He did not need to continue to analyze their opponent at this time. For Tony Twain and his Forest team, Wenger could not be more familiar with it. Two weeks ago, Forest's home game against Chelsea might have provided him with some reference. His team also excelled in technique. Tang En would definitely use those rough tactics at home to disrupt Arsenal's offense.
Arsenal had already made targeted arrangements for this.
In the City Ground stadium, Arsenal would speed up the passing of the football while minimizing the time the ball stayed at the feet of the players. If Nottingham Forest wants to snatch it, then let them be led by the nose and exhaust their last bit of energy.
He knew that Forest had expended a lot of energy in the recent final sprint of the season. This was something he could use.
In Wenger's mind, he did not take this game out to look at alone. He considered all three games. Thanks to this match schedule, he had a very good overall plan.
First of all, he would suppress Forest in the away game. Wenger did not even mind losing to Forest in the away game, as long as the difference in points was not too big. The main goal was to continue to deplete Forest's stamina and let them do their best for the victory of the game. Then, the following Premier League and Champions League matches would be Arsenal's home ground.
In that match in the Premier League, Wenger would continue to suppress Forest, forcing them to play at his fast pace and further deplete Forest's stamina. A draw would be the best result, because if they won against Forest at home, it might stimulate Twain to put all of his focus into the Champions League. That way, if he had already lost to Forest in the first round, it would not be safe even if they played at home in the second round. If they lost to Forest in the Premier League … Wenger had also seriously considered this situation. He thought it was not completely unacceptable. After all, his team had a six-point gap with Forest and a five-point gap with Liverpool. He was not worried that losing one game would cause them to lose the overall situation.
Finally, back to the Champions League in midweek. Arsenal would go all out at home and wait for the exhausted Nottingham Forest, who had been dragged out by two consecutive high-intensity games.
At that time, Nottingham Forest would be exhausted and both teams would be out of the Champions League.
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