May 11th, sunny. The highest temperature in the afternoon was 31 degrees Celsius. The final round of the English Premier League kicked off at 3: 30 in the afternoon.
Tony Twain got out of bed at 7 o 'clock. His wife woke up earlier than him and was busy preparing breakfast for him in the kitchen.
He did not wash up and get dressed. Instead, he sat on the bed in a daze for a while. Was this day no different from any other day? No, this was a special day. It was not because the champion would be decided on this day, but because of the complexity of the championship.
He was in a daze on the bed, as if he had not woken up yet.
After a moment of silence, he rubbed his face and jumped out of bed.
A new day had begun. What kind of mood would he have when the day ended?
Seeing Tang En come down, Shania went up and gave him a morning kiss. Tang En pouted. "You haven't brushed your teeth yet."
During breakfast, Shania kept reminding Tang En not to be too excited. Even if they did not win the Premier League, it was not a big deal.
Tang En felt that Shania's words were too ominous. His face darkened. "Can't you say something nicer?"
Shania rolled her eyes. "You're so nervous this early in the morning. What will you do when it's time for the match?"
"I'm nervous?" Tang En laughed involuntarily, but soon he could not laugh anymore because he felt his heart beating faster than usual.
Shania noticed that Tang En was suddenly silent again, so she looked up at him.
Tang En smiled awkwardly. "I do seem to be a little nervous …"
Shania put her forehead against Tang En's and smiled at him. "I know you like to win the championship, but don't make me too worried."
Tang En nodded lightly.
※ ※ ※
When Bendtner sat up from the bed, his teammate who shared the same room with him was still sleeping soundly. It looked like they had a crazy time last night. The smell of alcohol that filled the room was proof of that.
Ashley Young's worry was likely to become a reality this afternoon. Manchester City would not be able to stop Arsenal at all. When the time came, even if Nottingham Forest beat Sunderland 90: 0 in the City Ground Stadium, it would not help.
He turned his head to look at Robinho, who was not sleeping well. The Brazilian's nightlife was really rich … He should be surprised that he could sleep here and not beside a woman.
Bendtner jumped out of bed in his underwear and pulled open the curtains. Suddenly, bright sunlight flooded into the dark room and shone on Robinho's face.
Robinho blinked his eyes in his sleep. He was awakened by the bright sunlight.
"Who turned on the lights?" He covered his face with one hand, squinted his eyes, and asked in a daze.
"Robbie, it's morning," Bendtner replied loudly.
The confused Brazilians finally woke up a little.
"It's daybreak?" He blinked hard and saw that the light that woke him up was not a lamp, but sunlight. He muttered, "What the hell … What time is it?"
"Half past seven." Bendtner grinned at him.
"Oh, damn it …" Robinho, who had just gotten up, fell back onto the bed. "So early! Let me sleep a little longer … "
"It's time for breakfast, Robbie." Bendtner pretended to be confused.
"Go ahead …" Robinho, who was lying on the bed, pulled the cup over to cover half of his body and waved his hand weakly. "Don't worry about me …"
"What time are you going to sleep until?"
"Until I wake up naturally …" After saying this, Robinho fell asleep again.
Bendtner spread his hands and shrugged helplessly.
He believed that Robinho was not an exception. A lot of Manchester City's players were like that last night. McClaren did not care. In his opinion, the team had completed the task ahead of time and the last round of the league tournament was not important. It was only right to let the players relax. As long as these players did not go out to find women, it was fine. What was a little drinking? In English football, you would be embarrassed to call yourself a professional player if you did not drink!
Robinho was in the starting lineup for this game …
Tony Twain had been arrogant for eleven years. This time, he was finally going to get his retribution. Arsenal was going to face a Manchester City team that had surrendered before the game.
It was reasonable to say that he was happy to see it happen, but he did not feel the slightest bit of joy in his heart.
After washing up and getting dressed, he went out and saw Ashley Young coming out of the room next door, yawning.
"Good morning … Ah —"
Tears were squeezed out.
"Didn't you go to bed very early? Why aren't you awake yet? "Bendtner found it strange.
"Don't mention it …" Ashley Young looked pained. "Shaun was unusually excited last night and insisted on playing poker with me. He's the boss of the team, I couldn't refuse … "As he spoke, he yawned again.
"Who won?"
"I …" Young's face did not have the slightest joy of winning money. "Shaun, that bastard, said that if he didn't win, I can't sleep … But his card skills are f * cking terrible! In the end, I finally worked hard to let him win a game. It was already three o 'clock … "
Ashley Young's pain made Bendtner sympathize with him. Fortunately, Robinho was more interested in women and alcohol than he was in playing cards with his roommate to gamble.
If even the team captain, Shaun Wright-Phillips, was like this, one could only imagine the fighting strength of the team.
Bendtner and the dispirited Ashley Young walked to the elevator to get ready for breakfast.
"Later, if I fall asleep at the table, you can wake me up with a pat."
"I don't think you'll fall asleep. You'll poke a fork into your nostrils, ha!" Bendtner laughed. "You'll be the first professional footballer in history to hurt yourself with a fork while eating!"
"What are you afraid of … I'm not playing anyway. Maybe it's better this way. If I hurt myself, I won't even need to be a substitute …" Ashley Young muttered as he entered the elevator.
There were only the two of them in the huge elevator, and it seemed empty.
"Ah —" Ashley Young stretched. "There's one more game and I'll be free. Goodbye Manchester City, I don't miss it at all! Hey, Nicklas, don't you want to think about your future plans? "
Bendtner was silent.
Ashley Young did not expect to get an answer from Bendtner. He leaned against the wall of the elevator, and the cold feeling made his sleepiness dissipate a little.
He suddenly fell into an inexplicable memory. He remembered that he wore a red jersey and fought all over the world. At that time, his salary was far less than what he was now, but he felt happy …
He wondered if Bendtner would have the same thoughts now.
※ ※ ※
Wenger slowly sipped his coffee in the hotel's restaurant and rested with his assistants. The players had just finished their early lunch and were resting in their rooms.
His assistant manager, Pat Rice, brought him good news. "Someone told me that he saw the Manchester City players partying in the bar until the latter half of the night. We've met an opponent who has no desires. We're definitely going to win this game! "
Wenger smiled and retorted, "You can't say that until the last second of a football game, Pat." But this rebuttal was not convincing. Even he himself felt that Manchester City was so undisciplined that they were no threat at all.
Pat did not take this warning seriously. He said cheerfully, "I'm thinking about how pitiful Tony Twain is. His team is trying so hard to win the game. He must not have thought that our opponent would be such a team. Even I feel that our luck is a little too good. Maybe we're really destined to win the championship this year! "
After listening to what he said, Wenger pondered for a while and instructed, "Don't tell the players about the opponent, and don't let the reporters come into contact with them. Those reporters will only mess things up. We need to do our best to make our players think that Manchester City is still the same as before. I don't want pride and underestimation of the opponent to appear in this game. "
Pat Rice nodded. He knew Wenger's temper. Arsène was not the kind of person who would get carried away.
※ ※ ※
While Wenger and his assistant were resting in the hotel and discussing their opponent in the afternoon, Tang En also received a call from Pierce Brosnan.
"That, Tony … There's something I don't know if I should tell you …" Brosnan stammered on the phone.
Tang En felt that today was not normal, and he was a little impatient.
"If there's anything you want to say, just say it, Mr. Reporter."
"I heard that the entire Manchester City team partied all night in the bar yesterday …"
Tang En opened his mouth and laughed silently. "That's not surprising, Mr. Reporter. Your news is getting less and less sensational. "
"Aren't you worried about the fate of you and the Forest team?"
Tang En simply laughed this time. "Don't tell me I can fly to London, grab McClaren by the neck, and ask him to fight with all his might and show sportsmanship?"
This question made Brosnan speechless.
"Mr. Reporter, I don't care where you got this news, but I hope you don't use this news to disturb my players."
Brosnan agreed.
"Very good. Thank you for calling me specifically to tell me this." Tang En thanked Brosnan and hung up the phone.
"Who called, Tony?" Kerslake asked Tang En when he walked back.
"An old friend. He's concerned about our prospects for winning the championship." Tang En evaded. He pointed to the location of the hotel lobby. "Tell the security to help me chase those reporters out. My team needs sufficient rest, and I don't want to see any kind of disturbance. "
Kerslake and the hotel security were not surprised by Tang En's sudden decision. They all knew what kind of manager Tony Twain was. Going against the media was simply a part of his life, as normal as eating and sleeping.
In the eyes of the media, Tang En's reason for doing so was obvious — he was nervous. This strong manager, who never showed weakness in front of others, finally had a nervous moment … This was something worth hyping up.
Tang En did not care what others thought of him. He wanted to ensure that his players would not be disturbed by these messy matters before they stepped on the field. No matter what happens over there, my team's determination to win the championship cannot be shaken. Even if there is only a 0.000000001% chance, we will do our best to fight for it.
※ ※ ※
At 3: 30 in the afternoon, the last round of the 13-14 English Premier League season kicked off at the same time. Forty-five minutes before the start of the game, four buses drove out of four different hotels, heading for their destinations.
Two of them drove to the Emirates Stadium, while the other two drove to the City Ground Stadium.
Nottingham Forest's bus was a little quiet, and the atmosphere was not quite the same as usual when going to a home game. Perhaps it was this special last round that made everyone lose the mood to talk.
Tang En also sat alone in the front seat, turning his head to look out of the window in silence. Even he, the soul of the team, was like this, not to mention his subordinates.
When they reached the stadium, the depressing atmosphere in the bus was broken by Kerslake's loud voice. "Quickly get off the bus, go change your clothes, and get ready to warm up!"
Tang En was the last to jump off the bus. He looked at the media and fans gathered around him, and did not wave to greet them, nor did he stop to be interviewed by the reporters. He followed the team into the tunnel.
※ ※ ※
When Bendtner got off the bus, all he could see were Arsenal fans wearing red and white jerseys, dotted with blue Manchester City fans. Whether it was in terms of numbers or momentum, they were completely defeated.
The Arsenal fans were shouting at the Manchester City players, waving their fists, slogans, and scarves in their hands to create pressure on the Manchester City players.
Seeing this scene, Bendtner wanted to laugh.
You don't have to put in so much effort, we've already raised the white flag …
Cheer for your team, and congratulate your team on winning the league title.
Bendtner walked forward, and there were reporters trying to swarm up to interview him. That person was blocked by the security guard behind and shouted, "Bendtner! You almost joined Arsenal, and now you're facing Arsenal in the last round of the league, do you have any special feelings? "
This question made Bendtner stop in his tracks, but soon he shook his head and continued to walk forward.
How many years ago was that? Yes, Arsenal was pursuing him at that time, but in the end he chose Nottingham Forest. If he had chosen Arsenal, where would he be now?
Such a question was meaningless, and he could not be bothered to answer.
※ ※ ※
Wenger looked at the players who had returned from warming up, and said with a serious and dignified face, "We're leading by one point. But I hope you forget about this point. Manchester City is not a weak team, and if you let your guard down, you'll lose miserably. I'm not being an alarmist, this is the truth. "
"I don't want to see the Premier League trophy fly from here to Nottingham after 90 minutes. The trophy that was shipped to the Emirates Stadium is the real thing, leave it here! "
The gentle and refined French professor Wenger was rarely agitated.
※ ※ ※
Next door, McClaren let the Manchester City players in the locker room listen to the music and do what they wanted to do. Bendtner sat in his seat after changing his jersey, did not say a word, and closed his eyes to rest. A coach's speech? McClaren could never say anything meaningful. It was better to rest by himself than to listen to him speak at this time.
Robinho, who had slept until nine in the morning, looked very energetic at this time. He was in the locker room playing with a ball in only his underwear. His technique was really good, and he could always do things that made his teammates speechless. He still moved freely in the narrow locker room. It was just not known how much of his condition he would be able to maintain when he was on the field later.
"Hey, Robbie! We're not shooting a Nike commercial now, don't be so excited! "Someone in the team laughed and shouted.
In response, Robinho used a bicycle step and crossed his crotch to pass him. This time, his passing caused the surrounding teammates to laugh out loud. They kept on jeering and booing the teammate who had been passed.
Ashley Young was also among them. He did not need to start this game, and he would transfer to Liverpool next season, so he was very relaxed. No one would treat the upcoming game as torture. For them, the summer holidays had already begun!
※ ※ ※
Sunderland's manager, Roland Nielsen, was loudly encouraging the team's morale. The team looked a little depressed. It was the team's biggest misfortune to face an away game against Nottingham Forest, who had to win to keep their hopes of winning the title …
"Don't give up! As long as we beat Nottingham Forest, we can successfully stay in the Premier League! Think about it, guys! Our luck is so much better than our opponents — even if they beat us, they might not be able to win the title! At least now our fate is in our own hands. Don't throw this opportunity away so easily! Sunderland can't be relegated! "
"Don't think that Nottingham Forest is invincible now that they are second. In fact, as long as we seize the opportunity, the victory will also be ours … They have to beat us at home to keep their hopes of winning the title. For them, this is a huge psychological pressure. At the same time, even if they can beat us, whether they can win the title will depend on the result of the game between Arsenal and Manchester City. Their players are very clear about this … So in fact, Nottingham Forest is under a lot of pressure on one hand, and on the other hand, they lack motivation. This is our chance, seize it, and beat them! Let us stay in the Premier League! "
※ ※ ※
Tony Twain came in from outside and closed the door of the changing room. The noise was much quieter, and everyone looked up at their leader, their captain.
"There is a fact that you already know a lot about, I don't want to repeat here. What I want to say is … "Tang En scratched his head out of habit. Because of this habit, his hair was always messy. "Don't care about the situation over there, you have to play this game well for me. Do you remember what I said to you during halftime of the league game against Arsenal? If we can't win the game ourselves, what qualifications do we have to compete for the title? These words are still applicable now. If we lose to a team like Sunderland, then Arsenal won't even have to play against Manchester City, they will be able to win the title ahead of time. "
"This is not what I want to see. We, Nottingham Forest, have always been a team that never gives up. In the two Champions League finals, we did not give up, so we are the champions. It's the same this time. Don't worry about other people's business, do your own job. Sunderland thinks we are easy to bully, then let's let them know how wrong they are. "
"The Goddess of Victory has never favored cowards who give up on themselves. When the opportunity arises, I hope that all of us are ready. " Tang En's tone was not impassioned, but everyone could hear the power in his words.
"I'm ready. What about you?"
He looked at the players in front of him and asked calmly.
※ ※ ※
PS: Recommend an old friend's new book:
After being silent for a long time, Melancholy Ecstasy has finally returned, releasing a new book, "Super Player II"!
Book number: 1179754.
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