"Let's take a look back at all the games that France has played since the first game of the group stage."
Tang En's room was a standard room. At the moment, it was packed to the brim. All the members of the coaching team were here, watching the laptop screen and listening to Tang En's explanation.
The laptop was playing the highlights of France's games that had been edited by Tang En.
"In the first game, France won 3: 1 against Croatia. It was a very easy win. Their goal concede was even considered an accident by the French media after the game." Tang En leaned back in his chair and told his colleagues around him. At this point, a disdainful sneer came from his nose.
"They thought it was a surprise that Croatia scored a goal. In the end, Croatia not only advanced from the group stage, but also broke into the top eight."
Tang En clicked the mouse and scrolled to the next section.
"In the second game, their opponent was Poland. 2: 0. It was also a very easy game. Although they only scored two goals, France had the advantage throughout the game. In the third game, against Russia. France had already won two games and advanced from the group stage in advance. So, they arranged for a substitute lineup to play in this game. Even so, they still defeated Russia 1: 0. This game made the French very satisfied after the game. "
"Three wins out of three games in the group stage. They only conceded one goal. They do have a reason to be happy …" Des Walker continued.
"They also played beautifully. The media said that the current France team plays football that is full of artistic flavor, which makes people feel happy." Tony Karl, the oldest of the coaches, also expressed his opinion.
Tang En smiled without saying anything and continued to let everyone watch.
"In the quarterfinals, their opponent is the Netherlands. The Netherlands did not do well in the group stage and only got second place in the group. But I'm not very surprised because the overall level of Dutch football has been declining for the past two years. They feel a little short of talent. It's normal to lose to France. Alright … "Tang En turned off the video and turned to look at everyone.
"Now the French's tail is already up to the sky," he said with a smile. "This is a good sign. I hope they can be even more cocky. Isn't there a regular press conference this afternoon? "
Everyone knew what he was going to do. A burst of laughter rang out in the room.
※ ※ ※
After the meeting with the coaches, Tang En went to knock on the door of Wood's room. When he entered, he found two people in the room. George Wood was chatting with Aaron Mitchell.
Seeing Twain walk in, Mitchell immediately knew who the boss was looking for. He quickly stood up and said, "I'm going out for a walk." Then, he greeted Twain, "Boss."
Twain nodded.
Mitchell walked out and closed the door, leaving only Twain and Wood in the room.
"What? You're not even going to invite me to sit? "Tang En joked with the wooden Wood.
Only then did Wood get up and make a gesture. "Please have a seat."
Tang En could understand Wood's cold attitude, because he had not told him about his decision to let Wood start in the next match.
Tang En sat down and looked at Wood. Just as he was about to open his mouth, Wood had already learned to answer first.
"My foot injury is fine. I feel like it has already recovered."
Tang En laughed. In the past two days, many people who cared about Wood must have asked him the same question. He must have repeated the same answer countless times.
Seeing Wood like this, Tang En wanted to tease him. "Is it really cured?" He frowned and asked in disbelief.
"Do you want me to give you a few kicks now?" Wood stood up.
Tang En laughed heartily. "No need. I'm afraid that if you break anything here, we'll have to compensate you. Let's put it this way, George. I came to find you for something … What do you think of the French team's recent performance? "
Wood froze for a moment. He felt that Tang En's thoughts were jumping too far. What did the French team's recent performance have to do with him? Why did he come to ask him?
"You haven't paid attention to the French team's performance?" Tang En asked.
Wood shook his head. "I heard that they have not lost a match so far. I don't know about the rest. "
"It's not just that they have not lost a match. They have won every match. Right now, the only teams that have won every match are them and the host, Spain, "Tang En said. "Their performance in the previous four matches can be said to be perfect. No one can find any fault with them. They have scored eight goals and conceded one. Benzema is currently the best scorer in the tournament. Lloris is very likely to succeed in the competition for the best goalkeeper. Gourcuff is also very popular for the best player. The French believe that their national team will definitely win the championship this time because they are the 'Generation of Geniuses.' "Tang En slowly introduced the characteristics of the French team to Wood.
"To make an analogy, they are like a beautiful flower, welcomed by everyone."
Wood did not react to Tang En's evaluation.
If it were someone who was not familiar with Wood, they would definitely feel that communicating with Wood was a very painful thing. Because he was always a man of few words and would not give you a very passionate response. If you wanted to let the conversation continue, you would have to desperately find new topics to talk about. It was very tiring and boring.
Tang En was familiar with Wood, so he did not have any dissatisfaction. He leaned forward and winked at Wood. "They're just flowers in a greenhouse."
Wood sensitively sensed that there was a hidden meaning in Tang En's words. Because every time the Boss was deliberately mystifying things, he would find something for him to do.
"In the match three days later, I hope that you can transform into a gale and blow down the greenhouse that protects them." Tang En looked at Wood very seriously.
Wood was stunned for a moment before he reacted. "The match against the French team … I'm starting?"
Tang En nodded.
Wood did not cheer loudly, nor did he tense up from his seat. He only clenched his fists.
This action had already revealed his current mood.
Tang En stood up and prepared to leave. "Study the recordings of the French team's matches carefully. I'll get Des to send them over to you. You have a very important task. "
Wood was not afraid. He would be worried if he was not given a task.
※ ※ ※
When Mitchell returned to his room after wandering around outside, he found Wood looking at something on his laptop. He seemed to be in a trance, so he quietly went up to him. He discovered that it was actually a recording of the French team's matches.
"What are you looking at this for, George?" He felt a little strange.
"Understanding the opponent is the best way to defeat them." Wood answered without turning his head.
A light suddenly lit up in Mitchell's mind. "Don't tell me … you're going to be in the starting lineup for the match against the French team?"
"Yes." Wood nodded.
“YES！” Mitchell was even more excited than Wood. He jumped onto the bed and almost knocked his head on the ground. "Haha! I'm relieved now! To be honest, George, I've been unhappy with the French team for a long time. Look at what the outside world has made of them now? It's as if the European Championship is already theirs. What 'a generation of geniuses', what 'the most beautiful football', what 'the most eye-catching team of the tournament' … I want to puke just listening to it! "
As an Englishman, it was normal to look down on and even dislike the French. Wood was not surprised by Mitchell's performance.
"It's good that you're playing. Teach those arrogant French a lesson!" Mitchell rolled around on the bed and tensed up again. He waved his fist next to Wood and shouted.
After feeling happy for Wood, Mitchell was also a little depressed. As the team's main striker, he was in the starting lineup for every match, but he only scored two goals. He was known as England's best center forward for the next decade, but his performance was just passable.
"So the boss is here specifically to give you a task … Then what's my task?"
Wood answered, "You're a striker. Isn't the striker's task to score goals?"
"I think my strength is too weak, George … Do you have any way to increase my strength?" Mitchell felt that the main factor that caused him to score fewer goals than Rooney was his lack of strength. There was no way to compete with the strong center backs in the penalty area. There were many times when he had to retreat to get the ball. But could a striker who was away from the penalty area still score goals?
Wood finally looked away from the computer screen and looked back at Mitchell, who was sitting on the bed behind him. "Eat and get fatter." He said simply and turned back.
Mitchell rolled his eyes and lay back down with a weird cry.
"I won't have a figure if I get fatter!"
If it was a sharp-tongued person, he would definitely respond to him, "You look like you're addicted to drugs now. How can you have a figure?"
But George Wood did not care about Mitchell's complaints. He concentrated on studying the video of the French team's game. He quickly found his target. Several of the French team's midfielders had high individual ability. He thought that the boss would not let others mark him. That would be too wasteful. If there were no surprises, it should still be zonal defense.
Wood closed his eyes and imagined the scene of the game in his mind. It had been a long time since he had played a full game. The game against the French team would definitely be tough. In addition, he had to pray that his right big toe did not suffer any injury in the game. In reality, he had lied to the boss earlier. His right big toe still hurt slightly and could not be considered to have fully recovered. But to let the boss feel at ease letting him play in the future, he had to hide this small injury.
※ ※ ※
Tang En did not know what George Wood was thinking. George Wood performed normally during the afternoon training. There was no discomfort in his movements or his touch of the ball. This filled the team with confidence for the game against the French team.
Although the reporters on the scene only filmed for 15 minutes, they all saw a lively and healthy George Wood.
At the regular press conference after training, Tang En did not let George Wood attend with him. Instead, he picked Gerrard.
At the press conference, Tang En did not give a definite answer to the question of whether George Wood would be able to participate in the game against the French team. He continued to play Tai Chi and said, "We can't be sure about this. We're all working hard in this direction. We all hope to see the best results. "All he said was nonsense. It was as if he had not said anything at all.
The French reporters did not seem to care much about whether George Wood would play or not. They only wanted Tang En to talk about his views on the French team's performance in the recent games. Tang En knew what they were planning. These vain Frenchmen!
But this was exactly what he wanted.
"The French team played very well. It's a matter of course for them to enter the top eight. Their football has lit up my eyes. At the same time, they also have a lot of talented players. I'm really envious of them. "Tang En's reaction surprised many English reporters. He was a man of few words with his own reporters and even had a bad attitude. They did not expect him to be so eloquent when answering the French reporters' questions. And look at what he said. It was all praise for the French team. Did he not find it mushy? What "envious of the French team having a lot of talented players"? Did he mean that the England team's players were not good? Was he an Englishman or a Frenchman?
"… I think the media was very right to say that the French team is the favorite to win the championship before the game. I have to deal with the French team seriously. They are very strong. If we are not careful, we may lose. I'm not flattering anyone. I'm telling the truth. The football that the French team plays is very modern and advanced. They can win the championship and also win the audience. To be honest, this has always been the goal I've been pursuing. "
Tang En said these words very seriously, which made the French secretly happy and the English unhappy. Even Gerrard was surprised. Although he had never worked with Tang En in the club, he had always felt that his boss was a fearless person through his two years of contact with the national team. No matter how strong the opponent was, he dared to go head-to-head with them. For example, he did not show any fear in the previous German team. It was precisely because of this that the team was able to defeat their mortal enemy, Germany. Because the players saw the courage to defeat a strong opponent from the manager.
But what was wrong with the boss today?
This was not the boss' style. What was he thinking? Gerrard made up his mind to ask the boss after the press conference. He could not wait to know what the boss was thinking.
Tang En's words even made the French reporters have the urge to applaud — it was simply too good! Too good!
The French could not hide the joy on their faces, and the English reporters did not try to hide the displeasure on their faces. The following press conference immediately became the domain of the French reporters. They kept raising their hands and asking questions, wanting to hear more good things about France from Tang En. The English reporters were collectively silent, using the attitude of not asking questions as a protest against Tang En's "traitorous" behavior.
Tang En also knew when to stop. If he said too many good things, the other party would not take it seriously, so he became reserved again.
After the press conference ended, the French reporters left England's training camp with a satisfied smile. The English reporters, on the other hand, gritted their teeth and cursed Tony Twain and the French.
Gerrard, on the other hand, frowned and had a lot on his mind. He decided to ask for clarification.
"Boss."
Tang En looked back at Gerrard, who was following behind. He was not surprised. "Hmm?"
"I don't quite understand what you said at the press conference … I don't think the French team is as strong as you said."
Tang En frowned. "Don't underestimate the enemy, Stephen."
Gerrard thought the boss was joking at first, but looking at Tang En's serious expression, he thought he was wrong.
"This is the quarterfinals. The team that wins can enter the semifinals, which is only one step away from the final. We can't underestimate the enemy. We have to take any opponent seriously. I don't want a repeat of the Wales game. "Tang En brought up" Wales "again, and Gerrard had nothing to say.
Losing to Wales seemed to have become England's nightmare. As long as the team was likely to be arrogant and underestimate the enemy, Tang En would bring up that game again. Not only that, he specially made a video clip of the game and showed it to the players. He reminded them not to underestimate the enemy.
But the problem was that the French team was not Wales. The English players could not underestimate the French team in any case …
"And the French team is really strong. I'm not lying, Stephen, "Tang En continued. His sincere and earnest look made Gerrard no longer have any doubts. "Their midfield is very strong, and they don't completely rely on one player. Such an opponent is the biggest headache for us. We can't stop the opponent's offensive by just freezing one player. And … George's injury … "
Tang En wanted to say something but stopped.
Gerrard increasingly felt that the boss was not putting up a smokescreen. In the face of a strong opponent, it was indeed worrying that it was still unknown whether Wood could play. After these few games, he also knew that at the age of 36, he could not always maintain full fitness until the final.
But although what the boss said was very reasonable, Gerrard was still faintly dissatisfied. We defeated the powerful Germany and ended the fate of not winning against Sweden for 48 years. Do we not have the strength to compete with the French team? How dare the boss look down on us!
Although he was also thinking for the team, it did not feel good no matter how he thought about it. I admit that the French team has been in the limelight recently, and even the odds of winning the title are tied with Spain at the top. But did we come to Spain just to praise the strength of our opponent?
Gerrard did not ask anymore and silently followed behind Tang En. He just clenched his fists.
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