Chapter 26 Everyone should respect their opponents

After defeating Sunderland, Nottingham Forest ushered in the eighth round of the league. Considering that there will be a Champions League group stage on October 1 and the opponent is not strong, Tang En used rotation again. This time he even changed the starting goalkeeper.

Akinfeyev has been joining the team for a while, but in addition to having opportunities to play in the warm-up matches and the League Cup before the season, he has not received any permission to play in important leagues and Champions League group stages. This is obviously not the treatment that Russia's No. 1 national goal hopes to see, and he is a little depressed recently. Chris Lak told Donn about what he observed and asked him to pay more attention to Akinfeyev's recent emotions so as not to affect the stability of the team's internal locker room.

There are many newcomers this season. Their interactions with other teammates in the locker room are problems and they need to be handled with caution. The Forest team's miraculous results are inseparable from the locker room they have always had. Tang En doesn't want to let this fine tradition be ruined.

He also knows that some players will have problems if they can't play games for a long time, so sometimes rotation requires not only tactical considerations, but also factors other than football.

The eighth round of the league match against Portsmouth was an opportunity, and Don decided to give those marginal figures the opportunity to perform.   Before setting off to Portsmouth Port the day before this game, Don announced the starting list of the next day's game.   Akinfeyev got his wish and became the starting goalkeeper, Leiden Barnes was the starting left back, and the starting center back was Kompany and Weismogan. Pique sat on the bench, and the right back was not Zimbonda, but China

Player Sun Jihai. The starting point of the midfielder is not George Wood, who is unshakable, but Sidwell who joins the team in the new season, like Akinfeyev. He can only play in a game like League Cup that Don doesn't pay attention to at all. Being a substitute from George Wood is a very sad thing. The left forward is Petrov, the right forward is Lennon, the front midfielder is Van der Fate. The forward starter is Arshavin and Bentner.

This lineup almost changed everything that can be replaced, making people really doubt whether Don Eun wants to win away games. What's more, Portsmouth is now the mid-range team ranked tenth in the Premier League, and their strength is not to be underestimated in this game.

So when the starting lineup of Forests was revealed by the media, it led to dissatisfaction with Portsmouth. They thought they were underestimated. Think about it, their league opponents all sent their main players to play in the match against the newly promoted teams. Even if they rotate, they are regular rotations in a few positions. And what about themselves? They changed all eleven people to start at once. What about this? They are not looking down on them? They didn’t rotate like this?

Harry Redknapp, the head coach of Portsmouth. An old senior in English football and a famous person. He was also very unhappy with Don Eun doing this. He is an old man who will be respected by others wherever he goes. Although Don Eun did not publicly say in the media: "I look down on Portsmouth", is there any other meaning for him to do this?

So when he was interviewed, he expressed his dissatisfaction with Tang En: "I am very happy to see the Forest team performing such a rotation, so that we will not be too difficult to play the next day." The fool can see the meaning behind this.

In response to the Portsmouth people's resentment, Don't make any counterattack or explanation. Because there is really nothing to explain about this matter. Do you say "Don't I look down on you"? No. Don't actually look down on Portsmouth. He believes that with the current strength of the Forest team, even if it is a away game, there is no possibility that he can't beat Portsmouth. In the fifth round of the league, Arsenal was sent off. Ten players faced the match and defeated Portsmouth 3:1.

Nottingham Forest is a team on the same level as Arsenal. Winning Portsmouth is a victory in Donn’s plan.

The Forest team, who went to Portsmouth Harbour with such a rotation, encountered very, very tenacious resistance at Flaton Park Stadium.

Yes, no one imagined tenacity.

Redknapp took advantage of Donne's contempt. He told his players before the game to give the proud Nottingham a little color, making Donne regret that he had only sent such a lineup to fight the "Pompeii Legion".

At the beginning of the game, the Forests showed their powerful strength to their opponents. Bentner received Petrov's cross from the wing and headed the ball to open the goal guarded by David James. The ball made Don cross his legs again on the coach's seat.

But next...

"Oh oh oh! It's incredible! It's incredible!" the commentator shouted excitedly, "The big score before the end of the first half almost declared that the game was over early!"

Huge score gap - 4:1. But the leader is not the Nottingham Forest, the first goal scorer, but the home team Portsmouth.

"In the 43rd minute, Canu scored his second goal in this game! It was also the fourth goal in Portsmouth! It was amazing. The Pompeii Army performed like a real champion team in the first half of this game. Everyone performed in their best form. Every Portsmouth player was active on the court. The Nottingham Forest player had no choice!"

That's right. The players in Nottingham Forest were stunned and couldn't believe the score in front of them. 1:4. They only lost to Liverpool once, which was the most painful defeat after Donn led the team.

Tang En had already put down his legs. At this time, he stood on the sidelines, put his hands in his pockets, and looked at the stadium with a serious expression. He maintained this posture and expression for twenty minutes. These twenty minutes were the 20 minutes of sudden changes on the court. Portsmouth scored four goals in a row within twenty minutes, completely stunned Nottingham Forest.

The whistle at the end of the first half finally rang, and Tang En walked back to the corridor with a dark face. The TV camera kept following him, and anyone could see how ugly the expression on his face was.

"I think Coach Done should consider adjusting the lineup in the second half... If he doesn't want to return to Nottingham with this score," the commentator joked.

The Forest players returned to the locker room dejectedly, thinking that what awaited them would be a storm.

But no.

The expression on Tang En's face that everyone saw was no longer as dark clouds were overthrowing the city.

"I know there were some comments about our lineup before the game. They all said that this was a contempt for Portsmouth. The eleven starting players were replaced, because they looked down on Portsmouth and underestimated the opponent. So the Portsmouth players went crazy in the first half and wanted to beat us. But I don't agree with this. I don't think this was a contempt for Portsmouth. On the contrary, I think those messy comments were contempt for you. "Tang said so, spreading his hands, "Why do outsiders agree that I rotated a starting lineup, and the opponent thought I was contempt for them. That's because they think you are weak, you are the second team of Nottingham Forest. So they feel that they have been insulted - letting the first team play against our first team, isn't this contempt? But..."

Tang En silenced: "Who the hell said you are the weak second team? I have said that those who can stay in Nottingham Forest are all strong players, otherwise the Forest team would not even be able to enter the gate. I don't have any bullshit first-team second team here. They are the best players in the world who can represent the Forest team! The best one... no one! Those shit think that the Forest team's strength has dropped by two levels as soon as you start. Who looks down on whom?"

After swearing, Tang En took a moment of breath, stabilized his mood, and slowed down his tone: "If you let it go regardless of the score in the first half, the final score of the game... Then it's a pity that no matter how I disagree with the outside view. Your name as "weak in strength" has been confirmed. Then, as long as I let you play, the media and some idiotic experts who don't know anything will say: 'Look, the Nottingham Woodland rotation system is simply a joke. These people will only come up with

To reduce the strength of the Forest team by two levels, Portsmouth can get them four balls! This is simply a contempt and insult to us!'" Don Eun imitated the expert's tone vividly. He saw that the expressions in the eyes of the dejected players had changed. He knew that the time was ripe, so he asked: "Will you let something like this happen? Are you willing to be considered a weak second team? If anyone accepts such an insult, raise your hand!"

No one raised his hands, nor did they yell loudly and responded to Tang En. They just gritted their teeth and turned the knuckles of their fists white.

I'm in a good mood, keep my anger in my heart first and vent it to my opponent in the second half.

Donne laid the last nail on the lid of Portsmouth's coffin: "In the second half... I honestly tell you, unless you are injured or exhausted, I will not make a fucking substitution adjustment. You must prove it with your own practical actions - even if I, Tony Donne, replaced the starting eleven players in one breath, this lineup is still at the top level of the Premier League! If any idiots feel that they have been insulted, then insult them!"

Don Eun sneered in his heart when he walked out of the locker room with the excited players.

Mr. Redknapp. You know how to use media evaluations to inspire players’ fighting spirit. Give me a 4:1, it’s great. Don’t I know how to use your land to make use of things? Portsmouth bastards, wait and accept my anger.

Who do you think I am? I am Tony Donne. There is only one team in the world that can win three goals in me, and the team that can win more than four goals has not been born yet!

"4:1!" At the beginning of the second half, the commentator repeated the score that made Tang En extremely unhappy. If he was watching TV at this time, he would probably pick up the TV and throw it out of the window. This score has special significance to Tang En, and it will always remind him of his past weakness and powerlessness. Now he hates that feeling very much.

"I think Nottingham Forest has no hope... With such a second-team lineup, facing the angry Portsmouth. Three goals behind, everyone in Portsmouth can play almost ten in terms of form. On the other hand, Nottingham Forest. Akinfeyev, who spent 6 million pounds in the Premier League, was a disaster. The number one goalkeeper of Russia swallowed four bullets in 45 minutes. I really don't know if he has ever suffered such a heavy blow in his career? In addition, look at Sun Jihai, he is no longer the "Chinese Suns" he used to be in Manchester City, and his right was frequently broken by his opponent. And Sidwell... Poor Sidwell, he will always be compared with George Wood, the "monster", but who made Tang Wan want him to be a substitute for George Wood?"

The Sky TV commentator kept raving about the poor performances of the Forest players in the first half.

Before he could finish these words, he had to change his words suddenly.

"Ah... the ball went in!" Because the incident suddenly happened, his emotions were not brewing enough.  The ball went in, it sounded unpassionable.   There was another reason that his voice didn't sound that excited - this ball was entered by Nottingham Forest.

Just two minutes into the second half, Nottingham Forest tied the score to 2:4.

Three minutes later Nottingham Forest scored another goal, and Arshavin helped his Russian compatriots avenge, and the Forest team tied the score to 3:4.

The people of Portsmouth were panicked.

The commentator also lost his voice. The contrast between the two fronts and backs was too great, as if he was slapping him in the face. Facing the crazy Nottingham Forest, which he had just belittled by him, he really didn't know what to say...

As long as the Forest players get the ball, Flaton Park Stadium is full of deafening boos. Portsmouth fans want to create some trouble for the Forest's crazy counterattack in this way, but to no avail.

The commentator quickly adjusted his emotions and devoted himself to work again.

"What a beautiful goal! Nick Las Bentner's breakthrough shot! Nottingham Forest tied the score 4:4! This is a miracle! Nottingham Forest... actually pulled back the situation of three goals behind! Coach Tony Donn must have said something to his players during the break, and these people's eyes were different. Is the Forest, which equalized the score, satisfied? No... I think it might not be like this... Portsmouth is going to be unlucky."

"Raphael van der Fate!! Beautiful long shot! 5:4! Nottingham Forest overtakes the score!"

"Petrov came to take the free kick, and his running distance was very long... The football hit the wall! The sideline... The ball went in!! Portsmouth was really unlucky! For example, the goal was 34 meters long free kick. Finally, he entered the sideline because he hit the wall... Poor James, 'What can I do'?"

This is the sixth goal of Nottingham Forest. From 1:4 to 6:4, the Forest only took twenty-seven minutes. During this period, Portsmouth had no chance to counterattack. He could only watch the Forest score goals one by one, watching their players gather together and cheer again...

Is it over here?

"Seventh!!" the commentator gritted his teeth, and he felt a little overwhelmed.                                                                                                                  �

Obviously, Tony Donn and his men were not worried about the issues he was worried about. Now they want to celebrate freely.

Bentner waved his fists hard and celebrated his hat trick in the overwhelming booing. As a substitute for Van Nistruey, there are not many opportunities to show himself to the fullest.

Redknapp sat on the coach's seat, looking particularly old with gray hair. The players at Portsmouth were like Forest players in the first half, with a confused look on their faces and wondering what was going on.

What caused things to become like this? If you can't win the game with a score of 4:1 and you can't win the game with three goals, isn't this football game too insecure?

Some people turned their eyes to the visiting team coach's seat. They couldn't see Tang En's expression. Because he leaned on the back of the chair, both sides were blocked. All you could see was his legs crossed up and we were swaying.

Tang En fulfilled his promise during the break. No one changed, no tactical adjustments were made, and even did not supervise the game on the sidelines. At the beginning of the second half, he sat in the coach's seat. After Lennon scored the score 2:4, he crossed his legs. Later, even though his legs were numb and he didn't put them down, he just wanted to tell everyone in this way that everything was normal and there was nothing to worry about.

The seventh goal was the last goal of the Forest team in this game. After massacring Portsmouth, the Forest team was satisfied and put down the sharp knife that had been soaked in blood, and then began to harvest the fruits of victory.

When the referee blew the whistle at the end of the game, it was like a god for those Portsmouth players, because they were finally freed... and were freed from the Shura Hell without having to face the dazzling 4:7 on the court.

At the post-match press conference, some media were surprised that the Forests performed hugely in the first and second half. He raised his hand and asked: "Mr. Tang En, we are interested in what you said to your players during the break, so that their performance looks so different?"

In front of many media, especially the local media in Portsmouth, Don Eun smiled and replied: "What did you say? I just told them to respect their opponents."

As soon as these words came out, the audience was in an uproar.

Then, without waiting for others to ask questions, Don En explained himself: "Before the game, you all said that my lineup was an insult and contempt for Portsmouth. I did not give any explanation at that time, because I didn't think it would be better to pay tribute to my respected Mr. Harry Redknapp using the actual game." At this point, he turned his head and looked at Portsmouth head coach Redknapp sitting next to him.

Old Redknapp's face turned red and white, so embarrassed.

"Now, I am very, very happy and satisfied with this score. It is not because we defeated Portsmouth and had such a big score. But we finally clarified the rumors in the media in our way - we did not mean to disrespect our opponents, despise our opponents, and insult our opponents. On the contrary, we respect Portsmouth more than any other team and value Portsmouth. You see, the score of 7:4 is proof."

The local media in Portsmouth collectively lost their voices at this moment, and could only watch Tang En's smug smile on the stage greeted his relatives countless times in their hearts. They finally tasted the feeling of being slapped by themselves.

Speaking of the game on the bbc Daily Event that night, Leinker smiled and said: "The media in Portsmouth tried to provoke Tony Donn, but they lost badly."
Chapter completed!