Chapter 74: Fierce battle

With the excitement and joy of sitting on the league throne, the whole team of Nottingham Forest flew to Barcelona to prepare for the match against the La Liga giants Barcelona.

Barcelona fans have not forgotten Tony Donn's arrogant performance against Barcelona in the Champions League final, nor have they forgotten the hatred of Nottingham Forest eliminating them.

Now they have the opportunity to return the resentment accumulated over the past two years to Nottingham Forest.

The above are all fantasized by Barcelona fans themselves, and Barcelona players may not think so.

This is Rijkaard's last chance to save himself. He was empty-handed for two seasons and was firmly suppressed by his rival Real Madrid. He lost the first leg of the century at Camp Nou this season. The league championship was basically hopeless. The reason for not expecting was not that Real Madrid was too strong, but that he was not good at it. The King's Cup was eliminated, and only the Champions League entered the semi-finals. If he could win the Big Ear Cup in the end, then all the failures this season were nothing. The shame of being defeated by Real Madrid at Camp Nou will soon be submerged in the ocean of joy of victory.

But... facing Nottingham Forest, Rijkald was at a loss. Because he didn't have good cards.

Under normal circumstances, when a strong enemy comes, the team should unite and actively prepare for the battle in order to defeat the opponent.

But Barcelona is not. The Catalan media is hyping Ronaldinho's locker room enemies all day long, or Etoho's big mouth that likes to cause trouble, and the weak Rijcard lost control of the locker room. Who is Messi or Ronaldinho really needs the core of Barcelona, ​​whether Henry is worth buying, Mourinho, Rijcard's successor... etc. It looks lively, and readers and viewers will see new gimmicks every day, but there is no more news about this game - no, there is still. The dispute between Messi and Ronaldinho who is the core that Barcelona should trust is mentioned in the dispute that Messi is injured, and he will miss the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Nottingham Forest...

This is really a great irony.

Tang En, his coaching staff, and the entire team made the most careful preparations and did not dare to take it lightly. But after coming, they found that their opponents were all concerned about internal friction and did not take their enemy seriously at all.

So he is not afraid of the Barcelona team now.

The day before the game, Puyol stood up and said we had to beat Nottingham Forest at home because it was the semi-finals of the Champions League. After seeing this report in the hotel room, Don said to Don sarcastically: "Did they know that this is the semi-finals of the Champions League?"

Don En attaches great importance to team unity and harmonious atmosphere inside the locker room. He was taught by Chairman Mao, but he knew the truth that "fortresses are easiest to break from within." Nottingham Forest's achievements are based on unity in addition to working hard on top and bottom. Real Madrid's failure in the past few years and Barcelona's current depravity stems from their division.

So he absolutely does not allow farce to happen in Barcelona now. The future will happen to him.

Learn from history and learn from it...

As the captain, Puyol stood up and spoke, with pitifully few results. The interior of Barcelona has long been divided, and even if he is the captain, not everyone will listen to him.

This game at Camp Nou is very, very...drenched.

Defensive counterattack is naturally Donne's first choice in important and key games, and Barcelona did not show a high-level offense. Messi's injury and absence have indeed had a great impact on the team. Ronaldinho once again sat on the bench - he has not been on the bench several times in Barcelona for more than four seasons, and the number of times he has sat on this season is far greater than the previous four seasons.

Although Rijcard has never publicly criticized Ronaldinho. He always said that he trusts Brazilians, but he always puts him on the bench every time, and this attitude is worthy of research... In addition, from a tactical perspective, Ronaldinho has now changed from the previous "phenomenon" of Barcelona to a "cancer". His offensive effect on the team on the court will be determined by his personal condition. In addition, his condition is very bad this season, and taking too many balls will lead to too many mistakes. The offensive speed is not as fast as Messi on the court. If he and Messi appear at the same time, they will influence and interfere with each other. So in the game where Ronaldinho was diagnosed, Barcelona performed very well, but when he appeared, Barcelona either lost or tied.

At first, someone in the Catalan media called out, "Why not let Ronaldinho play? I always said he was injured, but in fact he had no problems at all." Later, the voice gradually disappeared.

In this game, Ronaldinho sat in the back row of the bench, with people in front, back and left, surrounding him in the middle. But he seemed very lonely. His only good friend, Messi, was recuperating at home and preparing for the second round of the game, and what about him? He may not be taken to England in the second round.

Barcelona's attack was quite chaotic, and despite this, Nottingham Forest still couldn't stand it. The troops invested in the counterattack were very few, as if they were afraid of being cut off and caught off guard.

Can such a game be satisfactory? A booed sounded at the Camp Nou Stadium, which was not aimed at one team, but at both sides. They were deeply dissatisfied with Barcelona's weak offense. At the same time, they did not forget that Nottingham Forest was their own enemy.

Ninety minutes.                                                                                                                             

However, Don En couldn't control the mood of these people. He left Camp Nou with a smile and left the beautiful city of Barcelona. Because he got the result he wanted before the game: a draw without losing the ball, he consumed Barcelona's home advantage.

If you can score a goal, you will make a profit, and it will be better if you don’t make a profit.

Returning to the top of the league and leaving the away game in the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals is something that makes Don En happy. As the game ends approach. His mood has been wandering back and forth between the peaks and valleys - when he was tied by AC Milan at home, he was chest tight and cursed when he lost to Blackburn, and the next day he had to apologize to the whole team because he still had to rely on these people to compete. After winning the game against Tottenham, he praised the whole team and used words without hesitation; when Blackburn tied Manchester United, he excitedly invited all the people in the bar to drink and have fun.

For him, every minute and every second in life is spent in great joy or great sorrow, and there is neither great joy nor great sorrow. He is always nervous and dares not relax for a moment. There is no word "smooth transition" at all.

No season has ever made him nervous as much as this season.   At the last moment, both champions had a chance, but they were not sure to win. In the end, they might win the double championship, or they might have made wedding dresses for others without any help.

Back in Nottingham, the team didn't even have a half-day rest time. They were going to prepare for the 36th round of the league against Reading at home.

The time is very close, just two days later. For Tony Don and his team, this game must be won, and a draw is a failure.

Manchester United has been forced into a desperate situation. In the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, they were tied 1:1 by Chelsea at home, and Ferguson's roar will continue. In the 36th round of the league, it was a coincidence. Their opponent is still... Chelsea. No matter what method is used in this game, Ferguson will not allow his team to lose to Chelsea again, even if it is their away game, even if the league is over, it will be the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals with Chelsea again.

Manchester United will definitely fight Chelsea to the death at Stamford Bridge. This game is an excellent opportunity for Nottingham Forest to continue to gain a lead. No matter who wins or loses, Nottingham Forest can have the advantage of the left-handed fisherman - Chelsea wins, Nottingham Forest will gain benefits on the league battlefield; Manchester United will win. Nottingham Forest will gain benefits on the Champions League battlefield.

God-given opportunity.  This can only be used to describe the meaning of the 36th round of the league to Nottingham Forest.

"So we must win!" At the end of the tactical arrangement meeting on the last day before the game, Donn set the tone for the game.

The city stadium was packed after a day, with tens of thousands of flags waving on the stands that could accommodate up to 30,000 people, and the crowds were filled with people. All Forest fans had long known that the situation of each team in this round of the league was the most beneficial to Forests - the enemy was weak and the competitors fought to the death. As long as they won one hand, they would be considered as the leader of the championship trophy.

Everyone wants to see this historic moment - Nottingham Forest Club has only won the top league event once in history, that is the League One champion in the era of Brian Clauve. They took advantage of this championship to win the Champions League twice. They are the only team in the history of the Champions League that has only won the top league championship once in the history of the Champions League, but they have won the Champions League twice. So if the Forest team can finally win the league championship this season, then it can be said to be a history of the new generation.

When the Forest players appeared, they received tsunami cheers like a thunderbolt - this is the function of the City Stadium as home court, but it was a little more exciting today. The Forest supporters also hope to put additional pressure on the visiting Reading in this way, leaving them at a loss and surrender.

Tony Tangen is like a head of state and commander of the three armies. He stands on the high city tower, reviewing the troops driving from front of him with confidence, enjoying the great cheers and praises of his subjects coming from the stands. The pinnacle of his coaching career... is coming.

Of course, there is another person who feels the same as him, which is the club owner Evan Dogette who stands in the VIP box. He is the one who really should enjoy this feeling of emperor, because he is the real owner of this club, Tony Donne? He is just a worker, a little more advanced.

At this moment, the huge excitement of glory hit the brain of the senior worker, making his facial nerves uncontrollable, and a clear smile was always on the corner of his mouth. In the eyes of outsiders, he was not standing on the sidelines before the game, but on the sidelines after the game, and the result was. Naturally, his team won a great victory.

The tactical opponent is the enemy and the enemy is not strong, so there is no reason for a problem in this game.

In the just-concluded focus game, Manchester United made a strong attack away, winning Chelsea 2:1 at the cost of a red card, temporarily surpassing Nottingham Forest in the standings and leading by two points. However, Don En believes that when the game is over, he will definitely lead by himself. No more or less is one point gap.

When the players of both sides stood in line with their own half, the referee stood outside the central circle and put the whistle in his mouth. The city court, which had been noisy for a long time, suddenly became quiet. This quietness made Tang En feel illusion. He turned around and looked at the stand behind him. Everyone was still there, and he felt relieved.

"beep--"

One hundred and twenty minutes later, nearly half an hour had passed since the end of the game.

Tony Donn sat alone in the empty coaching seat. As empty as the coaching seat, there were also the city court stands and a green field in front of him.

He sat here without saying a word, with neither ecstatic expression nor depressed feeling on his face.

He didn't care about the sound of footsteps coming from far to near.

"Tony.  " The footsteps disappeared beside him, and Tang's voice rang out.

"Hmm?" Tang En didn't even raise his eyelids.

"Go back?"

"I'll sit for a while."

"You've been sitting for fifteen minutes."

Tang En finally moved his eyes from the court to Tang next to him. He didn't say anything, but his eyes made Tang feel a little cold on his back.

Tony Donn is like a beast angry at the loss of a child. He stares at you, and it seems that he may jump up and pounce on you at any time.

He is really, really angry...

"You..." Downs paused. "I didn't say anything just now, and I was very ordinary in my performance. Everyone thought you..."

"I'm not angry, are you?" he asked, his voice cold.

In the past, Chris Lack's thick line came over to touch Don't worry, but today Chris Lack took the team away, so he had to live with Don... Don next door came.

"How could I not be angry?" He asked again, this time he could not hear the smell of gunpowder. "But who should I be angry? After the game was just over, when I was questioned by a group of media at the press conference. I really wanted to rush into the locker room and scold everyone. But when I thought about the incident after losing to Blackburn, I endured it. But I didn't want to see them again, so I sent them to leave early. I ran here and sat for a while. I felt that I couldn't say it to them... No, I couldn't say it to them. Do you know why?"

Tang En looked at Tang, and Tang looked at him, but did not answer.

"Because I think if I trace the source of this scolding, I should be scolded the most. But I can't scold myself. Especially in front of others. And even more so." Tang En stood up from his seat. "Three days after the league is the Champions League semi-finals, and three days after the Champions League semi-finals are the league. Three days after the league is the Champions League semi-finals are the Champions League semi-finals. The players' state fluctuates, they are too tired."

"If I were a little bolder in this game, it might not be the result now. I didn't rotate when it was time to rotate. I wanted to use the strongest lineup to tear down Reading, but I didn't expect that the strongest lineup was not the strongest lineup that decided the outcome of the game..."

"Then I sit here and think about it... Everyone has been exposed, and there is no one, and there will be no reporter like a fly to bother me. I can think carefully about it without pretending to be in front of others. I was not thinking about why I fell at this time. I just think that fate is really wonderful. I will let you go to heaven and to hell..."

"As I think about it, I won't be angry anymore." Tang En's eyes changed, and a smile appeared on his face. He opened his arms and even danced a little. "I admit that I was blinded by the performance in front of me at the beginning. Some people may think that this result was a cruel joke that fate played on me. But in fact, I think this is just the best result!"

"I wasn't silly! What was our original plan? Whether we were ahead of Manchester United or not, the final result would not change - we always had to talk directly with them in the last round and decide who was the champion at Old Trafford. Right? So, does it mean to be the first and second at this time? It would be nice to throw the pressure of the leader to the opponent."

"And." He blinked at Don, "I also thought of how to make Barcelona bow down at home. We will get the ticket to the Champions League final for the third time."

He stretched, "Let's go, Tang, go home. It's great if someone listens to my words, otherwise it would be very uncomfortable to hold it in my heart..." He walked towards the corridor first, and then stopped and looked back at Tang. "Do you know? I suddenly felt that sitting in a stadium where there was no one to be empty, thinking about problems is a great experience. The office or my own house is too small, which restricts my thinking. This is just right here." He pointed to the stadium.

"It's big enough, but it won't be boundless, otherwise I'll be distracted." Then he muttered, "Compared with the noisy earth stadium, I suddenly like such a quiet earth stadium again... It's really strange."

On April 26, 2008, three days ago in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals, in the 36th round of the 2007-08 English Premier League, Nottingham Forest was accidentally tied by Reading at home, and neither side scored a goal.

Manchester United took this opportunity to overtake and temporarily ranked with one point advantage... No, return to the top.

For Tony Donn and Alex Ferguson, there are two rounds left before the league championship trophy, and before the final round of the final match at Old Trafford, there will be one more round of league games. Will there be any accidents?
Chapter completed!