champion godfather

Chapter 496
Mr. Steve Koppel has been looking forward to such a day since his team was promoted to the Super League.

Two years later, he was finally able to face off with Tang En again.

In the summer of 2004, Twain's Nottingham Forest fought their way out of the cruel First Division (now the English Championship) and returned to the long-awaited Premier League, embarking on a broad road since then.Tony Twain and Nottingham Forest became famous all over the world.

And what is Koppel doing at this time?He is still trying his best to transform the team and aim to overtake.

Two seasons have passed, and Koppel has transformed the Reading team into a tougher team with a rough and tenacious style of play. Such a team is more suitable for fighting in the English Championship.The team is united and struggles to surpass the goal.Finally, in the summer of 2006, the dream came true, and the Reading team reached the Premier League!
Reading players are all tall and big, and Koppel has brought this advantage to the extreme.His team treats every game as if it were a war.

Perhaps Koppel would not admit it, but his transformation was indeed influenced by Tony Twain.

While Tang En was afraid that the current Reading team's playing style was too rough, did he ever think that this might be caused by him alone?The impact he brought to this world after crossing, as he became active, became more and more like silk threads, and then became entangled with each other, becoming more and more deeply rooted.

※ ※ ※

Tang found that Tang En had been frowning slightly since boarding the bus at the hotel.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

Tang En looked at his partner. He did have something on his mind, but he couldn't tell anyone about it. "I'm thinking about the match against Arsenal." Tang En forced a smile.

"Think about the opponent in front of you first, Reading is not easy to deal with."

These words happened to touch on Tang En's mind, and he froze for a moment.

"I think you're underestimating the enemy a little bit, Tony?"

The team's starting roster has not yet been announced, but the coaches already know it.In this game, Twain rotated several positions.The main goalkeeper van der Sar came off the bench, Paul Girard got the start, Ribery came off the bench, and Petrov came on.Bendtner replaced Ruud van Nistelrooy, and Anelka, who had no chance to play, also started.

"Rotation is normal for the current Forest team." Tang En shrugged.

"But why do you, who never rotate the main goalkeeper, let Paul start this time?"

This kid has really poisonous eyesight.Tang En sighed in his heart, but said in his mouth: "Didn't you complain that the substitute goalkeeper has too few opportunities to play, that it is difficult to maintain his state, and his level cannot be improved? Now is the opportunity."

The answer was spot on.Tang couldn't find any problems, but he still felt a little strange in his heart.He stopped talking.

"Don't worry, Don." Tang En consoled, "I have played against Koppel many times in the First Division, and I know him and his team well. This game..."

The image of Petr Cech and Cudicini unconscious suddenly flashed in Tang En's mind, and he paused.

"...There will be no problem."

※ ※ ※

"I'm very happy that we're back in this stadium and against this opponent. In the Championship we played against them many times and never won. Now it's different and this is our chance."

In front of his players, Koppel never concealed his "unique interest" in the opponent Nottingham Forest, so everyone in the team knew how much the manager was looking forward to this game.

"Nottingham Forest is a strong team now. That guy Twain said before the season that their goal this season is to win the Champions League. Their goal is ambitious, and they don't bother to roll in the mud with a team like us. So, this game The game we want to let them relive the old dream! Fulham have set a good example, but I think they have not done enough. This game... in our usual style!"

He didn't say what he said later, but everyone knew what it meant.The Reading team doesn't care about technical statistics such as fouls when they play football. As long as they can kick the opponent out of their way, they can pay any price.Victory is the only law in this world.

※ ※ ※

At the same time, Tang En was in the locker room, reminding the players over and over again to pay attention to the opponent's rough fouls, and telling them that if there is no need to fight for some balls, they should not take risks.

These words of his caused a burst of laughter in the locker room.

"Boss, have you had an operation yet?" Ribery asked with a smile.

"Huh?" Dunn didn't understand what he meant.

"Usually you always call us sissies, why do I think you are more sissies today?"

As soon as Ribery finished speaking, everyone laughed.

Usually this joke, Tang En just smiled and passed it.Today Dunn couldn't laugh no matter what.

He stared at Ribery for a while until everyone stopped laughing.

But he didn't say anything to Ribery, just bowed his head and continued to analyze Reading's tactics for everyone.

The relaxed atmosphere in the locker room suddenly became a little awkward.

Tang looked at Tang En quietly from the side.

In the end, Tang En didn't remind everyone to pay attention to the opponent's rough fouls and petty moves.He seems to have accepted Ribery's advice.

As the game time approached, Tang En also finished the pre-match arrangement.Then he didn't make any motivating speeches, just waved his hands and let everyone out.

Substitute goalkeeper Paul Gerrard looked excited to start, and he did not forget to pat the top of the woodwork as he went out.

Tang En looked at him from behind, but didn't know what to do.He hoped that all his worries were false alarms, the result of his own wild thinking.

※ ※ ※

"Nottingham Forest and Reading, Tony Twain and Steve Koppel are old acquaintances." The commentator introduced the situation of the two sides to the audience, "There will be a lot of things to watch in this game... there will definitely be!"

Dunn sat in the coach's bench, quietly waiting for the game to start.

It was out of his habit, he was rarely so quiet.

Just 5 minutes into the game, Tang En jumped up from his seat, and he finally became active again.

Nottingham Forest scored.

Just like what the media analyzed before the game, Tang En's aggressive use of the rotation system in this game was not entirely out of underestimation of the enemy, but that Nottingham Forest and Reading were far apart, and they would face their old rivals Arsenal next. Before, arranging rotations was also the best way to avoid physical exhaustion and injury of players.

"Nicolas Anelka!" the live broadcast shouted the goal scorer's name.For Forest fans, this name has not been heard for some time.After the new season, Anelka sat on the bench, not to mention scoring goals, and his playing time was gone.

I didn't expect to start for the first time now and score a goal for the team in 5 minutes.

Tang En jumped up and applauded, then sat down again, not as excited as before.But at this time he was not worried about the rough Reading, he just didn't want to make Anelka too proud.

"Anelka." The assistant coach next to him, Chris Lark, shook his head and sighed, "It's a pity that this strength..."

Tang En snorted, but Chris Rack fell silent.He turned his attention back to the court. Anelka was still celebrating his goal. He was a little over excited. It seemed that he was able to score a goal in front of Twain, which relieved him a lot.

Things are different, Anelka.No matter how well you behave in front of me now, don't even think about having another chance.

※ ※ ※

The Forest team scored a goal, and Koppel's face changed instantly.Originally, he still had great expectations for this game, but he was hit in the head in the first 5 minutes.

Before the game, I told them that everyone who watched the opponent's death, fouled if it should be fouled, you are welcome.But look at how the ball was conceded just now?After Anelka forced a breakthrough with speed, none of his men fouled!Just watched him break into the penalty area and score a goal like that!

These bastards!

He got up from his seat.

"Sunk!" he shouted the name of the team's central defender, in fact, to all the Reading players, "Look what you are doing? Why do you let the other side score so easily? What did I tell you before? Do you still want to win!"

※ ※ ※

After Koppel yelled like this, the Reading team woke up like a dream.The Nottingham Forest players soon realized that it was not so easy for them to hold the ball. Almost as soon as their feet touched the ball, the opponent rushed up fiercely and broke the ball with both hands and feet.What made the Forest players even more dissatisfied was that the on-duty referee Riley turned a blind eye to Reading's approach, and some of the Forest players were pushed down from behind to successfully steal the ball, which was acquiesced by the referee.

This made the Forest players very angry.The stands also repeatedly booed referee Riley.

Tang En was sitting on the coach's bench. To him, this kind of game was considered normal. After all, kicking legs and kicking heads were two completely different concepts.

However, there was a clear sneer on his face, and this smile was given to Riley, the referee on duty.

"UEFA didn't piss us off, did our own people piss us off?" He muttered to himself.

The next game officially entered the "hand-to-hand stage". Reading was aroused by conceding the ball, and Nottingham Forest was irritated by their rough fouls. Both sides moved a little bit.

You push me, I push yours, which is considered normal physical contact in this game.

Riley's weakness caused the Reading team to move more and more. At this time, the players of the Forest team remembered that the boss had warned them to be careful of the opponent's rude fouls, and then thought that the next round of the league would be the highlight of the game against Arsenal. No one wants to lose this opportunity to make an appearance in an important game.Suddenly, the Forest team played a little timidly.

The Reading team took advantage of the situation to attack the Forest team's hinterland, hoping to equalize the score before the end of the first half.

If Sidwell's memory is good, he will definitely not take the ball in the middle and force a breakthrough.But it doesn't matter, soon his memory will be better.

Reading's midfielder, Steve Sidwell, a member of the England under-21 national team, decided to go in the middle after receiving a pass from his partner. After all, this is the most threatening route to the opponent's goal, and it is also the most direct.

The most direct is the most effective!
Sidwell planned to attack from the middle, and it seemed that he had forgotten one person.This attitude made that person a little uncomfortable.

Steve Sidwell confirmed that there were no Forest players on the line in the middle before he broke through, but just after he knocked the football out, a red figure flashed out suddenly, turned around and cut in!
When the red figure turned his back to him, he finally saw clearly—13, WOOD.

Sidwell, who had just accelerated, couldn't stop the car and bumped into it. He felt that Wood didn't even shake, which separated him from the football.

At this moment, Sidwell's memory suddenly improved.He remembered that in the game against the forest team two years ago, just such a kid made him suffer a lot.But at that time, this kid was still wearing size 33...

Wood, George Wood.The hottest defensive midfielder in England at the moment, how could I have forgotten him?

It was too late for Sidwell to regret, the ball had already been lost.

"George Wood! Beautiful position! Facing George Wood in the middle? Sidwell's mind is really confused..."

The boos against the referee finally ceased from the stands, and the fans of the home team gave their captain warm applause.

At critical moments, the captain is always trustworthy.

※ ※ ※

Wood relied on his personal performance to resolve a crisis for the Forest team, but he is not a team after all.The dilemma facing the Forest team has not been lifted.

The Reading team bullied the Forest team with a lot of worries, and played more rough and open.

Tang En was right to worry, and Koppel's assumption was also right.

Today's Nottingham Forest dare not compete with the rough style of Reading. They have too many things to worry about. The next round of the league against Arsenal, the Champions League group stage, the long journey of the whole season, the championship goal...etc. .These are the reasons that make them hold back.

The people in front were timid, and goalkeeper Paul Gerrard was extremely busy. He blocked high and low, trying not to let the opponent break his goal.Of course, he doesn't expect to be able to snatch the main goalkeeper position from Van der Sar, and he doesn't know why the boss suddenly rotated the goalkeeper position in this game. He only knows one thing - the boss let himself play , I have to be worthy of these nine 10 minutes.

"Reading's through ball... big, but Hunter is chasing!"

South Korean midfielder Kim Doo-hyun made an unexpected direct pass from the center and tore open the Forest team's defense.Originally, the defenders of the Forest team didn't take this seriously, because, as the commentator said, the pass was a bit too big.

But when they all relaxed, they saw that Reading striker Hunter did not give up, but was chasing after him!

Piqué looked back and saw Hunter's high-speed jumping figure, and he was a little nervous, but he felt relieved when he saw that Paul Gerrard had already charged and was about to fall to the ground to catch the ball.

Although Hunter is still chasing, he absolutely can't get the ball anymore.

Paul Gerrard slid down to the ball and hooked it with both hands.Reading's one attack ended.

Hunter is still rushing forward. At this time, the striker should usually jump up to avoid the attacking goalkeeper, right?Stephen Hunter didn't, he charged straight up and hit Paul Gerrard's head with his knee...

Everyone - whether in front of the TV or in the audience - can see clearly.Paul Gerrard, who was holding the ball, suddenly raised his head, turned over, and changed from lying on the ground to lying on his back. He was still holding the football tightly, but the situation seemed to be wrong.

Hunter didn't notice all this, he ran past Paul Gera's head, ran out of the baseline, and found that the football was still in the goalkeeper's hand.So he stopped, spread his hands, and smiled nonchalantly in the direction of the camera.

Just when he finished laughing and turned around, a gigantic fist suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.Immediately afterwards, before he could react, he felt as if he had been hit by a heavy truck traveling at high speed, flew upside down, and fell on the advertising board near the bottom line!
This time, referee Riley's whistle finally rang.

(End of this chapter)