Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The penalty shot in the 31st minute of the first half was a heavy blow to the Forest team. For the rest of the time, Nottingham Forest played somewhat listlessly. They had conceded two goals to their opponents in within thirty minutes, and furthermore, their opponent was Manchester United. How were they supposed to play this game?
Some people thought about their loss to Liverpool in that championship game. Then, it had also been 0:2 in the first half of the game, and the team completely collapsed afterward.
It was the same today, only George Wood was still running; but he alone was too insignificant for Manchester United’s mighty midfield.
When the whistle sounded at the end of the first half, the cheers of the Red Devils were ringing throughout Old Trafford as though they could see that a victory was within reach.
Twain did not rush back to the locker room. He just stood on the sidelines, watching his men enter the corridor. All the Forest players who had played bowed their heads when they passed by their manager. They all felt that they played terribly in the first forty-five minutes of today’s game.
Opposite them, Ferguson did not rush back to the locker room either. He stood on the sidelines with a smile on his face. Whenever a Manchester United player passed by him, he would pat the player on the shoulder.
The contrast between these two managers, one with an expressionless face and the other with a face full of smiles, was as wide as the difference between the scores on the electronic scoreboard.
When the field was only left with the substitute players from both teams warming up, Twain and Ferguson entered the players’ corridor one after the other.
Pushing open the door, Twain thought momentarily that he had walked into an empty room. It was completely silent, as though there was no one around.
Looking at the dejected players. the original speech that Twain had prepared vanished without a trace. It was necessary now to change his strategy.
He cleared his throat to alert everyone of his presence. It attracted a lot of people’s attention.
Once he got everyone’s attention, Twain lifted his wrist to look at his watch and pretended to be surprised when he said,
Is there something wrong with my watch? Is the game over? David, should we compare the time?
Kerslake knew what Twain wanted to do, and he shook his head.
There’s no need, Tony. It’s only just the end of the first half.
It’s the end of the first half? Are you sure?
Twain widened his eyes in response.
I’m sure.
Kerslake nodded in reply.
Well…
When he heard the answer, Twain looked at the players.
It looks like my watch is normal… and my memory is fine… In that case…
He dragged out his voice and paused for a moment.
We still have forty-five minutes left, so what are you guys doing? Every one of you looks so glum, I thought that I had entered the wrong room or remembered the wrong time. Is the game over? No? In that case, why are you all looking like that? Or is it because…
He gestured to the door of the locker room and raised his voice.
You think that we won’t improve? That we have no chance in the second half, and that this game is over? Just like that? Answer me!
There were a few sporadic replies among the players,
No, boss…
On my team, I will never put up with cowards who give up hope and think that they have lost before the game even ends! If anyone here doesn’t have confidence in himself or his teammates, you can put your hands up now. The time is near for the winter transfer period!
No one raised their hand.
What? No one’s raising his hand? So, were you sleeping just now? Okay, let’s put that problem aside for a while…
Twain waved aside the issue.
I don’t want to waste my time talking about this nonsense for the whole fifteen minutes of the half time interval. Yes, we’re not in a good position right now; we’re two goals behind in the game. It seems difficult to bounce back. But these are not reasons to give up the game. We have no reason at all to give up hope of winning.
When they heard the manager’s tone soften, the players, who had had their heads down and had dared not breathe too loudly for fear of being scolded, slowly raised their heads one by one.
Franck.
Twain turned to the corner of the locker room to look at Ribéry and said,
You’re a midfielder and even a winger. Remember, you’re just helping Baines to defend. I will not criticize you for giving our opponent a chance to fake-dive for a penalty, but you have to know that you are an attacking player. Defending is not your primary task. How many times have you tangled with Ronaldo near our penalty area? How can we counterattack if we successfully intercept the ball?
Twain’s tone was not severe, and everything he said made sense. Ribéry repeatedly nodded as he listened. He was too rash on the field; he only thought of how to win in the one-on-one with Ronaldo, and completely forgot the team’s overall tactical needs. In hindsight, his actions lacked consideration.
We all know that in addition to creating opportunities to score goals on the flanks, focusing our effort on the flanks plays an important role in suppressing our opponents’ offense there. So, Franck, if you retreat too much, it’s equivalent to letting our opponents suppress our offense on the left flank…
Ribéry fully understood what Twain had said up to this point. He had been completely steered by Ronaldo.
I understand now, boss. I’m not going to let them get so comfortable in the second half,
he said, clutching his fist.
Twain nodded and turned to Wood again.
And… George. Remember your mission from before the game?
Wood nodded his head.
Your support for the flanks isn’t enough. If you’re more active, Ribéry won’t be under so much pressure.
Wood opened his mouth as if he wanted to defend himself. But he immediately gave up the idea and said nothing. Instead, next to him, Albertini spoke up for him.
Boss, I’m not… Actually, Keane has too much pressure on George.
Twain nodded to indicate that he knew. However, he continued from Albertini’s words.
Anyone would be under great pressure playing against Keane. Do you think that the Arsenal team captain, Patrick Vieira, isn’t under a lot of pressure? He’s the same. Roy Keane is just that kind of player. So, George, I’ll say it again: if you can’t accomplish the mission I gave you, I’ll make a substitution.
Twain spoke amiably to Ribéry. But to his most favored George Wood, he was instead harsh to the point of being unreasonable. In the face of such a ridiculous arrangement, an average player might have complained already.
But not Wood. He did not show any changes in his expression; he just nodded his head.
Okay.
His tone was so even that some of his teammates thought that he must have not heard Twain’s words, but he had just simply answered.
Twain also did not ask if they understood again. He just turned around and spoke to all the players.
Guys, you should know that football is a team sport. Whether it’s offense or defense, it’s not determined by one or two players. So… you also need to help Wood.
He smiled.
Don’t let Wood become a superman on his own, I need eleven supermen!
That’s easy, boss!
Eastwood raised his hand and stood up.
Do you have any good suggestions, Freddy?
Twain looked at him.
Freddy nodded and said seriously,
Just wear your underwear on the outside!
Even the usually-serious Mark Viduka could not help but laugh when he heard his forward partner say that. His laughter in the quiet room was like a spark. Everyone, including the players and coaches, all laughed loudly. The oppressive mood in the locker room was swept away by laughter.
※※※
When both managers of the two teams were back on the sidelines waiting for the whistle to kick off the second half, Twain stole a glance at Ferguson, The old Scottish man’s seemingly smiley face was flushed pink.
When he saw the faintly smiling face, he felt uncomfortable and quickly turned his face back.
There are still forty-five minutes left; don’t get happy too soon, Sir Ferguson…
※※※
After the start of the second half, there seemed to be a repeat of the first half. Manchester United made use of their home advantage to launch a tidal wave of attacks on the Forest team’s goal, one wave after another, and battered the other team.
Ribéry remembered Twain’s words during the halftime interval. However, when he found that he could not reach the football during the game, he hesitated for a while and ran back. Counterattack? First, we have to not lose the ball before we can do it.
When he saw that the situation had not improved, Twain stood up from the technical area and walked to the sidelines. He waved to the field and shouted,
George!
Wood heard Twain’s call, but he did not look back. He knew why Twain had called him.
Keane pressed on more frequently in the second half, which seemed to be inspired by Ferguson. Scholes and Roy Keane, together with Wayne Rooney and van Nistelrooy taking turns to retreat, were making the defense in the middle very tense.
Wood had never experienced this kind of feeling in a game. When he faced Roy Keane, he would feel extremely nervous. There was no time to breathe. Any negligence could bring about fatal results. He did not have the presence of mind to think about other issues; he only had eyes for Manchester United number 16.
Tang En could understand Wood’s current situation, because he remembered that when Keane had announced his retirement in the future, his sworn enemy in the Premier League, Patrick Vieira, had paid tribute to the Manchester United captain, saying he was the greatest midfielder he had ever played against. He had to bring his A game when playing against Keane in a match and use all of his energy. He liked the thrill of being totally involved in playing against a dab hand.
Tang En did not know if Wood liked that feeling, but he was certain that by playing against Keane, who was in tip-top condition, in a life-and-death game, George would develop far more than he had from three months of hard training in the training ground.
There was something buried in Tang En’s heart which he did not say to anyone: Even if they lost this game, then as long as the process met Twain’s expectations, he would not have any complaints. He could withstand the pressure of a losing streak.
Everything that he had showed so far was to motivate the players, and was not evidence that he was unable to withstand loss as others might think.
Failure was the only way to victory. Of course, that failure must be worthwhile.
※※※
Roy Keane has possession of the ball, but he’s unable to shoot at the goal… He’s always followed by George Wood at his side, and Wood is inseparable from him, like his shadow. This must be the tactical arrangement of Manager Tony Twain.
Keane saw George Wood closing in on him and immediately passed the ball to Ronaldo on the flank. Wood saw it and rushed to Ronaldo again. The Portuguese player saw him coming and passed the ball back to Keane. The center back, Piqué, stepped forward to fill the gap, but the ball was passed behind him. Luckily, the Forest team’s right back, Leighton Baines, received the ball in the penalty area in time and obstructed Wayne Rooney by kicking the ball out.
Twain shook his head on the sideline when he saw the scene. This won’t do, people can’t outrun the ball no matter how fast they are.
Wood stood beside Keane and saw the goalkeeper, Darren Ward, give Baines a thumbs up, thanking him for the timely recovery and for lifting a threat. Suddenly, there was a flash of inspiration in his mind.
Why can’t we do it this way?
He walked towards Albertini and succinctly conveyed his idea. Albertini quickly understood what Wood had in mind. He considered it, and then nodded.
It’s not the boss’s arrangement, I think we can give it a try.
Next, he turned to tell everyone Wood’s idea; not everyone agreed. Some of them hesitated because George Wood had never been trained as a full back, and the Spaniard, Piqué, had never been a defending midfielder.
Taking advantage of the dead ball, Albertini informed several teammates who needed to take part in the plan.
I don’t think there’s any hesitation in this. Look at the score, we’re already two goals behind. If we can’t curb Manchester United’s attack, we have no chance to fight back. George’s idea isn’t bad. Piqué, have you ever played as a defending midfielder?
The Spanish lad shook his head.
No, Demetrio.
Then why not take this opportunity to try?
But this is an important game…
Forget about that, it’s not a cup final. Okay, it’s settled. Piqué, you will still play center back as usual. If you see Keane coming up to get the ball, just head the ball out to stall him. Then Baines, you’ll receive inside the penalty area as a center back and leave the flank to George. Any problems? No? Then let’s do it!
At this critical moment, Albertini showed a team captain’s capability and courage, and concisely assigned the new tasks. Of course, this had something to do with his English proficiency. He always avoided using grammatically long and complex sentences, and instead used phrases to express his meaning so that everyone could comprehend him well.
No one had any objections to him doing this because everyone knew that how highly Twain regarded the Italian team captain. The relationship between the two of them sometimes did not seem purely like that of a manager and player.
From the sidelines, Twain saw his players gather together and part quickly. He did not know what had happened. Then, when Manchester United attacked again, he was surprised to find Piqué in Wood’s position!
Defending midfielder!
He could not help yelling, and next to him, Kerslake asked,
Is there a problem, Tony?
Twain hurriedly shook his head.
No, no, this is good…
He still remembered that, because Piqué was unable to play in any tournaments on the Manchester United First Team and Ferguson had felt he would be wasting time playing in the reserve team games, he was put on loan to Real Zaragoza FC, a team in La Liga. Right from the start, he was faced with the same dilemma of not being able to play in competitions. But the contract between Manchester United and Real Zaragoza FC stipulated the number of appearances for Piqué. He had to play twenty times in a season, so Real Zaragoza arranged for Piqué to play in the last few minutes of the game while also using him as a jack of all trades, a utility player. He would play in whichever position that was short of a player. This included defending midfielder.
Originally, Piqué could only play right back and center back. But, compelled by the circumstances in Real Zaragoza, he also developed a third position as a defending midfielder.
As it turned out, Piqué also did well in the defending midfielder position, even though his favorite position was still center back.
I didn’t expect Piqué’s third position to emerge in the Premier League two years ahead of time, Tang En thought.
Piqué was pushed entirely beyond his limit the first time he played as a defending midfielder. He seemed to be at a loss facing off against Keane. He was easily shaken off. Fortunately, Albertini made up for the breach in time and resolved the crisis.
Piqué made a gesture of apology to the team captain. Albertini smiled at him and said,
It was inevitable for your first time. There’s actually no difference in the position, you just need to pay attention to your movements. The defense for outside of the penalty area and inside it are not the same. Don’t strike with your foot too easily, just stick to him!
Piqué nodded to show that he understood.
On the other side, the Portuguese genius Cristiano Ronaldo was somewhat surprised to find that his opponent had changed. Leighton Baines had gone to the penalty area; he looked like he was a center back, and that Scarface…
Ribéry wanted to come back to help with the defense, but he was only supposed to
help.
Although running up and down frequently made him feel tired, he persisted with gritted teeth.
Wood looked up and saw Ribéry running towards him.
What are you doing?
The boss said to help with the defense…
The Frenchman secretly pointed to the Manchester United number 7.
No need.
Wood bluntly rejected Ribéry’s good intentions.
If you’re here, who’s going to attack?
He pointed to Manchester United’s backfield.
Ribéry wanted to refute Wood, but he shut his mouth as soon as he opened it, turned, and ran back.
Cristiano Ronaldo was close to Wood’s side, and he could clearly hear his conversation with Ribéry. The kid did not even glance at him when he spoke, and the Portuguese player suddenly felt slighted. Are you looking down on me? Do you think you can defend against me alone? Okay, let’s see you try!
When Keane once again received the ball and faced Piqué while preparing for a breakthrough, he suddenly saw Ronaldo waving at him from the flank, asking him to pass the ball.
With such an obvious intention to pass the ball, any idiot would know to defend ahead of time!
Keane ignored him and chose to pass to Paul Scholes. Scholes then passed to Giggs on the left flank. Giggs crossed to van Nistelrooy, giving him a chance to a shot into the goal; but his header missed.
This seemed to give Ronaldo a chance to show his displeasure. He wagged his hand and was somewhat unhappy that Keane did not pass the ball to him. Keane glanced at him and turned to run back.
Twain was amused by the scene. Ronaldo, who had just joined Manchester United, had extremely bad relationships in Manchester United’s locker room because of his smugness over his exceptional dribbling skills and his good looks, him being highly regarded by the manager, his arrogance, and his unsociability. At that time, there was no lack of negative news about him. He was even directly sent back to his home country, Portugal, by Ferguson for a long time after a fight with his teammates. It was once reported that he was going to be transferred out of Manchester United.
The kid was still far from being mature.
