During the duration of the World Cup, Dunn observed numerous players. His sights were mainly focused on players who were of little renown and inexpensive. But he was only in charge of providing such a name list. The final decision maker was still Tang En.
Based on the last two seasons, Tang En clearly understood the weakness of the team and which positions they needed to add more players to or sell some for.
For example, in the fight for the Champions League against Barcelona, he deeply felt a lack of capable subst.i.tutes on his own team.
First, an a.n.a.lysis of the team"s starting line-up.
In most situations, Forest"s starting formation would be 442, the two forwards being Viduka and Anelka. Between the two, Anelka was doubtless of a world-cla.s.s standard. Meanwhile, Viduka was already gradually unable to catch up with the steps of Nottingham Forest"s development. In any mid-tier English Premier Team, the Australian forward was certainly able to play as a core player and the attacking core. However, when they were up against even stronger opponents, he would reveal a lack in his individual capabilities. For the bench line-up, he would be above par compared to the others. However, as a core player in the formation… Tang En felt that it still required consideration.
The majority of the time, Forest"s midfield stood in a flat back four. George Wood and Arteta were in the center, with one leaning towards a defensive focus and the other leaning towards the offensive. Franck Ribéry and Ashley Young were positioned on the two sides, left and right. Their remarkable speed and a.s.sists were Forest"s main attacking strategy.
In Germany"s World Cup, Ribéry played as France"s core player. He was a key player in helping the team successfully advance from the group stage. His abilities needed no further elaboration.
While Ashley Young was a subst.i.tute, it should be taken into consideration that the right-hand position of the side midfielder was taken by England"s captain, Beckham. So, Young"s abilities should not be doubted either.
The set of players for the core line-up would certainly rank in the top five in the Premier League.
Now, a look at the rear defenders and goalkeeper:
Nottingham Forest"s defensive line was very young. The oldest of them was the 26-year-old Chimbonda. Piqué and Pepe were both young but outstanding players. At times, however, they still lacked experience, often the most crucial aspect of a defensive line.
Leighton Baines and Chimbonda were the left and right fullbacks of the team. Their performances in their respective positions were extremely a.s.siduous.
The goalkeeper was the main goalkeeper in Netherland"s National Team that everyone was familiar with, Edwin van der Sar. As the number one guardian G.o.d on the Forest Team, his performance has been spectacular, so much that his subst.i.tute goalie, Paul Gerrard, had no opportunity to play in matches to maintain his condition.
This core player line-up was certainly in the top five of the EPL.
So, becoming the runners-up in the League last season was a true reflection of their abilities.
Getting runner-up in the Champions League in itself was already an incredible result, one worthy of pride. But therein lay the question: why were they only the League"s runners-up, but not the League"s champions?
In comparison with the pompously rich Chelsea, or Manchester United and a.r.s.enal with their deep foundations and many years of nurturing, Forest"s performance in these two years make them seem like Nouveau riche. They depended on their opponent"s lack of understanding of them, underestimation, as well as their own drive and enterprising spirit to rush up to their high position in a single breath.
If Tang En was already satisfied, such a line-up would allow him to survive in the EPL. Preventing relegation would not be a problem, and if they played a little better in each season, they could even take part in the European compet.i.tions.
But was that what Tang En wanted?
It was not.
He wanted to get number one, to become the champions and become a champion manager. He did not want to only get by in the nation with his familiar face as a famed general.
What was he going to do if he hoped for the team"s results to rise even a level higher? Other than adjusting the formation of the core team, what was more important was to stockpile the bench with subst.i.tutes of stronger capabilities.
The experience of the countless people ahead of them proved an indisputable truth - any team which suddenly erupted into success was certain to have an admirable core line-up formation. However, when the Nouveau riche sailed across the sky of the international football scene like a shooting star, what made their rapid success and downfall was their strong core formation, and the tragic reserve line-up buried beneath.
Earlier, it was mentioned that Nottingham Forest"s current core formation was enough to rank in the top five of the EPL. That said, in comparison with such a glorious core formation of immense strength, their reserves were unjustifiable.
Of the three lines, the ability of the reserves for the forward line was likely to be the strongest. Denmark"s youth prodigy Nicklas Bendtner"s talent was without doubt. However, he was still much too tender currently. Meanwhile, due to Eastwood"s severe injury in the season before the last, he had not been fielded very much in the previous season. Even after recovery from his injury, he appeared on the field mostly as a subst.i.tute.
The capabilities of the two were without question. They only lacked a method of proof.
The reserves" abilities for the midfield showed the beginning of a downtrend.
George Wood never had a suitable subst.i.tute. The number of times Iceland player, Gunnarsson was fielded in a season could be counted on one hand. Pinning hopes on him to strengthen the team"s capabilities was an impossible task. The two most secure positions in Nottingham Forest were the goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, and their defensive midfielder, George Wood.
Regarding the other midfielder, Arteta, he and Albertini"s situation were unique. Originally, Albertini was not supposed to be a subst.i.tute. However, it could not be helped that the one injury he sustained before the season triggered a ma.s.sive activation of all the chronic problems that he had acc.u.mulated in his professional career. With his body declining day by day, he was unable to finish an entire season in such a highly challenging and highly compact league. As a result, the Spaniard who had only been in the team for half a season, Mikel Arteta, was pushed up by Tang En at the last minute, becoming Wood"s most frequent midfield partner in the Premier League.
In this manner, even with Albertini"s recovery and return to the team, it was unavoidable for him to play as a subst.i.tute because it was impossible for Tang En to split the new midfield partners who were beginning to have a better tacit understanding of each other and who worked well together.
The two, Albertini and Eastwood, were proof of Tang En"s rule about "not personal preferences, but only player conditions and performances" when it came to the deployment.
Albertini was an outstanding and qualified subst.i.tute. His experience and technique were immensely helpful to the team. The man, depending on his brain in playing football, was able to comprehensively complete the missions given to him by the manager in a limited time. It was a great loss for Tony Twain that such a brilliant player could only represent Forest in battle for another season. He could always spend more money to get good players, but experience was priceless.
Strictly speaking, Ribéry"s subst.i.tute was Kris Commons. However, his abilities, despite his pa.s.sionate love for Forest Team, were at best mid to bottom tier of the English Premier League. Despite this, Tang En did not intend to get rid of him. The team needed such loyal people. The fans also approved of Commons with his hardworking and uncomplaining att.i.tude, as well as his devoted loyalty to the team. However, letting him be Ribéry"s subst.i.tute was not very rea.s.suring.
Other than searching for a subst.i.tute for Ribéry on the transfer market to solve this, another simple solution would be to change Gareth Bale into a left midfielder instead of a fullback on the left wing. Bale was still young; it would aid him in gaining experience if he played a few more years as a subst.i.tute.
Ashley Young"s subst.i.tute was the young champion, Aaron Lennon. In the limited chances he got to be in the field in the last season, Lennon had shown his talent, delighting Tang En. His situation was different from the other midfield subst.i.tutes. What Tang En fretted over was not a lack of ability from Lennon. Instead, it was how he could satisfy Lennon"s hopes of getting to play in more matches,k how he could strike a balance in the relations.h.i.+p between two outstanding players. Tang En believed that with Forest going all out in the new season, it would be no problem for Lennon to gain more opportunities to be fielded.
For the subst.i.tutes on the defensive line, both the right and left fullbacks were extremely capable. Although Sun Jihai"s appearances on the field in the previous season were not as frequent as Chimbonda"s, he was not someone the team could simply dispense with. His ability to take on diverse roles made him an excellent utility player whenever Tang En was faced with an urgent lack of players.
Gareth Bale, who was earlier mentioned regarding midfield subst.i.tutions, could play as a fullback on the left or as a left midfielder. If he was changed into playing as a left midfielder, there would then be no subst.i.tution left for the left fullback… Tang En"s initial conceptualization was to make Bale a well-rounded talent on the entire corridor of the left wing; to be able to play both midfield and fullback. In that way, no matter which position it was that needed to be filled, he could do the job. They could use one person as two. This might even gain him more opportunities to be fielded.
The reserves for center back were Matthew Upson and Wes Morgan. Both belonged to the category of players lacking ability. The difference between the two was that Matthew Upson was a purchase after the team"s rush into the English Premier League, whereas Wes Morgan was a player nurtured from the team"s own Youth Training Camp. The latter"s situation was similar to that of Commons. Even if Morgan"s abilities made it certain that he would never be able to play as a core player within the team, and even playing as a subst.i.tute might render a.s.saults from critics, Tang En would not consider selling him away unless he himself asked for a transfer. Even then, Tang En would do his best to convince him to stay.
This person was their own. England"s teams strongly valued their own. No matter how their abilities were, so long as they were their own, they would be able to attain preferential treatment and the fans" favor.
Ending the discussion on the defensive line and moving on to the goalkeepers, the number one reserve was naturally Paul Gerrard, who had subst.i.tuted in during the finals of the Champions League. Reserve number two for the goalkeeping position was Barry Roche.
This position was both crucial and awkward at the same time.
The position of a goalkeeper was unique. After determining the main goalkeeper, it would not be easily changed unless he got injured or was suspended from matches.
A core goalkeeper only needed to have the ability and maintenance of a stable condition to be able to stand in front of the goal gates for many seasons in a row. It was always the core goalkeepers who people remembered from successful teams. How many people know of Schmeichel"s subst.i.tute goalkeeper in Manchester United? About Casillas" sub in Real Madrid? Or the name of Buffon"s subst.i.tute in Juventus?
Choosing a subst.i.tute goalkeeper was as difficult as searching for a sub for George Wood. On one hand, they needed to have the ability, so they could not be too weak. On the other, they had to be able to withstand the loneliness and be willing to be a subst.i.tute. Where would they find such a player? Who was willing to only be a reserve? Who did not desire to be a core player? If one had the ability to be a core goalkeeper on another team, why would they choose to come here to be a subst.i.tute instead?
After the finals of the Champions League, Tang En began considering the candidates for a subst.i.tute goalkeeper. In the end, after having taken a trip to China and with the World Cup ended, there was still no suitable candidate that he had in mind.
A name flashed across in his mind once, "w.a.n.g Dalei". But he immediately dismissed it. It was not that he was afraid to buy Chinese players. Furthermore, w.a.n.g Dalei at this point was someone with much potential and talent; no matter how, he was evaluated by FIFA to be among the "five most antic.i.p.ated new stars." The crucial issue was not w.a.n.g Dalei"s abilities, but that he simply did not have the qualifications to play in the English Premier; he had never managed to get a 75% representation for China"s National Team in any senior international matches. Even if Forest really bought him, they would not be able to get a work permit for him. And going to the lengths of especially activating the "Exceptional Talent Clause" was much too wasteful for a subst.i.tute goalkeeper.
This was the current situation of Nottingham Forest"s main and reserves formation.
Nottingham Forest"s root in getting a foothold within the English Premier League was based on defense and counterattacking. According to reason, Forest"s defense should already be extremely comprehensive with no need for further improvements. However, Tang En still chose to begin his work from the defense this time; to improve on the abilities of the defense subst.i.tutes and raise the internal compet.i.tiveness within the team.
He did not want the group of boys to think that their holds over the core positions were stable.
So, in summer, the team would be bringing in support beginning from the defensive line, but he would not comment more on the goalkeeping position. The center back position also required reinforcing. Both Pepe and Piqué were still young, so Tang En was leaning towards finding a capable fullback who was a bit older and more experienced on the transfer market to make up for their lack of experience.
And then he had to figure out a way to get a subst.i.tute for Wood. Otherwise, it might become a breaking point in a crucial match when Wood got suspended from matches because of acc.u.mulated yellow cards or a red card. Just think about the Champions League"s finals… If George Wood were there, Tang En would not feel that his team had had one player fewer than Barcelona even if Edwin van der Sar were to be fouled out.
If they had had a qualified subst.i.tute, Tang En could change them out with Wood during the end stages of the match with a.r.s.enal, minimizing his risks.
Tang En"s plan was commendable, but he had not managed to implement it in time.
Just as he was about to begin adjusting the team, beginning from the defensive line, a fact was set before him, telling him that he needed to change his plans and adjust beginning from the forward line instead.
"Our reporters have gotten pictures of Anelka"s brothers walking out of a hotel with Benítez… This Spanish restaurant is Benítez"s favorite place to eat at in Liverpool. The question is, what were Anelka"s agents doing there?"
If not for Tang En"s decision on a whim to switch on the television to watch the sporting compet.i.tions, he might not have seen that news report at all. He would have been left in the dark until the other party revealed their cards.
So, it was not hard to imagine what he had felt when he saw the news.
He felt that he had been deceived.
He still remembered what he had once told Anelka: "When you want to leave, be certain to let me know."
But now?
If he had not watched the sporting news, he would not have even realized that the two d.a.m.ned brothers of Anelka secretly communicating with Liverpool!