Chapter 621: One Step Closer
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Chen Jian and his two young friends began a year-long training career at the Nottingham Forest Club’s youth camp. The interesting things they would be able to learn from that kind of training would only be revealed after a year.
North Wilford suddenly came alive. Hunan Television had set up a team to follow and film. They would produce five weeks of the program, to show the domestic audience the daily life and training of the three lucky contestants in Britain and Nottingham. Reality shows were popular in foreign countries.
They would leave after one month of filming. In a few days, no one would pay attention to them because five weeks were enough see the repet.i.tion of their lives. To watch for a year would be unbearable…
The media at North Wilford would soon be reduced to what it was before. Except for the Nottingham local media, there would no one who would go to focus on the Chinese boys. Twain’s real intention was the same. He could not stop the Chinese reporters from swarming around the three to do their enthusiastic reporting. but he could use other indifferent tactics to pour cold water on them to cool their enthusiasm quickly and exchange for a quiet environment for the teenagers.
Twain rather looked forward to how Chen Jian would become after a year of training.
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The three Chinese visitors kept the Nottingham Forest Football Club busy for a while. As Twain had to lead the team to train and compete everywhere, Allan Adams already had some cooperation with the Chinese side, so he had the most interaction with the Chinese media. The Nottingham Forest Football Club took the opportunity to expand their influence in China. Allan and Evan began to seriously consider the plan to visit China the next summer.
After all, Beckham only had a two-year contract. They had to speed up the development of the new market while he was still on the Forest team to make the most of his commercial appeal. Otherwise, as soon as the contract expired, it would be for naught if he went away to the United States.
Twain signed Beckham out of consideration for his compet.i.tive value, while Allan considered his commercial value, which could really be counted as governing in his position.
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When the three Chinese teenagers began the difficult adjustment in Nottingham, Twain took the team to Milan.
He thought his team would be subjected to a bombarding welcome from the Italian media.
He did not expect the media that came to greet them at the airport would be all British. The Italian media were pathetically few. Other than La Gazzetta dello Sport, there were no Italian press to be found and obviously no television station.
Twain thought about it and finally understood. He smiled.
This is nice. I was worried about the lack of peace before the game. It’s all good now. Ah, the Italian hosts are really understanding.
The English media rushed forward, and Twain waved his hands, “Not too many interviews before the game. Ask your questions at the press conference.”
The reporter from La Gazzetta dello Sport did not care. He shouted in English, “Sir, how confident are you in winning the game against AC Milan?”
Twain pretended not to hear it and walked away. Some of the Forest players were stopped by the media for brief interviews. The Italian reporter joined in as well.
He located Grosso, who was also Italian.
Grosso had gradually lost his main position on the Forest team. Twain was unhappy that he could not adapt to the pace of the English league, but his experience could still help the team in the Champions League, especially when they played against an Italian team like AC Milan — he had played at Inter Milan for a season and was no stranger to the same-city nemesis — and thus he was brought to AC Milan.
The Italian reporters went up to worm their way in with Grosso and asked trivial questions like if he would be playing in the game.
Grosso shook his head. “The manager hasn’t released the starting lineup list yet. I don’t know if I will be able to start.”
“Life in England doesn’t seem to be too good, does it?” The reporter asked as if he were making small talk.
Grosso was still a star player and was experienced in dealing with the media. He immediately became wary when he heard the question.
In any case, he was now a Nottingham Forest player and would have to speak from the perspective of Nottingham Forest. His position in the Forest team was not very stable. He had not adapted to the pace of the English Premier League and was unable to continue with the compet.i.tion due to minor injuries and illnesses. To adapt to a new league tournament was naturally out of the question.
However, he could not honestly nod his head and admit “yes.” In that case, his “yes” would become “a major player in the team is unhappy with Tony Twain and complains in hopes of getting the main position” the next day.
Grosso was not stupid. He did want to obtain a stable position, but he did not want to be a weapon used by the media.
“It’s going okay; everything’s fine.” Grosso put off the question.
The Italian reporter was apparently reluctant to let it go. “Does okay mean that there are areas which are not so good?”
“It means it’s going well and everything’s fine.”
After spending a period of time with Twain, a smart person would have learned his way of speaking and used it against the media.
Grosso refused to give them a chance to poke holes. After he said what he had to say, he found a very suitable reason to say goodbye to the reporter.
“It’s time to board the bus.” He pointed to the exit ahead where the a.s.sistant manager David Kerslake stood with a red bus parked behind him.
The Italian reporter nodded helplessly. He did not manage to pry something of value out of Grosso. If he could not get anything out of his fellow countryman, then forget Tony Twain.
He scratched his head. It looked like this was a better treatment than having his question ignored.
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At the pre-match press conference, Twain finally met the Italian reporters, who would have nothing to report if they did not come. The media bosses would not have let them act arbitrarily.
Twain also did not speak or act excessively at the press conference. His speech appeared to be normal: a brief a.s.sessment of their opponent and an admission that it was not a good thing to draw the home game, but he did not think the Forest team would say goodbye to the Champions League tournament this season.
There was nothing explosive and the smile on his face even made it feel like the feud between him and the Italian media had long since been written off with one stroke.
The atmosphere of the press conference was harmonious and friendly. He and Ancelotti even shook hands when they met. The media wanted to hype up the feud between the two teams and even thought of the headline “Life and Death Battle,” but there was no use for it. The managers on both sides did not seem to care much about the media’s disruption to the game.
“They tried to annoy me so that I would lose my cool, but I did not fall for it.” Twain said to Dunn after he came down.
Indeed, he could not lose his cool. Nottingham Forest’s coaching staff had already laid out their tactics to deal with AC Milan.
a.n.a.lyzing from the current situation, AC Milan, who tied the away game at 0:0 would certainly choose to attack at home, but it would not be a full-on attack. Ancelotti would not be so foolish as to stake it all, but it was certain that he was going to attack. That was what Nottingham Forest needed to take advantage of.
Everyone knew what Nottingham Forest was best at — defensive counterattack.
In the away game at the famous San Siro stadium, would Nottingham Forest dare to bombard the penalty area of AC Milan as if they were at home?
Based on Tony Twain’s conservative style, he would insist the team play defensive counterattack and sneak in the attacks on the basis of a solid defense.
Anyone who had studied the Forest team over the last few years would agree.
Consequently, Twain definitely would not do that.
He instructed the team to continue attack wildly in the away game and fight to score goals first. What followed after was within his control.
“Adding up all the ages of their rear defensive line players and it will be almost more than two hundred years old. Ancelotti likes to believe in experience, so we will let him know how unreliable a veteran’s body is. We’ll use speed and force to break through. We’ll bully the fact that they turn slowly! Intercept in the front field, as long as the ball is at their feet! We’re physically better than them! And we’re younger than them!”
Twain slammed the tactical board with his palm.
For that reason, his starting lineup was full of young players. The strikers were Nicklas Bendtner and Arshavin. The midfielders were Ribéry, Lennon, van der Vaart, and George Wood. In the rear defensive line, there was Pepe, Piqué, Gareth Bale, and Rafinha. The oldest in this starting lineup was the goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar.
Twain’s tactics were simple, and there were no shocking magical tricks. He just used players who were younger than the AC Milan players, had good stamina and physical fitness advantages to topple AC Milan, and to catch the opponent off guard at the beginning of the game.
The tactic was a bit risky, but it was better than clinging fast to defense to obtain a tied away game. A football game was supposed to be a gamble. No matter how well prepared a tactic was, the plan could not always keep up with the changes.
Twain decided to start the offense from an entirely new entry point, starting from everyone’s usual knowledge of the Forest team’s habits.
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The AC Milan players did not think that Nottingham Forest would choose such a crazy tactic in the away game — offense, and not just simply offense. In addition to offense, more offense!
“If our offense does not work within fifteen minutes, then…” Twain did not go on. He just shook his head. Taking a gamble required a little bit of excitement to be fun.
Nottingham Forest’s offense was fierce, but it had yet to break the old rear defensive line of AC Milan. Ancelotti was not an idiot. Just like how Twain managed to successfully plot against the man last time in the City Ground stadium, AC Milan managed to ward off his offense this time in the San Siro stadium.
Being old also had its benefits, such as invaluable battle-worn experience and Maldini’s impeccable command.
After fifteen minutes, the score was still 0:0.
“Tony, what’s going to happen next…” asked Kerslake.
“Keep fighting like this.” Twain answered without turning his head as he watched the field.
At the end of the first half, the score was still 0:0.
During halftime, Twain did not criticize his players for not scoring in the first half. Instead he encouraged the players’ performance and told to continue playing in the second half like they did in the first half. There were no special changes.
The two teams changed sides to compete again in the second half. AC Milan significantly stepped up the offensive to try to score a goal.
Ancelotti admitted that his team was stunned by Nottingham Forest’s surprise offensive in the first half and was a little unresponsive. He ruminated during the second part of the first half, and realized that the Forest team’s offensive was fierce, but without merit. It looked ferocious, but there was no firm defense within the attack. It was a product from a spurt of energy. It would be promising if they could hold on to their attack.
Once he understood that, the first half was over. During halftime, Ancelotti instructed his team to be a little more proactive in the second half and to boldly attack if there was a chance for offense. They did not need to be afraid that there would be gaps in their rear defensive line because they might lose out in one area but gain in another. As long as AC Milan dared to press up, Nottingham Forest’s offensive would have to pull back and be recalled. The defensive pressure on their side would naturally ease.
That was what happened. AC Milan stepped up their offensive in the second half and suppressed the opponent’s offense with their own offensive. The game was entertaining.
The two teams fought fiercely. Kaka had a wonderful performance and Ribéry, the new Ballon d’Or recipient, also did his best. There had been media reports that the game between the two teams was actually a continuation of the feud between the Ballon d’Or recipient and FIFA World Player of the Year. There were still some people who cried foul that Ribéry only received the Silver Ball for the FIFA World Player of the Year.
It was like a duel between two superb masters. They played brilliantly and marvelously, and the spectators cheered with gratification. But in fact, no one really hit their target.
Twain did not stand up. He did not cross his legs. Instead, he cupped his chin in the palm of his left hand with his left elbow rested on his lap as he fixed his eyes on the field. The television broadcast frequently panned to him but could not capture his expression.
Ancelotti got up frequently and paced back and forth between the field and the technical area.
He could already tell what Twain wanted to do, but unlike at the City Ground stadium, he could not change anything this time. He had used up the two subst.i.tution spots on offense, and he could not make Maldini and the others on the rear defensive line ten years younger.
In the first eighty minutes, the pace of the game was set by the Forest team, and it was very fast. Neutral football fans in front of the TV whooped with relish as they watched. The AC Milan fans who understood football frowned silently.
The AC Milan players could not run anymore.
The Nottingham Forest players — from the fastest-paced league, the English Premier League — were still alive and well. Furthermore, even more frightening was that Twain finally got up from the technical area and decided to change players. He replaced van der Vaart, who was not feeling well, with Petrov and moved Ribéry to the middle.
Ancelotti raised his eyebrows.
In the 87th minute, AC Milan’s Italian style of defense collapsed.
Maldini could no longer withstand the repeated shocks from Nottingham Forest — Lennon pa.s.sed the ball from the flank, and Bendtner pressed in on the former world’s best left-back to shoot a powerful header.
Dida pounced on the ball and let go, and Ribéry followed up with a volley.
The people in the Nottingham Forest technical area and on subst.i.tutes’ bench rushed out of their seats with their arms raised.
Twain and Kerslake embraced excitedly. They finally scored! The dark clouds that hung above their heads were swept away. Even better, it was a last-minute goal. If AC Milan did not want to be eliminated, they had to score two consecutive goals within the remaining six minutes! But it would not be easy for the AC Milan players, who had been led by the Forest team in a fast-paced high-speed sports compet.i.tion the entire game.
Why did Twain insist on offense? It was to drag the aging AC Milan players into a fast-paced battle and consume their strength. If the experienced players had not helped, AC Milan’s goal should have been breached long ago. But it was good, because there was not much time left for AC Milan.
After the game resumed, AC Milan desperately pressed on the attack, and the Forest team played defensive counterattack, keeping AC Milan at a loss.
Eventually, at the San Siro stadium, the home of AC Milan, Nottingham Forest beat its rival by 1:0. They also knocked out the team that used to have high hopes placed on them with a total score of 1:0.
The San Siro stadium was filled with a sense of loss. The AC Milan fans in the stands even had tears on their faces. They were unable to accept that the powerful AC Milan was stopped at the round of 16, knowing that their goal would have been to break into the finals again. And then whoever the opponent was, they were going to finally win the Champions League t.i.tle. How could they stop there?
Tony Twain celebrated the victory wildly, completely different from his calm during the game. Some of the AC Milan fans thought it was a provocation, and there were fragments of boos from the stands near the Forest team’s technical area.
But not many AC Milan people were interested in booing Twain and his team. Their failure could not be changed. They could only hope that the team’s performance in the domestic arena would satisfy them. Most of the fans left the stadium in frustration.
At the post-match press conference, Twain, who won the game, did not continue with his sarcasm. Compared to his previous performance on the sidelines, he now was very calm and mild.
The words used to describe Twain were a little odd to people, but he was currently acting that way. He smiled and answered all the questions, without the slightest hint of provocation in his tone, which those who were familiar with him found strang. Was Tony Twain possessed by an alien?
Ancelotti did not expect Twain’s att.i.tude to be so nice. He even took the initiative to embrace him a couple of times at the press conference. The first time was before the start of the press conference. They walked up and hugged briefly. The second time was at the end. Twain again took the initiative to hug him and patted him on the shoulder, as if to comfort him.
It surprised Ancelotti so much that he thought the man had taken the wrong medicine.
Then Twain smiled and left the venue under everyone’s astonished gazes.
No one knew why Twain was so happy, so they discussed and speculated it. It was quite simple. Nottingham Forest beat AC Milan and took another step toward the Champions League final. For the defending champion, it had been extremely tough to defend this season. Every step forward was joyful.
Twain was just happy because he won the game. Who did not like to win? Hhe was someone who regarded victory as life.