On the defensive line, there was another familiar face in Tang En’s recollections: Joseph Yobo. Back then, he was the one who had supplanted Li Weifeng. Within the Premier League, Joseph Yobo was regarded as a considerably capable fullback. However, he had never gotten famous.
Overall, in comparison to Forest, Everton was a team that was lacking star players. However, their team was strong when considered in its entirety. Just this point alone was enough to show the management level of Moyes. To be able to make seemingly average players into a “strong team” with hopes of participating in next season’s Champions League; there was no other reason other than having enough skill as a manager.
From time to time, Tang En would still be in admiration of Moyes. After all, Moyes did not possess the same pre-transmigration memory and knowledge as he did. Purely through his own capabilities, he took step after step to get to this point. But, it was a pity. While he admired him, Tang En did not have such a good character as to fulfill another’s wishes. If he allowed Moyes to achieve success, he himself would lose everything.
Originally, this season should be the time for Moyes to shine brilliantly. But it’s a pity I am here…
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Yabo was entrusted the mission to guard Bendtner. Although the rain made defending more difficult, the Nigerian stubbornly followed Bendtner, not allowing the Denmarkian boy to comfortably receive any passes.
Moyes could tell that Tang En wanted to play long balls, so he got Yabo whose skills in heading was the best among the center backs, to guard against Forest’s best header in their offensive line-up – Bendtner. Immediately, Forest swapped the focus of their long passes to Crouch, relying on his height to make up for his weakness in heading.
Both sides countered each other, going back and forth for several rounds with neither side getting the advantage.
The match lapsed into a stalemate, and the score was firmly stuck at 0:0 for half an hour without change.
Tang En gently shook his head and said to Kerslake, “Long balls aren’t going to work. Our opponents are also a team from England… a formation change!”
Kerslake understood what Tang En meant. He rose and walked to the sidelines, signaling the change of formation. Swiftly, the Forest team assembled themselves into a diamond formation of 442. Same as before, George Wood remained at the back as the sole defensive midfielder in charge of midfield defense. Arteta, on the other hand, attained a higher level of freedom. While he was moved closer to the front of the field, it did not mean he could only stay there. He could also run in any area within the midfield, appearing in any spot.
In the 12 days of their closed-off training sessions, Forest had repeatedly rehearsed this strategy. This was also the first time Forest was using the 442 diamond position in the English Premier League. Tang En believed it would completely throw Moyes for a loop. Before this, everyone assumed the 442 flat four was the only formation Forest was good at. This was in fact also a common problem with most of England’s football teams; they had played forty years of 442 flat four positioning and never changed. This was because England considered themselves the “ancestors of modern football.” They were always concerned about protecting their laughable “traditions” and had never considered making a change.
But the truth proved otherwise. Those who were willing to embrace change, willing to take a new step forward; those teams usually received a favorable result. A classic example of this was Arsène Wenger from Arsenal.
Moyes did not expect Forest team to suddenly change their formation in the first half of the match with five minutes before entering injury stoppage time. They pushed Arteta forward to become an offensive midfielder, while George Wood alone played as a single defensive midfielder. Such an adjustment allowed Forest’s attacking line to be much closer to Everton’s goal, becoming a greater threat and gaining more opportunities.
Faced with such ferocity from Forest Team, Everton could not adjust their defensive deployment in time. Using the same strategy for long balls against Nottingham Forest’s ground offense, how could there not be any problem?
Arteta was in possession of the ball in Everton’s half of the field. Lee Carsley, Everton’s defensive midfielder, was currently guarding him with much difficulty. The footwork of the Spaniard was so incredible, just preventing him from advancing was already quite challenging. Interception? It was better not to think about it for the moment unless Carsley was willing to commit a foul. But to foul in such a sensitive area… it would still be his failure if he allowed this person to score from a direct free kick.
He might as well delay their attack and call for his teammates to help him. Two Everton players rushed over. It seemed like Forest’s offense would meet its end here. Arteta had no choice but to continue protecting the ball by turning his back on their direction of attack.
And then, under the pincer defense of the two, Arteta finally lost possession of the ball. Everton grabbed hold of the opportunity to rapidly counterattack, scoring a fatal goal.
The players from Everton must have hoped for matters to develop that way. But…
“Arteta passes the ball to the wings, Ribéry follows up… an amazing breakthrough! This French lad is like a razor, slicing through Everton’s defensive line! And he passes center!! It’s – GOOOOAL!! Peter Crouch! England’s tallest player is using his actions to tell Eriksson how unfair it is for him to remain uninvited to the national team!”
Obviously, these were only the made-up thoughts of commentator Andy Gray. Crouch had no intention of showing off his abilities to the national team manager, even though Eriksson at this point was indeed sitting in the private room above the spectators’ stands.
After scoring, Crouch ran towards the cameras situated at the corner flag with his arms splayed open and waved at his teammates to follow him. Then he lifted his jersey. The white singlet under it had a line written on it:
Freddy, we are waiting for you!
The other Forest players also pointed to the words on Crouch’s chest, signaling to the TV camera to focus on the words and not on them.
At the same time, a banner also rolled out from the spectators’ stand in City Ground:
Eastwood, we are with you!
All of Crouch’s teammates rushed before the cameras and clustered around him, the scorer. Instead of rushing at him and pushing him down, all of them only surrounded him and made space for the camera to clearly capture the words displayed on Crouch’s chest.
In that scenario, George Wood stood outside the circle, uncertain about whether he should join them or escape from them. He raised his hand and then dropped it to scratch at his own head instead. After that, he hid away in a corner that would not be seen by the camera.
The people who were celebrating paid no attention to that single oddity. The stands of City Grounds, as well as its field, were filled with cheers that rose one after another. Nottingham Forest had finally, after failing to achieve a single victory from a series of three league matches, gotten off to a good start for the spurt ahead of them.
Even though the rain was still coming down on them, the fans of Forest felt as if it had already stopped.
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Off the field, Tang En and Kerslake exchanged astonished looks. “I did not ask him to do that. I had no idea they were planning it…”
Tang En nodded but was rendered speechless looking at this scene. He only slapped his thigh hard and said, “I got it… this bunch of boys! Good, very good!”
Kerslake smiled.