champion godfather

Chapter 809 Volume [-] Before the Crimson War

Eastwood's lob shot became a topic of discussion among Forest fans after the game, and it was also featured in the beginning of ESPN TV's highlight program, which was played repeatedly.It was indeed a very beautiful goal, like a work of art.Some commentators joked that it would not be humiliating for Mourinho to die under such a goal.

While Nottingham Forest eliminated Inter Milan with a score of 3:2, Barcelona also easily defeated Eindhoven with two 2:0 and advanced to the quarterfinals.Two teams that have received much attention finally met (Author's Note: A friend mentioned the bug in the draw ceremony, everyone will take it as the UEFA Champions League changed the draw rules at the beginning of the 2010-11 season, after all, no one can say what will happen in the future Exactly. At the beginning, how many people could think of the Champions Cup being restructured several times after entering the 90s).

Although there is still nearly a month before the actual meeting between the two teams, the media and fans are already counting down the countdown.

So far this season, Nottingham Forest's ranking in the league has been hovering back and forth between third and fifth. If they want to win the league championship, they need to make great efforts, and at the same time pray for the pre-ranking test. The probability of several teams making mistakes in a row is too low.So people who are familiar with Tony Twain thought that Twain would concentrate on focusing on the Champions Cup and at the same time keep his top four position in the league.

The situation in Barcelona is slightly better than that of Nottingham Forest.They are currently ranked first in the league, and No.2 Real Madrid is still four points away from them.At the same time in the Copa del Rey, they also reached the final.It looks like it's going to be another successful season - and they could be on their way to the Treble.Although there is Real Madrid in the league, the final of the Copa del Rey is also facing Sevilla, which is recovering and hopes to use the Copa del Rey championship as a chance to re-emerge. The Champions League has encountered the most difficult opponent...

It is right to say that their future is bright, but it is not unreasonable to say that their future is unpredictable.

With half a month left in the game, Guardiola was asked by reporters about the game against Nottingham Forest. He didn't want to answer this question, so he said: "Now I only think about the next round of the league and the Spaniard. Derby. The Champions League is still half a month away."

Unlike him, Twain talked about that game to the media early on: "Who will be the final winner? Then there is no need to ask? Of course it is us! Barcelona's luck is very bad, their schedule during this period It's not in their favour, this is our chance... want me to comment on the Barcelona derby the night after tomorrow? I hear it's a tougher game than the El Clasico? I hope they have a few guys in there Injured during the game..."

This statement caused an uproar in the Catalan media. "World Sports Daily" angrily reprimanded Twain as a "court boss" for saying such shameless words as hoping that the opponent's players will be injured during the game.

The "Daily Sports Daily" ridiculed Tang En's words as "a coward's declaration". Why?Because "he can only hope that our Barcelona players get injured so that his team can win. How sad and pathetic it is!"

There are also many other tabloids publishing articles against Tang En in their own positions.In the cartoons they published, Tang En became a monster with horns on his head and a tail behind his buttocks. He had a mustache above his lips, and he looked like Hitler.

But what Twain said wasn't nonsense, at least Guardiola had this kind of worry - what if his player was really injured in the Barcelona derby against the Spaniard?Messi's current state and performance are very good, with consecutive goals and assists.He has long been a player who needs to be taken care of by his opponents in the game.Since it is a Barcelona derby, it is almost unimaginable for the Spaniard not to send someone to mark Messi.Now it seems that the use of killing tactics against Messi in the game has become a "hidden rule" in the Spanish league. Any team encountering Barcelona, ​​​​Messi will always become the player who has been violated the most times after the game.

More than once in his column, Cruyff called on the Spanish Football Association to issue a regulation: to protect those players with artistic talent and severely punish the lethal tactics that specifically target a certain player.Although he did not mention the name "Messi", anyone with a normal IQ knows that he is speaking for Messi.

It is impossible for the Spanish Football Association to modify the regulations for a certain player, and FIFA has already had regulations such as cracking down on "back tackles", so there is really nothing to change.

Messi was injured once in the first half of this season and returned after a month and a half of rest.In fact, he has been injured almost every season over the years.As one of the best offensive stars on the planet, he and those guards are a natural contradiction.When facing Messi, all defenders will never have the feeling of "compassion and pity". They will only fiercely shovel him to the ground again and again, forcing him to lose the ball, thus stagnating Barcelona's offense.

Twain definitely wasn't cursing the Barcelona players, he was just telling the truth—this is the situation today.You can say that the technically brilliant players are being envied, or that the defenders are killing the beauty of football.It is an irrefutable fact that they are more likely to be injured.

So Twain's words caused a certain degree of trouble to Guardiola... There is no doubt that the match against the Spaniard will be fierce.Messi will definitely be the core figure of his own side and be marked by the opponent, and even use lethal tactics.If Messi is really injured in this game and therefore misses the next few games, wouldn't the loss be even greater?
He thought about it, and in the Barcelona derby a day later, Messi's name did not appear on the starting list.

Some media lamented that Tang En's mouth is so powerful, it can actually make Barcelona's head coach change his mind...

Not only is it as simple as missing Messi, but in the game against the Spaniard, the Barcelona team played a little cautiously.They are obviously not as active as the home team Spaniards in the away game. When the commentator talked about this, he said that Guardiola probably also instilled in them the concept of trying not to get injured in the game.

Regardless of Guardiola being too cautious, Twain is right. Barcelona's schedule during this period is not good for them:
After playing the Barcelona derby with the Spaniard, the next round is the match against Valencia, which ranks fourth in the league, and then the "Century War" and "National Derby" that has attracted worldwide attention-Barcelona challenges Real Madrid away.After this game, it's time for the first round of the Champions League quarter-finals. They are waiting for Nottingham Forest to play at home.Then after this game, the league will face Sevilla at home, and then go to Nottingham Forest in an away game.

It seems that Tang En really has a deep understanding of his opponent, even knowing the details of the opponent's schedule.Faced with such a difficult schedule, it is indeed difficult for Barcelona to break through across the board.After the league reached mid-April, it was the time when everyone was exhausted and weak in succession.But this is still the final sprint, and if there is a slight mistake, it may be "a mistake that will cause eternal hatred".

Barcelona will not be willing to lose the Champions League, nor will they be willing to give up the league.The four-point gap is not enough for them to get rid of Real Madrid, not to mention that they still have a chance to have a direct dialogue with Real Madrid.

On the other hand, Nottingham Forest's schedule is much easier.They only encountered one relatively strong opponent before the game against Barcelona, ​​and that was Chelsea.

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The result of the Barcelona derby was a 2:2 tie between the two sides.In this game, the referee showed nine yellow cards and one red card.Espanyol centre-back Sergio Sanchez was sent off for kicking Iniesta over.The latter held on for 15 minutes after he was sent off, before being replaced by Guardiola with Yaya Toure.

Dunn's crow's mouth showed his skills. After Iniesta was replaced, central defender Gabriel Milito also sprained his ankle during a fight and was forced to leave the field.

The game was able to be tied 2:2, Barcelona fans should really feel lucky.Because in the end Barcelona played with nine men - Milito was injured and there were still 8 minutes before the end of the game, and Guardiola had already used up all the substitution places.

The only good thing is that Guardiola was right not to arrange for Messi to start.In fact, at the last moment of the game, when Barcelona was facing an unfavorable situation, Guardiola did not let Messi play.After seeing the strong fighting spirit and rough movements of the Spaniard, the fool would let Messi go up and take that risk.

After the game, some media went to interview Twain and asked him his opinion on the game.Tang En said in a tone that called the Catalan media gnashing their teeth: "This result fully shows that I am definitely not a malicious curse, because what I said is the truth. I don't believe that no one will be injured in a game like the Barcelona derby." , No one left the field. Therefore, I also don't believe that there will be no small friction in a game like the national derby..."

This last sentence exposed his insidious and shameless nature-one Spaniard is not enough, and he continues to expect Real Madrid to cause trouble for Barcelona.

Of course, Twain's two remarks also attracted Barcelona's attention.Guardiola, as always, did not express any opinions, and his players couldn't sit still.

The big mouthed Eto'o was the first to shoot Tony Twain: "Some people just lack basic respect. I really don't know how such a person becomes the head coach of a professional football club."

Harvey also expressed his dissatisfaction: "I don't think it's appropriate to publicize the injury of players. Quaresma's injury is a tragedy. Does Mr. Dunn want to see such a tragedy happen every day?"

In fact, the Barcelona players are quite eloquent... Tang En chose to keep his mouth shut when facing Barcelona's counterattack.

But the most uncomfortable person caught in the middle is Piqué.As a native of Barcelona, ​​Piqué has deep feelings for Nottingham Forest and Twain. Without the original boss and Nottingham Forest, Piqué doesn't know how long it would take for him to be picked up by Barcelona's first team and become the player he is today. The main central defender.He can be regarded as "curve to save the country"...

Tang En took the initiative to provoke a war of words with Barcelona. For Piqué, who had played under him, he certainly knew what the boss thought - it wasn't that he had any deep hatred for Barcelona, ​​it was all because of the need to win. means only.But in the minds of his Barcelona teammates, this person has such an inextricable hatred with Barcelona.

When a reporter came to ask him, the person in the Barcelona team who knew Tony Twain the best, Piqué could only prevaricate with "I refuse to express my opinion".

He didn't want to speak ill of his mentor, but he didn't absolutely cannot turn his elbows outward, so he had no choice but to remain silent.

Tang En also has the capital to pay so much attention to Barcelona.Unlike Barcelona, ​​who wants to fight for multiple championships on multiple fronts, his team is currently performing enough to gain a foothold in the top four of the league, and the FA Cup and League Cup have long been abandoned.Now he has a lot of time to play slowly with Guardiola.

※ ※ ※

After a tie with the Spaniard and the loss of two generals, the Catalonian media couldn't help but panic.In fact, the media are like this, they like to bluff.When they learned that Nottingham Forest's opponent in the next round of the league was Chelsea, everyone began to advocate the great achievements Rijkaard had achieved in Barcelona in their one-acre three-point field.Since they had previously referred to Guardiola's Barcelona as the "Dream II Team", Rijkaard had to be said to be "the founder of the Dream II Dynasty", just like Sacchi and Capello of AC Milan.

They reviewed Rijkaard's experience in Barcelona, ​​and of course they automatically blocked those bad things, only talking about merit.Everyone spoke highly of him and sang praises.And wish him all the best and success at Chelsea.

Looking at these postures, you can't see that when Rijkaard was in trouble, it was they who made trouble.

Rijkaard, an intelligent and level-headed man, reacted very coolly to the sudden collective nervousness of the Catalan media.Everyone who leaves Barcelona seems to have a bad impression of the local Catalan media...

When asked about this topic by reporters, he just said in a very flat tone: "I am the head coach of Chelsea now. Of course I will try to win the game against Nottingham Forest, but that is not for Barcelona."

But just beating Nottingham Forest is actually of no benefit to Barcelona. Twain doesn't pursue the league title, so he can afford to lose a game or two.The Catalan media definitely hoped that what Dunn would "curse" them would happen to them - in the fierce competition with Chelsea, many players were injured and left the field.

Tang En did not give them such a chance.

In previous years, when the two teams met, a war of words was inevitable, which ignited the hot scene in the game.In addition, Dunn and Rijkaard had old grudges.The media speculated that this game may not be exciting, but it must be fierce.But what?Tang En didn't take the initiative to provoke a war of words, and Rijkaard, who was devastated by the team's locker room full of factions, didn't feel like arguing with outsiders.

During the game, Twain rotated out the entire starting lineup, and rotated all the players who the media expected to start in the Champions Cup to the bench and stands.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea.Nottingham Forest is still fourth in the league and has not had any impact.

Compared to that Barcelona derby, the game was very civilized - no red cards, only four yellow cards, and no one went off injured.The media only guessed half right. The game was indeed not exciting, but it was not intense. It was dull for 10 minutes. ".

After the game, Tang En wrote an article in his four media columns, mocking the Catalan media for "wasting their minds".Further escalate the war of words between the two sides.

Although there is still more than a week before the actual match day, the gunpowder smoke has already filled the air, being carried by the wind from England to Barcelona.

(End of this chapter)