Chapter 147: The Cunning Allardyce Part 2
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Many managers liked to restrict the performance of young players on the field. They desperately wished that they could plan the players’ every action and make them carry them all out meticulously and flawlessly. During tactics briefings and trainings, they would often tell young players “don’t dribble excessively,” or “don’t do one-on-one face offs,” or “don’t try to forcibly break through,” or “don’t hog the ball.” If a player did not do as he was told, he would lose his position on the field. And just like that, a young genius with overflowing talent would be smothered.
Tang En was different. During trainings, he liked to encourage the young players to play freely, and was pleased to see those players suddenly veering from his instructions and resolving issues in their own ways. When he gave them that confidence, the young players would reciprocate with results that thrilled him. It was football’s version of “giving a plum in exchange for a peach.”
On the frontline, Tang En let the well-conditioned Freddy Eastwood remain on the starting line up. His partner was the skillful Rebrov. This was the first time that Rebrov would be returning to the frontline in six matches. Tang En hoped that his skills and speed would create some trouble for Bolton’s rear defense line, which was comprised mainly of older, slower players.
Bolton’s starting lineup for the match was thirty-two year-old French veteran player Bruno N’Gotty, thirty-year-old Anthony Barness, thirty-two-year-old Simon Charlton, and twenty-year-old Nichy Hunt. Although this defense line was very experienced, no one could know what would happen if it was relentlessly assaulted by Nottingham Forest’s young players. After all, even the oldest players in Nottingham Forest’s current starting lineup, the goalkeeper Darren Ward and forward Serhiy Rebrov, were only twenty-nine years-old.
Tang En used such a young team because he believed that it is alright to be lacking in experience, as long as you make up for it in stamina. However, only ten minutes into the match, Tang En already felt that things weren’t looking good for them.
The team had already given Bolton three consecutive free kicks in front of the penalty area. Each time Nolan stood in front of the ball and prepared for the free kick, Tang En’s heart rate would skyrocket.
All three of the free kicks were given to them by George Wood; he was still too young and lacked match experience. Out of the three, two of them could have been avoided. Fortunately, Nolan’s free kicks did not score. Conceding a goal ten minutes into the match would have had too great of an impact on Nottingham Forest.
But still, the situation made Tang En unable to resist raising his voice and reprimanding him. “Wood!” Tang En shouted. “Calm down! Don’t tackle when you don’t need to! Just sticking to him is enough!”
These words should only really be shouted at the side of the training field. But Wood’s training still was not sufficient. No wonder he was always requesting more training. He too was well aware of his own issues.
Once he was finished shouting, Tang En returned to the manager’s seat. When he got there, Walker said to him, “Tony, you should really calm down too. We’re only ten minutes into the match, there’s no need to be so anxious.”
Tang En drank a mouthful of water and nodded. “You’re right, Walker. But this opponent is not easy at all.” He shot a glance at the away team’s manager seat. Seated there was a strong, slightly tanned, square-faced man: Sam Allardyce. “Allardyce is a cunning guy,” Tang En said.
As Tang En remembered it, Bolton recovered under Allardyce’s leadership. He led the team into the Premier League, and successfully defended their place in the league for three consecutive years. Afterwards, he had even led the team into the UEFA Europa League. He was a very good manager, so he later assumed the managerial position for Newcastle, the powerhouse. The previous manager of Newcastle had been Glenn Roeder, who had almost let Tang En mount a comeback in last year’s FA Cup.
Walker smiled and said, “But why do I feel that you are even more cunning than him?”
Tang En scratched his head. He knew what Walker was referring to. When interviewed right before the match, Tang En had acted extremely confident and smug, claiming that he would play offensively on his home grounds to defeat Bolton. At the end, right after he had closed the changing room’s doors, the first sentence which had came from his mouth was, “Defense, lads, I want you all to know the importance of defense!”
In the end, it was clear that Bolton’s starting lineup had indeed been affected by Tang En’s declaration of “offensive tactics.” Although Kevin Nolan was adept at intercepting, his offensive talent was not to be underestimated either. Walker believed Allardyce’s reasoning for letting the twenty-one year-old Nolan be part of the starting line up, and not the real defensive midfielder Per Frandsen, was that he hoped to give the midfielder a chance—aside from tackling, Nolan was still exceptional at passing and place kicking, as well as the ability to shoot from far away.
Tang En watched the match while chatting with Walker. “Nolan is actually the proof of Allardyce’s cunning. If he had chosen Frandsen to be part of the starting lineup instead, I would be happier. It’s a pity that he chose to use Nolan. He’s good at offense and defense…”
While he was still speaking, Nolan skilfully broke past Gunnarsson. This time, he was already at the arc of the penalty area.
Where was Wood?
Tang En could not help but stand up.
Okocha! Wood was marking Okocha, and Okocha was still five metres away from Nolan. In other words, Wood was about five metres away from Nolan!
Currently, the players in front of Nolan were Wes Morgan and Robert Huth, who were part of the back defense line. He had ample space to go for a long distance shot!
“Dammit…” Tang En swore. Afterwards, he fiercely raised his voice and shouted, “Don’t let him shoot!”
Before he finished his words, Nolan raised his leg outside the penalty area and shot.
Wes Morgan rushed up to use his body to block this sudden shot; the ball bounced once on his shoulder, and just happened go in the complete opposite direction from where the goalkeeper had lunged. A loud cheering noise was immediately heard coming from the Southern stands.
“Kevin Nolan!” Martin Taylor shouted from the commentator’s seat.
Afterward, his partner, Andy Gray, shouted even louder, “A beautiful far shot! In the English Premier League, Kevin Nolan has already delivered four such far shots for us! And he has done so once again today at the EFL Cup. His goal has helped Bolton to take the lead on away grounds!”
From the side of the field, Tang En looked at the ball that had flown into Nottingham Forest’s goalpost. Ward, who had lunged in the wrong direction, was unable to do anything about it. Tang En angrily threw a punch to the ground, before turning around and walking back to his seat. Walker was also speechless at this conceded goal. If Morgan had not blocked it, perhaps it might not have gone in.
Tang En stood in front of Walker, and said with his arms unfolded, “Twelve minutes in, and we’re already down. Before the match started, I spent ten minutes talking about the importance of defense. In the end, we ended up losing the ball even sooner! We were just talking about Nolan, and he just scored!”
Walker shook his head and said, “Tony, think about it this way… conceding a goal so early might not necessarily be such a a bad thing. We still have seventy-eight minutes to chase back the score.”
Tang En turned around and looked at the Bolton players, who were running around the field and celebrating their goal, as well as the Bolton fans, who were cheering from the Southern stands. He gritted his teeth and said, “You’re right, Des. But nobody likes to concede goals… How are we supposed to play our counterattack like this?”
Walker did not say anything, because he did not know how to reply. Tang En was right; how was Nottingham Forest, who had accidentally conceded a goal, going to continue their strategy of counterattacking? What if they went on the offensive? Bolton still had three defensive midfielders waiting for them.
Thinking about it this way, Walker discovered that what Tang En had said was indeed true. He turned his head and looked at Bolton’s manager Sam Allardyce, who was currently celebrating with his assistants at his seat. Nolan had already attempted three far shots twelve minutes into the match. Evidently, he had been specially instructed to do so before the match. Allardyce was very cunning indeed.
