After a win over Sunderland, Nottingham Forest are in the eighth round of the league. Considering that there is a Champions League group stage on October 1 and that the opponents are not strong, Don used rotation again. This time he even changed the starting goalkeeper.

Akinfeev has been with the club for some time, but apart from his pre-season warm-up games and Carabao Cup appearances, he has yet to feature in the important league and Champions League group stages. This is obviously not the treatment that Russia's No. 1 national gate wants to see, and he has been a little sullen lately. Krislak told Donn what he had observed and asked him to pay more attention to Akinfeev's recent mood so as not to affect the stability of the team's internal dressing room.

There have been a lot of newcomers this season, and their relationship with the rest of their team-mates in the dressing room is problematic and needs to be handled carefully. Forest's miraculous results are inseparable from the fact that they have always had the dressing room where Iger is united. Don didn't want this tradition to be ruined.

He also knows that some players who can't play for a long time will have problems, so the rotation sometimes requires not only simple tactical considerations, but also factors outside of football.

The league eighth round against Portsmouth was an opportunity and Donn decided to give those on the fringes a chance to perform. Before departing for Portsmouth Harbour the day before the game, Done announced his starting line-up for the next day's game. Akinfeev got his wish and became the starting goalkeeper, Layton Barnes was the starting left-back, the starting centre-backs were Kompany and Wesmogan, Piquee was on the bench, and the right-back started not Zim Bonda, but Chinese player Sun Jihai. The starting role in the midfield position is not the thunderous George Wood, but Sidwell, who has joined the team in the new season, and he is the same as Akinfeev. You can only play in a game like the Carabao Cup that Donn doesn't really take seriously, and it's sad to be a substitute for George Wood. Petrov is on the left wing, Lennon on the right, and Van der Vaart is the midfielder. The forwards started with Arshavin and Bendtner.

This lineup has changed almost everything that can be replaced, which makes people really wonder if Don still wants to win away from home. Portsmouth is now also the 10th mid-table team in the Premier League, not to mention that they are still playing at home in this game, and their strength should not be underestimated.

So when Forest's starting line-up was revealed by the media, it led to dissatisfaction with Portsmouth. They think they're being underestimated. Think about it, your league opponents have played as much as possible in the game against promoted Madrid, and even if they are rotated, they are all regular rotations in a few positions. And what about yourself? actually changed all eleven starters at once, isn't this a contempt, what else can it be? No matter how much rotation there is, there is no such rotation?

Harry Redknapp, Portsmouth's head coach. The old-timers of English football, famous. He was also upset that Don was doing this. He was an old man who would be respected everywhere he went, and although Donn didn't say publicly in the media, "I look down on Portsmouth", did he mean anything else?

So he expressed his displeasure with Donn in an interview: "I'm glad to see that the Forest team has such a rotation so that we don't have to play too hard the next day. Even fools can see the meaning behind these words.

In response to the resentment of the Portsmouthians, Donn did not fight back or explain anything. Because there's really nothing to explain about it. Say, "Am I not looking down on you"? No. Don actually looked down on Portsmouth. He believes that with the current strength of the Forest team, even if it is an away game, there is no possibility that it will not be able to win Portsmouth. It was in the fifth round of the league that Arsenal was sent off. Ten men faced each other and won 3-1 against Portsmouth.

Nottingham Forest is also on the same level as Arsenal, and the win over Portsmouth is Donne's planned victory.

Forest, who went to Portsmouth Harbour with such a rotating line-up, met with very, very stubborn resistance at Fratton Park.

Yes, no one imagined that it was tenacious.

Redknapp took advantage of Donn's disdain, telling his players before the game to give the proud Nottinghams a look of color, making Donn regret that he had only sent such a squad to fight against the "Pompeians".

At the start of the game, the Forest team showed their opponents how strong they are. It was Bendtner who received Petrov's cross from the wing and smashed the ball open with a header from David James. The ball caused Don to lift Erlang's leg in the dugout again.

But next......

"Oooh! It's incredible! Incredible! The commentator shouted excitedly, "Such a big score before the end of the first half almost announced that the game ended early!" ”

Huge margin - 4:1. However, it was not Nottingham Forest who scored first, but Portsmouth, who were the first to score.

In the 43rd minute, Kanu scored his second goal of the game! It was also Portsmouth's fourth goal! It was remarkable, Pompeii played like a true champion team in the first half of this game, everyone played at their best, and every Portsmouth player was active on the pitch. There is nothing Nottingham Forest can do about it! ”

That's right. Nottingham Forest's players were stunned, unable to believe the scoreline in front of them. 1：4。 They have only lost once to Liverpool, the heaviest defeat since Done led the side.

Don's Erlang leg had already been lowered, and at this time he was standing on the sidelines, his hands in his pockets, and he looked at the court with a serious expression. He maintained this posture and expression for 20 minutes, which was the 20 minutes of the sudden change on the pitch, and Portsmouth scored four goals in 20 minutes to completely stunned Nottingham Forest.

The whistle at the end of the first half finally sounded, and Don took the lead back to the corridor with a black face. The TV camera followed him all the time, and anyone could see how ugly the expression on his face was.

"I think Coach Don should think about changing the lineup in the second half...... If he doesn't want to go back to Nottingham with that scoreline. The narrator teased.

The Forest players returned to the dressing room dejected, expecting a storm of furious lashes awaited them.

But no.

The expression on Don that everyone saw was gone.

'I know there was some talk before the game about our squad and they all said it was a disparage for Portsmouth. Changing the starting eleven is to look down on Portsmouth and underestimate the enemy. So the Portsmouth players went crazy in the first half to beat us. But I don't agree with that. I don't think it's a scorn for Portsmouth, on the contrary I think the garbish is a scorn for you. Donn said this, and he spread his hands, "Why is it that the outside world agrees that I rotated a starting lineup, and the opponent thinks I'm belittling them." That's because they think you're weak, you're the second tier of Nottingham Forest. That's why they feel like they've been insulted – isn't it a plight to have a second-tier team play against our first-team team? But ......"

Don slammed his words: "Who the said you are a weak second-tier team?" I've said a long time ago that the players who can stay at Nottingham Forest are the best players, otherwise they wouldn't even be able to enter the door of the Forest team. I don't have any bullshit distinction between a first team and a second team. To be able to represent the Forest team on the pitch is the best player in the world! The best ...... Not one of them! Those shit guys think you knocked the Forest down two notches as soon as you start, who looks down on whom? ”

After swearing, Don took a breath to stabilize his mood and slow down his tone: "If you let the score of the first half become the final score of the game...... It's a pity, then, that I don't think the same way. Your reputation as 'weak' has also been confirmed. After that, as soon as I put you on the pitch, the media and some idiot pundits who don't understand anything will say, 'Look, Nottingham Woods rotation is a joke.' These people coming up will only drop the strength of the Forest team by two notches, and Portsmouth can pour them four goals! This is nothing short of contempt and insult to us! Don mimicked the expert's tone vividly, and he saw that the expressions in the eyes of the dejected team members had changed. Knowing that the time was ripe, he asked, "Are you willing to let this happen?" Are you willing to be considered a weak second-tier team? If anyone accepts such an insult, give me a hand up! ”

No one raised their hands, and they didn't shout "no" in response to Done. Just gritted his teeth one by one, turning the knuckles of his fists white.

The mood is good, hold your anger in your heart first, and vent it to your opponent in the second half.

Donn hammered the final nail into the lid of the coffin in Portsmouth: "Second half...... I'll be honest with you, I'm not going to make a substitution unless you're injured or exhausted. You have to prove it with your own actions - even if I, Tony Towne, replaced the starting eleven in one go, this squad is still at the top of the Premier League! If there are idiots who feel they have been insulted, give them an insult! ”

Walking out of the locker room with the excited players, Donn sneered inwardly.

Mr. Redknapp. You know to use the media reviews to motivate the players, give me a 4:1, it's good, it's good. Don't I know how to use your land? Portsmouth bastards, wait to accept my wrath.

Who do you think I am? I'm Tony Donn. There's only one team in the world that can beat me by three goals, and the team that can beat me by more than four goals hasn't been born yet!

“4：1！” At the beginning of the second half, the commentator repeated the score, which made Donn extremely unhappy. If he was watching TV at this time, he would probably pick up the TV and throw it out of the window. This score has a special meaning for Donn, and it always reminds him of his previous weakness and powerlessness. And now he hates that feeling so much.

"I don't think there's much hope for Nottingham Forest...... With such a second-tier lineup. Facing an angry Portsmouth. With three goals down, everyone in the Portsmouth team can almost play 10 points. Nottingham Forest, on the other hand. Akinfeev's Premier League debut, which cost Donn £6 million, was nothing short of a disaster, with the Russian number one goalkeeper making four bombs in quick succession within 45 minutes. I really don't know if he's ever been hit so hard in his career? In addition, look at Sun Jihai, he is no longer the 'Chinese Sun' at Manchester City, his right side is frequently broken by opponents. And Sidville...... Poor Sidwell will always be compared to the 'monster' of George Wood, but who asked Don to let him be a stand-in for George Wood? ”

The Sky TV commentator chattered about the poor first half performances by the Forest players.

Before he could finish these words, he had to change his words suddenly.

"Ah...... The ball is in! Due to the suddenness of the incident, his emotions were not brewing enough. This "ball in" sounds unpassionate. Perhaps there was another reason why his voice didn't sound so excited – the goal was scored by Nottingham Forest.

Just two minutes into the second half, Nottingham Forest levelled the score at 2:4.

Three minutes later, Nottingham Forest added another goal and Arshavin avenged his fellow Russians as Forest levelled the score at 4-3.

The people of Portsmouth panicked.

The narrator also lost his voice. The contrast was so great that it seemed like a slap in the face, and he really didn't know what to say in the face of the crazy Nottingham Forest that he had just belittled......

As soon as the Forest players got the ball, there was a deafening boo at Fratton Park. Portsmouth fans tried to cause some problems for Forest's frantic comeback in this way, but to no avail.

The narrator quickly adjusted his emotions and returned to work.

"What a beautiful goal! Niklas Bendtner's breakthrough shot! Nottingham Forest tied the score at 4:4! It's a miracle! Nottingham Forest ...... Actually pulled back the situation of falling behind by three goals! Coach Tony Downe must have said something to his players at half-time, and they all looked at each other differently. Will the Forest, who equalised, be satisfied? No...... I don't think so...... Portsmouth is going to be out of luck. ”

"Raphael van der Vaart!! Nice long shot! 5：4！ Nottingham Forest overtook the scoreline! ”

"Petrov came to take the free-kick and he had a long run...... Soccer ball hits the wall! Sideline...... The ball is in!! Portsmouth is unlucky! An example is a 34-metre long free-kick. In the end, he entered the door because he hit the edge of the wall...... Poor James, 'What can I do?' ”

It was already Nottingham Woodland's sixth goal, and from 1:4 to 6:4, Forest needed just 27 minutes. During this period, Portsmouth had no chance to fight back. I could only watch as the Forest scored one goal after another, watching their players gather together to cheer and cheer again......

Is this the end of it?

"First! Seven! Piece! The narrator gritted his teeth and said, he felt a little overwhelmed. In someone else's home stadium, in front of so many home fans, pouring seven goals into the home team, Nottingham Forest is not afraid that they will not be able to go back after the game is over?

Obviously, his worries, Tony Towne, and his men were not worried. Now they want to celebrate.

Bendtner shook his fists hard and celebrated his hat-trick amid a barrage of boos. As Ruud van Nistelrooy's replacement, there are not many opportunities to show himself to the fullest.

Redknapp sat in the dugout, looking very old with gray hair. The Portsmouth players were like the Forest players in the first half, looking confused and not knowing what was going on.

What caused things to get to this point? With a score of 4:1, if you can't win the game with a three-goal lead, this football game is too insecure, right?

Some have turned their attention to the away dugout for answers. They couldn't see Done's expression. Because he was leaning back in his chair, his left and right sides were blocked. All you can see is his legs that are still dangling.

Don delivered on his promise at half-time. There was no change of people, no tactical adjustments, not even from the sidelines. At the beginning of the second half, he sat in the coach's seat, and when Lennon made the score 2:4, he crossed Erlang's legs. Later, even though his legs were numb, he didn't put it down, he just wanted to tell everyone in this way - everything is normal, there is nothing to worry about.

The seventh goal was Forest's last goal of the game, and after slaughtering Portsmouth, Forest were content to put down their blood-soaked knives and begin to reap the fruits of victory.

When the referee blew the full-time whistle, it was a blessing for those Portsmouth players as they were finally relieved...... Liberated from the hell of Shura, he didn't have to face the blindness of 4:7 on the field and accept the torment.

In the post-match press conference, some media members wondered about the huge difference between the two halves of Forest, and he raised his hand and asked: "May I ask Mr. Donn, we are interested in what you said to your players at half-time to make their performances look so different?" ”

In front of numerous media outlets, especially the local media in Portsmouth, Donn smiled and replied: "What did you say?" I'm just telling them to respect their opponents. ”

As soon as these words came out, the audience was in an uproar.

Don didn't wait for any questions to ask, and then explained to himself: "Before the game, you were all saying that my line-up was an insult and a disparage to Portsmouth, and I didn't give any explanation at the time, because I thought there was no better way to pay tribute to my esteemed Mr. Harry Redknapp with the actual game. With that, he turned his head to look at Redknapp, the Portsmouth manager sitting next to him.

Old Redknapp's face was red and white, so he was not embarrassed.

"Now, I'm very, very happy and satisfied with the score. It wasn't because we beat Portsmouth by such a big scoreline. Rather, we finally cleared up the rumors in the media in our own way - we did not mean to disrespect, belittle, or insult our opponents in the slightest. On the contrary, we respect Portsmouth more than any other team and value Portsmouth more. You see, the score of 7:4 is proof of that. ”

The local media in Portsmouth collectively lost their voices at this moment, and could only watch Don on the stage greet his relatives countless times in his heart with a smug smile. They finally got a taste of being slapped out of their own hands.

Speaking about the match on the BBC's Daily Race that night, Lineker smiled: "The Portsmouth media tried to provoke Tony Downe and they lost badly. ”

That night, Nottingham City's bars were filled with merry laughter.