In the away dressing room at half-time, the players were taking time to rest, rehydrate and wipe off the sweat from their bodies with towels. Don spoke on the side.

'A one-goal lead is not enough. There was a short period of time in the first half when you were completely suppressed by Manchester United and that was not okay. You're going to go out and fight against Manchester United! Do you know why we played further and further back in the second half of the first half and were finally suppressed by Manchester United? "Donn was walking around the dressing room, surrounded by busy players, but they were definitely listening.

'Every time we go up front and we try to threaten Manchester United's goal in the simplest and most direct way, what is the result? The error rate was too high, which led to the goal being conceded too quickly, and our guys had to retreat just after going up. As I said, in this game against Manchester United, we have to get into the habit of passing through. Manchester United have made arrangements for us to like to pass through and if we do it we will only play into their hands. Don't rush forward after attacking the front in the second half......"

Nottingham Forest love to pass through and play at a fast pace. These are well-known, and some teams will do something about them to curb Forest's attacking firepower.

Manchester United is like that. In response to Nottingham Forest's penchant for direct passes, Ferguson asked the team's backline to create an offside position, and at the same time strengthened the robbery in the midfield, otherwise why would he play Hargreaves and Carrick?

Forest's goal was the result of United's failure to play offside. Ruud van Nistelrooy was up front and Eastwood cut in to avoid offside issues, allowing him to score with ease when unmarked. I believe that at half-time, Ferguson will be unhappy with the goal conceded.

'Up front we try to keep the ball at our feet and don't rush forward if you don't have a good chance. Don't you have confidence in possession with your feet? If they shrink too tightly and can't find the right space after a few passes, then pass the ball back and pull them out, don't just compress their formation, it's just compressing our own attacking space. ”

"Nouri."

Shaheen looked up.

'You made a good pass in the first half, very good. Don praised Shaheen by name, much to Sahin's delight. But then Donn took a turn of words: "However, you had too many through balls in the first half, did you count how many times you missed in those passes?" ”

The smile on Shahin's face was a little embarrassed.

"I'm not blaming you, Nuri. But as a striker, you have to learn to analyze the situation on the pitch at all times, and you have to have different countermeasures for different situations. In the game, you are the brain of the team, if the brain is confused, how can the team play normally? In the first half, you made too many mistakes in forward passing, especially in the second half, which gave United a lot of opportunities to counter-attack on the spot. If you had realized this earlier, we wouldn't have been ugly in the end. ”

Don't look at Don't look at the usual Tang En's grinning and not serious, but if he really criticizes someone, it can really be regarded as "ruthless". If the psychological quality is almost good, I am afraid that the psychological shadow will fall. But in fact, if it's a player he doesn't care about, he doesn't bother to say a bad word. But any player who can be criticized by him like this shows that they still have some status in Donn's heart. Once, when Anelka and Don had a conflict, Don and he could not say a word to each other and completely treat each other as air.

Shahin lowered his head when he was told by Don En, he knew that the leader valued him very much, but in front of so many teammates, it was really a little shameless to be said so badly.

'In the second half we were a little bit more patient when we attacked...... Two wings, don't rush to the front in one go, keep your distance from the central midfielders, you rush too fast and you will lose contact with them. Manchester United will love to see that happen. Freddy did this very well, he always dropped back aggressively, linking up front and midfield. Luther also did a good job, pushing at the front to attract the attention of the other party. ”

After talking about offense, Donn began to talk about defense. In the second half of the first half, he was pressed by Manchester United and did not concede a goal, and Donn was quite satisfied with the team's defense. In fact, for many seasons in a row, it has always been the backline that has reassured Donn the most. Nottingham Forest's defense is strong, and it definitely doesn't blow out of the mouth.

'We did a good job defending. George, your main task in the second half is still defense. ”

Wood nodded, no objections. Some players will prefer to attack, even if he is a midfielder, and he will want to show his talent in attack and get cheers from fans and media. But Wood is not that kind of player, he doesn't have a preference for offense or defense, and he does whatever the team needs.

'Because most of our energy was on the attack in this game, the defensive task at the back was heavier. I want you to be on your toes every second of the remaining forty-five minutes and watch out for every attack that United might have. United will certainly step up in the second half, but our front-line players may not be able to provide more help and sometimes you have to rely on yourself...... Also, we can be mindful of the ball up front, but I don't want to see you guys fall back at the back, that's dangerous, you know? ”

The players at the back said yes.

'Manchester United will definitely press up and attack because they are behind on the road. This is our chance! Seize their gaps, score another goal, and knock them down! Don't show mercy, guys! ”

The players laughed.

Playing Manchester United and thinking about mercy to his subordinates is crazy.

※※※

On the Forest side, although Donn criticized Shaheen's performance, overall, the atmosphere was harmonious and relaxed. After all, they are now ahead.

But on the other side of the United dressing room, the atmosphere was a little bit less good.

Ferguson threw a tantrum in the dressing room with a black face, showing off his "hair dryer" style.

Big names such as Ronaldo and Rooney were scolded by Ferguson and didn't dare to take a breath, and they couldn't straighten their waists.

"I let you make an offside position, and I didn't let you miss anyone! Eastwood is so obvious back inserted, what are you doing offside if you don't keep up? Hargreaves, you're the front barrier for the centre-backs, how can you let Eastwood escape so easily from where you're responsible? What are you going to do with this person, what are you going to do watching the ball? The defense in the middle was easily beaten by them with such a big hole! You guys are fucking ornaments! ”

After venting, Ferguson took a break and began to talk to the team about what to do in the second half.

"You have to get the score back, and the sooner the better! If not, it will only give confidence to the Forest team. It was a different game than we had played with Forest before, with Toney in the second half. Don wasn't going to let us attack in the second half. They're going to come out and play us head-to-head and we're trying to equalise but we're going to be careful not to extend the score. Midfielder! Ferguson is only on the tactical board, "The midfield is still the most important!" If we can control the midfield, we can directly threaten the opposition goal. If the midfield is controlled by the other side, you bunnies are waiting to cry! ”

"Carrick, Hargreaves, you two have to play a bigger role. Shaheen was just a kid and it was a risky move for Donn to let him play as a playmaker. Don't worry about George. Wood's back-up, he'll be going to stay behind and defend in this game. So you just have to put more pressure on Shaheen, keep a tighter marker, let him concede the ball, make mistakes, and destroy his confidence. ”

The two midfielders nodded obediently: "Understood, boss." ”

"It's not just the midfielders who have to scramble, you have to play aggressively up front. Grab it at all costs! That's how the opportunity came. As soon as we score the equaliser, the morale of the opponent will suffer, and then we will continue to attack, keep tackling, and don't leave me behind. The equaliser wasn't enough, at least two more goals were needed. 3:1 to ensure that they lose the ability to resist......"

Speaking of which, Ferguson didn't think it was quite right. I'm afraid 3:1 won't work, is Tony so easy to throw in the towel?

'Of course, it would have been better if you had scored more goals. Four balls, five balls I wouldn't be too much. So Ferguson added.

Manchester United's players took Ferguson's words as a joke to liven up the somewhat overly dull and serious atmosphere in the dressing room. Any team that dares to score four or five goals against Nottingham Forest must be a self-righteous idiot.

※※※

As the players from both sides ran onto the pitch from the corridors, cheers erupted in cheers from the stands at Old Trafford, which had quieted down a little, and the break was about to end.

When Donn walked out, he met Ferguson, who noticed that he had a bad face and knew that the old man must have lost his temper in the dressing room. is such a big person and still so popular, is he really retiring because he is worried about his body?

Ferguson also saw Donne, because Donn was looking at him with a grin, and only a blind man would not notice. He didn't snort coldly, then turned to leave, but walked straight up: "Tony, I heard that you like to bet a lot. Do you want us to make a bet too? ”

"Huh?"

"This game, if you lose. You're coming to Manchester United next season. ”

Don shrugged: "I don't participate in such boring gambling. ”

"Because you're afraid you won't be able to win." Ferguson burst out laughing.

"Don't try to provoke me, Sir." Donn shook his head, "We can bet on something else." For example, if you lose, sell Ronaldo to me cheaply. ”

Ferguson's face changed, but he quickly returned to normal.

"How could I possibly accept such a stupid gamble?"

Donn spread his hands, "Look, sir." We all have things we don't want to gamble on, so don't bet. ”

Where did Ferguson really want to bet with Donn, he just wanted to interfere with Donn through this kind of thing. For him, psychological warfare is to be fought around the clock, and he will not miss any opportunity that may cause interference to his opponent. However, Don obviously knew this well, and fought back quietly.

In the end, the two could only make peace helplessly.

Ferguson muttered: "Hopefully the second half will be exciting." And he turned and left.

Don also turned around and walked in the opposite direction.

The second half is about to begin.

※※※

As Donn said at half-time, United took advantage of their kick-off from the start of the second half to launch a fierce attack towards Forest's goal.

Nottingham Forest were completely suppressed and could only be forced to defend.

Don kept roaring on the sidelines, and then used gestures to ask the players to press out, press out.

Ferguson stared at the pitch with a serious face, forgetting to chew his gum.

The sooner you score, the better it will be for Manchester United.

Nottingham Forest withstood United's onslaught and did not concede a goal in the ten minutes they were under siege by Manchester United. Then Manchester United weakened slightly, and Forest pressed out to play Manchester United in attack. The two sides engaged in a fierce battle in the midfield.

Shaheen has been taken care of by Manchester United, and every time he gets the ball, he attracts a vicious press from a Manchester United player, and if he is not careful, the ball at his feet can be lost.

Manchester United has done so very effectively. Forest's attack was bogged down in the mud and United took advantage of the opportunity to play a couple of dangerous counter-attacks. Shaheen looked a little isolated, and Don had to let Wood and the two wings consciously lean into the middle to support. Finally brought the scene back.

Fifteen minutes passed in the second half, and the two sides were deadlocked at 1-0.

In the meantime, Ferguson also stepped down from the dugout again. The team did not score at the start of the second half as he had hoped. It can be seen that the mood of the Nottingham Forest players has gradually stabilized. That's not going to work......

Isn't that enough......

※※※

Don breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the situation on the field had calmed down, and turned around and walked back to the coach's seat to sit.

1:0 is dangerous, but they've made it through.

If they can't attack for a long time, Manchester United must be impatient. That's the time for Forest's chance. There were only no surprises and he was confident of taking the three points away at Old Trafford.

※※※

Shaheen counter-attacked on the spot after conceding the ball in midfield, but it caused a foul. The referee blew the whistle for United to take a free-kick and pulled Shaheen over to give him a verbal warning. The rest of the Nottingham Forest players turned and ran back, ready to defend another attack by United.

The Forest players who turned their bodies over didn't notice the following:

Hargreaves came to swing the ball with a ball, and as soon as the ball hit the ground, he bent over and kicked the ball out!

Free kick fast!

When Ronaldo received the ball, there was not even a single Nottingham Forest player within five metres, Wood was far in the middle, Raphinha was dragging behind, and Abang Lajo protested the decision around the referee because he felt that Shaheen had not committed a foul at all, Leo. Ferdinand is suspected of faking a fall.

"Ronaldo got the ball! He's completely unmarked! Empty! ”

The Manchester United fans, who had just fallen silent in the stands, instantly regained their vitality and erupted in loud cheers to cheer Ronaldo on.

Forest's players were unprepared for United's free-kick kick quick serve, and even if Ronaldo received the ball, they were still in place, and even turned their heads to look at the referee and linesman, hoping that they would blow the ball back and let United restart.

They were disappointed, and the referee didn't stand still and blew the whistle when he saw that United had taken a free-kick, but dropped Shaheen and Abang Rajo and ran forward with them. This is obviously an action that works by default.

It was only at this time that the players of the Forest team woke up like a dream, and one by one they pounced on Ronaldo fiercely, while quickly retreating to form the defensive line.

But it was too late.

Ronaldo sparked into the box with the ball and Raphinha didn't even react on the wing.

Pepe rushed up to defend and was intent on forcing his Portugal captain to the perimeter and unable to threaten the goal directly.

Ronaldo made a stop-and-go feint and then suddenly accelerated to move the ball outside.

At the same time, Pepe stepped in.

He didn't play football because he had already been pushed away by Ronaldo. He stepped directly on Ronaldo's feet.

Ronaldo screamed and jumped to the ground.

The referee's whistle sounded, and everyone reflexively turned their heads to look at the referee running over, staring nervously at his gesture - he pointed to the penalty spot!

"Penalty! Oooo It's a penalty! Ronaldo's beautiful breakthrough won a penalty for Manchester United! The Nottingham Forest players surrounded the referee, and Pepe kept waving his hand to indicate that he had not committed a foul, and it was Ronaldo who faked the fall. At this time, he doesn't care about any compatriot friendship......"

Ronaldo curled up on the ground with his feet covered, and it looked like Pepe's feet were not lightly stepped on.

Berbatov rushed up to hug Ronaldo and found out that Ronaldo was indeed injured and not faked...... Hurriedly raised his hand and motioned to find a team doctor.

Some of the other United players ran to care about Ronaldo, while others celebrated the penalty together.

For a while, there was a mess in the Forest penalty area.

The referee dispersed the Forest players who were chattering around him and insisted on a penalty. At the same time, Manchester United's team doctor ran up to help Ronaldo to the sidelines for treatment, and he limped off the pitch to prove that he had not faked a fall. Of course, Nottingham Forest fans will not let him go - they believe that the Portuguese even pretended to walk in order to deceive the referee.

This penalty cannot be changed. Nottingham Forest can only accept such an outcome.

Being able to accept it doesn't mean that you can be calm, and Donn has been gritting his teeth off the pitch since the referee awarded the penalty.

"This is Manchester United's home stadium. Yes, this is Manchester United's home turf. I know, I know better than anyone else, it's Manchester United's home ......."

He was like Xianglin's sister-in-law, who kept talking like this, and finally recruited the fourth official.

"Can you be quiet, Mr. Donne?"

"Ah, I'll shut up and say one last time: this is Manchester United's home stadium!"

"Mr. Donn!"

"Am I wrong? Could it be that this is still our home turf? ”

Fourth, there is basically nothing that can be done by the officials to take this scoundrel. He just glared at Donne: "I want you to pay attention to your words, every one of your performances will be recorded in the match report......"

Donn looked at the pitch and pretended not to hear at all, ignoring the fourth official.

As Ronaldo was undergoing treatment off the pitch, the penalty was taken by Hargreaves.

Hargreaves easily deceived Akinfeev and pushed the ball into the middle.

"Manchester United have finally equalised! In the sixty-first minute of the game, the two sides returned to the same running line! ”

Even if it was just a penalty score, Ferguson looked excited, and he rushed down to hug and celebrate with his assistant next to him. Don stood on the sidelines with an unhappy face and posed.

The equaliser is not good news for their team by any means, and even worse, it will boost the morale of the United and further threaten the Forest goal.

After all, their opponent is not a random cat and dog team, but Manchester United, the Premier League overlord, and they are still in someone's lair.

Ferguson's words when he was arguing with Donn at halftime really worked -

With thirty minutes left in the second half, it will be exciting......

(To be continued)