Of course, although Donn said he was going to win, football is not something that can be won by talking. Without careful preparation and meticulous arrangement, coupled with the tactics of the opponent, winning is nothing more than an empty word.

Sunderland are not very strong, and they have behaved like promoted horses – with ups and downs. The first round of the league starts with them hosting Tottenham Hotspur. It was a dull affair, but Sunderland continued last season's form in the Championship and fought back aggressively on the back burner to get off to a last-minute knock on Tottenham's door.

Keane's new season debut also looked successful and impressive.

There are already experts who can't wait to announce that this season's Sunderland has a good chance of becoming Wigan Athletic's for the first two seasons.

But Keane really didn't give the expert face. In the second round of the league, Sunderland drew 2-2 away with Birmingham, lost 0-3 away to Middlesbrough in the third round, and lost 0-2 at home to Liverpool in the fourth round.

Then, on 2 September, Keane returned to Old Trafford, where he said goodbye to former Manchester United team-mate 'The Legend' Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who had been plagued by injuries and announced his retirement. Although there was a good atmosphere on both sides before the game, United fans were excited about Roy, who led the team back to Old Trafford. Keane also gave warm applause, and Keane also hugged Ferguson in front of many media, and there was no smell of gunpowder for a big battle.

But after the game started, these warm sides were not visible. The final score was 1-0, and Sunderland showed tenacity, but it was cut through by the Portuguese youngster Nani, who has joined Manchester United this season, with a world-class long-range shot. On the surface, Sunderland looked out of luck and United scored in the worst way possible to score. In fact, there are a lot of opportunities for Manchester United in normal games, but after Rooney was injured and sidelined, Manchester United's forward line suddenly found no way to attack.

Tevez didn't work well with his teammates to form an effective attacking co-ordination after he came on the pitch.

As for Cristiano. Ronaldo even sat in the audience with Rooney to recuperate.

Dong Fangzhuo, the "King Dong" that Chinese fans are very concerned about, entered the squad and sat on the bench. But no matter how much United's attack was stymied, he just didn't get a chance to play. He sat on the bench for 90 minutes, which also made Chinese fans look forward to 90 minutes.

In that game, United won against Keane's Sunderland thanks to a goal from Nani.

Sunderland, who had lost three in a row, suddenly silenced all the experts who had been optimistic about them. Although Wigan Athletic lost to Nottingham Forest in the first game of the new season, they performed quite well afterwards, otherwise they would not be regarded as a big dark horse. Sunderland's performance is really far from the image of the "dark horse", just like their nickname, the "black cat" is a cat after all, not a horse.

In the sixth round of the league, Sunderland finally claimed their second league win of the season with a 2-1 win at their home stadium to Fulham.

Sunderland fans believe that the previous three consecutive defeats were just minor accidents, that the team has always lost because they were not as lucky as their opponents, and that the team is slowly adapting to the rhythm of the Premier League, as can be seen from the change in the score of their defeat. At first, they lost to Middlesbrough by three goals, then they lost to Liverpool by two goals, and then they lost by only one goal to Manchester United, and now, against Fulham, Sunderland has won! What does this mean? It shows that the situation of the team is getting better game by game, this round we won Fulham by one goal, and the next round we beat Nottingham Forest...... Two balls?

It sounds funny, but the difference in quality between Sunderland and Forest is almost impossible. But who is Sunderland's manager? It's Roy, who is not afraid of heaven and earth. Keane, with him, there is a miracle. Thinking about our miserable performance in the Championship last season, who can believe we can be promoted in the end? Even we don't believe it anymore, Roy. Keane is here. Speaking at his inaugural press conference, he said: "I'm not here to lead the team to relegation. And he did what he said.

An away win over Nottingham Forest is not out of the question, there is no such thing as an unbeatable team in the world.

But sadly, Done doesn't intend to let Sunderland fans get their wish.

Against promoted Sunderland, Done fielded the strongest squad he could field. Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, centre-backs Ayala and Pepe, left-back Gareth. Gareth Bale, right-back Raphinha. Midfielder George. Wood and Van der Vaart, left wing-back Ribery, right midfielder David Beckham, forwards Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arshavin.

Eastwood suffered a minor injury, and consecutive games were not conducive to his recovery, so after the Champions League group stage against Porto, he was excluded from the squad by Donne, allowing him to recuperate at home.

The line-up was not quite the same as it had been against Porto four days ago, with Donn rotating in several positions: with Gareth. Bale replaced Grosso, Ayala for Piqua and Arshavin for Eastwood. Despite this, this squad is still outstanding in England.

Don didn't want anyone to think he was deliberately letting his good friend Roy go. Keane, that was the greatest insult to his work ethic.

Roy. Keane wouldn't be willing to let his opponent go. On the road he fielded his strongest squad and wanted to get the three points.

Sunderland used a steady counter-attacking tactic against Forest. This set of tactics is familiar to Donn, and he is not surprised. Because now as the Forest team is getting more and more famous, there are more and more teams that are counter-attacking against them.

Sunderland is just one of them.

Nottingham Forest's unbeaten run of five wins and one draw in six league games this season is not a matter of luck, with a number of teams hoping to defend against Forest, but what was the result? It's not a loss yet.

Nottingham Forest today is not a team that is at a loss in the face of the opposition's iron bucket formation. Set-pieces, long-range shots, short passes in the middle, flying on both wings...... There are many ways for them to open each other's deadhold. Van der Vaart's ability to organise attacks at the edge of the opposition penalty area is much better than Albertini and Arte, and with him, the Forest's frontcourt playmaking has the backbone. Coupled with Van Nistelrooy and Bendtner, who are not afraid of physical confrontation and have smart minds, even if the opponent lays heavy troops in front of the goal, Donn is not as headache as before.

Now the Forest team has not only practiced insisting on defensive counterattacks in training, but also focused on how to break the opponent's iron bucket formation and how to maneuver with the opponent in positional battles. They have the advantage that they are experts in playing defensive counter-attacks, knowing the weaknesses of defensive counter-attacks, understanding the psychology of defensive counter-attackers, and knowing how to deal with them.

When attacking, Van Nistelrooy was the first to go up to attract the attention of the opponent's defense and press the opponent's defense back.

But it's often not the centre-forward who really delivers the fatal blow, but Eastwood who comes in from behind, or Arshavin or even Van der Vaart.

Now the role of the centre-forward is not so much to score as to carry out tactical tasks. As long as the center striker goes up, the opponent's defense line has to retreat, and they dare not be unprepared. Because no matter what the tactic, the center forward is the opposing player closest to the goal, and the arrow man with the most ability to score goals. As for whether there are other attacking players to be inserted behind the opponent, it depends on the coordination between the midfield defense and the defenders.

Attacking in the back row is one of the mainstream tactics in world football, and the reason for the repeated success lies in its variety and indeterminacy. No one knows when the opponent will be plugged in the back row, no one knows who will be plugged in the back row, and no one knows whether the opponent wants to be plugged in the back row, which gives the attacker the basis for implementing this tactic. Soldiers, treacherous ways. Football tactics are the same, which is deception and anti-deception.

Seeing Ruud van Nistelrooy squeezing into the box with a menacing attitude, Sunderland's defenders did not dare to be unguarded. They put their defensive forces in the penalty area, and their defense against the edge of the penalty area is weak. Van der Vaart won the ball at the edge of the penalty area, and for a while Sunderland's defenders did not go up to press, but worried that they would leave a gap behind them after they went up, allowing the opponent to seize the opportunity and kick it straight away......

The Dutchman seized the opportunity to deliver a powerful long-range shot.

The ball was hit in the frame of the goal by Sunderland's main goalkeeper Clegg. Gordon flew off the line. Gordon was the Scottish goalkeeper who Keane spent £9 million on before the season, and his performance was unanimously praised when Sunderland kept a clean sheet against Tottenham Hotspur in the first game. Then he and Sunderland had their ups and downs...... On a three-game losing streak, he conceded six goals. Only in the final game against Manchester United was he received praise, with the opinion of the pundits that "Sunderland would have lost five goals if it hadn't been for Gordon".

Donn has never looked favorably on Gordon because the goalkeeper lacks one of the most important things – consistency. This guy may be able to be a good man in one game, but in more games, it will be useless for the team as a whole.

Okay, now the question is, will Gordon be a god in this game? Or do you want to swallow three eggs?

Forest's Bale went to take a corner, he was a left-footed player, he took a corner on the right, and the ball must have spun in front of goal, and suddenly the defenders and attackers were concentrated in front of the goal, ready to fight for the top. At this time, Beckham, who was originally at the far end, suddenly ran over, is he going to kick?

No, Bale dialed the ball out, and Beckham didn't stop the ball and directly picked up his foot to make a cross!

What was supposed to be an inward spin turned into an outward curling ball, and Sunderland's previous defensive set-up was all in vain. Pepe and Ruud van Nistelrooy have also proven to be just a front for their role in attracting the attention of opposition defences and then creating opportunities for their team-mates who come in behind.

Ayala, who had been roaming on the outside, suddenly came out and shook the ball with a header in front of everyone......

"The ball is in!! No one thought of it! Ayala is the target of this header...... Look at Beckham's corner, it's almost aimed at the Argentine defender! 1：0！ Nottingham Forest take the lead at home! ”

Set-pieces are the best way to break down the opposition's dense defence.

Seeing the goal conceded, Keane rushed to the sidelines from the coach's bench with some dissatisfaction, expressing his anger at the defender's leakage just now.

And Don sat in the coach's seat with his annoying Erlang legs crossed, leisurely.

With Balle and David Beckham, two set-piece masters, Forest usually put a variety of tactical drills from set-pieces in a very important position. This abrupt change from long to short corners is just one of them.

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Next, after taking the lead, the Forest team changed to a strong team, abandoning the practice of besieging the opponent in positional battles, and instead planned to recycle and maneuver around Sunderland in midfield. Donn knows that with Keane's last name, if he is a goal down, he will definitely ask the team to press the goal and bring back the disadvantage. The Forest team does not reclaim the backfield, just waiting for Sunderland to come up in the midfield, in terms of midfield strength, Sunderland is not as good as Nottingham Forest.

George. Wood is now the hottest defensive midfielder in the Premier League and even European football, and I wonder how Keane feels when he sees the kid he instructed at the beginning, and now he is alive and well blocking his players on the field......

Sunderland's attack was too monotonous against Forest, and they were completely inferior in terms of individual skills. Sunderland is now the quintessential example of English-style football – not in the sense of 'long passes', but in the sense that they value the body and the will, but lack the technical characteristics. Under the transformation of Donn and the Foreign Army, the Forest team is already at a relatively good level in the Premier League in terms of technology. At the very least, they rarely stop the ball more than five meters. It's not funny, Sunderland's players are under pressure from the Forest team to have this kind of low-level stoppage, if you can't even stop the ball, what are you talking about to organize the attack?

Done wasn't worried about Sunderland's comeback at all, as he had already studied Keane's side closely. Keane has been at the helm of this team for too short a time, and no matter how many grand plans he has in mind, there is no time for him to put them into action. Today, Sunderland still retain the same style of playing in the Championship, with body and will come first, followed by technique. This is very good in the Championship, but in the higher level of the Premier League, it is not easy to use. If you want to make a big difference, you need to be technical, whether it's an artistic stream like Arsenal, a comprehensive stream like Manchester United, or a "pseudo-technical stream" from other Premier League teams...... Technology must be taken seriously.

The gap in individual skills accumulates and becomes a huge gap between the two teams. This gap led to Forest taking control of the tempo of the game in front of them, and Sunderland's desire for an equaliser was just a matter of thinking, with a feeling of "powerlessness".

In the second half, the two sides changed sides and fought again, and Keane was unwilling to adjust his attack, wanting to force the overall defense of the Forest team by strengthening the attack. Helplessly, it was because the gap between individuals accumulated into the gap between the team as a whole, and he was weak.

After firmly controlling the pace of the game, the Forest team slowly accompanied Sunderland and found an opportunity...... Then one hit kills.

In the seventeenth and thirty-ninth minutes of the second half, Forest went two more times.

In the end, the score of the match was 3:0 and Nottingham Forest emerged victorious. Poor Clegg. Gordon swallowed three eggs again. Keane's favourite goalkeeper was a bit dejected after the game.

As soon as the final whistle blew, Donn took the initiative to go to Roy. Keane shook his hand: "I'm going to say I'm sorry, Roy. ”

Keane pouted, "Come on, Tony." Put away your hypocritical smile, we lost, you won, there's nothing to say. ”

Don spread his hands and looked innocent: "But we always have to act in front of the media, don't we?" ”

Keane, who lost the game, was not in a good mood, but when he saw Don like this, he couldn't help laughing: "In the evening, let's have a drink together." He stretched out his hand, and the two men held hands together.

(To be continued)