Chapter 49: Eat one bite at a time
The East Midlands region is located east of central England.
In this area, there are three teams competing in the English Championship, namely Leicester City, Derby County, and Nottingham Forest.
Compared to Leicester City and Derby County, Nottingham Forest is considered the most famous team in the entire region and even England.
Because, Nottingham Forest Football Club not only has a long history, but also has unforgettable glorious times.
In the 1977-78 season, under the leadership of legendary coach Brian Clough, Nottingham Forest won the League One championship as a newly promoted team.
This is the first time in the history of professional football that a club team has won the league championship as a newly promoted team!
It was nearly twenty years earlier than the "Miracle of Kaiserslautern" that most fans are familiar with.
In addition to the miracle of the newly promoted team winning the championship in the domestic arena, Nottingham Forest's brilliant record in the European arena is still incredible.
In the 1978~79 season, Nottingham Forest, which competed in the European Champions Cup for the first time, was invincible in the European Champions Cup, defeating opponents one after another, and finally won the Big Ears Cup for the first time!
The following year, Nottingham Forest once again advanced to the European Champions Cup final.
In the final, Nottingham Forest defeated the Hamburg team led by Kevin Keegan, the 1980 European Footballer of the Year, and achieved two consecutive European Champions Cups!
It is worth mentioning that this Nottingham Forest team also created a terrifying record of 42 unbeaten games in the English League.
It was not until the 21st century that the undefeated Arsenal team broke this record.
However, since the Premier League was restructured in 1992, Clough left the team, and Nottingham Forest has slowly returned to mediocrity.
After being promoted back to the English Championship in the 2007-08 season, Nottingham Forest has been working hard in the English Championship.
However, compared to other teams in the British Championship, Nottingham Forest is considered to be richer.
After all, not all teams have two Champions League trophies.
Therefore, many Nottingham Forest fans feel that their ranking in the English Championship is below their neighbor Leicester City. Feeling very unhappy.
Of course, they are even more unwilling to become the backdrop for Leicester City to set a new record for consecutive wins in the British Championship.
In their view, our Forest team has won two consecutive Champions League titles. What kind of champion are you, Leicester City? !
. . .
Two hours before the game, Leicester City’s team bus arrived in Nottingham.
Sitting on the moving team bus, even though Ling Feng was wearing headphones with music playing in them, he could not cover up the noise coming from outside the car window.
Look out through the car window.
I saw many fans wearing red jerseys, waving red flags and scarves, with ferocious faces.
Noticing that Ling Feng was looking over, these Forest fans raised their middle fingers in unison, and while saying hello to them, they did not forget to shout the slogan:
"Forest, we must win!"
“Go back, you stinking foxes!”
“Boy, go back to your mother’s arms and cry!”
Facing the insults and international gestures from Forest fans, Ling Feng couldn't help but chuckle.
Well, the enthusiasm is expected!
I wonder if these Forest fans will still be as enthusiastic as they are now after the game ends in the evening.
Under the warm welcome of the Forest fans, the team bus slowly drove in City Stadium car park.
The players got off the car and quickly entered the visiting team's locker room on the court.
As soon as he put down his backpack, Ling Feng was called out of the locker room by the assistant coach.
Arriving in the corridor outside the locker room, head coach Pearson said: "Ling, you and I go to the press conference."
Hearing this, Ling Feng couldn't help but be startled.
"Me? Press conference?"
"Yes, it's you."
Under normal circumstances, the head coach and team captain attend the pre-match press conference together.
Of course, sometimes the core players of the team will also participate.
A month ago, Pearson believed that contacting the media too early would cause young players like Ling Feng to lose themselves.
A month later, Pearson still thought so.
The reason why Ling Feng was allowed to attend the pre-game press conference was entirely his impromptu decision.
The media has been hyping up the importance of this game over the past few days. Moreover, many people are questioning Ling Feng's ability to withstand pressure.
These reports made Pearson angry just looking at them.
In the two FA Cup games against Premier League teams, if Ling Feng had not resisted the pressure and sent a fatal pass, Leicester City would not have advanced to the quarterfinals.
Moreover, since the FA Cup came into being, Ling Feng has been closely guarded by his opponents in almost every game.
Under constant pressing pressure, he lost the ball less than five times per game.
The media actually said that he was not able to withstand pressure? !
If your eyes are no longer needed, you can donate them!
So, he decided to let Ling Feng attend the pre-game press conference to support his proud disciple with practical actions!
Furthermore, according to Ling Feng’s performance in several post-match interviews, he also felt that this 18-year-old young man was very decent and generous.
Of course, for fear that Ling Feng would talk nonsense at the press conference, Pearson did not forget to remind Ling Feng:
"Just do it as you did in the post-game interview later. Don't be nervous."
"If you encounter a question that is difficult to answer, you can kick my foot and let me answer it for you."
Regarding the coach's kindness, Ling Feng blinked and promised with a smile:
"No problem, coach. I will perform well."
The two immediately came to the news room.
When they saw Ling Feng following Pearson, the reporters in the news room seemed to smell a swarm of sharks that smelled of blood donations, and they immediately clicked the shutter frantically.
For a moment, the whole room was filled with flashes of light.
Ling Feng, who attended the pre-match press conference for the first time, was almost blinded by the flash.
Blocking his eyes with his hands, Ling Feng was able to sit down next to Pearson.
Under the auspices of the press officer, the press conference began.
After the reporters asked the two head coaches a few questions as usual, a sports reporter from the BBC asked Ling Feng a somewhat professional question:
"From the BBC Question. "
"Ling, this is your seventh league game since you were promoted to the first team. In the past six league games, you have contributed one goal and six assists. Ranked in the top ten in assists. "
"However, I found that your average number of shots per game is very low. Does this mean that you are an assister who focuses on passing? Is it the coach’s arrangement?”
In fact, Pearson gave Ling Feng great freedom in tactics.
In addition to asking the two midfielders to wipe his butt, Pearson also encouraged him to move forward more, respond to the horizontal knocks and inverted triangles on both sides, and take the second shot.
However, Ling Feng will not push forward every time, but chooses to pass the threatening ball and let Vardy or Mahrez complete the final blow.
After thinking about it, Ling Feng replied:
“As a midfielder, I enjoy assisting my teammates more than scoring goals myself.”
Yes.
He likes to assist, and it is definitely not because he is not good at shooting and does not dare to hit too many goals!
“Of course, when the opportunity comes, I will not hesitate!”
Some things like archery rely on talent, and some rely on long-term training and study.
With the system, Ling Feng has unlimited possibilities.
Of course, if you want to improve your shooting skills to the level of Vardy, it cannot be done overnight.
So, the best way to play at the moment is to use your best passing to help the team's forwards create threats and even score goals, thereby opening the door to victory for the team.
Then slowly improve your other abilities through training and competition, as well as achieving system achievements.
As an offensive player's four major skills, passing, stopping and shooting, his passing has reached the full level.
The next step is to focus on improving your ball stopping skills.
The meal must be eaten one bite at a time, and the road must be walked step by step.
If you take too long a step, it’s easy to lose your temper.
(End of this chapter)