Chapter 66: Fight With One's Back To The River Part 1
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Was there anyone who remembered the match that took place on May 10th? That week, everyone was in a fog. The players, managers, team doctors, and even the gatekeeper, Ian McDonald. Were they clear about the opponents they were about to face, and what kind of match it was?
Tang En sat in the home team manager's seat and looked blankly at the match happening on the field. His mind was completely muddled, and the ability to direct the team on the spot, which he was previously so proud of, had disappeared into some random nook or cranny, nowhere to be found.
The team was currently at a disadvantage, and was being utterly destroyed by the guest team, Sheffield United. The were completely unable to make any effective defensive or offensive advances.
The match can't go on like this, a voice from the depths of his mind said to Tang En. However, the voice appeared to be reverberating from a faraway place and was extremely illusory.
For the past week, the team had only done a few of the regular systematic training exercises and did not undergo any niche-targeting practices.
As the manager, Tang En also did not carefully analyze his opponents for the playoffs. In fact, he was even unable to tell the players how they should deal with the current team they were facing.
Gavin's death was like a nightmare that haunted them. Everyone was out of form, and the match appeared to be a real ordeal for them.
The viewing platforms of City Ground were almost 90 percent full, but the score was unable to satisfy them. The score at halftime was 0:1 with Nottingham Forest trailing behind.
"Tony, we should do something to salvage the situation!" Walker anxiously reminded Tang En, being one of the few people who had recovered.
"Yes, you're right, Des. We should do something." Although that was what he said, Tang En remained seated in his seat, not moving at all. He was merely repeating Des' words mechanically.
Seeing the current state that Tang En was in, Walker sighed helplessly.
Edward Doughty, who was seated inside the VIP lounge, swept a look across the stadium, before turning to his father and saying, "Do you really hold high hopes for him?"
Nigel Doughty nodded his head. "The people who Hart thought highly of have never disappointed me before."
Edward shook his head in response. "I don't think he is as good as you make him out to be. Perhaps his performance during the regular season was very outstanding. However, what's the point of being able to win 100 unimportant matches, when he loses the most crucial ones?"
"Edward," the old man's tone became slightly more serious, "be mindful of your choice of words. There is no such thing as 'regular season' here. Don't bring your basketball terms back to England. You are someone who will become the leader of a club in the future. Saying these kinds of things will allow the media to mock us."
"Oh, I'm sorry, dad."
"You don't like Twain?"
"Erm… How do I put it?" Edward looked at the television set, which happened to be showing Tang En's close-up. He was sitting expressionlessly in the manager's seat without budging, as if he were a dead person. Regarding the team's current predicament, Tang En could not come up with a better solution for it. "I've gone to London with Tony in private before, and I find him to be a very interesting person. However, I feel that he is not steady enough. I can't seem to get a grasp on his temper, character, and what he likes. I don't understand him. Sometimes he's very good, but sometimes he's very terrible, like right now."
Nigel was slightly shocked at the clear and logical explanation of his son. Turning his head around and looking at him, Nigel said, "Did you put in a lot of effort after returning to America?"
Edward shrugged his shoulders. "Your son is still a talented student who studied at Harvard, after all. On top of that, Allan came up with a very detailed plan. In his plan, he also feels that we should reconsider the manager for the team."
"Allan? Allan Adams? Why are you still with him?"
"Dad, he's my financial advisor." Edward sounded slightly annoyed. "To date, Allan's help has been vital to the success of my company."
"Whatever." Nigel slightly shrugged his shoulders and said, "In any case, I don't like that sweet-talking American." As if he suddenly recalled something, Nigel asked, "Is Carrie still against the idea?"
Edward nodded his head. "She doesn't like England's weather or food, and, therefore, will be staying with Ben in America. But don't worry, I'll visit them regularly.
Nigel mumbled to himself, "You, your wife, your son... you've all become Americans through and through."
Although Nottingham Forest was able to score a goal in the second half, Sheffield United also managed to score another goal before the match ended. The match ultimately ended with a score of 1:2, with Nottingham Forest defeated on their home ground. Upon seeing Sheffield United's smug smiles when they left City Ground Stadium, all of the Forest fans had their eyebrows knitted together tightly.
If the home-field advantage had already been reduced to virtually nothing, then what kind of fate awaited them six days later on May 16th, at Sheffield United's home ground, Bramall Lane Stadium?
During the press conference, Nottingham Forest's sudden low morale had been the focal point of the reporters, but Tang En declined to express any opinion or explanation regarding the matter. Regardless of how the reporters bombarded him, Tang En would give them the same reply, "no comment." As for the blame of losing the match, Tang En credited all of the responsibility to himself.
Pierce Brosnan originally did not want to stack another boulder on top of this pitiful manager, but he realized that there was a question which nobody asked. Everyone else was too focused on the reason behind Nottingham Forest's sudden low morale, an extremely boring and trivial matter. His professionalism as a journalist ultimately prompted him to toss this extremely difficult question to Tang En.
"Manager Twain, after losing this home match, has the possibility of us remaining in League One at the end of this season, crossed your mind?"
Tang En stared at Brosnan for quite some time, but the young man stared back at him without flinching. In this quiet exchange, neither side was able to get an edge over the other.
In the end, Tang En only left a sentence behind, before he walked out of the press conference.
"I won't let such a thing happen."
"...although Manager Tony Twain claimed during the press conference that his team would ultimately emerge victorious and successfully advance to the English Premier League. However, truth to be told, I don't have much hope for his team. Seeing that they have conceded two goals to Sheffield United on their home ground, and considering the current states of the two teams, it is really difficult to guarantee that they will be able to beat Sheffield United during their away match."
The television was broadcasting the BBC's Match of the Day segment, which was slightly similar to Total Soccer, which Tang En never missed back when he was still in China. However, Match of the Day resembled more of a talk show, and it had the highest ratings among England's soccer-related television programs. The current host for the program was the once famous "Green Gentleman" Gary Lineker, and his co-hosts were the ex-Liverpool strongest midfielder duo—Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson.
The person who said that was the person who rarely showed his face on the program, Mark Lawrenson. He had a pair of grey-colored eyes and an big iconic beard.
Hansen, however, did not agree with Lawrenson. Hansen felt that Tony Twain was a trustworthy person, and that if he said he could, then he definitely could do it.
Lawrenson felt that Hansen's view was completely unsupported and too idealistic, and hence remained unconvinced.
After that, the two of them began their routine argument, with neither side able to convince the other. At that moment, Lineker, who was laughing at them and watching from the side, jumped out and attempted to be the mediator. He proposed a suggestion.
"Since neither of you are unable to convince the other person, how about the two of you make a bet?"
"Good idea, Gary." The two of them expressed their consent toward his suggestion.
Lineker looked at Lawrenson and gave him a sinister smile. "Mark, since you started this topic, you have to take responsibility for it."
Lawrenson touched his lips before he made up his mind. "Alright! If Twain's team is promoted to the English Premier League after this season's playoffs, I'll shave off my beard!"
Lineker and Hansen whistled, and Hansen even clapped excitedly. "Mark, don't even think about going back on your words. This is a live broadcast, and all of the English audience are witnesses to what you have just said."
Lawrenson said with his eyes bulging, "I never go back on my word." Whenever he said something loudly, the beard above his lips slightly flutter. It really had the feeling of "blowing his beard and staring with his eyes."
From the side, Lineker suddenly said, "Very well, Mark. Actually, I've always found that beard of yours to be an eyesore."
Looking at Lawrenson's surprised face, Hansen burst into laughter on the set.
The laughter passed through the television set and resounded throughout Burns' bar. Everyone raised their heads to look at the television set, except for Tang En who was seated in the corner, eating. He was not interested in the conversation of those commentators, but continued to use his spoon to scrape the sauce-covered rice grains off his plate.
Upon finishing his meal, Tang En left money on the table, and directly exited the bar, ignoring the people who greeted him.
Burns shook his head lightly, as he watched Tang En leave.