Synopsis

Thisisastoryaboutthepursuitofvictory.

—“Isubscribeonlytothetheoryofvictory.Ionlypursuevictory.AslongasIamabletoobtainvictory,Idon’tcareifit’stotalfootballorcounterattack.Whatistheultimategoalofprofessionalsoccer?Inmyopinion,itisvictory,andthepinnacleofvictoryistobecomethechampions.Iamamanager.IfIdon’twishtolosemyjoborbeforgottenbythepeople,there’sonlyonepathformetotake,andthatistoleadtheteaminobtainingvictories,inobtainingchampionshiptitles!”

Themaincharacterwasnotwell-likedbypeople.

—“⋯WeconductedasurveywhichhadbeendeemedbyManagerTonyTwainasextremelymeaningless.Inarandomstreetsurveyconducted,ninety-threepercentofthosesurveyedchosetheoption‘IhateTonyTwain’,whileonlysevenpercentchosetheoption‘Thispersonisratherdecent,Ilikehim’.Itisworthnotingthatnobodychosetheoption‘WhoisTonyTwain?Idon’tknowhim’.Mark,doyouknowwhyManagerTwainfeltthatoursurveywasverymeaningless?”Parker,areporterfromlaughedloudlyandsaidwhenhewasbeinginterviewedbyBBC.

Buttherewerealsopeoplewhoweremadlyinlovewithhim.

—WhenTonyTwainwasforcedtotalkaboutthesurveyconductedbyduringaninterview,hisreplywas:“Iamhappy,becauseNottinghamForest’sfansmakeupsevenpercentofEngland’spopulation.”

Andhedidnotseemtocareabouthowtheotherssawhim.

—“Whatareyoualltryingtomakemesay?AdmitthatIamnotpopular,andeverywhereIgowillbefilledwithjeersandmiddlefingers.YouallthinkIwillbeafraid?Wrong!BecauseIamabletobringvictorytomyteamanditssupporters.Idon’tcarehowmanypeoplehatemeandcan’twaittokillme,andIalsowon’tchangemyselftoaccommodatethemoodoftheselosers.Youwanttoimproveyourmood?Verysimple,comeanddefeatme.”

Hislovestoryhadgarneredwidespreadattention.

—“OurreporterstookthesepicturesatManagerTonyTwain’sdoorsteps.ItclearlyshowsthatShaniaenteredhishouseat8.34pmandshedidnotleavethehousethroughoutthenightatall.ButManagerTonyTwainfirmlydenies,andinsiststhatthatwasmerelythenewest-modelinflatabledollwhichhehadordered.

Hewasthenumberonestaroftheteam.

—“⋯Becamethespokespersonofworld-widefamousclothingbrands,shotadvertisements,frequentedthefashionindustry’sawardceremonies,endorsedelectronicgames,hasasupermodelgirlfriend.Hisearningsfromadvertisementsexceedhisclubsalarybyseventeentimes,ownsaspecialcolumninvariousprintmedias,publishinghisautobiography(inprogress),andisevensaidthatheisplanningtoshootaninspirationalfilmbasedoffhisownpersonexperiences!Whocantellmewhichpartofhislifeexperiencesisworthyofbeingcalled‘inspirational’?Holdon⋯.AreyouallthinkingthatI’mreferringtoDavidBeckham?You’resorelymistaken!I’mtalkingaboutManagerTonyTwain⋯.”

HewasveryknowledgeableaboutChinesesoccer.

—“⋯I’veheardaboutit,thatBoragiftedfourbookstohismanagerMr.Zhubeforeyourcountry’snationalteam’swarmupmatch.Afterwhich,theteamlost1:3toanamelessAmericanteamfromMajorLeagueSoccer.ThenewexcusethatMr.Zhugaveforlosingthematch,wasthatBoragifted“books”(‘books’and‘lose’arehomophonesintheChineselanguage).Here,Irecommendthatyouguysfindoutwhatthatonespecificbookis.Whichbook?Ofcoursetheonethatcausedyoualltoscoreagoal.Afterthat,tellmethetitleofthebook.Beforeeverymatch,Iwillgifttencopiesofthatsamebooktoyou.Inthatcase,won’tyouallbeabletogetatriumphant10:0winoveryouropponentseverytime?”AnexcerpttakenfromTonyTwain’sspecialcolumninacertainfamousChinesesportsnewspaper.

Hewaslovedandhatedbythepress.

—“Hehasaspecialcolumninatleastfourrenownedprintmedia,andheisabletogetaconsiderableamountofremunerationjustbyscoldingpeopleorwritingafewhundredwordsofnonsenseweekly.Whilewehavetocontemplatehardaboutourdraftsforthreedaysbeforeourbossispleasedwithit.Inanarticleinsidehisspecialcolumn,hescoldedandcalledallofthemedia‘sonofabitch’,announcingthathehatedthemediathemost.Buteverytimehepublishesanarticle,weflocktowardshimlikeflieswhichhadspottedbutter.Why?Becausethereadersliketoreadhisnewsandseehimscoldpeople.Idaretobetwithyou,andManagerTonyTwainknowsclearlyinhisheartaswell,thateventhoughhesaysthathehatesus,heknowsthatthepresenthimcannotdowithoutus.Similarly,wealsocannotdowithouthim.Isthisultimatelyconsideredagoodorabadthing?”BrucePearce,areporterfromsaidwithafaceofhelplessnesswhentalkingaboutTonyTwain.

Butnomatterthecase,hisplayerswerehismostloyalbelievers.

—GarethBale,“Nono,weneverhadanypressurewhenplayingonourhomegrounds.Becausethepressureisallonthemanager.Aslongasweseehimstandingbythesideofthefield,allofuswillfeelthatwewillbeabletowinthatmatch.Eventhefootballhooligansarelikemeeklambsinfrontofhim!”(Aftersayingthis,hebegantolaughoutloudly)

ThereplyfromGeorgeWood,theteamcaptainofNottinghamForest,wasthemoststraightforward.“Wefollowhimbecausehecanbringusvictory.”

ThelegendaryexperienceofTonyTwain,therichest,mostsuccessful,mostcontroversialmanagerwiththemostuniquepersonality!

Debutingthissummer.

Thankyouforreading.