Chapter 484: Suspension
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
There wasn’t much to say about Nottingham Forest’s away ga. Short on players, Nottingham Forest predictably lost to Arsenal by 3:1, which could be counted as a complete failure.
Twain followed the team to London, but he could not direct the ga in the technical area due to his ban. He and Assistant Manager Kerslake, who was also sent off with a red card, sat in the stands as they helplessly watched their team besieged by Arsenal. The Forest team did not show its usual drive at all.
Dunn carried out the acting manager’s authority in the ga. But just as Twain once thought, Dunn was a brilliant assistant manager, but not a qualified manager. He was able to do the supporting work perfectly, but could not make decisions on his own.
Without a definite view, he would not know what to do. If the manager was that way, the players would be even more so.
Without George Wood, Sun Jihai was placed in the defensive midfielder position. Despite the Chinese player’s best efforts, he was still overwheld in the face of Arsenal’s group attack. The position of the defensive midfielder was too important. If the field was compared to a battlefield, the midfield was the ground the soldiers must fight for. A defensive midfielder was equivalent to a stronghold. A good defensive midfielder could defend this area and make it invincible to attack, whereas a terrible one...
Not that Sun Jihai was terrible, but he was still so distance away from his opponent’s level.
If the midfield were to fall, the Forest team’s penalty area would not fare any better.
They easily conceded three goals.
The only thing worth ntioning was that Nottingham Forest had managed to score a goal even under such unfavorable circumstances. Eastwood scored a face-saving goal for the team at the last minute, so they did not suffer a crushing defeat in the hands of Arsenal.
After the end of the ga, Wenger glanced at the stands, intentionally or unintentionally, as he shook hands with Dunn. He was unquestionably trying to find Twain in the crowd, but by then Twain had already left with Kerslake.
None of the post-match comntators felt anything was odd about the outco of the match. Arsenal was a strong team. Furthermore, the Forest team was currently short of players and even missing its key figure, Tony Twain. Even if they had been well-organized, they still might not have stood a chance against Arsenal in the Emirates Stadium.
For their part, the Nottingham dia lanted their bad luck for playing against such a strong opponent after a widespread ban. If they had encountered a weak team, they might have still been able to win.
Twain did not see it that way. He was glad to et Arsenal at this ti. There was already a leak in the house, what was a downpour instead? It was best to put all the bad things together and once the bad luck had run out; good luck would naturally take center stage again.
※※※
After his return from London with a loss, Twain did not waste ti feeling dejected by the defeat. He was going to lead the team right into the preparations for the Champions League group stage competition.
There was little ti. On September 27th, Nottingham Forest would host one of their other rivals, the Turkish Süper Lig team, Galatasaray S.K., in this group stage at ho.
Since that earth-shattering war, everyone had been waiting to see it. They wanted to see which direction Tony Twain’s team would go.
Twain knew what the dia thought. He was enemies with a lot of English dia. They wanted to Tony Twain fall on his face and the Forest team to lose twice in a row. Having just lost to Arsenal in the league tournant, it would have been even nicer if they could continue to lose to Galatasaray.
However, Twain was an antagonistic person and liked to be at odds with everyone.
Therefore, Twain won this group stage ga.
The punishnt by suspension only took effect for the league tournant. The Forest team could still send its strongest lineup for the Champions League ga. And the team did not appear to have been hit by the widespread ban, but rather were spurred by the ban and could vent their frustration with the league tournant on the Champions League group stage competition.
During the ga, Twain did not use the Forest team’s defensive tactics that they relied on for their ascent last season. Instead, they audaciously and also unexpectedly employed strong offensive in their ho ground. They made light of Galatasaray’s offense.
As a result, the ga ended in 3:2, with a total of five goals scored by both teams. Nottingham Forest won by scoring one more goal than their opponent.
The comntator thought for this ga, the Forest team, everyone from the coaches to the players, must have needed to vent their frustration. Obviously it would not help them if they were to continue to implent the defensive tactics and play under pressure from the opponent in their own ho ground. So, it was reasonable that they would attack aggressively regardless of everything. Tony Twain was unpredictable, so his team would naturally be unpredictable. It was normal for them to suddenly change their tactics.
Twain did not care about the noise from these comnts. He had a plan in mind.
After they defeated Galatasaray at ho, Nottingham Forest was temporarily ranked first in the group with their two wins.
The scene that those onlookers wanted to see most did not happen. Tony Twain’s team was still alive and well.
“We were so pathetic in the league tournant that I didn’t expect us to do so well in the Champions League,” Dunn said to Twain after the coaching staff on both sides shook hands affably.
“This is quite nice.” Twain nodded, “Our goal this season has always been about the Champions League. It’s fine if we are in the top four for the Premier League.”
Twain did not lie, and he definitely was not being modest. He was not considering the issue of the league title at all this season. Putting aside the fact that they were surrounded by Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and other powerhouse clubs, he based the decision on the Forest team itself.
Since he decided he would reclaim what he had lost in the Champions League, it was natural to put more energy into the Champions League. The league tournant was a competition with a long system, unlike the Champions League with its knockout system. One of the Champions League’s big features was how much one put in would reflect how much one reaped in the end. That was to say as long as one put in the effort, there would be returns with fewer uncertainties.
Whereas, due to the long schedule, the league tournant had more uncertainties, just like the saying “long delays cause complications.” There was a high probability that even after painstakingly putting in all their efforts to lead in the first thirty-seven rounds, they would be overtaken by their opponents in the final round. Twain did not want such a catastrophe to happen to him.
Furthermore, even if he boosted his team with a number of powerful players during the sumr, he did not think Nottingham Forest had the power to compete in two tournants and take both championship titles. Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich ... None of these international titans would dare to claim they had the absolute strength to take down a double or a triple, not to ntion Nottingham Forest.
Instead of sitting at ho to fantasize about their team taking all the championship titles they could win, it was better to be realistic and play well in the Champions League where they were the most confident. Twain was a very pragmatic coach. He was realistic, and he was only interested in things he firmly believed he could grasp.
He currently had no plans for the league title in his mind. But as for the Champions League title, he must have it.
※※※
After the victory over Galatasaray in the Champions League and taking the top spot in the group, Nottingham Forest, seemingly limitless and radiant, was about to experience going from heaven to hell. Nottingham Forest would host Middlesbrough in the seventh round of the league tournant on November 1st.
Having just enjoyed a ga with an intact team, Twain had to return to the stands to be a spectator.
Dunn continued to be the acting manager for this ga. However, he was just acting as a front. Twain and the coaching staff had arranged all tactics before the ga, and the team just had to follow them.
In the face of the Middlesbrough team without Steve McClaren, the Forest team shook hands with their opponents at their ho ground. The ga was played brilliantly with a total of four goals scored by both teams. The Forest team’s second lineup had no problem dealing with a rival like Middlesbrough. Their eventual failure to win the ga was entirely due to the lack of a key figure, Tony Twain. A distinctive character and a fearless manager was the real soul of the team.
The good news for Twain was that there was only one more ga to go before the end of his suspension. He could almost stand in front of the coaching staff again and direct the team in competition. He had had enough of the days of being a spectator in the stands. He had been a spectator for more than ten years in his previous life. He did not want to live that life again.
The televised footage was focused on Twain’s behavior during the ga. Whether it was the Forest team scoring or conceding a goal, the cara would quickly pan to Twain in the stands to see his reaction.
John Motson, the BBC football comntator who knew Twain well, said with a laugh, “the English Football Association’s only appropriate penalty was to suspend Twain for three gas. To Tony Twain, not allowing him to direct the team during gas is as good as taking his life!”
Fortunately, such terrible days would be over soon.
On October 14th, as it was the national team competition, there would be a one-week break in the league tournant. Nottingham Forest lost 1:2 to Manchester City in the away ga, but Twain could ignore this ga’s defeat. He even wanted to sneak to the sidelines after the end of the ga to shake the hand of the Manchester City manager, Stuart Pearce on behalf of Dunn, but he was stopped by the sharp-eyed fourth official at the tunnel’s exit.
“Mr. Twain, that’s not going to work. You can’t go over there.”
“I just wanted to go and say hello to my old friend. Isn’t that okay?” Twain asked the fourth official next to him as he pointed to Pearce, who was shaking hands with Dunn.
“You can wait for the next half of the league tournant, Mr. Twain. If you are not suspended again at that ti.” Twain had beco the referees’ number one enemy since he publicly slamd the entire English refereeing community after that ga. In the few gas in the league tournant, the Forest team had been subjected to so inexplicable penalties several tis. It could not be said that there was no link to this.
After the fourth official spoke harshly, Twain’s good mood disappeared. He looked at Dunn and Pearce, not far ahead, and glanced at the fourth official standing next to him with a fake smile. He knew that if he were to force his way in, he would be suspended again from an unknown number of gas.
He grunted and turned to walk away.
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Dunn shook hands with Pearce but did not chat with him. He just walked directly into the tunnel. He was not in a good mood since he lost the ga. He did not want to stay any longer in front of people.
As he passed the mixed zone, he was stopped by a voice speaking in Mandarin, “Mr. Dunn, Mr. Dunn!”
Dunn, who initially did not want to pay any attention to the dia, could not help but stopped when he heard the familiar-sounding Mandarin.
The person who called him was no stranger. It was Tang Jing, whom he t on the plane. Coincidentally, they both shared the sa family na, Tang. They might have been related five hundred years ago.
“Can you say a few words?” Tang Jing huddled in front of the crowd, obvious among the male-dominated sports reporters.
Since it was soone he knew, Dunn could not embarrass her. He went over, intending to say a few words. But before he could speak, he could not think of anything to say.
Tang Jing could obviously tell. She needed to take the initiative for this situation, so she asked, “how do you feel, going from being an assistant manager to becoming an acting manager, Mr. Dunn?”
“They are completely different,” Dunn replied succinctly.
Tang Jing was fully prepared for this. She nodded and jotted down Dunn’s words. As to how she would play on his words when she got back was up to her.
“What a pity, you have not won the past three gas.” Her response certainly displeased the other person, so Tang Jing hurriedly changed the topic, “What are your thoughts on the FA’s extensive punishnt?”
“It’s been a couple of weeks, and I don’t have any comnts about it.”
“Oh.” Even if she was sufficiently prepared for this, Tang Jing was still exasperated by this kind of uncooperative attitude. She had waited for half a day only to be t with such a result? She was a little dejected. Twain’s noncompliance was intentional, whereas Dunn’s noncompliance was entirely inherent – this was what frustrated her the most.
Perhaps he thought that it was not easy for a woman to squeeze in among such a large group of n in search of an interview opportunity. Dunn also felt that it was not nice to treat the other party with this attitude, so he hesitantly opened his mouth to speak, “I’m a little unhappy that I did not win a ga.”
Tang Jing imdiately looked up when she heard Dunn suddenly take the initiative to speak. She looked at Dunn, filled with anticipation. But she only saw Dunn shake his head, “Sorry, I have to go.”
“Oh, all right. See you around, Mr. Dunn.” Tang Jing waved goodbye first. Although he did not say much, his last remark was enough.
I’m a little unhappy that I did not win a ga...
※※※
Dunn ran into Twain on his way back to the locker room.
“Why did you not go straight to the press conference?” Twain asked from where he leaned against the wall.
“It’s still early,” Dunn replied.
“There’s nothing to do here. So why did you co back?”
“There’s nothing to do over there either. I’m used to coming back here first.”
Twain smiled and said, “you really are suited to be an assistant manager for the rest of your life.”
“I t Tang Jing in the mixed zone just now.” Dunn switched the topic.
“Oh? What did she ask?”
“Stuff that the Chinese fans care about.”
Twain nodded to show that he understood. It was nothing more than the news about Dunn suddenly beca the acting manager.
“I’m sorry to disappoint them,” said Twain with a shrug. “Or do you want to continue, Dunn?”
Dunn shook his head and waved his hand. “I don’t like it. The manager and assistant manager are entirely two different jobs. Luckily you’ll be back soon, and I can feel relieved, too.”
“Too much pressure, isn’t it?” asked Twain, laughing.
Dunn nodded. “Too much.”
“But I like it.” Twain winked at his partner. “Enormous pressure ans there will be a bigger payoff. I have no interest in being an assistant manager at all. I’ve always liked being a manager from the start. We are really different.”
Dunn smiled quietly and pushed the door to enter. Twain remained outside as he watched the players step off the field and walk down. He raised his hand to greet them.
“Hey, guys, good job!”
“Don’t be discouraged, little monkey! You only just lost an insignificant league ga. Have you forgotten our aim for this season?”
“It’s no big deal. I’m back.”
That was right. He was the owner of this team.
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