After bidding farewell to Eastwood, who was in a good mood, Tang En once again went to visit the attending doctor, Stephen Albert.
"Forest's recent results have been pretty good. Congratulations, Mr. Tony Twain, the youngest manager." The two men started talking about football as soon as they met.
Tang En touched his nose and coughed twice. "Ahem. At this time, there's no need for Forest or Notts County, right? "
"You're looking for me because of the Romani's injury?" Albert asked with a smile.
Tang En nodded. "I want to know roughly when he can recover to the level to return to the training field."
Albert flipped through Eastwood's medical record and looked at it. He raised his head and said to Tang En, "The second surgery was very successful. I think he'll be able to walk normally in about a month. After another month, there should be no problem with simple recovery training."
Tang En thought about the time, then nodded and said, "This is really good news. After seven long months of waiting, I can finally have some hope. "
"As Eastwood's replacement, Anelka has done a good job …"
"You're wrong, Professor Albert. No one is a replacement for another person. Anelka is Anelka, and Eastwood is Eastwood. "Tang En corrected Albert's statement, and the other man was not angry.
"Perhaps it's because I don't have much contact with football coaches. It's the first time I've seen a coach who cares for his players like you. Mr. Tang En, I'm very touched by your concern for Eastwood. But I still have to remind you that even if Eastwood can return to the field, I don't think you should have too much hope that he can return to his previous level. His right knee has suffered two major injuries and three surgeries in three years. It's a miracle that he can still play football. "
Tang En was silent for a moment. It was not that he had not thought about this problem. Ronaldo had returned after that major injury, and was like a different person from the alien of the past. And Owen, after frequent injuries, was no longer the young man who chased after the wind. There were many examples of players returning after serious injuries in the world of football. Tang En had no idea whether Eastwood would become another one.
"I think what you said makes sense, Professor Albert. None of us had the ability to predict the future, and none of us knew what the future would bring. To be honest, I wasn't sure if Freddy would be able to return to his previous level and condition. But … "He changed the topic," I just went to see Freddy. He's in a good mood and has been looking forward to returning to the court. And he disobeyed your request. He watched every game of the Forest team … "
"I knew that a long time ago." Albert nodded.
"So, if the players themselves haven't given up, how can I, as a coach, give up first? It's precisely because we don't know what the future holds that we have to work hard to help him from now on and do everything we can to help him recover. I can't give up just because he 'might' not be able to return to his previous state. This isn't a reason for us to give up. "
"I understand, Mr. Twain. The hospital will also do its best to help him recover as soon as possible. "
"Thank you, Professor Albert."
"This is a doctor's duty. There's no need to thank me." Albert waved his hand. "Treating the physical injuries and pain of patients is my job. As for you, Mr. Twain … If it wasn't for the fact that my grandfather was a Notts County fan, I'd really like to be a Forest fan. "He winked at Twain. "Think about resigning as Forest's manager and coaching Notts County!"
Tang En laughed. "I don't think there's any chance … But, I can't guarantee anything in the future, Professor."
※ ※ ※
On October 27th, in the third round of the EFL Cup, Forest challenged Birmingham City in an away game. Even though the EFL Cup was a competition that helped Tang En rise to prominence, Tang En still chose to give up on this useless competition for two consecutive seasons when Forest had a bigger stage.
He sent the second and third teams, which were made up of players from the reserve team and youth team, to travel to Birmingham City. He let all the players from the First Team rest in preparation for the important next round of the EFL Cup.
Forest, who were all substitutes, performed tenaciously in the away game. However, their strength was not as good as Birmingham City's main force. 0: 1. They were eliminated in the first round of the EFL Cup. Everything was the same as last season.
Everyone could see that Tang En's ambition was not here. Losing the EFL Cup had no impact on the team at all … At most, the reserve team and youth team players would have one less place to accumulate actual combat experience.
Everyone was aiming for the next round of the EFL Cup — Nottingham Forest's home game against Chelsea's challenge in the eleventh round.
This was a direct contest between the top two teams in the EFL Cup. It was also a conversation between two young and highly individualistic managers.
Long before the EFL Cup, the media had already started hyping up this match.
There were too many stories between Tang En and Mourinho that were worth hyping up. From the point where they were both recognized as "Clough's successors," to the point where Chelsea won the championship last season but only lost to Nottingham Forest. Then, this summer, Mourinho actually helped the Forest players' work permits to attend the Football Association's hearing. What exactly was the relationship between the two of them was worth pondering.
"… Manager Mourinho came to England with the reputation of a UEFA Champions League manager. He swept the English Premier League in one season, defeated almost all the managers, and led Chelsea to the league title that they had not seen for half a century. However, the only person he had not won against was Tony Twain. No matter what others think, I believe the arrogant Mourinho will not allow this embarrassing matter to continue. "
"… Ten rounds of the EFL Cup. Chelsea remains undefeated with nine wins and one draw. They are at the top with 28 points. Nottingham Forest, with one game less, has six wins, one draw, and one loss. They are ranked second with 19 points. Both teams are currently in very good form. I think this will be a very intense and exciting match. Because the two managers' personalities have determined that when they meet each other, neither will take the initiative to admit defeat … "
"Before the match, Manager Mourinho refused to evaluate his opponent, Manager Twain. And when Twain was questioned by the reporters, he also said that it was useless to say anything before the match. The result of the match was the most telling. This is really strange. The Portuguese, who has always liked to engage in a war of words with the opposing manager before the match, actually chose to be silent. Manager Twain also kept a low profile. Perhaps in their hearts, they both think that spitting before the match is meaningless to each other. "
"The difference between the two teams is nine points. This is not a 'turning point' match that concerns who can win the title at the end of the season. The Forest team also does not expect to rely on this match to overtake Chelsea and become first in the EFL Cup. Since that is the case, why is this match still receiving so much attention? I think rather than saying that everyone is concerned about the match, it would be better to say that they are concerned about the outcome of the contest between the two managers. Will Mourinho end his embarrassing record of no wins against Tony Twain since he came to England, or will Twain continue to maintain his advantage over Mourinho? "
"… It has nothing to do with the points, and it has nothing to do with the rankings. It can even be said that it has nothing to do with the two teams. I think that as long as Mourinho and Manager Twain are still coaching in England, this situation will continue. This is a battle between the two of them … "
(To be continued, if you want to know what happens next, please log on to WWW. CMFU. com. More chapters. Support the author. Support original reading!)
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