"Just like a turkey can't be missing from dinner on Christmas Eve, I think the best Christmas gift for the Nottingham Forest fans is a victory," Tang En said before the away game against Fulham.
His nonchalant and matter-of-fact attitude infuriated their opponent, Fulham.
The home team's midfielder, Simon Davies, declared, "… We'll make this arrogant man pay the price. Nottingham Forest can't win!"
The enraged Fulham launched an attack against Nottingham Forest at home. Of course, the result was that they "attacked beautifully and died gloriously."
Although Nottingham Forest was no longer the team that could do nothing when faced with the enemy's shrinking defense, Tang En still liked to press the opponent forward. This allowed Forest to have many opportunities for sneak attacks. Fulham was successfully provoked by his psychological warfare. They wanted to use their home advantage and omnipotent momentum to get rid of Forest, but they miscalculated.
Fulham pressed forward recklessly and almost scored a goal at the start of the game, which further inspired their determination to attack.
But in reality, they would realize it was more like a honey trap if they calmed down.
Forest was pressed, pressed, and pressed again by Fulham before rebounding fiercely. They scored two goals in a row within ten minutes and completely stunned Fulham.
In the end, Nottingham Forest defeated the home team, Fulham, with a score of 3: 1. It was a good Christmas gift for their fans.
As for Tang En, when he left London, he was naturally scolded by the people of Fulham. Because he continued to be arrogant in the post-match press conference.
Some people might not understand. Since it was just to provoke the opponent to lose their cool, then there was no need to force them after the game was won. It was good to be a little gentlemanly. But in Tang En's mind, he believed that "psychological warfare" was a normal state. Otherwise, it would be easy for the opponent to see through it. Using Ferguson as an example, he knew what was normal.
Privately, Ferguson was a pretty good old man. Tang En knew this very well because they had drunk together and raced horses together before. But that was in private, somewhere other than the football field. Once the two sides met, Ferguson would not let go of any opportunity to provoke and provoke Tang En. When he ridiculed Tang En, it was impossible to tell that he had drunk together with Tang En in private.
Actually, this was the norm. Everyone in the industry knew that Ferguson was good at psychological warfare, but not everyone could ignore his sarcasm and provocation, because it had become his character at work. Sometimes, it was impossible to know if he was deliberately provoking you, or if that was how he saw you. Think of poor Keegan. Of course, there are some people who like to play psychological warfare with Ferguson, such as Arsène Wenger, who has "insulted" him for ten years.
Tang En was willing to do anything for the sake of victory. What was a little loss of reputation to him? Other people's good impressions of him couldn't help him gain three points. Therefore, he had to portray himself as an arrogant and fearless character who dared to provoke anyone. Of course, this was also part of his personality, but it was not as obvious as what he showed. He made some slight "artistic processing" of himself. This way, when he intended to provoke an opponent, it would be easier to deceive him, so that the opponent would not know whether he was serious or just a strategy …
Therefore, he was very happy that everyone thought he was an arrogant and powerless egomaniac. This kind of image and rumors would help his opponents make some errors in their judgment …
※ ※ ※
With three points and the laughter of Christmas, Nottingham Forest's heroes and bandits returned to their old nest … Ah no, territory. On the car back, Tang En announced the holiday arrangements.
"… During the New Year, according to tradition, we will have an internal party, but that will have to wait until next year. We have prepared small gifts for everyone on Christmas. They are all under the Christmas tree in Wilford. Tomorrow, you can go and get them yourselves. On Christmas Eve on the 24th, there will only be half a day of training. Leave some time for everyone to reunite with friends and family, or relax … You can do whatever you want, but don't go too crazy. We still have a home game on the 26th. Normal training on the 25th. Alright, enjoy this holiday to the fullest! "
Initially, the club had only prepared a small Christmas tree in the hall of the building in the training base. There were gifts piled under the tree, and there were labels with the players' names on the boxes. This was a small change that Allan made to win over the hearts of the people in the club. Tang En felt that it was a good thing to do, so he proposed to do it every year and make it a tradition in the club. At the same time, he moved the Christmas tree outdoors and more than doubled in size. Although the gifts were still small trinkets that were not worth much, what mattered was the thought — not only the players, but on the morning of the 25th, all non-player employees of the club would receive a gift carefully prepared by the club. At the same time, the loyal fans who bought season tickets would also take out a greeting card from their mailbox.
After Evan joined the Forest team, he made many changes. These changes were learned by him and Allan from the NBA clubs in America to help promote and improve Nottingham Forest's image. From his point of view, no one would listen to him if he kept bringing up the Forest team's long history. Who would be interested in what had happened in the past 100 years? Even if this team was one of the earliest established teams in the world, what use was it? Nowadays, the fans only liked teams that could make them like them, such as Chelsea with Mourinho, Barcelona with Ronaldinho, Real Madrid with Beckham, and so on.
Allan made the century-old club put down its arrogance and take the initiative to be close to the people. Coupled with Twain's constant victories, the new Forest team's image was promoted very smoothly. Nowadays, the clubs from all over the world flew in to express their love for the team, and the Forest team gained a lot of new fans around the world. These fans did not like the Forest team because of the Forest team's glorious past or long history. It was only because the current team was very strong and had won the UEFA Champions League. It had an idol-like manager and a bunch of well-known star players that she fell in love with Nottingham Forest. In turn, she discovered her history and was surprised to find that "her ancestors were once rich," which strengthened her love for the team. Most foreign fans basically went through this process, whether it was those powerhouse teams that had long been world-renowned and had always been in the first tier, or a declining powerhouse like Nottingham Forest.
A team like Real Madrid still had to make movies and play commercial games everywhere to promote its brand, not to mention Nottingham Forest.
※ ※ ※
They played a game on the 22nd. The training on the 23rd was only half a day's training time, and the intensity was not high, mainly to restore physical fitness. After all, there was no need or effect to increase the intensity of training during this period of time.
After a day of training, Twain wandered around the training base. He was not taking a stroll, but greeting the colleagues he interacted with day and night, wishing them a Merry Christmas in advance, and then distributing the greeting cards he bought with his own money. This gift was not the same as the one provided by the club. The club was a means the club used to win people over, while the greeting cards in Twain's hands were his own way of winning people over. He knew that he was lacking in some areas. Without the help of these colleagues, he could not have led the team to where he was today. He might have been fired by Evan halfway. So on this Christmas Eve, he needed to thank his colleagues who helped him.
Nottingham Forest was a united team. This unity was not only reflected in the players' locker room, but also in the coaching staff and other staff.
The team doctor, physiotherapist, youth team coach, reserve team coach, goalkeeper coach, fitness coach, tactical coach, assistant coach … even the workers who maintained the training ground's turf and the security guard at the gate received greeting cards and letters of thanks from Twain. He thanked them for their work and hard work in the past year, and thanked them for their help.
The outside world said that Tony Twain was a demon who would do any evil and would even betray his conscience for the sake of victory. To be honest, the people in Wilford were initially surprised by these words, and then they became disdainful. Because in their eyes, Tony Twain had nothing to do with an uncultured bastard.
After handing out all the greeting cards in his hands, he walked back to his office with Dunn to pack up and prepare to go home.
At the door, he saw George Wood, who had been waiting for a long time.
Twain and Dunn were not surprised by Wood's appearance. They both knew why Wood was looking for them.
"Actually, you only need to make a phone call, George." Walking up to them, Twain opened the door and said to Wood beside him.
"I think it's more formal to say it in person."
Dunn had been listening to such a question and answer for two years. And he felt that as long as he was still working at the club, as long as George Wood and Tony Twain were still in the team, he would continue to listen to it.
"Well, up to you." Twain shrugged and pushed the door to enter.
Wood followed the two of them in, stood still and said, "My mother invites you to dinner tomorrow night."
Twain walked around and went behind the office desk. He nodded to Wood. "Okay, Dunn and I will be there then."
Just like how the club distributed Christmas gifts to everyone was a tradition that the club intended to adhere to in the long run, Tang En and Dunn would pick a night before Christmas every year to go to Wood's house for dinner. There was also hope that this would become a tradition that would be adhered to in the long run. Everyone, intentionally or unintentionally, ignored the reality of Wood's mother's poor health.
Having completed his task, Wood turned to leave. Twain called out to him again. "Merry Christmas, George."
Wood froze for a moment when he heard him say that. He then said, "It's only the 23rd."
Twain glared. "Can't I greet you in advance?"
"Sure. Merry Christmas, Boss. "
Seeing the two of them like this, Dunn, who had been standing silently at the side, slightly raised the corner of his mouth.
※ ※ ※
The training atmosphere on the 24th was very relaxed. They only went through some simple tactical drills. Everyone was in a good mood on the training ground. Twain was also joking with the people around him. Laughter and cheers filled the air. It was going to be Christmas soon …
During the holidays, everyone only thought about happy things and left the worries for next year. Besides, there were not many people in the Forest team who would feel troubled.
After the morning training, it was considered a holiday. Twain and Dunn went to the bustling business district in the city center to buy a gift for Sophia. At the same time, Twain wanted to buy a large Totoro doll for Shania.
At night, the two of them rang the doorbell at George Wood's house on time.
The person who opened the door was not George Wood or Sophia, but … Billy Woox.
"Yo, Mr. Twain, Merry Christmas!" Woox smiled happily when he saw the expression on Twain's face. Then, he turned to Dunn. The smile on his face weakened and became normal politeness. "Mr. Dunn, Merry Christmas."
Twain did not go in. He frowned and asked, "Why are you here?"
The smile on Woox's face changed again. "Why can't I be here? As George's manager, I've been busy for a year. It's normal for him to invite me for a meal, isn't it?"
But there was another reason in Twain's mind at this time: George Wood and Billy Woox were related by blood …
This old man!
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Woox. I hope you won't give me any trouble next year. "Twain walked in with a straight face.
"I can't guarantee that, Mr. Twain. You know, I have to think for George's benefit. You have your position, and I have mine. "Woox spread his hands.
In the coming year, Woox had only signed three contracts for George Wood. But unlike those celebrities who endorsed dozens of companies in one go, the three companies that Wood had endorsed were not just any small characters — Gillette razors, Armani men's clothing, and Pepsi. Including Nike, which he had signed a year ago, George Wood now only had four commercial contracts on him. This was clearly different from what Woox had told Twain before he became Wood's manager. At that time, Twain had thought that Woox would drown George with all kinds of commercial contracts.
Now he could see that Woox had made a very detailed plan for George Wood, and with his taste and status, he would not sign up with any random brand. His conditions for choosing sponsors could be said to be harsh. This was also the reason why Wood only had four business contracts so far.
Of course, this was what Twain personally hoped to see. That way, Wood would not have to frequently attend all kinds of commercial activities and neglect his job on the football field.
Walking in from outside, Twain saw Sophia coming out to welcome him.
Her face was a little paler than the last time he saw her. When was the last time he specially came to see her? The end of last season.
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Twain. Merry Christmas, Mr. Dunn! "Sophia greeted warmly.
Twain handed over the gift that he and Dunn had picked for her. "Merry Christmas, Madam." He did not give Woox a gift. Firstly, he did not expect Woox to come back. Secondly, even if he had known, he probably would not have bought it.
Woox did not mind. He walked in to help Wood set up the dining table.
Dunn immediately followed.
All of a sudden, there was only Twain and Sophia, who had not opened the gift, in the living room outside.
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Twain." Sophia greeted him again. This time, it was alone. She smiled at the man in front of her.
Twain scratched his head, feeling a little awkward. But he still smiled and replied, "Merry Christmas, Madam."
"Are you feeling well?" he added.
"I'm fine. I just can't be too tired." Sophia nodded. She also added. "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Twain."
No one could find a topic to continue. Although the three people in the dining room were busy, the two people in the living room were silent for a while.
Sophia was the first to come back to her senses. She looked away from the gift in her hands. "Is Shania doing well?"
Twain nodded. "Ah, she's fine. It's just that she's been busy with work recently."
Sophia smiled. "She's a world-famous model. Of course she'll be busy at this time. But … she can only spend Christmas alone. Even if she's a world-famous model, I don't think Shania will think much of it, right? "
"Yeah. She keeps saying that she can't eat turkey with everyone. It makes her very unhappy."
If he wanted to continue watching, he would be silent again. At this moment, Wood walked out from inside.
"Mother." He stood beside Sophia and looked at Twain in front of him.
"Ah, it's time to eat. Mr. Twain, please go in. "Sophia made a gesture to invite him in.
Twain breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Sophia left first, but George Wood stopped to wait for Twain.
"What's the matter, George?" Twain noticed this.
Wood shook his head. He just looked at his manager and had nothing to say.
"I forgot just now. Merry Christmas, George," Twain said to Wood again.
"You said it yesterday." Wood was expressionless.
"Alright then. Happy Christmas Eve." Twain shrugged.
Then, he ignored the look Wood was giving him and walked straight into the dining room.
Putting aside this little interlude before, this dinner was still very enjoyable. It was also Twain's first time having dinner with Woox. Although they bickered at the table, everyone knew it was just a joke.
It was a wonderful experience for both parties.
Because Twain and Woox were definitely on opposite sides. If they were in the office now, they would definitely think of ways to embarrass each other. But today was Christmas Eve. Everyone still had to be polite on the surface. It was just that when they clinked glasses, Woox winked at Twain, sending a chill down his spine.
※ ※ ※
After dinner, Twain pulled Dunn along to leave in a hurry. "I don't want to stay with this Woox for too long." This was the reason he told Dunn.
But in reality, it was probably another person who made him feel awkward.
On the way home, Twain received a call from Shania. "I'm in America now, but I've calculated the time. You haven't slept yet, have you, Uncle Tony? "
"Of course not." Tang En glanced at Dunn, who was speaking beside him, and smiled. "How's it going in America?"
"It's alright. I met some people and got to know some people. That's it."
If Twain closed his eyes, it was as if he could see Shania shrugging next to him.
"What an ordinary life …"
"We'll be busy after the New Year." Shania's mood was not very good. "Ah, we'll be busy. Finally … Happy Christmas Eve, Uncle Tony! "
"Happy Christmas Eve, Shania."
Twain hung up and looked at Dunn beside him.
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