In fact, Chen Jian's matter did not cause any sensation, not even the slightest ripple. A week later, after someone from the Nottingham Forest Football Club helped Chen Jian complete all the formalities, he left the Tianjin Judicial Police Academy under the envious gazes of his classmates and embarked on his dream journey to Nottingham.
No domestic media reported the matter because the Nottingham Forest Football Club was very low-key when it came to these matters and did not inform any media. Allan Adams wanted to publicize it in China to facilitate the club to further open up the China market. But Tang En dissuaded him, saying that it would not be too late to publicize it when Chen Jian really became a talent. Even if they publicized it now, it would not have any effect. Although the China market was vast, it would not open up to a young player with no future at present.
In fact, Tang En did not want to put any more pressure on Chen Jian's shoulders. The pressure he carried was enough, enough and heavy enough.
When he arrived in Nottingham, other than a small family welcome dinner prepared for him by his landlord, Fat John, there was no other special treatment. He still lived at John's house and took time out every week to attend cultural classes at the University of Nottingham, just like the other young players in the youth team. Tang En only met him once when he first arrived in Nottingham, reiterated the reality that he had no way out, and then went to busy with the First Team's affairs. Dunn did not say much, only hoping that he would persevere. There was no press conference, no welcoming crowd, no reporters … Everything showed that he was just an apprentice.
Greenwood made a small joke, "Chen, did you bring the ball back from China?"
"Yes, Manager Greenwood," Chen Jian replied proudly.
Everything was as usual.
Chen Jian was no longer the young man who came here more than a year ago with countless expectations and longing. He understood the cruelty of reality and the distance between his dreams and himself. Instead of daydreaming about the day when his dreams would come true, it was better to be down-to-earth and work hard in training and not think about whether his dreams would come true. He firmly believed that as long as he worked hard every day and persevered, one day he would dig through that mountain and open up the path from reality to his dreams. No matter how long it took, no matter how much he had to pay, even if it was blood, he would continue to dig forward!
※ ※ ※
The matter of recruiting Chen Jian as an apprentice was settled, but for Chen Jian, his story had just begun. Twain would probably have to wait a long time before he could see the third, fourth, and even the ending of the dream log. However, he was not in a hurry. He was patient and would slowly wait. He would accompany this stubborn kid to the end.
Now he must turn his focus to the first team.
Interspersed with the story of Chen Jian's pursuit of his dream, Nottingham Forest had already played another league game.
On May 9th, in the 36th round of the league tournament, Nottingham Forest challenged West Bromwich Albion in an away game. Although Tang En had officially joined the daily management of the team, the match was still being directed by Dunn on the sidelines. Tang En sat in the private room and finished watching the match.
Perhaps they knew that the real boss was looking down on them from the stands, so the Nottingham Forest players worked very hard. They defeated West Bromwich Albion in an away game with a score of 3: 0, kicking the opponent back to the English Football League Championship two rounds ahead of schedule.
During the match, the televised cameras swept over Tony Twain, who sat upright and still in the private room. The commentator also mentioned more than once that today's Forest team was completely different from the Forest team in the previous round of the league tournament. The reason was simple — their king was coming back.
Nottingham Forest, who won the match, accumulated 52 points and rose two places to tenth place. With two rounds of matches left before the end of the season, they were still seven points behind sixth-placed Aston Villa. They were already destined to be unable to qualify for next season's UEFA Europa League.
Could the season end here and be declared over early?
Tang En did not see it that way.
Returning to Nottingham's tactical class, Tang En told his players, "… This is a great opportunity. You have the chance to use your actions to prove that you're still a man, and you still have balls! Even if you gain nothing this season, you have to end this season with three consecutive wins. This is the most insignificant compensation for our previous terrible results! Let the home fans be comforted in the final round! Tell them that even if we don't gain anything this season, we haven't collapsed! Tell those opponents who are waiting to see us make a fool of ourselves that Nottingham Forest is making a comeback in the new season. No one can stop us! And the new season will officially begin with this match! "
On the 16th of May, in the 37th round of the league tournament, Nottingham Forest challenged Stoke City in an away game.
Before the match, Nottingham Forest's official website officially announced that their "king", Tony Twain, had returned to the team. Dunn handed over his command, and Tang En personally sat in the technical area to direct the match. Under his command, the team once again won a clean 3: 0 victory over Stoke City in an away game.
After the match, the sports news on the BBC television station said this about the match:
"The other managers in the English Premier League have to be careful. That guy is back!"
※ ※ ※
Before the final round of the league tournament, the fight for the league title had gradually become clear. Arsenal had to pay a price to fight for the world with a young lineup. Their ranking was very stable at fourth place. There was no danger of losing, but they could not improve further. After Chelsea's limitless glory in the first half of the league tournament, they slowly dropped to third place.
The two teams fighting for the league title were instead Liverpool, who were previously thought to not play in the league, and the old and ruthless Manchester United.
The two teams had the same points, but Manchester United was temporarily ranked second with a goal difference. If they wanted to win the title, they had to beat Hull City by at least three goals in the final game and pray that Liverpool did not win by a large margin. In terms of opponents, Manchester United had a slight advantage. Hull City was ranked in the middle and had no more desires. Liverpool's opponent, Tottenham, still had to fight to avoid relegation.
Such a situation inevitably reminded people of the final round of the title battle last season. Manchester United had been one of the main characters for two consecutive seasons, but their opponents had changed. Nottingham Forest, who triumphed over Manchester United at Old Trafford last season, was ranked in the middle this season and was destined to win nothing. It was really a pity.
Tang En did not have time to care about how people lamented his team. Although Nottingham Forest did not have any specific goals so far, he was also busy.
The team's training was all handed over to the coaching team led by Dunn and Kerslake. He was busy talking to individual players to understand their thoughts and to determine the final candidates on the purge list.
The first person he looked for was the team captain, George Wood.
Because before he returned to the team, there were already rumors about this man's transfer. Many clubs were interested in this rare midfield defensive player who was willing to be a blue-collar, did not ask for a high salary, and did not throw tantrums. AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, Schalke 04, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal …
They were all powerhouse clubs. Any one of them was a fatal temptation.
But Wood's agent, Billy Woox, did not move.
Just after Nottingham Forest officially announced Tang En's official return, Billy Woox immediately announced that his player had never thought about leaving Nottingham Forest. It was Nottingham Forest who nurtured him and gave him the achievements he had today. He was willing to stay at Nottingham Forest unless the club chased him away.
Tang En could not figure out what the old man was thinking, so he simply went straight to George Wood. He wanted to hear the player's own thoughts.
"Woox is telling the truth," Wood replied. "I have never thought about leaving. Even if he wants me to leave, I won't leave. Don't I still have to sign the contract in the end? "
Wood's words reassured Tang En. He was already mentally prepared to face the storm of transfers that would come in the summer. But George Wood absolutely could not leave, because he was the true core of this team. If Forest wanted to regain its glory, they could not do without this person.
Not only that, George Wood also said something that greatly moved Tang En. "I know what the team's financial situation is like. If it really doesn't work, I'm willing to sign a new contract with the club and lower my current salary and some bonuses. In any case, I think it's fine as long as I have enough money. Mr. Woox has earned a lot of money for me in other places, and I don't even know how to use it … "
Tang En almost laughed out loud. This silly boy, would anyone complain about having too much money?
"If you say that, Woox is going to fly into a rage. Your income will also directly affect his income. "
Wood's expression did not change, and he said with a wooden face, "He has so much money that he doesn't need me to help him earn money. If he doesn't agree, I'll fire him. "
This time, Tang En finally could not hold it in and laughed out loud. This boy's heart was still on him … He was delighted.
"There's no need for you to take a pay cut, George. You just have to focus on playing football and maintain the team for me. Just set an example on the field and that'll do. It's not up to you to worry about financial matters. "
After sending George Wood off, Tang En felt half at ease. He began to talk to them one by one without stopping. Under the guise of "we haven't seen each other for five months, let's deepen our relationship and communicate with each other," he observed and considered which people he could give up, which people he could only let go with a suitable price, and which people he could not let go at all, and which people he was unwilling to let go of but the other party might be determined to leave …
Van Nistelrooy was still recovering from his surgery. If he recovered from his injury and returned, Tang En would give him a contract of at least a year no matter what. He just did not want to disappoint the veteran who had helped him rise. If he did not have a heart attack, he might have urged the club to give the Dutchman a new contract in the first half of the year, when van Nistelrooy was still recovering from his surgery.
Although his body was not as good as before, van Nistelrooy's experience and use in the locker room were still very obvious.
Needless to say, Eastwood was definitely going to stay. The Romani himself had never thought of leaving here.
As for Arshavin … he might leave, or he might not leave. He did not have a particularly strong desire. If Tang En wanted him to stay, then there was a high chance he would stay. Because Barcelona, which he wanted to go to the most, clearly did not need him now.
Žigić's performance in the Forest team this season was very average. Occasionally, there were a few shining moments. But for him, who was regarded as Bendtner's successor and the number one center forward when van Nistelrooy was injured, such shining moments were too few. At one point, he was even named by the British media as the biggest "substandard" signing of the season. But Tang En did not intend to let him go because he knew that Žigić's poor performance was not his problem, but the team's overall problem. He also wanted to give Žigić a chance to prove himself again. In addition, out of his selfishness of not wanting to easily admit his failure, Tang En would not sell Žigić. Moreover, selling Žigić at this time could only be a loss. Only a fool would do it.
Van der Vaart's situation was a little special. Real Madrid's midfield was not just in a hurry on one side. The middle was also short of players. Van der Vaart had long proven his talent and ability at Nottingham Forest. Real Madrid was interested in recruiting him. And van der Vaart himself wanted to play in Spain. Whether it was Real Madrid or Barcelona, he did not care. If they wanted to keep him, the Forest team might have to pay a big price. Allan Adams was inclined to make a move while he could still sell for a high price, but Tang En was still hesitant. Şahin's performance was improving, but he could not take charge alone. He needed van der Vaart to oversee the middle and organize the attack.
Next to van der Vaart's name, Tang En put a question mark. He did not know if the Dutchman would still be on his player list when the next season came.
Şahin would naturally stay in the team, and he would not leave.
Beckham would definitely leave the team. After the expiration of the two-year contract, Tang En would not hold him back in accordance with the original agreement. He was going to the United States to accompany his wife and join the MLS's Los Angeles Galaxy. Tang En and he both knew, so they did not say anything to each other.
Aaron Lennon would not leave either. Tang En would not let him go, and he himself had no intention of leaving. After Beckham left, he would no doubt be the main player on the right side of the field. The Forest team certainly did not have the financial resources to buy a large number of players to rotate in the new season. They also did not need to rotate because there were not many games at all.
Martin Petrov was the same as him. Ribéry had been pressing on his head for the past few years, and now Ribéry was gone. He had finally made it through. But Tang En did not rule out the possibility of buying Petrov for cash. Because in his eyes, Petrov's status was not high. At least, he could not be compared to Lennon, a promising young man. If a club offered the right price, he might consider letting him go and then buy younger wingers from the transfer market that did not cost too much money.
Tang En would not let Tiago Mendes go either. On the one hand, he was an all-rounder in the middle. He could play as a defensive midfielder or a playmaker in the midfield. Compared to van der Vaart, his defense was better. Compared to George Wood, his offense was slightly better. Although he was not top-notch in any aspect, the team now needed players with such balanced abilities.
Tang En would not let Chris Commons go either, even though he was very popular in the lower leagues. But Tang En had to prepare for the "4 + 7," "5 + 6," and "6 + 5" in the future. This kind of local player, who was already considered a player cultivated by his own youth training system, was particularly important. There were opportunities to play in the EFL Cup and the FA Cup, as well as some insignificant league games. They could also help the team successfully register to participate in the Champions League.
Wes Morgan was the same as him. As the team's third captain, Tang En would not let Morgan go.
After Robert Ayala's contract expired, he would not renew it with the club. He wanted to return to Argentina, and Tang En had no intention of keeping him. In any case, Ayala was no longer in his plans. If he continued to stay, there would be another person's salary expenses.
Rafinha had attracted the attention of some teams because of his outstanding performance in the Forest team. He could face offers from many clubs in the summer. When the time came, Tang En would need to carefully consider whether to reject them all in one go or selectively accept some offers. But if he were to change the money, there would be a vacancy in the right back position again. He would have to continue the headache of finding a right back.
Chimbonda … As he grew older, there were fewer and fewer teams interested in him. It was foreseeable that there would be almost no offers that would satisfy Tang En this summer. He had to keep Chimbonda to play for at least another season.
He really did not expect … when he fought with Bendtner. Tang En wanted to drive Chimbonda away and keep Bendtner. In the end, the one who left was Bendtner, whom Tang En was unwilling to let go. The one who stayed was Chimbonda, whom he was unwilling to keep. It was true that the one who should come did not come, but the one who should leave did not leave.
Sun Jihai hoped to continue to stay in Nottingham Forest until he retired. His thoughts were not difficult to understand. His career had entered the twilight and he had nothing more to ask for. To be able to play for a team that had won the UEFA Champions League two seasons in a row until he retired, what more could he ask for? He had been in the limelight, and he had earned enough money. In any case, if the Forest team did not want him, he would never return to China. Tang En was now hesitating about whether to purge Sun Jihai. Because his contribution to the team was getting less and less. However, Sun Jihai was no longer popular in the English Premier League. If a team wanted to buy him, it could only be a team at the English Football League Championship level. How much could they pay?
Leighton Baines also had some mid-to-lower tier teams interested in him. But Tang En would not sell him. This player was one of the guarantees of the stability of the team's rear defensive line. He was not as good as Bale in offense, but he had always done very well in defense. If he let go of such a stable player, where would Tang En find a second one?
Gareth Bale, Vincent Kompany, and Pepe had all received a lot of transfer offers. But Tang En would not let go of any of them. There was no room for improvement. These three players were treated the same as George Wood and Eastwood — not for sale.
Woodgate had only been with the team for a year. He did not want to leave, and Tang En was happy to see it happen.
Edwin van der Sar planned to retire from the Forest team, but he would give up his position as the main goalkeeper next season. From the start of the friendly matches, Tang En intended to promote Akinfeev. After being bought by the Forest team for two seasons, he was finally going to become the team's main goalkeeper.
Dale Roberts would still be the team's third goalkeeper. But if he wanted to leave and there were teams that wanted him, Tang En would let him go. Then, he could just transfer a goalkeeper from the youth team or the reserve team.
With this sweep, Tang En realized that the so-called purge did not mean that many people were missing. He still could not bear to part with these buddies who had worked hard with him for so many years.
Everyone enjoyed the scenery together, everyone drank big bowls of wine and ate big chunks of meat together. Everyone moved around freely and happily together. Why did they have to go their separate ways when disaster struck?
If a team were to offer tens of millions of dollars to Bale, Pepe, and Kompany, would he still be able to resist keeping them? Would the loyal players who were not willing to leave the team be forced to leave because they had to pay the bill for the club's poor management?
He did not want his team to become the Lazio of the past. He also did not want his players to become the second, third, fourth … "Nesta."
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