Following the defeat of Stoke City in the last game, they overpowered Chelsea and became the last English Premier League team to participate in the Champions League next season. Tony Twain had become the subject of the media's attention. His triumphant smile appeared in a number of media outlets, and his phrase "Tell the guys in Europe that your old friend is back" even became a favorite quote for the Nottingham Forest fans to imitate in the past few days.
But some people were happy, and naturally some were disappointed.
On the second day after the league tournament ended, Chelsea officially announced the dismissal of manager Scolari. The statement thanked Scolari for his contributions to the team and affirmed his results. There was actually nothing to affirm. Scolari did not win a single championship in the two seasons he led. But they still had to say some polite words on the surface. The statement did not state the reason for Scolari's dismissal. Scolari, who had left the club, did not accept any interviews and refused to comment.
But everyone knew what was going on. Stopping in the Champions League semi-finals this season and losing the qualification for next season's Champions League was the main reason for Scolari's dismissal. Abramovich was rich and could buy many players for Chelsea. But the pressure of being a manager at Chelsea was probably greater than being at Manchester United or Arsenal.
Like Scolari, the former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes was in the same boat. Hughes must have understood Scolari's feelings at this moment. He was fired by the Arab owner of Manchester City at the end of last season. Manchester City, which had invested a large sum of money, did not achieve results that matched. Participating in the UEFA Europa League was their only reward. After Mark Hughes was dismissed, he said something that caused a lot of sighs. He said, "I can finally have a good night's sleep."
As for Hughes's successor, Kevin Keegan, he was still suffering in this position. The reason why he did not want to resign was because he wanted the club to terminate his contract so that he could get a hefty compensation. Now, the position of Manchester City's manager had become a hot potato.
In comparison, Chelsea's situation was slightly better. After all, starting from Hoddle, through the legacy of Gullit, Vialli and Ranieri, Chelsea was already considered a strong team in the English Premier League when it came to Mourinho. They were much more attractive to good players and good managers.
So, Scolari was fired. Chelsea officially announced his successor.
"… We have reached an agreement with Mr. Frank Rijkaard. He was very willing to be the Chelsea manager. Mr. Abramovich also looks forward to Mr. Rijkaard bringing delightful football to the Chelsea fans … "
Anyone familiar with Abramovich would not be surprised by this choice. The currently unemployed Rijkaard was indeed the most suitable for Abramovich's requirements. Thinking about the artistic football he played at Barcelona, Rijkaard was currently the best candidate if you wanted to see beautiful football.
Rijkaard quickly issued a response. He accepted Chelsea Football Club's invitation and saw it as a new challenge.
The rumors that Rijkaard would succeed Ancelotti as the AC Milan manager were also dispelled.
The day after the news was announced, Rijkaard appeared in London and officially took office. Some of the media mentioned the matter in an interview with Tang En, hoping to hear his views on the new Chelsea manager.
Tang En found it strange. "Why are you asking me for my thoughts on the personnel changes at the Chelsea Football Club? I'm not the head of their HR department … "
The reporter laughed and said, "But aren't you the one who caused the personnel change, Mr. Twain?"
Tang En choked on the question. When he thought about it carefully, the matter was really like that. If he had not squeezed Chelsea from fourth to fifth in the Premier League, then Scolari might not have been dismissed. After all, the club would have to compensate the dismissed manager for the termination fee for such an early termination. It was also a loss for the Chelsea Football Club. If it were not for the fact that the results could not be accepted by Abramovich, who would want to fire someone for fun?
"Well …" Tang En sighed. "I admire Rijkaard's achievements at Barcelona. But … "He thought of the personal grudge he had with the former Barcelona manager." … You must know about these things, so the Premier League in the next season will be another topic for you to hype up. For me, there's no change at all. My goal is the championship and victory. I only care about those two things. I don't care about anything else. "
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Although he spoke bold words in front of the reporters, his attitude was still considered by the "Tang En haters" to be "puffing himself up at his own cost." With the Forest team's current situation, it was already a remarkable achievement to be able to guarantee a top four place in the Premier League every season. This guy, Tang En, was delusional about winning the championship …
Since they wanted to achieve great things in the new season, it was definitely not enough to rely on the current players. Nottingham Forest had to find players from the transfer market who could strengthen the team.
This required money.
Tang En knew that the team could not come up with too much money for him to spend. But he still planned to bite the bullet and look for Evan, hoping that he could give him more money …
He thought that this kind of thing would be very difficult, but the result surprised him.
"I've decided to shelve the new stadium construction plan indefinitely until the economic environment improves," Evan Doughty said to a surprised Tang En with a smile in the club chairman's office. "So now we have the money to buy players for you."
"Did Allan know?" Tang En's first thought was not happiness, but what Allan Adams would think.
"This is his proposal." Evan laughed. "And our huge new stadium plan also needs to be revised … Anyway, let him worry about these things. Tony, you just need to lead the team to achieve results. I've seen the interview about you, and I hope you're not just talking. "He walked up and patted Tang En on the shoulder.
"Yes, champions … I never talk. Talking won't help me win the championship. How much budget do you plan to give me for the new season, Evan? "He asked the most crucial question.
"How much do you need, Tony?"
Tang En pondered for a moment.
Every summer, the team would be interested in a few of his players, but it was always the same people. He would not consider selling them. For example, George Wood, Gareth Bale, and Pepe.
If he wanted to expand his strength this summer, he could not sell the team's core players. And Tang En could accept the reality of selling the players. The players could not actually be sold for much money, so it was unrealistic to expect to rely on selling the players in exchange for transfer funds. Currently, the team's weakest areas were the forward line and midfield. Van Nistelrooy had already returned to the team. He had received a new two-year contract, but his salary was much lower than his previous contract. That was also the price …
His body was recovering well and he could play for the team again in the new season. But no one knew how his condition would be.
Nicolás Millán and Victor Moses were still young and still needed training. The Forest team had to fight on two fronts in the new season, and the team implemented a rotation system. There was no need to worry about their chances of playing. The only worry was whether their ability could keep up with the needs of the European competition. Now, it seemed that Millán might not have a big problem, but Moses still needed to be honed.
Žigić, as a tall center forward, would definitely occupy a place in the Forest team. Although his performance was not eye-catching, he was very practical.
Agbonlahor's speed was a new weapon in Tang En's hands. His existence could make the team's playing style more varied.
There was no need to talk about Eastwood. Last season was the best season he had performed since his debut. As long as he was not injured, he would definitely be the team's starting striker. Moreover, he and van Nistelrooy were currently the most experienced players in the Champions League on the Forest team's forward line.
But the strength of such a forward line was still not enough. They needed to supplement with a good striker.
As for the midfield … George Wood and Lennon were trustworthy players, but Lennon only had him on the right side. Last season, the team only had to focus on the domestic league, so it was naturally not a big problem. Now that they needed to fight on two fronts, one player would definitely not be able to last the whole season.
Şahin's performance was not bad. After a season of training and running-in, he had improved. Perhaps being called back into the Turkish national team was proof of that. Tiago Mendes was also a rotational player for the team. John Bostock, on the other hand, Tang En wanted to loan him out for a year. He still needed to hone. Adriano Moke was also going out on loan.
Chris Cohen's performance was standard and was a good addition to the midfield lineup. He definitely had to stay as well. He would have a lot of opportunities to play on two fronts.
Tang En was going to sell Petrov. On the one hand, the Bulgarian was old and not as fast as he used to be. His form was gradually declining. On the other hand, there were still people who wanted to quickly cash out. It was said that Hoffenheim, the Bundesliga's number one dark horse for the past two seasons, had taken a fancy to him and wanted him to go to Germany to play his remaining role. Petrov also had this idea now. After all, he had made a name for himself in the Bundesliga. It was not strange for him to go back now.
In this way, the two sides of the midfield continued to be supplemented with strong players.
The rear defensive line, on the other hand, did not have as many worries. Leighton Baines and Gareth Bale's performances were very stable. Baines had few opportunities to play last season, but with the arrival of the new season, his opportunities would only increase.
The right back, Rafinha, had completely grown up. His incisive attacks on the flanks and active defense allowed him to sit firmly in the position of the Forest team's number one right back. There were now many teams interested in him from the outside world, but Tang En would not consider selling him.
Chimbonda was a special case. He was already 31 years old. A few years ago, Tang En had wanted to find a suitable candidate and let him go. But until now, he still stayed in the team and performed well. He gave his all when he was needed on the field. He had no complaints even if he was on the bench. Last season, the team was able to finally qualify for the Champions League due to his contributions. In the right back position, his defense was much better than Rafinha's. When Tang En needed the team to defend, he was more trustworthy than the Brazilian. Tang En also rediscovered the Frenchman's value. He was not a star player, but he was the kind of "role player" that no team could do without. They had their own roles and their own responsibilities. They were the foundation of a team. Tang En needed such a "role player." This summer, the club was negotiating a new contract with his agent for four years. Once it was signed, it would almost be a lifetime contract. After four years, Chimbonda would be more than 35 years old and could basically consider retiring.
Due to the shelving of the new stadium construction plan, coupled with the unsuccessful search for sponsorship in China, Tang En decided to put Sun Jihai on the transfer market. Tang En decided to put Sun Jihai on the transfer market. Whether it was a Chinese club, or a Football League Championship or League One club, as long as they could afford it, they would sell him. Although it was impossible to sell him for a high price now, and there was a big gap from the four million pounds he had originally bought him for, if he waited another year and Sun Jihai left on a free transfer, the club would not be able to get a single cent.
In terms of center backs, Pepe was the unshakable main force. Unless he was injured, he would definitely be in the starting lineup. Kompany and Woodgate would be rotating center backs in the new season. After all, Woodgate's body was not as strong as Kompany's. Minor injuries and illnesses were slightly more frequent. Wes Morgan was a good addition. But Morgan could not be counted on to play in the European competition.
Five center backs were enough. Any more would be a waste.
The young left back, Joe Mattock, worked hard to adapt to his new position — center back — in the last season. In the new season, he would be sent out on loan to undergo the test of actual combat training.
"I think, about fifty million … pounds." Tang En did a quick mental calculation and gave a rough figure.
Evan frowned. "That's not a small amount, but I'll think of a way …" The frown only appeared for a few seconds before he broke into a smile. "Go have a good and happy holiday with Shania. Don't think about anything else. Once the money is settled, I'll let you know, Tony. Where are you guys planning to go? "
"China." Tang En shrugged. "To visit Dunn's parents. They're also my … parents. In addition, I have a commercial endorsement contract to discuss there. "
Hearing Tang En mention "China," Evan thought of his trip to China in the summer of 2008. At that time, Nottingham Forest had just defended their Champions League title and won the Double. For a time, they were in the limelight and flushed with success. Everywhere they went, they set off a red storm. It felt good to see the East Asian fans and companies worshipping them. Unfortunately, all that was gone now. Allan Adams had been in China for almost half a year last season. When those companies heard that they were going to throw money into the new stadium, they all shook their heads and bemoaned the economic crisis. Times were tough and they had no money on hand. The rich tycoons were all state-owned enterprises. Even if someone wanted to invest in the British real estate market, they did not dare to act rashly because of their status.
Later, someone in the United Arab Emirates suggested that they could inject capital, but not for the stadium project. Instead, they would inject capital into the club, which was equivalent to a disguised acquisition. Evan flatly refused — even if he wanted to sell Nottingham Forest, now was not the time. Now that the other party could brazenly lower the price, only a fool would sell.
Evan Doughty froze for a moment and realized that Tang En was still standing in front of him. So, he smiled apologetically. "Have a good time, Tony. If possible, bring back some gifts from China for me and Allan … "
Tang En nodded. "Then I'll have to put in some effort to think about what gifts I should bring to satisfy you."
"Haha, don't worry! Anything will do. We're not kids waiting to rummage through our stockings for presents at Christmas. "
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Introduction:
Introduction: In the drama of life, there can only be a small number of protagonists. There are not many supporting roles, and the rest are all minor characters. Do you want to be a minor character for the rest of your life?
Answer: It's not bad to be a minor character! Have a peaceful life.
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