Tang En stood outside the gates of the Wilford training base. Ian MacDonald noticed that he had been standing outside for a few minutes but had no intention of coming in.
"Tony?"
Tang En turned to look at the old guard. "Is Evan not here yet?"
MacDonald shrugged and shook his head. "It's only past eight. He won't be here so early. He's only been here at nine for more than a week."
Tang En nodded and walked towards the guardhouse. "Do you mind if I sit here for a while?"
MacDonald opened the door. "No, not at all. Sometimes I'm bored sitting here alone. It's best to have someone to talk to me for a while. "
Tang En stood at the door and looked at the narrow guardhouse. There was a chair, a table, a few spread out newspapers, a radio that looked like an antique, a cup, and a kettle. The small room could not fit two people at all. There were not enough chairs either. He simply leaned against the door frame.
MacDonald glanced at Tang En. "Tony, you know about that incident?"
"What incident?" Tang En was a little distracted. He leaned against the door frame, but his eyes were fixed on the small white building beyond the gates.
MacDonald turned back to look at today's newspaper on the table. It was no wonder that Tang En would ask such a question.
— Forest's former manager is suspected of abducting an underage girl!
— Coach Tony Twain facing charges!
— Collymore discusses the new season: I can lead Forest out of the quagmire as soon as I return!
— Poll: 46% of Forest fans support Collymore's team, 42% oppose, and 2% are indifferent.
The two major events were a headache for Tang En.
MacDonald hesitated to repeat the question, but this time it was Tang En who took the initiative to speak. "Ian, do you like Collymore?"
The question was out of MacDonald's expectations. He did not know how to answer Tang En. Tang En clearly saw his embarrassment, so he grinned at him and said, "It's okay, Ian. Tell me what you really think."
"Uh … How should I put it? I think the vast majority of Forest fans will like that guy very much, even though his performance off the field is really unsightly … It's very complicated. "McDonald finally defined Collymore. "This guy makes our feelings for him very complicated."
"Both love and hate?" Tang En asked.
MacDonald nodded. "Yes, we miss the glorious days when he played for the Forest team. At the same time, we don't like the scandals he created outside."
"Well … Do you think he can lead the current Forest team back to the Premier League?"
Tang En's question made Macdonald sink into a long thought. Looking at the old guard's troubled expression, Tang En knew he did not need an answer.
He picked up the newspaper on the table and looked at the three numbers. As if talking to himself, he said, "I'm already very happy. At least 42% of the people still support me. Goodbye, Ian. "Tang En passed through the door and walked towards his own office — if it still belonged to him …
Hearing Tang En's tone, a shadow suddenly flashed through McDonald's heart. "Tony! You'll stay at Forest, won't you? "
Tang En turned back to look at the white-haired old guard and smiled. "Perhaps. No one knows what's going to happen in the future, Ian. You know me … I never plan for the future, so … "
McDonald nodded. "I understand. Good luck, Tony. "
"Thank you. Good luck to you too, Ian."
After bidding farewell to McDonald, Tang En turned to continue walking. At that moment, he heard the roar of an engine coming from behind him, followed by the sound of the metal door being pulled open. Tang En did not turn back. He knew who it was.
A familiar dark red Audi A6 stopped beside him. Evan Doughty got out of the car and walked to Tang En. "Good morning, Tony."
"Good morning, Mr. Chairman," Tang En replied respectfully.
"Oh, come on! We're still doing this between us! " Evan spoke in the tone of an old friend, then patted Tang En on the shoulder. "I know you have something to say to me. It just so happens that I was looking for you too … Let's talk as we walk." He knocked on the car window and signaled for the driver to drive to the parking lot first.
Then, the two of them walked towards the training ground.
"It was really hard to find you. Is Spain fun? I heard there are quite a number of great nudist baths there, haha! "
"It's alright …"
The two of them did not go to the office to sit still and discuss business. Instead, they stood by the side of the training ground, seemingly chatting casually as they watched the workers maintaining the turf prepare for the team's first training session in two days.
"Tony, I know what you want to say by looking for me."
"Evan, do you really know that Stan Collymore?" Tang En asked. He wanted to know why his successor was not Venables, Stuart Pearce or someone else, but Stan Collymore.
This man, who the British media called "The Man Who Sleeps Around Like a Dog," was most famous for not only his beautiful goals, but also his continuous sexual scandals.
Collymore started out as a player at Crystal Palace, but because he could not adapt to professional football, he went to a semi-professional team in the Southern League, Southend United. Here, he quickly became the team's main striker and attracted the attention of the English Premier League team at the time, Nottingham Forest. It was in this English Premier League club that Collymore became a real star player. Because of his outstanding performance, he transferred to the Reds, Liverpool, for a high price of 8.5 million pounds, and then became a superstar player who shocked the Kop at Anfield. He and Fowler formed a forward partnership that swept the whole of England, and it was only natural that he was selected for the England national team.
But this talented striker was ruined by his indiscreet private life. Fowler and McMaraman were famous playboys in Liverpool. There was no need to go into detail about what would happen when these people got together. Everyone could imagine it for themselves. The key words were "erotic, beautiful women, sex."
In 2001, Collymore transferred to Real Oviedo, which was still in La Liga at the time. However, he suddenly announced his retirement three months before the end of his contract, which dealt a big blow to the team. Later, the poor team was relegated to Serie B. In two years, they were relegated by three levels and were relegated to Serie D. As for Collymore … he continued his controversial and erotic life off the field.
After his retirement, Collymore quickly found a job as a guest pundit on BBC5, but he did not settle down. After his ex-girlfriend, who was also the rumored girlfriend of England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, published her autobiography and described him as a "beast" and "demon," Collymore, who was deeply hurt, threatened to sell the videotape of him and Ulrika having sex!
Collymore's lawyer used a lot of vivid words to describe how the impact of the videotape would be, and said that his employer wanted to bring it to the world, electronic copyright, film adaptation rights … and so on. As long as someone paid, they could talk about anything, and there would be no worries of infringement of portrait rights or copyrights. Ulrika was scared out of her wits.
What happened next was even more outrageous. Collymore was exposed by two reporters from The Sun to participate in car sex — simply put, it was to pick up beautiful women in the famous woodland parking lot in Staffordshire, England, and then have sex with them in or out of the car. The woodland parking lot was well-known in England's celebrity circle because it was almost the best car parking lot in England, and it was also a place for some celebrities to chase sex games. Collymore was obsessed with this kind of life, even though his wife, "childhood sweetheart" Estelle Williams, was still waiting for him at home only four miles away from the parking lot every night.
Later, he even publicly declared that sex was the way of life in England in the future. This completely infuriated the British public, and he became the object of thousands of condemnation and contempt for a while.
Collymore, who was under great pressure, had no choice but to resign from BBC5, and publicly apologize in the media, crying and begging for the public's forgiveness, and promised that he would turn over a new leaf …
Then …
"Then you gave him a chance to turn over a new leaf, Evan." Twain said with a slightly sarcastic tone.
"I know what you're talking about, Tony. You and my father both think I don't know anything about football in this country, but in fact, I know very well. Allan Adams recommended Collymore to me, and I've studied his resume carefully. I think we can't deny a person's future because of his past. There are many examples of retired players who became good managers. Kevin Keegan, Stuart Pearce … and the most respected legend of this team, Brian Clough, also became a manager directly from a player. "
Twain looked at Evan Doughty quietly and did not comment on his unconvincing examples and excuses.
"And … Tony, maybe you don't know it yourself, but I've always regarded you as a friend. You have a straightforward personality, and I like it very much." Evan Doughty looked at Twain and said.
"What should I say? Are you flattered? "Twain shrugged and did not appreciate the gesture. "Since you regard me as a friend, then you'd rather trust a person with a promiscuous private life than trust a friend?"
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