In Eastwood's farewell match, all the Nottingham Forest players were stimulated by the scene of Eastwood's tears spilling on the pitch. It was as if they were collectively injected with stimulants. They defeated their arch-rival Arsenal 2: 1 on their own home ground, which could be considered a parting gift for Eastwood.
But no one cared much about the outcome of the match. In the post-match press conference, the reporters asked more questions about Eastwood.
There were rumors that Nottingham Forest had given Eastwood a staff contract, and he would continue to stay in the Forest team. The reporters wanted to verify if the news was true.
Tang En told them that it was true. Eastwood would continue to stay in the team as a member of the First Team's coaching staff.
There were also reporters who were concerned about whether losing a main striker in the middle of the season would negatively affect the team's prospects. After all, the team's current results were not ideal. It was almost December, and Nottingham Forest was ranked sixth in the League.
Tang En denied this. Although Eastwood's departure was a huge blow to him, it was not enough to ruin his plans for the entire season.
The atmosphere in the venue was still good. Tang En did not vent his anger on the reporters because he had lost his beloved player. He tried his best to answer everyone's questions. His attitude was shockingly good.
But if it continued to develop like this, it would no longer be a press conference with Tony Twain.
Finally, someone stood up and asked a question that made Tang En fly into a rage.
"Mr. Tang En. Do you agree that Eastwood's retirement today was decided before he even joined Nottingham Forest? If not for George Wood's fierce and rough foul, the Romani's professional career would at least continue until the age of 34. " The person who stood up to ask the question had a smile on his face. But in Tang En's eyes, his face was exceptionally ugly.
The person who asked such a vicious question was Tang En's old rival, the still-bald Carl Spicer.
The media had previously mentioned this matter. They felt that the main culprit behind Eastwood's decision to retire so early was George Wood, and not Michael Dawson. For this reason, they dug up Eastwood's resume when he was playing in the West Ham youth team to prove that what they said was true.
Although Tang En would not blame Dawson for being the culprit who killed Eastwood's career, he also strongly disagreed with the idea that Eastwood was the main culprit. The reason why he uncharacteristically did not engage in a war of words with the other media in the column and refute the question was not because he had a guilty conscience, but because he did not want to fall into the media's trap. If the matter was hyped up, it would not be a good thing for Wood, Eastwood, or even the entire Forest team.
But now, someone was clearly unhappy with Twain's silence.
If you don't say it, I'll force you to say it in front of everyone!
When the reporters heard Spicer ask such a question, there was a commotion. This was a question that many people wanted to ask, but they knew what Twain's bottom line was. It was not a good question to ask, and even if they asked it, they would not get an answer. It would not benefit them at all.
Now, the 'hero' in their hearts had appeared! Carl Spicer clearly did not expect to get an answer from Tang En. The reason why he asked such a question was very simple — — he wanted to make Tang En angry. All of his news material came from this. He did not care if Tang En replied to the question or not. As long as Tang En responded, there would be something good to watch on 'Those Things About Football' that night.
Tang En glared angrily at Spicer. Right now, he really wanted to smash the microphone in front of him into the other party's head, then stand up, grab a chair and pounce over to push the other party to the ground. He really did have the urge to kill the other party.
But in the end, he held back and did not do so. He only stood up slowly and pointed at Spicer. He spoke very slowly so that the questioner and the others could hear him clearly, "There's one thing that I agree with, Mr. Carl Spicer."
"What is it?" Spicer asked with a smile, waiting for Tang En to reply.
"You're a stinking bastard who deserves to go to hell!"
After Tang En finished cursing, he turned around and left the press conference venue.
His reply made the reporters there abnormally excited, while Wenger, who was sitting at the side, had a bitter smile on his face. In the battle between the reporters and Tang En, he had become a complete foil …
Hearing Tang En curse through gritted teeth, Carl Spicer was not angry. Instead, he was happy. He clenched his fists and said happily, "Great!" He then turned around to look at the cameraman for his program. "Did you record it?"
The cameraman nodded.
Spicer gave his partner a thumbs up. He had gotten the result he wanted. The press conference this time was finally not in vain.
※ ※ ※
"Eastwood's retirement pained the Forest fans, but even the most hardcore fans could not deny this fact. Who caused the Gypsy striker with a bright future to retire early? It was none other than their most beloved captain, George Wood. "In the evening's program, Carl Spicer spoke frankly in front of the camera. Perhaps the thing he regretted the most was that Tang En did not punch him in the nose on the spot. That way, he would have been able to wear an eye-catching band-aid and silently accuse Tony Twain of being a dangerous and violent person to the audience.
"Am I spouting nonsense? Let us see the evidence. "
The scene cut to the afternoon press conference at the City Ground. Carl Spicer looked refined and courteous in the camera, but when he threw out that question, what he got in response was Tang En's fierce face and that curse. The image of the two men was like heaven and earth.
"Alright, first we need to answer this question. Why did Mr. Tony Twain become so flustered and exasperated after hearing my question? If I say that he has no ulterior motives, would anyone believe me? Clearly, deep down, like me, he thinks that what I said is right. He absolutely agrees with my view. That's why his reaction was so intense. We all know that Mr. Tony Twain is a proud person. There are some things he agrees with, but he will not express it. Like this matter. "
Spicer smiled very proudly. He felt that the dart he threw had hit the bull 's-eye. The scene very timely replayed Tang En's curse at the press conference.
"Of course, we'll look at it separately. George Wood's foul when he was still in the youth team did indeed lead to Eastwood's early retirement. But if not for his kick, Eastwood might not have had such a successful career. He might have been in another team, and definitely would not have met Tony Twain, and would not have come to Nottingham Forest … "
It seemed as though Spicer was trying to absolve George Wood, but in fact, it was just a ploy he used to portray himself as a "fair and objective commentator." When he needed to belittle someone, he often did that.
For example:
"So-and-so's performance on the field was really terrible. I really wonder if he went to a nightclub to have fun last night. Of course, it's normal for young people to need to vent. After all, playing in a powerhouse team is a very tough thing. Whether it's physically or mentally, he needs to find a way to vent the accumulated pressure … "
Look, not a single word mentioned sensitive words, and it sounded like he was thinking for the player's sake. But the "rumor" of so-and-so going out to visit a prostitute the night before the match was confirmed.
So now that he said that, it was to make the matter of "Wood was the main culprit behind his teammate's retirement" a fait accompli.
He had never hidden his disgust for Tony Twain. As a Forest team with Tony Twain's deep imprint, Carl Spicer naturally did not like them. If his words and this episode of the program could cause Forest to descend into chaos, then he would be very happy to do so.
※ ※ ※
"You fell for his trick again, Uncle Tony." Shania, who was watching the program at home, curled up on the sofa and complained to Tang En.
"I did it on purpose." Tang En shrugged.
"Who would fall for a trick on purpose?"
"Because I'm worried about being used by him, I don't dare to scold him on the field. To me, that's too aggrieved. Of course, I'll scold him. I won't lose out that way. As for his tricks, I have my ways. "Tang En said matter-of-factly.
Shania, on the other hand, pouted. She knew that Uncle Tony was just being stubborn. What could he do? He only cared about being happy at the time. Counting from before they got married, she had lived with Uncle Tony for ten years. She could not be more familiar with the man beside her.
Tang En did not want to hear Spicer spew nonsense in the public media. He took out the remote control and changed the channel.
"Right now, I feel that I haven't scolded him hard enough. Right now, I can think of at least 15 different ways to scold him without repeating myself."
"You're still like a child, Uncle Tony." Shania laughed when she heard him say that. "Why are you so angry with him?"
In terms of dealing with the media, the younger Shania's method was more mature than Tang En's. Perhaps it was because she had been trained by her mother, a model, since young. No one could gain the love of everyone in the world. A celebrity with such a personality like Shania also had people who did not like her. When these people spew nonsense at her in the media, she would always ignore them and continue doing things her own way.
Tang En did not reply. After the question and answer session with Shania, he began to think of ways to reduce the impact of this episode of Spicer's program on the team.
He knew that Spicer was definitely not spouting nonsense, because Wood's performance had been fluctuating recently. He originally seemed to be a pool of stagnant water that would never flow out, and no new water would come in. Now, there were frequent ripples.
Hopefully, this was not a sign of an earthquake …
"Uncle Tony?"
"Yes?"
"What exactly is the relationship between Freddy and George?" Shania's sudden concern about the team surprised Tang En.
Shania had always been jealous of football. Although she was Brazilian, she did not like football very much because it had stolen Uncle Tony's love. Naturally, she paid very little attention to her husband's team. It was only limited to knowing whether the team's results were good or bad.
Tang En thought about it, because he was also wondering what exactly the relationship between the two of them was. Internally, other than fulfilling his duties as the team captain, George Wood rarely spoke and was a man of action. On the other hand, Eastwood was especially talkative. He was the joker in the locker room and was very popular. However, the two of them rarely spoke to each other alone. If they had to talk about something, it would be related to the team.
Tang En knew that Eastwood had a knot in his heart and was unwilling to greet him with a smile. He also knew what kind of personality Wood had. Because of his background, his reticence seemed to be a shell that wrapped around his fragile self-esteem. As a result, he appeared a little arrogant. To put it nicely, it could be called "arrogant." As a result, he could not expect Wood to take the initiative to find Eastwood and extend his hand to say, "Hey, Freddy. The accident that time was my fault. I'm very sorry and regretful … But since we're teammates, I hope we can still get along well together … "
Such a thing was absolutely impossible for the self-abased and arrogant George Wood, who was sensitive and dull. Since Eastwood had made it clear that he did not like him, he would not shamelessly stick to him.
As a result, the two of them appeared to be different in the Forest team, which was famous for its harmonious atmosphere within the team. Fortunately, the two of them were people who prioritized the overall situation and would not deliberately find fault with each other in the team.
"Uh … They're not friends anyway." Tang En thought about it but did not know how to explain in detail. "They almost never say more than three words to each other alone."
Shania tilted her head and looked at Tang En. "Then why don't you create the conditions for them to talk alone?"
Tang En froze for a moment.
That's right. All along, he had been thinking about not making things difficult for the two of them and not intensifying the conflict. As a result, he turned a blind eye to it, thinking that since it did not endanger the internal atmosphere of the team, he would just let them be. After all, they were both reasonable people.
Now, it was clear that he could not continue doing this …
The ups and downs in George Wood's condition would affect the team's results. This was something that Tang En did not want to see. Besides, if it continued like this, there might really be people in the team who would think that it was the captain who harmed Eastwood. Due to Eastwood's good relations with others, once this kind of thinking spread, it would be very frightening. It would shake the foundation of the team's unity. When a captain could no longer have prestige in the hearts of his teammates, it would create a terrible chain reaction.
This matter had to be resolved.
Shania had given him a good idea.
Tang En moved closer to Shania's side and moved his body closer.
Shania was a little wary. "What are you doing, Uncle Tony?"
Tang En smiled. "Thank you, Shania!"
Shania rolled her eyes. "Your wretched smile has already betrayed you, Uncle Tony. You're thinking about that again, aren't you? "
Tang En put away his smile and put on a serious face. "I'm just a little jealous of Freddy after seeing his two children. I want a child, Shania. "
They had been married for five years. No matter how hard they tried, Shania's body did not respond at all. Although Tang En had never shown it, Shania knew that he was anxious and even worried about something bad. As a wife, what could she do? She could only use her gentleness and young, sexy body to comfort her husband. When she was in America, she had secretly gone for a checkup. In the end, there was nothing wrong with her body …
Uncle Tony suddenly mentioned children again. Clearly, he was stimulated by Freddy's two children. Eastwood's son and daughter were indeed very cute. Everyone would want a child like that.
Hearing Tang En say this, Shania raised her head and took the initiative to kiss him. The two of them entangled themselves on the sofa …
※ ※ ※
The next morning, when Tang En drove to Wilford, Eastwood was already there waiting for him.
"You don't have to come so early, Freddy." Tang En looked at his watch. It was only half past eight. He was usually considered to be one of the early ones. He did not expect Eastwood to come even earlier.
"Ha, Boss! It's my first day at work. I have to be more proactive, right? "
Tang En glared at him. "Don't call me Boss. You're the same as me now, a team coach."
Eastwood shook his head indifferently. "Actually, while waiting for you here, I've been thinking about how I should address you. Later, I realized that calling you 'Boss' is the best. I'm used to it. Aren't you used to it, Boss? "
Tang En reluctantly agreed to this form of address and did not continue to dwell on such minor details.
"That, Boss … It's my first time as a coach. Is there any work for me to do? Or … do you think I can do something? "Eastwood clapped his hands. His new identity still made him feel a little awkward. "Although I'm trained by the coaches every day, I know very little in this area."
If not for his wife's suggestion yesterday, Tang En's original plan was to let Eastwood follow the other coaches to work and learn. He would not be responsible for the specific affairs. Then, he would go to the Coaching Association to take coaching lessons and prepare to get his coaching license.
However, it was clear that there was a more urgent job that needed him to do now.
"Well … it's like this, Freddy. What do you think of … George? "Tang En asked after some deliberation.
Eastwood froze for a moment. He did not know why the Boss would ask such a question, but he knew that the Boss was definitely not having a casual chat with him. He seriously considered it for a moment before answering, "Anyway, he's not a friend."
Tang En laughed. He remembered what he had said to Shania last night.
"Well, I can understand what you're thinking. Freddy. But now, I hope you can do me a favor … Or rather, you're the coach now, so you have to treat all the players equally. I hope you can do something for the team as a coach … "
"Does it have anything to do with his terrible form and restless performance recently?" After Carl Spicer straightforwardly threw out that question at the press conference, the media began to follow up like a swarm of bees. From their point of view, such gossip was clearly more entertaining and attention-grabbing than reminiscing about Eastwood's career.
"It's so easy to talk to smart people," Tang En praised. "That's right. No matter what you think of him, I hope you can let go of this relationship. It's fine even if it's temporarily. Find that stable and despair-inducing blockhead for the team. "
This was an unexpected "task." Eastwood had never done the job of a "psychological counselor." Moreover, he was facing the "enemy" who had caused him to fall to this state. However, he also knew that his current identity did not allow him to throw a personal tantrum. The Boss emphasized teamwork. This requirement was not only used to restrain the team, but also the coaching staff.
It was really a headache-inducing job.
"Okay, Boss. I promise. But … you have to let me think about what to do. "
Seeing that he had agreed, Tang En let out a long breath and smiled. "Sure, but don't think too long. Our team's current ranking is not too optimistic. "
"I know, Boss. Don't worry, I won't let you down. "
After Eastwood bid farewell to Tang En, he turned and left.
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