Martin O 'Neill resigned and only stayed at the Forest team for two months. I was not surprised at all. I even thought he left a little late.
For a Premier League manager, poor results were not the biggest enemy. It was the interference from the club's top brass. When you were the last person in the know in the team, what was the point of staying there? For the club's boss, the manager might just be an employee, hired with money. Well, I'm very happy to see what other manager the Nottingham Forest chairman can hire to be their puppet.
These were the first two paragraphs of Tang En's column for the Evening Post. These were his open letters.
After a month of silence, Tang En's column was fired again. This time, it was aimed at his former employer, Nottingham Forest.
The moment he opened his mouth, it was explosive. It was not as simple as scolding. In this column, he also revealed for the first time the real reason why he initially chose not to renew his contract:
"… When Pepe transferred to AC Milan, I could understand Martin O 'Neill's feelings. Because a year ago, when Lennon went to Inter Milan, I encountered exactly the same situation as him. If I had not been able to drink for a long time, I think I would have called him and invited him for a drink. Look at these two poor managers.
In fact, I had a lot to say after I resigned. But at that time, Martin O 'Neill had just taken over. I did not want to talk too much about a team that was no longer managed by me. That would cause trouble for the new manager and the team. I did not doubt my influence on that team at all. Yes, I was very confident on this point.
I chose to keep my mouth shut. I thought it was good for the team to do that.
But now the situation has changed. O 'Neill has also resigned. I think the Forest team's situation can't get any worse. So, I chose to say those words buried deep in my heart to you.
Life and work are made up of many details. These details are often not valued. But I am a person who cares about details. In Lennon's transfer, I saw what I did not want to see the most. The club's top brass began to get used to reaching out to the team. This was originally absolutely prohibited in the verbal agreement between me and Evan Doughty. But after 11 years, the original verbal agreement was no longer binding. Then, I realized that this kind of situation would only increase as time passed, and I would be exhausted. Just like Martin O 'Neill today. I chose to leave at the most glorious moment. Perhaps that way, I could still give everyone a beautiful view of my back. However, from the looks of it, perhaps leaving without saying a word didn't achieve the desired effect. I had outsmarted myself …
I must apologize to the fans who still love Nottingham Forest and have been hurt by my attitude. I'm sorry that I can't continue to coach Nottingham Forest. If possible, I hope to finish my coaching career here, but the current environment is not in my favor. But no matter where I am, my love for Nottingham Forest and my love for all of you has never changed … "
The Nottingham Evening Post skillfully placed the pictures of Martin O 'Neill's resignation and the contents of Tang En's open letter on the front page for comparison. At the same time, it also reminded all the readers who bought the extra to know what it was about.
The story of two men who left Nottingham Forest.
The headline on the front page was also interesting:
They came here one after another, and they left one after another.
The unspoken words were directed at the club. This was Pierce Brosnan's intention.
The open letter was very long and took up half the page. Tang En did not know how many words he had written. Anyway, he kept writing and writing as long as he had something in his heart. By the time he finished typing these words in his heart in front of the computer, his arms were so sore that he could not straighten them.
For the Nottingham Forest fans, this article was like the atomic bomb that the US military dropped on Hiroshima, Japan. Put together with the news of Martin O 'Neill's resignation, it was even more shocking — two atomic bombs, and the other one went to Nagasaki.
※ ※ ※
"Martin O 'Neill announced earlier this morning that he had applied to resign as Nottingham Forest's manager. At present, the club's top management has not given any response to his application. Our reporters found O 'Neill preparing to leave at the gates of Wilford … "
The television screen was noisy. In the constantly shaking camera lens, O 'Neill stood by the car door and answered the reporters' questions:
"My resignation has been approved … This has nothing to do with Tony Twain … I believe they will soon announce a press conference …"
The scene was very noisy. His voice could not be heard clearly, but the key meaning was still expressed.
The group of people drinking in the Forest Bar all stared dumbfounded at the large screen LCD television hanging on the wall. More than two months ago, they had watched the news of Tony Twain's sudden resignation in the same place. Today, they saw Martin O 'Neill's sudden resignation … Their brains had lost the ability to think, and they did not know what to say about such a matter.
Perhaps Bill's first reaction was the truest. He swore, "F * ck." It was just that he did not know who he was f * cking. Was it the resigned Martin O 'Neill? Or was it the club's chairman? Or the reporter who reported this news that spoiled his good mood for the day? Or … was it himself?
The news continued, and the door was pushed open.
Fat John knocked on the door with a stack of newspapers in his hands.
Seeing Bill foolishly standing in front of the television watching the news, he laughed and walked over. He placed the newspapers in his hands on the table Bill was at, and then he went to the next table to distribute the newspapers. When he had placed a newspaper on every table in the bar, he just happened to have one left in his hands. It was his own.
Someone noticed his unusual behavior and asked, "What are you doing, Fat? I'm willing to treat you to a drink, but not to the newspapers. "
John leaned in front of the bar and first asked for a glass of wine. Then he said to that person, "Aren't you always clamoring for the truth about Tony's resignation? It's on there. " He pointed to the newspaper placed in front of the person. It had the word "Extra." This was a special edition that was specially rushed out for everything that had happened to the Forest team today.
As soon as he finished speaking, the group of people who had been as silly as wooden stakes immediately fought for the newspapers in front of them.
Only Bill did not move. His gaze moved from the television screen to John.
John smiled at him, took a sip of wine, and began to read the newspaper.
Compared to when he had started the war with the other columnists, Tony's tone was much gentler in this column, but the sarcasm in his bones had not lessened.
He was in a good mood today, which seemed contradictory in the context of such news. His happiness had nothing to do with Nottingham Forest. Anyway, Nottingham Forest was already in such a state. It would not be surprising if things went bad from now on. What made him happy was that the real Tony Twain was back. There was another reason, and that was that Tony Twain had never betrayed them, just as he had thought. He had always loved this team and this group of people.
That feeling was like knowing that an old friend who had lost contact for many years was still thinking about him. He felt warmth from the bottom of his heart.
That was enough. Tony, do well in the national team. Although I'm a Nottingham Forest fan, I'm also an Englishman.
※ ※ ※
It had only been half a day, but Martin O 'Neill's resignation and Tony Twain's open letter had already spread throughout England. The media, big and small, had reprinted and reported on it. It could actually be considered a "grand occasion."
As the team that had just won the Treble, even if they fired a turf sweeper, they would still be in the media. Not to mention the big news of changing two managers in two months.
It was obvious that Nottingham Forest had fallen into a kind of internal strife … and the reason for the internal strife was now clear to many people — the club's top management had interfered too much with the team's affairs, which had caused the dissatisfaction of the two previous managers, so they did not renew the contract and resigned as a protest.
It was just a pity for the fans and players who were infatuated with Nottingham Forest …
That morning's training was completed under the guidance of the assistant manager, and everyone was absent-minded. Kerslake had wanted to continue with the afternoon's training plan, but looking at the state of the team and thinking about the reporters outside, he changed the training plan at the last minute and announced a half-day break in the afternoon.
He was now very worried about how many of these people would eventually stay in the team.
It was only at this time that he suddenly felt how happy he was to have a strong person standing beside him, who could give him a sense of security. When he encountered difficulties, he would come to him and say, "Don't worry, David. I'm here. "Or he would smile at him and say," I have an idea, David, do you want to hear it? "
※ ※ ※
Wood received a call from Billy Woox on his way home.
"Martin O 'Neill has also resigned. Do you still plan to stay in such a team? Real Madrid has offered you an annual salary of 15 million euros before tax. As long as you are willing to sign, this is your income for the next four years. "
This time, the Forest captain unexpectedly did not hesitate and firmly rejected his agent.
"No, I want to stay here."
"I can foresee the fate of this team in the next few years — a decline in results, a tarnished reputation, plus the hatred with other teams in the past decade, everyone wants to beat the previously arrogant and domineering Treble winners. Your games will be very difficult. You may not win a championship, George. "Woox calmly analyzed the disadvantages of staying in the Forest team for him.
"I don't care, I've won enough championships."
Woox chuckled, "That's true, you've already won all the honors that a club player can get. But I still don't want you to stay here. Evan Doughty is a big idiot, his old friend is a small idiot, such a team is not worthy of your loyalty. You're the best player in the world, George. You should go and play for the best team and show the world what you can do. "
"Do you think your income will decrease if I stay here all the time?"
Woox laughed heartily. He thought that was just too cute for Wood. He laughed so hard that he even coughed, "Ha … Ahem! I don't mind how much money I earn, George. I care about you. "
"I think I have enough money now."
"But do you feel happy playing in a team like this?"
"Happy." George Wood replied.
"You're lying, George. Tell me the real reason, or I'm not done with you. I'll call you every night in the middle of the night to tell you which club has taken a fancy to my dear George. "The old man was really like a naughty boy.
Wood was silent for a moment. He was almost home. It would not be good if his mother asked him if he continued to be entangled with the old man. Because it was easy to deal with an agent, but difficult to deal with his mother.
"I remind you, don't try to make up a reason to fool me. I've crossed more bridges than you've walked, baby. "
Wood said, "Because I'm the captain."
Woox thought Wood would say a few words to explain, but Wood only said one sentence and did not say a word, which made him feel like his heart was hanging in mid-air. He was stunned for a moment and asked, "That's it? That's it? "
"That's it."
"What are you thinking? The captain is something like a new manager, maybe he'll be replaced. It doesn't mean anything. If giving you the captain's armband can win your loyalty, then your loyalty is too worthless … What's wrong with you? Are you agitated by what happened today, my dear? "
"I'm not much. I'm telling the truth. I'm the captain, and I can't leave my team. I don't want to be like him and leave a group of people behind! "Wood rarely raised his voice and emphasized his tone.
This time it was Woox's turn to be silent. He knew who the "him" in Wood's words was.
"All right, George … it's up to you. As long as you think so. But it's a terrible excuse! "Woox hung up the phone fiercely.
※ ※ ※
As the night deepened, the last rays of the setting sun hung on the western horizon and the flat terrain of Wilford. They could still see it clearly through the view of the surrounding high-rise buildings and the flat terrain of Wilford.
Wilford, surrounded by dense woods, oozed patches of ink-like black against the background of the afterglow. At this time, even the turf maintenance workers had left. In the whole of Wilford, only the club chairman's office still had light leaking out.
Evan Doughty stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window and looked out at the dusk. On the table behind him, there was an extra edition of the Nottingham Evening Post that had just been published this afternoon.
There were only four extra editions, two of which belonged to Martin O 'Neill and two of which belonged to Tony Twain.
He had read them all, with a calmness that exceeded Allan's expectations. The so-called "calmness" was what Allan observed, which meant that the club chairman did not swear angrily in the process of reading, or stop reading and then crumple the newspaper into a ball and throw it into the trash, or tear it into pieces and set it on fire with a lighter. He quietly read the entire article and just sat there without saying a word.
Allan knew that from today onwards, he would have to face more right and wrong. It was not wise to disturb him at this time. So, he quietly took his leave.
In fact, Evan had long recovered from his daze. Now he was hiding from the media. He knew that there would be a lot of media outside hoping to interview him. Even if the club had announced that there would be a press conference tomorrow afternoon, the hungry paparazzi were still not satisfied. They wanted to know more, wanted to know more inside information. Or … they just wanted to take a picture of Evan Doughty's panicked face.
When the last glimmer of light disappeared under the heavy curtain of night, Evan Doughty walked out of the already dark three-story building like a thief and slid along the wall to the parking lot. His driver had already fallen asleep waiting for him in the car. He had to knock hard on the window to wake up the driver, who was leaning against the driver's seat with his head tilted and mouth wide open and drooling.
"Ah? Sir, sorry … I fell asleep … Sorry … "The driver, who was still in a daze, opened the window and used his other hand to wipe the sticky saliva off his chin. He stammered as he apologized to Evan.
Evan impatiently knocked on the car door and interrupted him. "Open the door, go home!"
When the dark red Audi appeared at the door, the guard had an illusion — the front of the car was alive. It swayed left and right as if it was observing the situation in front.
The driver honked to signal the guard to open the closed door, but he was scolded by the chairman.
"Don't honk!"
He was afraid that the sound would be heard by the reporters who were hiding somewhere. But it was reasonable to say that there should not be any reporters in the vicinity at this time … Or was it purely because he had a "guilty conscience"?
The beautiful modern electric door moved slowly in front of Evan Doughty, making way for him. But in his eyes, this thing moved slower than a snail. He kind of missed the carved iron door that had been torn down previously. When Ian MacDonald opened the door, he stretched out his hand as vigorously as a young man. That speed was much faster than this modern thing controlled by a computer program!
When the gate was only halfway open amidst the rumbling noise, Evan urged his driver to drive through. To him, the longer he waited here, the more danger he would be in.
But he still miscalculated. When his car had just driven out of the door at its slowest speed, a group of reporters suddenly appeared on both sides and in front of his car.
The driver was startled and stepped on the brakes.
This time, there was no way for him to escape.
When the reporters saw that the car had stopped, they swarmed forward, holding video cameras, cameras, and microphones to the back window.
"Mr. Doughty! Can you express your thoughts on O 'Neill's resignation? "
"Tony Twain claims that his resignation is entirely your responsibility. Do you have any response, Mr. Doughty?"
"May I ask how you feel about losing two managers in a row in two months?"
"Mr. Doughty, can you answer a few questions? Just a few! "
"Nottingham Forest has lost their manager less than half a month before the start of the league tournament. Do you have a new manager in mind?"
"What's the future of the team? It is said that Real Madrid has made another offer for George Wood. Will he leave? "
Countless questions accompanied by camera flashes bombarded Evan Doughty. In the dark of the night, his face was ghastly pale under the flashes.
He tried to make his expression look better and then ignored the reporters. He just urged the driver to drive away and leave the place.
When the car started up again, the reporters in the front retreated and took pictures at the same time. When they were sure that they could not take any more pictures, they gave way to the front passage.
The dark red Audi's engine let out a long-suppressed roar as it hurriedly left in front of the reporters as if it was fleeing.
A photographer pressed the shutter on the rear of the car, which kicked up a cloud of dust.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
