Godfather Of Champions

Half a week after Tang En and Dunn arrived in Germany the German World Cup, watched by tens of thousands of people, finally kicked off.

Other than staying in rooms in the same hotel, the two mostly did things on their own. Whether it was having meals or moving on the outside, they took separate paths. Tang En followed the personnel from BBC television station around, while Dunn proceeded alone. The focus of their work was different.

Due to contractual obligations, Tang En had to tag alongside the personnel from BBC5 to battle in numerous cities. He was mainly required to be a guest commentator for the matches played by England’s National Team. Other than his old acquaintance, commentator John Motson, there was also the former captain of the English team, famed for being the best forward in the English Premier League in the last decade, Alan Shearer.

Of course, Tang En was well-aware of this legendary character in the English football scene. But all he saw then was his cutting figure on the field. Having him sit with Tang En in the broadcast room to commentate together on a match still gave Tang En a special feeling.

Dunn moved independently. He did not follow along with the TV broadcasting plans. He mainly went to the matches that were not receiving much attention in England, especially those of the weaker teams. From there, he hoped to be able to unearth some pearls and raw minerals Tang En might need. He still did not know what Forest’s transfer fee budget would be for the new season, so he could only begin searching from the candidates with the best value.

Tang En had complete trust in Dunn’s eye for ability. After all, based on his own standards, he himself had truly only nurtured George Wood. Meanwhile, those players who had stood above their peers back then, like Michael Dawson and Andy Reid, were all personally nurtured by Dunn.

Tang En believed that the platform that allowed him to show off his own true potential was not being a scout, assistant manager, or Youth Team manager; it was not to discover and nurture new players. Rather, it was to lead a team to battle for the Champions League throne. He and Dunn could complement each other greatly. Dunn’s stringency in nit-picking details would make him a fantastic assistant. When the time came, he would be in charge of the operational specifics during the daily training of the team, while Tang En would only oversee their overall direction and path. The two of them cooperating would allow them to perform at the optimal levels in the areas they are most familiar with.

The reason behind BBC5 station’s inviting of Tang En to be a special commentator in this World Cup period might have been his current level of fame. Due to having been the target of news stirred up by the media, football manager Tony Twain could be said to have shot to stardom this season. His superstar status reached its peak after the Champions League finals. The public criticisms he made of the main referee on match duty as foolish and brainless, as well as his actions during the award ceremony that embarrassed UEFA, put the leading powers of the European football scene on the spot.

Ever since BBC5 announced their invitation of Tang En to be a special guest commentator, they immediately attracted the attention of other major media groups. Tang En had not begun his work yet but had already helped his temporary master grab a fair bit of attention.

Everyone was in anticipation of the kind of sparks that would emerge in the process of Tang En’s first attempt at TV commentaries, between England’s local characteristic manager and John Motson, who was famed for his passionate commentary.

“I didn’t expect us to work together this way.” At the scene of the Germany World Cup, Motson took the initiative to put out his hand after seeing Tang En.

Tang En knew the commentator before him. He also knew that Motson was his supporter. Although there were times when Motson was equally harsh when it came to the commentary on Tang En, Tang En himself was a harsh person as well, so the two felt as if they had common interests.

“I think Eriksson is going to be down on his luck.” Tang En laughed as he returned the gesture.

Motson laughed as well. “I was thinking you would be nervous, and I wanted to give you some guidance. That you should commentate just like you usually deal with the reporters. But it seems like I don’t have to.”

Tang En began chuckling in delight along with him.

Meanwhile, Alan Shearer stuck out somewhat like a sore thumb standing beside them, being the straight-laced person he was.

This was a small interlude in the backstage before the live broadcast of the match. Tang En looked forward to his first time working as a television commentator. He also had seriously done his homework. He especially went to further understand the current situation of Paraguay, England’s opponents for the match; he did his analysis as if he was the main manager of the English Team.

This was a classic and reasonable arrangement from Station BBC5. John Motson was an old hand among England’s sports commentators. His sharp words and passionate commentary style made those who liked him extremely fond of him, and those who hated him immensely hateful of him. He was to be the connecting factor and overseer of the match commentary, something comparable to a host of a variety show. Alan Shearer was an active member of Newcastle, as well as a former core forward and captain on the English team; he would be commentating from the players’ perspectives in the match. Tony Twain, a manager himself, was naturally analyzing the match from the view of strategic adjustments of both managers.

In this way, the audience would be able to understand the match from various angles.

England’s group stage match with Paraguay was the third match of the current World Cup.

Tang En was no longer willing to think about the results of the match progressing concurrently in another dimension; it had no meaning for the match here and now. Would knowing the score for this match in a different dimension be of any help to England’s performance in this one? Could it assure that England would not repeat their same old problems?

Tang En did not at all look favorably upon Team England’s prospects in the World Cup. This had nothing to do with what he knew about England’s performance in the current World Cup. The problem with England’s football was chronic; it had been passed down generation after generation. Even before he had transmigrated, he had never thought well of England’s prospects in the international competition.

This was a team which, after being overly publicized by the advanced media in the nation, ended up fooling others as well as themselves.

Beyond attaining a World Cup trophy on their own doorsteps in 1966 and becoming the earliest ancestors of modern football, what other praiseworthy achievements had England’s National Team accomplished? Nothing.

The prosperity of the English Premier League made people feel as if the abilities of England’s National Team should also be very strong. While Tang En agreed that the league was the foundation of a nation’s football levels, he disagreed with directly equating them. That was a moronic way of doing things. Additionally, a large part of English Premier’s prosperity was merely blown up by the media.

Why were football stars from England usually more expensive than ones at the same level from Continental Europe or other countries? Why were there numerous young geniuses in England, but so few that ended up managing to succeed?

It was all thanks to their advanced media.

With extensive hype and a matured series of publicity systems, it was even easier for England’s footballers to be sculpted as great “football stars” in the hearts of their audience. This has something to do with England’s culture and originated from their previously glorious history as the empire on which the sun never set.

Their own was always the best.

Those were the true thoughts in Tang En’s heart. He believed the dip in England’s football standards—something thought as temporary in the hearts of the English—had nothing to do with the level of the manager, the true abilities of the players, the food cooked by the chefs, or their alcoholic natures. This was purely a cultural issue, something unsolvable. Perhaps they could perform exceedingly well at some point in a big competition. With some luck, they could even become champions. But this would raise their overall standards of play by exactly zero.

Of course, this sounded somewhat like China’s football. However, no matter the low period of the English, it was still better than the true “zero” of China’s football.

But Tang En would not reveal his thoughts during the match commentary. The English would not allow anyone to readily make negative remarks of themselves, especially when it pointed towards a sensitive topic such as something culture-related. Tang En did not wish to become a public enemy in the nation.

Motson hoped for him to commentate on the match from a manager’s perspective, so Tang En aimed his criticisms at Eriksson during the match broadcast.

His criticisms against Eriksson were mainly focused on his use of the “Lampard-Gerrard Duo.”

Lampard and Gerrard were respectively the midfield cores of their own teams, and their club performances were excellent. In theory, using both as core players in the National Team at the same time should be a good idea. However, there were problems appearing. Lampard and Gerrard both performed spectacularly in Chelsea and Liverpool. But when it came to Team England, appearing together on the field would have either of them, or both, performing in a lackluster manner.

Even a fool could tell that the position and style of the two individuals on the field overlapped with each other. Being fielded at the same time was not a simple matter of wastage; rather, it was something along the lines of magnets repelling each other. The two disrupted each other, causing neither to perform well in the end.

Why did Eriksson still insist on letting the two players be starters? Could he not see the problem? Of course, Tang En would not criticize Eriksson as foolish. What he criticized was the Swede’s overindulgence of hot-shot football stars under his command.

This was a direct clash of two management ideals. Tang En belonged to the type in which the whole was greater than anything else. On his football team, there was only one authority and superstar: him, the main manager. All players had to listen to him. He would not sacrifice his own tactical strategy to accommodate certain football stars.

Eriksson, on the other hand, belonged to the type that was more indulgent of football stars, depending on hot-shot players to decide the match; it was somewhat biased to celebrities. This way, he was able to maintain good relations with the players. In their hearts, he was not lowly placed. In the repeated occurrences of the FA’s vote of no confidence in him, the players always stood on his side. From a certain understanding, this could also be considered a type of loving protection. But the price of having a fantastic relationship with his players was the sacrifice of England’s competitiveness in the World Cup.

Same with the match against Paraguay, under the hot sun of Frankfurt’s afternoon, Eriksson’s team played drowsily without a single bright spot.

“… I see no hope for England to win this match. In fact, I don’t even know if Eriksson wants to win. Of course, he wants to. But if he doesn’t prove it, I’ll think he doesn’t want to. Owen has just returned from recovery; he’s not in the best condition, but why make him play as a starter with Rooney? In this kind of match, Crouch is the most suitable candidate. I’ve coached the man himself, so I understand his abilities. Look, aren’t I right? Eriksson is changing players. Crouch in, and Owen out. Simple and brutish, without any technique to speak of… I’m sorry, I think I’ll sleep for a bit. Wake me up when there’s a goal…”

The match went on drowsily; neither Paraguay nor England launched any threatening attacks. Both parties seemed reluctant to take a more active method to score a goal. Under the hot sun, they carried on like that. The audience also watched sleepily with a lack of interest.

So, when Beckham utilized his trademark free-kick to send the ball flying into the goalpost via a transiting header from Paraguay’s captain, Gamarra, Tang En finally awoke amid Motson’s shouting.

“Oh, it’s a goal? And it’s an own goal! Fabulous! Eriksson can breathe a sigh of relief now.”

Through their opponent’s own goal, Team England managed to gain a victory in this match after much difficulty.

After the match, Tang En used up much of his word limit in the after-match commentary articles for Nottingham Evening Post and China’s Titan Sports to describe an interesting matter he had discovered midway through the match. On an occasion when England’s goalkeeper, Paul Robinson, was clearing the ball, he had kicked it towards the gigantic television screen hanging at the top, in the middle of the stadium; the ball was almost unable to come back down…

This matter made Tang En laugh for a long while during his commentary. During the halftime break, he even repeatedly related it to his two partners. When he was commentating, Tang En joked that it was a pity the football dropped back down in the end. He had hoped to see the football stay stuck up there. Perhaps that way, the match would not be as boring.

George Wood, who was participating in the World Cup and was selected to represent Team England for the first time, continually moved back and forth between the substitutes’ bench and the warm-up area in the match. He did not get even a minute of time on the field. This was quite the norm. After all, England’s midfield was currently saturated with too many football stars. Both Gerrard and Lampard had to be on the field at the same time, and added to that were Captain Beckham, Joe Cole, Hargreaves… There was no space left for a new recruit like Wood to enter.

The problem with the match did not lie in midfield defense, but in organizing the attacks. Changing Wood in would not be helpful to the team. Tang En did not attack Eriksson for this decision of his. This showed that he was not a person who would slander someone else without care.

After the end of the live broadcast of the match, BBC5 received many feedback calls from the audience. Most of them were calling in to criticize Tang En’s commentary style. They felt that Tang En was utterly unsuitable to be a guest commentator, as his words were filled with too much aggression and that he evidently harbored personal feelings. There were even those who suspected Tang En was making use of this job opportunity to vent his personal grudges.

Tang En’s response to those was a simple shrug of his shoulders. He did not wish to explain too much. He was a guest commentator, not an interpreter who had to maintain an objective middle ground. Wasn’t he invited here precisely to express his personal viewpoints? Some people may be afraid of offending others, but Tony Twain was not.

Of course, there was also some truth in him using the opportunity to discharge a personal vendetta. He had never quite liked Eriksson. He felt that Eriksson was too weak. This was a clash in personalities; something that could not be easily changed.

BBC stood behind him as well. They knew that however many people hated Tang En’s commentary, their viewership ratings would surely be raised in the next match; those people still wanted to see what kind of fresh comments Tang En would be tossing out this time, for their ease of continuing to call in to nit-pick and complain.

Those who liked him would continue supporting him, staying in front of the television to watch his varied expressions. Those who hated him would also pay attention to him, collecting the proof of his sins in preparation to usurp him.

Regardless, whether it was fondness or hatred, this was a person who could not be ignored.

BBC5 had signed an extremely worthwhile contract.