Godfather Of Champions

Dunn felt like he was reliving the days before Twain took over his body.

Besides getting busy training the team every single day, he also has to put in time and effort into analysing data regarding their opponents with his colleagues, come up with a thorough plan to help the team win, hold tactical meetings and devise the tactics that the team would employ during the match.

Afterwards, all that was left for him was to wait for the match to commence…

He came to the miserable realization that nothing had changed about him all this while. He still has not improved as a manager…

He was only capable of thinking about all the situations that could arise during the match and prepare for them in advance. Once the match started however, he would slowly lose control over the match. He could not compare to how Tony Twain was able to adapt and alter his tactics based on what was happening on the pitch. Not in a million years.

The team’s results were very, very terrible.

His only consolation was that the team did manage to get a win under him.

Both Nottingham Forest and Dunn lived through a dark and gloomy January when Twain was critically ill and his condition was at its worst.

The team kept up with their horrendous performance that they had put in throughout December and did not manage to secure a single win during the first 3 weeks of January. It was only on the very last day of January that they were able to attain a gruelling 2-1 win over Aston Villa in an away game.

That was also the day when Twain announced to the public that he was about to be discharged.

Due to their 10 consecutive losses during December and January, Nottingham Forest slipped further down the ranking table and was ranked 12th with just 36 points at the start of February.

Ribéry’s departure from the team had greatly impacted the team’s pre-existing tactics as well. When he was still a player for Forest, the left flank was pretty much his own personal passageway. Now that he has left to play for Real Madrid however, the Nottingham Forest whose forte was attacking down the flanks was akin to a bird that had lost half its wings.

Dunn was against the idea when Allan Adams insisted on selling Ribéry for money to help the team through its difficult times. But, who would listen to what an assistant managers says? Did he have a better relationship with the club’s owners than Allan?

Moreover, he was not someone who liked getting into a dispute with others. Since the higher-ups in the club had already decided to sell Ribéry, all he could do was to tweak the team’s tactics and have the team get used to playing without Ribéry on the left flank.

Perhaps no one in Forest wishes to admit it just yet, but everyone else all believe that it will be impossible for Nottingham Forest to be the champions in any competition for the remainder of this season. In fact, it will be extremely challenging for them to even qualify for Champions League football next year.

The team finally started playing better after Twain was discharged from the hospital.

Winter was also starting to pass by slowly. It did not matter how far away Spring was… It has to come one day.

The team went undefeated in the league for the whole of February under Dunn, attaining three wins and one draw.

They went up by two rankings as a result, and was ranked 10th with 43 points.

He was also crowned ‘Manager of the Month’ for February in the Premier League.

It was rare for a young man from China to receive such an honor and thus, it garnered a lot of attention in China. Numerous Chinese media outlets flew over to Britain to gain an interview with the man they dubbed as ‘The Rising Chinese Power Amongst International Football Managers’. Dunn’s popularity in China went through the roof for a short period of time.

Amidst all the buzz surrounding Dunn, the name Tang Jing shone the most. That was because she could get access to exclusive information that no other news outlets was able to lay their hands on. She considered herself to be Dunn’s sole spokesperson on many things related to Dunn.

There were many rumors involving her and Dunn in China. One particular rumor that was widely accepted by many ‘gossipers’ was that there was something going on between the beautiful reporter and Dunn. They believed that their relationship has gotten so intimate that it has crossed the boundaries of what is acceptable between a reporter and an interviewee. There were speculations that the two were actually a couple, and there were even posts online made by someone who claimed to be a student studying abroad in Nottingham that vividly described how he ran into Dunn and Tang Jing on the streets, and how they were hugging and kissing each other and being intimate.

Tang Jing never tried to defend herself against the speculations. She felt that it was actually beneficial to her job for the public to have such misunderstandings about her relationship with Dunn.

As for Dunn, he never cared about such baseless rumors. As long as there was nothing between him and Tang Jing, he would continue to accept Tang Jing’s exclusive interviews and provide her with the information she needs.

Additionally, it was actually a big plus for him to maintain a good relationship with Tang Jing. It was certainly not because of the fact that he would be able to have intimate interactions with a beautiful woman; everyone needs to get that straight, but rather, he could avoid spending time and effort on all the other random reporters from different news bureaus, magazine publishers, tv stations, radio stations and websites from China and focus on his work instead.

However, the enthusiasm and interest that the Chinese and the Chinese media had for Dunn quickly died down soon after. Nottingham Forest suffered a crushing defeat against Mourinho’s Inter Milan during the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Mourinho was finally able to clinch a victory against Nottingham Forest, but he did not look particularly pleased with the result during the press conference after the second leg of the match.

The discerning ones would definitely understand the reason behind his displeasure. The team that he won against was a Nottingham Forest led by Dunn, not a Nottingham Forest led by Twain. It was akin to the despair that one would feel after finding out that the person that they had just painstakingly defeated was not the bitter enemy they wanted to defeat.

To Mourinho, defeating Nottingham Forest was secondary. Defeating Tony Twain was his primary objective. It did not matter if Tony Twain were to manage a team that was not Nottingham Forest as long as he could defeat Twain.

※※※

March soon arrived, and Nottingham Forest was still performing poorly. The team have not lost, but had only managed to attain 2 draws and 1 win.

It seemed as though everyone lost confidence in the team following Twain’s departure. Ominous signs began to appear within the team as well. The players began to lose the fight and determination that they used to have. They would sink into a state of utter helplessness when the opposing team scores against them, even if the other team was a team that was weaker than them. They would typically give up trying to level the score if the other team continues to lead them by a goal with 10 minutes left in the match./update by vipnovel

George Wood was infuriated at his team mates’ lack of tenacity. But, he was only the captain of the team, and could never emulate the kind of influence that Tony Twain has over all the players.

The media made the following evaluation of the current Nottingham Forest team:

“Tony Twain has an issue with his heart. Likewise, Nottingham Forest is also having an issue with their hearts. Without motivation and fight, the team is no different from a mid-table team in the Premier League. They absolutely don’t look like a team that was crowned two-time champions. The word going around is that Twain is still ‘shutting’ football out of his life as per his doctor’s instructions. I wonder if he would get so angry at the sight of Forest’s current state that he would relapse and be admitted into hospital once again?”

It did not matter how skilled Dunn was at training and formulating tactics for the team. Even an outstanding assistant manager like him was at his wits’ end about how to deal with the psychological issues of his players.

The bliss that he felt over the team’s successes in February had all been washed away to some faraway island. Now, he has to face a team suffering from a low morale every day, and his brows have never eased up.

In April, while Tony Twain and Shania were enjoying their vacation in Brazil after professing their love for each other and becoming engaged, Dunn was all the way in Britain mulling over how to help get the team out of their predicament.

The team’s results was akin to the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average during the financial crisis after entering April. It kept going on the decline and did not look like it would turn for the better.

On 4th April, Matchday 31, they lost to Everton in an away game 0:2.

On 11th April, Matchday 32, they lost to Wenger’s Arsenal 1:3 at home.

On 18th April, Matchday 33, they lost to Ferguson’s Manchester United 1:2 at home.

On 25th April, Matchday 34, they drew 1:1 with Blackburn in an away game.

To the British, the cold and damp winter had long passed. It was now spring, the season that signified the resurrection of life.

However, at the City Ground stadium in Wilford, the frigid winds of the winter continued to wreak havoc around every single person related to Nottingham Forest, and they did not look like they were going away anytime soon.

※※※

It was the afternoon of 2nd May, and a game for Premier League’s matchday 35 had just concluded.

The Forest Bar was silent despite being packed with people. The final score for the match appeared on the television screen, but no one seemed bothered by what they saw. They had all become apathetic to it. Nottingham Forest had just lost again at home to Bolton Wanderers 0-2.

In the past, the Forest fans would look down on teams like Bolton Wanderers. Forest would never lose against a team like that, even if they were the away team. But now, the tables have turned and they were getting bullied by a team they never thought highly of.

What made them feel even more disgruntled was how the players performed against Bolton Wanderers. They played as though they had no interest in the match at all. The consecutive defeats in the league have caused them to lose their fight completely.

The fans were enraged by what they saw in the players.

“This isn’t Nottingham Forest!” Someone broke the silence with a holler. “I won’t acknowledge such a team as one that is befitting of the name ‘Nottingham Forest’!”

No one echoed his sentiments, but his words did elicit many sighs.

“Tony… How much longer till Tony comes back?” Someone asked in a soft voice.

These words prompted interest from a number a people, unlike the previous comment.

“Don’t tell me they have already sacked him? It’s been five months…”

“How is that possible? Don’t talk nonsense! Dunn’s title is still clearly ‘assistant manager’.”

“What’s going on with Tony’s condition now? The media can’t seem to get hold of any precise information about the matter either…”

“Didn’t they say that his condition has turned for the better?”

“Then, if it has gotten better, why isn’t he back? Can he bear to watch his football team get bullied by an opponent like Bolton Wanderers?”

“Since it concerns the heart, who can say for sure what’s actually going on with him? I actually think it’s best if Tony doesn’t return to the team during this season. If not he’d probably be so upset that he has to be re-admitted into the intensive care unit.”

“You are right, with how the team is performing right now, we definitely won’t qualify for Champions League next season! Maybe we won’t even qualify for the Europa League too!”

All the discussions ended with a sigh.

Kenny Burns quietly listened to the discussions among his customers as he wiped the glasses in his bar.

The current Nottingham Forest is actually not performing that terribly right now. He has seen worse.

Few would agree with his view, but he did not mind. He believed that Twain would find a way. As a spectator all he could do was to keep waiting and see what transpires next.

※※※

The players had finished showering and changing their clothes, and they all returned to the bus in groups of three or four.

Dunn reclined wearily against the seat in the changing room and refused to get to his feet.

He suddenly understood what Twain was feeling during the final moments of the match against Newcastle.

He must have been exhausted.

Or, to be more precise, mentally exhausted.

Kerslake returned to the changing room to see Dunn sitting in there all by himself.

“What’s wrong, Dunn?” He took a look at his complexion. “Don’t tell me you are suffering from a heart disease as well.”

Dunn forced a smile. “Close to suffering from one.”

Kerslake was well aware of the team’s current situation. There was nothing he could say to comfort Dunn after seeing the state that he was in.

“I feel like I’ve let everyone else down. If Tony was here… He would have told the players off at half-time, ‘You guys actually let a team like Bolton Wanderers take the lead?’ And after that he would have tweaked his tactics and try to get the team to do a comeback in the second half… We might be able to come up with very precise tactics for the team, but we can’t get the players to execute our tactics with zeal.” Dunn shook his head and threw his hands out as he finished his words.

“Dunn, that is not something that you are responsible for. Honestly, you are already doing a great job…” Kerslake could not find the words to console his colleague.

It was inevitable that he would be compared to Tony Twain from the very first second that he took over the job as caretaker manager. The criticisms against the man from China have never ceased now that the team is not performing well. The acerbic British media seemed to be exceptionally harsh with their criticisms of the Chinese.

Be it charisma or his track record as a manager, Dunn could not hold a candle to Tony Twain.

“I’ve suddenly come to a complete understanding of what Grant must have felt when he was at Chelsea.” Dunn said out of the blue.

That’s right, every manager before him were ‘the special ones’. Their successor was nothing more than an average Joe.

Kerslake found their conversation to be utterly pointless. After all, the problems with the team did not lie solely on the manager, but on the entire team itself.

One particular thought had begun to manifest itself within the team, and that is that since they are not going to be able to win anything this season, why should they work so hard for? All they need to do is to avoid relegation and wait for the boss to return next season and then start all over again under him.

Additionally, rumors about how the team is going to go through a major overhaul after the season ends, and how the club intends to use the money earned from the sale of players into resuming their construction works of the new stadium have never stopped either.

Nobody knew what lies in store for them in a year that is fraught with so many issues.

The issues with the team right now are not just about how they are playing on the pitch. There are also issues with the management of the club.

He did not want to continue discussing about such a depressing topic anymore, so he decided to ask something else for a change. “Has Twain contacted you?”

Dunn nodded.

“How is his health condition right now?”

“According to him, there are no issues whatsoever.”

“Then… Does he know about the current situation of the team?”

“I think he does.”

“Did he say when he intends to come back to the team?”

Dunn shook his head. “No. I think he’d only return after the season has ended. With the team as it is now… It’s pointless for him to come back, right?”

Kerslake fell silent again. Dunn had just brought up a crucial point. Even if he was Tony Twain the ‘King’, he would only get bogged down after he returns, given how the team is in complete shambles currently. He risks tarnishing his prestige and reputation if he returns. A smart way of handling the situation would be to stay away from all the mess and come back when this disastrous season is over. He can then build a new team from scratch and display the control that he has over the team as well.

Kerslake had no doubts that the sly and intelligent man would do just that.

※※※

Twain switched off the television, and shook his head profusely.

Shania looked at Twain nervously from the side, fearful that he would suddenly collapse to the ground as he shook his head.

Douglas was nervous as well. He was on standby as he sat near Twain.

Twain slowly sat down, and did not say a word for a while. It was as though the air in the room had solidified. The room went completely quiet, and the atmosphere felt oppressive and uncomfortable.

Shania asked cautiously after some time had passed, “Uncle Tony?”

Twain looked at her and smiled. “I’ve realized it, Shania.”

“Huh?”

“My heart is truly fine now!”

“Huh?” Both Shania and Douglas were stupefied. What is going on?

“I was able to watch that infuriating match from start to finish. And I still feel well after it!” Twain stood out and started moving his arms and legs about to show that he was feeling well.

Shania led out a long sigh. “Can you not scare others like that, Uncle Tony?”

Twain grinned. “But I was truly very mad earlier. I was thinking that if I was on the manager’s seat then, I would have given them a dressing down at halftime, and the words that would come out of my mouth would be as ugly as they can possibly get. I even thought about what I would scold them about as I sat there. I imagined myself to be extremely angry and I kept putting myself in that emotional state because I wanted to see just how far my heart could take it. From how I see it, I think my heart’s ready for my comeback.”

Seeing that Twain was fine, Douglas used the excuse that he wanted to rest earlier to leave the living room and return to his room. He then closed the door behind him and provided a space for Tony and Shania to speak to each other.

“Uncle Tony, do you really intend to do that?” It was rare for Shania to have such a serious and grave expression on her face as she spoke to Twain.

Twain just smiled as he nodded his head. “Yes. I’ve thought about it for a while and I feel like I can’t escape from it any longer.”

“But what difference does it make for you to go back now, Uncle Tony? The team is already in shambles, and there’s only a few matches left in the league. Do you think you can lead the team back to the top of the table and become champions again by going back?”

“Ha!” Twain led out a laugh. “Don’t even think about becoming champions of the league, Shania. I think it’s impossible for the team to even qualify for the Europa League.”

“Then why do you…”

Twain reached out and held a slightly discontented Shania in his arms. His hand caressed her lustrous brown hair while his nose sniffed at her hair. The scent of a young woman wafted into his nostrils and left him feeling bewitched.

“It’s not about what kind of results I’d obtain after going back, Shania.” Twain murmured as he closed his eyes. “It’s just that I only truly feel alive when I return to the team. It’s great to live a life with you and Douglas taking care of me, but that’s not the kind of life I want to live. Haven’t you already noticed it? That I seem like a man who has lost all his energy these few months.”

Shania buried her face in Twain’s chest and began to recall the scenes from the past few months. She then realized that what Uncle Tony said was completely right. The Uncle Tony who had left football and his managerial position did not seem like the Uncle Tony from before. She could not understand the reason behind the difference before this, but now she can.

For the past few months, Uncle Tony has been behaving like any other middle-aged man, but the Uncle Tony from before these past few months was not like any other middle-aged man.

He was unique, he was the ‘one and only’, and he was someone who ‘cannot be replaced’. Men like that possessed a distinctive charm. It felt as though blinding lights would burst out from his body at any time. It was completely different, or even the polar opposite of the Uncle Tony who would smile the whole day and listen to everything that the doctor told him, or the submissive and obedient Uncle Tony who would let himself be watched over by a nurse.

One was a fearless wolf who could roam about the wilderness freely and howl at the skies, while the other was a tame sheep who was watched by the sheepdog in the farm.

I wonder which Uncle Tony it was that made me fall so deeply in love with him, regardless of what happened to me?

I am afraid it is not the Uncle Tony that I have seen over the past few months.

She placed her ear against Twain’s left breast. “I can hear your heartbeat… And it sounds a little fast?”

Twain laughed and embraced her tightly. “That’s because I can’t help but feel excited at the thought of the life that I’m about to start living again.”

He raised his head. He felt as though he could already hear the cacophony inside the City Ground stadium: the cheers and songs for Forest, the boos against their opponents, the ear-splitting sound of the whistle going off, and the dull sounds of the football being kicked and bodies colliding with one another…

Those sounds came at him like the waves of the Atlantic Ocean and they stirred him from within. His nuclear-powered heart was starting to get restless inside his chest.

If anyone thinks that I, Tony Twain, would turn into a tame sheep after suffering from a heart disease and lying low for five months, then they are utterly mistaken!

Ladies and gentlemen! Have you all heard of the story ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf’?

I have never lied. This time, the wolf has really come!