105 Gypsies Part 1 (1/2)

Chapter 105: Gypsies Part 1

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

One week had already passed since Tang En had gone to look for Storey-Moore and Des Walker. In that period, the youth team played a youth league match in the fourth group. Compared to the previous match, Tang En had given George Wood the chance to play for half the match and his performance remained rather good. In fact, it was even better than the previous match. Kerslake felt that it had to be attributed to Wood's extremely sturdy psychological quality.

”Oh gosh, Tony. This kid doesn't seem to know the meaning of the word 'nervous'!” Kerslake exclaimed.

Tang En laughed out loud and said, ”That is because he always played truant during his lessons!”

Of course this was a joke. Tang En did not tell Kerslake that aside from Wood's psychological quality, there was another very important reason for Wood's good performance for two consecutive matches. That it was his mother, Sophia, who had been watching him play from the side of the field.

Wood told Tang En, that he and his mother had reached an agreement—if the weather was good and the sky was clear when he had a home match, he would permit his mother to come watch. If it was raining or it looked like it was going to rain, then she would not be allowed to come.

Hearing Wood's words, Tang En smiled and said to him, ”Rest assured, George. As long as it's a match on our home ground, the weather will definitely be good and won't rain.”

Sure enough, on the day of the match, the skies of Nottingham, which had just entered winter was extremely clear, with the sun shining brightly. Under the close watch of his mother, Sophia, George Wood also beautifully completed his performance in the second half, helping the team defeat its opponent with a score of 2:1. Tang En made him mark the enemy team's core offensive player. As a result, the core player who had been quite active in the first half, was almost nowhere to be found in the second half. In the end, the opponent team's manager could only substitute him out. Tang En also made use of this chance to let Wood apply what he had learned during his training—become a fixed position defensive midfielder, and serve as the first line of defense instead of marking a certain specific player.

Although he made some mistakes—the entire managerial team was able to see that—this lad was slowly working toward the right direction step by step.

Give him more time and let him participate in more matches. After that… what will we get?

What a highly anticipated future!

At the same time, Collymore's days became increasingly unbearable.

He stayed true to his word and refused to accept all forms of interview from the Nottingham Evening Post. After that, his good days had completely come to an end.

Pierce Brosnan, James Robson, and various other big and small reporters from the Nottingham Evening Post, all became the forefront of the anti-Collymore faction. Even if Collymore was slightly distracted for a split second when he answered questions during the post-match press conference, he would be caught by the Evening Post and be attacked for it. They would also make accusations about him which seemed possible but were actually wrong.

The readers also liked reading these sorts of articles. With the increase in the Nottingham Evening Post's sales, their scolding was taken to a whole new level.

Today was a Sunday, and Nottingham Forest's first team was headed to Wigan for a match. As such, Tang En did not need to go to City Ground Stadium to watch the match. Tang En, who was in a good mood, got out of bed early and made himself a simple breakfast. After that, he watched the morning news on the television while enjoying the wonderful morning. Ever since he knew that he would soon return to the manager's seat in the first team, his mood was so good that it was as if he were able to see sun daily during winter.

The television was rebroadcasting the sports news from the night before. The Nottingham Forest's local television station paid the most attention to Nottingham Forest and Derby County. As for Premier League or any other matches, even those were of a lower priority than these two teams.

Nottingham Forest had been the focal point of the press recently, and it was because of their terrible results as well as that incapable manager.

If Collymore did not come up with anything soon, and the team's results continued to spiral downward, then at the end of the season Nottingham Forest would have the ”honor” of becoming the first team that had won the UEFA Champions League, and yet have to struggle in the country's third tier football league.

Looking back at the past glory of this team, and then looking at their current horrible situation, it was really a heartbreaking sight. There were even some newspapers that were unable to hold themselves back from making headlines such as: Former European champion in dire straits, its future bleak and dark! They had already completely stopped believing in Nottingham Forest's ability to make a comeback in the remaining half a season.

The reporters from the TV station casually interviewed a few football fans on the streets, and asked for their opinion regarding Collymore as well as the team's prospects. Tang En watched them interview four people, and none of them said anything positive. Three of them accredited the team's terrible results to Collymore's low standards and lack of professional ethics. At the same time, there were also two people who felt that the club's board of directors should also take responsibility for the current disastrous state of the team.

”If they didn't fire Manager Tony Twain, perhaps we would already be in the top six position of the league!”

”You're wrong, idiot!” Tang En pointed his fork at that plump football fan on the screen and said, ”We would be first in the league!”

”If Brian Clough was still around, the situation would not have worsened to this current state,” A female football fan shook her head and said painfully to the camera. The male football fan standing beside her, obviously her husband, continued.

”I think that Tony Twain can do it as well. It's a pity that he's currently managing the youth team.”