111 Twain’s Return Part 1 (1/2)
Chapter 111: Twain’s Return Part 1
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The Ukrainian player Rebrov had been depressed for the past week. He frowned during training and back at the hotel. After seeing the new manager's way of handling things, he already gave up all hope regarding his future in the team. After this match, he was prepared ask his agent to help him find another team to transfer to.
The manager, Mr. Twain, spoke to many people on the team individually. From Wes Morgan, who had just been transferred over to the first team, to Michael Dawson and Andy Reid, who were about to leave the team. Only he had not been approached by Twain.
He was thinking he had already been abandoned by the manager.
The next day would be their match against Crystal Palace, and the team only did some simple drills on set piece play for 40 minutes before ending the training. Rebrov frowned again, as he left Wilford disappointedly.
Seeing the back view of Rebrov walking toward the parking lot with his head lowered, Tang En said to Walker, who was beside him, ”For the match tomorrow, I think we should still let the Ukrainian guy be the starting striker.”
”Of course. You chased Taylor to the reserve team, which leaves us with only three possible candidates to be at the front line. Wescarr's abilities are limited, which leaves us no choice but to put Johnson and the Ukrainian guy on the starting line up.
Hearing Walker say this, Tang En chuckled. The day before, Tang En and Walker specifically went to watch the reserve team's match. Taylor was part of the starting line up, and he managed to maintain his good performance throughout the match even after he scored a goal. However, he had no intentions of moving Taylor back to the first team. Tang En wanted Taylor to continue training with the reserve team. His headers were definitely crucial at times to score goals, with the team currently lacking in offensive power and a lack of strikers to be on the starting line up. Walker did not understand Tang En's plans, but he trusted that Tang En knew what he was doing.
On Saturday night, outside Nottingham Forest's home grounds. The team's consistently poor performance had also affected the seat occupancy of the stadium. In the matches before this, the average seat occupancy of City Ground Stadium was less than 20,000, with a large portion of the viewing platform still empty. Under such circumstances, the players were also unable to play well in the matches.
However, today was different. Under the dark starry sky, City Ground Stadium had already turned into a sea of red.
Reporters from Nottingham's local television stations were able the capture on camera the sight of fans rushing to the stadium from all directions, waiting for their turns to enter the stadium. The large crowd formed several long red snakes and waved unstoppably while singing the fans' songs loudly. There were even fans who were shouting ”Tony! Tony! Tony!” excitedly at the camera.
Even the businesses of the hawkers stationed outside the stadium, which sold various club merchandises, regained much patronage.
A reporter stood in front of the camera with a mike in his hand, while covering one side of his ears with the other hand. Trying his best to suppress the fans' shouting with his own voice, he said, ”Did you see this? City Ground Stadium has reawakened! I believe… believe that our Nottingham Forest will also awaken from its deep slumber!”
A BBC reporter, on the other hand, was on the other side of the snaking queues doing his news report for that night. ”Just changing the manager is enough to ignite the fans' passion! I believe Nottinghamians must have missed the sight that they have seen today! In the second half of the previous season, most of Nottingham Forest's home games were like this! The failed Collymore has already been forgotten by the people, as the fans welcome back the young manager, Tony Twain, who had led the team all the way into the playoff matches.”
Just as he was saying this, a plump person suddenly jumped in between him and his camera. He closed in on the camera and made a drunk belch, before taking in a deep breath and shouted with his eyes wide open, ”Nottingham Forest will definitely win! Long live Tony! At night… burp… buy me to a drink!”
Not waiting for the reporter to react in time, the plump man exited the camera amidst the loud laughter of his companions. The alert cameraman immediately shifted the camera toward him and his companions, videoing their back view.
A group of fans wearing Nottingham Forest's red jersey walked together, waving the scarves in their hands while singing loudly some song which they composed themselves.
”Oh oh oh! Generous Tony! Oh oh oh! He treats us to drinks, we love him! He brings us victory, we love him! Forest Forest! Tony Twain!”
While wiping off the sweat on his forehead, the reporter continued with his work. ”Erm… reality has proven to us that Manager Tony Twain is regarded very highly by the Forest fans.” He caught a glance of another group of drunk fans walking unsteadily behind the cameraman, before hastily ending his report, ”This is BBC news reporter, Larry Jackson, reporting from Nottingham's City Ground Stadium. Thank you for watching! Goodbye!”
Even shutting the door tightly had little effect of blocking out the loud singing voices coming from the viewing platform outside. Compared to such an excited group of Nottingham fans, the people inside the changing room were extremely calm. Of course, they only appeared so on the surface.
Assistant manager Des Walker was announcing the starting line up for the match, starting from the goalkeeper.
”Darren Ward, John Thompson, Davy Oyen, Michael Dawson, Wes Morgan, Brynjar Gunnarsson, Jacob Burns, Andy Reid, Gareth Williams, David Johnson, as well as…” He finally called the last person.
Rebrov sat on the chair with his head lowered, as if he held no hopes at all. Then, he heard Walker say, ”…Serhiy Rebrov. It will be these 11 people!”