175 Pressure Part 2 (1/2)
Chapter 175: Pressure Part 2
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
There was a Chinese idiom that made a lot of sense: strike a balance between work and rest. Now that he was under intense pressure, he should really take a break. Otherwise, the team might not collapse under the weight of it, but instead, it would be him who fell apart first – as soon as he thought that last moments at Portman Road stadium, the fear that his heart would give way lingered. If Eastwood had scored with that free kick, the Forest team would have to give up on their dream of striving for that second spot in the League Championship.
All right, I'll go to Burns' bar and relax. It'll be good to hang out with John and the others. I'll put aside my troubles about the promotion for the time being.
Tang En did not expect that the next night, he would not see Fat John and the rest at the Forest Bar, but another group of people. Tang En did not know this group of middle-aged men, who were the same age as Burns.
These men crowded around an older man in the middle. The older man, who was talking to others with a glass in his hand, was the focus of everyone present. He was the legendary manager of Nottingham Forest, Brian Clough.
Tang En did not expect to see the Chief here. He stared blankly at the entrance until Burns walked towards him.
”This is ...” The baffled Twain had just opened his mouth, before he was interrupted by Burns with a smile.
”This is a simple dinner to commemorate Nottingham Forest's 25th anniversary of winning the UEFA Champions League. Apart from you, everyone present here are those who participated in the UEFA Champions League final in 1979.” Kenny Burns brought Twain in, and Clough, who was standing in the middle of the room and talking, saw them.
He raised his glass to Twain, ”Look who's here. How does it feel to win a championship?”
His remark turned the other people's attention towards Twain, who had just entered. They all laughed, when they saw who had just walked in.
”Mr. Twain, you've been a news figure for the last two months!”
”Chief, I think you two are very alike!”
Clough did not express an opinion to such a remark, and Twain felt somewhat ill-at-ease. He did not know these men, except for Burns and Clough. But they seemed to be familiar with him. Burns got him out of a bind by handing him a glass of wine.
He took the glass and thanked Burns. Then, he answered Clough's first question, ”It feels great, Chief.”
When he said this, the others laughed again. Then, the discussion turned to the interesting incident before the EFL Cup final: ”I could hardly believe my own eyes when I watched the entire Forest team walking down past the bus on the TV.”
”Me too, Peter. The appearance of Mr. Tony Twain was impressive!”
”Haha!”
Tang En knew they were talking about his outfit. When he had watched the replay later, he thought he looked funny at that time, and he did not go through that again.
”Even though you looked like a clown, ... it was effective, wasn't it?” Clough sipped his drink, and then looked at Twain and said.
Twain nodded. Even though the people standing in front of him had held the UEFA Champions League trophy in their hands, as an EFL Cup winner, Twain also had the confidence of talking to them as an equal. ”The team was not doing very well at the time,and I could only use that approach to help them build up their confidence. I also thought I looked comical, when I looked at myself later. But, since we finally won the championship, it was no big deal playing the clown.”
The topic seemed to be developing in the direction of communication between the two men. Upon sensing this, the others tactfully drifted off, one after another, to chat freely with each other, glasses in their hands. Now, only the two men, Clough and Twain, were left in front of the table in the middle of the room. Clough made a ”sit down” gesture, and the two men sat down, face-to-face.
”To be able to see the Forest team's red jerseys again in the EFL Cup final, that feels really good,” the older man said slowly. ”Do you know when we were last in the EFL Cup final?”
”Twelve years ago, Chief,” Twain replied without hesitation.
Clough slowly nodded, ”Even Wembley Stadium has been rebuilt, so it really has been a long time.” He turned his gaze towards the bar entrance, recalling his years as the Forest manager.
Twelve years ago, in 1992, the last season before the establishment of the English Premier League, Brian Clough's last year as the manager of Nottingham Forest, the Forest team advanced to the 91-92 season EFL Cup finals. That was the final twilight of the once popular Nottingham Forest. They lost to Manchester United, and that saved Manager Alex Ferguson, who was in the midst of a crisis of confidence. And the Scot's achievements later made Manchester United his dynasty, and he was then awarded a knighthood by the Queen of England. And, as for Brian Clough, he and his legendary Forest slowly faded from history.
The Chief was two years younger than Bobby Robson, who was still in charge of Newcastle, and he was only seven years older than Ferguson. At this age, he could still absolutely command a game from the technical area, instead of sitting at home, drinking all day, and then being forced to undergo a liver transplant.