196 The Disruption of Tony Twain Part 1 (1/2)

Chapter 196: The Disruption of Tony Twain Part 1

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

Tony Twain and Dunn, who had bought Piqué, soon left Spain.

The English Premier League would start earlier than the championships in other countries, and would be in full combat in the middle of August. For that reason, the Premier League teams' preparation time was earlier than those of any other country.

Now, for Tang En, there was a problem that needed to be addressed: his partner's coaching certificate.

Tony Twain had a FA Level 4 (UEFA A) coaching certificate; of course, the examination was passed previously and had nothing to do with Tang En, who transmigrated. Even though Dunn was the original Tony Twain, his current identity as a Chinese man did not even have a FA Level 1 coaching certificate.

Strictly speaking, without a coaching certificate, the English Football Association would not permit him be a coach for a Premier League team. But if this was the case in a lower-level league, the Football Association would turn away and pretend that they had not known about it. This was a tradition of English football. Since retired players could put on white gloves and become a team doctor, why couldn't the retired players put on a suit and become a coach?

For almost all the English football clubs, letting a retired player who had played for the club for years become a coach was the best reward for his loyalty. And loyalty was what they valued most.

Dunn was not a retired player in the Forest team, but he could be an assistant manager. Nottingham Forest could get into trouble with the English Football Association and if anyone had any objections, it would not be because Dunn did not have a coaching certificate, but rather because he was too young, and because he was not an Englishman.

Tang En and Dunn had no way to solve these two points. They could not change Dunn's nationality or age. The only thing they could do was to have Dunn obtain a coaching certificate, and to make the appointment of the new assistant manager more convincing. How did they expect anyone to trust a young assistant manager who was a foreigner and did not even have a coaching certificate?

Tang En had specifically asked Dunn before making any arrangements, and Dunn had no objections with re-taking the test for the coaching certificate, since he was quite certain he could pass.

So, Tang En left Dunn in Nottingham and flew off on another trip.

This time, he went to Denmark to bolster the team's frontline.

The only Forest players left from last season who could play at the frontline were Freddy Eastwood and Peter Crouch. Two strikers were too few for a team that needed multiple attacking avenues.

Tang En's transfer strategy for this summer was primarily to get a hold of the future star of hope. Whether he would become a future leading Forest player, or be sold for money, it was all worthwhile. Just like Piqué.

He went to Denmark this time for a young forward who was still relatively unknown at the time: Nicklas Bendtner.

He was a 6 foot, 3 inches tall center forward, but his footwork was better than most other center forwards. He was fast, excellent at headers, and had a strong physique and outstanding techniques. These were his strengths, but his greatest strength was his youth.

In the first half of 2004, he played three times and scored three goals, representing the Denmark national team for under-16 games.

In Tang En's memory, he was snatched up by Arsenal this summer, and since then he would be training in the Arsenal youth team and reserves. Later on, in the 06-07 season, he would be on loan to Birmingham City and was the biggest contributor to Birmingham City's promotion to the English Premier League.

It was the summer of 2004 now, and if Tang En did not act, Bendtner would be taken by Wenger. Although Tang En did not have a bad impression of the Arsenal manager, Wenger, he would have to be ruthless and relentless when it came to matters regarding the team's performance. Taking the non-stop flight to Denmark's capital, Copenhagen, he used the same approach as he did with Piqué, and contacted Bendtner and his agent himself, which led to another negotiation.

The negotiations with Bendtner were more difficult than Piqué's had been.

A position in the First Team, a younger lineup, an English Premier League team, and the UEFA Europa League qualification were the four key conditions that Twain used to attract players to join the Forest team. They were very tempting, but Bendtner had some hesitation.

Wenger and Arsenal were extremely famous. Unlike Piqué, who grew up in a wealthy, big-name football club, Bendtner did not know that the big clubs were crowded with many talented players, just like him. Going to Arsenal could satisfy his ego. After all, it was a wealthy, English Premier League club, and who had ever heard of Nottingham Forest?

Twain could only repeatedly state his analysis that if Bendtner went to the big clubs, he would only play in the Second Team as a reserve and then experience the pain of only being able to play in matches through being on loan. Whereas in a small team, there was the benefit of playing often for the First Team as a regular player. Furthermore, the Forest team would be able to join the UEFA Europa League this season, and it was the winner of the EFL Cup last season. Its reputation was not so bad.

But the notion of a big club was too deep-rooted. For a younger player who played in Denmark, the call of a European powerhouse was too irresistible. Arsène Wenger thathad promised him that the future of Arsenal would belong to him. Even though Bendtner knew he would not be able to play in a First Team game now if he went to Arsenal, it was a glorious thing to be the main striker for the Gunners in the future.