Chapter 186: Volume 2: Nottingham's Skies, Pressure (Part 2)

There is a Chinese idiom that makes sense: combine work with rest. Now that he is under a lot of pressure, he really should take a rest, otherwise, maybe the team is not crushed, but he is the one who collapsed. When he thinks of the last minute at Portman Road Stadium, he has the lingering fear of heart arrest. If Eastwood hadn't scored that free kick, the Forest team could have given up their dream of winning second place in the league.

Well, it's good to go to Burns' bar to relax and chat with John and others. Put aside the troubles of upgrading for the time being.

Tang En didn't expect that the next night, he didn't see Fat John and the others in the Forest Bar, but another group of people.

Dunn almost didn't know a group of middle-aged men who were about the same age as Burns. These people surrounded an old man among the crowd. The old man who was holding a wine glass and speaking to others was the focus of the audience. He is the legendary coach of Nottingham Forest - Brian Clough.

Tang En didn't expect to meet the boss here, he was stunned at the door. Until Burns came up to him.

"This is..." Tang En, who was puzzled, just opened his mouth when he was interrupted by Burns with a smile.

"A simple dinner to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Nottingham Forest winning the European Champions Cup. Apart from you, everyone here is the one who participated in the final of the European Champions Cup in 1979." Kenny Burns led Tang En in and stood Clough, speaking in the middle of the room, saw them.

He raised the wine glass in his hand to Tang En: "Look who's here? How does it feel to win a championship?"

These words turned everyone's attention to Tang En who had just entered the door, and they all laughed after seeing who was coming.

"Mr. Tang En, you have been a news person in the past two months!"

"Boss, I think you two look alike!"

Clough was noncommittal to such words, while Dunn was a little embarrassed. He didn't know any of these people except Burns and Clough, but they seemed to know him very well. The wine glass offered by Burns rounded him off.

He took the glass and thanked Burns. Then answer Clough's original question: "It feels great, boss."

When he said that, the others laughed again, and then discussed the funny incident before the Carabao Cup final: "When I watched the Forest team get off the bus in front of the TV, I couldn't believe it. Own eyes!"

"Me too, Peter. Mr. Tony Twain's appearance is impressive!"

"Ha ha!"

Tang En knew that they were talking about his outfit, and when he watched the replay later, he also felt that he looked funny at that time. He didn't want to do this kind of thing again...

"Even though you look like a clown,...it works, doesn't it?" Clough took a sip of his wine, then looked at Dunn and said.

Tang En nodded. Although the people standing in front of him were all those who had won the European Champions Cup with their own hands, Tang En, who won the League Cup, also had the confidence to talk to them on an equal footing. "The team wasn't doing well at the time, and that was the only way I could help build their confidence. I looked funny myself afterward, but... as long as we win the championship, the clowns are no big deal at all."

The topic seemed to be developing in the direction of communication between the two. Seeing this, the other people left in a hurry and chatted with each other casually with wine glasses in their hands.

Only Clough and Dunn were left at the table in the middle of the room. Clough made a "sit down" gesture, and the two sat down facing each other.

"It feels good to see Forest's red jersey again in the League Cup final." The old man said slowly, "Do you know when we reached the League Cup final last time?"

"Twelve years ago, boss." Dunn replied without thinking.

Clough nodded slowly: "Wembley has been rebuilt, it's been a long time..." He turned his gaze to the door of the bar, as if recalling the years when he was still the coach of the Forest team.

Twelve years ago, in 1992, the last season before the establishment of the Premier League, Brian Clough was the last year of Nottingham Forest's head coach, and the Forest team reached the final of the League Cup in the 91-92 season. That was the last afterglow of the once smashing Nottingham Forest. They lost to Manchester United and saved coach Alex Ferguson, who was in a crisis of confidence. The Scot later achieved his own Manchester United dynasty and was awarded a knighthood by the Queen of England. But Brian Clough and his legendary forest slowly withdrew from the stage of history.

The boss is two years younger than Bobby Robson, who is still coaching at Newcastle, and only seven years older than Ferguson. At this age, he can continue to direct the game on the coaching bench instead of sitting at home drinking all day long Then he was forced to undergo a liver transplant.

If the Forest team hadn't lost to Manchester United, what would have happened? Will the Forest team take this opportunity to regain their glory? Will Ferguson leave get out of class sadly? Beckham, Giggs, Scholes... What will be the fate of Manchester United's 92 generation?

It's pointless to think about it now.

Tang En, who came back to his senses, found that Clough was looking at him.

"I heard from Burns that you have been under a lot of pressure recently."

"Well... yes, boss. Last round of the league, at the last moment, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack."

Clough grinned: "It's not that easy to be a head coach, kid. I've been the head coach of the Forest team for 18 years. What kind of things haven't I experienced? Unbeaten in 42 rounds , entered the final of the Champions Cup for three consecutive years, but I..." He pointed at those chattering people. "Never let them know what's on my mind, especially bad ones. Remember the first time we met, boy."

Tang En nodded, and Burns, Walker, and Bowyer took him to Derbyshire. The time for afternoon tea at the old man's house seemed like yesterday.

"What did you ask me then?"

This kind of dialogue made Tang En feel as if he often talked with his players, but the role was changed. He was not the head coach, but a player under Brian Clough. He thought for a while, and then replied: "You asked me what I think a head coach does."

"How did you answer?"

"Leading the team to victory..."

Clough took a sip of wine, and then continued as Tang En remembered: "Wrong, boy, that's just part of the job. Now I think you understand the meaning of this sentence, right?"

Tang En nodded: "I already understand, boss."

"It's wrong again. How long have you been sitting in this position? Your ass is not even hot, so let's just say it's clear. What do you understand?"

Faced with such a rhetorical question, Tang En didn't even know how to answer it.

"You still have a long way to go, kid..." Clough stood up slowly and looked down at Tang En. Then he chatted with his old subordinates with a glass of wine.

Then the dinner returned to the theme of this year's event. Everyone talked about the glory of the Forest team and talked endlessly. Tang En sat next to him and became an audience without saying a word. At the same time, he fantasizes in his heart - one day, can he sit here with his former subordinates and recall the years of European kingship? How many years will it be?

The dinner was simple, private and closed to the media, without even notifying them. At ten o'clock in the evening, it was over. At the door of the bar, everyone is busy saying goodbye.

At this time, Tang En became the busiest person again. Everyone will come here to say goodbye to him, and then say a word or two of encouragement to him. After all, everyone has played for the forest team, so there is still some affection. Finally it was Brian Clough's turn. He sat in the car, opened the window, and looked at Dunn. Knowing that he had something to say, Tang En quickly leaned over and stood outside the car window.

The old man looked at Dunn, turned his head and thought for a while, then shrugged: "I almost forgot one thing...Congratulations, kid." Then he rolled up the window again and knocked on the back of the driver's seat.

The white Ford car drove away from Tang En slowly, and everyone else also drove to say goodbye. The entrance of the bar, which was still lively just now, suddenly became deserted. Tang En stood by the side of the road, and Burns walked over to him and said, "Aren't you used to it? Listening to us discuss the past?"

Tang En looked back at the kind-hearted him, "Fortunately... I used to encounter such things often." He was referring to himself in China. When attending a class reunion, everyone was happily talking about their recent experiences, but he seemed like an outsider, not interested in those topics.

"Well, actually... the boss asked me to call you. Originally, we only invited teammates who played in the Champions League final in 1979. Before you came, he talked about the League Cup final when he was chatting with me, He said that your tactics in that game reminded him of Forest's first Champions League win - we won it also by relying on airtight defense. Oh, one more thing, although the boss I didn't say it, but I think...if this season is over and the Forest team really returns to the Super League, he will be very happy." Burns looked at the night sky in the distance.

Tang En smiled: "Thank you, Kenny."

"Don't thank me, thank you boss. We old guys have seen the lost years in your Forest team, so everyone has high hopes for you... How? Now I say this, your heart Is the pressure even greater?" Burns laughed.

"Kenny, if I don't make it, I'll come to you and drink all your wine."

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