Chapter 910: Volume 7: The Heart of the Lion King: The Days of Leaving Twain

Since the end of the World Cup, Kenny Burns' Forest Bar has not been as lively as it is today for a long time.

Since the door opened at 11:00 noon, people have been pushing the door in, ordering a glass of beer, and then getting together to discuss something.

When Skinny Bill showed up in the bar, the muttering turned into a loud argument. The originally united fans split into two factions at this time, and no one was willing to make concessions in front of the other. Except for not throwing cups and swearing, the atmosphere was not friendly.

Burns continued to wipe the cup in his hand that he could not wipe clean in his life, and he didn't intend to stop it.

When John pushed the door open, the arguing in the room died away temporarily after seeing him.

John stood at the door and looked around the house. The fans in the bar stood on both sides clearly, with fewer people on the left and more people on the right. Everyone was full of anger, and the redness on their faces was fully exposed under the influence of alcohol.

"Bill, what are you doing?" John grasped the main contradiction at once. He stared at Bill, who sat on the right.

"It's nothing, I'm discussing how to 'welcome' Tony in tomorrow's game." Bill swung the whiskey in his glass and responded casually.

"You still can't let go? Tony has Tony's freedom..."

Fatty's words had just begun when Bill interrupted him roughly. He stood up abruptly, stared at John, and said with red eyes: "Freedom! Do you think he is still an ordinary head coach? That's right, we don't care how many ordinary head coaches go, because they are important to us. Worthless! But Tony Twain is different! He spent eleven years proving that he only belongs to Nottingham Forest! Nottingham Forest without him is not the Nottingham Forest we like, and he without Nottingham Forest... is not our favorite either Tony!"

John waited for him to finish yelling, and still said calmly: "You said you like Tony, but do you understand him? He is unhappy at work, at least he has the right to choose to leave, right?"

"Aha, he didn't like what he did, and he has the right to choose to leave. So we also have the right to choose to hate him!" Bill changed his tone and said sarcastically. "He patted his ass and left, what if we left us? And those players who followed him wholeheartedly, those fans who trusted him so much, supported him and called him the king, did he think about the feelings of these people when he left? ? Did he understand them? We saw him as someone who could take Nottingham Forest to the top and he treated our expectations like that?"

John thought Bill had gone mad. There was no way to communicate with Bill like this. He shook his head, ignored the hysterical Bill, walked straight to the left and sat down, then raised his hand and asked Burns for a glass of wine.

The wine was delivered by Burns himself, but John stared at the glass in a daze: "Disposable paper cup?"

Burns gave him a smile: "In this way, I won't worry that people will be killed when you fight in a while."

When John heard this, he suddenly felt very bad. What a good buddy he and those people on the opposite side used to be, watching the game together, running around following the glorious footsteps of Nottingham Forest, coming back here to have a congratulatory drink when they win the game, and coming back here to drink and scold their mothers after losing the game. Whatever happened, they had never been more infighting than they were today, not even when Michael was gone.

Unexpectedly, after Tony Twain left, they split up. That person is really a devil, he is gone, and the influence left behind can turn former friends into enemies. Tony, Tony, how do I say hello? What was going through your mind when you decided to leave Nottingham Forest? Also, can you imagine what kind of treatment you will encounter in tomorrow's game?

John was not in the mood to sit here and drink anymore. He stood up, watched Bill shook his head, and walked out alone.

Those sitting on the left also left one after another after John left, and soon Bill was the only one left in the bar. They got together and continued to discuss how to "welcome" their old friends tomorrow.

Burns continued to wipe his glass, as if oblivious to what was in front of him. His eyes have passed through the gate and drifted into the distance. He also didn't know why Tony Twain chose to leave. But he knew that Tang En was not the kind of person Bill said, and an ungrateful person would not visit Gavin at least twice a year.

Some people are used to wrapping themselves in a thick shell, and they don't want others to easily understand his inner world. Tony Twain should be such a person.

※ ※ ※

The scene that took place in the Forest pub the day before the game was repeated in other parts of the city of Nottingham. The city was originally divided between two teams, Notts County and Nottingham Forest, but now it is divided into three - Nottingham Forest fans are caught in infighting.

Tomorrow's game, Tony Twain will bring England back to Nottingham, how should we treat him then? Thank and welcome him from the heart, or greet him with boos, name-calling and the middle finger?

They couldn't forget the many trophies and joy brought to them by "His Majesty the King", but they also couldn't forget the shock to their hearts when Tang En broke up with the forest team. Mixed with shock, disappointment, sadness and anger, their lives are turned into a mess. Don't think that football is not so powerful. In this country and in this city, football has such energy.

The Nottingham Evening Post used such a headline in the newspaper published on this day:

King or Judas?

It vividly illustrates the conflicted mood of the Forest fans.

※ ※ ※

"I will definitely hug the boss before the game." Pepe announced his decision in the locker room, which attracted everyone's attention.

There are people in the locker room who have good feelings for Tang En, such as Pepe. To this day, I still remember the kindness of my boss. There are also people who disdain Tony Twain, such as those new players who have just joined the team. They have never experienced Twain's era at all, and they cannot understand why a person like Pepe would go crazy with a resigned head coach.

The Brazilian central defender Thiago Silva who just joined the team is such a representative. He came to the forest team to replace Kompany, and he is naturally very excited to join a team that has just won the Triple Crown. He is eager to flex his muscles here, and he doesn't care what happened to the Forest team before. He also can't understand that there are always people in the locker room discussing a coach who has left.

"Pepe, aren't you afraid of the embarrassment of your superiors?" Bell pointed to the ceiling.

"They don't care that much." Pepe looked contemptuous. He was the first player in the team to clearly express his dislike for high-level officials. Anyway, if you really want to offend the chairman of the club, at worst, you can leave by yourself. The boss is not here anymore, so what's the point of staying?

Some players envy Pepe's daring to love, hate, and act. There are also people who dismiss this and don't take it seriously, thinking that Pepe is just talking with his mouth, and anyone can talk.

The locker room, which was originally united like a monolith, quietly cracked like this.

Bell looked at Pepe, then turned to look at Wood, "George..."

Wood looked at him without answering.

"You, uh... will you hug the boss too?" In the team, everyone knew how good Wood and Tang En's relationship was. If Tang En was Wood's father, no one would disagree.

But today Wood did not give an answer that fits this relationship. He shook his head: "I'm not that nasty."

Bell felt Wood's indifference, and he stopped talking. Since the boss left, the atmosphere in the locker room has changed, and it has become very uncomfortable for him. Playing at Nottingham Forest used to be a pleasure, but now it has gradually become a torture. For those few players who had the best relationship with Twain, this feeling was particularly obvious.

He was busy with his own affairs in silence. The other players gathered together in small groups and whispered, probably related to tomorrow's game.

Bell was no longer interested in their discussions. If there is anything to discuss, we will know everything by tomorrow.

※ ※ ※

Evan and Allen were in the spacious office of the club chairman, looking at each other without speaking.

This silence lasted for a while before Evan changed his posture and leaned back on the back of the chair. The creaking sound of the leather chair back broke the silence in the room.

"What a coincidence." Allen laughed. "When the game was booked, he didn't think he would be England manager."

"Isn't this good? As far as I know, many people in Nottingham are very dissatisfied with his sudden departure. This game may be a way for them to vent their dissatisfaction."

"You enjoyed watching this scene?" Allen asked.

Evan spread his hands: "It's better than letting those people protest and march in front of our house all day long, right?" When he suddenly took the initiative to hold a press conference, that was what he wanted to do - to implicitly shift the main responsibility to Tang En. Now it seems that his goal has basically been achieved. Although there were still voices against the club, they were insignificant compared to those who disliked Tang En.

It can be said that Tony Twain's character and consistent image in the media helped Evan Dalgetty. If it weren't for his bad temper and rotten image, the public might not be so easy to point their finger at Tang En.

If Tang En always appeared in front of people as a good gentleman, with a gentle and low-key personality, and didn't make so many enemies, how could he have fallen into such a situation? It is true that character determines destiny.

Allen stood up and said goodbye: "Tomorrow's game... is full of expectations. We made a profit. It was just an ordinary friendly match, but because of Tony, everything is different. The outside has been blocked by reporters. , be careful of them when you go out later."

Evan smiled. "Great free advertising. We should all thank Tony."

Allen didn't answer, turned and walked out.

※ ※ ※

Since Twain became England's head coach, the happiest people were not those diehard Twain fans, but Mr. Carl Spike.

He seemed to have regained his focus in life, and greeted everyone with a smile on the TV. Those who were familiar with him shook their heads behind their backs. Living for Tony Twain, I really don't know how Spike would feel if he knew this.

After the World Cup, football programming fell into a downturn. Originally, the match between England and Nottingham Forest was not an important match. Nottingham Forest would use it to test their new lineup, and England would definitely not send their main players. Such a match was of little value. But it's different now, because Tony Twain has become England's head coach.

The subject of this topic is the news maker, where the news happens wherever he goes. Carl Spike no longer has to worry about what to say on the show. Looking at the previous episodes of his shows now, it really makes him stuff his head in his crotch—dry and tasteless, his most proud witticisms are gone, and his eyes wander when he speaks, as if he doesn’t even care about himself I know what that mouth is wriggling up and down. Without Tang En, he didn't even know what to say.

Now there is no need to worry about these things anymore, whether it is scolding or sarcasm, there is always a target tree in front of him.

He walked briskly into his own independent office, closed the door with a slight kick of his feet, and then turned around in a chic manner, as if he was dancing. Walking in circles to the desk, picked up a dart on the desk, and threw it towards the office door.

With a "poof", the dart plunged into the dart board. That dart board was very special because it had a picture of Tony Twain grinning wide.

The dart just stuck on Tang En's teeth, which looked a little funny.

Spike also smiled like Tang En in the photo: "Long time no see, Mr. Tang En. The England team is more difficult to lead than Nottingham Forest."

Tang En in the photo was still grinning, holding a dart in his mouth, and didn't answer him.

※ ※ ※

"Tomorrow's game is attracting much attention, and the reason is very simple - Tony Twain is back again. This time he returns to Nottingham as a guest." The BBC reporter said to the camera with a microphone in hand. In the background behind him is a huge red monster - the Crimson Stadium.

Although there is still one day left before the game, the car park outside the new Nottingham Forest home court, the Crimson Stadium, is already full of OB vans. Many media gathered here to report on Tang En's "going home" as soon as possible. information.

The reaction of the fans, the reaction of the Nottingham Forest players...these are what the reporters are desperate to know.

Tickets for this game were sold a week in advance, and 50,000 of the 60,000 tickets were sold three days before. If it were placed in a big city like Manchester, Liverpool or London, it is estimated that 60,000 tickets would have been sold out long ago.

"The fans are very enthusiastic." The reporter went to the fans who lined up to buy tickets, planning to do a street interview.

A skinny man appeared on TV, yelling excitedly into a reporter's outstretched microphone: "We're going to have a very, very, very warm welcome for Tony! This game will be one he'll never forget! Aha!"

The reporter reappeared in the TV cameras. He smiled and said, "It seems that Tony Twain's influence is still great, and these fans still miss him. Tomorrow's game must be very exciting!"

※ ※ ※

After the training, the players walked out of the training ground one after another, preparing to change clothes and go home. The reporters who had been waiting for a long time swarmed up and surrounded them, and they must be allowed to talk about tomorrow's game.

"This is just an ordinary friendly match." Captain George Wood coldly pushed away the reporters in front of him and squeezed out.

The reporters shrugged and took aim at the other players. Basically, they can't get what they need from Wood's mouth.

"I'm looking forward to the reunion with the boss!" Pepe said what the reporters wanted. Especially the title, there is too much to do about this matter. How would Martin O'Neill react if he heard this?

"It's kind of weird... I never thought I could be a match against him before." The man who said this was Gareth Bale, who was a little more stable, "But it must be a very interesting experience. .” What he said was nonsense, and what he said was equivalent to nothing.

Most of the other players are ambivalence and are unwilling to talk more about tomorrow's game. After a few words, he left in a hurry. He even seemed absent-minded when signing autographs for fans.

When Martin O'Neill came down from the training ground, the players were almost gone, and there were some reporters around, waiting for him.

"I have nothing to talk about." O'Neill knew what they were going to ask, and raised his hands in advance to signal. "I understand why you media are so interested, but to me, this is an ordinary friendly match. I don't care how you hype it, as long as you don't affect my players."

But the reporter didn't want to let him go. "Hey, Martin. Doing it here, is your ex a big influence on you?"

O'Neill pursed his lips and did not answer. In fact, he had to thank Tang En for not mentioning Nottingham Forest much, otherwise the pressure would have been even greater. Even so, the pervasive influence of the former head coach troubled him a lot. I must have been dizzy when I agreed to take over the team, and I ignored the influence of Tony Twain.

"Just one question, Mr. O'Neill. Can you comment on Tony Twain?"

O'Neill pretended not to hear.

The reporter persisted and continued to ask, "Is there any conflict between you?"

O'Neill didn't dare to pretend he didn't hear this question. If the reporters interpreted it maliciously, his silence would really become "Martin O'Neill is dissatisfied with Tony Twain", and such news would throw him away. to the limelight. He was not Tang En, he didn't like being a news figure who was overly concerned by the media.

"No." He stopped and smiled, "I have always had a good relationship with Tony. He is an excellent head coach, as you can see from the many championships he has won. As the new manager of Nottingham Forest Coach, I hope to continue this glorious tradition."

He was forced to answer the first question anyway, and put himself in a low profile.

After saying this, he quickly walked out of the reporter's encirclement, no longer ignoring the yelling of those reporters behind him, and walked away.

Pierce Bruce was also among the reporters pestering O'Neill. Seeing O'Neill running away quickly, he thought of Tony Twain in his heart.

From the beginning to the end, Tang En didn't show up and say a word about this game, but it made so many people go crazy. At the same time, is that person hiding in the shadows and watching this play and giggling? He must be very proud, right? He has gone all the way, and he has such a terrifying influence that countless people are willing to go crazy for him.

This man is truly a demagogue.