Grave News
Grave News
After the game, the English media were touting the achievements of Twain's team. Many English fans cheered. England had finally produced a good manager after so many years, so they did not have to envy Scotland anymore.
Twain very much wanted to laugh on the inside when he read such reports. He himself was a real Chinese man through and through. In the end, the English still couldn't lift their heads high in front of the Scots in terms of coaching.
After the match against Argentina was over, Twain continued to prepare for the UEFA European Championship. He and his assistants were gathering information on their opponents in the group stage of the UEFA European Championship, as well as information on the teams which could potentially become their opponents. The work in this area had been slow going. His coaching staff was not as good as the one at the Forest. This wasn't to say that their level wasn't up to standard, but it was an indication that they were not used to doing this kind of work.
In addition, the information on the national teams was not as easy to collect as the football clubs, especially intelligence on the Eastern European national teams. After the expansion of the UEFA European Championship, there were eight more teams in the competition, and many more countries that hadn't been in the top-flight tournaments in the past. They were mysterious to an island country team like England. But the presence of such teams in the UEFA European Championship finals could also increase the potential for upsets, making the game more suspenseful.
"We can't dismiss them because they're unfamiliar and weaker. We have to know the tactics and styles they're good at, their past results, which players can pose threats in the team ... I can't feel reassured without getting these details clear." Twain explained to the coaching staff why he valued intelligence research on the weak teams so much. "You can't guarantee that they won't advance from their group and show up in front of us. If we don't know anything about them, we'll be the ones in trouble. I don't want to see that happen."
For all football fans, the opening of a major tournament like the UEFA European Championship was always something that they looked forward to. With great anticipation, they began to think about how to plan their time based on the schedule of the UEFA European Championship, so as not to miss any wonderful game. They would be able to discuss enthusiastically with friends which star players would be amazing in the UEFA European Championship and which star players would win success and recognition. In an apprehensive state, they expected the team they supported to be able to lift the championship trophy, beat all their strong enemies, and crush their bodies under their feet.
They would buy cartons of beer, coffee, and snacks in advance. They would put together all their annual leave they had saved for this period and appease their wives, girlfriends, and children so that for the next month, they could just let football be their companion.
How happy it was to be a football fan...
As a manager, there was no such romance at all in this period. They did indeed need to appease their wives and children or girlfriends, and they could only let football be their companion. When they were busy till they were dizzy, home was just a symbol for them.
Shania had returned to their home in England to spend time with her husband, but Twain didn't have much time to go home. He had to stay with his coaches and study the opponents with them. At the same time, he had to keep a close eye on the national footballers' condition. If someone was injured, there would be a specific person to call at the football club to inquire about the player's injury and decide if he needed to call in the substitutes. Just after the game against Argentina, Twain also called several big clubs in hopes that they would give full consideration to the importance of the UEFA European Championship to England. With the country as a priority, he hoped that they would minimize the appearance time of the England national footballers in the games. First, it could help avoid the possibility of injuries. Second, Twain didn't want to end up with a group of exhausted national footballers.
As the manager, Twain had to appear in public regularly. He would be surrounded and watched by the media wherever he went, as if they'd seen a talking gorilla.
He also had to answer idiotic questions a lot. Such as, would a certain player be called up to the national team? Was there a contradiction between a certain player and another player? What did you think about a certain club chairman who was upset that a certain player wasn't called up to the national team? A certain gentleman thought that his team had played too many games this season and complained that his players were injured in the national team, but the club was expected to be responsible to pay for the treatment. Furthermore, the national team did not pay a salary to the club. What are your thoughts on this statement? This is the strongest national team in history. Do you have confidence that you'll win the championship?
Twain was in a terrible mood during this time and had a bad temper. He couldn't help waging a war of words almost every time he encountered the reporters. The media were happy to publish such news. Harassing Twain seemed to have become a common method for the media across England to attract attention. The chief executive of the English Football Association, Shaun Harvey, had been having headaches recently, which were caused by being tormented by Twain and the media.
You bastards, can't you stop for a moment?!
Mr. Harvey groaned weakly, deep down.
※※※
On April 16th, in the 34th round of the English Premier League tournament, Nottingham Forest took on Newcastle United, which was fighting to avoid relegation, in an away game. The match would affect the fate of the two teams in the next season, with the Forest team needing to qualify for the Champions League so that they could make more money. They currently ranked sixth in the league table and were six points away from the fourth-placed Liverpool. They needed to scramble for points in the next five rounds of the league tournament to avoid playing in the UEFA Europa League. Newcastle United, on the other hand, needed to stay in the Premier League and avoid relegation. They were currently on the brink of the relegation zone and could fall off at any time.
It was a life-and-death game, so the competition was fierce from the beginning. The two sides constantly had physical contact, made rough gestures, and spouted lots of foul language.
As the core of the team, George Wood naturally became the focus of his opponent's attention. The Forest team needed to control the rhythm through Wood, in terms of both offense and defense. He was the team's "metronome."
Now, he could not pass the ball straight out after he received it and then hand the attack to his partner as he had in the past. He now needed to control the ball and then observe the situation on the pitch before he could decide how to attack. That way, the football stayed at his feet for a long time, giving the opponent opportunities to take advantage.
Wood was knocked down six times in the first half. Even if his body was strong and sturdy, he could not stop his opponent's defensive moves just by being built like a log…. his red jersey had even changed color. Kerslake yelled on the sidelines. As soon as Newcastle United fouled against Wood, he would roar at the fourth official. It was like he was possessed by the spirit of Tony Twain.
But such a rant was of no use because his players were treating the Newcastle United players in just the same way.
The fourth official knew exactly what the game meant to both teams, so he could not interfere too much. He would keep one eye open and one eye closed as long as there was no accident.
Things did not improve in the second half. It was getting even combative. The players of both teams did not make scoring a goal their priority; instead, they focused on which opposing player to knock down.
Wood was annoyed that his opponent's constant fouls kept him out of the game. He had to focus all his energy on dealing with the offending players.
However, he had not hit anyone so far, which was considered a huge improvement. His temper was finally less fiery since he'd hit thirty years old...
In the 73rd minute, George Wood was knocked to the ground by his opponent once again. This time instead of getting up as quickly as he had done in the previous eleven times, he laid on the ground and did not move.
Kerslake was still loudly denouncing his opponent's despicable behavior when the look on his assistant's face told him that something was wrong.
Wood did not roll on the ground in pain, nor did he raise his hand weakly to signal to be replaced. He laid so quietly on the ground that it seemed as if he were asleep.
His nearest teammate was Gago, who rushed up to see what was going on, but was taken aback by Wood's expression.
The team captain, known for his strength, was lying on the ground. His hands were pressing the tip of his right foot. His face was pale, and his brows knitted together as his face sweated profusely.
But he gritted his teeth and did not say a word.
"George!" Gago called him.
Wood did not answer him.
Gago knew there was trouble. He hurriedly got up and made a hand gesture toward the sidelines to signal for a stretcher and a substitute.
"That looks bad..." Eastwood muttered after he saw Gago's gesture. Fleming had already dashed over along with the stretcher.
Kerslake stopped yelling at the fourth official. That was pointless now because Wood was already injured...
Fleming rushed to Wood's side and did a quick scan. Then he took off his right shoe and began to check his foot.
When Kerslake saw Fleming go up, he quickly turned around and gestured for a change of player. He had a sudden realization--George Wood had never been injured before, and was never brought off by an injury...
A bad thought emerged in his mind.
George Wood was eventually replaced by John Bostock. He had to be carried off on a stretcher, which was probably the first time he had been treated like that. He was a little dumbstruck lying on a stretcher. He was no stranger to the scene of a player getting injured and being carried off the pitch. But it was the first time this had happened to him. He was unable to accept it.
The media had always thought he was a steel warrior. He himself had thought so too, but he did not expect the steel warrior to rust in his thirties...
The television commentator also didn't know what to say in the face of such a scene. He was silent for a long while before he opened his mouth because he felt that it would not do if he did not say something. He said, "... George, George Wood has left the game with an injury and it looks like he won't be able to play in this game. ... It's an unexpected development. George Wood, who's never been injured, is actually hurt... Let's take a look at what happened just now..."
Newcastle United's Spanish left-back, José Enrique, had rushed up from the side and shoveled Wood to the ground. It did not look like the collision was powerful, but after tackling the ball, Enrique naturally turned his body, and Wood's right foot was caught between Enrique's legs. With his right leg scissored in between Enrique's legs, the supporting leg bore all the force of it. If he hadn't been injured by that, then Wood should have been dragged to the laboratory for an autopsy.
As "Saint George," the patron saint of the England team, left the field with an injury, the Newcastle United fans stopped cheering and booing. Enrique desperately tried to explain to the referee and the Forest players who had swarmed to him, "I didn't mean it, I didn't mean it..."
Was it useful to explain at this point?
The referee gave Enrique a red card!
Kerslake stared at the fourth official and said, "If you had intervened earlier, then this wouldn't have happened! Now we can only pray that George's injuries are not serious, otherwise..." He and the fourth official both remembered Tony Twain's angry face.
Kerslake left the fourth official and turned to run to the other side to see how Wood was doing.
Fleming shook his head as he faced Kerslake's searching look. "The situation doesn't look good, David."
"How bad is it?" Kerslake's heart sank.
"It looks like a broken bone..."
Kerslake only heard a "boom" sound in his head.
The team captain and core player had fractured his bone at the crucial moment in the battle for the Champions League qualifier. It meant that he wouldn't be able to play in the next four rounds. He could almost predict his fate at the end of the season. Evan Doughty was not a patient club chairman.
He had come up empty-handed this season and didn't win a single title. The Champions League was his last lifeline.
It looked like he'd better start planning what to do next season...
He also had another thought and it was this: what about the England team?
※※※
Twain only heard the news about Wood's injury after this round of the league tournament because he and Walker hadn't watched the game at Newcastle. They'd gone to Manchester instead.
When the news reached Twain's ears, he still did not believe it. He thought he'd misheard, or that Walker was joking. He said, "Are you sure it's George Wood who was hurt? And not some other George?"
Walker shook his head and replied, "Which other George is there on the England team?"
"How did he get hurt?" Twain didn't first ask "how's his injury" because he felt that it couldn't be that big of a deal, even if Wood was injured. He would just cough out some blood at the most. He was more interested in how he'd been hurt.
"He was knocked down by the opposing defender and the weight-bearing foot was injured."
Twain tried to recreate the scene in his mind, but he found it hard to imagine. So he asked, "How's the injury?"
"The big toe on the right foot is broken."
Twain turned to Walker and looked at him in astonishment. His expression was as if he'd heard that Martians had invaded Earth.
"It's true. I just spoke to Fleming on the phone." Walker could understand why Twain made that face. He'd had a similar reaction at first.
Twain turned his gaze away and looked around everywhere, never resting his eyes at any point.
"F**k!" He suddenly swore. "F**k! Motherf**ker!"
It was as if he had gone crazy. A string of dirty words spewed out of his mouth. Fortunately, there was no one else in the room but Walker. Otherwise, people would have been shocked by it. But it was not surprising to his old partner, Walker, who was familiar with Twain's temper.
"I f**king called the English Premier League coaches specifically, hoping that they would have arranged less-lethal tactics for the national footballers... That bunch of Newcastle United bastards, it must have gone in one ear and out the other! Does that old bastard Kinnear (the Newcastle United manager) not know what George Wood means to England? Our core player has a fracture in his big toe! This is not some f**king common cold!"
Twain walked in circles around his hotel room, waving his arms in agitation and shouting abuse.
Walker didn't try to get him to calm down. He knew that Twain was under immense pressure and had a bad temper. It might be good to take this opportunity to let him vent for a while. Perhaps it could be beneficial.
After he'd scolded all the people who should be scolded, Twain calmed down slowly. He asked, "Did Fleming say how long it will take for him to recover?"
"... three months," Walker said somewhat diffidently. He was worried that Twain was going to have another fit of rage.
This time, it was better. Twain stared blankly for a while when he heard the amount of time needed, but the word "f**k" didn't fly out of his mouth the moment he opened it. He glanced past Walker toward the blue sky outside the window.
Three months later, the UEFA European Championship would already be over, and it would be too late...