Godfather Of Champions

4Lennon did not get much game time. As a result, Twain was not particularly impressed with the performance that he saw from him.     1

After the match, Twain met with Lennon.     

Lennon viewed Twain as his mentor and a man whom he respected. Thus, he unreservedly told Twain about all his troubles.     

He told Twain that he had been brought into the club by Mourinho. Mourinho was a manager who liked to play wingers, and he was able to get game time under his leadership. But, ever since Zola took over at the club, he had not been able to get much game time at all, because Zola did not think highly of him, especially since he was injured.     

Since he was unable to play in games for long periods of time, he could not guarantee that he would be able to perform well in matches when he did play. Twain would not be able to see his best performances, even if he continued to spend time in Milan to observe him.     

Twain told Lennon earnestly that he needed to fight for a chance to play if he really wished to play football in Italy. He suggested that Lennon should consider going on loan or transferring to another club if he really could get any game time in Inter Milan.     

If it had been anyone else, Lennon would definitely not have listened. He would have refused to admit that his time in Italy had been a complete failure. However, the person who had said those words was his ex-boss, Tony Twain. All he could do was nod his head and accept Twain's words.     

Lennon had to think things through carefully and decide if he should continue to fritter away time in Inter Milan.     

Perhaps footballers from England are truly not suited to play football in Italy. It's not just Italy; they do not seem to be able to perform well in other countries, either. The footballers who have managed to continue playing well after leaving England are few and far between. The media might praise English footballers as being the best in the world, but their performances after leaving England have proven that they are not good at adapting to a different environment.     

The only time the England national team was crowned champion of a major international competition was back in 1966, during the World Cup that was hosted in England.     

Perhaps the same goes for the England national team as for English players. The players become incapable of playing football the moment they step out of England.     

This is a curse that Twain was keen on breaking, not because he was patriotic, but because he wanted to prove that he was an outstanding manager, capable of leading an awful football team like the England national team to the championship.     

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Lennon might not have surprised Twain, but his ex-assistant manager definitely did.     

Twain spent Christmas on the plane with his assistant Des Walker. However, he did not feel depressed over it because Nottingham Forest had been performing well, and that had lifted his spirits.     

Nottingham Forest's recent good form had also allowed him to find more to say to Walker.     

It was not just Twain and Walker who were discussing Nottingham Forest's new manager. All the media outlets in England were, too.     

No one thought that he would be able to stay at the helm for long when he took over as the manager of Forest. Some people had not even heard his name before…     

It couldn't be helped, given how brightly Tony Twain shone. His ex-assistant manager was just like a star that was hidden behind the sun. It did not matter how bright a star he was. As long as he was near the sun, humans could not see him with their naked eyes.     

A man like that, to whom no one had paid attention previously, was able to lead a seemingly exhausted Nottingham Forest team to three consecutive victories during the hectic and notoriously tough Christmas schedule.     

The opponents that they won against were not bottom teams either. They were mid-table teams that were difficult to beat.     

The man who no one noticed before had pulled Forest up from the slum into which they had continued to sink deeper and deeper. He had also cleaned up the mud from their bodies and was now leading them to take great strides in a new direction.     

Even Twain admitted that Kerslake's performance had surprised him during his conversation with Walker. Among all the people who had worked with him previously, Dunn was the person of whom Twain thought the most highly. He did not expect Kerslake to have improved so drastically without him noticing.     

Kerslake was a manager who could never stay still during a match. He would always blow on his whistle and gesture with his hands animatedly as he stood by the side of the pitch. His behavior during matches gave people the impression that he was a very passionate individual, but he came off as being very humble during his interviews. He told the press that the players deserved all the credit for the team's consecutive wins, and that all he had done was reignite their desire to win.     

Frankly, Forest had become a team that had lost all interest in winning after achieving the treble and going through all those struggles in the past.     

Most of the Forest players felt that they had achieved almost every possible glory that a footballer can hope to achieve in his career. What other reason was there to continue to fight as they had back then? They were already standing at the pinnacle. Where else could they possibly go?     

If Twain had still been Forest's manager, he would have told the players that they had to keep fighting if they wished to retain their spot at the top. There were countless challengers who are trying to climb to the top to take their place, and they would never be able to eliminate all of them; they are just like ants and they would only keep on coming. Hence, they must never stop in their fight, and they must defeat all the challengers who come their way.     

However, Quique Sánchez Flores did not say any of that to the players. All he was concerned with was getting rid of Twain's influence over the team and leading them to further glory. In the eyes of the players, his vision for the future lacked persuasiveness. Every single one of them had already achieved almost every possible glory there is to achieve. If every Champions trophy they had achieved were turned into a ring, then all the players would have a ring on every finger and every toe… Why would they work hard to attain even more glory with Flores?     

As an outsider, Flores was unable to truly become a central figure in the tight-knit Nottingham Forest team.     

But Kerslake was different. He was able to ignite the players' desire for victory because he had been working at Forest for a long time, and he was able to gain their trust much more easily. In addition, he was also more familiar with the players, and he knew what they were looking for.     

The players might not have wanted to attain further glory, but they had to retain the glory that they had attained so far, at the very least. No one wished to become a team that could not even qualify for the Europa League despite attaining the Treble in the previous season.     

What Kerslake said during the interview was very true. The current Forest team was a team that still had its main structure in place, and their strength could not be underestimated. The reason for the team's consecutive losses was not a lack of ability. It was psychological issues, instead.     

Having followed Twain for so many years, Kerslake was able to pick up a thing or two about how to manage the players' psychological state, and his methods were able to bring about a positive change in the players almost immediately.     

The reporters also asked Twain about his thoughts on Forest's recent performances when he was watching matches in other stadiums.     

Even though Twain hardly talked about Forest after his resignation, he could not help but praise his former assistant Kerslake, now that he was the new interim manager and performing quite well at Forest.     

"He has done well, and I hope he will be able to keep doing what he does, not just as the interim manager, but as the manager instead. He has the ability to lead Forest out of their predicament… At least that's how I see it. David is a humble man, and I think that the good results are a good way to pay him back for his efforts…"     

Of course, Twain did not forget about his current identity. To prevent others from thinking that he was being too explicit with his concern towards Forest, he added another statement at the end, "I am very happy that Forest's national goalkeeper is able to play football in a stable environment. This will be beneficial in helping him maintain his form."     

He might say that, but the media knew very well that Nottingham Forest was the team to which he paid the most attention among all the Premier League teams. They knew that because he had gone to watch Forest's matches numerous times…     

Twain was clearly showing favoritism to Forest. His actions would be overlooked if they brought glory to the England national team. But, should England fail to perform in the Euro Cup, then Twain would definitely become the butt of criticism, and the various Nottingham Forest players who played in the national team would get dragged down with him.     

Twain's act of showing favoritism to Forest players was puzzling. He had always given others the impression of being someone who would fiercely protect his players. He would always choose to shoulder all the pressure alone, and he would never direct it onto his players. He even suffered a heart attack because he carried all the burden upon himself. So, why was he constantly putting the Nottingham Forest players in the spotlight now that he was the manager of the England national team?     

If he fell, would everyone else fall with him?     

It sounds just like the kind of rationale that a lunatic would have.     

　　※※※     

Christmas and New Year's were becoming less and less significant to Twain since he had to work on both days. In fact, he had to work even more during those two public holidays because Shania was not around him. He would rather spend all his time working so as to dilute the loneliness he felt.     

Time passed quickly. It was already June 2015 by the time Twain had a good understanding of everything that was happening in the Premier League.     

The England national team played in three matches during this period of time. One of them was a friendly game against Israel, while the other two were qualifiers for the Euro Cup.     

England won all the matches that they played in.     

They won against Israel at home, 3:0.     

They won against Ireland away, 2:0.     

They won against Armenia, who was the weakest team in their group, by a big margin of 4:0.     

The England national team had never lost a match ever since Tony Twain took over. His titles of being a 'Treble Winner' and the 'Godfather of Champions' helped to lessen the animosity that the media held towards him due to his arrogant personality.     

That is how the footballing world is. Results are everything. When you can produce results, you are treated like God. When you are unable to produce results, you are treated like dirt.     

Of course, there were also people who did not view Twain's results favorably.     

Carl Spicer, who had always been resolutely anti-Twain, cast doubt on Twain's achievements as the manager of the England national team.     

"Macedonia, Armenia, Australia, Ireland, Israel, and Wales are not regarded as strong teams. They have to be classified as 'weak teams'. Both Serbia and Denmark are teams that Twain regarded as strong teams as well, but to me, they are weak teams, too. We have a very good draw in the qualifiers. We might be in the group that has to compete in the most number of matches, but all our opponents are weak. Isn't it natural for us to win comfortably against weak teams? Why are there so many people cheering for Twain? He should only get in the headlines if he can't win against teams like that. Personally, I think that everyone should reserve their praise for Tony Twain until the day we play against a truly strong team. Until then, people should not think that Tony Twain will definitely lead England to glory…"     

Which teams are regarded as truly strong teams?     

"… I would consider teams like France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Brazil, and Argentina as strong teams, I suppose…"     

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June is the time where many football clubs reap what they sowed throughout the past season. Most league competitions have entered the final stages of competition, and most of the football clubs know their fates for the next season after working hard for the past few months. For the teams who are fighting to be crowned champions, for the teams who wish to qualify for next season's Europa or Champions League, for the teams who are fighting to avoid relegation… June is the month where they find out their respective fates.     

In the past, Twain would have been under the most psychological stress during this period. It would also be the period of time where he was the busiest and most exhausted. However, the tides had turned, and now he was able to sit in the stands with his hands on his chest and simply observe what happened without a care in the world. He no longer cared about the Premier League title that so many different football teams fought for. He did not care about who won the other competitions, nor did he care about which teams were going to be relegated… He was just there to watch it all unfold before him as a spectator.     

David Kerslake had proven that he had what it takes to become a good manager of a football team. Nottingham Forest might not have been able to become champions, but they were able to successfully qualify for the Champions League under his guidance. This was an impressive result, considering what Forest had been doing in the summer before the season started.     

Coming in at fourth place would mean that last season's Champions League winners had to play in a qualifier to get a spot in next season's Champions League. However, no one associated with Nottingham Forest saw it as a form of humiliation. All the Nottingham media outlets were elated at how things had turned out.     

Forest went through a turbulent and unforgettable season. They changed managers midway through the season, and they were also kicked out of the FA and EFL Cups early. They were even positioned outside of the top 10 in the Premier League once, and they were also eliminated from the Champions League after scraping their way into the Round of 16. Despite all those bad results, Kerslake was still able to lead the team to fourth place in the Premier League, and that was ample proof of his abilities as a manager.     

It was rumored that Evan Doughty was considering giving Kerslake a long-term contract as the manager of Nottingham Forest. To Twain, that would be the best decision that Doughty had ever made.     

It was true that Kerslake was not some well-known manager who had achieved stellar results in the past. But he was a part of Nottingham Forest, and he was able to get along with most of the players easily due to that status. In addition, he was also able to communicate well with the players, as they were comfortable with one another.     

To Evan Doughty, Kerslake was a suitable candidate for the managerial position. He had to be regretting how he had failed to notice such a talented manager, who was right there in front of him the whole time. He only knew to look in the distance. That is why he had failed to see the pebble at his foot, and it is also why he had fallen on all fours afterward.     

Kerslake was not the kind of manager who had an immensely unique personality. He was also not the kind of manager who would talk back to his superior, even if his superior threw a temper and lashed out at him. One would have a good idea of his temper by looking at how he had served Tony Twain.     

Kerslake, who was known as the 'Good Guy,' would certainly not say a word about the chairperson's interference in the club's footballing matters, and that was also his greatest strength. Additionally, he loved Forest even more than Tony Twain, and he would never leave the job like Twain did, even if he was unfairly treated.     

It was even rumored that he rejected Twain's offer to become his assistant manager for the England national team. It would be hard to find another obedient manager like Kerslake who could still lead the team to victory.     

Forest's chairperson had regained his confidence after experiencing consecutive setbacks over the past few months. He was certain that the Nottingham Forest fans would forget the name 'Tony Twain' in a season's time.     

Eleven years ago, he had viewed Manchester United as his role model. But now, his new role model was Florentino Pérez, who was the president of Real Madrid Football Club. Pérez was known as 'Real Madrid's Godfather,' and he also had the ability to deceive the masses with his words.     

In Evan's eyes, Pérez epitomized what a successful chairperson or president of a football club should be like.     

He had long forgotten about the bitterness and humiliation he received at the Bernabéu Stadium a year ago.     

The reason he looked up to Real Madrid is that they would still be one of the most influential football teams in the world, even if they failed to become champions of the Champions League.     

Transfer news associated with Real Madrid would always hog the headlines and seize the attention of football fans all over the world. Additionally, the players were able to stir up a storm wherever they go. They were seen and treated as idols by countless people, and entire countries go crazy over them.     

This is exactly the kind of influence that Evan Doughty dreamed of having.     

When Twain left Forest, Evan Doughty reflected on why his team was less influential than Arsenal globally. In the end, he figured that the blame was on Tony Twain. It was because of Twain that they were not able to have many superstar players in the team. After all, Twain was the biggest superstar in the club. Why would he allow others to come in and steal his spotlight?     

Every time Evan hoped to bring in a superstar player with lots of influence onto the team, Twain would say that his current team structure was flawless and that he did not need those superstar players to come in and ruin the atmosphere in the locker room.     

Twain's words had caused him to miss out on acquiring numerous superstar players for the team over the years…     

Look at how Real Madrid is raking in so much money in Asia!     

So what if they can't win the Champions League? They have the money and the power!     

Evan Doughty could only sigh at those thoughts.     

Forest had finally found a new captain for their ship. Manchester United, on the other hand, had finally reclaimed the title of Premier League champions under the guidance of Mourinho after missing out for so many years.     

Mourinho had proven through his results that he was not inferior to Tony Twain, as well as that he was a manager capable of leading his team to become champions.     

The finals for the Champions League were played in Milan. Real Madrid might have lost to Nottingham Forest the previous season, but they successfully lifted the tenth Champions League trophy in their club's history by beating Italy's powerhouse team, Juventus, at San Siro Stadium.     

Real Madrid waited for a total of 13 years just to lift the Champions League trophy once again. They had gone through a transformation to bring the number from nine to ten, and now, they were the unprecedented ten-time champions of the Champions League.     

To Evan Doughty, Real Madrid was no longer just a rich, powerful team. They were now a rich, powerful team that had just been crowned champions.