Chapter 199: Start All Over Again Part 2
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Tony?” Evan asked.
Tang En nodded his head. “That’s not a bad idea; I’m not against it.” Although doing so would be a waste of talent, starting him off at the youth team could definitely prevent many people’s tongues from wagging. There were quite a few young coaches on Nottingham Forest’s youth team, so a twenty odd year-old coach like Dunn would not be rare.
“Doing this would be in everyone’s best interests.” Evan still thought that Tang En only tried so hard so that he could land his friend a job at the club. Since that Chinese man must become a coach, then arranging for him to become an insignificant coach on the youth team was naturally the best course of action.
Just like that, they finally came to an agreement. Dunn entered the Nottingham Forest youth team coaching team with a low profile, and the club later announced the personnel changes within the club. The youth team’s manager David Kerslake would be transferred over to the main team, becoming manager Tony Twain’s assistant. Ian Greenwood, who had originally assisted David Kerslake on the youth team, would be promoted to the manager of the youth team and placed in charge of all the matters pertaining to Nottingham Forest’s youth team.
After deciding on all of those things, Tang En was about to bring Dunn and leave the office, but he was stopped by Evan.
Tang En could only let Dunn wait outside the room.
After closing the door, Evan whispered to Tang En, “Tony, tell me what’s on your mind. If he’s a friend or younger brother of your Chinese teacher, are you trying to curry that beautiful Chinese lady’s favor?”
Hearing Evan say this, coupled with the smirk on his face, Tang En silently sighed. “He is indeed related to my Chinese teacher, but that’s completely unrelated to this… Evan, are you doubting my foresight?”
Evan Doughty shook his head and said, “If that’s the case, great. If Nottingham Forest is able to advance into the Champions League finals, then the person seated beside me will definitely be Dunn.” Tang En pointed to the door before he bade goodbye to Evan and walked out of the office.
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When Dunn and Tang En were standing on the youth training grounds, which were still not open for trainings, Dunn breathed in the once-familiar air and felt as though it was no different from a year and a half ago. The last time he was here, he had worked here for seven years. How much time would he need this time round?
“It won’t take too long,” Tang En, who was standing beside him, said.
Dunn looked at Tang En, and Tang En looked back. Afterwards, Tang En shrugged his shoulders and said, “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t forget about the relationship between us. Do you feel disappointed, Dunn?”
“Hm?”
“It was me who wanted you to come here and become the assistant manager of the main team, but now you have to start all the way from the bottom, as a coach of the youth team. You even quit your job in China… Have you told mom and dad?”
“I told them I’ve been sent overseas by the company for three years,” Dunn replied.
“Three years… that’s more than enough. Let’s go. From tomorrow onwards, everyone will be busy. The new season is approaching!” Tang En waved his hands before turning around and leaving.
Dunn looked around at the extremely familiar training ground before following behind Tang En.
The next day, Nottingham Forest Football Club announced the personal changes to the coaches on its official webpage, finalizing the new assistant manager, which the fans had been very concerned about. Nobody expressed any form of doubt or discontent regarding David Kerslake’s assumption of the position. That was because just like Tony Twain, David Kerslake had been nurtured by Nottingham Forest Football Club, and was part of the Nottingham Forest family.
Tang En knew that it was practically impossible for him to challenge that Nottingham Forest tradition. He was only an individual, but he was facing off against Nottingham Forest’s 140 years of rich history.
Although making Dunn start work as a normal coach on the youth team was not Tang En’s original intention, at least Dunn still stayed behind him. Once he got his professional coaching certificate in August, everything else would be easier to deal with.
The coaching team’s staff had already been finalized, so Nottingham Forest’s match preparations for the new season could finally commence in full.
The players also ended their holidays, and everyone returned to the team on time.
On the morning of the first training, when Tang En looked at the group of high-spirited players standing in front of him, he was filled with anticipation for the future.
“The sun is very bright, and everyone’s skin has darkened considerably. How did you guys find your holiday?” Tang En asked, smiling.
“Very good!”
“Where did you guys go?”
“Paris!”
“Hawaii!”
Everyone started reporting the countries they had gone to during the holidays.
Tang En saw Crouch, and suddenly asked, “Peter, how did your romantic trip to Spain go?”
Crouch immediately blushed.
“Looks like it went quite well.”
Hearing this, all the players burst into laughter.
Amidst the laughter, Crouch also started giggling. It seemed like Tang En was spot-on.
After waiting for the laughter to subside, Tang En pointed at David Kerslake, who was standing beside him, and said to the players, “This is your new assistant manager, Mr. David Kerslake. He was the manager of the youth team, and he will now be in charge of managing the main team with me. He will be in-charge of all training-related matters, so if you guys have any questions during training, you may raise them with him at any time.”
As a form of response to the players’ claps, Kerslake waved at them.
Afterwards, Tang En called out the two players whom they had gotten during the summer transfer window: Gerard Pique and Nicklas Bendtner.
“These are your new teammates. This is Gerard Pique, a center-back who used to play for Barcelona’s youth team. And Nicklas Bendtner, a forward from Denmark’s Kjøbenhavns Boldklub.”
“Hello everyone.” The two of them greeted their teammates in English, a language which they were not very used to speaking. Pique was somewhat shy, while Bendtner appeared calm.
Tang En patted them on their shoulders, signaling to them to stand together with their teammates. The two new teammates were quickly welcomed by the other players in a warm manner. During the previous season’s winter transfer window, almost all the players who were brought over by Tang En were young players, so the Nottingham Forest players were already used to welcoming young players to the team, which was evident from how they welcomed the two new young players who were still seventeen or eighteen years-old. Moreover, almost half of the players on the team were youngsters in their early twenties, so it was easy for these like-minded people to bond together.
Seeing that Pique and Bendtner were quickly accepted by the other players, Tang En heaved a sigh of relief. He clapped his hands, reminding everyone to focus their attention on him. “I believe that after a week of rest, you guys have already made sufficient preparations physically and mentally, so you must be longing for a match right now, right?”
“Right! Boss!”
“That’s right, Chief!”
Seeing their teammates replying to Tang En’s questions in such an excited manner, the newly-joined Pique and Bendtner were rather puzzled. The relationship between this manager and his players seemed different from the usual, simple manager-player relationship.
“It’s really great to see all your high-spirited faces. We’ll be playing in the English Premier League this season, and do you guys know the idea behind English Premier League? It’s the best league in England, and we’ll being facing many opponents which are much stronger than any team that we’ve played before. There’s also the UEFA Europa League, and all the participating teams are strong champion teams from all over Europe! Are you guys scared now?”
“No!”
“They should be the ones that are scared! Not us!”
Pique and Bendtner turned around and looked at their teammates around them who were fanatically shouting. Nottingham Forest was only a newly-promoted team, so what gave them so much confidence? Thinking about it logically left the two newcomers confused.
“Every season, there are only the same few teams contending for the championship title: Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool… I dare wager that the audiences must be sick of this. Fortunately, we are here to mess things up for them, and make them go from belittling us to fearing us! We have to make the clapping and cheering sounds from those audiences belong to us, not any other teams!”
Tang En waved his hands forcefully.
“This season, we’ll give them the shock of their lives!”
