Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
England’s elimination caused the British media to become a sea of wailing and despair.
Some said that McClaren had ruined the best England team in history. In the eyes of the English, their team was the strongest in history at all times. Some people lamented that the end of the world had arrived. Others stated sourly that without the England team, the UEFA European Championship was incomplete, as Britain was the birthplace of modern football.
Another group of people calmly analyzed the reasons for the loss. They continued to analyze until they finally came to a conclusion. The players were not the problem. The issue laid with McClaren, so they asked the Football Association to start preparing for the selection of the new manager.
Twain did not get in on the action. He had said what he wanted to say before the game. If he were to speak up, it would just be copy and paste. McClaren had many problems with his player selection and tactical arrangements. He was born to be an assistant coach, not a manager. Twain had repeated that point countless times since McClaren came to power, but no one listened. Now that the people of England had finally received their just desserts, Twain could not be bothered to add insult to injury.
Two weeks without a league game did not bore Twain because a lot happened in between. Mourinho was gone and he had abused Abramovich and offended the Chelsea club. He wondered if he would feel that “this is a new season” when the league tournament resumed.
Dunn had returned, two days later than his expected date of return. Dunn said it was because of Tang Jing. He went to have dinner with her father, and toured the countryside for a day, which delayed him. When he heard this, Twain wanted to tease Dunn that he had met the parents, ut he did not say it in the end.
Dunn returned with a brocade handkerchief from Sichuan for Shania and a box of compact discs for Twain.
Twain thought it was strange.
“They are the videos of the talent show, including the ones shown on TV and not broadcasted,” Dunn explained.
Twain was even more baffled. “I didn’t ask you to bring these things back. I have little interest in the talent show.”
Dunn interrupted him. “Just have a look when you’re bored and see what a football talent show looks like.”
How could Twain be bored? With Shania at his side, he always had something to do.
Not even two days later, Shania packed her bags to say goodbye.
Shania left Nottingham the two days after England lost their chance for the next summer. Christmas was coming and her busiest part of the year began.
It was not the first time that Twain and Shania had parted like this. They had not spent Christmas together since Shania became a top model. Every Christmas without fail, Twain would mail a large Totoro toy to Shania as a Christmas present. The two of them would chat on the phone to count as they had spent it together.
This time, though, when Shania packed her bags, Twain stood at the door and watched her.
“Is it going to be busy next year? Runway shows, commercials, endorsement deals… and making movies.”
“Well, the fun times are over.” Shania stretched her back and suddenly turned around to look at Twain. “Can’t bear to see me go, Uncle Tony?”
Twain was a little bewildered by the question. He fumbled for a while before he said, “when you’re gone, no one’s going to cook for me.”
Shania smiled. “That’s a lousy excuse. The meals I cook were not delicious.”
“Actually… they’re okay once I got used to eating them.” Twain scratched his head.
Shania did not speak again. She smiled and continued to pack.
There was not much to pack. She just needed to bring some clothes and small toys, which could be fit in a small suitcase. However, Shania always thought that the clothes were not folded neatly and there would be creases. As a result, she took them out to spread them out and re-fold them as soon as she packed them, so it took some time.
They heard the sound of a car horn coming from outside.
“It’s Mr. Fasal.” Shania went to the side of the bed, pulled back the curtains, and looked out.
“Come on, don’t miss your flight.” Twain stepped out of the way of the door.
Shania took her suitcase and walked up to Twain, who took it from her hands. “I’ll walk you to the door.”
Shania did not refuse and followed Twain down the stairs.
“When will you be back?” Twain asked Shania as she put on her coat at the door.
“Next March,” Shania said. According to the work schedule given to her by her agent, Fasal, she only had a ten-day break in March, and then she would go to Los Angeles to get ready for filming. Although she only had a few scenes and no lines, it was necessary for her to stay longer because her desire to develop there. She needed to get closer to thee industry, then Tom Cruise and Clarice Gloria would introduce her to more people. More friends equaled to more opportunities in Hollywood.
Once she put on her coat, Shania stood at the door, and instead of opening the door, she turned and looked at Twain.
“Can you give me a hug, Uncle Tony? As if we are saying goodbye.” She opened her arms, and Twain hugged her before she finished speaking.
“Goodbye, Shania.”
“Goodbye, Uncle Tony.”
The two separated. Twain opened the door and carried the suitcase out. Fasal came forward to take the suitcase and put it in the trunk of the car. Shania opened the car door to get in.
“See you later, Uncle Tony.” She sat in the car and waved to Twain.
Twain waved back at her. He turned to Fasal and said in a low voice, “please take care of her, Mr. Fasal.”
Fasal smiled in reply. “Please rest assured, Mr. Twain.”
The two men shook hands and said goodbye. Twain stood by the street and watched the car disappear around the corner before he returned inside.
As soon as he was about to enter the door, he heard the door of the house beside make a sound, and Dunn opened the door.
“Shania left?”
“You’ve been… Why didn’t you come out and say goodbye?”
Dunn shook his head. “Never mind. It’s not so nice… if I came out.”
Twain gave him a stare. The present Dunn and the Dunn he knew from his memory when he first transmigrated were so different.
Wow, his personality is a lot more open now…
He decided to retaliate. “You and Tang Jing…”
“Oh right, I have something to do.” Dunn did not wait for Twain to finish speaking before he went back inside and closed the door.
“Hey!” Twain rolled his eyes.
※※※
With Shania gone, Twain sometimes felt a little lonely. But the feeling only happened when he went home. He was not used to returning home with Dunn from the training base and opening the door to an empty room and no one jumping out, saying with a smile that there was a delicious meal this evening.
It was no wonder since it was longest period that Shania and Twain had been alone together. He was used to having someone to come home to every day. He could not return to his former single life right away.
On several occasions, when he and Dunn opened the doors to their respective homes, Dunn went in, but Twain stood at the door in a daze. It was dark with no one inside; he thought he had opened the wrong door.
In the first few days, those reactions were frequent and pronounced. Later, with the passage of time, he gradually got better. Sometimes he would go to Kenny Burns’ pub with Dunn to eat dinner and have a drink and chat. Dunn still only drank water. Sometimes they would go to a fast food restaurant on their way home and buy take-out. Other times, when he was in a good mood and had plenty of time, he would choose to go home.
He was used to be a bachelor, so it was still easy to get used to it again.
※※※
Just two days after Shania’s departure, the Forest team ushered in a new round of league games. Nottingham Forest had an away challenge against Arsenal on November 24th.
As they had just played in the national team competition, there were a large number of players on both teams who were exhausted and kept off the starting list, or even the squad list. For example, Beckham did not appear in the starting lineup.
The England team was knocked out, so he was not in high spirits and his form was affected. Twain feared Beckham’s foot injury would flare up again and did not let him start.
Replacing Beckham in the starting lineup was Lennon, who was also selected for England but sat on the bench for ninety minutes. Ribéry also did not appear in the starting lineup. Out of consideration of a more intensive schedule later, Twain had to let some of the more important players take a break, even if doing so would affect the team’s current results.
George Wood made the starting lineup and van der Vaart formed the middle. Bendtner made the starting lineup again on the forward line and partnered with Eastwood. There was no change in any other positions.
Arsenal deployed the strongest squad they could get in their home ground, other than the players with injuries.
Wenger did not want to lose to the Forest team at home. Arsenal was currently in first place, but Manchester United had the same number of points as them. If they lost to the Forest team, they would be temporarily defeated in the contest for the league title.
Twain did not want to lose to Arsenal. His squad was still the best at the Forest team’s defensive counterattack. With just a solid defense and seizing the opportunity to score with a sneak attack, they could drag the game into their most familiar rhythm.
But it was impossible that everything would always go so smoothly and his luck would always be so good.
Arsenal was the first to score in the starting fourteen minutes, and Fàbregas’ long shot pierced through the goal guarded by Edwin van der Sar.
At the start of the season, the performances of a few young players astounded people.
Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo was no longer the “Lone Ranger” who only knew dribbling and fancy footwork. Ferguson used him as Manchester United’s offensive core, even at the expense of Rooney, just to let him burst out with more energy. Sure enough… the number one player in the league’s strikers list was not a proper striker, but the midfielder.
Liverpool’s new “Golden Player” Torres completely adapted to the Premier League. Upon his arrival, he was able to score, and even scored consecutively. He now ranked second in the league’ striker rankings.
As for Arsenal, Henry’s departure to Barcelona before the season shocked many people and made them pessimistic about Arsenal’s prospects for the new season. They did not expect their midfield core, Fàbregas to come forward at a time when people questioned Arsenal’s forward line capabilities. This young player, who was closely marked and tormented by Wood in the English FA Cup, had fully matured. He could not only rely on his passing to create opportunities for the team to attack but could also rely on his own plug-ins to besiege and attack when the strikers could not score.
It happened in this game. While Twain’s defenders guarded against Adebayor, George Wood’s single blunder allowed Fàbregas to find a chance to plug in with a shot. The football flew straight into the corner of the goal, and Edwin van der Sar did his best but could not stop Arsenal’s lead.
It forced Twain to press up and attack Arsenal because Arsenal was different from other opponents. It would be arduous and thankless for the Forest team to allow Arsenal to take advantage of the goal and continue to stick to their defensive counterattack. Arsenal might not score again, but in order to cope with their attack, the Forest team had to attack. The end result could likely be that the Forest team would lose the game unwillingly.
Twain chose to attack Arsenal. He knew what the decision meant, but Twain did not think he was going to lose to Arsenal if they went head to head with his team’s attacking prowess.
Consequently, the rest of the game was a godsend for the fans.
Both teams fought it out in the Emirates Stadium, with many countermeasures and lively attacks.
Arsenal was good at offense. Their offensive routine was rich and varied. Offense was like second nature for them and the rapport between the players was delightful to watch. It could be named “artistic football.”
Nottingham Forest’s offense was not as artistic as Arsenal’s, as they did not pay much attention to subtle cooperation between players. They emphasized speed and straightforwardness. They were more aggressive, and speed and strength were important elements that ignited the passion of the spectators. The aggressive breakthroughs from the flanks by Petrov and Lennon drew surges of shouts from the stands each time. It sounded pretty lively, whether it was cheering or booing.
Arsenal’s offense was beautiful and uplifting, and the Forest team’s offense lacked finesse but was quite impressive. It had a lot to do with the styles of both managers.
“Professor” Wenger was cultured and refined most of the time. Even when he got angry, he kept to himself behind closed doors. Twain was not the same. With his brash and extroverted personality, the team that he trained would naturally be just as brazen.
In the 37th minute, Nottingham Forest’s relentless attacks finally cracked open Arsenal’s goal.
Bendtner’s header shot was fast and fierce and Almunia could not react in time. He could only use his chest to block the football, not having time to catch it. It was chaotic in front of Arsenal’s goal and he could not see clearly, so the football that bounced out was snatched and nudged by Eastwood. The football rolled in amid the chaos.
The tied score continued into halftime.
Twain made minor adjustments during halftime. He allowed van der Vaart more freedom in his position.
Once the second half of the game began, neither teams made any player adjustments. Even their tactical arrangements did not change. It appeared Wenger was also determined to use the offensive tactics that Arsenal was best to defeat Nottingham Forest.
Tony Twain had the same intention. He grinned at Wenger.
Arsenal took the lead again in the 59th minute of the game. Their captain, William Gallas, scored by making use of a corner header.
Five minutes later, Arsenal scored their third goal. The man who scored the goal was Eduardo da Silva, who had just helped his team beat England in the final game of the UEFA European Championship qualifier. Wenger brought him on and three minutes later, he scored.
The Emirates Stadium broke out in cries of joy. Two consecutive goals in five minutes was a huge blow to the morale of any opponent.
Twain put everything on the line and brought off Leighton Baines to bring on Gareth Bale, who had played two games for the Welsh team, and used Ribéry to replace van der Vaart. He made the plug-in offense from the team’s two flanks more determined and sharper. He instructed George Wood to actively participate in offense and not care too much about the defense.
In the 81st minute, Nottingham Forest’s frenzied bombardment finally paid off.
George Wood’s aggressive scramble in the front field grabbed a chance for the Forest team. After he passed the football to Ribéry, the Forest team switched to counter-offensive.
Arsenal was unprepared for the loss of the ball in the backfield. Wood had intercepted the ball from Hleb, who was known for his dribbling skills. However, it was that dribbling genius who did not accept Fàbregas’ suggestion that he should pass the ball when he was up against Wood. Instead, he decided to face him alone. He wanted to depend on his good form to get through the guy who was claimed to be a “defensive monster.”
Wood successfully intercepted the ball from Hleb’s feet with his judgement and strong body. The Forest team launched a counterattack. Although Fàbregas had anticipated that Hleb might drop the ball, he did not expect the Forest team to attack so quickly. Even if he went to defend against Ribéry, he was still a step behind and allowed the Frenchman to pass the football. Petrov’s cut to the inside attracted Arsenal’s defensive attention, and Bale quickly plugged in to receive Ribéry’s overhead pass. Then he passed not a high ball but a low-flying ball. In the chaotic penalty area, whoever kicked it could score a goal. The pass made Arsenal’s defenders restrain themselves for fear of scoring an own goal. There were certainly people who were not afraid, such as William Gallas. He stretched his legs to shovel, but the football quickly passed his toes. Bendtner, who came to distract, did touch the football. The players who got bypassed included the goalkeeper Almunia and Eastwood.
Just as everyone thought the football would bypass the goal without any danger of scoring, a figure wearing the yellow Forest team away jersey flashed past. He slid to the ground and made a slide shot. The football hit on his toes and changed direction to crash into the net…
“Aaron Lennon!!”
Lennon scored the Forest team’s second goal, but this only narrowed the gap between the two teams from two goals to one goal difference. If Twain did not want the team to lose the game, they had to keep attacking for the remaining ten minutes and try to equalize.
Wenger chose to defend. He directed the team to retreat and adopt a defensive stance.
Twain did not expect the move. He thought Wenger would fight it out to the end.
The Forest team launched a frenzied counterattack in the last ten minutes and gained a number of good opportunities. Unfortunately, the opportunities did not translate to scores. The frenzied bombardment for ten minutes did not result in any goals.
In the end, Tony Twain could only accept that result: he bravely went up against Arsenal for ten minutes and satisfied the television commentators and the media, as well as a wide range of football fans and viewer. The only ones left unsatisfied was themselves.
Subsequently, when he was blocked by a group of excited reporters after the game, and was asked about why to attack, he helplessly shrugged and replied, “is everyone happy now?”
Then he turned around and walked away.
