The draw at Aston Villa at their home stadium made the Forest players find that when they usually train, there are more reporters on the sidelines. Everyone knows the local media, and most of the faces they find unfamiliar with are from London.

"We just drew one game, why are these media so excited?" In between the team's practice, Eastwood asked, pointing to the long guns and short guns outside the barbed wire.

"Because they know we're destined to be champions this season!" Don nodded vigorously beside him, his tone affirmative.

Eastwood turned his head and looked at Don in surprise, "Boss, you're not kidding, are you?" ”

Don shook his head seriously: "No, of course I'm joking. ”

Someone next to him laughed.

David? Chris Lak explained: "They are so concerned about us, not because of ourselves, but because of our opponents in the next league game, Arsenal. ”

Recently, the media has hyped the fatalistic entanglement between Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, just like a bloody eight-o'clock TV series, and few people don't know it. Only someone like Eastwood, who doesn't care about anything but playing his own ball, would be surprised to see so many journalists gathered at Wilford.

Pierce standing outside the training ground with other reporters? Bruce had to lament the fate of fate: Arsenal's record-breaking moment was against the same team that set the record. When Clough led the team to this record, it was thought that no one could achieve it for a long, long time, and now that he is not dead, the record is in danger of being broken.

The north London media, with the exception of those who support Tottenham Hotspur, are overwhelmingly optimistic about Arsenal, believing that Arsenal have broken a 25-year record at Forest's home stadium. After all, Arsenal are strong and in good shape right now, while the Forest team is not yet comfortable with the rhythm of the Premier League, with only one point in the first two rounds of the league, one defeat and one draw, which is too unconvincing against the mighty Arsenal.

At the end of training, the players walked from the training ground to the dressing room, and along the way there were reporters who came up to ask them about the record, about Arsenal. Most of them ask 'What do you think of Arsenal's quality?' How likely are they to break the record? "Some players can politely answer this question that doesn't matter much to them.

When you meet people with bad tempers, you can't ignore those reporters. Like George? Wood, looking at the reporters who had put the microphone in front of his mouth with very indifferent eyes, looked away from the reporters without saying a word, just when the other party was full of anticipation.

And there are more and more Forest players who treat journalists like him. At first, everyone was very interested in this kind of attention, and they thought it was new, after all, they were too far from the record of 25 years ago to not feel how bad it was to be broken.

But if the people around you open their mouths and close their mouths are "how is Arsenal" and "how is Henry", when asked such questions, there will always be a feeling of "I am being underestimated".

Ninety-five per cent of the reporters at Forest's regular press conference were asking questions about the next game, and 80 per cent of them asked Donn to share his thoughts on Arsenal's record-equalising.

Don himself doesn't hate Arsenal, nor does he hate Arsene Wenger, after all, he and Wenger still have a little friendship. But he hates these media who see the wind and rain, and he doesn't plan to save any face for these media.

So when all the reporters had finished asking their questions, Donn plucked his ears in front of the camera and the camera lens, and then asked, "I tried to think I had misheard, so I plucked my ears and planned to make this organ function properly." However, I found out that my ears were fine, so I tried to make myself think that I had a problem with my brain and couldn't understand your problem correctly. But it's too hard for me to think so, because there's no way my brain is going to have problems...... So in the end, I can only come to one question: it must be you who have a problem. ”

He said such a lot of specious things that the reporter was completely confused, not knowing what he was talking about and what he was trying to say.

Looking at the group of dazed reporters, Don sighed: "Sure enough, I have to be more straightforward so that you can be clear - I say, gentlemen, ladies, you are in the wrong place." To keep an eye on Arsenal, head to North London. This is Wilford, not A.T. Kearney [Arsenal training base]. I'm sure you won't be able to ask any other questions than Arsenal, so that's the end of today's regular press conference, and my team and I won't be interviewed by any media in any form until the end of the game. ”

With that, Donn got up and left the press room, leaving a room of stunned reporters to look at each other.

Donn walked resolutely, Barbara of the Forest Club? Miss Lucy is going to stay and clean up the mess for him: "This is the end of today's press conference, gentlemen and ladies, please come back." ”

After saying that, she also walked out quickly, catching up with Tony who strode back to the office? Dawn.

"Mr. Donne?" She called out to Don in an inquiring tone.

Don stopped and looked back at Evan's private secretary, "Miss Lucy, is there something wrong?" ”

"Uh...... I wanted to remind you that tomorrow morning, Sky TV will have another interview with you......"

"Sitting in the café at Wilford training base and asking me questions about Arsenal?"

"This ...... I don't know, but I want to...... Yes. Lucy nodded.

"Very well, you can help me refuse. If we've agreed to this interview, let David go and host those pesky reporters, and I'll lead the training. ”

Lucy nodded and left, and as soon as Don walked into his office, he received Evan? A call from Dogetty: "Tony, I heard you've embarrassed the media all over the UK?" ”

"You're well-informed, Evan."

"Don't forget that I also have friends in the media." Evan laughed, "They called me and complained that the Forest manager wasn't cooperating at all. ”

'I wanted to cooperate with them, but all they asked were questions about Arsenal and I couldn't do it if I wanted to. Don held the phone and shrugged.

"Come on, Tony. Don't do this in front of me, you're uncomfortable, aren't you? ”

"Hmm...... If someone compliments your direct competitor in front of you, and then asks you to say good things about that competitor, they will be upset if they don't sound good...... I think Evan you're going to be upset too. ”

"This ...... You're right, Tony. Do a good job and make those who look down on us suffer! ”

Just after the call from the club president, Donn received another call from Pierce? Bruce's call: "Tony, did you mean what you just said at the press conference?" ”

Bruce was still standing in the parking lot of the Wilford training base at this time, while other reporters complained about Tony, who was playing a big name? Donn, as he left the place. Only he is not reconciled and hopes to use his personal connections to obtain exclusive interview rights.

"Of course it's true." Don said in a non-joking tone.

"This ......"

"All right, Mr. Reporter." Donn always used to call Bruce "Mr. Reporter" by his last name, and he didn't want Bruce to feel that the relationship between the two was intimate. "There are some things that I think would be more appropriate for me to say on my own than for you to say them for me, so I'll be updating my personal column in Corriere della Sera soon."

"But ......," Bruce still wanted to have his name on a story that would attract public attention.

"Mr. Reporter, do you dare to scold your peers for being 'bitch-raised' in your report?"

"How is this possible...... Why should I ......?"

"That's right, I dare." Don laughed and hung up.

※※※ The next day's Nottingham Evening Post was on Tony? Mr. Towne's column carried a statement about the refusal to be interviewed. In the article, Donn scolded the media for not knowing respect for others and not having a work ethic. Here, for the first time, he used the phrase "bitch-raised" to the media. Of course, despite his use of expletives, his tone is not intense, and it is still his own style—sarcasm and foul language, irony and bizarre metaphors...... Don just doesn't cooperate with the media, and it would be wishful thinking to get any news from him. The first to hit the window was a Sky reporter, who refused to broadcast the Premier League exclusively under the pretext that he wanted to lead the team in training and that the big game was not a distraction at the moment.

The media can only dig deep gossip, and they do everything they can to find the Forest players of 25 years ago, but there are few people who can be found...... Of course, most of the focus has been on which Forest coach Bryan? Clough on it.

Clough's doorstep, far from Derbyshire's doorstep, gathered in one day with more than two dozen journalists, all eager to hear what the record-makers had to say about those who had surpassed them.

When it comes to dealing with the media, Clough is much more experienced than Donn. In the interview, he praised Arsenal, saying that he is an admirer of Arsene Wenger, his favorite team is Arsenal, and his favorite striker is Thierry Henry, believing that Arsenal play artistic football that is ten years ahead of the Premier League. Therefore, his record is equaled and perhaps even broken by such a good and great team, and he has nothing to complain about. Finally, he also encouraged Arsenal to go beyond the forest at the time.

He may have pleased Arsenal fans with this statement, but then the unruly old man added: "Like Tony? As Coach Don said, all records are meant to be broken. After all, we set a record, no one can disdain the existence of a record, and for me a 42-game unbeaten run is more exciting than winning the Champions Cup, Arsenal are just the juniors who challenge us. ”

This sentence was said last, but it was enough to show the pride of the old man. Unfortunately, not everyone notices this.

Don noticed that this sentence made him feel much more relaxed. He knew that the boss was still helping him, but the old Englishman expressed his feelings in a more British tradition - he always liked to express their feelings in a quiet and low-key way.

I've got your back, Tony. But don't expect to hear a public kind word from me.

Maybe one day, when you reach the height of my time, I will reluctantly say, "It's okay, just like when I was younger." ”

That's the highest compliment for you, boy!

Unlike Donn's rough treatment of the media, Arsene Wenger did not have much affection for the English media, as when he first arrived in England, the English paparazzi claimed that the French were in love...... But he just tries to be as cautious as possible, and rarely appears alone in front of the media.

Now that Arsenal are about to break the record, he has to appear on TV or in the sports pages of newspapers more often than usual.

Speaking of Nottingham Forest, he expressed the necessary respect for this team, Clough said that he was his idol, and Wenger was a little excited to speak, announcing that he is also a Nottingham Forest fan, and he has loved watching Clough's team play since he was a child, and the years when Forest swept Europe are unforgettable to this day, and he is thrilled when he thinks about it...... But who knows how many of these are true and how many are false...... Speaking about the upcoming game, Arsene Wenger put away his admiration for Nottingham Forest, although he affirmed Tony? Donne's move in the summer transfer market, but at the same time he is confident that his team is ready to set a new record.

"The best way to pay tribute to the record-setters is to beat them and set a new record." After saying this "victory declaration" that excited the media, Wenger walked back to the office building. He already knows how to deal with these media, but apparently his opponents don't.

Thinking of the stiff quarrel between Donn and the media over this matter, a smile appeared on the Frenchman's face.

Thirty-five year old head coach? How young...... ※※※ "Welcome to Nottingham! Historic city in the middle of England. There is the dense Sherwood Forest, and the world-famous Robin Hood, a thief who robs the rich and gives to the poor! There's also a great team here – Nottingham Forest! When the Sky TV reporter said this, the cameraman tacitly gave the reporter a shot of the city stadium behind him, zooming in, and the close-up of the Nottingham Forest sign, the red one is particularly eye-catching in the sun.

"Yes, Brian? Clough started the Forest dynasty and left behind a record that future generations will look up to - the unbeaten streak in the English top flight: 42 games! Until today...... Twenty-five years, that record could be rewritten. And we have to marvel at the magic of the hand of destiny: the team that has the opportunity to rewrite the record must beat the record setter if it wants to succeed! ”

As soon as he finished shouting, he saw two groups of fans who were also wearing red jerseys but walking clearly walked past him, Arsenal fans singing songs in support of Arsenal, and Nottingham Forest fans singing their Toni for Tony? A song written by Don En in the new way.

The cameraman's camera followed the two groups of people closely, and it seemed that they could see from them what the game would look like later.

The stands were already full, and the news media had almost crowded around the stadium, all waiting to see how the two opponents, pulled together by the hand of fate, would fare in such a fateful matchup.

Arsenal and Nottingham Forest have a long history, as two of the founders of Arsenal were Nottingham Forest players. When Arsenal was first founded, they didn't even have their own jerseys, and it was the two founders who went to the Forest club to borrow a batch of jerseys and footballs, which was the only way to pull up their own team.

However, the subsequent development of the two teams can be described as very different. Arsenal relied on Chapman to create their own dynasty in the thirties of the twentieth century, and since then they have embarked on a path of giants. And what about Nottingham Forest? It has never been considered a giant, at most it is an old powerhouse, and it is only because of the Clough era that it has become a household name. Economy, influence, strength...... By any measure, the Forest team looked like poor country relatives in front of Arsenal, even though it was the poor relatives who pulled them when Arsenal ran out of milk.

In front of Arsenal, perhaps the Foresters' self-esteem can be maintained by the two silver-glittering Champions League trophies and the 42-game unbeaten streak in the English top flight.

But now...... The Champions Cup trophy is a matter of the future, and you can't tell which year or month it will go. But the record of 42 games has been equalled by Arsenal, and the record is even more publicized by the media as if it were today.

The glory of the past is gradually fading away from them, and the current Forest team is starting from scratch......

(To be continued)