There is a Chinese idiom that makes a lot of sense: combine work and rest. He really deserves to rest now, otherwise the team might not have been crushed, but he would have been the one who collapsed - the thought of the last minute on Portman Road made his heart stop. If Eastwood hadn't scored that free-kick, Forest would have given up on their dream of finishing second in the league.

Well, it's not bad to go to the pub in Burns and relax and chat with John. Put the escalation worries behind for now.

Don didn't expect that the next night, he didn't see Fat John and them at the Forest Bar, but another group of people.

A group of middle-aged men about Burns' age, whom Don almost didn't know at all. The men gathered an old man in the middle of the crowd, and the old man with a wine glass and speaking to the others was the center of attention. He is the legendary manager of Nottingham Forest, Brian. Croft.

Don didn't expect to see the leader here, he froze at the door. Until Burns walked up to him.

"This is ......" Donne, who was puzzled, had just opened his mouth when he was interrupted by Burns laughing.

"A simple dinner to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Nottingham Forest's European Champions Cup win. Except for you, all of you here are the people who participated in the final of the UEFA Champions '79. "Kenny. Burns led Donn in, and Clough, who was standing in the middle of the room and speaking, saw them.

He raised the wine glass in his hand to Donne, "Who's coming?" What does it feel like to win a championship? ”

These words turned the attention of the others to Donne, who had just entered the door, and they all laughed when they saw who was coming.

"Mr. Donn, you've been in the news for the last two months!"

"Boss, I think you look alike!"

Clough was noncommittal about such a statement, and Don was a little embarrassed. He didn't know any of them, except for Burns and Clough, but they seemed to know him well. The wine glasses handed by Burns closed for him.

He took the glass and thanked Burns. Then he answered Clough's first question: "It feels great, sir." ”

As he said this, the others laughed again and then discussed the funny story before the Carabao Cup final: "I could hardly believe my eyes when I watched the whole Forest team get out of the bus in front of the TV! ”

"Me too, Peter. Tony. Mr. Donn's appearance is impressive! ”

"Haha!"

Donn knew they were talking about his outfit, and when he watched the replay, he thought he looked funny, and he didn't want to do it again...... "Even though you look like a clown, ...... Works, doesn't it? Clough took a sip of his wine, then looked at Don and said.

Don nodded, although the people standing in front of him were all people who had lifted the European Champions Cup with their own hands, but Donn, who won the League Cup, also had the confidence to talk on an equal footing in front of them. 'The team wasn't doing well at the time and I had to do that to help them build their confidence. Later I looked funny myself, but ...... As long as we win the championship at the end, the joker is not a big deal at all. ”

The topic seemed to be developing in the direction of communication between the two, and the others left one after another with interest, chatting with each other casually with wine glasses.

In the middle of the room, there were only Clough and Don left at the table. Clough made a "sit" gesture, and the two sat down facing each other.

"To be able to see the red shirt of Forest again in the Carabao Cup final...... That's a good feeling. "Do you know when the last time we reached the Carabao Cup final?" ”

"Twelve years ago, Chief." Don replied without hesitation.

Clough nodded slowly: "Wembley has been rebuilt, that's been a long time...... "He looked back at the door of the bar, as if recalling his time as Forest's manager.

Twelve years ago, in 1992, the last season before the Premier League, Bryan Brown. Clough's final year as Nottingham Forest manager, saw Forest reach the final of the Carabao Cup in 91/92, the last vestiges of the once-smash hit Nottingham Forest. They lost to Manchester United and saved Alex in a crisis of confidence. Coach Alex Ferguson, the Scotsman who went on to build his own Manchester United dynasty and was knighted by the Queen of England. And Brian. Clough and his legendary forest are slowly retiring from the stage of history.

Compared to Bobby, who is still coaching at Newcastle. Robson is two years younger, only seven years older than Alex Ferguson, and he could still be in charge of the game in the dugout instead of sitting at home drinking and then being forced to have a liver transplant.

What would have happened if Forest hadn't lost to Manchester United? Will Forest take this opportunity to regain their momentum? Will Ferguson be disgraced? David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Scholes...... What will be the fate of Manchester United's 92 generation?

There is no point in thinking about it now.

Don came back to his senses to find Clough looking at him.

"I've heard Burns say you've been stressed a lot lately."

"Hmm...... Yes, sir. In the last round of the league, at the end of the game, I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. ”

Clough smirked, "It's not that easy to be a manager, boy. I've been in the Forest manager for 18 years, what hasn't happened to me? Unbeaten in 42 rounds and reaching the final of the Champions Cup for three years in a row, but I ......" he pointed to those who were talking. "I never let them know what's going on in my heart, especially bad thoughts. Remember the first time we met, kid. ”

Donn nodded, and Burns, Walker, and Bowyer took him to Derbyshire, where the old handsome's house had afternoon tea as if it were yesterday.

"What did I ask?"

This kind of conversation makes Donn feel as if he has a lot of conversations with his players, only the role has changed, he is not the manager, he is Brian. One of Clough's players. He thought for a moment, then replied, "You asked me what I thought the head coach did. ”

"How did you answer?"

"Lead the team to victory......"

Clough took a sip of his wine, then continued, as Donn remembered, "Wrong, boy, that's just part of the job." Now I think you understand what that means, right? ”

Don nodded, "I get the idea, chief." ”

"Wrong again, how long have you been in this position? The ass wasn't hot, so it was clear. What do you understand? ”

Faced with such a rhetorical question, Don didn't know how to answer.

"You've got a long way to go, boy......" Clough slowly stood up, looking down at Donn. Then he went to talk to his old subordinate with a wine glass.

The dinner then returned to the theme of this event, and everyone talked about the past glory of the Forest team. Don sat next to him and began to listen without saying a word. At the same time, he fantasized in his heart - one day, he can also sit here with his former subordinates, and recall the years of European kingship? And what about after the boyhood?

The dinner was simple, private hostage, and it was not open to the media, and they were not even informed. At ten o'clock in the evening, it was over. At the door of the bar, everyone was busy saying goodbye.

At this time, Don became the busiest person again. Everyone would come over to say goodbye to him and say a word or two of encouragement to him, after all, everyone had played for the Forest team, and there was still a feeling for that. In the end, it was Brian's turn. Clough sat in the car, opened the window, and looked at Donn. Don knew he had something to say, and quickly leaned over to stand outside the car window.

The old man looked at Donne, thought about it sideways, and then shrugged: "I almost forgot something...... Congratulations, boy. Then he rolled the window back and knocked on the driver's seat.

The white Ford slowly drove away from Donn, and everyone else drove goodbye, and the door of the bar, which had been bustling just a moment ago, suddenly fell silent. Donn was standing on the side of the road, and Burns came up to him and said, "Aren't you used to it?" Listening to us discuss the past? ”

Don looked back at him kindly, "It's okay...... In the past, I used to encounter this kind of thing a lot. He was referring to himself in China. At the class reunion, everyone was cheerfully talking about his recent experiences, but he seemed to be an outsider, not interested in those topics.

"Well, actually...... It was the boss who asked me to call you, and originally we only invited teammates who had played in the '79 Champions Cup final. Before you arrived, he spoke to me about the Carabao Cup final and said that your tactics in that game reminded him of the first time Forest won the Champions League – and we won it with an airtight defence. Oh, there's one more thing, although the leader didn't say it, but I think it...... If the season is over and Forest do return to the Premier League, he will be happy. Burns looked at the night sky in the distance.

Donn smiled, "Thank you, Kenny. ”

"Don't thank me, thank you. We old guys have seen the passing years in your Forest team, so we all have high hopes for you...... What do you think? Now that I'm saying that, isn't the pressure on your heart even greater? Burns laughed.

"Kenny, if I don't succeed, I'll come to you and drink all your stock."

(To be continued)