Chapter 9: I'll Be Back (I)
While Donn was building his own youth team, Collymore and Evan Brown. Dogotti was not idle. Rebrov has spent two-thirds of Forest's transfer budget this season, but fans are willing to believe that the 'expensive' Ukrainian can become the new hero of the city stadium and lead the team back to the Premier League.
Collymore then made a controversial decision to sell last season's top scorer in Forest's squad, the Silver Boot in League One, to West Ham United, who were relegated from the Premier League. In fact, what makes everyone most dissatisfied is not that the main shooter was sold, but that Collymore was sold too cheaply. West Ham United made an offer of half a million, and he hurriedly sold Helewood. As if for fear that if you stay a few more days, it will depreciate.
Of course, there are also reports that it was because after a training session, Hailewood bumped into Collymore on the way back to the locker room, and the two developed from insulting each other to pushing and shoving...... But who knows if the story that happens in a corner of the media that the public can't see is true or not?
Then, Forest brought in Danny from Walchal on a free transfer. Danny 'Sonner, a 31-year-old midfielder, is already his third team in three years.
At the end of July, Forest brought in Icelandic defensive midfielder Blanja from Stoke City on a free basis. Brynjar 'Gunnarsson, in addition to being a defensive midfielder, is a tall and strong Icelander who can also play as a central defender.
In the end, the Forest team brought in Australian player Jacob from Leeds United, which was in financial crisis. Jacob'burns, who won against another club, Barnsley, who were interested in Burns.
After Hellwood left, last season's main centre-back, Dawson's partner Joe Olaf. When Hajld's contract expired, Collymore told him that there was no place for him in his plans for the new season, and the Norwegian had no choice but to leave, and he moved on a free transfer to Busan Hyundai in South Korea's K-League as far away Asia. Another centre-back that Donn admires is Christian. Edwards is on loan at Oxford in League 3 by Collymore. When Don heard the news, he sighed, Edwards is twenty-six years old, and now he is playing in a league at that level, don't expect to improve.
Last season's main defensive midfielder Ricciardo. Smeka also chose to leave after his contract expired, and Leicester City, who had just been promoted to the Premier League, took a look at him. Also leaving on a free transfer is Jim. Jim 'Brennan, his next stop is fellow League One side Norwich. Benjamin Brown, who was loaned by Forest from Marseille last season. Benjamin 'Gavanon returned to France when his loan contract expired.
Young defender James scored an own goal for Forest in the promotion play-offs, which led to the team's defeat. Beggins was sold by Collymore for a very low £100,000 to Queens Park Rangers (Q.P.R.) in the English Second Division. This poor young man, his career has not even begun, and it is almost over...... By the time of the start of the English First Division, Collymore and Forest had achieved the following results in the transfer market:
The £2 million purchase of Rebrov from Tottenham Hotspur was one of the most high-profile deals in the League One transfer market this summer. Free transfer brought in Danny. Sauna. In terms of selling players, Malone. Hellwood joined West Ham United for £500,000. Biggins went to League Two for £50,000 for Queens Park Rangers. Hajld, Smeka and Brinnan left Forest on a free transfer.
Nothing else has changed, and the Forest team has received strong reinforcements on the basis of basically maintaining last season's personnel. On top of that, the transfer budget of three million is left with £1.65 million left.
Forest's first-team squad for this season has also been largely decided.
The two goalkeepers were twenty-nine-year-old Welshman Darren. Darren'ward and 21-year-old Irish teenager Barry. Barry Roche, Ward's main position will not have any problems under Donn or Collymore.
The backline is led by twenty-year-old captain Michael Murphy. Dawson (Michael'dawww.xstxt.orgpson), 27-year-old French right-back Matthew Murphy. Mathieu'Louis-Jean, 19-year-old Scottish left-back Georges. Gregor 'Robertson.
The midfield includes new signing Blanya. Brynjar'gunnarsson, 20-year-old German teenager Eugen Gunnarsson. Eugen'Bopp, Danny. Sauna (Danny'sonner), 21-year-old Gareth. Gareth Williams, 20-year-old Brian. Brian 'Cash, 20-year-old Andy. Andrey'Reid, 32-year-old Ian. Eoin'Jess.
Front: Twenty-six-year-old David. David 'Johnson, eighteen-year-old Karaji. Craig' Westcarr, and twenty-nine-year-old Sergei Westcarr. Serhiy' Rebrov.
Evan. Speaking in an interview, Dogetty claimed that he was very satisfied with Coach Collymore's job because he did not splurge on £3 million and did not think enough about the club that had just come out of financial crisis.
The media also took photos of Collymore demonstrating himself on the training ground, where he was smiling and he was in a good mood. Maybe he's really ready to be a man again...... Of course, there is usually only one indicator to judge how well a manager is doing - how well he leads the team. If you buy someone to save your budget, you can do accounting, and you can continue to be his player by demonstrating the actions yourself. Just because Collymore looks good now doesn't mean he'll be fine in the future.
Bruce looked at the new Forest's manager in the photo for a moment, then tossed it aside and created a new folder on his laptop to hide. He then named the hidden folder - Collymore's Countdown to the End of Class.
※※※On August 9, the 03-04 season of the English Football League officially kicked off. A day later, Collymore's Forest hosted their first opponent of the season, Sunderland "Black Cat".
For Collymore, it was his first big test, and some of the previous warm-up games were small fights.
The result of the match was pleasing to Collymore and all Forest supporters.
Just 19 minutes into the game, Rebrov, the "standard king" of Forest's summer transfer, scored his first goal for the Forest team, and the city stadium was thrown into jubilation.
Sitting in the audience, Donn saw the Ukrainian hugging his teammates, and knew that the future had been irretrievably changed, and that this change was expanding little by little around Nottingham, where he was. It is as if a pebble is thrown into the calm surface of the lake, and the ripples in the circles push the fallen leaves on the surface of the lake, startling away the fish underwater. When the ripples dissipated, the surface of the lake and the water were no longer what they used to be.
Rebrov did play in the second tier of England as he remembers, but that was a year later at West Ham United, who played just one season before Dynamo Kyiv.
Don knew that this change must be because he was here, because it was all about him. He was powerless to change the situation, and could only hope that it wouldn't change too much...... Or rather, his memories will work when he needs them.
Forty-one minutes, Frenchman Matthew, who was thrown into the reserve team by Donn last season and reused by Collymore this season. Luis Jean scored his first goal for Forest.
Seeing this scene, Don shook his head. If someone he doesn't like to score a goal under someone else's hands will make the media think that Collymore is right to replace him?
Neither side scored in the second half of the game, and the score remained 2:0 until the end. Collymore and his Forest team are off to a good start.
The crowd around Donn was left talking about the future of the new coach with gusto, but Donn had no interest in the topic. He shrunk his head through the crowd and left the city stadium, not even thinking of looking back.
Three days later, Collymore's side won away at Port'Vale in the first round of the English League Cup. Despite the qualification, it was a tough game. Collymore didn't expect Nottingham Forest, who are in the First Division, to make it 0-0 for a team in the second division for 120 minutes before winning on penalties. No wonder after the game, the local media were unconvinced and said that Nottingham Forest were able to qualify, but they were lucky.
Although the second game win was not so convincing, Stan won two in a row. Collymore still gets credit. He's been a big news figure for Nottingham and the fans and media alike are looking forward to what he can do here, and it shouldn't be too bad at the start.
The media took the flattering words that had been used to praise Donne, changed their names, and published them in the newspapers. But anyone who thinks that Donn hates being compared to Collymore, and hates to see all the news about Collymore, is very wrong.
Not only did Donn make up his mind that he would watch every home game of the Forest team in the future, but he also paid special attention to all the news about the Forest team and Collymore, even the news about the top of the board. He's going to be ready to go back to that seat one day.
As he said to Professor Konstantin after being elected Coach of the Month of February. I Don was born to be there, to be a manager, to be a winner. The present dormant is only for the outbreak later...... Evan was right to say that I wasn't stable enough, mature enough, or I wouldn't have lost to that old fellow at Volnock in Sheffield.
But...... Wait, when I reappear before you, I promise you'll see a different Tony. Dawn.
(To be continued)