Chapter Twenty-Four: The Leader (I)
Forest picked up their first win of the season, which is no small news for Nottingham. Keegan was even more upset with the game against Manchester City reporting for several days, but Don couldn't help it, the pressure on his head was temporarily removed, and now the internal and external environment of the team is impeccable.
He can prepare for the UEFA Cup qualifier on September 16 against the first leg of the UEFA Europa League.
If it weren't for the League Cup qualifiers, Donn probably wouldn't have gotten to know them at all. Even after understanding, Donn doesn't think this team will cause any problems for Forest, let alone playing at home.
Morale is high right now, and if it's hard to even play a Czech team at home, then don't think about doing anything in the UEFA Cup.
It turns out that Donn's reassurance makes sense.
Nottingham Forest comfortably beat visiting Ostrafa 3-0 at their home stadium. Although the opponent was weak, the City Stadium was once again full as the "opener" of the Forest team's return to the European stage after eight years. It's been more than a month since the start of the Premier League, and the City Stadium has been officially counted as having the highest attendance rate - all full, 100 percent!
It can be seen how anxious Nottingham Forest's supporters are to be able to appear at the top level, and their pent-up emotions for eight years are all released, so that the whole of England can feel it clearly.
The Nottinghams were still in a state of joy after a 3-0 home win over Ostrafa and looked almost certain to qualify on the road for the next leg.
With their first league win and a three-goal lead in the first leg of the UEFA Cup qualification, it looks like Forest have been doing well lately. However, in the away game against Fulham on September 18, the Forest team wasted three must-score opportunities throughout the game, and finally had to draw 1-1 with the opponent.
In Donne's general schedule for the season, for those teams who are ranked below 10, Donn asks to get three points regardless of home and away. As a promoted Forest team, the objects that can steal points are these teams with similar strength to them, and if they lose too many points on these teams, the Forest team will really have to fight for relegation.
Naturally, this kind of result is not satisfactory to Donn, but for the team, he still has to smile and relieve the pressure on the young people.
The pressure should not be transferred to the players, the pressure must be carried by the manager alone. This is the way Donn insists on coaching.
In the post-match press conference, a reporter asked why Forest's performance was always up and down, when everyone thought they could win, but they couldn't.
In this regard, Donn believes that Forest is a relatively young team, and it is normal for the performance to be inconsistent, and there is no need to make a fuss at all.
Despite what he says, Don doesn't intend to be lenient with this group of inconsistent players. On the day of the game, Sen left the team and returned to Nottingham by bus, and although the next game was four days later on September 22, Donn announced on the bus that the holiday for the day after the game would be cancelled.
Now, those players who read the news media report and thought that Donn was not angry know that the owner is very unhappy with the team's current inconsistent record.
In six league games, Forest have won one, drawn four and lost one, and they are even level on Liverpool with seven points. It stands to reason that as a promoted horse, he should be satisfied enough with such a start. But who makes Don not a man who is content with the status quo? Under the banner of promotion horses, but with a plan to compete with the top six in the league, how can the gap be opened at the beginning?
Arsenal are top of the table with 16 points from five wins and one draw, followed by Jose Mourinho's Chelsea with four wins and two draws, and David Moyes' Everton in third place with four wins, one draw and one defeat. Donn believes that if they win the game against Fulham, Forest should now have nine points, at least in the second team, between seven and nine. Now, the Forest team is only 13th.
On this week's BBC "Today's Event", Lineker and Mark Brown. Laurentian spoke about Forest, about Tony. Dawn. The shaved Laurentian seems determined to play a role that Donn doesn't like. He said on the show that Tony of the First Division. Donn's self-professed pursuit of victory, and his team results are in line with his statement, with Forest having a very high win rate, ranking first among all teams in League One. But when it came to the Super League, Don didn't talk about "pursuing victory", obviously he also learned to be good, knowing that the Premier League is different from the lower leagues, and it is not arrogant that you can get a good position.
Don hasn't said anything about it, and the local media in Nottingham have stopped working. Bruce wrote an article refuting Lawrenson's nonsense, arguing that Lawrenson's unfair comments about Donn and the Forest team were due to a bet on losing the beard, and he held a grudge and waited for revenge...... The Premier League has never lacked such lively scenes.
Now that Bruce helped him out, Donn didn't bother to waste his energy on the media, and he concentrated on leading the team in training and preparing for the next round. In the seventh round of the league, Nottingham Forest hosted Chelsea, which was definitely a tough battle!
※※※ September 20th, an ordinary Monday morning, the sun was shining. Donn was leading the team through training as usual. He suddenly saw the club's president, Evan Brown, who had not been seen for a long time. Dogetty was seen on the sidelines of the training ground.
Mr. Chairman must have appeared here to find something to do with Don. Don gestured to David to continue training, then turned and walked off the training ground.
"Evan, I've rarely seen you here. If you show up, then it must be a big deal! Don walked over to him with Evan joking. Despite the team's mediocre results so far, Donn is always optimistic in front of Evan.
"Well, it's a big deal...... Tony, I just got a call from Derbyshire Hospital. Instead of smiling back at Donn's joke, Evan said with a straight face, "Brian. Clough had just passed away from stomach cancer. ”
Tang En was stunned for a moment, thinking that he didn't hear clearly: "What did you say?" ”
"Mrs. Clough would like you to go to tomorrow's private funeral. I know the relationship between you and the chief, Tony ......" Evan patted Donn on the shoulder and didn't say any more, but turned and left the training ground.
Don stood alone on the sidelines, looking at Evan's back in a daze, and didn't react for a while.
No sooner had Evan's back disappeared than Don saw Pierce. Bruce stumbled out of the barbed wire fence and gestured to him in the hope that he would pass.
Donn walked over, and Bruce asked breathlessly, "To...... Tony, I'll call you, call you...... Didn't you get it? ”
"I don't bring my phone with me when I train......"
"I ...... I've just gotten the news, and I'm stopping by to inform you: Clough...... Brian. Clough is dead! Bruce's eyes widened and he said that for him, it was a big event in the history of Nottingham football, a very, very big event. Donn's reaction wasn't as drastic as he thought.
Evan ...... Mr. President has just informed me that I have been invited to a private funeral tomorrow. Don pointed in the direction in which Evan had disappeared, and he said this with no shock on his face, and no sadness in sight.
Bruce looked at Donn, then nodded, "Then I'll go first, and I'll go to Derby County to follow up on this." ”
"Goodbye, Mr. Reporter."
"Goodbye, Tony."
When Bruce disappeared from his field of vision, Don's brain seemed to react to the fact that someone had just died.
(To be continued)