714 The Purge Lis

In fact, the subject of Chen Jian did not cause any sensation—not even the slightest ripple. A week later, after someone from the Nottingham Forest Football Club came in to help Chen Jian take care of all the procedures, he left the Tianjin Justice Jingguan School under the envious gazes of his classmates, and embarked on the journey to his dream in Nottingham.

There was no domestic media coverage of the matter. The Nottingham Forest Football Club was very low-key in its handling of it, and did not inform any media outlet. Allan Adams had wanted to hype it up in China so that the club could open up the Chinese market further. But Twain discouraged him, saying that it would not be too late to publicize it once Chen Jian had really made something of himself. Even if it was publicized now, it would not produce any effects. China's market was vast, but it would not be receptive to a young player whose future was unknown at the moment.

In actual fact, Twain did not want to put too much weight on Chen Jian's shoulders. The pressure on him was already heavy enough.

Once he arrived in Nottingham, he received no special treatment other than a small family welcome dinner prepared for him by his landlord, Fat John. He still lived at John's house, and would take time out every week to attend a cultural class at the University of Nottingham. He was the same as the other young players on the youth team. Twain had only met him once, when he arrived in Nottingham and went to busy himself working for the First Team, after he realized that he had no way back. Twain did not say much—he just wanted him to persevere. There was no press conference, welcoming crowd, or reporters in pursuit... Everything indicated that he was just an apprentice.

Greenwood made a small joke: "Chen, did you dribble the ball back from China?"

"Yes, Manager Greenwood." Chen Jian replied proudly.

Everything was business as usual.

At present, Chen Jian was no longer the youth who had arrived here more than a year ago, filled with endless expectations and visions for the future. He understood the cruel reality of the situation, and was also well aware of the gap between him and his dream. Instead of fantasizing and dreaming of achieving the day when he would be constantly impressive, it was better for him to stay down-to-earth and diligently train. He did not think about whether he would realize his dream. He firmly believed that as long as he worked hard every day and stuck to it, one day he would dig through the mountain and open the path between the reality and the dream. No matter how long it took, no matter how high the price he had to pay—even if it was in blood—he would continue to dig forward!

※※※

The matter of recruiting Chen Jian as an apprentice was settled. But Chen Jian's story had only just begun. It might take a long time before Twain could see the third and fourth volumes, as well as the ending of the dream journal. However, he was not in a hurry. He had patience, and would slowly wait to accompany the strong and tenacious kid to the end.

Now he had to shift his focus to the First Team.

During the interlude of Chen Jian's pursuit of his dream, Nottingham Forest had already played another league game.

Nottingham Forest faced West Bromwich Albion on May 9th in the 36th round of the league tournament. Although Twain had officially begun to join the team's day-to-day management work, the game was still directed by Dunn on the sidelines. Twain sat in the box and watched the game.

Perhaps knowing that the real boss was watching them from high in the stands, the Nottingham Forest players did their utmost. They beat West Bromwich Albion by 3:0 in the away game, kicking their opponent back to the EFL Championship two rounds ahead.

During the match, the television footage repeatedly swept to Tony Twain, who sat upright and still in the box. The commentator mentioned more than once that today's Forest team was completely different from the last round of the league tournament, for the simple reason that their king was coming back.

Nottingham Forest, which won the game, rose two spots to rank at the tenth spot in the league table, with fifty-two points. With two rounds remaining before the season ended, they were seven points away from the sixth-placed Aston Villa, and were inevitably unable to qualify for next season's UEFA Europa League.

Could the season be declared over in advance for them at this point?

Twain did not see it that way.

When they were back in Nottingham's tactical session, Twain told his players, "This is a great opportunity. You have the opportunity to prove that you are still men with balls, who make your own decisions! Even if we came up empty-handed this season, we still have to end the season with three consecutive wins. It will be the most insignificant compensation we can make for our previous poor results! Let those home fans be comforted in the final round! Tell them that even if we don't get anything this season, we're not broken! Tell the opponents who are waiting to see us fail that Nottingham Forest will be back in the new season, and no one will be able to stop us! Let the new season officially begin from this game!"

On May 16th, the thirty-seventh round of the league tournament, Nottingham Forest took on Stoke City.

Before the game, Nottingham Forest's official website officially announced that their "king," Tony Twain, had returned to the team. Dunn had handed over the command, and Twain would personally sit in the technical area to direct the game. The team once again decisively won against Stoke City by 3:0 under his command in the away game.

After the game, this was what the BBC's sports news said about the game:

"The other managers in the Premier League need to be careful. That guy is back!"

※※※

Before the final round of the league tournament, the battle for the league title became clearer. Arsenal had to pay the price for trying to gain supremacy with a young squad. They were firmly positioned in fourth place, with no danger of losing. However, they could not go any higher. Chelsea also slowly fell behind after their boundless prospects in the first half of the league tournament, and finished third.

Instead, the two teams vying for the league title were Liverpool, which was previously thought to be unable to play in the league, and the shrewd and ruthless Manchester United.

Both teams had the same number of points, but Manchester United was temporarily in second place due to the goal difference. If they wanted to win the title, they had to score at least three goals in their last game against Hull City, and pray that Liverpool didn't win by a wide margin. In terms of the opponents, Manchester United's was slightly more favorable. Hull City was ranked in the middle level and had no desire for more, whereas Liverpool's opponent, Tottenham Hotspur, had to fight to stay in the league.

Such a situation inevitably reminded people of last season's final round of the battle for the title, when Manchester United was one of the main players for two seasons in a row. But their opponent was replaced. Nottingham Forest, which had wiped out Manchester United to take the crown at Old Trafford last season, was ranked in the middle and bound to get nothing, which was a shame.

Twain did not have the time to care that people were lamenting for his team. He was just as busy, even though Nottingham Forest did not have any specific goals at the moment.

The team's training was all handed over to the coaching staff, led by Dunn and Kerslake. Twain was busy talking to individual players to find out their inclination, to determine the candidates on the purge list.

The first person he looked for was the team captain, George Wood.

When he had not yet returned to the team, the transfer rumors about Wood had been flying around. Many clubs were interested in this type of midfielder, who was rare in the world of football. He was willing to do the grunt work, did not ask for high wages, and was not emotional. AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus, Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, FC Schalke 04, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Arsenal were all on the lookout, to name a few...

All of these clubs were in the big leagues. Any one of them was a fatal temptation.

But Wood's agent, Billy Woox, remained unmoved.

After Nottingham Forest announced the official return of Twain, Billy Woox immediately announced that his player had never thought of leaving Nottingham Forest, that it was Nottingham Forest who had nurtured him and had given him his current achievements. He was willing to stay at Nottingham Forest, unless the club chased him away.

Twain was unable to make sense of the old man's intention, so he simply looked for George Wood to hear his own player's thoughts.

"What Woox said is the truth," Wood answered him. "I've never thought of leaving. Even if he wanted me to leave, I wouldn't. Don't I have to sign the contract myself in the end?"

Wood's words reassured Twain. He was well-prepared to face the transfer crisis that would follow in the summer. But George Wood absolutely could not leave, because he was the real core of the team. If Twain wanted the Forest team to regain its glory, he could not do it without Wood.

Not only that, George Wood also said something that greatly moved Twain. "I know the state of the team's economic situation. If it really can't manage, I'm willing to re-sign a contract with the club to reduce my current salary and some bonuses. Anyway, no matter how much more money I have, I'm fine as long as I have enough to use. Mr. Woox made me a lot of money in other areas. I don't even know how to use it..."

Twain almost laughed out loud. This silly boy actually grumbles about more money?

"Ah, your words are going to infuriate Woox. Your revenue also directly affects his income."

Wood's expression remained unchanged, and he spoke with a straight face. "He has so much money that he simply does not need me to help him make more. I'll fire him if he does not agree."

Twain could not contain himself any longer, and openly guffawed. This boy's heart is still with him, ah...He was happy.

"You don't need to take a pay cut, George. You just focus on playing with peace of mind, and hold the team together for me. Just set an example on the pitch, and that will do. You don't have to consider the financial side of things."

After he sent George Wood away, Twain was calmer by half. Without taking a break, he began to talk to each player one by one. "Since we'll be gone for five months, everyone should deepen their connections and communicate with each other," he said. But this was just a pretense to let him observe the players. He needed to decide between the ones he could give up, and had to let go with the right prices, and the ones he simply could not discard, whom he was not willing to drop.

Van Nistelrooy was still recovering from his injury after he underwent the surgery. If he returned to play after he recovered from his injury, Twain would give him a contract of one year minimum no matter what. He did not want the veteran who had helped him rise to prominence to be bitterly disappointed. If he had not had a heart attack, he could have urged the club to offer a new contract in the first half of the year to the Dutchman, when van Nistelrooy was still undergoing his surgery.

Although his body would not be as it was before, van Nistelrooy's experience and role in the locker room were evident.

It went without saying that Eastwood must stay. The Romani himself also did not want to leave.

As for Arshavin... he might leave, or he might not leave. He himself did not have a particularly strong desire one way or the other. If Twain wanted him to stay, then he would most likely stay. Because Barcelona, where he wanted to go the most, clearly did not need him now.

Žigić's performance at the Forest team had been average this season, with occasional flashes of brilliance. But these brilliant flashes were too few for a player who was taken as Bendtner's successor, and number one center forward during Van Nistelrooy's injury. He was even once rated by the British media as the most "subpar foreign import" of the season. But Twain did not intend to give him up, because Twain knew that Žigić's poor performance was not his problem, but the team's as a whole. He still wanted to give Žigić a chance to prove himself again. In addition, he had the selfish motive of not wanting to readily admit that he had failed. Twain would not sell Nikola. Not to mention, selling Žigić at this time could only be a loss-making deal. Only a fool would do it.

Van der Vaart's situation was somewhat special. Real Madrid's midfielder emergency was about more than just the flanks. The middle was also short of players. Van der Vaart had long proven his talent and ability at Nottingham Forest. Real Madrid was interested in attracting him. Van der Vaart himself also wanted to play football in Spain. He did not care whether it was for Real Madrid or Barça. The Forest team might have to pay a high price if they wanted to keep him. Allan Adams was inclined to sell him quickly while he could still fetch a high price, but Twain was hesitant. Şahin's performance was getting better, but he could take charge of the area alone. He needed van der Vaart to oversee and organize the offense.

Twain put a question mark next to van der Vaart's name. He himself did not know if the Dutchman would still be on his squad list when the next season came.

He naturally wanted Şahin to stay on the team, and the man himself did not want to leave.

Beckham would definitely leave the team. After the expiration of his two-year contract, it would be in accordance with their original agreement, and Twain would not urge him to stay. He was going to the United States with his wife to join Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy. Twain and he both knew, so they did not say anything to each other.

Aaron Lennon would not go, however. Twain would not relinquish him, and he himself did not wish to leave. When Beckham was gone, he would be the main player on the right side of the field, as expected. The Forest team certainly did not have the money to buy a lot of players to rotate this season, and they did not need to rotate, because there were not too many games.

Martin Petrov was similar to Lennon. Ribéry had kept him down for the past few years. With Ribéry gone now, he could make it too. But Twain had not ruled out the possibility of selling Petrov to cash out. For in his view, Petrov's position was not high. At the very least, he was not comparable to Lennon, who was a promising young player. If a club were to offer the right price, he might consider letting him go and buying younger wingers from the transfer market, without spending too much money.

Twain would not drop Tiago Mendes, either. On the one hand, he was an all-rounder in the midfield, and was able to play as a defensive midfielder. He could also play as a playmaker in the midfield. He was better at defense than van der Vaart, and a little better at offense than George Wood. While he was not top-notch in any aspect, the team now needed a player with well-balanced abilities.

He would not give up Kris Commons, either. Although he was very popular in the lower leagues, Twain wanted to be better prepared for the future "4+7", "5+6" and "6+5" combinations. Such a local player was especially important, since he was the player they had trained in their youth training system. There were opportunities to play in the EFL Cup and FA Cup. He could even receive appearances in some inconsequential league games, and also help the team smoothly qualify for the Champions League.

Wes Morgan was just like Commons. As the team's third captain, Twain would not drop Morgan.

Roberto Ayala would not renew his contract with the club once it expired. He wanted to return to Argentina, and Twain did not intend to keep him. Ayala was no longer in his plan anyway, and he would have to spend for one more player's salary if he continued to stay.

Rafinha had attracted the notice of a few clubs for his outstanding performance on the Forest team, and could be presented with offers from a number of clubs in the summer. At that time, Twain would carefully consider whether he would rebuff every one of the clubs, or choose to accept some of the offers. However, if Rafinha was exchanged for money, there would be another vacancy for the right back position, and he would continue to have a headache in search of a right back.

With regards to Chimbonda...as he got older, fewer and fewer teams were interested in him, and it could be predicted that there would be few offers which could satisfy Twain this summer. Twain would have to keep Chimbonda for at least another season.

Surprisingly, when he'd had the fight with Bendtner, Twain had wanted to drive out Chimbonda and keep Bendtner. In the end, Bendtner, whom Twain was reluctant to give up, was actually the one to leave, leaving behind Chimbonda, whom he did not want to keep. Sometimes, that was simply how life worked.

Sun Jihai wanted to continue to stay at Nottingham Forest until he retired. It was not hard to understand his thinking—he had entered the twilight of his career, and there was nothing else he could ask for. What more could he want than to be able to play for a team that had won the UEFA Champions League title for two seasons in a row until he retired? He had been glorious before, and had made enough money, too. Anyway, if the Forest team did not want him, he would never go back to China. Twain was now hesitating over whether to purge Sun Jihai, because his contribution to the team was lessening. But Sun Jihai had not been popular in the Premier League. If a team wanted to buy him, it could only be an EFL Championship-level team. How much could they pay?

There were mid-to-lower level teams interested in Leighton Baines, but Twain would not sell. He was one of the safeguards that helped stabilize the team's rear defensive line. He was not as good on offense as Bale, but he had done very well defensively. Where would Twain go to find someone else if he gave up such a stable player?

Gareth Bale, Vincent Kompany, and Pepe had all received a number of transfer offers. But Twain was not going to let go of any one of them. There was no room for discussion. These three men, along with George Wood and Eastwood, were treated the same—not for sale.

Woodgate had only been with the team for a year. He did not want to leave, and Twain was happy to oblige.

Van der Sar intended to retire at the Forest team, but he would give up his place as the main goalkeeper next season. Starting with the friendly matches, Twain planned to promote Akinfeev. After two seasons with the Forest team, he was finally going to become the team's main goalkeeper.

Dale Roberts would also be the team's third goalkeeper. But if he wanted to leave, and there was a team that was interested in him, Twain would release him, and then draw up a goalkeeper from the youth team.

Going through the names, Twain discovered that the so-called purge actually did not impact that many people ... He hated to part with these guys, who had fought with him for years...

Everyone had prospered with one another, and participated in the successes as one. They had competed across the world together. Why did they have to go their separate ways in the face of the imminent catastrophe?

If there was a team that would pay Bale, Pepe, and Kompany tens of millions of dollars in price, would he be able to ward them off, and keep those three from leaving? Would those loyal players, who simply did not want to leave the team in the first place, be forced to leave because they had to pay for the club's poor financial management?

He did not want his team to turn out like Lazio, or one of his players to become the new Nesta.

They were the seedlings of Nottingham Forest's resurgence. He would safeguard them no matter what!