730 Plans for the New League Season

Following the previous match, in which the team defeated Stoke City, successfully holding down Chelsea and becoming the final team participating in the Champions League, Tony Twain became the person with whom the media was most concerned. His delightful smile appeared on several media platforms. His line about Europe coming back to Europe had even become a quotation that several Nottingham Forest fans loved to mimic.

Some were happy, but others were disappointed. On the second day after the match, Chelsea officially announced that Scolari had lost his job as head coach. On paper, he was thanked for his contributions to the team and acknowledged for his results, not that there was much to acknowledge. During the two league seasons that Scolari led the team, Chelsea did not win any championships at all. Despite that, the team had to maintain a courteous facade. On paper, the reason for his dismissal was not stated. Scolari did not accept any interviews after he left the club, turning down any means of expressing his opinion.

But, everyone knew. Chelsea was stuck at fourth place in the current league season and had lost the right to qualify for the Champions League. Losing rights to the Champions League next season was the main reason Scolari was dismissed. The focus should not have been on Abramovich, who was wealthy enough to purchase several players for Chelsea, but on Chelsea's head coach, who was arguably under more stress than his Manchester United and Arsenal counterparts.

Man City's previous general, Mark Hughes, faced the same plight as Scolari. Hughes understood what Scolari was feeling at the moment. He had been dismissed by the boss, whom he could not tolerate anymore, because Man City did not achieve any glorious results despite the heavy investments. Participating in the Europa League had been the height of his achievements. His final words before his dismissal garnered much pity. He said, "I can finally get a good sleep."

As for his successor, Kevin Keegan, he was still tormented in that position. His main reason for not resigning was because he hoped to have his contract terminated so he could receive a hefty compensation fee. Now, the Man City's head coach role had become a hot potato.

In comparison, Chelsea's situation was slightly better. After Hoddle's start, the team moved on to Gullit, Viali, Ranieri, and finally Mourinho. Chelsea had already become a strong team in the Premier League, so it became more attractive to elite players and coaches.

After dismissing Scolari, Chelsea announced his successor. "We have already agreed with Mr. Frank Rijkaard. He is willing to take on the head coach position for Chelsea. Mr. Abramovich looks forward to Mr. Rijkaard bringing delightful football for Chelsea's fans."

People who knew Abramovich were not surprised. Rijkaard, who had been idling at home, was indeed the most suitable candidate to suit Abramovich's wants. Bearing in mind the beauty of the game he played back in Barcelona, Rijkaard was the best candidate at the moment if one wanted to watch beautiful football.

Rijkaard responded quickly, making a whole new challenge for himself. The rumors stating Rijkaard was replacing Ancelotti as AC Milan's head coach instantly collapsed.

Two days after the news announcement, Rijkaard appeared in London to officially take on the role. The media, while interviewing Twain, had mentioned the matter, hoping to hear his thoughts on Chelsea's new head coach.

Twain thought it was strange. "Why would you all ask for my thoughts for Chelsea's switches in manpower? I'm not their head of human resources."

The reporter chuckled, "But, didn't you incite this change in their manpower, Mr. Twain?" Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

Twain was stunned by this question. He thought carefully and realized it was true. Had he not pushed Chelsea down a slot to the fifth position, Scolari might not have been dismissed. A premature termination of a contract like that required a huge withdrawal for the dismissed head coach, which meant it was a loss for Chelsea too. Had the results not been too much for Abramovich to bear, would he have dismissed Scolari so easily?

"Alright…" Twain sighed. "I really admire Rijkaard for his achievements back in Barcelona. However…" He thought of his personal grudges with that head coach back in Barcelona. "You must know such things are to be another hot topic for you all to talk about in the Premier League season. For me, there isn't much change. My aim is championships and victory. I am only concerned with both of these things, so I don't really care about other matters."

※※※

Although he gave such a magnificent response to the reporter, Twain's haters thought he was talking too big. For the current conditions of Nottingham Forest, to be able to guarantee the top-four positions in the league, every league was impressive enough. Twain actually had the audacity to think about winning the championships altogether.

To fulfil the lofty ambitions in the new league seasons, it was not sufficient to rely on these people. Nottingham Forest needed to search for players on the transfer market to enhance the capabilities of the team, but that required money.

Twain knew the team would not be able to fork out enough money for him to spend. Even then, he still stubbornly went to find Evan, hoping that he could give Twain a little more money. He initially thought the matter would be difficult, but the results made him gasp.

"I have decided that before the financial situation takes a turn for the better, we will postpone repairing new stadium indefinitely." Evan Doughty smiled upon facing the shocked Twain in the club main office. "Thus, there are funds for you to buy players now."

Twain's first reaction was not to be happy. "Does Allan know about this?"

"It was his suggestion. Also, our plans for that humongous stadium need some tweaking. Anyway, we'll leave that matter to him." He walked forward to pat Twain's shoulders. "Tony, you just need to lead the team to achieve results. I watched the interviews that included you. I hope you aren't just making empty talk."

"Yes, championships… I don't make empty promises," Twain replied. "They do nothing to help me win championships. How much are you setting aside for me to spend in the new league season, Evan?"

"How much do you need, Tony?" Evan asked.

Twain thought for a while. Every summer, other teams would be interested in his players, but it had always been the same people he would never consider selling, such as George Wood, Gareth Bale, and Pepe.

If he wanted to replenish his capabilities, he could not sell the main columns in the team. Twain also knew that the players he was willing to sell would not fetch much money, so relying on selling players to get transfer fees was unrealistic. The team's weakest points were the forwards and midfielders.

Van Nistelrooy had returned to the team with a new two-year contract and a salary much lower than was stipulated in his previous contract. His body was recovering adequately well, allowing him to represent the team in the new league season, but his condition was still unpredictable.

Nicolás Millán and Victor Moses were still young and needed more training. The team required a two-line operation in the new league season, which required a practical rotation. Their chances in competing were not worrisome. The only worry was whether their abilities could meet what the European matches would demand from them. Currently, there were not many issues with Millán, but Moses still needed more polishing.

Žigić playing as a center forward would allow Nottingham Forest to secure a place. Though his performance was not outstanding, he was very practical. Agbonlahor's speed was Twain's new weapon. His presence allowed the team more unique and ever-changing tactics. There was nothing much to say about Eastwood. The previous season was his best season thus far. If he did not get injured, he would definitely be the prime shooter in the team. Also, van Nistelrooy and him had the most experience playing for the Champions League on the front line.

This type of front-line potential was not sufficient. They still needed strikers to raise their standards. For the midfielders, George Wood and Lennon were dependable players, but Lennon only had himself in the right lane. In the previous league, they only had to focus on the league games within the country, so that was not an issue. Now that they required a two-line operation, a player going solo was not sustainable through the season.

Şahin's performance was actually decent, having improved after a league's worth of breaking in and training. Perhaps being recalled to Turkey's national team was proof of that. Tiago Mendes was another player on rotation. As for John Bostock, Twain wanted to loan him out for a year because he still needed more training. Likewise, Adriano Moke also needed to be loaned out. Chris Cohen's performance was average, but he was a great supplement to the midfielder. He definitely needed to stay since he would have plenty of opportunities to play in the two-line operation.

Twain decided to sell Petrov. One reason was that the Bulgarian was getting older. He was not as fast as he used to be, and his condition had been on the decline. Another factor was taking advantage of people who still wanted to get him. It was said that the black horse two leagues ago, Hoffenheim, had been interested in him, wanting him to go to France to showcase his skills. Petrov was considering it since he did get famous back in Brigade, so it was not foreign for him to return.

Counting those people, the two lanes in the midfield required strong players to supplement. There were not many worries on the final defensive line. Leighton Baines and Gareth Bale performed steadily. In the past league season, Baines had few chances to appear, but his chances would only increase following the new season.

The right fullback, Rafinha, had already fully grown. He had efficient attacks and persistent fell back to defend, securing his right fullback position on the team. There were several teams interested in him, but Twain would not consider selling him.

Chimbonda was a special case. He had already turned 31, so Twain wanted to find someone suitable to easily replace him. Up until now, he remained on the team with a steady performance. Whenever he entered the field, he would go all out. He did not even complain when he was benched. His contributions were relevant to them being able to obtain the rights to Champions League last season. He might have even been a lot more outstanding than Rafinha in the right fullback position.

When he needed the team to defend, Chimbonda was a lot more reliable than the Brazilian. Twain also rediscovered the value of this Frenchman. He was not a superstar, but he was undeniable key player essential to any team. All of them had their own role and responsibilities. They were the base of a team. Twain needed such players.

That summer, the club was discussing a new contract with Chimbonda's manager, which would last four years. Signing it would almost mean a life-long contract. Chimbonda would turn 35 in four years, after which he could basically consider retirement.

As for repairing the new stadium and the activity to go China to search for sponsors, both were unsuccessful. As such, Twain decided to place Sun Jihai on the transfer market. Whether it was a Chinese club or one in the English league, he would sell Sun Jihai for a suitable price. Although selling him now would not fetch a high price and there would be a huge difference between the transfer fee obtaining him and selling him, waiting another year would cost them the profit since Sun Jihai would transfer out on his own.

For the center backs, Pepe was the unmovable main force. Unless he got injured, he would play well. Kompany and Woodgate would belong to the rotational center backs in the new season. Woodgate's body was not as strong as Kompany's since he had faced some minor injuries. Wes Morgan would be a great replacement, but for the contest in Europe, Morgan was not reliable. Five center backs would be sufficient. Any more would be a waste.

The young left fullback, Joe Mattock, had been working hard to adapt to his new position as a center fullback since last season. In the new season, he would be loaned out to accept the test practical grinding.

Twain quickly did a mental calculation and said, "I'm thinking around 50 million pounds."

"That isn't a small amount, but I'll think of something." Evan frowned, but it was quickly replaced by a smile. "Go and have a happy vacation with Shania and don't think of anything else. Once the money issue is settled, I'll notify you, Tony. Where are you two thinking of going?"

Twain shrugged. "China to visit Dunn's parents, who are also my parents. Besides, I have an endorsement contract to discuss there."

Twain mentioning China made Evan recall his trip to China in the summer of 2008. During that time, Nottingham Forest won the Champions League, getting the dual championships in that season. It was delightful and wonderful in that moment. There were celebrations everywhere. Seeing the East Asian fans and companies pay homage to him was a pleasant feeling, but it was a pity that all of that was gone now.

Allan Adams ran around China for almost half a year. Those enterprises, upon hearing that they needed to invest money in the stadium, shook their heads and complained about the economic crisis, limited time, and funds. Those wealthy overlords were state-owned enterprises. Even if there were people wanting to invest in the British property market, it would hinder their identities to act rashly.

United Arab Emirates people suggested it was possible for the to invest in them, but not into the construction of the stadium. They would only invest in the club, which was tantamount to a disguised acquisition. Evan consistently rejected them. Even if they were to sell Nottingham Forest, now was not the time. The other party would unscrupulously lower the price. Only a fool would sell.

Evan Doughty zoned out for a while. He discovered Twain was still in front of him. He chuckled and said, "I hope you enjoy yourself, Tony. If possible, bring back some Chinese souvenirs for Allan and I."

Twain nodded and said, "I should really spend some effort to think of what presents to bring back to satisfy you two."

"Haha, don't think much of it," Evan replied. "Anything is fine. We are not kids who still wait until Christmas to find presents in our stockings."