Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the end, George Wood chose not to go to Eastwood’s room. He left the flowers at the counter on the ground floor, asking the nurse to pass it on to him before leaving.
Tang En noticed that he had written only
Good luck
on the card, and asked,
You’re not signing it?
Wood shook his head.
No.
Tang En knew how he felt and smiled.
But it doesn’t matter. Within the team, only your handwriting is that unique. Even if you don’t write your name down, he’ll know who it is. You’re the only one with such terrible handwriting that even your name is hardly legible.
Wood paid no attention to Tang En’s joke. He placed the card among the flowers and gave them to the youthful and pretty nurse.
The nurse had long ago recognized the man who stood before her. After receiving the flowers, she put them aside. She then picked up a piece of paper and presented it to Wood, asking somewhat nervously,
I… I’m a fan of yours, George. You- You… Could you sign for me?
Wood hesitated briefly, perhaps thinking it was not a suitable time for him to be giving out signatures.
However, Tang En coughed behind him, reminding Wood not to disappoint his fans. Wood obediently picked up his pen again and wrote his name on the piece of paper. Slanting awkwardly, the signature showed no bearing of a star at all. But the girl liked it very much and carefully put it away.
Tang En and Wood walked out of the building. Tang En looked up towards the fourth floor and asked Wood,
You’re really not going up?
Wood shook his head.
No.
That’s a shame…
Tang En retrieved his gaze.
This was a pretty good chance. You… why can’t you just be a little more honest? Where did the courage you used to tackle Rochemback go?
Wood stayed silent. There were some things that he truly did not know how to say.
He rarely said
I’m sorry
to anyone. Even if he knew that something was his fault, he did not know how to bring himself to say it.
Never mind. I’m not going to force you. From watching you tackle Rochemback and his departure from the field with an injury, I’m sure Freddy already understands.
Tang En shrugged. Some things were better left unsaid; let them just keep it in their hearts.
Do you have anything urgent to attend to right now?
No.
Very well; walk with me.
Where to?
Anywhere.
Tang En pointed towards the small path before the hospital gates.
Let’s just walk along this path. We can go anywhere. A stroll.
※※※
George… By tomorrow at the latest, I believe the notification for your punishment will be out. Do you have any thoughts on it?
Strolling on the small, quiet path, Tang En and Wood began chatting casually.
Thoughts?
It’s been almost a full day since what happened. Do you regret it? I mean… do you regret receiving a red card for taking revenge on Rochemback?
No. It’s already done.
Hearing such a response, Tang En could not help but burst out laughing.
If you met with that situation again, would you still choose to tackle him?
Without any hesitation, Wood nodded.
Hm…
Tang En rubbed his chin.
You can ask for some guidance from the older members on our team. About how you could… you know… without getting fouled out. I’m sure you understand what I’m talking about, right?
Wood looked at Tang En and indicated his understanding.
I get it.
Tang En sighed again.
But I know that this is a little difficult for you… you’re always so direct. It wouldn’t really be you if you were to use such underhanded tricks.
Wood finally broke and asked a burning question on his mind.
So… how is his injury?
Not too great.
Tang En glanced at Wood.
To receive such a serious injury twice around the same area… It would be the greatest victory if he could return to the field at all. I can’t ask for more than that…
Wood bowed his head as he listened to what Tang En said. He obviously knew who the culprit was behind the first of his injuries. If it wasn’t for the first, the second injury would perhaps not have been as severe.
Will he… retire?
I don’t know. We’ll have to look at how the surgery goes, and his post-surgery recovery.
Tang En told him the truth. Who could know anything for certain about the future?
Looking at the somber expression George Wood had, Tang En gave him a smile.
Don’t mind that. As a football athlete, it’s common to get injured. This has nothing to do with you.
Even with Tang En saying that, George Wood’s expression remained unchanged. Eastwood’s situation today had originated from the foul that he had committed when he was on the Youth Team. There was no way he could just forget it.
Seeing him that way, Tang En did not try to further persuade him and let him be. Perhaps it would be good for him to have some pressure. But there was still something that needed to be said.
George, do your best. Now, you’re not just playing for yourself alone. Freddy may not be able to participate in any matches for half a year. Let’s work harder together on his behalf.
Wood nodded vigorously at his words.
※※※
The next day, UEFA sent a punishment notification regarding George Wood. Based on the recording of Wood’s tackling of Rochemback, there was no conclusive evidence to show his act was malicious or to purposefully seek revenge. When Rochemback had received the ball, it originally lay between him and Wood. Wood’s foot must have been going for the ball. Unexpectedly, in an attempt to lure Wood to commit a foul, Rochemback pushed the ball aside and allowed his own ankle to directly receive Wood’s tackle, thereby causing his injury.
In conclusion, Wood’s punishment was a four-match ban from the European tournaments. That punishment was not considered harsh. Usually, a red card would result in a two-match ban. Wood was only barred for two additional matches. In comparison to previous guesses from the others of something like a half-year ban, this was much better. Such an extreme contrast made it seem as if Wood had not received any punishment at all.
Following that, the UEFA evaluated the referee of the match and found nothing unusual. They also had no doubts about the yellow card awarded to Rochemback.
It could basically be viewed as a move against Tony.
As expected, after the explanation the UEFA warned Nottingham Forest’s manager, Tony Twain, not to cast doubts on the referee’s judgment. The referees in the UEFA were chosen through strict selection criteria.
The UEFA Referees Committee was extremely displeased with Tang En’s words. They felt that Tang En was disrupting the referee’s work and had made attempts to influence the refereeing world. He was perceived as trying to use his perspective to influence the judgments made by the referees. Tang En, however, cared nothing for their anger. In his viewpoint, since it was all a kind of work, the referee’s job should also be open to criticisms from other people. Getting it wrong meant getting it wrong. There was no need to cover up the matter.
Before he could relate that to them, Evan Doughty approached him. Evan hoped he would not go against the UEFA at such a crucial point. Tang En understood that Evan was saying that for his own good, so he could only swallow his unhappiness with the UEFA Referees Committee and suppress it in his heart. He would wait for another opportunity to vent.
Nottingham Forest Football Club accepted the result of the punishment. What else could they do if they did not? Nottingham Forest’s era of great reputation within the European Football scene had been over for a long time. Currently, their words carried little weight. UEFA was already considerably lenient for not barring Wood for half a year.
With the loss of two core players, Forest’s journey against Sporting CP was not looked well upon.
Despite having various options and combinations for their forward line, Tang En found himself at a loss when it came to the position of the defending midfielder. After a search, Tang En found that there was truly only one George Wood, and there was no suitable substitute for him. The home match against Sporting CP already showed that Gunnarsson was unable to effectively replace George Wood. If the same arrangements were made for the away match, Tang En reckoned that his team would perish even more horribly.
As the team’s main manager, Tang En was already considering selling Gunnarsson after the season ends and finding a suitable substitute for Wood.
Tang En was not worried about Wood’s physical condition developing problems. However, the red card set off blaring alarms for him. Wood was not a nice guy with a good temper. The battles within the English Premier League were fierce, and such clashes were inevitable. Wood’s collection of foul cards in the future would certainly be more than just a few. And when Wood got barred from matches because of an accumulation of yellow cards, or from receiving a red card, there needed to be a substitute that Tang En could have confidence in. He did not have to perform as well as Wood, but he could not perform too poorly either.
In truth, it was often more difficult to choose a substitute than a core player. While a core player needed only the ability to perform. A substitute not only needed ability but also the mental toughness to sit on the bench. They had to be able to withstand the loneliness. Being a substitute for someone like Wood it was even tougher; Wood was the kind of player who rarely got injured.
What player would willingly sit on the substitutes’ bench for a majority of the time? Almost none. Yet, the team could not function without an able set of reserve line-ups. Though rotation may be a feasible method, it was only a possibility. The stability of the formation and a rotation system ran directly counter to each other.
Furthermore, to do a rotation on the position of a defensive midfielder already sounded ridiculous. The most essential requirement of a defensive midfielder was stability. With changing here and there, it would not only be the rotating players who felt uncomfortable; the entire team would be at a loss.
In Tang En’s heart, if Forest team in the future truly became strong enough to require a rotation system for competing in multiple leagues, there were two positions that he would not implement rotation on: one was the goalkeeper, and the other was George Wood.
