Godfather Of Champions Chapter 157: EFL Cup Part 2

Having been a full back, Walker was truly an expert at defense training. Even a player like Eastwood had been trained till he resembled a defensive midfielder, not to mention George Wood, who was extremely talented in defense.

Even if Walker hollered next to his ear, he did not even crease his brows, and he certainly did not complain. He just did what the coach said the next time. Tang En liked this point about Wood the most: he was hardworking and willing to strive for his and his mother's future. Compared to those "prodigies", who became famous at eighteen, he did not give himself the chance to relax and slacken.

Tang En also did not worry that Wood would lose his way in fame and fortune, because the goal he was fighting for on the field and training ground was not the same as those young geniuses whose dreams had already come true. He seemed to always have a sense of crisis in the depths of his heart. And that sense of crisis was like a whip at his back, flogging and inciting him to constantly move forward. Tang En thought this also might be related to the poverty that he witnessed and experienced as a child.

Sophia once told him that the house they lived in, when they first met, already had the best condition, because Wood was able to make enough money. So, he had to wonder, what kind of awful conditions did they live in, in the past? When Sophia did not mention it again, Tang En did not ask. The important thing was that, now, they lived well, as the club found a rental house near the training ground for Wood, and the landlord was a hardcore Forest fan. What's even better, when he heard that it was for a new Forest star player, the rent was reduced by half!

This was not a million-pound mansion in The Lace Market, but it was good enough for the Woods. There were no downstairs tenants returning home late at night. With a lower level and an upper floor, it was spacious and wide, bright and clean. There were no children begging for money, or shady-looking men in the vicinity. Surrounded by nature, such a place was ideal for Sophia, who needed to be near the outdoors, and take care of her health.

Once his mother's condition was stable, and he no longer had to wear himself out with worries about feeding his family of two, Wood would be able to devote himself to the sport of football. Tang En had even suggested to Evan that the club pay for Sophia's treatment, partly out of sympathy and concern for this kind and beautiful woman, and also partly due to "selfish" considerations. I mean, one had to wonder what kind of player would Wood develop into if his worries were all resolved?

The situation was just like when he had asked himself one and a half months ago, "How would Wood play in his debut match?"

He was really looking forward to it ...

As to whether Walker would stay or go, Tang En had never asked him to stay in front of Walker. Even when he was joking, he did not want to make things difficult for Walker.

Everyone had to choose his own path. As to whether this path was easy to walk or not, or the scenery ahead was beautiful or not, one had to personally walk it to know. Therefore, whether Walker's decision to leave was right or not, that was his business.

What Tang En could only put his efforts to, at least while they were still working together, was to try and leave Walker with good memories. In the future, if Walker wanted to come back to help him, he would open the door wide to welcome him.

What gave him a headache was wondering, where was he going to find an assistant manager, with whom he had a rapport and was compatible with? Currently, the division of work in the football world was very meticulous. The managers would throw many specific tasks to the assistant managers. They were unknown and obscure in the media and the public eye, but their role in the team was irreplaceable. There were even incidents of players, who only submitted to assistant managers, and did not to listen to the managers.

The help and support to the manager would be huge, and the team's ability could also be greatly improved, if the right assistant manager could be found. If the right assistant manager could not be found, the situation would be bad.

Therefore, many teams' assistant managers often stayed longer in the teams than the managers, were more familiar with the teams than the manager, and could help the managers to familiarize with the teams faster. They were often cultivated from within the teams, seen as being the real "descendants".

This was particularly the case for the English teams. For example, if a team were to decide to change its manager, their first choice must be the team's assistant manager, and the second choice was usually the youth team manager.

That was why, as a youth team manager twice, Glenn Roeder was able to serve as the First Team manager for West Ham United and Newcastle United respectively. The English clubs were especially loyal, and the managers, who had worked for the teams for years, were more likely to gain the trust of the fans and the top brass, even if their levels were simply not up to par.

There was another position for this kind of loyalty: the team doctor. The professional term for this role was "physiotherapist". Even now, a lot of the English team doctors were unlucky retired players or turf maintenance employees, club guards, and even the manager's loyal friends.

These people did not have professional licenses at all, and relied on the most superficial common sense to treat the injured players. Thus, it was not hard to explain why a lot of English players were unable to recover after suffering from major injuries, since the last century till now. For example, the former Liverpool captain Jamie Redknapp's brother, Mark Redknapp, who was once the hopeful star of A.F.C. Bournemouth, while playing as a full back, his future looked about the same as his brother's.

However, in a game with the Cardiff City reserve team, Mark was toppled over by his opponent, and was carried off. Because he had been treated by the team doctors, he has only been able to walk with crutches ever since. He later became an agent of another defender, Rio Ferdinand. And his younger brother, Jamie Redknapp, unwilling to follow in his brother's footsteps, used his own money to pay a private doctor for his surgery. Although he successfully returned to the stadium, he had to leave Liverpool, because he "broke the rules."

The English clubs were so faithful to these two traditions, that they had been preserved from the last century, without caring if they were right or wrong. Consequently, the English Football Association would prefer to cooperate with the Royal Hospital of Nottingham University if the players were injured, rather than looking for the Premier League clubs' team doctors. After all, who knew if the "quacks" would recommend a player who had a hernia (a torn muscle in the groin) to undergo an operation to remove his pubic bone?

Naturally, it was thanks to this "tradition" that Twain could become the First Team manager straight from being the youth manager, and to quickly build his reputation among the fans, because he was someone cultivated by the Forest club, and one of "our own". Walker was also "one of our own", but his departure could be said to be an exception. If it were not for the team's broken spirit, Walker would not have any intention to quit. But who knew ... he had just decided to leave, when he heard the news that Twain was coming back. Caught in a dilemma for a while, he still chose to keep his promise, leaving the Forest team to help Ian Bowyer before the end of the season.

After having determined his path ahead, Walker was even more involved in his work. During training, Tang En did not even have to open his mouth, because Walker's voice was louder than his. He knew that it was his goal that inspired this man's entire enthusiasm and fighting spirit.

The EFL Cup, the Premier League qualification, the UEFA Europa League qualification, nothing less! It is a goal that ignites a man's passion!

And now, it all starts with the EFL Cup!

Middlesbrough and McClaren, you're going to hit the wall!

Chapter end