Thisisastoryaboutthepursuitofvictory.—“Isubscribeonlytothetheoryofvictory.Ionlypursuevictory.AslongasIamabletoobtainvictory,Idon’tcareifit’stotalfootballorcounterattack.Whatistheultimategoalofprofessionalsoccer?Inmyopinion,itisvictory,andthepinnacleofvictoryistobecomethechampions.Iamamanager.IfIdon’twishtolosemyjoborbeforgottenbythepeople,there’sonlyonepathformetotake,andthatistoleadtheteaminobtainingvictories,inobtainingchampionshipt.i.tles!”Themaincharacterwasnotwell-likedbypeople.—“⋯WeconductedasurveywhichhadbeendeemedbyManagerTonyTwainasextremelymeaningless.Inarandomstreetsurveyconducted,ninety-threepercentofthosesurveyedchosetheoption‘IhateTonyTwain’,whileonlysevenpercentchosetheoption‘Thispersonisratherdecent,Ilikehim’.Itisworthnotingthatn.o.bodychosetheoption‘WhoisTonyTwain?Idon’tknowhim’.Mark,doyouknowwhyManagerTwainfeltthatoursurveywasverymeaningless?”Parker,areporterfromlaughedloudlyandsaidwhenhewasbeinginterviewedbyBBC.Buttherewerealsopeoplewhoweremadlyinlovewithhim.—WhenTonyTwainwasforcedtotalkaboutthesurveyconductedbyduringaninterview,hisreplywas:“Iamhappy,becauseNottinghamForest’sfansmakeupsevenpercentofEngland’spopulation.”Andhedidnotseemtocareabouthowtheotherssawhim.—“Whatareyoualltryingtomakemesay?AdmitthatIamnotpopular,andeverywhereIgowillbefilledwithjeersandmiddlefingers.YouallthinkIwillbeafraid?Wrong!BecauseIamabletobringvictorytomyteamanditssupporters.Idon’tcarehowmanypeoplehatemeandcan’twaittokillme,andIalsowon’tchangemyselftoaccommodatethemoodoftheselosers.Youwanttoimproveyourmood?Verysimple,comeanddefeatme.”Hislovestoryhadgarneredwidespreadattention.—“OurreporterstookthesepicturesatManagerTonyTwain’sdoorsteps.ItclearlyshowsthatShaniaenteredhishouseat8.34pmandshedidnotleavethehousethroughoutthenightatall.ButManagerTonyTwainfirmlydenies,andinsiststhatthatwasmerelythenewest-modelinflatabledollwhichhehadordered.Hewasthenumberonestaroftheteam.—“⋯Becamethespokespersonofworld-widefamousclothingbrands,shotadvertis.e.m.e.nts,frequentedthefashionindustry’sawardceremonies,endorsedelectronicgames,hasasupermodelgirlfriend.Hisearningsfromadvertis.e.m.e.ntsexceedhisclubsalarybyseventeentimes,ownsaspecialcolumninvariousprintmedias,publishinghisautobiography(inprogress),andisevensaidthatheisplanningtoshootaninspirationalfilmbasedoffhisownpersonexperiences!Whocantellmewhichpartofhislifeexperiencesisworthyofbeingcalled‘inspirational’?Holdon⋯.AreyouallthinkingthatI’mreferringtoDavidBeckham?You’resorelymistaken!I’mtalkingaboutManagerTonyTwain⋯.”HewasveryknowledgeableaboutChinesesoccer.—“⋯I’veheardaboutit,thatBoragiftedfourbookstohismanagerMr.Zhubeforeyourcountry’snationalteam’swarmupmatch.Afterwhich,theteamlost1:3toanamelessAmericanteamfromMajorLeagueSoccer.ThenewexcusethatMr.Zhugaveforlosingthematch,wasthatBoragifted“books”(‘books’and‘lose’areh.o.m.ophonesintheChineselanguage).Here,Irecommendthatyouguysfindoutwhatthatonespecificbookis.Whichbook?Ofcoursetheonethatcausedyoualltoscoreagoal.Afterthat,tellmethet.i.tleofthebook.Beforeeverymatch,Iwillgifttencopiesofthatsamebooktoyou.Inthatcase,won’tyouallbeabletogetatriumphant10:0winoveryouropponentseverytime?”AnexcerpttakenfromTonyTwain’sspecialcolumninacertainfamousChinesesportsnewspaper.Hewaslovedandhatedbythepress.—“Hehasaspecialcolumninatleastfourrenownedprintmedia,andheisabletogetaconsiderableamountofremunerationjustbyscoldingpeopleorwritingafewhundredwordsofnonsenseweekly.Whilewehavetocontemplatehardaboutourdraftsforthreedaysbeforeourbossispleasedwithit.Inanarticleinsidehisspecialcolumn,hescoldedandcalledallofthemedia‘sonofab.i.t.c.h’,announcingthathehatedthemediathemost.Buteverytimehepublishesanarticle,weflocktowardshimlikeflieswhichhadspottedb.u.t.ter.Why?Becausethereadersliketoreadhisnewsandseehimscoldpeople.Idaretobetwithyou,andManagerTonyTwainknowsclearlyinhisheartaswell,thateventhoughhesaysthathehatesus,heknowsthatthepresenthimcannotdowithoutus.Similarly,wealsocannotdowithouthim.Isthisultimatelyconsideredagoodorabadthing?”BrucePearce,areporterfromsaidwithafaceofhelplessnesswhentalkingaboutTonyTwain.Butnomatterthecase,hisplayerswerehismostloyalbelievers.—GarethBale,“Nono,weneverhadanypressurewhenplayingonourhomegrounds.Becausethepressureisallonthemanager.Aslongasweseehimstandingbythesideofthefield,allofuswillfeelthatwewillbeabletowinthatmatch.Eventhefootballhooligansarelikemeeklambsinfrontofhim!”(Aftersayingthis,hebegantolaughoutloudly)ThereplyfromGeorgeWood,theteamcaptainofNottinghamForest,wasthemoststraightforward.“Wefollowhimbecausehecanbringusvictory.”ThelegendaryexperienceofTonyTwain,therichest,mostsuccessful,mostcontroversialmanagerwiththemostuniquepersonality!Debutingthissummer.Thankyouforreading.