Born to be a coach [soccer]

Chapter 246

When Anton came outside the ward, he heard the old man explaining his will to his relatives.

"...The best-fitting jersey has already been prepared. At that time, I will be like everyone else, wearing a jersey and a formal dress... Don't forget to help wear my badge..."

Already 92 years old, although his voice is weak, his mind is still very clear.

Anton didn't understand, and Dennis explained in a low voice: "This is the tradition of Sunderland fans. Everyone will wear a Sunderland jersey under the dress... to be buried."

Mr. Horton never shy away from life and death, and he calmly confessed to his descendants and relatives on the sickbed.

Anton, who was listening at the side, was shocked.He really didn't expect the fans in the city of Sunderland to have such deep affection for the club.

Dennis also sighed softly at the side: "The old man probably felt that his time was running out, and he would not see the day when Sunderland won the championship, so he asked to meet you..."

Anton was on the sidelines, feeling overwhelmed and unable to speak.

When he was young, Nelson Horton finished explaining what happened behind him, and politely asked the medical staff to help him up. "I want to watch TV," the old man said weakly, "Is there a game to watch?"

The old man's family members looked at each other in dismay: Today is not a game day!

At this time, Dennis raised his head outside the ward and reminded Holden's family: "Today is also the game day! The local TV station will broadcast it."

After the medical staff reminded them, they immediately remembered: "Yes, there is indeed a game today, and it is said that the local media will broadcast it live." She then went to turn on the TV in the ward.The whole room looked with great interest:

The first player to appear on screen was none other than Pickford.At the moment, the main goalkeeper of Sunderland is standing on the goal line with his teeth and claws open, his body language is exaggerated, as if he is preparing to shoot a penalty.

——This game, is it a penalty shootout right from the start?

However, the one standing in front of the penalty spot is quite small, not half the height of Pickford, but he is standing in front of the penalty spot very seriously, with his hands on his hips, trying to raise his head, staring at the opposite Pickford is doing "eye killing".

Mr. Horton's family members were stunned—what kind of competition is this!

The nurse said happily, "This is Tommy, the best football kid in our yard."

I see! ——The Horton family finally understood that this should be a charity match organized by the football club for the hospital's sick children.They looked back at the old man worriedly, but saw the old man watching with great interest.

On the big screen, Tommy looked at Pickford calmly, looked down at the ball, took a deep breath, took a step, raised his short legs, and shot——

The ball rolled towards the goal.Pickford made a sideways attack on the ball with an exaggerated posture.He made a 'just right' save as Tommy's shot rolled past Pickford's armpit and into goal.

Pickford watched the ball into the net with great regret, and habitually raised his hands and beat the ground, extremely annoyed-how did he let the ball go in?

Tommy was very excited, raised his arms high, smiled, and turned to his "teammates" and adults behind him.There was thunderous applause from the sidelines.

In the ward, the adults watching this scene couldn't hide their smiles: the main reason is that Pickford's performance was too "realistic". It is estimated that no child can see that the goalkeeper "uncle" is "acting".

And Dennis looked a little anxiously from the sidelines, and he "borrowed" Anton until the other party couldn't stay here for a long time.So he quietly went to the side of the sick bed and whispered a few words to the old gentleman.Nelson Horton's eyes lit up, and he looked around for Anton.

In the ward, the medical staff turned down the volume of the TV with great interest, and took the family members away.Only Dennis and Anton were left in the ward, accompanying the old man.

"Mr., I remember you!" Anton saw Holden's eyes sweeping over, and immediately sent a sentence first with understanding.

Sure enough, the old man was overjoyed when he heard this sentence, and tried to raise the corners of his mouth to make a smile.

"Mr. Coach," Horton stretched out his hands and shook Anton's.

"I am the one who witnessed the FA Cup in 73!" The old man was a die-hard Sunderland fan when he was young. In 73, Sunderland won the Cup at Wembley, and Horton would never miss it.

"I am also very fortunate to be able to witness the team win the cup again at this time last year... I firmly believed that I would be able to witness the team's revival and win the cup again a long time ago."

It's a pity that from 1973 to 2010, 37 years, this wait was too long, and even the famous coach Bob Stock, who led Sunderland to win the cup, couldn't wait for this day.

Anton held the old man's hands, feeling a little heavy in his heart - his team still has two fronts this season, and no matter which front it is, it will be a more glorious achievement than winning the FA Cup last season.

I just don't know if the old man can wait for it!

Holden closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, looking at Anton with a smile in his eyes: Anton was right, the old man's eyes were indeed filled with smiles and joy.

"I always believe that the team can go further. Although I may not have the chance to see it." The old man seemed to have a premonition, knowing that his time was running out, "I want to see you today, not to put any pressure on you. I Always believed this team could win, and it would have happened with or without me in the world."

"As long as this city is still there, this team will go forward." The old man said excitedly.

It doesn't matter who leads the team, and it doesn't matter what stars the team has. As long as the spirit of the team exists, the club will always exist, and it is absolutely impossible to die.

Soccer may be the same for human beings.

"I just want to tell you that when I was young, I swore that my love for this team would never change until death. I think I have done it." Horton said this to Anton tremblingly.

At the Stadium of Light, the young players played against Sunderland's first-team team in full swing, and the club staff and parents of the children who were watching the game on the sidelines gave bursts of applause.

The player who scored the most goals was naturally the young player Tommy. He performed a "hat-trick" on the court and had the right to take away a game ball after the game.

The kid was running around the field with a football in his arms, but he was so small that even Tommy's parents couldn't see him.

The child is a little anxious.

Unexpectedly, Ibrahimovic lifted the child up, put it on his shoulder, then picked up the ball under his feet, handed it to Tommy, and glanced up: "Hold the ball firmly! If it falls, I won't help you pick it up. "

Tommy sat on Ibrahimovic's shoulders all of a sudden--this is a great view!

The little boy giggled, hugged the football, saw his parents in the distance, stretched out his hand and waved it vigorously, and suddenly the ball fell from his arms.

Ibrahimovic said "don't pick it up" and "don't pick it up", and now he went to pick up the ball honestly, picked it up with his toes, picked it up with his right hand, and handed it to Tommy again.

It seems that even the big Ibrahimovic is willing to bow his head and obey his ears in front of the children.

Russell also saw this scene in the distance, and he noticed a person coming beside him, so he said: "Tommy, this child, has been treated in the hospital for a year, and now he has finally improved and can be discharged from the hospital. Let him join the team when he fully recovers in the future." The youth training may be another good seed."

As Russell said, Tommy has been treated in the city hospital for a year due to chronic diseases, and now he is gradually recovering under the care of the doctors and nurses.

Russell tilted his head, only to realize that the person next to him was Anton, and quickly asked with concern: "How is it, is the old man alright?"

Anton replied that nothing happened, Russell stared at him for a few seconds, and said, "Little brother, why do you look so preoccupied?"

Anton also smiled and said, "I did have something on my mind before, but now it's... solved. I was still thinking... what would happen if I left Sunderland one day..."

When he opened his mouth like this, Russell was startled immediately, and stammered, "You, you, you...don't..."

Anton also stared at Russell, and then laughed out loud: "I'm not worried at all, don't you still have this?"

Russell's face immediately turned red. In the early years, he complained about Anton's airborne landing, but later he felt that working with Anton was so comfortable, and Sunderland naturally couldn't live without Anton.

The more Anton laughed at him like this, the more Russell became tongue-tied, not knowing how to fight back.

But only Anton said with a smile: "When we are all old in the future, there will be a next generation who love football. The Stadium of Light will stand upright, and Sunderland will last forever, no matter whether there are you or me in this club." , this trend will not change.”

Russell breathed a sigh of relief: ...Little brother, don't be so scary all the time, please.

For a moment he really suspected that Anton might leave the club.When Sunderland's schedule this season ends smoothly, Anton's coaching level will be known all over the world. By then, he will be the "sweet potato" that will be scrambled for by the world's richest clubs. Whether he can stay in Sunderland or not? It's really an unknown.

Unexpectedly, what Anton said was not what he meant.

Russell really wanted to pat his heart: it seems that he thought too much.

"Do you have any ideas about the Braga game?" At this time, Anton was still watching the celebration after the "charity match" with his arms folded, and suddenly changed the subject.

Russell shivered, nodded his head and said, "I watched all the videos of Braga's European games this season, and I just wanted to tell you that this Braga does have a reason to become a dark horse. No wonder Liverpool The team is in its hands."

Anton has brought a good habit to the entire coaching staff - "Before you win, you will lose first". Before encountering every opponent, the coaching staff will try their best to study what kind of team will lose to the opponent, and what kind of team will lose to the opponent? What is the reason, so that your team can avoid these problems.

This method worked well until it came to Braga - the opponents who lost to Braga didn't seem to have made any big mistakes, but they just lost.