[Beckenham. 12:46 BST.]
The phones went off.
Jessica rang first. Five minutes after the draw. She had the list of broadcaster requests already coming in and a recommended list of which to say yes to. I said yes to Garth Crooks at the BBC because it was Garth Crooks and Garth Crooks deserved fifteen minutes of anybody's time, and no to all the rest. Jessica did not argue. She wrote it down. She hung up.
Steve Parish came down at one. Suit jacket off. Sleeves rolled to his elbows.
"Daniel."
"Steve."
"Did you see the Telegraph?"
"No."
"Henry Winter has written eight hundred words on you. Manager of the season regardless of what happens between now and the twentieth of May. The most efficient use of a hundred million pounds in the history of modern English football, except Henry does his homework and Henry noticed the number is fifty, not a hundred."
"All right."
