"Here we are, gentlemen!"
Jim parked the car steadily in front of the Red Knights Bar on George Street and cracked a joke with Ethan and Walsh, who were sitting in the back. In truth, they hadn't spoken much during the drive, and everyone knew Ethan was in a bad mood.
"Thanks, Jim. Here's the fare!" Ethan took out his wallet.
"No, no, Ethan. This time I'll think of it as supporting your team!" Jim waved it off quickly.
Ethan placed the money firmly on the front passenger seat, pushed the door open, and got out. "You can't do that. If I don't pay, I won't dare call you again next time!"
"Yeah, Jim, take it!" Walsh added, already standing by the car window, pointing toward the bar. "Or just come into my bar and buy us a drink, how about that?"
Jim clearly wanted to but shook his head quickly. "No, I have to go to work. Maybe next time! I'll get going now!"
With that, Jim drove off.
"What a friend worth keeping close!" Ethan said with emotion as he watched Jim's taillights disappear into the night.
"Same as you," Walsh replied.
Ethan didn't catch it clearly and looked at him in confusion. Walsh only shrugged and pushed him toward the bar without another word.
...
There are two strong clubs in Manchester, one is Manchester United and the other is Manchester City. The former is known as the Red Devils with red as its main color, while the latter is mainly blue. Because of this, most bars in Manchester are decorated primarily in either red or blue.
The Red Knight Bar on George Street, as its name suggests, is closely tied to Manchester United, and naturally became a gathering spot for Red Devils supporters.
Manchester has a long history, but as an industrial city for many years, its buildings resemble hard, cold steel bars, lifeless and rigid. The bars here also love to blast heavy rock music, creating a fanatical atmosphere.
But not everyone likes that madness, so private rooms were opened. Once the door is shut, the deafening music outside has nothing to do with those inside.
Although the Premier League would not kick off for another two months, the World Cup in France was approaching, so the bar was more crowded than usual. Fans gathered, listening to pounding music and drinking freely.
A night out for England fans always involves beer and peanuts.
"Hey, wait, Mark, what did you just give him to drink?" As soon as Ethan walked into the bar, he spotted Mark David and Curtis Davies sitting at the counter. The two were about ten years apart in age, but about the same height.
"Nothing, just something to drink. Why didn't you take me with you when you went to see Bruce?" David wanted to explain, but Curtis cut in first. The boy spoke with a bad attitude, as if Ethan had wronged him.
"Drinking? You're only 13 years old, and don't you want to be a professional footballer?" Ethan pulled Curtis aside.
Even though the boy was only staying at his house for a few days, Ethan felt responsible for looking after him.
"Who told you not to take me with you?" Curtis said indifferently.
Mark David finally found a chance to speak.
"Uh, actually, Ethan, this is barley tea, not beer. The color just looks the same."
Ethan froze. He grabbed the glass from the bar and sniffed it. There was no smell of alcohol.
"You lied to me?" Ethan glared at Curtis.
The mischievous boy laughed. "Who told you not to take me to see Bruce? Serves you right!"
Then he ran off to play on his own.
"Actually, you don't need to worry. This kid is very self-disciplined. Someone just teased him deliberately. He never drinks, he only ordered a soft drink." David smiled, watching Curtis's back.
Ethan nodded in relief and glanced at Walsh, who had slipped behind the bar at some point to mix drinks. "By the way, Andy, in my view, Curtis is definitely talented. I want to form a youth team. What do you think?"
"Youth team? That's a big expense, and right now our biggest problem is the training ground and the head coach. I don't think we should rush into youth team matters." Walsh gave his opinion.
"Yeah. The reason professional clubs have such perfect systems is because they've improved continuously for decades, even centuries, to reach this scale. We're not even a proper club yet. Setting up a youth team now would be a waste of money," David agreed with Walsh.
Everyone knew very well that the biggest problem facing the new Manchester United was money.
"I've got a way to handle the money. The youth team must be formed as soon as possible. When the time is right, the entire youth development system needs to be gradually improved. The youth academy will be our reserve force, the foundation for the club's future development!" Ethan said firmly.
Later, UEFA even subdivided Champions League registration quotas, requiring a portion of homegrown players and academy graduates. Besides, Ethan always believed that along with foreign signings, youth development was just as important for a club.
Look at the European giants, which one doesn't have strong youth training?
Even though Real Madrid's youth academy has been criticized as useless, it's not because their academy is bad. The problem was that the first team didn't use youth players, leading to many talented youngsters leaving. For example, Mata left Real Madrid, shone at Valencia, and was later selected for Spain's 2010 World Cup squad in South Africa.
And think about why Abramovich went to such lengths to bring Arnesen to Chelsea after taking over? It was to build a complete and effective youth system.
Although the new Manchester United was only in the tenth-tier league, Ethan was confident they wouldn't stay there long and would win promotion quickly. The higher the league, the stricter the requirements. Besides results, clubs were judged heavily on their facilities and infrastructure.
Forming a youth team now was, in truth, a precaution.
"Alright, but we have to wait until we find a head coach first," Walsh compromised, unable to argue with Ethan's determination.
Ethan also felt the headache. After hitting a wall with Bruce, the head coach position was back to being a serious problem.
If he lowered his standards, it wouldn't be difficult to find a coach at the amateur level, but he didn't want someone who could only handle matches.
History has proven that a military unit with strong traditions becomes fertile soil for heroes. Outstanding soldiers emerge not in isolation, but collectively, influenced by the same traditions, character, and temperament.
Every unit has its traditions. What are traditions? They are character and temperament. Those traditions and character are determined by the personality of the unit's first commander. He imbued it with its soul. From then on, no matter how time passed or personnel changed, that soul remained.
The same is true for a football club.
Why have European giants like Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United become so strong? It's because of their traditions.
Tradition is a complex concept. It includes a team's historical heritage, its consistent tactical style, its noble temperament, and its collective character.
Now, whenever people mention Manchester United, they think of Ferguson and his unshakable authority. Mention Real Madrid, and you think of their elegant play, quick passing, and incisive movement. Mention Bayern Munich, and you think of Germany's indomitable fighting spirit.
All of this represents the style and character of a great team.
A game can be lost, but the team's character must never be lost.
Now that he was forming a new team, Ethan placed the utmost importance on the first head coach, because this would be key to shaping the club's character. He could not afford carelessness.
Originally, Steve Bruce had been the perfect choice. Nicknamed the Iron Center Back, he embodied perseverance and carried a powerful presence. On the pitch, he brought immense pressure and command.
Such a person would have been ideal as the first head coach of the new Manchester United.
At the amateur level, it is unrealistic to demand a tactical identity from a head coach. Even if you hired Wenger or Guardiola, could you really expect them to play the kind of football Barcelona or Arsenal displayed in later years on a poor pitch in Droylsden?
Even if you gave them a lineup of Zidane, Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Ronaldo Nazário, it wouldn't work.
At the lower levels, teams can only rely on the simplest and most direct ways to win matches. Beyond tactics, what a head coach gives a team is character and temperament.
The more Ethan thought about it, the more convinced he became that he could not give up on Bruce. He was like a young version of Ferguson and would bring tremendous value to the new Manchester United.
"I must find another chance to fight for it!" Ethan told himself. If it took banging on the door several times to secure such a head coach, it would be worth it.
(To be continued.)