The Greatest Manager of All time

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at Neath Station..."

The train heading from eastern Wales toward the southwest had just pulled into Neath. The next stop would be Swansea.

Rona Whelan sat by the window in the middle section of the carriage, organizing the materials in her hands. The Third Division regular season had already ended, and the promotion playoffs were about to begin. The Premier League still had more than a week before its own season ended, which meant attention on English football had reached its seasonal peak. Titles, promotions, and relegations were all being decided, pulling at the hearts of countless fans.

At this moment, she wanted to put together a full review of Swansea City's astonishing season, along with an exclusive interview with Swansea manager Lynn.

That was the purpose of her trip to Swansea.

She had arranged to meet Lynn at two in the afternoon at a well-known café near Swansea's Quadrant Shopping Centre.

When the appointed time arrived, Rona Whelan found Lynn sitting in a booth in the northwest corner of the café.

Lynn was wearing a new T-shirt with a printed design on the front—the Swansea crest. His sunglasses hung from his collar, and below that he wore slim cropped trousers and a pair of casual sandals.

Rona Whelan was used to seeing Lynn in sharp suits, so seeing him suddenly dressed in such a relaxed, casual way made her click her tongue in surprise.

"Well now, dressed like this, you look more like a sunny young lad."

Her words made Lynn smile.

"I'm not that old to begin with. What would you like to drink?"

Rona ordered a coffee, then said, "Let's get straight to the point. Also, let me say this upfront. This exclusive interview isn't just routine. I need something juicy!"

Lynn spread his hands. "I can be sincere, but I can't make things up."

"That's enough. Come on, let me take a photo first. Do you want to pose?"

Lynn smiled. "Take whatever you want. Just pick the most handsome one for publication."

"Deal."

After Rona finished taking the photos, the waiter brought over her coffee. She took out a voice recorder and a notebook, switched the recorder on, and prepared to begin the interview.

Lynn faced the interview naturally.

He had once made a promise to Rona Whelan, and he would not go back on his word.

Rona Whelan cleared her throat, then asked in a calm, steady voice, "As Swansea's owner, why did you choose to become manager yourself? And why didn't you buy Swansea from the start? Why did you only do so after so many English clubs shut you out?"

"At first, I never thought I was capable of taking on the manager's role. I thought the same way most people did: that being a manager required a certain amount of background and experience. But when I first walked into Swansea City, I suddenly made up my mind to take the job myself, and I swore I would accomplish something.

"I also have to admit that being shut out by other English clubs became one of the driving forces that strengthened my resolve. I thought to myself, 'If I run away like this, I'll be laughed at for the rest of my life.' I had to face it bravely, and I had to do it well. Better than anyone imagined."

Rona Whelan was very satisfied with Lynn's serious attitude and the substance of his answer. This sounded real, not like diplomatic boilerplate.

She continued, "Did outside public pressure have any negative effect on you as a manager?"

Lynn smiled, remembering the rudeness of many opposing clubs, the humiliation from Fleet Street, and the war of words with the Welsh media at the beginning.

He shook his head and replied, "No. I like pressure. It gives me more motivation, and it forces me to work more seriously, to invest more time and energy into doing everything right."

"People outside often compare you to a madman. Whether it's your in-game management or how you develop the team, many believe your behavior is sometimes impossible to understand. For example, going to nightclubs with your players, clashing with opposing managers on the touchline, or simply throwing all your attacking players onto the pitch at once. What do you make of that?"

"Dryden, the English classical dramatist, once said something along the lines of: madness has its own pleasures, known only to the mad. Aristotle also said that no great genius has ever existed without some touch of madness.

"I wouldn't compare myself to a genius, but I do believe that in any profession, passion alone is not enough. Passion can make you good, even excellent, but it won't make you the most special or the very best. Football is competitive sport. My goal in this sport is to reach the top, and if that's the case, madness is an indispensable element."

Rona Whelan showed a thoughtful expression. She felt Lynn's answer was genuinely thought-provoking, giving people another angle from which to analyze and understand him.

"Swansea's players have all performed very well this season. From being doubted at the beginning to becoming heroes loved by the fans, can you talk about your secrets in the transfer market? How did you discover these talented young players?"

"I remember that before last season began, the fans were very worried because the club barely had anyone. Some media outlets published articles claiming it would be difficult for Swansea to even have a complete team by the time the season started, and they used photos of our empty training ground as a form of mockery.

"But very few people noticed what the club was doing at that time. We sent a large number of scouts across Europe, then evaluated players using a selection standard we built ourselves. After filtering players through many different conditions, we made our moves in the transfer market and brought those players to the Liberty Stadium.

"And in the end, you saw the Swansea we have now."

"So Swansea's player selection system is a secret, then."

"Of course!"

"Can you briefly comment on some of the players in the team? Cromwell, Ibrahimović, Villa, Cook, and Pedretti."

Lynn was silent for a moment before saying, "Cromwell has incomparable talent. The most important part is his reading of the game, because he is a player who thinks. That kind of intelligence is rare. It has helped him improve rapidly on the pitch, and his attitude toward competitive sport also makes him an outstanding team leader.

"Zlatan Ibrahimović's talent needs no explanation. He has a very strong presence on the pitch because he knows football is what he needs to realize all his dreams. His ambition gives him enormous drive.

"Villa has the delicate technique characteristic of Spanish players. Most importantly, he is very hardworking. That is the main reason behind his rapid growth.

"James Cook is actually somewhat similar to players developed within the traditional English system. He can carry out the coach's instructions step by step. The difference is that he does it better than others. Yes, he lacks a certain degree of improvisation on the pitch, but he brings the simplest technical qualities to an extremely high level.

"As for Pedretti, he might not have been allowed to play defensive midfielder in English football. He might even have been eliminated entirely, because he looks a little too slender. But in reality, he isn't weak. After strict and scientific training, his physical condition has become excellent. More importantly, he is also very agile. We believe in using individual skill to beat opponents, not brute force."

Rona Whelan nodded repeatedly.

She was delighted that Lynn was speaking so openly with her.

"The summer transfer window is coming soon. What are Swansea's plans?"

"Based on the team's situation, we will strengthen in certain areas to deal with the greater challenge of the Second Division. At the same time, we will continue investing in young players. We are willing to give talented young players a stage to prove themselves and make their names, and we welcome gifted young players to join us."

"What about next season's objective? I believe most people would say a newly promoted team should simply aim to avoid relegation."

Lynn laughed loudly and said, "I won't talk about that. Since everyone thinks Swansea are only a relegation-battling team, then we'll first work hard to earn enough points to stay in the Second Division."

More than an hour passed before Rona Whelan finally switched off her recorder with great satisfaction. She then called the waiter over and ordered a dessert.

Lynn waited for the waiter to refill his cup, then looked at Whelan and asked, "Satisfied?"

Rona Whelan smiled brightly and nodded happily. "I thought you would hold back, but I didn't expect you to cooperate this much."

"That's because you didn't cross the line. If you asked me sensitive questions, I definitely wouldn't answer."

Lynn was also very honest. Football clubs had many taboos, and making certain team-related private topics public could easily cause unrest within the squad.

Rona Whelan ate her dessert while asking, "I heard Swansea were caught up in a case recently. Someone tried to bribe the club's CEO, but Swansea's CEO called the police and got those people arrested?"

Lynn nodded, confirming Whelan's information. He added, "I suggest you don't make a big deal out of this. Whoever wants to report it can go ahead, but it isn't really what the fans care about. The outside world only needs to know that Swansea were not controlled by a betting syndicate. That was also the main reason we called the police: to make our stance clear to the outside world. We will absolutely not lose our morals."

Whelan thought about it carefully and understood what Lynn meant.

Anything involving this sort of matter would definitely involve criminals. It was better for her not to provoke them.

After the interview ended, the two chatted like friends.

Whelan asked, "Want to know some transfer market news?"

Lynn smiled. "I'm all ears."

Whelan straightforwardly told Lynn everything she had heard.

"Queens Park Rangers, who were relegated from the First Division, want to launch a revolution. The club is picking out members for a young guard, and Swansea's youth army is one of their main transfer targets.

"Reading, coached by Alan Pardew, are aiming for promotion. They want stronger attackers, and both Villa and Ibrahimović are on their watchlist.

"Swindon, who went from the Premier League to the First Division, and then from the First Division to the Second Division, are determined to return to the Premier League. They need to patch up their defense, and Friedrich, Gabbidon, and Balitsch are all targets they're keeping a close eye on.

"Wigan Athletic previously bought Mark Nilsson from Swansea, so perhaps they believe they can still do business with you.

"As for the remaining clubs, although they also want to take some treasures from Swansea, their financial pressure is too great. I'd guess they're only watching for now.

"For the time being, what you can be relieved about is that no First Division club has paid special attention to Swansea yet. After all, signing players across multiple divisions is a huge risk for clubs with limited finances. They won't try it easily."

Lynn nodded after hearing this.

At the very least, Whelan's words gave him a clearer picture.

After parting ways with Rona Whelan, Lynn continued his short holiday. He did not travel elsewhere and simply stayed in Swansea in a relaxed manner.

The Pyle family, that London underworld family, did not come to bother him again. He figured he had probably truly frightened the Pyle family. After all, they were an underworld family that had survived for over half a century. They understood better than most that there was always a mountain beyond the mountain.

On May 19, the Premier League season came to an end.

The day before, at the Millennium Stadium, the Third Division playoff final had also concluded.

Cardiff City narrowly defeated Hartlepool United in the final and successfully won promotion.

English football entered the offseason.

Manchester United left their rivals Arsenal far behind, winning the Premier League title with a huge ten-point advantage.

Ferguson became the first manager to win the league title three times in a row. Regarding this, Ferguson said, "This is the most difficult league in the world. Winning it three times in a row is special. Perhaps our achievement will become a work of art, growing more precious with time."

During the season, the White Rose, Leeds United, shook the world. Their young guard stunned everyone in Europe, and reaching the Champions League semifinals was enough for them to feel proud. Meanwhile, their £18 million signing of Rio Ferdinand also set an English record.

Liverpool became trophy collectors. Apart from the Premier League title and the Champions League, they swept up every other honor available this season.

Elsewhere, Bradford won only five matches, equaling Swindon's worst record.

The biggest change was that Coventry were finally relegated. After thirty-four years in the top flight and countless narrow escapes from relegation, Coventry finally went down this season after losing 2–3 to Villa.

In addition, Manchester City, newly promoted last season, became the third relegated team.

Chelsea striker Hasselbaink won the Premier League Golden Boot with twenty-three league goals.

The English game temporarily fell silent.

Manchester was shrouded in a strange scene of ice and fire.

The sky was still red.

Blue Manchester City would head to the First Division next season and once again fight for promotion.

To lift the morale of their fans and strengthen the club's appeal, the higher-ups at the Blue Moon quickly announced the team's new manager.

Kevin Keegan, who had stepped down in disappointment after leading the England national team to defeat against Germany last year, arrived at Manchester City to take up his new post.

Kevin Keegan had a brilliant playing career. He was a Liverpool legend and one of the few figures in English football to have won the Ballon d'Or. After retiring as a player, he managed Newcastle United and developed a deep "grudge" with Ferguson. In his war of words with Ferguson, he once suffered a crushing defeat, and Ferguson's Manchester United completed a stunning comeback against him.

If Keegan had won the league title with Newcastle United, if he had beaten Ferguson, if...

His career path might have looked completely different.

But now, he had chosen Manchester City.

The outside world believed that Keegan's decision was closely related to renewing his old "grudge" with Ferguson.