Football Dynasty

Chapter 127: Entering Working State

"I wonder why the media never covered this story before. I thought they weren’t interested—but now, suddenly, here they are," Richard mused.

Miss Heysen had expected him to be angry. But to her surprise, he wasn’t. He had clearly anticipated this all along.

"Did you expect this to happen?" she asked.

"Of course, Miss Heysen," Richard replied calmly. "And not just this. After this article, more people will flood the media with opinions—criticizing Manchester City left and right. Just wait and see."

After all, many people probably still resent the way he completely overhauled nearly all of City’s most important departments. There were also several club legends who hoped to be called back—but never were.

They probably felt like they were ghosted by him, which is ironic, considering he never intended to call them in the first place.

Richard shook his head and decided to dismiss it. He turned to Miss Heysen, but before he could speak, the loud whirring sound of the fax machine suddenly filled the room.

KRRRRRRRT! BZZZZZ! TCHK-TCHK-TCHK—SKREEEEEE!!

"Incoming fax!"

Richard’s eyes lit up as he stood and grabbed the paper from the machine, quickly returning to his seat to examine it.

The first document was a £6 million offer from PSV, along with an agreement from Bristol City—the club currently hosting Rivaldo on loan from Manchester City.

Richard didn’t know what exactly PSV had promised them, but somehow, they’d managed to get Bristol on board. Now, all that was left was his approval.

’Six million...’ Richard thought for a moment before giving the green light on the transfer.

He bought Robvaldo for £2.5 million, which means he made a £3.5 million profit from the transfer. Well, since the player wanted the move, it was better not to hold him back.

"Miss Heysen, please check the club’s account for me and let me know if there’s any incoming transfer from the Netherlands. The amount is six million."

"Understood," Miss Heysen replied, sighing as she gave up on persuading Richard. She then began to focus on her own work.

"And also, Miss Heysen—wait a moment, please," Richard hurriedly stopped her and handed over a document. "Please help me contact a list of hospitals around here and ask if they’re willing to collaborate with Manchester City for serious injuries and general medical support."

Miss Heysen nodded. "Any other instructions regarding the hospitals?"

"Yes. The collaboration should last for a year. We want priority access to orthopedic surgeons or sports medicine specialists who can perform necessary procedures and rehabilitation. Also, we want a specialist doctor to be stationed at Maine Road to ensure that injured players receive proper care as soon as possible."

Miss Heysen looked a bit surprised. "So much?"

"Of course," Richard said.

Securing proper medical support for his players was just as crucial as finalizing transfers or managing club operations. At the very least, he knew Manchester City couldn’t rely on their own medical department right now, since it was literally empty.

"Alright, understood," Miss Heysen said before leaving Richard alone, who continued to read the newspaper, waiting to catch some of the latest transfer news, especially since it was still the peak of the transfer window.

However, when he saw the news, he was left speechless.

"What happened?"

The Mirror called it "the night football died of shame."

The Sun ran a back-page headline: "Is this the end for the madman?"

The Express labeled it: "Absolute thuggery in front of the children."

Even the BBC Nine O’Clock News, which featured interviews with several schoolchildren, commented: "Sir Matt Busby would have sacked him, and Brian Clough said he would have ’cut his balls off.’"

"Am I missing something?"

Richard thought for a moment before reading further, finally understanding the reason behind all the madness when he saw the images of Eric Cantona’s kung-fu kick, still radiating with his exhilarating power.

The hooligans. Four minutes into the second half, he shouted, "Fuck off back to France, you French motherfucker," with impunity. Finally, he received Cantona’s re-education program—a flying kick, or his vigilante kick at Shaw, followed by the satisfied flourish of a red card.

Manchester United fined Eric Cantona £20,000 and announced that he would not play for the first team for the rest of the current football season. Cantona also faced assault charges, with a police investigation pending. However, it soon became apparent that Cantona had overwhelming support among United supporters.

For the current season, Manchester United was desperate to catch up with Blackburn Rovers, who were five points ahead and also had a game in hand. With Cantona banned, United needed another player of his caliber to lead their attack.

With no other options, Manchester United broke the English transfer fee record by signing Andy Cole from Newcastle United for £7 million: £6 million in cash plus 19-year-old winger Keith Gillespie, valued at £1 million.

This marked the first time an English club made a record-breaking transfer in the middle of the season, as high-profile signings typically occur during the summer transfer window.

Talking about the transfer window, the modern system (summer + winter) was introduced by FIFA in the 2002–03 season. Before that, players in English football (and most of Europe) could be transferred at almost any time during the season, up until a set deadline later in the campaign (usually March).

Most major European leagues — including Italy (Serie A), Spain (La Liga) — had different rules and systems for transfers. However, except for La Liga, which was more restrictive compared to the summer period, all teams could conduct business whenever during the season, though it was less common.

There is a reason why FIFA formalized and divided the transfer season into two periods: summer and winter.

From a practical standpoint, even though clubs had the ability to make signings throughout the entire campaign, summer transfers became the dominant period for big business, while winter transfers were usually lower-profile or strategic purchases.

Top clubs had strong squads by mid-season and were generally reluctant to make significant changes, as it is harder for players to settle into a new team in the middle of a competitive campaign. Stability was key for these clubs, so unless it was absolutely necessary, they preferred to sign players who could have a full pre-season to integrate and adjust to the team.

Still, the season is long, and sometimes unforeseen situations like injury crises or key players underperforming require adjustments. So, from December to January, there is activity in the transfer market, though it’s less active. Only a few clubs look to strengthen their squad by bringing in a backup player, young prospect, or someone who could fill an immediate gap.

All of this has turned the summer and winter transfer windows into cultural and market phenomena, creating expectations among fans. During these periods, clubs are more willing to make moves, and the media intensifies the transfer drama.

This is why FIFA ultimately chose these two transfer windows as the best timeline for expected activity.

The next news revolves around Arsenal, who found themselves at the center of a bung scandal and drug controversy.

In November, winger Paul Merson publicly admitted that he had struggled with addictions to alcohol, cocaine, and gambling. He underwent a three-month rehabilitation program before returning to his career.

Just before Merson’s return, it was revealed that manager George Graham had accepted £425,000 in illegal payments from a Scandinavian agent, who had facilitated the signings of Pål Lydersen and John Jensen three years earlier.

If proven, this could lead to Graham being banned, forcing Arsenal to fire him and search for a new manager.

There was also Bruce Grobbelaar, the current Liverpool goalkeeper, who was accused by the British tabloid newspaper The Sun of match-fixing to benefit a betting syndicate, after being caught on videotape discussing match-fixing.

He was charged with conspiracy to corrupt, along with Wimbledon goalkeeper Hans Segers, Aston Villa striker John Fashanu (who had only recently signed from Wimbledon), and a Malaysian businessman, Heng Suan Lim.

So much happened in the span of a year, and all of it was massive. Richard took a deep breath and reminded himself: Football wasn’t just about sport—it was also about the media, the narratives, the drama, and the spectacle.

Everything was interconnected, and the pressure to perform on and off the pitch was immense. It wasn’t just the players who had to handle the heat; the managers, the club executives, and even the fans were part of the equation.

Time passed, and by 2:57 p.m., hundreds of City fans crowded into Bescot Stadium, home of Walsall F.C., where Manchester City were set to play an away match.

They stood proudly, waving flags emblazoned with a red ship and the Red Rose of Lancashire—symbols of Manchester’s rich heritage and the heart of the club itself.

Of course, Richard had already arrived early. He wanted to assess the team himself, to see whether adding another midfielder was necessary for the current City squad.

The trees outside the car window quickly blurred past. The pastures along the way were full of cattle and sheep, and green wheat on the farms swayed in the breeze.

It was D-Day.

The players and coaching staff sat aboard the short-distance bus from Manchester to Poundland, and soon, Bescot Stadium came into view.

After the players stepped off the bus, O’Neill and his staff approached Richard, and the first thing they said left him stunned.

"Mike has a sprained ankle. It’ll take at least two weeks to recover."

The "Mike" he referred to was Mike Phelan—City’s backup midfielder. That meant the club now had only four fit midfielders remaining!

Richard frowned. Six midfielders out injured in the span of three weeks?

This is not normal.

Still, he wasn’t a physio or a doctor, so he just nodded and gave O’Neill a quick, reassuring hug who was clearly in a frustrated mood.

"Anyone you want to recommend?" Richard asked.

O’Neill gave a tired nod.

"Give me the list after the match. I’ll try my best to recruit them."

"Really?" O’Neill asked, still not quite believing it.

Richard rolled his eyes.

"Didn’t you see? We just sold one of our best players to another club for six million."

"You mean Rivaldo?"

Richard let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah—six goals, nine assists for Bristol City. PSV spotted that, and goddamn John went ahead and sold him without blinking."

O’Neill nodded slowly. "So that’s why he was ousted?"

Richard gave him a sideways glance. "Don’t forget—he also failed to bring in Vieira, even after I gave him clear instructions. That already told me he wasn’t up to the job. And on top of that, he second-guessed nearly every decision I made."

He then gave a slight shrug. "The Liverpool–Hitachi deal went to his head, making him think he was untouchable at City." Richard paused, then looked at O’Neill, his gaze steady and serious.

"No one is untouchable at my City. As long as you perform, you’re good to go. But if you start slipping—" He paused for a moment, then walked off without even turning his head. "—then you’re no different than the last guy."

Is that a threat?

More like a warning.

O’Neill gave a small nod. He didn’t need the warning—he already knew.

This was football. Ruthless, fast-moving, and unforgiving.

You were only ever as good as your last win.