NOVPUB
Chapter 128: Gossip
Walsall is the hottest promotion team in the second division this year.
New manager Chris Nicholl led the club to promotion back to the third tier in his first season, building the nucleus of a strong and underrated team. A run of four straight wins before the end of January proved that City would be facing a tough team this time.
Thankfully, Richard’s threat seemed to have worked. Or perhaps it was Richard’s promise to bring in players O’Neill had been eyeing after the match—either way, O’Neill wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by.
From the time the referee blew the kick-off whistle, the game fell completely into City’s rhythm.
Ronaldo, in the fourth minute of the game, zigzagged past the left-back from the left to the center and swiftly moved into the penalty area. After receiving a pass from Keith Gillespie, he used his left foot to send the ball into the opposite corner of the goal.
His goals soon came one after another.
In the 11th and 13th minutes of the game—within just two minutes—the alien scored two more goals to complete his hat trick.
A damn hat trick.
In the second half of the game, Richard saw O’Neill substitute Ronaldo with Emile Heskey—a decision he praised. After all, they were already leading 3–0. He also hoped that City’s key players would be given more rest.
The formation soon shifted to a 4-4-2, with Solskjær and Heskey becoming the two spearheads up front.
Richard stood up and scanned the entire stands and the pitch. City’s current style of play was a clear contrast between the two halves.
In the first half, they relied heavily on individual skill; in the second, they became calmer and played with more stability.
Sometimes, Richard would watch Solskjaer make a brilliant dribble and link up with Emile Heskey, delighting the crowd with a beautiful play that earned an audible "ooh" and applause.
Richard rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
He picked up his phone and dialed Miss Heysen.
"Hello, Miss Heysen," he said. "Can you contact Jako, the company that makes our jerseys? Let them know we’re planning a big promotional campaign for four players who are currently in the spotlight—Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Cafu, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They should probably consider making special edition jerseys to meet the demand. It’s going to be huge."
"..."
"No, don’t add more jerseys to the list. Just reduce the number of jerseys for players who are injured or simply cut back on other jerseys to make room for the ones we’re promoting."
"..."
"Yes, let them know we’re planning to make them the face of the club for now. And hey—thanks a lot, Miss Heysel. Sorry you’ve had to deal with things that aren’t really part of your job. I really appreciate it. Thanks again!"
Let’s pump up their jersey sales while the iron’s still hot!
After the win against Walsall, Richard fulfilled his promise to get the list of players O’Neill wanted after the match: Gary McAllister and Jamie Redknapp, which left Richard’s eyes widened.
’Are you out of your fucking mind?!’ Richard wanted to curse O’Neill for suggesting these names, but thankfully, O’Neill explained himself first.
Gary McAllister—everyone knew Leeds’ once-strong defense and midfield were showing cracks. Key players like McAllister had contracts that were nearing their end, but Leeds weren’t planning to renew them. As for Jamie Redknapp, just last year he had finally recuperated from his knee injury and was struggling to secure consistent game time at Liverpool.
Richard sighed as he patted O’Neill’s shoulder. "I’ll try my best, but I can’t promise anything."
It’s not like City is the only club interested in them. There are still Premier League and First Division clubs that could be keen on signing them.
Done with O’Neill, Richard then turned his focus to evaluating City’s overall performance.
Winning against Walsall meant adding another win to City’s tally in the league.
Sitting in fifth place, with Birmingham City, Brentford, Bristol Rovers, and Blackpool ahead, City had also made it to the FA Cup sixth round and progressed to the League Cup fourth round.
A good result, actually, as no one expected a third-tier club to manage squeezing their way into the FA and League Cup.
Only... the next month.
Richard sat in his office, staring at Manchester City’s fixture list for February with a serious expression. 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝓫.𝓬ℴ𝓶
February Fixtures (1994):
02/02/1994: Preston North End (Second Division)
07/02/1994: Bury (Second Division)
14/02/1994: Swindon Town (Second Division)
21/02/1994: Crystal Palace (League Cup Fourth Round)
24/02/1994: Lincoln City (Second Division)
28/02/1994: Manchester United (FA Cup Sixth Round)
’Two Premier League teams...’ Richard thought to himself.
There are 17 matches left in the current Second Division campaign, and technically, City would need to win every single one to secure the automatic promotion. So, it was better if City gave up on the League Cup and FA Cup.
"These two matches could go very well—or very badly. Nevertheless, it’s better to be prepared," he muttered.
Before January ended, many faxes came in inquiring about players like Ronaldo, Solskjær, Cafu, Roberto Carlos, and Campbell—but Richard definitely blocked all transfer negotiations regarding them and protected them strictly.
Miss Heysen then entered with a fax. "Richard, Ian Cox has received an offer from AFC Bournemouth for £500,000, Richard Edghill from Blackpool for £100,000, and Paul Dickov for £225,000."
Ian Cox had already been placed on the transfer list, and they had been in communication with Bournemouth. As for Edghill and Dickov, both a center back and a striker respectively, their playing time had been significantly reduced with the arrival of new players last season.
Richard wasn’t going to stand in their way.
"Has O’Neill given his approval as well?" he asked.
Miss Heysen nodded. Richard then gave his full approval for the deals without a second thought.
Learning from his past mistake with John, who had sold Rivaldo without his consideration, Richard had now made sure that all transfers, including contract discussions, must go through him first. No matter what, he was determined to be involved in every step, even if it meant stepping in during the early stages.
Then he turned to look out the window, where City’s first team was hard at work preparing for tomorrow’s match against Preston.
"You shouldn’t slack off!"
He could even hear O’Neill roaring as he led the session with fiery energy, and the players’ response was, naturally, laughter.
"Haha, yes coach!"
"Destroy them!"
"Yeah!!" the players shouted in unison.
Seeing the team’s high spirits, Richard leaned back in his seat, then turned to Miss Heysen, who was standing nearby.
"Miss Heysen, please arrange a meeting with Philip Harris from Lloyds Banking Group and Taylor Smith from Barclays. Tell them I’d like to discuss the repayment terms for my billion-pound loan."
"Yes, anything else?" she asked.
"No, that’s all for now," Richard replied with a slight nod.
The next week, Richard was back in action, working on negotiations for the potential transfers of Gary McAllister and Jamie Redknapp.
Unbeknownst to him, his talks had already been caught by the media, causing a stir.
The press had picked up on the possibility of high-profile moves to Manchester City, a club currently struggling in the third tier of English football.
The media had a field day with the news, and The Sun led the charge with biting commentary and ridicule. Headlines mocked Manchester City’s position, sarcastically questioning whether the likes of McAllister and Redknapp would be "saving" the club from irrelevance.
Richard gripped the newspaper in his hand as he read through the article. It wasn’t the McAllister and Redknapp issue that upset him, but rather the picture.
Yes, the picture.
There was a photo of Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos at the club, and beneath it, the headline read: "From Premier League to Third-Tier Nightmares." The editor then added, "Will McAllister and Redknapp be the saviors, or are they just hopping on a sinking ship?"
The mocking tone suggested they were more interested in parties and celebrity than in football—an unfair shot at his two players.
From Richard’s perspective, it was clear what the editor was insinuating to their audience: "With players like this, known for their crazy lifestyles, are they really capable of saving a struggling club?"
Richard didn’t care about most of it—until he turned the page of The Sun.
"FUCK!" he shouted, slamming the newspaper onto the floor as his mood instantly soured.
A bold red headline screamed across the page, alongside a photo of Maine Road and, of course, his!
"...PLAYBOYS!!! PARTY ANIMALS!!! IRRESPONSIBLE...!!!"
The implication was clear as they ridiculed and even doubted City’s chances of promotion, hinting at the club’s reputation — along with that of its players — for enjoying parties and the high life rather than focusing on football. Even him, as the chairman, was not spared by them.
Richard tapped his fingers on the table, his mind racing.
Once again, City was in the spotlight.
It was likely due to their unexpected run in the League Cup and FA Cup, which had set them on a collision course with Premier League giants.
The media, ever eager to seize on any angle, had latched onto this story, and the news about McAllister and Redknapp was probably just the spark they needed to launch another attack.
’The Sun...’ Richard thought to himself.
In the British newspaper industry, there is a distinction between broadsheets and tabloids.
Broadsheets typically feature larger pages and focus on more serious news. Notable examples include The Times, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, and The Guardian.
On the other hand, tabloids have smaller pages and are known for publishing "sensational news"—things like gossip, social affairs, celebrity scandals, and political exposés that attract a wide readership. Major tabloids include The Sun, The Mirror, The Daily Star, and The Daily Express.
The term "sensational news" refers to stories that are designed to grab attention and often revolve around entertainment, politics, and personal drama—much like what is currently happening right now.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Come in," Richard said, raising his head.
The door opened, and stepping into his office were Frank Shepherd (the club’s solicitor), Gordon Barry (a barrister), and Martin O’Neill—his expression dark and tense.
The first to speak was Frank Shepherd. "I saw it too. This kind of fake news, designed purely to grab attention, is typical of The Sun. I’m ready to sue them—if you give me the green light."
Richard was dumfounded at this.
