61. Back to Life Back to Reality with a Bump

 

DISCLAIMER:

If you are one of my friends or family reading this latest instalment of the Ultimate World FM Game, please note that the story surrounding it is a pure work of fiction and are not based on real life events. I have never been remotely near Cambodia, only through a laptop screen on Football Manager 2021 and Google Earth for research purposes. I am still living in Leeds, UK, with my wife and son. If your name happens to also be Charlotte Lay, then once again, she is a pure work of fiction invented for the purposes of this ficticious story. Lastly, this made up story is not reflective of the real EDC FC, or any of the personel associated with the club. Enjoy reading!

Jonathan. 

If the truth be told, I really didn't want to take training this morning. I just wanted to spend every minute of the day with my new love, but we had an important game this Saturday, away at the champions, Angkor Tiger and I had to be there. Duty called for both of us, as Charlotte also had a shift at the hospital, starting at lunchtime, so it was decided we would see eachother after the match on Saturday. She of course would be there cheering us on from the stands. Secondly, after my clandestine trip across the Gulf of Thailand I had to carry on as normal at EDC. 

I gave a T-shirt, pair of jogging bottoms and trainers to Charlotte to wear (she still looked amazing) as an alternative to the impractical evening wear, which had been damaged during her ordeal. I dropped her at home, which was about a 15 minute detour across the city and after a long, romantic farewell headed to the Electricity Stadium for training. On the way between her house and the ground I took some time to digest the events of the past 24 hours. It had been probably the most eventful of my entire life. I would reject the Melaka job if it was offered to me and carry on as normal at EDC to try to win the coveted C-League title. Not only did their ambitions seem too unrealistic I wanted to see how things were going to develop with Charlotte. At such an early stage in our relationship, it would be unreasonable to expect her to up sticks and move away with me.

As I was signalling to turn into the car park at the ground I noticed a crowd of people, some with cameras. They were journalists. Once they saw my car they sprang towards me like a herd of cattle at feeding time. I had to stop the car in case I knocked one of them down. Then the camera flashes started, blinding me as I tried to comprehend what was happening.

Was it because of my 'heroics' last night? Had the press got hold of a story about the EDC manager saving a damsel in distress from a gang of muggers in the mean backstreets of Phnom Penh? Did they know that she also happened to be a superfan who'd previously had liaisons with some of the players and now indeed with the manager himself. (News would have had to travel very quickly on the last point.) That would be a great story for the tabloids. I smiled and waved at them, thinking this was the reason why they were here. I felt like a hero!

One of them banged on the window and shouted.

"Are you going to Malaysia Jonathan?"

"Are you leaving EDC Mr Rudd?"

Oh OK not that then..

"Are you going to Melaka?"

Perhaps it was the happy mood I was in, but I decided to do the full Harry Redknapp and wind down my window to talk to them. 

"Are you going to Melaka Jonathan?"

"No I will be staying right here in Cambodia, ladies and gentlemen. "

"Did Hem Vutha (chairman) know about your trip to Malaysia, Jonathan?"

"Oh err yes of course he did! Isn't it a lovely day everybody, the sun is out and the birds are singing and love is in the air. When the seagulls follow the trawler down the Mekong River, they are expecting a great big stingray to be thrown into the water! Now if you excuse me I have to start training." I replied glibly.

I managed to park up and run inside. I was met by a grim faced Nen Borey. He was holding a copy of the Khmer Times, one of the principle Cambodian newspapers. He pulled me into a quiet room.

"Did you go for a job interview in Malaysia? Somebody spotted you and now all hell's breaking loose," he hissed.

"Don't try and deny it, Hem Vutha has already been in touch with Melaka FC and they have confirmed you attended an interview. What were you thinking?" He enquired angrily.

"It's that woman isn't it, Charlotte.. She put you up to it.? I bet she fancied laying on those lovely beaches in Melaka."

"Charlotte had nothing to do with this."

God if I could explain the past 24 hours to him, I doubt he would actually believe me! The trip to Malaysia was actually the only believable bit! I regarded him though as a friend as well as an Assistant Manager and over the years, this man had been a calming influence on me.

"Yes I did go to Malaysia, Nen, to have an interview for the vacant manager's job at Melaka yesterday afternoon. I felt like I'd taken EDC as far as I could and after that scouting meeting last week. I wanted  to get away from Phnom Penh, because I could not get Charlotte out of my mind."

"I knew it. That woman has that effect on every man she meets and she knows it."

"Nen, it isn't like that, she is not the woman you think she is. Besides I want to stay now."

"Oh Jonathan, my friend, it's for Charlotte isnt it,  reading me like a book. He sighed. Look we can talk about her later. She's the least of your worries right now. Hem Vutha wants to see you immediately in the board room and you had better have a good excuse, because he is livid. In fact rumour has it he's already lining up your replacement."

"Oh no!."

"So you'd better put in a top performance up there. Good luck."

I looked back at a waiting Nen Borey. What did he know about Charlotte that I didn't?" I was obsessed.

I trooped up the stairs to the boardroom like a naughty schoolboy.

I knocked on the boardroom door. Hem Vutha was sat alone at the desk. While on these occasions they would politely stand up, bow and exchange pleasantries, he stared motionless at me as I sat down.

"Jonathan. Thankyou for coming." started Hem Vutha.

"We know about your little trip to Malaysia, the beautiful city of Melaka I believe, but you understand that you are still under contract here. 

"Hem. I have no intention of leaving EDC." I said hastily.

"Then why the bloody hell did you board a flight to Malaysia and have an interview with Melaka then, without asking us first. You are under contract!" shouted my normally mild mannered chairman.

"Because I felt at that time I had taken EDC as far as I could and wanted a new challenge, but I want to stay now as manager and try to win the C-League."

I did not tell him the real reason why I wanted to stay.

"Well I had a nice little chat with Melaka's club president, Mohd Ishi Puvanarjah. who confirmed you were sat in his boardroom, less than 24 hours ago. I had a tip off from somebody who spotted you in Melaka. They also must have tipped off the papers as well because they are full of it. 

He pulled out a copy of the Khmer Times. In the sports pages was a big article with a rather unflattering picture of me. It was of course all in Khmer, but Hem Vutha read it out to me in English.

"EDC's Jonathan Rudd has been linked with the vacant Melaka job after he was spotted getting out of a taxi at the Heng Jabat Stadium. The club sit rock bottom of the Malaysian Super League. Is Rudd the man to turn around their fortunes?"

"Yes I confess I went there for an interview, but to be honest the job did not appeal to me anyway. They wanted me to take them from the bottom of the table to the playoffs in the same season.

Hem Vutha looked unimpressed.

"Well it seems like the feeling was pretty mutual. They told me that they wouldn't give you the job if you were the last football manager on earth. They thought you were way out of your depth and that they did not match their expectations in their vision for the club, so don't expect a phone call from them any time soon. They said they had a more experienced Malaysian manager in mind for the job instead."

"As for me, while I am livid about your flirtations with another club while under contract and without telling us, luckily for you I am feeling in a generous mood. You can stay on here as manager, but I will have to fine you two weeks wages for violating your contract. The money will go to a local orphanage. Secondly I want to see an improvement in the team, especially in defence as our record signing, lasted only 44 days at the club, which was a complete waste of my money. Secondly I want you to start taking the Hun Sen Cup more seriously and not losing to stupid teams like Bati Youth. Thirdly I would like us to actually sustain a consistent challenge for the league title. I want to see possession based attacking football, not hoofing the ball downfield hoping Taboula might work some of his magic. We are not an English Sunday League team. I also want a good performance on Saturday against Angkor Tiger. Now you'd better go and do what you are best at Jonathan and start training my team to make these things happen!"

I headed for the door, but as I was leaving he left one nasty sting in the tail.

"Oh and that woman you have been seeing... Charlotte Lay.. Has she done the towel trick yet? Marvellous isn't it!" he chuckled.

I slammed the door closed and wanted to throw up...

My head was spinning. I lacked sleep as well, as it had been a very long day yesterday with my early start to fly to Malaysia and then of course, Charlotte.. I'd only had four hours tops.

I took training, but let my other coaches take a lead role in a tedious Defending Free Kicks session, followed by a practice match. I stood and observed from the touchline, trying as best I could to stay focused on football.

"She's been with the chairman as well... how could she? The dirty old man! The very thoughts of them two turned my stomach.. I seriously needed another talk with her. Get this important match out the way and then I would deal with her after. This time I would do it at a quiet bar, which would act as a neutral venue for this conversation and where she could not do any 'towel tricks.' I wanted to know what I was dealing with here, before deciding on whether or not to carry things on with her. She was probably too good to be true anyway....

As soon as training was over I made my excuses and left for the day, drove home and slept. Today could have gone a whole lot better but at least I was still in a job.. for now..

I was awoken by my phone ringing. It was Charlotte.. I decided to act normally.

"Hey darling.. missed you... you just woke me up"

"Thought you might be packing your bags to go to Melaka.. Are you leaving EDC? Are you leaving me in Cambodia while you jet off to your new job in Malaysia? You told me it was a scouting mission, not a job interview.. You lied to me...."

She obviously reads the Khmer Times..

"Charlotte I'm not going anywhere... I'm staying at EDC... oh god.. I didn't get the job. I didn't want the job."

"But you still lied to me. You said it was because you were interested in signing a player from Melaka, not because you wanted to manage them.."

"OK Yes I did go to Melaka, that much is true, and it was for a job interview. It didn't go very well and as far as I am aware they have hired someone else. Charlotte, this was at a time when we were not even together and when I thought you were a spy from another team, just after I had rescued you. I did not want to tell you because at the time you were still emotional after your ordeal. This has been a big misunderstanding for everybody and I am sorry."

"I do not want a relationship built on lies. Believe me I have had too many like that. I want things to be different. We have to be honest with eachother if this is ever going to work. No lies." she replied.

"Speaking of which, Charlotte, how do you know my chairman, Hem Vutha?"

There was a long pause at the other end.... 

"Because he seems to know you Charlotte in quite intimate detail.."

It all went very quiet. I could hear her at the other end..... It sounded like she was sobbing... 

"Uhhuhh.. 

"Please I have to go I'm on my break at work I don't have much time, but we will talk after the Angkor Tiger match. I promise I will tell you everything..."

"I want to know now.. Charlotte. Is he another notch on your bedpost?"

"I have to go back on the wards. I promise I will tell you everything on Saturday after the game."

"OK. I look forward to what you have to say. Enjoy the game and we will talk. OK. Have a good shift and I miss you."

"Miss you too..See you Saturday." She blew a kiss down the phone.

What the hell was this about?

Match 6 – Angkor Tiger v EDC

It's nice to get back to some football! I take my charges away to the Champions in a pensive mood. We have made an inconsistent start to the season and have dropped points against teams we should beat. While we have been good going forward, we have been suspect at the back and have allowed far too many shots against us. This is the first game against one of the ‘bigger’ clubs in Cambodia this season and while we have got away with this against the smaller sides, we will be punished against the larger ones. Therefore I go in with a 4-2-3-1, with Vavanak making his full debut in defensive midfield. Bath and Nhem will cut in off the flanks to support lone striker Taboula.

Team: Som, Ratana, Gbayoro, Yaty, Bairaing, Vavanak, Chea Sam, Pheara, Nhem, Taboula, Soun Bath

Match Action

Angkor make the early running and Phanaseth misses a gilt edge chance when through on goal. On four minutes from a free kick, Bin Thierry sneaks round the back to fire home the opening goal from close range. We come back into it a bit but can’t really create any clear cut chances. A breakaway ends up with Soun Bath firing well wide, but that’s about it. They are winning too many free kicks at the other end, but they fail to extend their lead before the break. The second half begins and Tiger go close from a corner, a far post header going just wide. From the resulting goal kick, Som finds Pheara in an advanced position. He turns, runs and threads it through to the onrushing Nhem who buries it into the corner of the net. 1-1! Suddenly we look up for it. Pheara and Nhem combine again, but the youngster’s shot is straight at the keeper. Tiger bite back, but we are now equal to everything they throw at us. We then look dangerous on the counter attack with the pace of Taboula and Nhem. It’s end to end, but nobody can strike a blow. We have an effort scrambled off the line from a corner and once again look like we can score on the break. Tiger push for a winner towards the end, but our defence for once this season holds firm and it finishes one each. A hard earned point away from home against the best team in Cambodia and a good performance, which will please my chairman.

Final Score: Angkor Tiger 1-1 EDC

Thierry 5                                    Nhem 47

 

The manager holds onto his job after his clandestine trip to Malaysia, but what does Charlotte want to tell him? Find out next time on The Ultimate World Football Manager Game! 

Read the next part, Sealing The Deal exclusively here!