522 The Countdown Begins

Chelsea's close gap in points with Manchester United appeared on various media pages the day after Chelsea's game. Mourinho smugly told the media that he was going to seize all the championship titles this season. Next to the printed words of what he had said in the interview was a photograph of Ferguson's livid face while he attended the post-match press conference.

The English media were skilled in dealing with this kind of story. The readers could see the relationship between the two sides and the hidden story behind them at a glance.

Twain, who directed all of it, kept cover at the Forest team's training base in Wilford at this time in preparation for the first leg of the Champions League semi-final game and to make the home stretch.

For him, the messier the contest between Chelsea and Manchester United got, the easier for him to prevail over his opponents in the melee.