With Franck Ribéry and Daniel Majstorović undergoing their medical examinations, New Manchester United's first-team squad now contained twenty-three players. Of those twenty-three, only five were English: Gareth Turner, Kitson, Crouch, Terry, and David Green. Green, however, was the club's third-choice goalkeeper and might not make a single appearance all season.
The current captain was Peter Schmeichel, who could almost be considered an honorary Englishman after being embraced by Manchester and the rest of the country. Even so, the large number of foreign players in the squad still concerned Ethan.
Ethan did not believe that having too many foreign players was necessarily a bad thing. Foreign players could be just as loyal to the club, and some might even come through its academy. However, six members of the squad were French: Ribéry, Malouda, Alou Diarra, Evra, Abidal, and Distin.
All six were highly talented. Evra, Abidal, and Distin had already proven their quality, while Ribéry, Malouda, and Alou Diarra were gifted prospects. There would be no problem with any one of them remaining at the club.
The real concern was simply that there were too many French players.
Cliques were extremely dangerous inside a football club. These players had all left France and moved to England, so who could guarantee they would not naturally form their own group?
Ethan did not want to separate them. He simply hoped Mourinho could use his management skills to maintain complete control of the dressing room and unite every foreign player behind the club. Only then could New Manchester United succeed.
After listening, Mourinho smiled and nodded.
"Ethan, I've been thinking about the same issue over the past few days. Don't worry. I'll find a way to deal with it."
Mourinho was a forceful manager with a powerful need for control. Since he said he had a solution, Ethan naturally believed him.
However, another matter quickly came to mind.
"To achieve results, the club needs to sign suitable foreign players. But the academy and our domestic players are equally important. I hope you'll pay close attention to the youth system, especially a few of the youngsters there."
"Are you referring to Curtis Davies, Lionel Messi, and the others?" Mourinho asked with a smile.
Although he had not been at the club long, he had already heard that Ethan placed great importance on several academy players. His meaning therefore seemed obvious.
"Not only them, José. I don't want anyone receiving special treatment. If they make mistakes, punish them like everyone else."
Ethan continued seriously.
"What I mean is that any club aiming for long-term success needs a core group of players who embody its identity. Look at Manchester United's midfield four and the Neville brothers in defence."
"You're thinking further ahead than I am, Ethan," Mourinho said with a laugh. "But you're absolutely right."
"Since you've entrusted the team to me, I won't disappoint you, whether with the first team or the academy."
His expression became confident.
"Give me three years, Ethan, and I'll forge a team that even Premier League clubs will fear."
Mourinho clearly meant every word. Ethan was pleased because he saw conviction in him, not the hesitation Bruce had sometimes shown.
"Then let me tell you this, José. I hope you become New Manchester United's Ferguson and lead the club to glory."
"Whatever you need along the way, I'll do everything possible to provide it."
Mourinho smiled, visibly pleased by Ethan's words.
"Then here's to a successful partnership."
He extended his hand.
Ethan shook it firmly.
After releasing his hand, Mourinho opened the notebook in front of him, removed several sheets of paper, and passed them across the desk.
"Take a look. These are the rules I've drafted for the squad."
Ethan paused in surprise before accepting them.
The pages were densely covered with regulations. Many sections had been revised several times, showing how carefully Mourinho had considered them.
The document outlined detailed standards for almost every part of a player's conduct, including the daily schedule.
For example, Mourinho demanded that every player report to the training pitch on time. Anyone arriving less than five minutes late would receive additional training as punishment. Anyone more than five minutes late would be fined, with the amount doubling for every additional five minutes. Repeated lateness could result in suspension.
Mourinho also set strict standards for the players' behaviour away from football. As public figures, they were expected to show social responsibility and set a positive example for children and supporters.
Players had to return home before midnight. Even on days off, they were not permitted to remain out beyond two in the morning.
To protect unity inside the club, every player had to respect the coaching staff, medical personnel, kit staff, and all other employees.
Conflicts between players, whether on or off the pitch, were forbidden. Any such incident would be treated as a serious breach of discipline, with fines or suspensions imposed depending on its severity.
Whether foreign or domestic, injured players were not allowed to leave Manchester without permission from the manager, team doctor, and The Lab.
Anyone who missed a medical appointment would be punished.
Players shown a straight red card during a match would have the incident reviewed by the manager and captain, who would decide whether further internal discipline was required.
The document also covered countless smaller details. Smoking and drinking were forbidden in the dressing room, loud behaviour was prohibited on the team bus, and many other rules were listed with equal precision.
Even Ethan was surprised by some of them.
Nevertheless, Mourinho's regulations were both necessary and extremely thorough.
A team could not function without clear standards. Only strict discipline could forge a formidable side.
With every rule written down, the players would know exactly what was permitted and what was not. They would have a clear standard to follow, and any later punishment would be less likely to create resentment.
"José, this must have taken a great deal of work," Ethan said with a smile.
He finally understood why Mourinho was so confident in his ability to control the dressing room.
If every rule in this document could be enforced, Mourinho would become the unquestioned authority within the squad.
Mourinho smiled as well.
"I'll need your cooperation. I can already see that you have considerable influence over the players."
Ethan spread his hands.
"You'll have my complete support. I also think these rules should be announced when the squad first reports back."
"It's time to tighten the reins on them. After winning two consecutive doubles, I'm worried some of them may have become too pleased with themselves."
Young men in their early twenties were often difficult to control. They enjoyed parties, nightlife, and freedom, and many resisted discipline. That was why so many gifted prospects ultimately failed to fulfil their potential.
Most of New Manchester United's players were still young, so Ethan fully supported strict discipline.
The last thing he wanted was to see highly rated talents become disruptive figures and waste their careers.
Mourinho was undoubtedly an authoritarian manager, but he differed from uncompromising figures such as Capello or Ferguson.
His methods were subtler. He knew how to earn the players' obedience while also maintaining close relationships with them.
That had been another major reason Ethan chose him.
Even so, Ethan could already imagine what awaited the squad when they returned from holiday.
The players would be greeted by brutally demanding preseason training.
He had noticed an interesting pattern during Mourinho's early periods at Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid. Injuries had often been unusually frequent, and some people suspected his training methods were partly responsible.
The existence of The Lab, however, gave Ethan some reassurance. Professor Fryer and his team would undoubtedly help Mourinho design a more complete and scientifically balanced programme.
Once that issue was settled, Ethan and Mourinho moved on to discussing the squad.
Mourinho believed that although the team now had three natural wingers in Ribéry, Hleb, and Malouda, while Olić and Palacio could also play out wide, there was still not enough depth.
Olić and Palacio were primarily forwards.
In Mourinho's system, the two wide positions would be especially important. He therefore hoped Ethan could sign one more winger if the opportunity arose, even if the player was only intended as a reserve.
Mourinho also felt Abidal was better suited to the left side of defence, so he decided to keep Gareth Turner.
He greatly admired Terry, who possessed almost every quality Mourinho wanted in a center-back. However, Terry was still young and needed further development.
Daniel Majstorović, another defender Mourinho rated highly, would also have to compete for a place because both men shared the same weakness: they were slow when turning.
The two best individual center-backs did not necessarily form the strongest partnership.
It was similar to the problems England experienced when trying to use Gerrard and Lampard together. Two outstanding players could still produce an unbalanced combination.
Since Terry lacked turning speed, his partner needed to compensate for it.
Among New Manchester United's current defenders, Abidal appeared to be the best option.
Mourinho also said he intended to test a partnership of Terry and Distin during preseason, with Terry staying deeper while Distin stepped forward to challenge.
Of course, this was only Mourinho's preliminary conclusion based on the match footage.
Once the players returned to training and he spent more time working with them, he would undoubtedly make more informed adjustments.
New Manchester United had remained in contact with Manchester City over Shaun Wright-Phillips.
However, after signing Malouda and Ribéry, Ethan had initially felt that the squad already had enough wide players, so his interest had cooled.
Now that Mourinho had made his request, Ethan immediately instructed Walsh to continue the negotiations.
At that moment, Middlesbrough's determined move for Ugo Ehiogu began making Manchester City nervous.
City were eager to sign the defender and needed money quickly.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)