Ethan sat in his office and opened OPTA's player database on his computer.
He navigated to Belgian First Division side Genk, found Yaya Touré's name, and opened his profile.
Yaya had made 18 appearances for Genk that season, scoring once and providing 3 assists.
For a defensive midfielder, his performances had been outstanding. He had become a formidable shield in front of Genk's defence.
Half a season in Belgium had improved him considerably, even more than his time in Ghana had.
His natural ability might even have surpassed that of his older brother, Kolo.
Although primarily a defensive midfielder, Yaya was also highly capable going forward. He had already received his first call-up to the Ivory Coast national team in September 2001.
That was earlier than Ethan remembered from the original timeline.
Unfortunately, it also created a problem.
Yaya had been selected for Ivory Coast's Africa Cup of Nations squad alongside Kolo.
Ethan closed the database and looked at the two faxes lying on his desk.
They had been sent by the football associations of Ivory Coast and Ghana, requesting that New Manchester United comply with FIFA regulations and release Drogba, Essien, and Kolo Touré for the Africa Cup of Nations.
"They're taking the spine of our team. Damn it," Ethan muttered.
All three players had become crucial to New Manchester United that season.
Drogba's importance up front was obvious.
Essien had firmly displaced Alou Diarra in midfield.
Kolo Touré had replaced Bosingwa as first choice at right-back and had also become Curtis's main cover in central defence.
African players offered exceptional value, outstanding physical qualities, and tremendous commitment on the pitch.
They were exactly the kind of footballers Ethan and Mourinho admired.
But as New Manchester United's reputation grew, the club had to face an increasingly serious problem.
The Africa Cup of Nations.
If all three players left at the same time, the effect on the team could be enormous.
The only positive for Ethan was Yaya Touré.
Provided he completed the tournament without any complications, he should satisfy the work-permit requirements by the summer and finally be able to move to Manchester.
Knock, knock.
"Come in," Ethan called, rubbing his aching forehead.
Mourinho opened the door.
His eyes immediately settled on Ethan's deeply furrowed brow, then shifted toward the faxes on the desk.
He could not help laughing.
For a moment, he had assumed Ethan was dealing with some entirely different crisis.
"What's happened? Why did you call me so urgently?"
Mourinho was still in an excellent mood after the victory over Brentford.
Ethan handed him the faxes.
The smile vanished from Mourinho's face almost immediately.
"They're robbing us," he said irritably.
Ethan gave a bitter smile.
"Yes, they are. And what exactly can we do about it?"
The disruption caused by the Africa Cup of Nations was nothing new.
Even in 2010, the problem would remain unresolved.
FIFA had discussed moving the tournament to June or July with the Confederation of African Football, but that period coincided with the rainy season across much of the continent, and the proposal had been firmly rejected.
The competition was also staged every two years, meaning clubs had to endure the same disruption repeatedly.
The winter fixture schedule in English football was difficult enough.
Losing key players to the Africa Cup of Nations immediately afterward only made matters worse, especially for clubs with several African internationals.
New Manchester United currently had Drogba, Essien, and Kolo Touré in the first team.
John Obi Mikel was in the academy, and Yaya Touré was expected to join in the future.
The tournament's effect on the club would only become greater.
That did not even account for the possibility of players returning injured.
Damn it.
Ethan cursed silently.
"Can we refuse to release them?" Mourinho asked with a wry smile, a trace of hope in his eyes.
This time, even Ethan had no solution.
"I don't think the president of FIFA could manage that, José.
"But we may be able to reach a compromise."
"Go on," Mourinho said immediately.
"The two legs of the League Cup semi-final are scheduled for January 1 and January 15.
"The Africa Cup of Nations begins on January 19, but Ivory Coast don't play their first match until January 22, while Ghana begin on January 21.
"Under the regulations, the players can be called up seven days before the tournament starts.
"We could delay releasing them until after the second leg."
Mourinho's expression brightened.
"Excellent. That gives me much more confidence."
"As for everything after that, José, all we can do is hope Ghana and Ivory Coast are eliminated in the group stage so our players return as quickly as possible."
The Africa Cup of Nations lasted a little over a month.
If New Manchester United defeated Tottenham Hotspur, the League Cup final would take place on February 24, only shortly after the African tournament concluded.
That was why Ethan was so concerned.
"I hope you're right," Mourinho said helplessly.
No club could refuse an international call-up, not even Real Madrid.
New Manchester United certainly could not.
When Ethan and Mourinho explained the club's plan to Drogba, Essien, and Kolo Touré, all three supported it.
Representing their countries was unquestionably an honour and a duty, but they also understood the club's position.
New Manchester United paid their wages, trusted them, and had given them important roles.
It was only reasonable for them to consider the club's interests as well.
Besides, the proposed delay would not prevent them from playing in any international matches.
Even if the club had attempted to hold them back for longer, they would have found it difficult to complain openly.
Ethan, however, had no intention of damaging relations with the Ghanaian or Ivorian football authorities.
New Manchester United would gain nothing from such a dispute and could easily end up alienating everyone involved.
...
The first leg of the League Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur was scheduled for January 1 at the City Ground.
Playing at home first and away second was certainly disadvantageous for New Manchester United, but the order had been determined by the draw and could not be changed.
To conserve energy for the semi-final, Mourinho selected seven reserves for the away league match against Wrexham on December 25.
Olić started up front.
Ribéry and Wright-Phillips occupied the wings.
Juninho, Alou Diarra, and De Rossi formed the midfield.
The back four, from left to right, consisted of Abidal, Terry, Chiellini, and Bosingwa.
Čech started in goal.
Since establishing himself as first choice, Čech had made the position his own.
Even after recovering from injury, Almunia had been unable to win it back.
Čech had previously gone 950 minutes without conceding, a run that had made him famous throughout England.
Arsenal's interest had only increased his profile.
After he signed a new five-year contract with New Manchester United, however, speculation about his future gradually subsided.
The same was true for several of the club's other players.
The danger of making so many changes was that the side lacked its usual understanding.
Wrexham were also deep in the relegation zone and desperate for a home victory, making the match extremely difficult.
Fortunately, Čech continued his excellent form.
He repeatedly rescued New Manchester United and ultimately helped them secure a 1-1 draw.
...
Tottenham had enjoyed an excellent first half of the season and were currently fourth in the Premier League, very close to the Champions League places.
Manager Glenn Hoddle had repeatedly told the media that the club should set more ambitious targets in Europe.
He wanted Tottenham competing in the Champions League the following season.
As a player, Hoddle had been one of Tottenham's greatest icons.
Now that he had returned as manager, he clearly wanted to leave another lasting mark on the club.
His first season back had begun badly when star defender Sol Campbell left on a free transfer for bitter rivals Arsenal, instantly becoming a traitor in the eyes of Tottenham's supporters.
Hoddle had responded by making several signings.
He brought in Christian Ziege from Liverpool, veteran striker Teddy Sheringham from Manchester United, and midfielder Gus Poyet from Chelsea.
All three had performed well, helping Tottenham climb to fourth in the Premier League and reach the League Cup semi-finals.
In a pre-match interview, Hoddle described New Manchester United as a surprising and dangerous side.
However, he insisted their remarkable cup run would end in the semi-finals because they had finally encountered Tottenham.
From the perspective of a League Two club, facing the team sitting fourth in the Premier League was an enormous challenge.
Hoddle's confidence was not entirely unreasonable.
Soon afterward, however, the media revealed that he had privately told his players Tottenham had received the best possible draw.
Compared with Blackburn facing Fulham in the other semi-final, New Manchester United were supposedly far weaker.
Hoddle wanted the tie settled in the first leg rather than allowing it to remain alive until the return match at White Hart Lane.
Mourinho, meanwhile, behaved unusually modestly before kickoff.
He praised Tottenham and claimed New Manchester United had little chance of winning, completely abandoning his earlier declaration that they intended to lift the trophy.
Inside the dressing room before the match, however, Mourinho read Hoddle's comments aloud to the players and then played footage of the interview.
He wanted to provoke them.
"I think Mr. Hoddle may have forgotten that his inability to control what he said helped cost him the England job," Mourinho said with an easy smile, pointing toward the television.
"I had assumed he'd learned from that experience.
"Apparently, he hasn't.
"Perhaps we should remind him."
The players understood their manager perfectly.
Mourinho was forceful, but also meticulous.
He noticed details others overlooked and always seemed to find a way to defeat the opponents he had targeted.
New Manchester United had not reached this stage by accident.
The players knew Mourinho must have gathered an enormous amount of information on Tottenham.
One look at his confident expression told them he already had a plan.
Ethan had sensed that confidence even before the match.
And looking at Mourinho now, he felt as though the outcome had already been decided.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ 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.)