Chapter 127: The Hunger to Prove

Chapter 127: The Hunger to Prove Chapter 127: The Hunger to Prove Monday, August 16, 2010 Two days after the tough loss to Sheffield United, Broadfield Stadium felt tense. The training pitches baked under the August sun, and the air in Crawley was hot and heavy. Niels arrived at dawn, his pickup clattering to a stop by the training ground’s old gate. The sharp smell of burnt grass and diesel hung in the air. His chest was tight with frustration and determination, the upcoming Preston match felt like a chance to turn things around or fall further into trouble. The media kept piling on and Monday’s headlines hit hard: "Crawley’s Fire Fizzles at Bramall Lane," shouted one. Another one, "Niels’ Dream Unraveling Already?" The criticism cut deep, adding pressure to a squad already shaken by defeat, their confidence shaky and unsteady. Niels held a worn clipboard filled with notes on Preston’s counterattacks and the key roles of Pogba and Freeman in the midfield. Monday’s training was tough. The squad worked in small groups, but the midfield trio—Pogba, Nate Sutton, and Freeman seemed disconnected. Their passes were short, and they barely looked at each other. The loss still hung over them, and the mood was tense. Thiago tried to liven things up, flicking the ball and shouting, "Come on, Time to wake up" But it didn’t work the energy stayed flat, like a song out of tune. Niels’s voice sliced through the heavy air, sharper than usual, his frustration spilling out. "Pogba! Close the gap! Freeman, demand the ball!" His commands echoed across the pitch, drawing glances, but the team still looked out of sync. In a possession drill, Nate’s pass missed wide, and Pogba was a step behind, leaving Freeman stuck. Niels blew his whistle hard, halting everything. "Again! Get it right!" he snapped, his jaw clenched. Thomas, the fitness coach, watched from the sidelines, a deep frown on his face. After a tense exchange on the pitch, he pulled Niels aside. His Dutch accent was calm but firm. "You’re forcing the pulse, not finding the beat, Niels. They can feel it,give them some space." Niels sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, frustration still in his eyes. "I know, Thomas. But we can’t keep falling apart like this." Thomas gave a small nod and patted his shoulder, a quiet push to ease off. Kieron Marsh threw himself into the drills with a ferocity that bordered on desperate. He charged into a tackle, clipping Dev’s ankle, drawing a wince and a glare. "Easy, mate," Dev muttered, brushing it off. Niels caught Kieron’s eye, his voice steady. "Save that power, Kieron. You’ll get your minute in the next match, save that fire for then." Kieron nodded, his jaw tight, but his intensity didn’t fade. By Wednesday, Niels called the team into the small, worn meeting room at the training complex. The walls had peeling paint, and the projector flickered. The players Max, Pogba, Freeman, Thiago, Dev, Nate, and the others sat tired and tense, still feeling the pain from their recent loss. They watched clips from the Sheffield match, each one showing where they had fallen apart. Niels stood at the front, speaking quietly but firmly. "Look at this," he said, pausing on a clip where Pogba and Nate missed covering a runner, leaving a gap Sheffield took advantage of. "Your spacing is off. You’re not supporting each other. Pogba, you’re too far back. Nate, you’re not moving up. Freeman, you’re stuck in the middle." The room fell silent, the truth weighing heavily on everyone. Kieron, usually quiet, spoke up sharply, his frustration clear but driven by a desire to fix things. "We’ve got no spine in transition, Coach. Everyone’s either pushing too hard or panicking." Heads turned as his words cut through the tension. Pogba’s eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Freeman leaned forward, his calm slipping, sharing that concern. "He’s right. We’re thinking too much, not playing enough." His soft words carried weight, a rare crack in his quiet shell. Niels nodded, his jaw tight. "That’s the problem. You’re not playing as a team yet. Preston will take advantage if we don’t fix this." Max clapped his hands, his voice strong. "We know what needs to be done, lads. Let’s get to work." But the tension stayed, like a quiet crack running through the midfield, small but sharp. Thiago tried to ease the tension, nudging Nate with a grin. "Come on, mate, you gonna start running or just stand there like my uncle at a barbecue?" A few laughs popped up, breaking the silence for a moment. But Pogba’s frown only grew heavier, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. Niels wrapped up the session with one last clip, a missed chance where Max’s run got ignored by a midfield that didn’t move. "It’s about intent," he said quietly. "You’ve got to find it. Every single second." On Thursday, Emma noticed the team was starting to fall apart and decided to step in. She dimmed the lights in the meeting room and played a clip, not from the tough Sheffield match, but from Crawley’s FA Cup Final, the moment they beat the odds. The screen showed Max’s powerful header, Luka’s clever attacking play, and Adams’ crucial save, the team moving together as one. The room grew quiet, the memory hitting everyone like a shock. Emma’s voice was calm but firm. "You didn’t win that because you had the best legs. You won it because you trusted the system and each other." She paused, letting the words sink in. "That spirit is still here. It’s your job to find that trust and make it your own." Max nodded, eyes locked on the screen, a spark of fire returning. Pogba and Freeman, new to the team, looked thoughtful, this reminder of what Crawley could be settling into them. Emma caught Niels’s eye as the team left the room and gave him a small, understanding nod—a quiet promise that she was there to help. She walked out to the training ground, scanning the players. Seeing young Pogba stretching alone, she approached him gently. "Paul, you’re the heart of this team. You’ve got the talent now it’s about stepping up and leading." He gave a small, uncertain nod. "I’m trying, Emma." Then she noticed Kieron, still burning with frustration. "Kieron," she said softly, "your fire’s your strength. Just make sure you channel it the right way." Her words were calm but real, a steady hand the team could lean on. On Thursday night, the squad gathered at the team lodge, a simple place near Broadfield for a quiet dinner. Soft lamps cast a warm glow as the gentle clink of cutlery and low murmurs filled the room. The mood felt heavy, the tension from the week hanging in the air like thick fog. Players sat in small groups, quietly picking at plates of pasta and salad, their conversations subdued. Pogba, usually quiet, suddenly broke the silence. His voice was raw and tense as he pushed his plate away. "I didn’t come here to be treated like a kid. If I’m not good enough, just say it." Heads turned, forks frozen mid-air. The room felt like it was holding its breath. Max, sitting across from him, looked him straight in the eye. His voice was calm but firm. "You’re good enough, Paul. We all are. But right now, we’re not playing like a team. And if we don’t fix that, we’ll keep losing." The words stayed heavy in the room, something no one could ignore. Freeman nodded quietly, looking at his plate, while Nate fidgeted nervously. The team was still struggling to come together. Niels sat at the head of the table, listening quietly, his expression unreadable. Then he stood up and raised a glass of water. "We’re not where we need to be yet. But we’re not finished. Tomorrow, at training, we start rebuilding together." The squad nodded, some sharing looks, a small spark of determination lighting up. The week ended with a thick fog hanging over the training ground. The team’s rhythm was still out of sync, and their unity felt fragile. On Thursday, Niels left the pitch, clutching his clipboard tightly, his mind racing with worries about Preston and how to fix the midfield’s problems. Dark clouds gathered overhead, the approaching rain matching the squad’s restless, unsettled mood. Kieron stayed late, alone on the pitch, pounding balls into an empty net, sweat pouring down, lips pressed tight with determination. Now that he knew he’d be getting minutes, his hunger for the game only grew stronger. Each shot was a promise, a fire burning brighter as dusk settled in. The rain began to fall, softly tapping against the floodlights, matching Crawley’s restless heartbeat.