Glory Of The Football Manager System

Chapter 128: The New Beginning III: First Training

Reece Hannam's group was solid. Good organization, but Reece stepped up too early, creating a gap. "Reece, good aggression, but you stepped up before the midfield closed the space. Timing. Wait for the second line to engage, then step. Again."

The second attempt was perfect. Collective press, turnover in six seconds. "That's it! Reece, perfect timing. That's leadership. That's captain quality." He grinned, fist-bumped his teammates. Reece Hannam Respect 58% → 64%.

We moved into the 11v11 tactical game. Reds pressing, Blues trying to play out. The first ten minutes were chaos. Players pressing individually, no coordination, Blues playing through with ease. The system showed: Pressing Success Rate 22%. Terrible.

I blew the whistle, stopped play. "What's the trigger?"

"Center-back under pressure?"

"Exactly. So why are you pressing before the trigger? You're wasting energy. Wait. Be patient. Then explode." I made specific corrections.

"Connor, you're pressing when the goalkeeper has the ball. That's not the trigger. Wait. Nya, good patience, but when the trigger happens, you need to close faster. Explode. Reece, you're stepping up too early. Wait for the second line. Timing."

They restarted. Slightly better. Pressing Success Rate 34%. Improving, but not there yet.

Then came the moment I'd been dreading. The Blues center-back received the ball, and the trigger activated. Nya pressed perfectly, cutting the passing lane. But Connor didn't engage. He jogged lazily, didn't cut the other passing lane. Blues played through easily, counter-attacked, and scored.

I blew the whistle, my voice sharp. "Connor, you're the first line. If you don't work, the whole system fails. Again."

"I'm a striker, not a defender," he shot back, his voice dripping with arrogance. "My job is to score goals."

The pitch went silent. Every player, every staff member, was watching. This was the moment. I kept my voice firm, steady. "Your job is to be a professional footballer. That means working for the team. If you won't do that, you won't play. Simple."

me," he said, stepping closer. "I'm

gaze. "Show me you're not just talented.

tension. Then Connor, his ego challenged, his pride

33% → 35%. Small progress, but his ego was driving him now. That was

Pressing Success Rate 48%. The team was learning, adapting, clicking. I circulated the

hold your position until the press is set. Trust your defenders." Ryan adjusted, stayed deeper. Ryan Fletcher Positioning 10 →

pumped his fist, and his teammates high-fived him. Reece Hannam

You're cutting two passing lanes at once. Brilliant." Nya

the breakthrough. The Blues center-back received the ball under pressure. Connor, finally working, cut the passing lane to the

passing lane to the fullback. Reece stepped up, compressing the

and gathered them in the center circle. "THAT! That's what I'm talking about! Collective. Coordinated. Timed. That's how

rate I need. You pressed, you won the ball, you scored. That's

but he nodded. A small, almost imperceptible nod. Connor Blake

made that happen. Reece, your timing stepping up

The staff on the sidelines were impressed. Gary nodding, Richard taking notes, Marcus analyzing

gathered them for the debrief. "What did we learn

about timing, not

to work together. One player out of

work. If I don't press, the

genuinely surprised but pleased. "Exactly, Connor. You

way to go. But you showed me something today. You showed me you can learn. You showed me you can work. You showed me you care. Tomorrow, 10 am, we build on this.

approached me. "Coach, that was