Chapter 19: After the Victory
Sunday, 1 December
The Day After Wrexham victory
The dressing room at Broadfield was much quieter than it had been the night before.
The excitement from the win was gone. The players were tired but still in a good mood. They had enjoyed the win, but everyone knew there was more work ahead.
The lights above the room flickered from time to time. Jackets were thrown over the benches and shin pads were left on the floor.
Niels sat near the back and slowly took off his jacket. His body was still sore from the game. The cold wasn't the only thing making him ache. Now that the match was over, he could finally feel all the tension catching up with him.
Winning shouldn't have felt this tiring.
Around him, the players were taking it easy. A few were stretched out on the benches with their eyes closed. Others sat together and talked quietly about the game.
There was some laughter from the corner.
Nate was sitting with Luka and Dev. He was laughing along with them, his face still red from the match. He looked different from the player who had been sitting quietly at the end of the bench only a week ago.
A week earlier, Nate had barely looked anyone in the eye.
Now he had started his first game, scored his first goal and, more than anything, felt like he belonged.
Niels watched him for a while.
He felt that same warmth in his chest again.
It wasn't quite pride.
Maybe it was relief.
Reece came over and sat down beside him. He handed Niels a bottle of water without saying anything.
"Good game," Reece said after a moment. "You saw how they came at us."
Niels nodded. "Yeah. They put us under a lot of pressure. But we stayed in it."
Reece glanced over at Nate.
"That kid's coming on. You did well with him."
"He was ready," Niels said. He gave a small smile. "He just needed someone to remind him."
Reece nodded.
"You've got a calm way about you. The lads listen to you. It's different from Milan, but it works."
Niels leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
"Milan left a lot to live up to. I'm just trying not to mess it up."
Reece laughed quietly. "Welcome to management."
Later, the players started leaving the dressing room.
Nate stopped in front of Niels before he went.
"Coach," he said, smiling. "Thanks for trusting me."
Niels looked up at him.
"You earned it. Now keep going."
Nate nodded.
This time, there was no hesitation in it. He looked more confident than he had a week ago.
He turned and caught up with Luka and Dev.
Niels watched them leave and took a slow breath.
Things weren't settled yet.
But for the first time in a while, he felt hopeful.
Back in his office, everything was quiet again.
Niels closed the door and sat down at his desk. The room felt colder now that everyone had gone. He picked up his tablet and started watching the match again.
Nate's first shot came up on the screen. It was rushed, but he had gone for it. Then came the goal. The timing was right. Dev had seen the pass, Luka had made the run and Reece had kept everyone organised.
In the corner of the screen, the Lens data was still running.
[Team Unity: Rising]
[Morale: Stable]
[Defensive Structure: Strained Under Pressure]
The information helped, but it didn't tell him everything.
Tomorrow would be recovery day. After that, they had another difficult game.
The next opponent played fast. They pressed hard and didn't give teams much time on the ball. Mistakes would be punished.
Niels opened the scouting report.
Pressing diagrams filled the screen. There were notes on their shape, their average positions and the way they attacked through midfield.
Their three midfielders would crowd the centre. Their wide players had plenty of pace.
Niels leaned back and looked at the screen.
The win was over.
There was no time to relax.
The next morning was cold and grey. Mist covered parts of the training ground.
Niels arrived early, before the players. He walked around the pitch, checking the setup and thinking about the next game.
Soon the usual sounds started. Footballs hitting the turf, boots scraping the ground and tired voices greeting each other.
Luka jogged past.
"Morning, boss."
"Morning."
Dev came after him, stretching as he walked.
"I can still feel that Wrexham game in my legs."
Niels smiled.
"We've got a target on us now. We're not the underdogs anymore."
Training started easily. They stretched, worked through some rondos and then moved into passing drills.
Niels stayed on the side of the pitch, watching.
During one of the pressure drills, Nate took a bad touch and swore under his breath.
"Nate. Come here."
Nate walked over. He looked annoyed with himself.
"You're rushing," Niels said. "Why?"
"I don't want to fall behind. I want to stay in the team."
"You don't have to force everything. Just play your game. Take your time and let things happen."
Nate nodded.
"Yeah. Got it."
He went back to the drill.
This time, he looked more relaxed.
Niels watched him for another minute.
He still had things to learn, but he was getting there.
By late afternoon, the sky had turned orange and purple. The players were gone, and Niels was back in his office.
The whiteboard was still covered with magnets from the day's work.
He looked at the setup again.
If they sat too deep against the next team, they could get stuck defending. If they pushed too high, there would be space behind them for the counter.
His phone buzzed.
Chairman:
"Good work. The board is watching. Stay consistent."
Niels read the message twice before putting the phone down.
After a moment, he opened his contacts and called Milan.
Two rings.
"Niels," Milan answered. "How's the board treating you?"
Niels laughed quietly.
"It's harder than it looks."
"It isn't supposed to be easy. But you did well yesterday."
"It felt good," Niels said. "But now every win feels like it comes with more pressure."
"It does," Milan replied. "You win, they expect another one. You lose, they start asking questions."
Niels nodded, even though Milan couldn't see him.
"I just want to keep moving forward. Make something that lasts."
"You are," Milan said. "Just remember, progress matters more than perfection. Don't try to be me. Be better."
Niels smiled. "I'm trying."
That evening, Niels sat alone in the stands.
The stadium was empty. The pitch was dark and quiet below him.
This was the part nobody saw. The time between games when there was nothing to do but think.
The win over Wrexham had been important. The team had stayed organised and fought through the pressure.
But beating one team wasn't enough.
Niels wanted them to become a proper team. One that trusted each other. One that could handle pressure without falling apart. One that stayed together whoever was on the pitch.
He could already see some of it.
It wasn't only in the numbers or the goals. It was in the way the players spoke to each other. The way they worked for one another. The way they kept going when things got difficult.
The Wrexham game had been more than three points.
It had changed something.
The team Milan had built was still there.
Now it was Niels' job to take it forward.
For the first time since taking over, he didn't feel like a temporary replacement.
He was the head coach now.