Chapter 7: Under Pressure
The excitement from Crawley Town's FA Cup win had started to fade. Now, it was back to the League Two schedule.
Every week seemed to bring more pressure. Crawley were no longer just trying to survive. Promotion was starting to look possible, and people were expecting them to keep winning.
But things had changed.
Other teams were taking Crawley more seriously now. They knew Crawley were improving and wanted to stop them.
Tuesday's training session was a busy one. It was cold, and the sky was grey. The sound of players kicking the ball filled the training ground.
Niels stood next to Milan and watched the team.
Luka Radev moved quickly through the passing drills, while Jamal Osei kept shouting instructions to the others.
"Come on, move the ball!" Milan shouted. "Quicker passes!"
Niels looked at him.
Milan sounded normal, but when he pulled his jacket tighter, Niels noticed his hand shaking slightly. Milan also winced for a moment before quickly hiding it.
Niels didn't say anything.
The next league match was against Aldershot Town. They were sitting around the middle of the table and had been playing much better recently.
Crawley couldn't afford to drop points.
A few bad results could put them right back into the relegation fight, and Niels knew how quickly things could change in League Two.
"Luka, keep the ball for a moment. Let them come closer, then make your move!" Niels shouted.
Milan had become quieter during training. Niels was starting to give more instructions, something he wouldn't have done a few weeks ago.
Luka received the ball and waited before playing a quick pass through the defenders.
"Good one!" someone shouted from the group.
Niels looked toward Milan. Milan was already looking at him.
He gave Niels a small nod.
It wasn't much, but Niels understood what it meant. Milan was trusting him to take more responsibility.
Niels felt nervous about it. He wanted to help, but he also knew why he was getting the chance.
Milan wasn't getting better.
Thursday's training made that even clearer.
Milan suddenly sat down on the bench. His face was pale, and sweat covered his forehead even though the weather was cold.
Niels quickly walked over.
"Coach?"
Milan raised a hand.
"I'm fine. Keep going."
His voice was rough, but he still picked up his whistle and called the players back into position.
Niels stayed close for a moment before returning to the pitch.
Training ended earlier than planned.
Milan gave the players a short talk, but his voice kept breaking. He stopped halfway through a sentence to cough.
Then he left the training ground.
The players watched him go.
Nobody said anything, but the worried looks between them said enough.
Matchday finally arrived.
Broadfield Stadium was full of Crawley fans wearing red and white. The atmosphere was tense, but everyone was excited for the game.
Niels stood on the touchline beside Milan. He looked at his coach and immediately noticed how tired he seemed. Milan looked older than he had a few weeks ago. He was standing straight, trying to act normal, but one hand was resting against his ribs and his breathing was still not right.
The referee blew the whistle.
Crawley started the game well and pushed forward straight away.
Luka Radev was finding space in midfield and moving the ball quickly. Max Simons and Dev Patel stayed wide, giving Aldershot's defenders plenty to deal with.
For the first ten minutes, Crawley controlled the game. The fans were enjoying it, singing and waving their scarves.
Then everything changed.
In the 14th minute, Liam McCulloch tried to clear the ball but didn't get enough on it. The ball fell straight to an Aldershot striker.
He took one touch and shot low into the corner.
0-1.
The stadium went quiet.
"Damn it," Niels said under his breath.
He looked toward Milan.
Milan hadn't moved. His face was completely blank, but one hand was still pressed against his ribs. His breathing looked worse than before.
Niels didn't have time to worry about it.
At the next throw-in, he called Luka over.
"Drop deeper. Let them come forward, then hit them on the counter. Simons and Dev, stay wide and make their defence spread out."
Luka nodded and ran back onto the pitch.
The change worked.
Crawley stopped trying to force their way through the middle and started waiting for chances to counterattack.
In the 36th minute, Tom Whitehall won the ball with a strong tackle. Crawley quickly moved forward.
Luka received the ball and played a pass into Dev's path.
Dev raced past his marker and sent the ball across the box.
Simons was there.
He took one touch and calmly placed the ball into the far corner.
1-1.
The Crawley fans erupted.
Niels clenched his fist and shouted in celebration.
They were back in the game.
The Crawley fans celebrated the equalizer. Niels raised his fist before turning toward Milan.
Milan gave him a small smile and slowly clapped.
"Good call," he said quietly.
His voice was weak, and Niels noticed his hand shaking as he leaned against the dugout.
The second half was much harder.
Aldershot came out with more energy and started winning most of the battles in midfield. Crawley struggled to keep the ball, and their defenders were under constant pressure.
McCulloch and Harry Thompson dealt with the crosses coming into the box, while Jamal stayed in front of the defence and broke up attacks.
Niels kept shouting instructions from the touchline.
"Stay together!"
"Don't give them space!"
Milan barely said a word. He stayed in the dugout, one hand against his side, occasionally wincing in pain.
Niels kept looking back at him whenever he had the chance.
In the 72nd minute, a misunderstanding between Callum Haines and Fletcher almost gave Aldershot a clear chance.
Their striker got the shot away, but Jamal threw himself in front of it and blocked the ball.
The crowd cheered.
Eight minutes later, Luka found Simons near the edge of the box. Simons hit a low shot toward the corner, but the goalkeeper got down quickly and pushed it wide.
"Come on!" Niels shouted.
Crawley kept pushing.
In the 89th minute, Reece Darby sent a long throw into the box. Leo Morley got a touch on it, and the ball fell to Simons.
He struck it first time.
The goalkeeper somehow reached it and made the save.
The Crawley fans couldn't believe it.
Four minutes of added time were shown.
Aldershot nearly won it in the final moments. Their number 10 curled a shot toward the top corner, but Jamal stepped in front of it and took the hit.
He fell to the ground as the ball went away.
Seconds later, the referee blew the final whistle.
Full-time: Crawley Town 1-1 Aldershot.
It wasn't the result Crawley wanted, but they had fought hard for the point.
As the players shook hands and the fans slowly left the stadium, Niels looked over at Milan.
Milan looked exhausted. His face was pale, and his hand shook as he zipped up his jacket. He was still breathing heavily.
"You alright?" Niels asked.
Milan looked back at the pitch for a moment.
"I'm fine," he said. "The doctor is dealing with it."
Niels didn't believe him.
Milan started walking toward the tunnel, but his steps were slow and unsteady. Niels watched him disappear inside.
He stayed on the touchline for a while.
Something was seriously wrong with Milan, and Niels knew it.
Another match was coming soon, and the thought of having to take charge himself was becoming harder to ignore.
Milan had trusted him when nobody else did. He had given Niels a second chance and allowed him to become part of the coaching staff.
Now Niels wondered if it was time to return that trust.
If Milan couldn't continue, could he take over?
Will the club board even approve it?
Niels wasn't sure he was ready.
But he knew he couldn't run from it forever.