Chapter 9: Turning Point
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Matchday 14: Crawley Town vs. Chesterfield
The wind was strong around Broadfield Stadium, and the weather kept changing. It was cold, with dark clouds covering most of the sky.
Crawley were 16th in League Two after thirteen games. Chesterfield were sitting 8th and had been playing well.
It was going to be a difficult match.
Milan stood in the dugout with his coat and scarf on. He looked tired, but he was still trying to stay involved.
Niels stood beside him, watching the Chesterfield players warm up.
Before the match, Niels gathered the players around him.
"Listen," he said. "They aren't going to press us all the way up the pitch. They'll sit in the middle and wait for us to lose the ball."
He pointed toward Chesterfield's full-backs.
"When they attack, both of these guys like to move forward. That gives us space behind them."
Niels looked at Luka.
"Luka, stay close to the centre. When we win the ball, I want you looking forward immediately. Don't slow the attack down unless you have to."
He then pointed toward Simons and Dev.
"Simons, Dev, stay wide. When Luka gets the ball, start your runs behind their full-backs. Make their defenders choose between following you or protecting the middle."
He turned toward the midfielders.
"Tom, don't push too far forward. If we lose the ball, you're the one who covers the space in front of the defence. Jamal, help him and watch their attacking midfielder."
Niels paused before finishing.
"Most importantly, don't force anything. Keep the ball when there's nothing on. But the moment we win it and their full-backs are out of position, we go. Three or four quick passes, get the ball wide, and attack the space."
The players nodded.
The plan was simple.
Stay organised without the ball. Keep Chesterfield from playing through the middle. Then, when they lost possession, attack the space left behind their full-backs before they could recover.
Crawley lined up in a 4-2-3-1.
Luka Radev and Tom Whitehall started in midfield, with Jamal Osei helping them. Dev Patel and Reece Darby played out wide, while Max Simons led the attack.
Liam McCulloch and Harry Thompson started in defence, with Adam Fletcher in goal.
Niels took one last look at the players.
The referee raised his whistle.
Then the match began.
Kickoff:
"We're underway at Broadfield," the commentator said over the radio. "Chesterfield are chasing the playoff spots, while Crawley are trying to build on their recent good form."
The first ten minutes were fairly even.
Crawley tried to play out from the back, but Chesterfield kept their players close together and made it difficult to find space in midfield.
Whitehall tried to send an early ball over the top for Simons, but the wet pitch slowed it down and the goalkeeper collected it easily.
"Crawley trying to stretch the game early," the commentator said.
By the 18th minute, Crawley were starting to find more space.
Patel moved inside and linked up with Luka. The two quick passes pulled Chesterfield's left-back toward the middle.
Darby saw the space and made a run down the right.
"Go!" Niels shouted.
Darby reached the edge of the box and sent a low cross across goal.
Simons rushed in, but he was just too late. The ball rolled past him.
"Good move from Crawley," the commentator said. "They're starting to find a way through."
Chesterfield responded soon after.
In the 27th minute, Crawley lost the ball in midfield. Chesterfield's number 10 picked it up, turned away from Whitehall and had a clear view of goal.
He curled a shot toward the bottom corner from about 25 yards.
Fletcher reacted quickly and pushed it around the post.
The Crawley fans cheered.
"That was a warning for Crawley. They need to be more careful in midfield."
Niels immediately turned toward Luka.
"Drop deeper when we lose it! Don't let their number 10 turn that easily."
Luka nodded.
Beside him, Milan pointed toward the pitch. He didn't say much, but when he did speak, his instructions were clear.
Niels glanced at him.
Milan looked tired, but he was still following every movement on the pitch.
For now, that was enough.
Half-Time:
Crawley Town 0-0 Chesterfield
The players gathered in the dressing room while Milan stood beside the whiteboard.
He looked tired, but he was still focused.
"This game is there for us," Milan said. "They're not better than us. We just need to make the most of our chances."
He looked at Niels.
Niels stepped forward with the marker.
"They've figured out our left side," he said. "Whenever we try to build there, their midfielders move across and close Luka down. We're making it too easy for them."
He drew a few lines on the board.
"So we're going to pull them out of position."
He pointed at Luka.
"Luka, drop deeper when we have the ball. Come toward the centre and make their midfield follow you. That should give you more room to turn and play forward."
Then he pointed at Jamal.
"Jamal, when Luka drops, you move higher. Get between their midfield and defence. If they follow you, we'll have space in the middle. If they stay back, you get the ball."
Niels then pointed toward Dev.
"Dev, stay wide. Don't come looking for the ball. Their full-back will have to choose between staying with you and helping against Luka and Jamal. If he stays wide, Luka can play inside. If he comes inside, Dev gets the one-on-one."
Finally, he looked at Reece.
"Reece, do the same on the other side. Stay on the touchline and keep their defence stretched. Don't move inside too early."
Niels stepped back from the board.
"The idea is simple. We move their midfield around, create space, then attack it quickly. If Dev gets his one-on-one, give him the ball and let him run at the full-back."
Milan nodded.
"Exactly. Don't be afraid to use it."
He looked around the room.
"Move the ball quickly. When the space opens, attack it."
The players nodded and began getting ready for the second half.
They now knew exactly what they were trying to do.
Crawley came out for the second half with a clear plan.
Luka dropped deeper when Crawley had the ball, giving him more space to receive passes and start attacks. Jamal moved higher into midfield, which forced Chesterfield to make a choice between following him and leaving space elsewhere.
It started working almost immediately.
51st Minute — Goal! Crawley Town 1-0 Chesterfield
"Crawley strike first!" the commentator shouted. "Darby gets down the right and pulls the ball back. Patel leaves it, and Simons is there to finish!"
Simons placed the ball into the corner.
The Crawley fans went wild.
Simons ran toward the dugout with his fist raised before his teammates caught up with him.
Niels clapped once and quickly turned back toward the pitch.
Milan smiled and slowly let out a breath. He had one hand gripping the edge of the bench.
Crawley kept attacking.
The change in midfield was causing Chesterfield problems. Luka had more time on the ball, while Jamal was finding space higher up the pitch.
Whitehall also started picking up loose balls and pushing Crawley forward whenever Chesterfield tried to clear.
62nd Minute — Goal! Crawley Town 2-0 Chesterfield
"Dev Patel! What a strike!" the commentator shouted.
Dev collected the ball outside the box, took one touch and smashed it toward goal. The shot hit the underside of the bar before going in.
The dugout erupted.
Milan even stood up and raised both hands before quickly sitting back down, a sharp wince crossing his face.
Niels noticed.
"Keep them focused," Milan said quietly.
Niels nodded and turned back toward the pitch.
Chesterfield had to change something.
They switched to a 4-4-2 and brought on another striker. Instead of trying to build through midfield, they started playing longer balls toward the forwards.
70th Minute — Goal! Chesterfield 1-2 Crawley
"Aldershot—" the commentator corrected himself. "Chesterfield have pulled one back!"
A messy cross dropped into the Crawley box. The defence failed to clear it, and Chesterfield's striker reacted first and smashed the ball into the net.
2-1.
The atmosphere changed immediately.
Niels reacted quickly.
"Leo, you're coming on."
He replaced Darby and moved Dev to the right to give Crawley more defensive cover.
For the next ten minutes, Chesterfield pushed forward.
Jamal worked hard in front of the defence, blocking passes and helping the team stay organised.
"Stay together!" Niels shouted. "Don't give them the middle!"
Crawley managed to hold on.
84th Minute — Goal! Crawley Town 3-1 Chesterfield
Crawley finally found space on the counter.
Luka won the ball and quickly passed it to Dev.
Dev carried it forward before playing the ball across the box.
Leo Morley arrived and finished into the corner.
"GOAL! Crawley have their third!" the commentator shouted. "That could be the goal that settles it!"
The Crawley players celebrated near the corner.
Simons grabbed Morley in a huge hug while Fletcher raised both fists from his goal.
Niels stayed focused on the pitch, watching the clock.
Milan remained on the bench. He looked pale and tired, but he was calm now.
The final minutes passed without another goal.
Full-Time: Crawley Town 3-1 Chesterfield
The referee blew the whistle.
Broadfield Stadium erupted.
Crawley had beaten one of the stronger teams in the league and earned three important points.
For Niels, it was also proof that the tactical changes were working.
And for Milan, it was another match where he had managed to stay on the sidelines despite clearly struggling.
Up in the press box, the commentators were already talking about the result.
"A big win for Crawley Town. Not just because of the scoreline, but because they adapted well. Their tactics worked, and the players carried out the plan. Chesterfield came here expecting a tough game, but Crawley were the better side today."
Niels walked over to Milan.
For a moment, they simply looked at each other.
Milan gave him a small nod.
Niels nodded back.
They didn't need to say anything.
The players walked around the pitch, thanking the fans. Red and white scarves were raised in the stands, while children held up signs and shouted the players' names.
Crawley now had 22 points from 14 games and had moved up to 15th in the table.
A few months ago, they had been worrying about relegation.
Now, things were starting to look different.
Back in the dressing room, the players were laughing and celebrating. The mood was completely different from a few weeks earlier.
Niels stood near the doorway and watched them.
Then he looked toward Milan.
Milan was slowly making his way toward the tunnel, one hand resting against his side. He stopped for a moment before continuing.
The win belonged to both of them.
But Niels couldn't ignore what he was seeing.
Milan was still the manager, but Niels was taking on more responsibility with every game.
And if the day came when Milan could no longer do the job, Niels knew he would have to be ready.