Chapter 125: Fault Lines Begin to Show
Monday, August 9, 2010
A day after the draw at Charlton, there was a tense energy around Broadfield Stadium. Niels pulled his old pickup into the training ground at dawn.
It was another hot, humid August morning. He knew the upcoming match against Sheffield United would either pull the team together or expose their weaknesses.
The media wasn't helping.
Monday's headlines were brutal: "FA Cup Heroics Won't Save Crawley, They Look Ordinary Now," and "Is Niels' Project Already Falling Apart?" The criticism had stung the squad, and Niels could tell their confidence was taking a hit.
He watched as the first few players arrived. They all brought something different to the table Max's leadership, Thiago's pace, Dev's creativity in tight spaces. They weren't perfect, but they had fight, and Niels knew he could work with that.
He headed up to the cramped analysis room above the main stand and queued up the Charlton match.
