Chapter 125: Fault Lines Begin to Show
Monday, August 9 2010
A day had passed since the hard-fought draw at Charlton, and there was a tense energy around Broadfield Stadium.
The training pitches baked under the harsh August sun, and the heavy, humid air made everything feel just a bit harder.
Niels pulled into the training ground at dawn, his old pickup rumbling to a stop near the chain-link fence.
The smell of burnt grass and distant coffee hung in the warm morning air.
He felt a knot of determination in his chest, the upcoming match against Sheffield United could either pull the team together or show just how shaky they really were.
The headlines that week pulled no punches. Monday's papers were brutal. One read, "FA Cup Heroics Won't Save Crawley, They Look Ordinary Now." Another read, "Is Niels' Project Already Falling Apart?"
