The rest of the week passed and once again, it was time for the pre match press conference. Alex had been left impressed by the new additions to the team and why he was sure that they'd definitely get involved with the team, he didn't think it was time for them to get added to the matchday squad.
Alex stood before the mirror in the manager's office at the training ground, straightening the collar of his dark jacket. The room was quiet, only the faint hum of the hallway's fluorescent lights leaking in through the door. He let out a small breath, the kind that steadied the nerves but didn't quite kill them.
His reflection stared back at him, eyes tired but determined. He looked older than he remembered, though not in a bad way. More... seasoned. Experienced. A man who had seen the heights of the Bernabeu and Old Trafford and was now sitting beneath the humble lights of Lecce's press room.
As he stepped into the corridor, Marco gave him a nod. "You good?"
"Fine as I can be," Alex replied with a small grin. He walked the now-familiar path down to the press room.
Inside, it was the same crowd. Same murmurs. Same click of camera shutters. But today felt different. Today, they weren't asking what kind of coach he was. Today, they wanted answers about Monza.
He took his seat behind the table, nodding politely as the club staff introduced him. The club badge sat in front of him like a reminder. This was Lecce. His Lecce now.
"Alright, let's begin," the media officer said.
The first reporter to stand was, unsurprisingly, Luca Benedetti from the Italian Sports Daily. A man who liked to smile before he poked.
"Good morning, Alex. Luca here again. Another crucial match ahead. You drew against Cagliari last week. What has the mood been like in the dressing room since?"
Alex leaned forward, fingers threading together. "We were disappointed. Very disappointed, actually. It was a game we should have won by a large margin, and we know it. The boys created chances, played with intensity, and for the majority of the match, we controlled the tempo. But sometimes football doesn't reward you just for playing well. We lacked precision in the final third. That was the lesson."
Luca nodded thoughtfully but stayed on the attack. "Cagliari's manager said the same thing. That they should've won. You said before 'maybe he watched a different game' but he has said that they had more shots on target and had most of the ball so he didn't understand your statement"
Alex chuckled lightly, his tone dry. "A wise man once said, people who don't understand football analyze with stats. He gets proven right every single day"
That brought a few snickers from the back of the room. Alex had just said that Claudio Ranieri didn't understand football. Although it was a completely unnecessary jab at one of the most famous and reputable manager in the 21st century, Alex was feeling ballsy.
In his mind, he kept repeatedly cursing at Kaba and Rebic. If they didn't miss all these chances in the match, then Ranieri wouldn't have half the mind to say what he did.
Next up was Giulia Moretti, always ready with her sharp angles.
"Alex, considering Monza are in a similar position as Lecce, does that add any pressure to this match?"
"Every match has pressure," Alex replied evenly. "But yes, when the team you're facing is close to you in the standings, there's more at stake. It's a six-point game in every sense. We win, we climb. We lose, we give them breathing room. The players know that. I don't need to spell it out."
Giulia tilted her head. "Is that why you've changed formations again?"
Alex smiled, not entirely surprised she caught wind of it. "I won't go into tactical details. But we saw something in Monza's transitions. We plan to exploit it."
That answer seemed to satisfy her, for now.
Alessandro Ferretti raised his hand next. He always had a way of looking like he knew something others didn't.
"Alex, what about the recent training emphasis on gegenpressing? That's not something Lecce have done a lot of in recent seasons. Are you confident the players have adapted in time?"
Alex nodded. "They've responded well. It's a demanding system, physically and mentally. But we're not here to do what's comfortable. We're here to survive. And that means trying things that give us an edge."
Patrick Dorgu wasn't beside him this time. Alex had made sure of that. The United rumors had flared up again, and the last thing he wanted was to throw the kid under the spotlight every time someone needed a transfer headline.
Instead, another familiar voice rose. Raphael Farias.
"Alex, can you speak about the mentality you've tried to instill? From what we've heard, training sessions have been intense, and you've asked a lot from the forwards in particular."
"That's true," Alex said. "We need goals. We need them badly. It's no secret. I've asked more from the forwards because we need more. They've responded well this week. I think they're starting to understand that scoring isn't just about instinct. It's about repetition. About ruthlessness."
Raphael followed up quickly. "But is that sustainable over the course of a season?"
"Maybe not for every session," Alex admitted. "But we're in a fight. And in a fight, you push until you can't. Then you push some more."
The press murmured approval at that.
Another question came from the back, a softer voice this time. Silvia Rossi, someone who covered Lecce for the local station.
"Alex, what have you seen from Monza that concerns you the most?"
"Their midfield control in settled play is solid. If we let them get comfortable, they can pin us in. We can't allow that."
She nodded and scribbled down notes.
After that, the questions became more general. Injuries. Fitness. A few obligatory quotes about the fans and how important they were. Alex handled them all, deflecting when needed, answering when he could. But in the back of his mind, all he could see was the pitch. The training ground. The System's advice looping over and over.
Gegenpress. Transitions. Traps in midfield. Quick wide breaks.
When the press conference wrapped up, he stood and gave a polite wave.
"Thank you all."
Back in the hallway, Marco was waiting.
"Not bad."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Not good?"
"You only insulted one other coach this time. That's progress."
Alex snorted. "Come on. He asked for it."
They both chuckled and made their way toward the exit.
Outside, the sky was a soft grey, clouds rolling lazily across the Salento skyline. Matchday was almost here. And with it, another chance to push forward. Another chance to write a different kind of Lecce story.
But first, training.
And after training... extra finishing. Always... unfortunately for the forwards.