The first week of January was a whirlwind of controlled, beautiful chaos. The players returned from their break refreshed, refocused, and ready to attack the second half of the season with renewed purpose.
The training ground, which had been a quiet, almost deserted place just a few days earlier, was once again a hive of activity, the air thick with the familiar, comforting sounds of footballs being kicked, of players shouting, of coaches barking instructions.
There was a new face in the dressing room, a young, talented, but undeniably raw left-back by the name of Tyrick Mitchell, who had been promoted from the U16s to replace the previous incumbent, who had, as was the natural, ruthless, beautiful way of things in professional football, been promoted to the U21s.
Tyrick was a quiet, unassuming, but fiercely determined kid, and he slotted into the squad seamlessly, his defensive solidity and his marauding, attacking runs a perfect fit for our style of play.
