Thursday morning arrived with the kind of exhaustion that settles into your bones and refuses to leave. I woke up at 5:30 am out of habit, stared at the ceiling of my flat for ten minutes, and then forced myself out of bed.

The Millwall match had been yesterday, Wednesday afternoon, 5-2, our pressing system working exactly as we'd drilled it, but we had a lot of work to finally master it and my body felt like I'd been the one playing, not coaching.

The adrenaline had drained away overnight, leaving behind a hollow fatigue that made even the simple act of making coffee feel like a monumental task.

I checked my phone while the kettle boiled. Three texts from Sarah, all sent after midnight. The first was a link to the match footage with timestamps for key moments. The second was a tactical breakdown she'd written up, analyzing what worked and what needed improvement. The third just said: Go to sleep. I know you're still awake.

I smiled despite the exhaustion. She knew me too well already.

There was also a text from Emma, sent at 11:47pm: 5-2! You absolute legend. Call me when you wake up. Love you. x

I wanted to call her right then, wanted to hear her voice, wanted to tell her about Eze and the match and the way everything had finally clicked.

But it was 5:45am. Even Emma, who was an early riser, wouldn't appreciate a call before six. So I made my coffee, sat on the balcony of my flat watching London wake up, and tried to process what had happened yesterday.

We'd won. Convincingly. The system worked. The players executed. And I'd found Eberechi Eze, a player with potential ability of 175 who'd been released by Millwall and was now coming in for a trial on Monday. It should have felt like a triumph.

It did feel like a triumph. But underneath the satisfaction was a nagging awareness that this was just the beginning. The competitive season started in three weeks. This was one friendly match against an opponent who couldn't handle our press. What would happen when we faced teams that could adapt? Teams with better technical quality? Teams that wouldn't panic under pressure?

I shook off the doubt and checked the system. The players' recovery status appeared in my vision, overlaid with data that only I could see.

[SYSTEM] Squad Recovery Status:

Reece Hannam - Fatigue: 42%. Recommended: Light training only.

Nya Kirby - Fatigue: 38%. Recommended: Light training only.

Connor Blake - Fatigue: 35%. Recommended: Active recovery.

Ryan Fletcher - Fatigue: 28%. Recommended: Active recovery.

Lewis Grant - Fatigue: 44%. Recommended: Rest day.

The list continued for all twenty players. Most were in the 35-45% fatigue range, which made sense after a high-intensity match. We'd need to manage their recovery carefully over the next few days. The last thing I wanted was to push them too hard and risk injuries before the competitive season even started.

I texted Rebecca: Morning. Can you put together a recovery program for today and tomorrow? Most of the lads are a bit fatigued. Light work only.

Her response came back almost immediately: Already on it. Saw the match yesterday brilliant work. I'll have a plan ready by 8am.

That was the thing about good staff. They anticipated what you needed before you even asked.

By the time I arrived at Copers Cope at 7:30am, Rebecca was already on the pitch setting up a recovery circuit. Yoga mats, resistance bands, foam rollers, and cones arranged in stations around the training ground. She looked up when I walked over, her expression professional but warm.

"Morning, boss. How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted," I admitted. "But good. Yesterday was... it was what we needed."

"It was brilliant," she said, and there was genuine enthusiasm in her voice. "The pressing was exactly what you'd been drilling. The lads executed perfectly. You should be proud."

I nodded, but the doubt was still there, lurking at the edges. "We've got three weeks until the competitive season. That's not much time."

"It's enough," Rebecca said firmly.

"The foundation is there. Now we just need to build on it. Starting with making sure the lads recover properly." She gestured to the circuit. "Light activation work this morning. Stretching, mobility, some low-intensity cardio. Nothing that'll tax them. Then ice baths and massage this afternoon. Tomorrow, we'll do a bit more maybe some technical work, nothing physical. By Monday, they'll be fresh for when Eze arrives."

Eze. Right. I'd almost forgotten in the exhaustion. Eberechi Eze, the player with 175 potential ability, was coming to train with us on Monday. I needed to prepare for that. Needed to figure out how to integrate him into the squad, how to get the lads to accept him, how to make sure he felt welcome despite being released by four clubs already.

"Rebecca, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"If you were integrating a new player into a squad, someone with a lot of talent but also a lot of rejection in their past, how would you do it?"

She thought about it for a moment, her expression thoughtful. "I'd make sure the existing players understood why he was there. Not just that he's talented, but what he brings to the team. And I'd make sure he felt valued from day one. Players who've been released multiple times... they carry that with them. They need to know they're wanted."

I nodded. That made sense. I'd need to talk to the lads before Eze arrived. Make sure they understood this wasn't about replacing anyone, but about making the squad stronger.

The players arrived at 9am, most of them moving slowly, the fatigue evident in their body language. Connor was limping slightly, favoring his left ankle. Nya looked like he'd been hit by a truck. Even Reece, who was usually composed and energetic, moved with the careful deliberation of someone whose muscles were screaming.

"Alright, lads," I called out, gathering them in the center of the pitch.

"Yesterday was brilliant. Really brilliant. You executed the system perfectly, and we got the result we deserved. But today, we recover. No heavy work. No running. Just activation, stretching, and taking care of your bodies. Rebecca's put together a circuit for you. Listen to her, do what she says, and don't try to be heroes. If something hurts, you tell her. Understood?"

They nodded, and I could see the relief on some of their faces. They'd been expecting another intense session, and the promise of a light day was clearly welcome.

Rebecca took over, guiding them through the circuit with the kind of calm authority that came from years of experience. I watched from the touchline, making notes on my phone, thinking about Monday and Eze and the competitive season that was looming on the horizon.

My phone buzzed. Emma.

Are you awake yet, or are you still pretending you don't need sleep?

I smiled and called her.

"There he is," she said, her voice warm and teasing. "The conquering hero. 5-2. I'm impressed."

"It was the lads, not me," I said, but I couldn't keep the pride out of my voice. "They executed perfectly. The pressing system worked exactly how we'd drilled it."

There was a pause, and then Emma said, "You found someone."

It wasn't a question. It never was with her. She could read me like a book, even over the phone. The same way she'd known at Railway Arms when I'd spotted JJ, the same way she'd known at Moss Side when I'd found Jamie, whom I wanted to develop to libero. She could hear it in my voice, see it in my face when we were together. I couldn't hide it from her.

"How do you always know?" I asked.

"Because you get that tone. That excited-but-trying-not-to-be-excited tone. Like you've found a lost treasure and you're trying to play it cool. You're terrible at hiding it, Danny. Always have been."

Emma laughed, and the sound of it was like coming home. "You're a disaster. A brilliant disaster, but still a disaster. How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Happy. Nervous about the competitive season."

"Of course you are. You wouldn't be you if you weren't worrying about something three weeks away." There was a pause, and then her voice softened. "I'm proud of you, Danny. Really proud. I know this hasn't been easy."

"I miss you," I said, and the words came out before I could stop them. Eight weeks. It had been eight weeks since I'd seen her face-to-face, since I'd held her, since I'd been able to just exist in the same space as her without two hundred miles and a phone line between us.

"I miss you too," she said quietly. "But you're doing amazing things. And I'll visit soon. I promise."

We talked for another twenty minutes, about nothing and everything. About her week at the paper, about a story she was working on, about the flat she'd finally found in Manchester.

The conversation was a lifeline, pulling me back from the edge of exhaustion and doubt, reminding me that there was a world beyond Copers Cope and pressing systems and tactical analysis.

When we hung up, I felt lighter. More grounded. Ready to face the rest of the day.

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