Monday morning arrived with a different kind of energy. I woke up at 5:30 am as usual, but instead of the usual dread or anxiety, I felt something closer to excitement.

Today was the day Eberechi Eze would arrive for his trial. Today, we'd start preparing for the three preseason matches that would come before the competitive season officially began. Today felt like the beginning of something.

I ran my usual 6k, pushing through the familiar London streets as the city slowly woke up around me. The system tracked my progress: Fitness 52/100, Cardiovascular Endurance 49/100, and I noticed the numbers were creeping up.

Slowly, but they were moving in the right direction. Just like everything else. Just like the team. Just like the pressing system. Incremental improvements, week after week, building toward something bigger.

By the time I arrived at Copers Cope at 7:15am, Sarah was already in the video analysis room, and Rebecca was out on the pitch setting up cones for the morning session.

Michael was in the goalkeeping area, organizing his equipment with the methodical precision that I'd come to appreciate over the past few days. The staff was functioning like a well-oiled machine, and for the first time since arriving at Crystal Palace, I felt like I wasn't drowning.

"Morning," Sarah said when I walked into the analysis room. She had the Millwall match footage paused on her screen, frozen on a moment where Connor's pressing angle was slightly off. "I've been reviewing Wednesday's match. We won 5-2, but there were mistakes. Things we need to address."

I pulled up a chair next to her. "Connor's positioning on the first press?"

"That, and Ryan's distribution on their fourth goal. He took too long, his touch was heavy, and he played it straight to their midfielder. Michael's been working with him, but it's still a weakness." She clicked through to another moment. "And here Nya was excellent overall, but there were two occasions where he didn't track his runner. Small things, but against better opposition, they'll punish us."

I nodded, making mental notes. This was exactly why I'd hired Sarah. She saw everything. The good and the bad. The wins and the areas for improvement.

"We'll address it in training today," I said. "Eze arrives at 9 am. I want to introduce him to the squad and get him integrated quickly. Then we'll work on the mistakes from Wednesday. Connor's pressing angles, Ryan's distribution, Nya's defensive tracking. We've got three preseason matches coming up, and I want us sharper than we were against Millwall."

"Three matches in how long?" Sarah asked.

"Two weeks. One match per week for the next two weeks, then the third match the week after. Then the competitive season starts." I rubbed my eyes, feeling the weight of it. "Gary's giving Eze a four-week trial. That includes all three preseason matches. If he impresses, we'll sign him properly. If not..." I trailed off, not wanting to think about that possibility.

"He'll impress," Sarah said confidently. "I watched him in the Millwall match. He's special. Different level."

"He's also got physicality issues," I said. "He got bodied by their players. We need to work on that. Rebecca's going to have to put him through a strength program, and we need to make sure the lads don't go too hard on him in training. He's talented, but he's fragile."

Sarah nodded. "I'll keep an eye on it."

At 8:45 am, I gathered the U18 squad in the changing room. All twenty players were there: Reece Hannam, our captain and rock at center-back; Nya Kirby, our engine room in central midfield; Connor Blake, our talented but inconsistent striker; Ryan Fletcher in goal; Lewis Grant at center-back; Jake Morrison and Sam Porter in midfield; Tom Davies on the wing; and the rest of the squad. They were buzzing with energy after Wednesday's 5-2 win, laughing and joking, the confidence radiating off them.

I let them enjoy it for a moment, then raised my hand for quiet.

"Alright, lads. Well done on Wednesday. 5-2. The pressing system worked. You executed brilliantly. But..." I paused, making sure I had their attention. "... there were mistakes. Connor, your pressing angles were off on a few occasions. You were too central, not cutting off the passing lanes. Ryan, your distribution on their fourth goal cost us. You took too long, and they punished us. Nya, you didn't track your runner twice in the second half. Small things, but against better teams, they'll hurt us."

The mood sobered slightly. Good. They needed to understand that winning 5-2 didn't mean we were perfect.

"We've got three preseason matches coming up over the next few weeks," I continued. "These matches are our chance to refine the system, to work out the kinks, to get sharper. The competitive season starts after that, and when it does, we need to be ready. So today, we're going to work on those mistakes. Pressing angles, distribution, defensive tracking. We're going to drill them until you can do them in your sleep."

Reece nodded, his expression serious. "Yes, gaffer."

"One more thing," I said. "We've got a new player joining us today. Eberechi Eze. He's here on a four-week trial. He's technically brilliant, intelligent, and creative. He's also been released by four clubs, including Millwall, who we just beat. I want you to welcome him, support him, and help him integrate. He's here to make us better. Understood?"

They nodded, and I saw curiosity in their eyes. A new player. A trialist. Someone who'd been released by Millwall. They'd want to see what he could do.

At 9am exactly, there was a knock on my office door. I opened it to find Eberechi Eze standing there, a training bag slung over his shoulder, his expression a mix of nervousness and determination.

He was smaller than I'd remembered from the Millwall match: maybe 5'7", slight build, the kind of player who looked like he'd get blown over by a strong wind. But his eyes were sharp, intelligent, focused.

"Coach Walsh," he said, extending his hand. "Eberechi Eze. Thank you for this opportunity."

I shook his hand. "Danny. Just Danny. Come in."

***

Thank you to nameyelus and chisum_lane for the gifts.

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