The old doubts started to creep back in, the fear that we were still the same team, the same collection of individuals who couldn't defend, who couldn't see out a game. I looked at Sarah, who was standing next to me on the touchline, her face a mask of frustration.

"We need to hold," she said, her voice tight.

But I shook my head. "No," I said. "We attack. We don't sit back. We go for the win."

She looked at me like I was crazy, but she didn't argue.

This time, we didn't crumble. This time, we fought back. Eze was tiring, the physical toll of the match starting to show, his movements slower, his touch less assured, but he stayed on, his determination unwavering.

I could see the exhaustion in his eyes, but I could also see the pride, the refusal to give up. At 48 minutes, Semenyo had his moment. He received the ball on the right wing, in the same position he'd been in against Brighton.

The full-back came flying towards him, and for a second, I thought he was going to panic, to try and dribble, to lose the ball. But he didn't.

He looked up, saw Connor making a run into the box, and played a perfect, first-time pass, a ball that was weighted perfectly, a ball that invited Connor to attack it. Connor met it with a powerful header that flew into the back of the net. 2-1.

It was Semenyo's second assist in two matches, another moment of quality, another sign that he was starting to believe in himself. The team mobbed him, and this time, the smile on his face was real, a genuine expression of joy and relief.

At 55 minutes, he did something that made me prouder than any assist. He tracked back. He chased his man the length of the pitch, his lungs burning, his legs screaming, and he won the ball back with a perfectly timed tackle.

He started a counter-attack, playing a simple pass to Nya, who found Tom on the wing. Tom cut inside and finished with a powerful shot. 3-1. The final whistle went a few minutes later, and this time, the win felt real. It felt earned.

In the changing room, the atmosphere was electric, the lads buzzing with a confidence that had been missing all week. They were laughing, joking, reliving the goals, the tackles, the moments of brilliance.

Connor was holding court in the middle of the room, reenacting his header with exaggerated movements that had everyone in stitches. Reece was quietly organizing the kit, his captain's armband still on his arm, a small smile on his face.

Nya was bouncing around like a kid on Christmas morning, his energy infectious. I let them have their moment, let them enjoy the win, before I called them to order. I praised their fight, their character, their refusal to be beaten.

"That," I said, my voice carrying across the room, "is what this team is about. We don't give up. We don't roll over. We fight. And we win." I looked at Eze, who was slumped on the bench, exhausted but proud, his body aching but his spirit soaring.

"You were immense today," I said. "You held up, you created, you led from the front. That's the standard now. That's what I expect from you every week."

He nodded, too tired to speak, but the pride in his eyes was unmistakable. Then I looked at Semenyo, who was sitting quietly in the corner, a small smile on his face, his hands still shaking from the adrenaline.

"Two good decisions," I said. "Two moments of quality. That assist, that tackle that's the player I know you can be. Keep working. Keep believing. You're getting there."

He nodded, his eyes shining with a newfound belief, a fragile, tentative hope that maybe, just maybe, he could do this. After the match, Gary pulled me aside in the corridor outside the changing room, away from the noise and the celebration.

He had a rare smile on his face, his usually stern expression softened by something that looked almost like pride.

"Semenyo's showing something," he said, his voice gruff but his eyes betraying a hint of approval. "I wasn't sure about him, Danny. I thought you were taking on too much. But he's showing something. Keep going."

It was the first real praise I'd had from him, the first sign that maybe, just maybe, he was starting to believe in me too. I felt a weight lift off my shoulders, a burden I hadn't realized I'd been carrying.

"Thank you," I said, my voice thick with emotion. He clapped me on the shoulder, a brief, awkward gesture, and walked away.

Later that evening, back in my office, I stared at the system notifications, the numbers telling a story of progress, of growth, of hope.

[SYSTEM] Player Update: Eberechi Eze. Tactical Familiarity: 52% → 61%. Strength: 8/20 → 9/20.

[SYSTEM] Player Update: Antoine Semenyo. Positioning: 7/20 → 8/20. Decision-Making: 5/20 → 6/20. Work Rate: 7/20 → 8/20.

[SYSTEM] Squad Update: Pressing Success Rate: 68% → 70%.

The numbers were small, incremental, but they were moving in the right direction. We were getting better. We were growing. We were becoming a team. My phone buzzed. Emma.

"How did it go?" she asked.

"We won," I said, and this time, I meant it. "3-1. We were good."

"I told you," she said, her voice warm and full of pride.

"I told you to trust yourself." We talked for a while longer, about her work, about her life, about the two hundred miles that separated us, but for the first time in a long time, it didn't feel like an unbridgeable chasm.

It felt like a temporary inconvenience, a distance that would soon be closed. The work was far from over, but for the first time, I felt like we were on the right path. The road ahead was still long and hard, but for the first time, I felt like I was ready for it.

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