Chapter 25: No Rest in the Climb
Chapter 25 – No Rest in the Climb
The buzz from the Oxford win still lingered like smoke in the cold morning air. Crawley Town's name was suddenly on people's lips, headlines, and even a few hopeful pundit shows. But as far as the league was concerned, the magic of the cup didn't buy you points.
And the league didn't wait.
Next up: an away trip to Macclesfield Town. A gritty side, scrapping near the bottom of the table like Crawley. The kind of team that didn't bother with flair—just muscle, urgency, and the occasional hoofed long ball into no man's land.
Perfect.
The days before were heavy with training. Not all-out sessions, but focused. Smart. Niels balanced things carefully. He didn't want to burn players out after the high of the cup. But something had changed. He could feel it—some of the younger ones floated a little too high. A few heads turned when cameras showed up at the training ground. Luka arrived late to one session. Then again the next day.
It wasn't malicious, just... carelessness. Ego? Niels couldn't say for sure. But he logged it. Quietly.
Whitehall had been training well. Sharpe too, even after coming off the bench against Oxford. Dev Patel was sharp, working hard despite being targeted in recent matches. So Niels made a choice—subtle but deliberate.
No full rotation, but Luka and a couple of usual starters began on the bench. A message without a speech. Hunger had to be earned.