Chapter 20: The Climb Starts Here
Chapter 20: The Climb Starts Here
Wednesday, 4 December
Pre-Match Build-Up – Match 17 vs Morecambe
The air at the training ground had a bite to it. The december in Crawley wasn't dramatic as it crept in quietly, with frost along the grass and a chill that lingered even under thermals. Boots crunched over frozen blades of turf. Breath fogged in short puffs. But there was something alive under all that stillness.
There was momentum now. Not too loud or flashy, but real and earned.
The squad had strung together two decent performances in league, one gritty draw, and then the breakthrough win against Wrexham. They were 13th in the league now. They were still in the middle of the table, lot of work in progress. But you could feel it, something had shifted. The nerves were starting to give way to belief. It was not just hope but belief.
The next test? Morecambe.
Top-four in the table. They are well-organized and play more physical. They pressed high, they recovered fast, and when they smelled weakness, they didn't hesitate. You didn't play around with teams like that. You need to play smart and play together.
Inside the meeting room, the lights were dimmed and the projector clicked to life. A grainy freeze-frame filled the screen: Morecambe, in red, crowding the final third.
Niels stood at the front. No opening jokes. No icebreakers. Just a mug of half-cold coffee in one hand and the remote in the other.
"Alright. Watch this," he said, voice steady but clear.