Chapter 129: Momentum in the Making
Chapter 129: Momentum in the Making
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sunday morning broke gently after the hard-fought win over Preston. At Broadfield Stadium, there was a quiet sense of hope in the air.
The training pitches were still slick from Saturday’s rain, and the sharp scent of wet grass mixed with the faint smell of bonfires in the distance.
Niels pulled into the training ground, his pickup’s engine letting out a low grumble as he parked near the gate.
The quiet was broken only by the soft hum of a nearby coffee cart. He felt a flicker of relief from the win still lingering in his chest but Notts County away was already on his mind. It was a chance to build momentum, or slip back into uncertainty.
The media reaction was a mixed bag. On Sunday, a radio pundit didn’t hold back: "Crawley’s win was lucky just papering over the cracks. They’re not fooling anyone in League One." The jab was sharp, and it took some of the shine off the victory.
But in Monday’s local paper, a Crawley journalist pushed back: "One bad week doesn’t define a team. League One isn’t won in August."
It wasn’t a full-blown defense, but it was something, a small nod to Niels’s vision. He could feel the squad’s hunger sharpening again, ready to prove the doubters wrong.
He held a worn clipboard, its pages crammed with notes, details on Notts County’s pacey wingers, and how Pogba and Freeman would need to control the tempo.
Sunday’s rest day was anything but restful. In the team lodge, the radio buzzed in the background as players lounged on couches, nursing coffees and scrolling through their phones. A pundit’s voice cut through: "Lucky win, just papering over the cracks."
Thiago groaned and chucked a cushion at the radio. "Mate, they’re chatting rubbish. We earned that."