Chapter 22: Scapegoating
The emergency board meeting was called for 9 AM on the Monday following the Peterborough debacle, and the atmosphere in the Memorial Stadium’s boardroom was thick with recrimination and desperate blame-seeking.
Paul Trollope sat at one end of the polished table, his face drawn with the stress of a man whose job security was evaporating with each passing defeat.
Victoria Chen presided over the meeting with the cold efficiency of someone who had seen enough failure to recognize its patterns.
The other board members local businessmen whose football knowledge was limited but whose financial concerns were acute looked like judges preparing to deliver a verdict.
"Five-nil at home," Victoria began, her voice cutting through the silence. "Our worst defeat in three years, against opponents we should be competing with. The fans are calling for changes, the media is questioning our competence, and we’re sliding back toward the relegation zone."
The system interface provided real-time analysis of the political dynamics:
Board Meeting - Crisis Management Mode:
Primary Concern: Relegation and financial impact
Blame Distribution: Management under scrutiny
Scapegoat Identification: In progress
Amani’s Position: Vulnerable (convenient target)