Harbinger Of Glory

As Mia said that, it was like she looked genuinely offended by the memory.

”And somehow you lot just left him there.”

”And Semenyo’s goal! That one was hilarious because it was like nobody wanted to tackle him. Were you afraid of him turning you into a reel on football IG?”

Leo sighed and then turned away while Mia watched her brother sit back against the couch, his expression becoming more distant.

She found Sofia staring at her and finally decided to let it go.

Training the following day did not go much better.

The players had gathered on the pitch, but something was missing.

Focus.

Passes were misplaced and routines they had already practised before were being done improperly.

Players were arriving late to challenges and then laughing them off.

Dawson watched for several minutes, and then he stopped the session.

”Enough.”

The players slowed as Dawson looked around the pitch.

”If you’re not ready to train, we can call it a day.”

His words met a grave silence and just stares as the Wigan players looked at him, like they were waiting for his next words.

”You’re here physically, but half of you aren’t here mentally,” Dawson went on and then he shook his head.

”I don’t need that today.”

Dawson turned and walked away, and for several seconds, the players remained where they were, staring at each other like they were wondering who would make the first move.

Then one by one, they began collecting their things.

”I’ve never seen him like that.”

”Not this early in the season.”

”He’s proper annoyed.”

A few muttered quietly among themselves, and Leo heard them.

And that irritated him, aside from the fact that Dawson’s words were justified.

Later that afternoon, Dawson stood alone in his office.

The tactics board was still covered in magnets as well as small adjustments that had made sense on paper and then looked completely different once the match started.

He stared at it for a long time, so much so that he didn’t even notice the first knock until the fourth.

This time, before Dawson could answer, the door opened, revealing Leo.

He had already showered and changed, now wearing a simple training top and trousers.

”You alright?”

Dawson looked back at the board and then gave a quiet snort.

”Guess it’s your turn now.”

Leo snorted too and nodded as he walked further into the room and stood beside him.

”Looks like it.”

They simply looked at the board after that, and the silence that had been in the room before Leo broke it returned.

Master and protégé.

Manager and player.

The two stood there idly until, eventually, Dawson glanced at Leo.

”You want to try playing defence again?”

At that, Leo looked at him with a raised brow before a smile slowly appeared.

”You paying me extra for that?”

*snort*

”You’ve probably hit ninety per cent of your contract bonuses already. Don’t try ripping me off too.”

Leo chuckled after Dawson said that and then leaned away from the edge of the table he’d been resting against.

”Whatever works for you, Daws.”

After that, he turned and walked towards the door.

Dawson watched him leave before his gaze returned to the board when Leo was out of view.

He let out another very audible sigh before folding his arms and then leaning against his table.

.....

”Not this again.”

The words came from somewhere in the away section where a Wigan supporter sat forward in his seat, shaking his head as he watched the Wigan players take their positions.

His eyes settled on Leo, who stood beside Whatmough in the defensive line, waiting for the referee to signal the start, clearly the subject of his displeasure.

”This again,” he muttered, almost to himself and before he could manage anything else, the whistle went.

Sheffield United kicked off.

”Welcome to Bramall Lane for Matchday 19 of the Premier League,” the commentator said. ”

And remarkably, we have reached the final matchday of the first half of the season.”

The camera followed the opening exchanges as Wigan immediately tried to settle into possession.

Leo received the ball early and, with pressure approaching, simply laid it back to Ben Amos.

The goalkeeper controlled it with his feet before picking it up, leaving the Sheffield United player cycling back.

”And Dawson is doing it again,” the main commentator said on the broadcast as the match went on.

”That rather unusual setup we saw against Chelsea earlier in the season,” he continued and then went on to take a look at his notes.

”Remind us what that means.”

The co-commentator nodded and then began,

”Well, without the ball, Wigan look fairly ordinary. You could call it a 4-3-3, or even a 4-2-1-3 depending on where the midfielders settle. But when they have possession, it changes.”

The camera widened as Wigan began moving forward.

”They effectively become a 3-3-4. Four players pushed high, three maintaining the midfield structure and three staying behind the ball.

It gives them numbers in attack without completely sacrificing their defensive shape.”

”So long as they don’t get caught on the break,” the main commentator inputted, receiving a nod from his partner in return.

”Exactly. And looking at the way they’ve started, I think Dawson’s priority is pretty obvious. Get the goals, get control of the game and kill it off.”

For the next twenty minutes, it looked exactly like that.

Wigan pressed high and looked threatening with every ball they got.

They recovered loose balls quickly, recycled possession and repeatedly forced Sheffield United towards their own penalty area, looking like themselves again while the home side struggled to play through the pressure, and every clearance seemed to come straight back.

The away supporters grew louder with every attack and eventually, Wigan found the opening.

Carlo worked the ball into a dangerous area before it was shifted across the edge of the box.

It shouldn’t have gone through, but by some luck, the pass reached Will Keane in space.

The striker took one touch and then finished it with no mistake, handing Wigan the lead.

”KEANE!” the commentator roared as the ball hit the back of the net.

”Wigan have the breakthrough!”