Chapter 269: Southampton
St. Mary's Stadium was a world away from the tight, rugged grounds Crawley had played at throughout the winter. It was a huge, immaculate stadium, built to Premier League standards.
The pitch was a perfect stretch of green, wide and slick, while thirty thousand home fans filled the air with deafening noise as the teams emerged from the tunnel.
This was the business end of the promotion race.
Niels stood at the edge of his technical area, his tailored coat zipped up against the February cold.
He looked out at his team as they took their positions on the pitch. He had pushed aside his doubts and committed to the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Jamal and Kieron lined up side by side at the base of midfield, with Paul Pogba given the freedom to roam ahead of them.
When the referee blew the whistle, Southampton immediately showed why they were sitting in the promotion places.
