Chapter 2: The First Step
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Monday after Niels' first training session, things started to feel different.
The players hadn't suddenly become amazing, but they were more focused. They listened more and actually seemed to care about improving. Training felt different too. Nobody was just going through the drills anymore.
Luka Radev stood out the most. He was only seventeen and had always been very fast, but he didn't always know how to use his speed properly. Sometimes he just ran forward without thinking.
Niels spent the week helping him with that. He showed Luka when to make a run and when to slow down and wait for the right moment.
By Wednesday, Luka was already making better runs and choosing his moments more carefully. His defending was still a problem, though. Milan wasn't happy about how often Luka stopped tracking back.
"He's got something special," Milan said one afternoon as Luka went past a defender during a small-sided game. "Just hope he doesn't waste it."
"He won't," Niels replied. "We'll make sure of that."
Milan looked at him. "You think he's ready for more?"
Niels thought about it before answering.
"Maybe. But it's not just Luka. I think this whole team has something."
Niels looked over at Marko Simic. The young centre-back was tall and a little awkward, and he was still learning how to play his position properly.
Marko had good instincts, but he often found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, Niels liked his attitude. Marko kept coming to training and was always willing to learn.
During one defensive drill, Marko got beaten twice by an older striker who wasn't even that quick.
Milan immediately started shouting at him.
"Let me talk to him," Niels said, holding up his hand.
He walked over and stopped the drill.
"Marko, look at your position," Niels said, showing him how he should stand. "You're following the striker instead of making him go where you want. Your instincts are good, but you can't rely on them all the time. Look first, then move."
Marko nodded and got ready to try again.
Marko nodded and listened carefully. He didn't say much, but when they tried the drill again, he did better. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough for Niels to see that he was improving.
That was what Niels wanted. He wasn't expecting things to change overnight. Small improvements were enough.
By Thursday, some of the players were staying behind after training. They asked Niels questions, watched clips with him, and even asked for extra drills.
Niels could tell they were starting to trust him.
He also started carrying a notebook around. He wrote down ideas, notes about the players, and little drawings of set pieces and pressing plans.
Those strange flashes still happened sometimes. For a few seconds, it felt like he could see the game differently, almost as if he already knew what was going to happen.
But even when they didn't happen, Niels was still learning.
Little by little, he was helping shape the team.
On Wednesday night, Niels was still in the video room after everyone else had left. The stadium was quiet, and he was watching matches from Grimsby Town.
He studied how they played. They often used long balls, their build-up was slow, and they didn't defend corners very well.
Niels was so focused that he didn't notice Milan come in.
"Planning to take over the world?" Milan asked, holding two cups of instant coffee.
Niels kept looking at the screen. "It's only Grimsby."
Milan smiled. "You're in charge of the tactics this weekend."
Niels finally turned around. "Wait, seriously?"
"You've been running training and helping the players. I think you've earned a chance," Milan said. "We're at the bottom of the table anyway. Might as well try something different."
Niels wasn't sure what to say.
"You really think they're ready for me to take charge?"
Milan shrugged. "I don't know about them. I know you're ready."
Niels looked down at his notebook and held it a little tighter.
He was nervous, but he was also excited.
The weekend came quickly.
This wasn't a training game. Crawley Town had a real League Two match against Grimsby Town. It was Matchday 11, and Crawley were still near the bottom of the table. They needed every point they could get.
Before the team got on the bus, Milan handed Niels the clipboard.
"Your lineup. You pick it."
Niels took a deep breath and looked over the squad.
He decided to keep things simple. Luka had to start. He was still young, but Niels didn't want to leave his pace and energy on the bench.
Marko, however, wasn't ready yet. His positioning was still too unreliable for a game like this.
Niels also moved one of the defensive midfielders deeper to protect the back four.
Nothing fancy. Just a solid setup with as little risk as possible.
Kickoff:
The match was tough from the start.
Grimsby kept sending long balls toward Crawley's defense, trying to take advantage of their weaknesses. Crawley struggled to keep the ball early on. The wet pitch wasn't helping either, and a few players slipped while trying to control the ball.
Niels stayed near the touchline, telling everyone to stay calm and keep their positions.
Luka was playing differently too. Instead of constantly running forward, he stayed in position and waited for the right moment to attack, just like Niels had taught him.
Neither team could find a goal, and the score stayed 0-0.
Grimsby's fans were making plenty of noise, booing whenever Crawley had the ball. The Crawley supporters kept singing from the other side of the ground, trying to lift their team despite the cold.
Then, with only ten minutes left, Crawley finally found an opening.
Luka received the ball on the right after a quick pass. He took on one defender, then another, and raced toward the box.
Just outside it, he cut inside and took a shot with his left foot.
The ball went toward the far corner. The goalkeeper dived, but he couldn't reach it.
The ball hit the net.
"GOAL! 1-0, Crawley!"
The away fans went crazy. Scarves were in the air and everyone was shouting. The players on the bench were celebrating too, jumping up and cheering.
For Niels, the goal meant more than just taking the lead. It showed that his plan was working. The changes he had made with Luka and the rest of the team were finally paying off.
Grimsby pushed forward during the last few minutes. They kept sending crosses into the box, but Crawley's defense managed to deal with them. Liam McCulloch even cleared a header off the line near the end.
Then the final whistle went.
Crawley had won 1-0.
The players walked off tired but happy. They shook hands and clapped for the fans.
In the tunnel, Milan looked at Niels and nodded.
"Not bad, kid."
Later, they were back in the staff room. Milan sat down and looked through the match report.
"You want to do this again?"
"Yes," Niels answered straight away.
"Good," Milan said. "Next match is yours too."
That night, Niels couldn't sleep.
He sat at his desk with his notebook open, writing down ideas. He thought about how they could build attacks from the back, how to press without tiring the players, and how to protect a lead.
For the first time, he felt like all these things really mattered.
Crawley moved up from 21st to 20th in the table after the win.
They were still close to the relegation zone, so one win didn't suddenly fix everything. But it was a good start.
Their next game was away against Macclesfield Town. They were a tough team with a strong midfield and a lot of pressure.
There wouldn't be any TV cameras or a huge crowd. It was just going to be another hard game.
For Niels, though, it meant more than that.
It was another chance to prove himself and show that he could actually make a difference.
He wasn't going to play it safe anymore.