Eric Maddox stood at the center of the pitch, his legs braced and his eyes shielded by a dark cap. In his hand, the whistle felt like a heavy weight, a tool of discipline that would forge these boys into men before they touched Spanish soil.
The "Pro Manager System" interface floated invisibly in his field of vision. It was a digital design of translucent blue, showing real-time fatigue levels and tactical proficiency bars. He noticed Declan Whittaker's "Agility" stat flickering, the boy was nervous, his heart rate slightly elevated even before the first whistle.
"Alright," Maddox called out, his voice cutting through the quiet morning like a blade. "The next drill will be an attacking versus defending sequence. One-on-one situations. Break through the three defensive rotations, and finish past Freddie Booth. No hesitation, no second chances."
