Chapter 2: The First Step
Monday, October 5, 2009
The Monday after Niels' first training session, something clicked. It wasn't that the Crawley Town players suddenly turned into superstars. They didn't but there was a spark, a new kind of focus. Training had a pulse now. The days of drifting through drills, half-asleep, were gone. For the first time in ages, the squad knew someone was watching, really watching, someone who gave a damn if they got better.
Luka Radev was the one to watch. The kid, barely seventeen, had always had raw pace, all energy and instinct, but it used to be a mess, like a firework with no aim. Niels spent the week coaching him to channel it, showing him when to explode forward, when to hold back. By Wednesday, Luka was making sharper runs, cutting inside at smarter angles. He still slacked off on tracking back, which drove Milan nuts, but his choices on the ball were getting better every day.
"He's got something special," Milan muttered one afternoon, watching Luka breeze past a defender in a small-sided game, his boots kicking up grass. "Hope he doesn't flame out."
"He won't," Niels said, hands stuffed in his coat pockets. "We'll keep him grounded."
Milan gave him a sideways look, one eyebrow raised. "You think he's ready for more?"
Niels nodded, slow and thoughtful. "Maybe. But it's not just him. This whole squad's got something."
His gaze drifted to Marko Simic, the lanky center-back who was all arms and legs, still figuring himself out. Marko had decent instincts but kept getting caught out of position. Niels saw something in him, not in stats or drills, but in his quiet grit, the way he kept showing up, ready to learn.
During a defensive drill, Marko got spun twice in a row by a journeyman striker, an older lad with clunky boots and no speed. Milan started barking, his voice sharp, but Niels held up a hand.
"Let me handle this."
He jogged over, slowing the drill to a crawl. "Marko, your body's all wrong," Niels said, mimicking the stance. "You're chasing the striker, not steering him. Instinct's great, but if it's off, you're sunk. Think first, then move."
Marko nodded, his eyes locked on Niels, soaking it in. He didn't talk much, but on the next rep, he was better, not perfect, but enough to hold his own. That was all Niels needed, small steps at a time, not miracles.
By Thursday, a few players started hanging around after training, asking questions, watching clips, even begging for extra drills. They weren't doing it for Milan. They were doing it because Niels made them feel like they mattered.
Niels started carrying a notebook, scribbling thoughts, player notes, rough sketches of pressing triggers or set pieces. His weird flashes of insight, like he was seeing the game through some future lens, came and went, but even without them, he was shaping the team, bit by bit, in his own way.
Wednesday night, long after the stadium lights dimmed, Niels sat alone in the video room, the screen flickering with Grimsby Town matches. He studied their game, long balls flying over the top, sluggish build-up, shaky defending on corners. He was so focused he didn't hear Milan walk in.
"Planning for world domination?" Milan asked, holding two steaming mugs of instant coffee, the cheap kind that tasted like burnt dirt.
Niels didn't look up. "It's just Grimsby."
Milan leaned on the doorframe, smirking. "Tactics are yours this weekend."
Niels turned, eyes wide. "You serious?"
"You've been running sessions, shaping the team. You've earned it." Milan shrugged. "We're bottom of the table. Time to shake things up."
Niels swallowed, nerves and excitement mixing. "You think the squad's ready for me to take over?"
Milan tilted his head. "Doesn't matter. I think you're ready to show what you've got."
The words landed heavy, but they lit a fire in Niels' chest. He nodded, gripping his notebook a little tighter.
The weekend came fast. This wasn't a practice match. It was Crawley Town's real League Two fixture against Grimsby Town, Matchday 11. They were still near the bottom of the table, scrapping to stay in the league. Every point was a lifeline.
Before they boarded the bus, Milan handed Niels the clipboard. "Your lineup. Pick it."
Niels took a deep breath. He went for grit over flash, knowing they couldn't afford to slip. Luka started, his spark too good to bench. Marko didn't, his positioning still too shaky for a game this big. Niels dropped a holding midfielder deeper to shield the back line, keeping things tight, practical, no risks.
Kickoff:
The match was a battle from the first whistle. Grimsby came out swinging, hoofing long balls to exploit Crawley's wobbly defense. Crawley couldn't string passes together early, the ball slipping on the damp pitch, players stumbling. Niels stood on the touchline, shouting for calm, urging them to stick to the plan, keep their shape. Luka, for once, didn't chase every chance to attack. He held his spot, reading the game like Niels had taught him.
The game stayed locked at 0-0, a tense, scrappy fight. Grimsby's fans, a small but loud bunch, jeered every Crawley touch. The away supporters, a couple hundred in red scarves, kept chanting, "Red Devils!" their voices a lifeline in the cold.
Then, with ten minutes left, it happened. A quick one-two on the right opened a gap. Luka took a touch, skipped past one defender, then another, his boots a blur down the wing. Just outside the box, he cut inside, paused for a split second, and curled a left-footed shot toward the far post. The ball arced, perfect, past the keeper's dive, and smacked the net.
"GOAL! 1-0, Crawley!"
The away fans exploded, scarves waving, voices shaking the tiny stand. The bench surged, players shouting, fists pumping. It wasn't just the goal's beauty, it was the proof, Niels' plan, his work with Luka, the team's shape, all clicking in one electric moment.
Grimsby pushed hard in the final minutes, lobbing balls into the box, but Crawley's defense held, Liam McCulloch clearing a late header off the line. When the whistle blew, 1-0, the players trudged off, exhausted but buzzing, shaking hands, clapping the fans.
Milan gave Niels a slow nod in the tunnel. "Not bad, kid."
Later, in the staff room, Milan leaned back, feet up, flipping through a report. "You want more of this?"
"Yes," Niels said, no hesitation.
"Good," Milan replied. "Next matchday, it's all yours again."
That night, Niels couldn't sleep. He sat at his desk, notebook open, mind racing with ideas, how to build from the back, press without burning out, protect a slim lead. Every formation, every pattern felt like it mattered now.
Crawley had climbed from 21st to 20th. The win didn't make them safe, not with the relegation zone still close, but it was something to build on. Their next test was Macclesfield Town, away, a team with a bruising midfield and a relentless press. No TV cameras, no big crowd, just a fight.
For Niels, it wasn't just a game. It was a chance to show what he could do, to prove he was here to change things, no more playing it safe.