The Coaching System

Jake Wilson stood on the sidelines, arms folded, watching his players complete their final warm-ups as the summer sun hovered over the Spanish training site.

The club had been through tough physical training exercises, tactical sessions, and formation modifications in the five days since they came back for preseason. There were no excuses today, even though the new signings had hardly had time to get settled.

Their first preseason test was against Real Valladolid, a second-division team from Spain known for their technical passing game and high-pressing style. A far more experienced and cohesive squad compared to the new-look Bradford City.

Jake had studied their weaknesses through the system's analysis.

[Ding! Opponent Analysis Complete – Real Valladolid]

[Strengths: High Possession Play, Strong Midfield Control, Quick Passing]

[Weaknesses: Vulnerable to Counterattacks, Poor Against Physical Pressing]

Bradford was stepping onto the pitch as complete underdogs, but Jake wasn't interested in excuses.

He walked toward his players, clapping his hands to gather them before kickoff.

"Alright, listen up." His voice was calm, but firm. "We stick to the plan. They like to dominate possession, but they don't like being pressed. We hit them with high intensity, force them into mistakes, and when we win the ball, we attack fast."

The players nodded, but Jake could sense the nervousness, especially from the new signings making their debuts.

Ryan Carter, the 19-year-old attacking midfielder from the 7th tier, was bouncing on his feet, eager yet anxious.

Ahmed Saidi, the center-back from Tunisia, stood with his arms crossed, his face unreadable.

Emeka Okafor, the Nigerian goalkeeper, was rolling his shoulders, adjusting his gloves.

Lukas Novak, the Czech winger, was staring at the opposition, eyes full of focus.

Jake smirked slightly.

"Let's show them who we are."

First Half begins

Kickoff.

Right from the start, Valladolid dominated possession. Their midfield trio moved the ball smoothly, forcing Bradford to chase.

Jake had set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Carter playing as the attacking midfielder behind the lone striker, trying to disrupt Valladolid's build-up.

For the first 15 minutes, Bradford struggled to keep up.

Saidi mistimed a tackle early on, earning a warning from the referee.

Okafor was forced into an early save after a dangerous cross into the box.

Novak barely got any touches on the ball, marked out by Valladolid's full-back.

Jake could see the lack of chemistry. The players weren't clicking yet. The press was uncoordinated, the passing was sloppy, and the team looked out of sync.

Then, in the 22nd minute, Valladolid punished them.

Bradford's midfield got stretched too wide, leaving space in the center. One quick through ball split the defense, and their striker slotted the ball past Okafor.

1-0, Valladolid.

Jake didn't flinch. He turned toward his assistant, Paul Roberts.

"They're cutting through us too easily," Paul muttered.

Jake nodded. Time to adapt.

A blue screen flashed in Jake's vision.

[Ding! Tactical Suggestion: Adjust Defensive Midfield Line]

[Recommendation: Drop Defensive Midfielder Lower to Cover Gaps]

Jake immediately shouted instructions.

"Lowe! Sit deeper! Stop the runners from getting behind!"

Daniel Lowe, the young defensive midfielder promoted from the academy, adjusted his positioning. He stayed closer to the center-backs, cutting off Valladolid's easy passes through the middle.

The change started working.

Bradford's midfield tightened up, forcing Valladolid to play wide instead of cutting through the middle.

Saidi began winning aerial duels, showing why Jake fought so hard to sign him.

Novak started tracking back defensively, helping his full-back deal with the pressure.

The last 20 minutes of the first half were much better. Valladolid still had more possession, but they weren't creating as many clear chances.

By the time the halftime whistle blew, Bradford had stabilized.

Score at halftime: Valladolid 1-0 Bradford.

Halftime Team Talk

The players sat in the dressing room, breathing heavily.

Jake walked in, calm and composed.

"We started slow," he said, looking around the room. "They played through us too easily. But we fixed it. We adapted."

He turned to Ryan Carter. "Carter, you're playing too safe. Stop hesitating and demand the ball."

Carter nodded, wiping sweat from his face.

He turned to Novak. "You're tracking back well, but I need you to be braver in attack. Run at their full-back. Make something happen."

Novak exhaled and gave a small nod.

Then, Jake grinned slightly.

"They're underestimating us. Let's punish them for it."

Second Half – A Different Bradford

The team came out stronger.

Bradford pressed with more aggression, forcing Valladolid into mistakes.

Carter finally got involved, dropping deeper to receive the ball and linking up with the wingers.

In the 58th minute, the system flashed again.

[Ding! Valladolid Full-Backs Leaving Space Behind]

[Recommendation: Exploit the Wide Areas – More Overlaps & Crosses]

Jake saw it too. Valladolid's full-backs were pushing high, leaving space behind them.

Jake made his first substitution—bringing on a fresh right-back with pace.

"Richards, overlap every attack!" Jake commanded.

Five minutes later, it worked.

Richards sprinted down the right flank, receiving a pass from Carter. He whipped in a perfect cross into the box.

Novak met it with a diving header.

GOAL!

1-1.

Final 30 Minutes 

With the score level, Valladolid pushed forward aggressively, trying to regain the lead.

Saidi and Okafor stood firm.

Saidi blocked two shots in the box.

Okafor made a brilliant one-on-one save in the 78th minute.

Lowe broke up multiple attacks with crucial tackles.

Jake made his final change in the 85th minute, bringing on another defensive midfielder to see out the draw.

Valladolid kept attacking. Cross after cross. Shot after shot.

Then, in the 90th minute, Valladolid's striker found space and fired a powerful shot.

Okafor dived full stretch—SAVE!

The final whistle blew.

Full-time: Real Valladolid 1-1 Bradford City.

Post-Match Analysis

Jake walked toward the players, nodding in approval.

"We weren't perfect," he said. "But we adapted. We fought. And we earned a result."

Novak, Carter, Saidi, and Okafor had all shown their potential. But there was still a long way to go.

The next test? A trip to Tunisia to face AS Gabès—Saidi's former club.