The Coaching System

July 19th, 2024 – Preseason Match 2

King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Training Adjustments –

Jake Wilson didn't waste a second dwelling on the 4-2 loss to Al Nassr. There was no sulking, no pointless frustration. He wasn't that kind of coach.

Losing was never the problem.

The real issue was how they lost.

Bradford had gone into the game with ambition, pressing high, attacking with purpose—but at this level, bravery alone wasn't enough.

Al Nassr had exposed them.

Every tactical flaw. Every defensive misstep. Every hesitation.

Jake wasn't angry—he was learning.

And now, so would his players.

Breaking Down the Mistakes

The next morning, before the players even set foot on the training pitch, Jake gathered them in the analysis room.

The lights dimmed. A video of the Al Nassr match flickered onto the projector screen.

Jake stood in front of them, remote in hand, watching their expressions.

Some players sat with arms crossed, still frustrated with the loss. Others leaned forward, waiting to see what went wrong.

Jake clicked play.

Defensive Shape –

The footage showed Ronaldo's second goal.

Talisca, deep in midfield, calmly played a perfect through ball between Barnes and Min-jae.

Jake paused the screen.

"Right here." He pointed at the gap. "Barnes and Min-jae—too far apart. No coordination."

Min-jae scratched his head, frowning.

Barnes exhaled sharply. "We stepped up too early."

Jake nodded. "Exactly. We left space behind, and against a player like Ronaldo?"

Silence.

They all knew the answer.

"We stay compact. No unnecessary risks. Defend first."

Midfield Pressing – Reckless & Unstructured

Next clip—Lowe and Harper chasing the ball high up the pitch.

Otávio turned away from the press effortlessly, sending Mané sprinting into space.

Jake hit pause.

"What's wrong here?"

Vélez leaned forward. "Harper's too high. Lowe's pressing alone."

Jake pointed at the screen.

"We pressed as individuals, not as a unit. That's why they played through us so easily."

Harper sighed. "So, what do we do instead?"

"Patience." Jake emphasized the word. "We press in a shape. Cut passing lanes. No blind chasing."

Harper nodded. Lesson learned.

Winger Support – Full-Backs Left Exposed

Final clip.

Silva and Mensah pushed too high up the pitch.

Al-Najdi exploited the space, setting up Mané's first goal.

Jake turned to Silva. "You see it?"

Silva ran a hand through his hair. "Didn't track back fast enough."

"It's not just you." Jake looked at Mensah too. "Both of you—when we don't have the ball, you're defenders first."

They both nodded. They wouldn't make the same mistake again.

The Training Sessions – Fixing the Issues

Once the film session ended, Jake led the squad onto the training pitch.

Now, it was about action.

Defensive Structure Drills – Barnes and Min-jae drilled compact positioning. No unnecessary stepping out.

Midfield Pressing – Lowe, Harper, Vélez, and Ibáñez practiced pressing in a unit, not individually.

Winger Tracking – Silva and Mensah spent time defending against overlapping full-backs. They wouldn't leave their defenders stranded again.

After three intense sessions, Jake saw the change.

His players moved differently.

They weren't just running—they were thinking.

Smarter. Sharper. More disciplined.

And ready to bounce back.

System Notification

Just before heading to the stadium, the system flashed a new notification.

[Ding! System Prediction]

Bradford City – 55% Win Probability

Rangers – 40% Win Probability

Jake exhaled, rubbing his chin.

For the first time in preseason, they were favorites.

This wasn't Al Nassr. This was a winnable game.

And they needed to win it.

Squad Rotation – Testing Depth

Preseason wasn't just about results—it was about testing the squad.

Jake made five changes from the Al Nassr match.

He wasn't just resting key players—he wanted to see who was ready for the season ahead.

Bradford City Starting XI (4-4-2):

GK: Jack Simmons (Resting Okafor, giving the young backup a chance)

RB: James Richards (Retained his spot, needed more defensive discipline)

CB: Marco Bianchi (Rewarding his fearless performance vs. Ronaldo)

CB: Nathan Barnes (C) (Captain, steadying presence in defense)

LB: Lewis Hart (Chance to prove himself ahead of Taylor in the pecking order)

CM: Santiago Vélez (First start—Jake wanted to see what he could do in midfield)

CM: Andrés Ibáñez (Needed game time to build chemistry with Vélez)

RW: Raphael Mensah (Retained his place after his goal vs. Al Nassr)

LW: Ethan Walsh (Academy product gets his shot in the first team)

ST: Tobias Richter (Earned his place after a strong cameo in the last match)

ST: Guilherme Costa (Jake wanted to see if the Brazilian could adapt to his system)

Okafor, Min-jae, Lowe, Harper, Silva, and Novak all rested.

New midfield pairing of Vélez and Ibáñez—first time playing together.

Richter starting up front after impressing as a substitute.

Final Instructions –

The Saudi Arabian night air was warm, the stadium lights beaming down onto the pitch as the players finished their warm-ups.

Inside the away dressing room, Jake gathered the squad.

The air felt different from the last match.

There was no awe, no nerves. Just focus.

Jake stood in front of them, arms crossed.

"We're favorites today." His voice was steady, controlled.

He let that sink in for a moment.

"That means we control the game. No fear. No rushing. We play our football."

His eyes scanned the room.

"We pressed too hard against Al Nassr. Got stretched too thin. We don't do that today."

He turned to Vélez and Ibáñez.

"You two—no reckless pressing. Stay disciplined. Move together. We control the midfield."

Vélez nodded, adjusting his armband. Ibáñez cracked his knuckles.

Jake turned to Mensah and Walsh.

"Stay active. Drop back when needed. Make sure the full-backs have cover."

Both wingers nodded.

Finally, his eyes landed on Richter.

"You wanted your chance. You've got it. Now show me you deserve it."

Richter exhaled, clenching his fists. "I won't let you down, gaffer."

Jake gave a sharp nod.

"Then let's win this game."

Kickoff –

The Saudi night air was thick with heat, the floodlights beaming down onto the pristine King Saud University Stadium pitch as Bradford City walked out of the tunnel.

This wasn't a friendly. Not to them.

For the fans in the stands, it was just another preseason match. But for Jake Wilson and his players, it was something else.

A statement. A response. A test.

The loss against Al Nassr had left scars, but not wounds. Lessons, not doubts.

Now, it was time to show they had learned.

Jake stood near the touchline, arms crossed, his face unreadable.

No nerves.

No fear.

Just business.

He wasn't pacing. He wasn't shouting. Not yet.

This was the kind of game that told a manager what his team was made of.

He scanned the pitch, watching how his players moved during the warm-up.

Vélez and Ibáñez exchanged quick passes in midfield, the ball zipping between them smoothly.

Richter stretched his legs, nodding at Costa—the young German forward looked locked in.

Mensah jogged to the sideline, sharing a quick word with Walsh—both wingers were ready to prove themselves.

Jake exhaled.

He had given them the plan. The rest was up to them.

Across the pitch, Rangers looked up for it.

Their coach barked orders, gesturing wildly as their players huddled together, focused, aggressive.

They weren't here to roll over.

They wanted to test Bradford's resolve.

Jake didn't mind.

Let them come.

Because tonight, Bradford wasn't backing down.

The referee blew his whistle.

Kickoff. Game on.