The Coaching System-Chapter 221: System Prediction & Preparation

Jake's Office, Sunday Night

Rain ticked softly against the glass. Jake Wilson sat back in his chair, arms folded, watching the system dashboard breathe pale light across the study walls.

The interface pulsed once, then unfurled its verdict:

System Prediction

PAOK Win – 35%

Bradford Win – 35%

Draw – 30%

Balanced. Narrow. Jake's eyes didn't blink.

He brought up the tactical overlay—a still frame of PAOK's shape in a recent match. 4-2-3-1 on paper, but on transition? Chaos. Fullbacks pushed too high. The midfield line crumbled on recovery.

Jake tapped the keyboard. Lines highlighted and tracked forward runs.

— Vulnerable in 1v1s. Especially wide.

— Left-side channel between CB/LB leaks under pressure.

— Lose late runners when pressing with dual FBs.

The footage froze on a two-second clip: a winger caught one-on-one. Body shape wrong. Gap behind. Goal.

Jake leaned forward. Quietly:

"Overlap. Trigger. Entry late."

He keyed in Bradford's plan.

4–3–3. Fullbacks licensed to go. Vélez arriving late. Roney and Silva to isolate wide.

"Expose the left. Flood the middle second."

He closed the tab. No overthinking. No frills. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Just purpose.

Monday–Tuesday: Training Block

Club HQ, Tactical Briefing Room – Monday Morning

The screen at the front of the room showed freeze-frames from PAOK's last match: static midfield lines, wingbacks caught too high, and red tracking arrows—Bradford runners slicing through empty channels. Jake Wilson stood in front of it, remote in hand, his voice low but surgical.

Jake: "They commit both fullbacks. Almost every time. That means space behind. What we need is patience until they push—and then we split it."

He clicked again. A replay looped. PAOK losing track of a midfield runner—goal.

Jake: "They don't track late. Especially from the left side. So Vélez—you arrive late. Don't lead it. Let them forget you."

He looked to Silva and Roney.

Jake: "And you? Wide until we bait them. Then in. One drags, one drives. Never both."

CM: Andrés Ibáñez

CM: Santiago Vélez

Attackers:

RW: Roney Bardghji

LW: Guilherme Silva

ST: Tobias Richter

Bench:

Cox, Bianchi, Holloway, Ford, Lowe, Chapman, Walsh, Obi, Rasmussen

Liam Rosenior:

"I love this midfield. Vélez on the left side gives you late runs, Ibáñez links from deep, and Soro... I mean, what can you say? That kid's a metronome with fire in his lungs. He doesn't blink. He just plays."

Conor:

"And that front three—Roney, Silva, Richter—it's pace, technique, and power. No wide target men. No passengers. All three can create. All three can finish."

PAOK Starting XI (briefly covered)

Goalkeeper: Kotarski

Defenders: Vieirinha, Koulierakis, Ekong, Rafa Soares

Midfield: Schwab, Ozdoev, Taison

Forwards: Despodov, Zivkovic, Brandon Thomas

Conor:

"PAOK haven't lost at home in this competition since 2022. They're tight, physical, and they can counter with venom. But Jake Wilson has rotated smartly. He's rested his key men for this."

Liam:

"And he's brought them all back. This is no experiment. This is a strike squad."

Conor (as teams shake hands):

"Fifth matchday. Europe on the line. Momentum on the table. The lights are on. The smoke is clearing. And Bradford City—Jake Wilson's Bradford—are ready to make another statement."

[Ref blows his whistle. Game on.]