The Coaching System-Chapter 48: The Road Ahead 1

The League Battle Continues

After their dominant 7-2 victory in the FA Cup, the squad had barely caught their breath before shifting their focus back to the league. The competition was fierce, and with only two points separating first from second, there was no room for mistakes.

Jake sat in his office, scrolling through the latest league table on his phone.

Position Team Points Goal Difference

1️⃣ Mansfield Town 38 pts +16

2️⃣ Bradford City 36 pts +20

3️⃣ Stockport Count 34 pts +13

4️⃣ Wrexham 32 pts +11

5️⃣ Notts County 30 pts +9

He exhaled. Two points behind first. They were close. But close wasn't good enough.

Match 1: Bradford 3-1 Victory (Home vs. Doncaster Rovers)

The atmosphere at Valley Parade was electric. The Bradford fans were buzzing, sensing that something special was happening this season.

Jake had one goal in mind—attack from the start and break Doncaster's defensive shape before they could settle.

Starting XI (4-3-3 – Rotated Squad)

Goalkeeper: Jack Simmons

Defenders: James Richards (RB), Nathan Barnes (CB), Noah Fletcher (CB), Lewis Hart (LB)

Midfielders: Daniel Lowe (CDM), Lewis Chapman (CM), Ryan Carter (CM)

Forwards: Renan Silva (RW), Joe Thompson (ST), Jamie Collins (LW)

With Novak still out injured, Thompson led the line again, and Jake wanted to see if he could build on his FA Cup hat-trick.

First Half

Bradford came flying out of the gates, pressing high and suffocating Doncaster in their own half.

2th Minute

Carter received the ball in midfield, turned quickly, and spotted Silva making a darting run behind the Doncaster full-back.

The pass was inch-perfect.

Silva controlled it with one touch, cut inside onto his left foot, and drilled a low shot toward the near post.

The keeper reacted late. GOAL! (1-0 Bradford!)

Jake clapped from the sidelines. Weak near post, just like the system predicted.

23rd Minute – Carter's Screamer

Bradford continued to dominate possession, moving the ball with confidence.

Lowe intercepted a poor clearance, passed to Chapman, who squared it to Carter at the edge of the box.

Without hesitation, Carter took one touch and unleashed a thunderous strike from 25 yards out.

The ball swerved past the keeper and crashed into the net.

GOAL! (2-0 Bradford!)

The stadium erupted.

Carter ran toward the fans, fist raised, as his teammates mobbed him.

Paul Roberts grinned beside Jake. "That kid is special."

Jake smirked. "And he's only getting started."

39th Minute

Just as things seemed comfortable, a lapse in concentration gave Doncaster a lifeline.

They won a cheap free kick near the box after a sloppy foul from Lowe.

Jake folded his arms as the ball curled dangerously into the penalty area.

Barnes mistimed his jump.

The Doncaster striker leaped above everyone and powered a header past Simmons. (2-1!)

Jake shook his head. Set-piece weakness again.

Halftime

Inside the locker room, Jake paced in front of his players.

"Good half. But we switched off. We can't afford that."

Barnes looked frustrated. "I lost my man, boss. That's on me."

Jake pointed at the tactics board. "Forget it. Second half, we control possession, don't rush, and kill this game off. Stay composed."

The team nodded. They were ready.

Second Half

Bradford dominated the early minutes after the restart, controlling the tempo and forcing Doncaster to chase the ball.

78th Minute

With Doncaster pushing forward, Bradford hit them on the counter.

Ortega, who had come on for Chapman, threaded a perfect through-ball into the box.

Thompson took one touch, sent the keeper the wrong way, and slotted home. (3-1!)

Jake clenched his fist. Game over.

The final whistle blew.

FULL-TIME: Bradford 3-1 Doncaster

Jake shook hands with the opposition coach and walked down the tunnel.

One game down. One step closer to the top.

Match 2: Bradford 1-2 Loss (Away vs. Swindon Town)

A few days later, Bradford traveled to Swindon Town, a side known for their well-organized defense and dangerous counterattacks.

Jake rotated a few players, bringing Ortega and Castellón into the starting XI, hoping their creativity would break down Swindon's stubborn backline.

But the game didn't go as planned.

19th Minute

Swindon earned a corner kick early in the game.

Jake stood on the touchline, arms crossed. He had a bad feeling.

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The delivery came in—Barnes lost his man again—and the Swindon defender smashed a header past Simmons. (1-0!)

Jake cursed. "That's twice now."

68th Minute

Despite Swindon's compact defense, Bradford kept pressing.

Finally, in the 68th minute, Ortega passed to Lowe 30 yards out.

Jake yelled from the sidelines, "Hit it!"

Lowe didn't hesitate.

He launched a missile into the top corner.

GOAL! (1-1!)

Bradford had momentum. They pushed forward, looking for the winner.

Then... disaster struck.

85th Minute

Ortega misplaced a pass in midfield.

Swindon immediately broke forward, catching Bradford's defense out of position.

A quick one-two, a low driven cross, and their striker buried it past Simmons. (2-1!)

Silence.

Jake clenched his jaw. That was it.

The final whistle blew.

FULL-TIME: Swindon 2-1 Bradford

Jake shook hands with the opposing manager but walked straight down the tunnel.

Another lesson learned.

🏆 [Ding! Promotion Probability Updated]

New Promotion Chances: 60%

Jake stared at the system notification. Progress, but not enough.

If they wanted to win the league, they needed to be sharper. More ruthless.

He exhaled and closed his eyes for a second.

Then, he stood up. Time to prepare for the next challenge.