The Coaching System-Chapter 58: A Lesson in Brutality (MAN-CITY VS BRADFORD SECOND HALF)

The second half wasn't about winning.

It was about survival.

Jake had never gone into a match accepting defeat before, but this? This was different.

Manchester City weren't just better.

They were on another planet.

And the worst part?

They weren't even done yet.

Halftime Team Talk

Bradford's dressing room was silent.

Some players were gasping for air, others sitting with their heads in their hands.

Okafor wiped sweat from his forehead, exhausted after pulling off seven first-half saves.

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Silva had his hands on his knees, still reeling from his encounter with Gvardiol.

Jake looked around.

He saw frustration.

He saw defeat creeping in.

And that?

That was something he couldn't allow.

"Listen up."

The players looked at him.

Jake's voice was calm.

"You're not playing badly."

They blinked. Some of them frowned.

"You're not losing because you're making mistakes. You're losing because City are one of the best teams in the world. You should be struggling."

Ortega exhaled, nodding.

"So what do we do?" Novak muttered.

Jake stepped forward, his gaze sharp.

"We fight. We don't roll over. We show them that Bradford City doesn't quit. That's what this second half is about."

He turned to Paul. "We're making changes."

Second Half

🔄 45th Minute – Double Substitution

Chapman ON, Lowe OFF (More energy in midfield)

Thompson ON, Novak OFF (Resting Novak after a tough first half)

The second half started… the same as the first.

City attacked.

Bradford suffered.

And then, just minutes after kickoff, it got even worse.

48th Minute

City passed it around effortlessly, switching from left to right.

Bradford chased shadows.

Silva tried to press, but Rodri brushed past him.

A quick one-two between Foden and De Bruyne carved open the midfield.

Suddenly, Haaland was in.

The Etihad roared.

One-on-one with Okafor.

The Bradford keeper barely had time to react before Haaland rifled it into the top corner.

4-0.

Jake closed his eyes.

This wasn't a match.

This was an execution.

55th Minute

🔄 Collins ON, Silva OFF (Giving Silva a break)

🔄 Fletcher OFF, Richards ON (Reinforcing defense)

Jake knew they had lost.

Now it was about damage control.

But even that?

Wasn't possible.

Because City?

They never stopped.

62nd Minute

Foden received the ball at the edge of the box.

Barnes and Richards closed in.

It didn't matter.

Foden twisted, turned, and curled a shot into the top corner.

A goal so perfect even Jake wanted to applaud.

5-0.

Paul muttered, "This is getting embarrassing."

Jake didn't respond.

He already knew.

67th Minute

City wouldn't stop.

They kept pushing.

Relentless. Unforgiving.

Bradford were beyond exhausted.

Their bodies were heavy. Their minds were shattered.

They weren't just losing.

They were being destroyed.

Then city made a sub

🔄 Alvarez ON, Haaland OFF (Giving Silva a break)

70th Minute

A simple cutback from De Bruyne.

A simple tap-in from Alvarez.

6-0.

The City fans chanted.

Bradford's players?

They just wanted it to be over.

But it wasn't.

Not yet.

77th Minute

Foden dribbled through three defenders, danced into the box, and chipped it over Okafor.

A goal so disrespectful that even some City fans laughed.

7-0.

Jake ran a hand down his face.

This wasn't football.

This was bullying.

85th Minute

Bradford were done.

Their legs felt like concrete. Their minds were drained.

Nine players stood behind the ball, but not a single one had the energy to press, to challenge, to fight.

They had given everything.

And City?

City were still hungry.

Rodri dictated play from midfield, effortlessly stroking the ball left and right.

Alvarez drifted into the half-space, dragging Richards out of position.

A simple one-two between De Bruyne and Foden pulled apart the last bit of Bradford's shape.

It was too easy.

Bradford's backline barely reacted as Bernardo Silva ghosted into the box, completely unmarked.

Rodri spotted him.

A soft, delicate pass.

Silva took one touch.

Then another.

He had all the time in the world.

Okafor stayed on his feet, trying to make himself big.

Silva didn't care.

A cool, simple finish into the bottom corner.

8-0.

Jake exhaled, running a hand down his face.

That was the moment he saw it.

His players had stopped moving.

Collins stood near the center circle, staring at the grass.

Barnes was bent over, hands on his knees, unable to even process what was happening.

Even Silva—his Silva—had his hands on his hips, shaking his head.

They had accepted their fate.

Jake clenched his jaw.

No.

This wasn't just about this match anymore.

This was about character.

He stepped forward and shouted one last command.

"Keep running!"

It didn't matter if they were exhausted.

It didn't matter if they couldn't stop City.

They would not walk off this pitch like losers.

They would finish the game fighting.

Then Another sub from city again came in

🔄 Grealish ON, Silva OFF (Giving Silva a break)

90+2 Minute –

Even the City fans had stopped celebrating.

They had won this match before halftime.

Now, they were just enjoying the spectacle.

But City?

City didn't stop.

They never did.

Jake saw it before it happened.

Foden, drifting out wide, taking his time.

The Bradford players were too slow to close him down.

Foden looked up.

A simple cut-back to De Bruyne.

The Belgian—perfect as always—took one touch before slotting a disguised pass between the lines.

Alvarez reacted fastest.

Bradford's defenders were statues.

Alvarez wasn't.

He took a touch to set himself.

One-on-one with Okafor.

The Nigerian keeper had been a warrior all night, making save after save.

But this?

This was unstoppable.

Alvarez smashed it into the roof of the net.

9-0.

The ball had barely hit the back of the net before the referee ended it.

No extra time.

No added suffering.

Just mercy.

Full-Time: Manchester City 9-0 Bradford City.

Post-Match

Silence.

The only sound was the distant hum of the City fans singing.

Bradford's players didn't move.

They stood there.

Stunned.

Shattered.

Humbled.

Jake walked onto the pitch, straight toward them.

He didn't shout.

He didn't scold.

One by one, he pulled them up.

Collins. Carter. Silva.

He looked them all in the eye.

"We walk off this pitch as a team."

They did.

Heads held high.

They had been beaten.

But they would not be broken.

Bradford's players dropped to the ground.

Okafor lay on his back, staring at the sky.

Barnes had his hands on his knees, breathing heavily.

Silva sat near the halfway line, completely still.

They had just faced the best team in England.

And they had been taught a lesson.

Post-Match Press Conference

Jake sat in front of the cameras, knowing exactly what was coming.

🗣 "Jake, a devastating loss. What do you even say after a match like that?"

Jake exhaled.

"We saw the level we need to reach. That's all there is to say."

🗣 "Was there anything you could've done differently?"

"Probably. But against Manchester City, sometimes it doesn't matter what you do. They're just that good."

🗣 "Will this defeat hurt team morale?"

Jake smirked.

"No. If anything, it motivates us. We just got a firsthand look at what it takes to be elite. Now? We work toward it."

The headlines the next day?

📰 "Bradford CRUSHED by City – A 9-0 Nightmare!"

📰 "Jake Wilson: 'This is the level we must reach.'"

📰 "League Two Team Meets Footballing Reality."

Jake walked out of the press room, his mind already elsewhere.

The FA Cup was over.

Now?

It was back to the league.