Football System: Touchline God
Chapter 58: First Training Session IV

Chapter 58: First Training Session IV

"Use your pace, Declan!" Maddox shouted to the red winger.

Declan Whittaker’s pace rating of 11 was like watching a sports car accelerate. He left Jonny Dacres standing, but his poor end product showed again when his cross sailed over everyone’s heads.

"Better delivery next time," Jack Stones called, his in-game leadership never stopping.

The captain’s aerial ability rating of 11 was obvious as he won every header, but his tendency to overcommit showed when he charged forward for a corner and left space behind.

Finnley Mayer’s composed passing found Kaiden Shaw on the left. The full-back’s stamina rating of 10 was evident as he bombed forward, but his poor marking became a problem when Ethan Suleiman drifted inside.

Ethan Suleiman’s technical gifts were obvious, his dribbling rating of 10 clear as he beat three players in a row. But his inconsistency showed when he blazed his shot over the bar from twelve yards.

"Unlucky," Reece Alden called.

The plug-and-play midfielder’s steady nature was showing—nothing spectacular, but he was always available for the pass.

The game flowed back and forth. Harvey’s box-to-box engine was obvious, his work rate rating of 9 showing as he covered every blade of grass. But his heavy first touch kept letting him down at crucial moments.

"Twenty minutes, time to round up." Teddy Johnson called from the touchline.

Maddox watched intently. The system’s assessments were proving accurate in real-time. Émile Fournier’s silky technique was beautiful to watch, but when Noah Mbete-Sekou pressed him quickly, his weakness under pressure showed as he played the ball straight to Zayn Carter.

The main striker’s movement rating of 7 was decent, but compared to Luis Navarro’s 10, it was like watching different sports. Zayn got into good positions, but Luis found spaces that didn’t seem to exist.

"Switch sides," Maddox called. "New half."

The players jogged to their new positions, red now defending the far goal. The intensity hadn’t dropped. If anything, it was increasing.

Ishaan Bhatt’s vision rating of 10 was like having a quarterback on the field. He could see passes others couldn’t, but his tendency to hold the ball too long showed when Toby Kuipers dispossessed him with a perfectly timed tackle.

"Quick, quick!" Reece Alden called, his steady presence organizing the blue attack.

Ollie Pritchard’s utility nature was perfect for this moment. Nothing flashy, but his cross found Zayn perfectly.

The striker’s heading rating of 8 was clear as he powered his header goalward, but Freddie’s brave diving showed as he threw himself at the ball.

"Great save!" Marcelo Rocha shouted, his temperamental nature forgotten in the moment.

The Brazilian’s pace rating of 10 was obvious as he charged forward again, but his defensive vulnerability showed when Myles Garrison skipped past him easily.

"Track your runner!" Jack called, his reading of the game perfect as always.

Myles’s confidence in tight spaces was evident as he cut inside, his dribbling rating of 10 beating two players. But his questionable decision-making showed when he shot from a ridiculous angle instead of squaring to Zayn.

"Thirty minutes,"Teddy Johnson called.

The pace was starting to tell. Harvey’s stamina rating of 10 kept him going, but others were beginning to fade. Jonny’s stamina rating of 6 was showing as he struggled to keep up with Declan’s pace.

Émile’s ability to dictate tempo was clear when he was given space, his passing rating of 9 threading balls through gaps that seemed impossible. But when pressured, his weakness showed as he gave the ball away cheaply.

"Last ten minutes," Maddox called. "Let’s see what you’ve got."

The intensity ramped up again. Luis’s lightweight frame was being tested by the physical defenders, but his clever movement kept creating chances. His finishing rating of 11 was evident every time he got a sight of goal.

Declan’s tireless work rate was obvious, his pace rating of 11 never diminishing. But his poor end product remained a problem, chance after chance squandered with poor crosses and shots.

"Five minutes," Johnson called.

The game was opening up. Tired legs meant more space, and the technical players were starting to dominate.

Ishaan’s creativity rating of 11 was like watching an artist paint, but his tendency to hold the ball too long nearly cost red team a goal.

Ethan’s technical gifts were perfect for these moments, his dribbling rating of 10 leaving blue defenders twisted. But his inconsistency showed as he missed an open goal from six yards.

"Time!" Maddox called.

The players stopped, hands on knees, chests heaving. Forty minutes of intensity had shown him everything he needed to know.

"Good work, all of you," he said, walking onto the pitch. "Gather round."

The system panels were updating constantly, showing him patterns and insights from the scrimmage. But he didn’t need the holographic displays to see what had happened.

"What did you learn?" he asked the group.

"Luis is class, never knew he was this good." Declan said, still breathing hard. "His movement is unreal."

"But he needs support," Jack added. "Can’t do it alone."

Maddox nodded. The captain’s reading of the game was spot-on.

"What about defensively?" he asked.

"We’re leaving too much space," Marcelo said, his temperamental nature calmed by exhaustion. "Need to stay compact."

"And in midfield?"

"Émile needs protection," Harvey said. "He’s got the tools, but needs time on the ball."

The system had shown him all this through stats and ratings, but hearing it from the players themselves was different. They were learning, adapting, and understanding themselves better.

"Sunday is five days away," Maddox said. "We’ve got work to do."

The players nodded, determination replacing exhaustion in their eyes. They could feel it too—the potential, the possibility.

"Same time tomorrow," Maddox called as they began to disperse. "We’ll work on shape."

As the players walked off the pitch, Maddox stood alone, the system panels flickering in his vision. The scrimmage had confirmed what the stats suggested, but it had also shown him something else.

These players wanted to improve. They wanted to win.

That desire couldn’t be measured in ratings or stats. But it might be the most important thing of all.

============

============

Please remember to vote with your power stones and golden tickets for the WSA 2025. Thank you.