***
ACT 6 OF VOLUME 2
***
"First things first," I said, my voice cutting through the tension in the analysis room. "We need a plan for Zaha."
The words hung in the air, a statement of intent. The room, filled with my newly assembled staff: the young, hungry innovators from my U18 team and the experienced, wary veterans of the senior setup... fell silent. All eyes were on me. This was my first real act as the interim manager of Crystal Palace Football Club. Not a request, not a suggestion. A declaration.
I turned to the main screen, where Marcus Reid, the lead analyst, still had the squad's grim data displayed. "Marcus, pull up Zaha's heat map from the last five games." The screen flickered, and a familiar pattern emerged: a chaotic splash of red mostly confined to the right wing, with sporadic bursts across the pitch. It was the map of a brilliant individual trying to do everything himself.
