Pre Season Continues

"Alright." Edward said, reluctantly took the phone from Siana, his gaze still flickering between the pitch and the device. He pressed it to his ear, ready to engage in what he knew would be a challenging conversation.

"Edward, my friend," Sheikh Saeed's voice was warm. "I hope I'm not interrupting your enjoyment of the match."

"Not at all, Sheikh Saeed. What can I do for you?" Edward replied, trying to keep his tone neutral.

"I'll get straight to the point," the Sheikh continued. "I've been watching Brighton's progress under your leadership, and I must say, it's impressive. However, I believe together we can take it even further. My latest offer is substantial, not just in terms of money but in the commitment to build a world-class infrastructure and academy that will ensure Brighton's success for generations."

Edward's eyes were fixed on the pitch, where Bowen was making a surging run down the right flank. He felt a pang of pride and a touch of reluctance. The thought of selling the club was the furthest thing away from his mind.

"Your offer is indeed generous, Sheikh Saeed," Edward said carefully. "But Brighton is more than just an asset to me. It's a legacy, a dream. My family holds strong ties to this club, and I want to honour his vision by seeing it through to its full potential."

On the field, Brighton was awarded another free kick. Valverde positioned himself to take it, and Edward couldn't help but be drawn to the unfolding action. Valverde's kick was precise, finding de Ligt's head, but the defender's effort was saved by the Midtjylland goalkeeper.

"I understand your sentiments, Edward," Sheikh Saeed's voice was sympathetic. "But consider this: with my resources, we could achieve your father's vision much faster. Imagine Brighton not just competing in the Premier League, but dominating it, and making a significant impact in European competitions. This is an opportunity to cement your father's legacy in the most remarkable way."

Edward pondered the Sheikh's words. The vision of Brighton as a powerhouse was indeed tantalizing. He watched as Nagelsmann shouted instructions from the sidelines.

"I appreciate your perspective, Sheikh Saeed," Edward said after a moment's thought. "But for now, I need to focus on the season ahead. We're building something special here, and I want to see where we can go on our own terms."

There was a pause on the other end of the line before the Sheikh responded. "Very well, Edward. I respect your decision and your passion for the club. My offer stands, and I hope we can work together in the future. Best of luck with the match."

"Thank you, Sheikh Saeed. I appreciate your understanding," Edward said before ending the call.

Edward ended the call and handed the phone back to Siana. He took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering tension from the conversation. He knew better than to trust the polite words of a shrewd businessman. Sheikh Saeed might respect his decision outwardly, but Edward was certain the Sheikh wouldn't give up easily. He would need to keep a close eye on any attempts to buy nearby land, reach out to staff, or engage in any other subtle maneuvers to gain influence over Brighton.

Edward sighed as his thoughts drifted back to the pitch.

The Midtjylland players were regrouping, showing a sense of urgency. The winger, Pione Sisto, known for his agility and quick footwork, was receiving the ball on the left flank.

Sisto was a player of exceptional skill, and he immediately set his sights on Bruno. As Sisto approached, he made a quick move, shifting his body weight to feint to the outside. Bruno took the bait, lunging to his right. Sisto then deftly cut back inside with a sharp drag-back, leaving Bruno off balance and tumbling to the ground.

The small crowd gasped at the skillful display as Sisto surged forward, eyes scanning the field for options. De Ligt, read the danger and moved to intercept. Sisto, undeterred, decided to take on De Ligt directly. He pushed the ball slightly ahead with the inside of his right foot, hoping to burst past De Ligt with his pace.

De Ligt, anticipating Sisto's move, positioned himself perfectly. As Sisto attempted to accelerate past him, De Ligt stepped in with a perfectly timed tackle, using his body to shield the ball and then nudging it away with a clean touch. Sisto stumbled but managed to stay on his feet, frustration evident on his face as De Ligt emerged with the ball.

De Ligt immediately looked up, scanning the field for a counterattack opportunity. He saw Valverde making a run into space and played a sharp, accurate pass to him. Valverde controlled the ball expertly, using his first touch to guide it away from an oncoming Midtjylland midfielder.

Valverde then lifted his head, taking in the positions of his teammates. He saw Grealish and Bowen making runs towards the final third and decided to drive forward, taking on two Midtjylland players. With a burst of acceleration, he glided past the first, using a quick step-over to throw off the second.

Reaching the edge of the box, Valverde played a short, precise pass to Grealish, who had positioned himself in the box. Sensing Barella's run from midfield, instead of going to shoot, he flicked the ball to him with a clever backheel.

Barella, now in a dangerous position, took a touch to set himself up. He glanced at the goal before unleashing a powerful, curling shot towards the top corner. The Midtjylland goalkeeper reacted quickly, diving full stretch to his right and managing to get a fingertip to the ball, pushing it just wide of the post.

The crowd let out a collective "ooh" as the Midtjylland goalkeeper made a fantastic save, denying Barella's curling shot. Barella gave Grealish a thumbs up as they jogged back into position.

Brighton continued to dominate possession, with each player contributing to the fluid and dynamic style of play that Nagelsmann had instilled in them. The match entered a phase of tactical substitutions, with fresh legs coming on to maintain the intensity. Midtjylland made a couple of changes, bringing on offensive reinforcements in an attempt to claw their way back into the game. Brighton responded with tactical adjustments, ensuring they stayed one step ahead.

With the match progressing, Brighton's confidence was palpable. The interplay between the players became more intricate and synchronized. The fans in the stadium could sense another goal was on the horizon.

It began with a patient build-up from the back. De Ligt passed the ball to James on the right flank. James, seeing no immediate threat, played a simple pass to Valverde in the midfield. Valverde, with a deft first touch, pivoted and sent the ball to Declan Rice, who had come on as a substitute.

Rice took a couple of touches before releasing a forward pass to Sancho. Sancho, using his body to shield the ball from an approaching defender, executed a quick turn and laid the ball off to Barella, who was positioned just outside the box.

Barella, scanning the field, spotted Bowen making a diagonal run into the penalty area. He chipped the ball over the Midtjylland defense, perfectly weighted to meet Bowen's stride. Bowen, with a subtle touch, brought the ball down and immediately squared it to the center where Martinez, another substitute, was waiting.

Martinez, sensing the defenders closing in, chose not to shoot. Instead, he played a clever one-touch pass to his right, where Valverde, who had drifted from his original position, was unmarked. He took a composed touch and, seeing the goalkeeper slightly out of position, placed a low, precise shot into the bottom corner of the net.

The fans erupted in applause, their cheers echoing around the stadium. The entire sequence had been a shown what Nagelsmann wanted, teamwork and unselfish play, with multiple players involved in the build-up and execution of the goal.

The intricate passing, the vision, and the unselfishness epitomized everything he wanted Brighton to represent. The team was not just playing to win; they were playing beautiful football.

As the match progressed, Brighton continued to dominate possession and control the tempo. The team played with a clear sense of purpose and cohesion, a testament to Nagelsmann's tactical acumen. Midtjylland, despite their efforts, struggled to break through Brighton's well-organized defense, with De Ligt and Alisson thwarting every attempt.

The final whistle blew, sealing a comprehensive victory for Brighton. The fans applauded their team's performance, satisfied with the display of skill and teamwork they had witnessed. Edward felt a sense of fulfilment as he observed the players leaving the pitch, their heads held high.

With the match behind them, the focus shifted to preparing for the next pre-season game. Edward and Nagelsmann sat down to discuss the upcoming schedule and potential staff acquisitions.

Edward didn't just decide to have Brighton's Pre-Season in Spain for the lovely Spanish weather, no, rather, he knew that Spain was home to many talented staff.

The first of their pickups were two scouts, Ramon Planes, who was working with Espanyol and Pablo Longoria from Valencia, Longoria had a keen eye for young talent as shown from the players he had been involved in signing.

They had also picked up two analyst, Victor Orta who was at Sevilla and Carlos Novelda an emerging analyst at Villarreal.

While they also picked up Ivan Ortega to increase their number of fitness coaches.

Not a fitness coach, but rather, a doctor, they picked up Dr. Joaquin Mas a sports doctor who was known for his expertise in sports injuries and rehabilitation they were able to lure him away after providing the doctor with a lucrative salary.

Brighton's next pre-season match was against UD Almería, a team from the lower tiers of Spanish football. The game was set to be another opportunity for Nagelsmann to fine-tune his tactics and continue familiarising the players with one another.

The match began with Brighton asserting their dominance from the outset. The fluidity and creativity in their play were evident as they moved the ball swiftly across the pitch. It didn't take long for the goals to start flowing.

In the 12th minute, Grealish received the ball on the left wing. He dribbled past two defenders with ease before delivering a pinpoint cross into the box. Haaland, who had been determined to perform well in his first game, timed his run perfectly, rising above the defenders to head the ball into the top corner, giving Brighton an early lead.

Just before halftime, Valverde intercepted a pass in midfield and launched a quick counter-attack. He passed the ball to Sancho, who had made a darting run into the box. Sancho showed great composure, taking a touch to control the ball before slotting it past the goalkeeper with a low, driven shot.

In the 58th minute, Barella picked up the ball in midfield and seeing a gap in the unorganised Almeria defense, threaded a perfectly weighted through ball to Martinez. Martinez, demonstrating his clinical finishing ability, chipped the onrushing goalkeeper, extending Brighton's lead to three goals.

The final goal came in the 82nd minute when Bong made an overlapping run down the left flank. He cut the ball back to Groß, who had positioned himself at the edge of the penalty area. He took a touch to steady himself before unleashing a powerful shot that flew into the top corner, sealing a comprehensive 4-0 victory for Brighton.

The team celebrated their impressive performance, knowing that they were building momentum and confidence ahead of the new season.

Brighton fans slowly began to take notice of the team's impressive performances and more supporters started planning trips to Spain to watch their games.

<Brighton's Gym Session>

In a gym room filled with players who went through their workouts under the watchful eyes of the coaching and fitness staff. Oliver Bartlett, moved around the room, discussing each player's regimen with the physios and fitness coaches. Ivan Ortega, the newly hired fitness coach, was also actively involved, providing his expertise.

Bartlett and Ortega had compiled detailed fitness plans for each player, based on their individual needs and past physical struggles. They discussed these plans with the team of physios.

The focus for Alisson was on maintaining his reflexes and agility. His workout included a lot of reaction drills, plyometrics, and core strengthening exercises to ensure he could make those quick, decisive movements required of a top goalkeeper.

Dunk and Duffy, known for their physicality, were put through rigorous strength and conditioning routines. This included weight training, particularly focusing on lower body strength, to improve their stability and power in aerial duels. Additionally, flexibility exercises were incorporated to prevent injuries and maintain agility.

For the full-backs, they emphasized a combination of endurance training and speed work. This involved high-intensity interval training and endurance running to keep the players effective on both defensive and offensive plays.

Similar to Dunk and Duffy, De Ligt and Akanji were also on strength-focused programs. However, they had additional agility drills to ensure they could react quickly to fast attackers along with additional recovery work, in order to not overload their younger bodies.

For the central midfielders, the focus was on improving their cardiovascular fitness and agility. Their routines included a mix of endurance running, agility drills, and ball work to ensure they could cover large areas of the pitch effectively.

Valverde, Kayal, Groß and Barella were given workouts that enhanced their agility and quick decision-making. Plyometric exercises and reaction drills were essential parts of their regimen.

Stephens, Declan Rice and Rodri workout plan included strength training for their upper and lower bodies, focusing on core stability to help them hold their ground in midfield battles. Additionally, they had drills to improve their passing accuracy under pressure.

For the wingers, the focus was on speed and agility. Sprint drills, agility ladders, and cone drills were key components of their workouts to enhance their dribbling and pace down the flanks. Though, they had personalized programs for each player to improve their dribbling and shooting accuracy.

The strikers were put through intense strength and speed training. Their regimen included weightlifting for upper body strength, sprinting drills for acceleration, and finishing drills to sharpen their goal-scoring abilities.

Bellingham's program on the other hand, was carefully monitored. The focus was on building a strong fitness foundation, with light strength training, agility drills, and endurance running. Additionally, special attention was given to his technical skills development.

And while each player would develop from their sessions, some required addition attention and were therefore given extra sessions.

Valverde would benefit from additional strength training to hold his ground against physical opponents. So, his program was adjusted to include more weightlifting for upper body strength.

Barella, needed to improve his physicality to compete in the Premier League. His program was modified to include more strength and conditioning exercises to help him hold his own against stronger opponents.

Similarly, De Ligt, required additional strength training to compete against the physicality of the Premier League. His program was tailored to include more weightlifting and resistance training to build muscle mass and improve his overall strength.

Sancho and James were given additional strength training to improve their physical presence and help them withstand the physical challenges of the Premier League.

Haaland, though he was tall, was quite lanky and was given a specialized strength and conditioning program to further enhance his physical attributes and ensure he could dominate in aerial duels and hold-up play.

Most of the players sessions were placed together, meaning they would be able to bond and motivate one another while also developing their strength.