38 The Backup
November 9th
Tense would be an understatement in regards to describing the atmosphere of the away locker room.
The boys of Sheffield wanted to bounce back and erase the humiliating collapse they suffered at the hands of Leeds during their last league match. They never wanted to feel that same disgusting feeling of losing that way ever again.
It's like these guys have forgotten that they just advanced to the next round of the Cup before this game.
Among all of his teammates, only Blaise wasn't feeling the tension. Instead, he's eager to get back on the pitch and continue his journey forward.
However, his eagerness doesn't mean that he can shake the doubt he has on the team selection sheet…
"Boss, why am I on the bench? I'm ready to start right away!" The tense air was dispersed by Blaise's rare high pitched voice.
"No, you're not starting, because you're too precious to the club for me to play you right after you have just returned to full fitness." A lot of ears perked up after they realized what the manager meant by what he said. "I am to ease you back instead."
Blaise was too precious for the club. A small tinge of envy spread throughout most of the members of the youth team. Those words of being valued highly by their boyhood club was like a dream…
"Please, sir! Allow me to start today!"
"The team sheet was already final. You're gonna be a sub for this game, and should the need for your spark arise, you're going to be subbed in. However, if the lads do take care of business, then you'd have to forget playing today." Ryan Cassidy said his piece while looking straight at Blaise's eyes. He doesn't want to take chances that could backfire on him, on Blaise, and on the club. "Get ready. I want to see improvements, and a win."
So spearheading the Sheffield attack was Terry at the front, Cameron at the left, and Callum Rowe getting tried out on the right. These three will be the focus of the team's strategy today without Blaise…
The gaffer Ryan Cassidy had his arms folded in the sidelines as the game against Birmingham went underway. His eyes are switched on at the task he gave his boys today. He wants to see them pull the strings, and take control of their own fate in the game.
He looked at Blaise sitting on the bench chatting with the other bench players— while sometimes chewing on his nails— and knew that this was a make or break game for his side.
His promotion is around the corner… I can feel it…
His wandering mind returned to the present when the stands behind him started shouting and yelling like crazy, refocusing him to the action happening on the pitch.
A well timed tackle from a Birmingham midfielder dispossessed Cameron on the side, sending the ball to be cleared by the wing back. He sent it long, to around the middle of the park.
It should've been an easy ball to deal with. However, one of Sheffield's debutants, a youngster of the same batch as Callum, mistimed his jump and missed the ball that was about to land by a full head or so.
His miss was a key one. The deeper Birmingham attacking mid pounced and took control of the loose ball with ease, leaving him scrambling in his wake.
Birmingham was a team playing with a very compact shape, with wingers replaced by an extra center attacking mid and a lone forward. The wing backs act as the lone compensators for the lack of wing play up front. Their triangle system with a base of three midfielders, two central attacking mids, and a lone striker, was aimed at domination on the central areas of the pitch, with the wing backs most of the time transitioning from defense to offense on a whim.
Now, with one of the attacking mids unlocked, they're posed to cause trouble.
The trouble came via a marauding wing back.
The right back had already forced his way through the Sheffield left flank, bypassing the overextended Cameron, and slipping through the shoddy defense on the left with ease.
Staying onside, a lofted diagonal ball found him hugging the sidelines. He took a single touch before a cross was sent to the center of the box, with the Sheffield keeper angling to beat the striker to the ball.
His fingertips pushed the ball away back outside the penalty area, before he fell to the pitch along with the Birmingham striker.
His mouth ate several blades of grass, before he looked up to the ball he cleared zooming over him, and carrying some serious heat goalwards.
A Birmingham midfielder fancied a shot from range on the half volley after seeing the goalkeeper already beaten. The shot rose and rose until it slammed straight to the top right corner of the goal. The goal scorer backflipped and opened his arms wide in celebration of his absolute rocket for the Birmingham faithful.
The unexpected early goal broke the concentration of the Sheffield players, making them play tense and erratic again. However, in comparison to the disjointed collapse against Leeds, or the cup game versus Southend, it's still better.
Though, being better than disjointed is nowhere near promising.
Another loss of possession ended the Blades' attack prematurely, and started a swift home counter. They moved the ball from their own half to the Sheffield final third as if they're trying to catch the last train ride home.
This time, the action was almost entirely on the left side. A slight, almost negligible push sent Callum Rowe to the dirt, allowing for a quick breakthrough from the left back.
His pace was worthy of admiration. Having forced his way through the Blades right back, he cut inside at the dangerous area like a one man army.
Switching the ball to his right foot, the wing back launched a prayer from a very long distance all of a sudden…
This time, the Sheffield number 1 was not about to blunder a save. He parried the full force of the shot for a corner, stinging his palms with the sheer and surprising amount of force in the process.
He howled his heart out, "Yeah, not today, you bastards!"
The keeper followed up his masterful denial of a wonder goal with two more stops in the ensuing corner…
