That afternoon, I found Rebecca in the gym, reviewing Eze's baseline assessment results. "How did it go?" I asked.
"He's weak," she said bluntly. "Upper body, core, balance. All below where they should be. But he's coachable. He listened, he worked hard, he didn't complain. That's a good sign."
"Can you fix it?" I asked.
"In three days? No. In three weeks? Maybe. In three months? Definitely. But he needs to commit to the program. Three sessions a week, core work daily. No shortcuts."
"He'll do it," I said.
"I hope so," Rebecca said. "Because without the strength, all that skill doesn't matter. He'll just keep getting pushed off the ball."
That evening, I was back in my flat, reviewing the training footage, when Sarah called. "Danny, I've finished another Brighton analysis. I'm sending it over now. Their striker is quick, their wingers are tricky, and their midfield is physical. We're going to need to be smart."
"Send it through," I said. "I'll review it tonight."
