⚽ Football Reborn: The Manager from the Future
Chapter 14 – The Chain Reaction: Scouts, Saboteurs, and Suspicion
Darlington hadn't felt this alive in years.
Two wins. Five goals. A spark that hadn't been seen in a generation. Local journalists called it a "miracle on mud." Fans flooded the forums, debating how a failing club had suddenly begun outplaying seasoned League Two outfits.
And at the heart of it all was Ethan Ray, the man with the strange signings, the distant stare, and the unshakeable belief.
But with every spark came smoke.
And soon, smoke drew attention.
The first scout appeared after the club's 2–1 victory over Colchester.
A man in a long grey coat loitered at the edge of the tunnel, pretending to study his match notes. Ethan noticed him immediately—because he recognized the FA badge on the clipboard.
Greg leaned in. "Spook?"
"Scout. Maybe a mole."
"Should I send security?"
"No," Ethan said calmly. "Let him watch."
He walked directly over to the man. "Enjoy the match?"
The scout blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… yes. Very entertaining. That number 9—Vardy—where did you find him?"
Ethan smiled politely. "On the moon."
"…Excuse me?"
"I found him on the dark side of the moon," Ethan repeated, deadpan. "That's where I do most of my scouting. Great atmosphere."
The scout frowned. "You're not funny."
"No, I'm not," Ethan said. "But I am untraceable. So don't waste your time."
Then he turned and walked back into the changing room, where Vardy was singing karaoke on a folding chair.
Three days later, two more scouts came. This time they weren't watching Vardy. They were there for Aaron Lennon and Joe Hart. One was from Sheffield Wednesday. The other, disturbingly, wore a Man United lanyard.
Greg locked the doors after the game.
"They're sniffing, boss. Word's out. They don't know what you're doing, but they know it's working."
"I want NDAs on every youth player," Ethan said. "Parental approval mandatory. No exceptions. Anyone talks to the press, they're gone."
"And what about the press?" Greg asked.
"I'll handle them," Ethan replied. "We feed them enough bones, they won't ask for meat."
But Ethan's biggest worry wasn't the scouts.
It was the leak.
Someone had been feeding club activities to a local reporter named Colin Graves—a man who prided himself on "exposing football corruption," though his real expertise was stirring trouble for clicks.
And Graves had just posted something new:
DARLINGTON MANAGER'S STRANGE CONNECTIONS TO ARGENTINE FAMILY EXPOSED
"Sources confirm secret meetings with Jorge Messi, father of 10-year-old Leo. What's really going on with Ethan Ray's global youth obsession?"
Greg slammed the paper on Ethan's desk.
"It's Graves again. This guy's going to blow the lid on everything."
Ethan stared at the headline. His hand twitched. "He's too close."
"Want me to talk to him?"
"No. We can't threaten him. We discredit him."
"How?"
"We give him a story that sounds too good to be true."
That evening, Graves received an anonymous tip:
"Local manager trying to clone George Best's DNA to create 'super wingers' in Poland. Allegedly funded by crypto investors in Dubai. Involves genetic dog enhancement trials."
He published it without verifying.
And in less than two hours, his credibility collapsed.
One of the club's media officers leaked Graves' IP address logs. Fans turned on him. His column was suspended.
Greg leaned back in his chair the next day. "That was brutal."
Ethan didn't smile. "That was necessary."
But the sabotage wasn't over.
Because while Ethan played defense in England, something went wrong in Rosario.
The AI blinked red.
⚠️ URGENT
Messi's schoolmate, Ezequiel Barco, spotted by River Plate scout
Current threat level: Medium
Suggested counter: Secure Messi family with provisional housing contract & school relocation package
Ethan tapped the screen. "Prep a flight. I'm going back to Argentina."
"You just got back," Greg said.
"I need to make sure the Messi bloodline stays with us. He's the cornerstone."
"And the others?"
"Hold the line. Keep Vardy hot. Lennon sharp. Let Baines run the wing. If the board sees points, they'll stay out of my way."
As Ethan packed, a notification buzzed again.
📍Destination Loaded: Rosario, Argentina
Next Target: Messi Family Relocation Protocol
Estimated risk window: 9 days
He looked out the window of his flat, down at the quiet Darlington street.
This was all happening faster than he'd predicted. The moment you change history—even slightly—it ripples in ways the AI hadn't fully mapped.
But he couldn't stop now.
The scouts were coming.
The media was sniffing.
And time?
Time was always chasing him.