"Wingers, stay wide until the ball enters the final third. Don't drift inside too early or you'll congest the middle where Italy wants to dominate. Fullbacks, communicate early when their wingers make runs. Midfielders, when Italy presses, don't panic—find the spare man and play through them."
His finger moved to Italy's setup.
"They'll sit narrow in midfield with three players packed centrally. That's where our width hurts them. Stretch them horizontally, make them choose between closing the wings or protecting the middle, then exploit whichever they give us."
The instructions were clear and structured without unnecessary drama, and players nodded along while processing their specific responsibilities.
Carsley's eyes moved across the room.
"Starters, execute the plan. Subs, stay mentally engaged from the first whistle because this game will open up late and we'll need fresh legs." He paused. "Questions?"
Silence.
"Good. Let's go warm up."
