Michael Sterling stood on the very top step of the newly completed East Stand. He looked down at the pitch far below. It looked like a green postage stamp from this height.

The expansion was finished. The Fortress was no longer just a stadium. It was a coliseum.

Arthur Milton stood next to him. The old scout was holding the railing very tightly. His knuckles were white.

"It is very high Boss," Arthur said looking dizzy. "If I drop my sausage roll from here it will reach terminal velocity. It could kill a pigeon."

"Do not drop the sausage roll Arthur," Michael said calmly. "And do not kill the pigeons. They are the only fans who get in for free."

Michael took a deep breath. The smell of fresh concrete and paint filled the air.

Forty five thousand seats.

The new roof was designed by Leo Volt. It was curved like a wave to trap the noise inside. When the fans shouted it would sound like a jet engine taking off inside a library.

"The acoustics are perfect," Michael said tapping the metal barrier. "When Liverpool come here on Sunday they will not be able to hear themselves think. Klopp will try to shout instructions and his players will only hear the Barnsley roar."

"It cost forty million pounds," Arthur reminded him. "That is a lot of money. We could have bought a small country for that."

"A country does not have heated seats Arthur," Michael smiled. "Sit down. Try it."

Arthur sat on one of the new purple seats. He wiggled.

"Oh," Arthur whispered. "It is warm. It warms the... lower back. This is luxury Boss. I might sleep here tonight."

"Please go home to sleep Arthur," Michael said. "We have work to do. The stadium is perfect. Now we need to make sure the players are perfect."

They took the new elevator down to the pitch level.

The elevator had gold buttons. It played the club anthem Hi Ho Silver Lining on a loop.

"This elevator is too fancy," Arthur noted. "It makes me feel underdressed."

They walked out onto the pitch.

The squad was training. But something was wrong.

Usually the training sessions were loud and chaotic. Diego Nunez would be shouting. Jamie Vardy would be laughing. Isaiah King would be singing.

But today it was quiet.

In the center of the pitch Enzo Silva was sitting on the grass. The Pitbull looked sad. His dog Rocky was sitting next to him looking equally sad.

Sergio Ramos stood over him. The Spanish legend had his hands on his hips. He looked frustrated.

"What is the problem?" Michael asked walking over.

Enzo looked up. His eyes were watery.

"He speaks in riddles Boss," Enzo said pointing at Ramos. "He talks about the shadow of the game and the rhythm of the silence. I do not understand. I just want to run and tackle."

Ramos sighed. He ran a hand through his beard.

"I am trying to teach him the art of positioning Michael," Ramos explained. "Enzo runs too much. He runs here. He runs there. He is like a plastic bag in a hurricane. I tell him to wait. To use his brain. But he just wants to use his legs."

"My legs are my brain!" Enzo shouted. "If I stop running the demons catch me!"

Michael looked at the two of them. It was a clash of cultures. The elegant master and the wild street fighter.

"Enzo," Michael said gently crouching down. "Sergio is right. You cannot run for ninety minutes. You will explode."

"But if I stand still I feel useless," Enzo admitted. "I feel like a cone."

Michael looked at Ramos.

"Sergio," Michael said. "Simplify it. Do not talk about shadows. Talk about dogs."

Ramos raised an eyebrow. "Dogs?"

"Yes. Enzo understands dogs. He is a Pitbull."

Ramos looked at Enzo. Then he looked at Rocky the dog.

"Okay," Ramos said. He crouched down. "Enzo listen. The striker is the postman. You hate the postman."

Enzo eyes lit up. "I hate the postman."

"But," Ramos continued. "If you chase the postman when he is far away he will run away. You have to wait. Wait in the garden. Wait behind the bush. When he comes to the door... then you bite."

Enzo nodded slowly. A smile spread across his face.

"Wait in the bush," Enzo whispered. "Then bite."

"Exactly," Ramos grinned. "We wait together in the bush. We are the guard dogs."

Enzo jumped up. He hugged Ramos.

"I understand now Matador! We guard the house!"

"Yes," Ramos laughed patting Enzo head. "Now go run a lap. But run slowly. Like a sneaking dog."

Enzo ran off. He was tiptoeing across the grass. It looked ridiculous but he was happy.

"You are a good teacher Sergio," Michael said standing up.

"I try," Ramos said. "But he has too much energy. We need to buy him a hamster wheel."

THE LOCKER ROOM CRISIS

Michael left the pitch and went into the new locker room.

The upgrade here was significant. Leo Volt had installed Smart Lockers. They opened with facial recognition. They had internal charging ports for phones. They even had small screens that displayed the player stats from the last match.

But there was a commotion in the corner.

Diego Nunez was standing in front of his locker. He was red in the face. He was screaming at the metal door.

"OPEN!" Diego roared. "OPEN YOU STUPID BOX!"

He punched the locker.

CLANG.

The locker did not open. A red light flashed. A robotic voice spoke.

ACCESS DENIED. USER AGGRESSION DETECTED. PLEASE CALM DOWN.

"It mocks me!" Diego screamed turning to Michael. "Papa Michael! The robot hates me! It stole my boots! And my lucky banana!"

"It is a safety feature Diego," Michael said walking over. "Leo Volt programmed it to only open when the player is calm. It promotes mental health."

"I am calm!" Diego shouted while looking like he was about to explode.

"You are not calm Diego," Michael said. "Your veins are popping out. The camera thinks you are a threat."

"So what do I do?" Diego asked helplessly. "I need my banana."

"You have to smile," Michael said. "A nice gentle smile. Think of something happy."

Diego closed his eyes. He breathed in through his nose. He snorted like a bull.

"Happy," Diego whispered. "Steak. Heavy weights. Tackling Haaland."

He opened his eyes. He tried to smile.

It was a terrifying smile. He showed all his teeth. He looked like a shark that had just told a joke.

The locker camera scanned his face.

There was a long pause.

USER RECOGNIZED. WELCOME DIEGO.

The door clicked open.

"YES!" Diego cheered. He grabbed his banana and ate it in one bite. "I defeated the machine with my beauty!"

"Well done Diego," Michael laughed. "But try not to punch the furniture next time. It costs money."

"I will try," Diego promised. "But the furniture is provocative."

THE TACTICAL ROOM

Michael walked to his office. He needed to check one more thing.

The Tactical Room had been upgraded too. The old whiteboard was gone. Now there was a giant touch screen table in the middle of the room. It looked like something from a sci fi movie.

Kai Sora and Leo Stone were standing around the table.

Kai was wearing his sunglasses. Leo was wearing his school uniform.

"What are you doing?" Michael asked.

"We are analyzing Liverpool," Kai said coolly. He swiped his hand across the table. Virtual players moved on the screen.

"Look Boss," Kai said. "Liverpool press high. But Trent Alexander Arnold leaves a gap here."

Kai pointed to a space behind the right back.

"If I pass the ball here," Kai said drawing a line with his finger. "And Leo runs here..."

"I become the ghost," Leo finished. "I disappear into the space."

Michael looked at the screen. It was impressive. But he looked at the two players.

One was the coolest man on earth. The other was a fifteen year old boy who still had ink on his fingers from math class.

"Leo," Michael said. "Did you finish your homework?"

Leo looked guilty. "Almost Boss. I have one essay left. History."

"What is the topic?"

"The Industrial Revolution," Leo said.

"Finish the essay Leo," Michael said sternly. "You cannot play against Liverpool if you get detention."

"But Boss," Leo pleaded. "Tactics are more fun than coal mines."

"Football is important," Michael said. "But school keeps your brain sharp. A sharp brain finds more space."

He looked at Kai.

"Kai help him."

"Me?" Kai asked. "I slept through history class."

"Then learn together," Michael said. "Use the big screen. Google the Industrial Revolution."

Ten minutes later Michael watched from the doorway.

The multi million pound tactical table was now displaying a Wikipedia page about steam engines.

Kai Sora was reading aloud.

"The steam engine changed the world," Kai read. "It was like the engine of a team. It needed coal. Just like we need Diego."

"That is a good analogy," Leo said typing on his laptop. "Diego is the coal."

Michael smiled and closed the door.

THE EVENING CALM

The sun began to set. The new stadium lights flickered on for a test. They bathed the pitch in a brilliant white glow.

Michael stood by the window of his office.

The problems of the day were solved.

Enzo Silva understood how to guard the house.

Diego Nunez had defeated the locker.

Leo Stone was finishing his homework.

The team was weird. The team was chaotic. But the team was ready.

Arthur walked in carrying a bag of fish and chips.

"Dinner Boss," Arthur said. "I bought extra vinegar."

"Thank you Arthur," Michael said sitting down.

"Liverpool on Sunday," Arthur said chewing a chip. "Are we ready? They are top of the league. They have Salah. They have Nunez. The other Nunez."

"We are ready," Michael said.

He looked at the Manager of the Month trophy. He looked at the giant check from Seoul on the wall.

"We have a new stadium Arthur," Michael said. "We have forty five thousand people behind us. We have a Matador in defense and a Phantom in attack."

He took a chip.

"Let Liverpool come."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.