Chapitre 46: Imminent Change IV
The commentators understood the brilliance of Gamerio's shot as they were desperate to understand how it came off so perfectly on his first time attempt. Gamerio was an aerial threat, but he was more renowned for his clinical finishing that defied all odds, always scoring at the right time.
The commentary caught up with the fact that the Lorient No.9 had beaten the goalkeeper in a game of football and the commentary came to an end with the highlight footage of the goal.
Till that moment, Gamerio didn't realise what a monumental achievement the goal was for him and the Lorient supporters. There was joy and celebration in the away dugout as the Lorient team celebrated the goal, but only a few feet down the sideline, the Le Havre dugout was anything but harmonious.
Prior to Nobilo's firing, he had successive runs of losing matches. Needless to say, the entire reason why the predecessor got the sacking was that he failed to get any results. The entire purpose of Marley was to get good results, but conceding first was not good for the club, given their poor attacking record.
But even worse, Marley was frustrated by the timing of the goal. The pot-bellied man eyed the match clock, shaking his head in disbelief as he realised Le Havre have conceded in the 43rd minute of the first half.
Even at this late hour, he could not close his eyes.
The pitch in the Le Havre stadium was empty and void of its usual noise. There were no buzzers, whistles, slogans, or jeers to get the players' hearts racing, the stadium was deathly silent.
It was a shock for Le Havre to learn about Gamerio's goal. It was the shock that the night belonged to the red-hot Gamerio and the shock that would not go away. The entire commentary team of the stadium had noticed that Gamerio was distracted as the match progressed, being immersed in his work. His concentration and focus on the ball became the story of the night.
But there was another half of the match that must be played. The Le Havre dressing room was silent, full of apprehensive and worried thoughts. They didn't know how Marley would react, the newly appointed interim manager was an anomaly as far as the team was concerned. The manager had never heard of him and they were not even sure how he would react to the shocking news that was concerning them.
They were afraid to come face to face with their fears, waiting for him to come out of his coaching box and speak. The expression on Marley's face became apparent as the commentary team came to know of the carnage that has occurred in the Le Havre dressing room only days after the match.
The silence was... deafening. None dared to speak as Marley made its rounds past every player as the Le Havre team sat in their lockers. They were expecting an explosion, a fit of rage, or even a speech of sorts as they were so used to these tricks. But there were none.
Marley didn't give any warning whatsoever, his feelings locked within as he ignored every presence that was present in the locker room. The atmosphere was more like a funeral, quiet, gloomy, and silent. The Le Havre players began to murmur, looking for answers, or even an explanation for this... abnormal behaviour.
Marley saw no reason to respond. For he spent his time with his close companions on the other side of the dressing room. The three figures involving First Team Manager Marley, In-Possession Coach Lanier, and Out-of-Possession Coach Kai, were discussing in hurried murmurs as they all surrounded the same tactical board. Each contributed something different to the conversation as they desperately tried to understand what the issue was, and how they could counteract it.
Yet whilst those three staffs were engrossed in their own conversation, the players sat in their locker bay as they eyed the manager's backside. The players felt the cold treatment, they were ignored as if they were invisible. As they sat in the darkness of their lockers, they wondered whether this would be the end of their professional career. The players fidgeted, and none more so than Maxime Baca as he was directly responsible for that Gamerio goal. The defender was talking, he wanted his manager to understand, he tried to explain, but Marley only shrugged him aside and wouldn't listen. The only words that escaped his mouth were, "sorry."
As the time ticked down, a sense of urgency arose in the player's heart. Will the half-time break just end like this? Not a single word was exchanged from the manager to his players. With this state of frustration in mind, it was a wonder that no players uttered a word as the players stood in anticipation, waiting for their saviour.
Time ticked away, the Le Havre players became restless as they counted down the minutes, or minutes that felt like hours to them. The minutes just kept on ticking, and the lack of knowledge regarding the problem persisted, causing confusion in the dressing room.
The two footballing brains sat still and composed for a long time, each with their solution as they went over all the possible scenarios until they finally decided. Marley eyed his trusted assistant as he nodded to him. Lanier only nodded in reply as they silently exchanged their agreement on the matter.
It was only then that Marley checked his watch. 6.53 pm, the team were just three minutes from the end of their break. Time is limited, as the players were desperate to see their manager's reasoning and the rationale behind the final decision.
Marley looked at his assistant once more, he nodded once more. The two grinned. They began to mumble, trying to draw themselves together. It took all of their thinking ability, yet in the end, they had concluded. The manager spun around as he stared deeply, memorising the facial expression of every player in the room, as their reaction at this moment would be a test of the player's mental fortitude, values, and character.
Marley exhaled and inhaled. Taking his time as he looked down, the Le Havre players felt for the first time that their new manager has looked at them in the eyes. For the first time, they felt the manager has truly had a good look at them, understanding their problems, their desire to improve, and their way of thinking.
Kai smiled. The fatso is doing it... he's bewitching the players.
The manager spoke his words.
~~~
Didier Falcone was an astute individual that promotes "fair" and "competitive" attitudes the most. Even in his years of experience, the Ligue 1 referee preferred to make calls based on "justice" and "momentum" above all else. Referee Falcone checked the time remaining on the rest period, then signalled to his assistant to notify the teams at the beginning of the second half.
The official had seen it all, the teams that have lost their spirit to fight, the teams that are high in adrenaline, and the teams being filled with belief. He had seen all types of teams playing under his officiating. Falcone knew the outcome of the match in his heart already.
Maxime Baca jogged onto the field, stretched his arms to its max, and jogged towards the touchline. The Le Havre fans whistled when they saw the culprit of the Gamerio goal.
The main official was perturbed by such an opposing attitude, he was disgusted by these fans above all else. Seeing the fans had no intention to stop their antics, Falcone wanted to escort those fans out of the stadium. He was the match official, and he had the power to ban people from the match. However, just when he was about to make his move. He thought he had seen it, in between Baca's eyes was something he thought the Le Havre team has long lost. A new fighting spirit.
The referee felt a breeze hitting him, his foot planted on the pitch in denial. Was he seeing things? It shouldn't be possible. After so many years, the referee was fed up with seeing the same problems in football, and he was sure to see this. However, he couldn't mistake what he was seeing. The referee saw the defender of Baca, he saw a revitalised will.
As the Le Havre team made its appearance once more on Stade Oceane, despite the fact that they hadn't been hit by the lightning bolts of passion, they didn't lose heart. The instinctive goalkeeper shrugged his shoulders, the unpredictable attacking midfielder chuckled and offered a wink to the crowd, the unknown wing-back was his real self, and the playmaker didn't stop telling his teammates how important they were.
It was unfortunate, for the Le Havre fans couldn't notice this subtle mental change in their players' minds. They were much too focused on the 0—1 scoreline at the time.
The whistle blew.
The second half has begun.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone