The Coaching System-Chapter 90: RANGERS VS BRADFORD PART 2

HalftimeTalk and Adjustments –

The dressing room was quiet, save for the sound of heavy breathing and water bottles being squeezed. They were winning.

But not well enough.

Jake stood in front of them, arms crossed, eyes scanning the room.

"We're winning. But we should be up by three, not one."

52' –

The second half started with intent.

Bradford had heard Jake's message at halftime.

No more wasted chances. No more letting Rangers off the hook. They needed to kill the game.

And Renan Silva made sure they did.

Barely two minutes after coming on, Silva showed exactly why Jake had subbed him in.

The Brazilian picked up the ball wide on the right, immediately squaring up Jefté.

The Rangers left-back had already been struggling all game.

Now, he was facing fresh legs. Faster legs. Ruthless legs.

Silva hesitated for just a moment, fainting a move inside—then exploded down the wing.

Pure pace.

Jefté had no chance.

Silva glided past him, eating up the space and reaching the edge of the box in seconds.

Jake leaned forward on the touchline. This was it.

Silva glanced up for just a fraction of a second.

Richter was making a late run toward the near post, slipping in between Balogun and Nsiala.

Silva didn't hesitate.

A perfect cross—whipped in fast, driven, deadly.

The ball curved wickedly into the danger area.

And Richter was there.

Richter timed his movement perfectly.

He rose between the two defenders, powering himself off the ground.

Eyes locked. Neck muscles tensed.

The ball met his forehead—clean, forceful, unstoppable.

Bang.

A bullet header, straight past Kelly.

The Rangers keeper dived, but he had no chance.

The net rippled.

Bradford 2-0 up.

The Bradford bench erupted, players jumping up in celebration.

Silva pumped his fist. Richter roared.

Jake?

He gave a small nod of approval.

This was how they should have been playing all game.

Now, no more slip-ups. No more gifts.

They had total control.

And now, they had to finish the job.

His voice was calm, but his tone left no room for argument.

The players didn't look at each other. They looked at him.

"We've been wasteful," he continued. "We've controlled the game, but we've let them off the hook. That can't happen."

He let the words settle.

No one disagreed. They knew he was right.

Tactical Adjustments –

"We need to be sharper. Smarter. Faster."

Jake turned to the whiteboard, grabbed a marker, and circled three key areas on the tactical setup.

Quicker passing – "They're chasing shadows. Make them work harder. One touch. Move. Shift them side to side until they break."

Wider positioning – "Use the full-backs. Stretch them. They're down a man—we make the pitch as big as possible."

More aggressive pressing – "Do not let them settle. Do not let them breathe. We end this game in the next 15 minutes."

He looked at his players again. "No excuses. We execute."

Halftime Substitutions –

Jake turned toward the bench. It was time to push harder.

Silva replaces Mensah – "More direct attacking play on the right. I want you running at their full-back every chance you get."

Novak replaces Costa – "More presence in the box. Hold the ball up, bring others into play, and when the ball comes? You finish."

Both players nodded sharply. They were ready.

Jake scanned the room one last time.

"We're better than 1-0."

He took a step forward, his eyes locked on his team.

"Now prove it."

68' –

Bradford had been in complete control.

For nearly 20 minutes, they had Rangers pinned back, dominating possession, looking like they could score a third at any moment.

But football doesn't work like that.

It only takes one mistake for a game to shift.

And that mistake came from Marco Bianchi.

Rangers had barely threatened since going down to ten men, but they weren't out of the game.

They had been absorbing pressure, waiting for a single opportunity—a long ball, a defensive lapse, anything.

And in the 68th minute, they got it.

Nsiala, deep inside his own half, launched a hopeful ball forward—the kind of pass defenders deal with ten times a game.

Bianchi read it, stepped forward to intercept—too early.

And that's all Igamane needed.

The Rangers striker recognized the mistake instantly, spun away into space, and raced toward goal.

Jake saw it before it happened.

"Drop! Drop!" he shouted from the sideline, but it was too late.

Barnes was caught too far to the left, and Igamane was already gone.

The entire stadium held its breath as Igamane stormed into the box, the ball at his feet.

Bianchi was still scrambling to recover, but the damage was done.

Now, it was just Igamane vs. Simmons.

The young keeper rushed off his line, arms wide, trying to make himself big.

Igamane stayed calm.

One touch. One glance up.

Then, a low shot, slotted neatly past Simmons into the bottom corner.

Goal.

Rangers weren't supposed to be in this game.

But now, they were.

Bradford 2-1 Rangers.

Jake didn't move.

He didn't slam the dugout, didn't yell, didn't throw his hands in the air.

He just stood there, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the pitch.

Inside? He was fuming.

This game should have been over by now.

Instead, one lapse in concentration had let Rangers back in.

He turned slightly toward the bench, voice low but firm.

"Unacceptable. Stay switched on."

The players already knew what was coming at full-time.

For now, there was only one thing to do.

Shut it down.

70' –

Bradford had allowed Rangers back into the game with one lapse in concentration.

Now, Jake had a decision to make.

Did they keep attacking, risking another counter?

Or did they regain control, slow the game down, and kill it off properly?

Jake didn't hesitate. They needed stability.

He turned to his bench.

The Changes –

Daniel Lowe replaces Vélez (More defensive control in midfield).

Vélez had been brilliant in possession, but now Jake needed someone to break up Rangers' momentum.

Lowe was the perfect man for the job—calm, disciplined, always in the right place.

Aiden Taylor replaces Lewis Hart (Fresh legs at left-back).

Hart had worked hard, pushing forward whenever needed.

But now, Rangers were targeting his flank, and Taylor's fresh legs would help lock it down.

Elliot Harper replaces Andrés Ibáñez (Pressing energy).

Ibáñez had done well, but the game needed more intensity.

Harper would press relentlessly, making sure Rangers had zero time on the ball.

Jake's Instructions –

As the substitutes stepped onto the pitch, Jake gave them clear, simple instructions.

To Lowe:

"Sit in front of the defense. Nothing gets through you."

To Taylor:

"No unnecessary risks. Defend first."

To Harper:

"Make their midfield miserable. Don't let them breathe."

The three nodded, locked in.

This wasn't just about seeing out the game.

It was about control.

They had let Rangers get a lifeline once.

It wasn't going to happen again.

Now, it was time to finish strong.

78' –

Bradford had regained control, but Jake wasn't satisfied with just seeing the game out.

He wanted one more.

A third goal would kill Rangers off completely—no late drama, no unnecessary tension.

And then, Ethan Walsh stepped up.

Elliot Harper had only been on the pitch for a few minutes, but he was already doing exactly what Jake had asked of him—pressing aggressively, winning second balls, and keeping the tempo high.

Now, he found himself in space, just outside the center circle.

He took a breath. Looked up.

And then—he spotted Walsh.

The academy winger was making a darting run behind Sterling, breaking into the final third.

One pass was all it took.

Harper didn't hesitate.

A perfect, slicing through ball—curved, weighted, begging to be finished.

Walsh was through.

Walsh controlled the pass in stride, taking one quick touch into the box.

Kelly rushed out, trying to close the angle.

Sterling was recovering, lunging desperately.

But Walsh was calm.

He set himself—then unleashed a strike.

Near post.

Power.

Precision.

Goal.

Bradford 3-1 Rangers.

Walsh froze for a second, staring at the net before the realization hit him—he had scored.

Then came the celebration.

The 19-year-old sprinted toward the corner flag, fists clenched, roaring in triumph.

His teammates rushed over, surrounding him, ruffling his hair.

Jake?

He allowed himself a small smile.

Walsh had just made a statement.

The kid was ready.

Final Whistle – Bradford 3-1 Rangers

The referee blew his whistle.

Bradford had won. Comfortably. Deservedly.

But as the players exchanged handshakes and clapped the traveling fans, Jake wasn't celebrating.

Not because they played badly—they hadn't.

But because they should have won by more.

The scoreline looked good. The performance?

It could have been better.

And he was going to make sure they knew that.

Post-Match Reflections – A Step Forward

As Jake walked toward the tunnel, he could already see the media waiting.

He barely had time to take a breath before the first question came.

"Jake, happy with the performance?"

He paused, just for a second. Then, a slight smirk.

"It was good. But we left goals on the table."

No overpraise. No sugarcoating. Just facts.

Key Takeaways –

Tobias Richter is proving himself.

Two goals, clinical finishing and growing confidence

.

He was making a strong case to be Bradford's main striker.

Renan Silva changed the game.

Came off the bench, tormented the defense, and created a goal.

A reminder of how dangerous he can be.

Ethan Walsh took his chance.

Given a shot in preseason, and he delivered.

Jake now had another attacking option to consider.

Jake glanced at the schedule.

Th𝓮 most uptodate nov𝑒ls are publish𝒆d on ƒreewebηoveℓ.com.

Two more preseason games left.

And next?

Lens. A different challenge.

A disciplined, well-organized French side.

More lessons to learn. More work to be done.