The coaching staff stood around the whiteboard, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the list of attackers. They knew what was coming. After the chaos of selecting midfielders, they had already braced themselves for another round of heated arguments. Yet, to everyone's surprise, the beginning was… peaceful.
Mike Phelan, who stood with his arms folded, was the first to speak.
"Alright, let's get the easiest decision out of the way first. I think we can all agree—Odion Ighalo should be left out, right?"
He glanced around at the other coaches, waiting for any sign of disagreement. None came.
Brian nodded, exhaling. "Yeah, I can't argue with that. He was really average in training today. His age is showing, and, honestly, he didn't even look like he was trying. The intensity just wasn't there."
