April 1-4, 2026 - Pride Park
Rain lashed against the windows of Apperley Bridge's analysis suite. Three screens displayed various angles of Derby's recent matches, casting blue shadows across Jake's face as he leaned forward in his chair.
Paul Robert stood behind him, tablet in hand. "Ten different pressing patterns in the last three matches," he noted. "Cooper's been less predictable since they brought in that Brazilian analyst."
Jake didn't respond right away. His eyes followed Derby's right winger as he cut inside, drawing the left-back out of position before releasing a runner into the vacated space. Simple yet effective.
"They're inverting both fullbacks now," Jake finally said. "That's different from when we played them in October."
He rewound the sequence, watching it again at half-speed—not just the movement, but the trigger that preceded it. Every action had a cue.
