Chapter 581: St. James Park!

A collection of reports and tablets had been spread across the table, and one of the staff members looked through the latest figures before speaking.

"Overall, the returnees look good."

Dawson looked up and then nodded before asking.

"Anyone carrying anything?"

"Nothing serious."

The staff member tapped through a few screens before speaking.

"There are a couple of small things we’re monitoring, but nothing that looks like an injury.

Their loads were obviously different depending on the player, but the numbers are where we’d expect them to be."

Dawson nodded and sighed without knowing.

"Good."

He glanced down at the papers in front of him before looking back up.

"And the ones who stayed?"

"They’re good as well."

"Everyone?"

"Everyone," the staff member said and leaned back slightly.

"Metrics are where they should be. No concerns from the physical side, at least."

Dawson nodded again.

That was one problem he didn’t have to worry about.

After everything seemed to check out, he looked down at the fixture list beside him and then picked his head up again to address his staff.

"The weekend isn’t far away."

"We have Newcastle away," Dawson turned another page.

"And we need to get everyone who’s behind back up to speed before we travel."

The staff around the table nodded.

"Not necessarily full loads straight away," Dawson continued.

"But enough that nobody’s going into the weekend trying to find their legs during the match."

Another member of staff nodded.

"We’ll adjust the sessions accordingly," and to that, Dawson gave a quiet hum of approval.

He looked down at the reports again, scanning the numbers one by one.

The international break was over, and now they had a few days to put everyone back together before the league started moving again.

.....

Across Europe, the return to league football settled in quickly.

The international break had given clubs a brief chance to reset, but that period was already gone.

Training grounds filled again, managers returned to their usual routines and players who had spent the previous two weeks representing their countries were once more surrounded by club colours.

In England, there was even less room to breathe.

The Premier League had no winter pause waiting for its teams.

December would bring another run of fixtures, followed almost immediately by Christmas football and the packed schedule that came with it.

For Wigan, however, none of that mattered yet.

Their attention had narrowed to one fixture.

Newcastle United.

As the days passed, the mood around the training complex changed.

The relaxed atmosphere of the first few days after the international break gradually disappeared, replaced by the familiar rhythm of preparation.

Training became sharper, and meetings lasted longer.

The analysts spent more time in their rooms, while the coaching staff repeatedly went over Newcastle’s shape, their press and the spaces they liked to attack.

Dawson went over what he expected of his team on the day more times than he should have in that short time frame, but his players understood him.

It was better to be overprepared than underprepared, Dawson would always say.

By the time Saturday arrived, the rest of the Premier League had already begun moving.

The first fixtures of December got underway, and Tottenham were among the first to collect points, travelling to the City Ground and beating Nottingham Forest 2–0.

Chelsea followed later in the day, and at Stamford Bridge, they dealt with Sheffield United without too much trouble, winning 2–0 and keeping themselves within reach of the teams above them.

Then Manchester City took the field at the Etihad.

They had entered the match with the confidence of a side that had just ended Wigan’s unbeaten run, and for much of the game, Crystal Palace looked like another opponent they could put away.

But Palace refused to disappear.

After City’s 2 goals early on to set the tone of the game, their win looked certain, but Crystal Palace, looking rejuvenated after the break, struck twice to level the game.

And two goals from each side left the score at 2–2 by the final whistle, with Manchester City being forced to settle for a point on their own ground.

The result had consequences further up the table.

Aston Villa had taken all three points against Brentford with a 2–1 victory, allowing them to move above City, and the league table shifted again with Manchester City dropping to fifth.

And with every result, the shape of the top five continued to change.

For Wigan, there was little time to think about any of it.

Their own fixture was still ahead.

The team bus left for Newcastle with the players spread throughout the seats, some watching films, others talking quietly, and a few simply staring through the windows as the landscape passed.

The further north they travelled, the colder it seemed to become.

Leo sat with his headphones around his neck rather than over his ears, occasionally glancing at his phone before looking back outside.

Wigan had watched Arsenal’s result before leaving.

A 2–0 victory over Brighton had kept them firmly in the hunt near the top of the table, and that result had come with another reminder of what was at stake.

Now it was their turn.

The bus eventually reached the North East, and the familiar streets around Newcastle began to appear beyond the windows.

St James’ Park rose into view not long after.

Even from a distance, the atmosphere around the stadium was obvious.

Newcastle supporters had gathered along the approach, many of them already making their presence known as the Wigan bus came into view.

Scarves were raised with voices carrying on through the cold air.

Some supporters applauded as the bus passed, while others simply stood watching the players arrive.

The Wigan players could see them through the windows, and the noise followed the bus all the way toward the entrance.

It was a match to set the tone for a lot of things, and Wigan needed to show no weakness.

Because behind them was a pack of teams, waiting for them just to falter once more, and they would be on their necks, looking for a chance to pounce.