Victor Kane stood on the edge of Burton Albion's primary training pitch, arms crossed as he watched the players filter in one by one. The offseason had ended—this was the first full squad session, and expectations were high.
As familiar faces arrived, Victor greeted them with nods—Harper, Silva, Caldwell—all ready for the next stage. Alongside them, the new additions came in: fresh signings, youth prospects, and those promoted from the reserves.
He could see anticipation and uncertainty in some of their expressions. Preseason wasn't just about getting in shape—it was about proving you belonged.
Victor stepped forward, his voice cutting through the morning chill.
"Let's get one thing straight," he said, scanning the group. "If you don't perform in training, you won't play. No exceptions. Every position is earned. No one gets a free pass."
A few murmurs spread through the squad. Harper smirked, shaking his head slightly—he had been through Victor's brutal sessions before. The new players? They looked a little pale.
Victor crossed his arms. "You want to play? Show me."
The first week was intense, with the coaching staff pushing the players relentlessly. Victor didn't believe in aimless drills—every exercise had a purpose.
Personal training focused on each player's targeted weaknesses. Those with slow defensive transitions trained reaction speed. Players who lacked positional awareness ran match scenarios until their movements clicked. Team training revolved around drilling formations repeatedly, ensuring fluid movement and tactical understanding. Every player had a defined role, and repetition burned these expectations into muscle memory.
Position battles were brutal. No one was safe from being benched if they couldn't keep up. Victor had structured training to be results-driven—if a player failed to meet expectations, they sat out.
As the sessions progressed, morale remained surprisingly high. The players complained, sure—especially during endurance training—but the camaraderie softened the blow.
Harper collapsed onto the turf after a grueling sprint session, exhaling dramatically. "Victor, man, are you trying to kill us?"
Silva, hands on his knees, grinned. "I think it's his hobby."
Caldwell chuckled, stretching his arms. "At least we'll be tougher than any other team."
Victor smirked. "You will be. And when you dominate the league, you can thank me then."
As the players adjusted to training, Victor spent his nights working with the Snake Tactics System, refining its analysis mechanics to ensure it provided accurate projections for upcoming matches. The system now allowed detailed tracking of formation success rates, breaking them down into completion percentages based on tactical execution.
Victor ran the numbers for Drift + Coil Fusion, analyzing the squad's adaptation to the strategy.
Current formation implementation showed Drift + Coil Fusion with a 40% completion rate. Key changes influencing improvement included adjusted defensive transitions successfully integrated, increased midfield tactical awareness, and enhanced wide-area coverage for attacking plays.
Victor narrowed his eyes. The previous season's implementation was only 30%, meaning the squad was adapting—but not at the level required for match dominance. He needed more testing. More refinement. More data.
Holly Pierce had been working quietly in the background, compiling individual player performance data and team-wide tactical effectiveness. Unlike the system, which Victor personally controlled, Holly's reports were external perspectives, gathering real-world statistics rather than predictive simulations.
She walked into the office, dropping a thick stack of documents onto his desk.
"I broke down defensive engagement rates, possession efficiency, and Oxford United's recent play patterns," she said, adjusting her glasses. "They use a high vertical press, so if you don't counter it effectively, you'll get pinned deep."
Victor flipped through the pages, nodding occasionally. He already knew Oxford's structure, thanks to the system—but he appreciated Holly's effort in confirming the patterns manually.
"Anything specific we need to adjust?" Victor asked.
Holly tapped a highlighted section. "Your current formation struggles when their wingers overload wide spaces. You need better positional recovery from midfield."
Victor hummed in thought. "That aligns with the 40% completion rate issue. We're missing cohesion on defensive rotations."
Holly tilted her head. "You analyzed it already?"
Victor smirked. "Let's just say… I've got my ways."
In the last three days, training focused purely on refining tactical execution, ensuring players understood their roles inside and out before the Oxford United match.
Each player received personalized stat sheets—documents detailing their current technical and physical attributes, expected growth trajectory, tactical role within the squad, and areas of improvement. Victor personally reviewed every document, cross-checking them with his Scouting Eye, ensuring accuracy in expectations.
"Ryan, you need to improve aerial clearances, but your organization is already elite," Victor explained.
"Marco, your passing tempo is excellent, but your press resistance under tight spaces needs fixing."
These discussions set the tone—Burton wasn't a club that trained blindly. Every player knew exactly what they needed to work on.
Despite the brutal training, morale remained surprisingly high. The squad bantered constantly, joking about their exhaustion and Victor's tactical demands.
Silva stretched beside Harper, sighing. "You ever regret signing for this club?"
Harper grinned. "Every day. But at least we'll win, right?"
Caldwell nodded. "Not gonna lie—this is the best training structure I've ever had."
Victor leaned against the dugout, watching them joke around. Good. They weren't just learning tactics. They were building belief—not just in themselves, but in Burton Albion's future.
As the final tactical preparations wrapped up, Victor pulled up the system's latest formation projection.
Updated completion rate showed improvement from 40% to 47%, with changes including improved understanding of defensive transitions, increased coordination in counter-attacks, and structured movements across wide pressing zones.
Progress. Not perfect—but progress.
Victor closed the system interface, cracking his knuckles. The squad was ready.
Now, the real test awaited.
Oxford United.
And the beginning of Burton Albion's tactical evolution.