The black-and-white bus of the Fulham U21s pulled up beside the Motspur Park stadium. The players disembarked, their faces heavy with disappointment. Losing was always tough, but in a match where they were so close, it hit differently.
Marcus stepped off the bus, watching the faces of his teammates. He understood how they felt—he felt the same. Coach Anderson, noticing their mood, addressed them as he stepped down from the bus.
"We knew Manchester United would be tough," he said. "We were close, but that's football for you, lads. You win some, you lose some." The players had a short team meeting at the training ground before dispersing.
Marcus made his way to the parking lot, spotting his black BMW where he had parked it. He opened the door, started the engine, and drove out of the stadium's parking lot onto the streets of London.
When he arrived at his apartment, he locked the car and climbed the stairs to his flat. He opened the door, dropped his bag, and sank onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. 'The goal was right there. If only I was a bit faster, a bit smarter... Fuck!' he thought, frustration building.
He took a deep breath and decided to get some water from the fridge. After taking a sip, he sat back on the couch, picked up the TV remote, and switched on the sports channel.
"Welcome back to Sportsphere News, where we take you straight into Premier League action," Marcus heard as he watched the blonde reporter on the screen.
"Liverpool dropped points today at the top of the table, managing a one-all draw against their Merseyside rivals, Everton, while Manchester City thrashed Crystal Palace in their pursuit of Liverpool at the top, courtesy of a Raheem Sterling hat trick."
As he settled deeper into the couch, the reporter's voice droned on in the background, providing updates on transfer rumors and injury reports. Marcus stared blankly at the screen, his mind elsewhere, still stuck on the pitch at Old Trafford. He barely registered the names and statistics scrolling by.
Suddenly, the tone of the broadcast shifted. The upbeat music was replaced by a more serious, urgent sound, and a bright red banner flashed across the bottom of the screen: Breaking News.
The change in sound snapped Marcus out of his reverie as he quickly focused on the screen.
"We have some breaking news from the Premier League," the reporter announced. "Fulham Football Club has parted ways with first-team head coach Slavisa Jokanovic, following a run of disappointing results."
Marcus sat upright, barely believing his ears. "With the team currently sitting in 18th place and in the relegation zone, it's no surprise that the board decided to part ways with the former Serbian international...."
The man who had brought Fulham from the Championship into the Premier League had been sacked, just like that. 'It really is a cutthroat business, huh,' Marcus thought, trying to grasp the implications of the news and how it might affect his career at Fulham.
"As of now, there haven't been any talks of a replacement from Fulham's management, but there are rumors that U21 head coach Morris Anderson might step into the interim position due to the strong performances shown by the Fulham U21s in the U21 league..."
'Coach Anderson?!' Marcus thought. 'This might change everything.' If Coach Anderson became the first-team manager, even if it was only for a short while, Marcus could maybe—just maybe—impress enough to earn a spot in the lineup, even if it was just from the bench.
The TV continued to blare in the background as Marcus sat there, lost in thought. The chips he had picked up at some point were still scattered on the floor, forgotten. He stared at the screen, but he wasn't really seeing it anymore. His mind was already on the pitch, thinking about what he needed to do and how he needed to be ready for whatever came next.
His phone buzzed on the table, drawing him out of his thoughts. He grabbed it and saw a message from Mia.
"You okay?"
He replied, "I'm fine. I'm not really thinking about it anymore. If I were in his shoes, I would have done the same, so..."
"I see. Just wanted to check up on you."
"Thanks," he replied.
"Anytime."
He put his phone down and continued to stare at the ceiling, his thoughts unknown.