The emergency board meeting was called for 9 AM on the Monday following the Peterborough debacle, and the atmosphere in the Memorial Stadium's boardroom was thick with recrimination and desperate blame-seeking.
Paul Trollope sat at one end of the polished table, his face drawn with the stress of a man whose job security was evaporating with each passing defeat.
Victoria Chen presided over the meeting with the cold efficiency of someone who had seen enough failure to recognize its patterns.
The other board members local businessmen whose football knowledge was limited but whose financial concerns were acute looked like judges preparing to deliver a verdict.
"Five-nil at home," Victoria began, her voice cutting through the silence. "Our worst defeat in three years, against opponents we should be competing with. The fans are calling for changes, the media is questioning our competence, and we're sliding back toward the relegation zone."
The system interface provided real-time analysis of the political dynamics:
Board Meeting - Crisis Management Mode:
Primary Concern: Relegation and financial impact
Blame Distribution: Management under scrutiny
Scapegoat Identification: In progress
Amani's Position: Vulnerable (convenient target)
"The performance was unacceptable," agreed board member Robert Hayes, his tone carrying the authority of someone whose construction business had made him wealthy enough to influence football decisions. "But I want to understand why. What's gone wrong with our approach?"
Paul Trollope shifted uncomfortably in his seat, clearly aware that his tactical limitations were about to be exposed. "It's been a difficult period. The players' attitudes haven't been right, and there's been some... disruption to our usual methods."
"What kind of disruption?" Victoria asked, though her expression suggested she already knew the answer.
"Well, there have been issues with mixed messages. Some of the coaching staff have been... let's say, promoting alternative approaches that have confused the players."
The system highlighted this as the beginning of the scapegoating process:
Blame Deflection: Initiated
Target: Amani's tactical innovations
Strategy: Frame innovation as disruption
Political Calculation: Protect management by sacrificing the assistant
Tony Richards, who had remained silent until now, seized the opportunity to reinforce Trollope's narrative. "The lads have been getting contradictory tactical instructions. While Paul and I have been trying to implement our proven methods, others have been filling their heads with complicated theories that don't work at this level."
"Are you referring to Amani?" Victoria asked directly.
"I'm referring to anyone who thinks they know better than coaches with twenty years of experience," Richards replied, his tone leaving no doubt about his target. "The players were responding well to our approach until they started getting confused by alternative ideas."
Amani, who had been asked to attend the meeting to provide his perspective, felt the weight of institutional blame settling on his shoulders. The tactical innovations that had shown genuine promise were being reframed as the cause of Bristol Rovers' problems rather than their potential solution.
"What's your response to these concerns?" Victoria asked him directly.
The system provided strategic guidance on navigating the political minefield:
Response Strategy: Defend innovations without attacking management
Key Points: Evidence-based arguments, player development focus
Risks: Direct confrontation could worsen position
Opportunity: Present alternative perspective diplomatically
"The tactical concepts I've been working on with individual players have shown positive results," Amani replied carefully. "Players like James Foster, Mike Reynolds, and David Chen have all improved their understanding and performance through advanced tactical education."
"But has that translated to team performance?" Hayes asked pointedly.
"The team hasn't had the opportunity to implement systematic tactical changes. The concepts have been limited to individual development rather than collective application."
Richards leaned forward aggressively. "Because collective application would have disrupted everything we've been building. You can't have players trying to implement different tactical systems in the same match."
"I agree," Amani said, seeing an opportunity to make his point. "Which is why systematic implementation requires coordinated coaching and consistent messaging. The tactical concepts work, but they need to be applied comprehensively, not piecemeal."
The system tracked the board members' reactions:
Victoria Chen: Interested (recognizing tactical logic)
Robert Hayes: Skeptical (focused on results)
Other Members: Confused (limited tactical understanding)
Management: Defensive (protecting established methods)
"So you're saying our current methods are inadequate?" Trollope asked, his tone carrying a warning.
"I'm saying that football is evolving, and teams that don't evolve with it get left behind. The Peterborough match was a perfect example they used systematic tactical preparation to neutralize our approach because our approach was predictable and limited."
"Predictable and limited?" Richards' voice rose with indignation. "These methods have kept this club in League One for five years!"
"And now they're taking us toward League Two," Amani replied, his frustration finally breaking through his diplomatic restraint.
The room fell silent as the implications of his words sank in. He had directly challenged the coaching staff's competence in front of the board, crossing a line that couldn't be uncrossed.
Victoria Chen broke the silence with a question that cut to the heart of the matter. "If you were given full tactical authority, could you prevent relegation?"
The system highlighted this as a crucial moment:
Career-Defining Question: Direct challenge to current hierarchy
Honest Answer: Yes (but requires systematic changes)
Political Risk: Maximum (direct threat to management)
Opportunity: Potential promotion if the board supports the change
"Yes," Amani said simply. "But it would require implementing systematic changes that go beyond individual player development. The tactical foundation exists it just needs to be applied comprehensively."
The answer hung in the air like a declaration of war. Trollope and Richards exchanged glances that spoke of betrayal and institutional threat, while the board members processed the implications of what they had just heard.
"That's exactly the kind of arrogance that's been disrupting our squad," Richards said, his voice tight with anger. "The belief that complicated theories can replace proven experience and hard work."
"The theories aren't complicated," Amani replied. "They're systematic. And they work when they're implemented properly."
Hayes leaned back in his chair, his businessman's instincts recognizing the fundamental conflict. "So we have two completely different philosophies about how to play football, and they can't coexist?"
"Not effectively," Amani admitted. "Systematic tactical approaches require coordinated implementation. Mixed messages and competing philosophies create exactly the kind of confusion we've been seeing."
The system provided analysis of the political calculation taking place:
Board Decision Point: Choose between competing approaches
Management Position: Established but failing
Amani Position: Innovative but unproven at the team level
Financial Stakes: Relegation would cost millions
Risk Assessment: Change vs. continuity
Victoria Chen's next question revealed the direction of her thinking. "Paul, Tony, if we continue with current methods, what's your honest assessment of our relegation chances?"
Trollope's answer was telling in its evasiveness. "Football's unpredictable. If the players show the right attitude and we get a bit of luck with injuries, I'm confident we can stay up."
"That's not really an answer," Hayes observed. "What percentage chance would you give us?"
"I don't deal in percentages. I deal in hard work and commitment."
The system provided the statistical analysis that Trollope was avoiding:
Current Trajectory: 73% relegation probability
Required Improvement: Significant (current methods insufficient)
Time Remaining: 12 matches (limited opportunity for change)
Management Confidence: Low (evasive responses indicate doubt)
The meeting continued for another hour, with various board members asking questions that revealed their growing concern about the club's direction. But the fundamental dynamic had been established the current management was failing, and Amani represented a potential alternative that carried both promise and risk.
When the meeting finally concluded, no immediate decisions were announced, but the political landscape had shifted dramatically. Amani's direct challenge to the coaching hierarchy had made him either a future manager or a scapegoat, with no middle ground remaining.
"You've made some powerful enemies today," Victoria Chen said quietly as the room emptied. "But you've also made some people think about alternatives they hadn't considered."
"I couldn't sit there and watch the club slide toward relegation without speaking up," Amani replied. "The solutions exist they're just not being implemented."
"The question now is whether the board has the courage to make the changes that might be necessary."
Over the following days, the political fallout from the board meeting became evident. Richards and Trollope closed ranks, implementing what amounted to a complete freeze-out of Amani's influence. His access to players was further restricted, his input on tactical matters completely eliminated, and his presence at training sessions reduced to administrative tasks.
"They're trying to make you invisible," James Foster observed during a brief conversation after training. "Hoping that if you can't influence anything, the board will forget about the alternative you represent."
"Maybe that's for the best," Amani replied, though he knew that invisibility wouldn't save Bristol Rovers from relegation.
The system provided final analysis of the scapegoating process:
Political Strategy: Isolate Amani to protect management
Tactical Impact: Innovation completely suppressed
Board Dynamics: Divided (some support change, others prefer stability)
Relegation Risk: Unchanged (underlying problems persist)
Future Implications: Management's fate tied to results
As Bristol Rovers prepared for their next match, the scapegoating was complete. Amani had been identified as the source of disruption, his tactical innovations reframed as the cause of confusion rather than the potential solution to systematic problems.
But the underlying issues remained unresolved, and the relegation battle was about to intensify. The question was whether the board would recognize the true source of Bristol Rovers' problems before it was too late, or whether institutional politics would prevent the changes that might save the club from the drop.
The scapegoat had been identified, but the real problems were about to become impossible to ignore.