The air in the Chelsea dressing room at halftime was thick with despair. Aston Villa trailed 1-0. Leon Fischer feeling heavy with self-doubt, sat slumped on the bench, replaying his misplaced pass, the jeers of the crowd, the crushing feeling of letting his team down.
Suddenly, Coach Emery exploded. His voice, usually so controlled, boomed through the room, rattling the lockers. "UNACCEPTABLE! This is not Aston Villa! This is not the team that beat Arsenal! Where is the fight?! Where is the courage?!"
Players flinched, heads bowed even lower. Emery paced, his face red with fury. Then, just as quickly as it ignited, his anger steadied. He stopped in front of Leon, his eyes, usually sharp, now held a piercing intensity that seemed to look right into Leon's soul.
