Manager Farke wore his usual poker face, hiding the delight from the 2-1 victory over Hull, but he leaned to the side and said some words to Rob, the head of performance.
"Go grab the shot-velocity sensors and set them up on the training goal."
"Yes, Boss."
Unaware of what was going on near the touchline, Rio squared up his shoulders and looked down at the ball placed on the edge of the D. Illan Meslier, the towering French goalkeeper, was waiting patiently, his sharp eyes staring down from the center of the goal.
'That last free-kick was off. Just curl it into my hands, Rio...' Archie Gray once again stood near the wall, wanting to feed Rio balls so the winger could get into a rhythm.
The next shot came flying off Rio's laces, this time curling too wide instead of dipping. Thanks to Meslier's long reach, he didn't even have to dive; he just watched it sail harmlessly wide.
"Wide."
