Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 88

< 087. Two-Way Battle >

Watching the game, Coach Schmidt felt emboldened to say that today’s performance was the best of the season.

“I’m going crazy,” he muttered.

“Why, Coach?”

“They’re playing too well!”

“I agree.”

“It feels like they’re always more energetic after the international break.”

“The guys are very close. They must have missed each other.”

It certainly felt that way.

All the players who had been scattered during the international break were running around with excitement, as if they had truly missed each other’s company.

In fact, it had been like that since the first training session after their return.

Everyone was brimming with motivation.

“Great pass!”

“Nice pass, Capello!”

Capello was more motivated and active than ever today.

The guy was playing as if a major trophy was on the line.

He must still be smarting from the loss to England, where Johan plays.

His pride must have taken a hit.

He clearly thinks of Johan as a rival.

Of course, he’s probably the only one who sees it that way.

“Good, Buckley! Nice pressure!”

Jacob Buckley was the same.

Buckley also came back from the Scottish national team, and he was complaining as soon as he returned.

He said that the national team’s style of soccer didn’t suit him.

Buckley’s role in the club is fundamentally different from his role in the national team.

Currently, Buckley is the most expensive player in the Scottish team, so he’s expected to play the ace role there [the star player, expected to lead the team].

Buckley said that it was a burden.

The results hadn’t been very good either.

However, now that he’s back on the team and playing in a position that suits him, he seems to be enjoying himself.

“Long pass forward!”

“Nice kick, Hurrichel!”

Hurrichel was the same.

Hurrichel, who seems to level up every time he returns from the Norwegian national team, was no different this time.

In Norway, Hurrichel had to play every game as if he were doing damage control.

Norway’s team isn’t particularly strong, and their defense isn’t great either.

Since he has to block the opponent’s attacks for 90 minutes, the national team is like a grueling training camp for Hurrichel.

Compared to that, West Ham is like heaven.

Besides, he can freely unleash his favorite long passes.

Even though his expression is usually blank, you can see the excitement in his movements.

“Everyone’s great!”

“Captain! To the left!”

“Okay!”

Of course, the players who weren’t selected for the national team were also full of energy today.

The players who diligently maintained the training ground while their teammates were away with their national teams.

They said that they gathered at Captain Gordon’s house and watched the England-Italy game together.

Since there were West Ham players on both sides, they had to get together to cheer them on.

Of course, England won that day, so they had a small celebration.

Anyway, they warmly welcomed their teammates back, and the training ground was buzzing with energy again.

That energy is now carrying over into this stadium.

“Good, that’s it!”

“Shoot!”

Coach Schmidt could confidently say that the soccer they were displaying today was the best of the season.

No, to put it more broadly, today was the most satisfying performance of any team he had ever managed. Seriously.

Coach Schmidt had also been called a “promotion contractor” and earned the nickname “mid-table specialist.”

So, he had some underlying worries.

Even looking back on his coaching career, the team had never been this successful.

Therefore, he was worried that the team might falter due to his own lack of experience at this level.

He didn’t voice it to Jamie, the coach closest to him, but Coach Schmidt had been living with that worry throughout the season.

People around him assumed he must be happy that the team was doing so well, but in fact, these days were the most challenging.

The players were all giving more than 100 percent. So, if something went wrong, it would be entirely the coach’s fault.

He didn’t want to be a burden to these passionate, young, and promising players.

So, even though his hair, which had long been white, began to thin even more, Coach Schmidt couldn’t stop obsessing over how to improve their performance.

Well, so what about his hair?

If it’s lasted this long, it’s had a good run.

There are players who haven’t even retired yet who are starting to go bald.

“Johan, shoot!”

“Goooal! That’s right! It’s Johan!”

“This is our team! The most sought-after player in Europe is our team’s striker!”

Johan’s goal, scored around the 35th minute of the first half, was already the team’s third.

The West Ham bench erupted in cheers.

Amidst the celebration, Coach Schmidt clenched his fist.

This is why he endures all the hardships.

The moment he sees his players unleash their talents on the field.

When he witnesses moments like this, any hardship he has gone through vanishes instantly.

It is the greatest reward he can feel as a coach.

Seeing all the players in their element, showcasing their best skills in their respective positions.

Coach Schmidt, who owns three cats, has always used this analogy.

Seeing a player thriving in the right position is like watching cats happily playing on a cat tower that you spent time building for them.

That’s how proud he feels.

“I’m so happy it’s almost a shame.”

“What are you sorry about?”

“If this kind of performance had come out in the Man City game.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Whatever the case, Man U [Manchester United] was not an easy team.

If Man U, who is currently 6th in the league, is considered an easy team, then what are the teams below them, pushovers?

Seeing them beat even Man U, he couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret.

That game that they lost to Man City in the 21st round.

In that game, which was played at the Etihad Stadium [Man City’s home stadium], Man City’s winger Samir Rishad was in unstoppable form, and they couldn’t contain him.

Even though it was a completely one-sided game, Johan managed to score a consolation goal, but they still lost 1-3.

That defeat ultimately cost them the top spot they had held since the start of the season.

But what was most infuriating was that the victory they had achieved in the 8th round was also dismissed because of that loss.

It was suggested that the victory at that time was a fluke.

Of course, it was true that Samir Rishad didn’t play in the 8th round due to injury, so Man City wasn’t at full strength.

However, it was also true that West Ham was the only team that had found a way to defeat Man City and actually win.

Man City is a team that has only recorded two losses this season.

One of those losses was to West Ham, and the other was to Wolverhampton.

Honestly, the loss to Wolverhampton was almost an accident.

It was a game where an unfortunate own goal became the winning goal.

West Ham was the only team that could genuinely claim to have beaten Man City on merit.

Still, he couldn’t help but be annoyed when he heard it dismissed as a fluke.

“If we had played like this, we could win even if we met again…”

“I’m confident we can crush them.”

Therefore, he wanted to prove it again if the opportunity arose.

If they meet Man City again, they can win.

Without a doubt.

If they play with today’s intensity, I’m confident that I can beat that Man City.

But there is no chance to meet again this season.

They can only meet next season.

That’s why he feels a sense of regret.

Currently, West Ham is achieving incredible results.

If they finish today’s game against Man U with a win, they will have a record of 23 wins, 2 draws, and 3 losses after 28 rounds.

However, even if they maintain this record until the end, they still might not win the championship.

If Man City doesn’t slip up.

Of course, it’s a very close race.

The point difference with Man City is only 3 points.

A very small difference that can be closed in just one game.

But it is also a difference that might remain unchanged, like parallel lines, until the end of the season.

That’s what happened in the 2018/19 season.

At the time, Liverpool only lost one game in the league, but they lost the championship to Man City by a single point.

They only lost once during the entire season, but they still didn’t win the championship.

Because Man City performed even better.

In the end, for West Ham to win the championship, they have to hope that Man City will slip up at least once, like in the Wolverhampton game.

Looking at the remaining schedules, the probability doesn’t seem very high.

Among the Big 6 teams [the top six most successful and popular English football clubs], the teams that still have games against Man City are Man U and Arsenal.

It is realistically difficult to expect them to win.

Above all, the most difficult task will be for West Ham to maintain its current pace so that the points difference doesn’t widen.

Even if Man City slips up, if West Ham also drops points, it will all be for nothing.

“Ha. It’s right in front of my eyes, so I can’t help but be greedy. Our dreams have grown so big. Right?”

“The bigger the dream, the better.”

“It’s not just a pipe dream.”

Honestly, they were already exceeding their initial goals.

West Ham’s goal for this season was to qualify for the Europa League.

They already have a very high chance of qualifying for the Champions League, not the Europa League.

However, at this point, being in 2nd place, just a hair’s breadth away from 1st place.

No one will be satisfied with simply qualifying for the Champions League.

Now that they’ve come this far, isn’t it natural to want to win the championship if possible?

Anyway, what they can do is clear.

Maintain the point difference with Man City and wait for them to make a mistake.

In other words, they have to approach every remaining game with the mindset of winning.

“Let’s do it.”

“We have to do it.”

Looking only at today’s game, and looking back on the winning streak that they have built up so far.

Coach Schmidt had no doubt that it was possible.

West Ham fighting with Man City for the championship trophy until the very end.

It was a story that was entirely possible.

ㆍㆍㆍ

-West Ham, a clean 2-0 victory against Watford… Kane scores 1 goal, Johan rested

-Man City, a dominant 6-0 victory against Leeds United! Maintain the point difference with West Ham!

After the 28th round Man U game, West Ham continued their winning streak, winning 3-1 against Bournemouth in the 29th round and 2-0 against Watford in the 30th round.

In the process, the main players’ stamina was managed through careful rotation, and the performance of the reserve players was also strong, so the results in February were very positive.

However, the only regret is that Man City also didn’t falter.

Man City was showing incredible form, with a goal difference of +12 in the last 3 games.

4-0 against Brighton, 3-1 against Everton, and a whopping 6-0 against Leeds.

As the second half of the season progressed, Man City, with its deep squad, was demonstrating its potential as the strongest team even more.

Now, with only 8 games left in the 2027/28 season.

As the teams that will qualify for the Europa League and Champions League become increasingly clear.

All fans’ attention was focused on who would ultimately lift the championship trophy.

But, in reality, it was not yet accurate to say that the championship competition was solely a two-horse race between Man City and West Ham.

In fact, West Ham had a team chasing them from even closer than Man City.

3rd place, Liverpool.

Liverpool was also steadily accumulating points in the second half of the season and following West Ham closely, without dropping points.

The point difference between the two teams is only 2 points, which is even narrower than the gap between Man City and West Ham.

So, it cannot be definitively stated that the championship trophy is a two-way battle between Man City and West Ham.

To make that claim, West Ham had to distance themselves from Liverpool at this crucial juncture.

If they fail to do so,

Man City’s main competitor will likely be Liverpool.

Will they continue to threaten Man City until the end and remain in the championship race?

Or will they drop to 3rd place and be content with simply qualifying for the Champions League?

Both West Ham and Liverpool are at a critical crossroads.

Liverpool.

They are definitely a formidable opponent.

But West Ham was confident.

Having already won at Anfield [Liverpool’s home stadium] was a significant advantage.

Even if they had achieved the same victory, the feeling would have been different if the first match had been at the London Stadium.

However, they have already proven they can win at Anfield.

This will give the players tremendous confidence.

So, they are confident they can beat them this time too.

With this opportunity, they will shake off Liverpool and have a comfortable competition with Man City alone at the top of the league table.

League 2nd place West Ham and 3rd place Liverpool.

The most important game in the second half of the season for both teams was held at the London Stadium on March 6th.