Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 152

The Indolent Genius Striker – Episode 152 (152/202)

< Episode 151 – Special Assistant >

This season, Liverpool is in 4th place in the league, trailing Manchester United and Manchester City.

After being pushed to 3rd place last season by West Ham’s strong performance, Liverpool has fallen another spot this year with Manchester United joining the top contenders.

However, Liverpool’s overall strength is by no means weaker than last season.

They may be lower in the standings, but their record of 15 wins, 4 draws, and 3 losses in 22 games, totaling 49 points, is still commendable.

Furthermore, Liverpool has advanced to the round of 16 in the Champions League as the top seed in their group.

With excellent balance in their squad, they are considered one of the favorites to win the Champions League this season.

Moreover, Liverpool has been actively strengthening their team during this winter transfer window.

-Liverpool signs rising star striker Joaquin Granero from PSV Eindhoven… Transfer fee of 65 million.

Liverpool has successfully bolstered their already strong attack by bringing in Joaquin Granero, a young striker whose stock was rapidly rising in the Eredivisie [the top professional football league in the Netherlands].

With most of the team’s goals previously coming from the wingers, Liverpool now possesses a central striker with significant scoring ability, giving them formidable firepower.

However, while many fans applauded this signing,

some expressed mixed reactions.

It wasn’t that Joaquin Granero wasn’t a talented player.

His signing was definitely a positive move, but strengthening the attack wasn’t the most urgent priority for reinforcing the team.

This was a recurring concern.

Liverpool fans have consistently voiced the need for a replacement for center-back Steve Duncan.

In other words, defensive reinforcement should come first.

Although they brought in a good defender, Derek De Clain, last season, Duncan, who plays as his partner, was the perceived weak link.

Although Duncan is Liverpool’s captain and a fan favorite, he is getting older.

The time to find a replacement is gradually approaching.

Above all, most fans believed that Duncan alone would not be enough to effectively face West Ham.

@LFC_jaydon

-We should have signed Guimarães. How could we lose him to West Ham?

@YWNABRAD

-I thought we needed to reinforce the defense. We keep getting torn apart by Johan every time we meet West Ham; I don’t know what they’re thinking.

@Redisliv

-There was no problem with the attack. What we urgently needed was to find a replacement for Duncan. Do you want to give Johan another easy time?

That’s why Guimarães was frequently mentioned by the Kop [a stand at Liverpool’s Anfield stadium known for its passionate fans].

Since they already have many young academy players, Liverpool wanted a player who could immediately take responsibility for the starting position for about 3-4 years rather than a long-term project.

Guimarães was perfect for their needs.

In fact, Liverpool’s front office had been keeping an eye on Guimarães.

They had actually placed him on their recruitment list.

Even if defensive reinforcement wasn’t the absolute top priority, he was an attractive asset, so it was only natural for Liverpool, who needed to find a replacement for Duncan, to consider him.

However, after internal discussions, Liverpool ultimately decided against making an offer for Guimarães.

The reason was simple.

In the current situation, defensive reinforcement would be ‘pointless’ against one specific threat.

From the season before last to last season, and even in the first half of this season,

Liverpool has never won against West Ham.

Not even at Anfield [Liverpool’s home stadium], let alone away games.

Three losses in the last three games.

The central figure in those losses was, of course, striker Johan Van.

If only they could have defended Johan a little better, they could have won all those games.

Interestingly, from the season before last to the first half of this season’s games,

Liverpool conceded a total of 12 goals against West Ham, and all 12 goals were scored by Johan alone.

That meant they conceded all their goals to a single player.

In conclusion, if they could stop Johan, West Ham would be an easy team to beat.

At least for a team like Liverpool.

But that’s the problem.

For example, let’s say they brought in Guimarães as the fans suggested.

Defensive reinforcement would be achieved.

But would that stop Johan?

Do you think Guimarães and De Clain could successfully defend Johan and lead West Ham to their first victory against Liverpool in two years?

At the club’s executive meeting, everyone shook their heads at this question.

No matter who they brought in, they couldn’t completely stop Johan.

Not just the players who were on the market in the winter transfer window, but even if they brought in any defender playing for big clubs in each league.

There was no defender who could completely stop Johan.

So, they changed direction.

Since getting scored on by Johan was a constant,

they decided to strengthen their own strength, which was the attack.

Football is a sport where you can win by scoring 4 goals even if you concede 3.

For now, that seemed to be the only way for Liverpool to beat West Ham.

That seemed like a pretty reasonable choice.

It was outside of their calculations that Guimarães, whom they had passed on signing, went to West Ham.

*

“How is it? The atmosphere is fantastic, right?”

“It’s similar.”

“You’re lying.”

“Our home stadium is also quite big, you know?”

“Wake up. Your home stadium is no longer Valencia’s home stadium, but here. It’s the London Stadium.”

Guimarães scoffed at Bellamy’s words.

Well, he wasn’t wrong.

Now his home stadium is here, and the atmosphere here is quite fantastic.

~I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles!

The roaring cheers make his heart beat faster.

In fact, Valencia’s home stadium, the Estadio de Mestalla, was also a great stadium.

It’s quite large and always has a lot of fans.

However,

“…It’s packed.”

“We’re always sold out, wasn’t it like that there?”

The majesty of the London Stadium, with its 60,000 seats filled to capacity, is something else.

It makes you want to run.

Moreover, the Spanish fans are a bit subdued.

Oh, of course, that’s only relatively speaking.

In fact, Guimarães had never thought about it until yesterday.

But today, seeing the Hammers [nickname for West Ham United], he could feel it.

Valencia fans were on the calmer side.

These fans are really crazy.

“You haven’t forgotten what I taught you, have you?”

“…You mean, how to fall as if your bones are broken even if they only graze you?”

“Yeah. I didn’t teach you that for nothing. It’s pretty rough here. If you play soccer like a sissy like you did in Spain, you’ll get a big surprise.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m from Brazil. I started playing soccer in a place where there are no referees.”

“Then, show me.”

Spain is definitely a place where South American players can easily adapt in many ways.

Brazil uses Portuguese, but the languages are similar anyway.

The climate is also similar.

The personalities of the people are also similar in many ways.

However, this stadium’s atmosphere is more familiar.

His hometown, Brazil’s soccer stadiums resemble battlefields.

And now, a war is about to begin here too.

“Beeeep-!”

The game has started.

*

“Those two, their combination is pretty good.”

“I agree. It’s their first time playing together, but it feels like they think alike.”

“But their characteristics are clear. It seems like we brought in a good player.”

As the game progressed, the Hammers nodded in satisfaction.

Today, Liverpool’s offense was fierce.

The power of the three-man attack of Carvalho on the left, Lozano on the right, and Granero in the center was evident just from their names, and they were proving to be a real threat.

However, the defense was also holding up well.

Especially the newcomer, Guimarães.

He had already shown his skills in the Hull City game, but that was against a 2nd division team, so they couldn’t be completely sure.

But seeing him today, everyone seems convinced.

Guimarães was a good signing.

“Nice! Good! Great interception!”

“There’s dynamism in the defense!”

Guimarães wasn’t a player who played smartly like Bellamy, or, to put it less kindly, cunningly.

Instead, he is fast, has a wide defensive range, and uses his physicality to play more aggressively.

If Bellamy is the control tower, Guimarães felt like a fighter, and that seemed to be a good combination.

What makes Liverpool’s attack scary is that the frequency and scoring chances of attacks on the left and right are close to 50/50.

Since both wingers are excellent scorers.

Moreover, with Granero added to the center today, they have to be wary of all three directions.

However, Guimarães kept appearing in all three directions.

It felt like there were three Guimarães.

Guimarães’ defensive range was originally wide,

“Nice! He’s fun to use!”

“Shut up!”

Bellamy’s control from behind, positioning himself well, was also good.

Bellamy seemed more comfortable because Guimarães moved first.

“Damn it. We should have brought him.”

“Wasn’t his transfer fee 45 million euros? If we had brought him with the money we used to bring Granero, we would have had 20 million euros left over. We could have brought in another good prospect.”

“Not only that. West Ham wouldn’t have been able to take him, so it would have been a huge benefit if you think about it.”

Unlike the Hammers, who were satisfied with Guimarães’ performance, the Kop couldn’t help but express their dissatisfaction.

It wasn’t just any player, but the player the fans had been constantly clamoring for was playing well on the other side.

However, it was also necessary to think about it the other way around.

If Guimarães had come to Liverpool,

Could he have stopped Johan?

Because Liverpool put weight on the attack, the space behind the defense was relatively wide.

Capello’s pass quickly sent the ball into that wide space, and Johan receives that pass.

‘Damn it, I have to buy time somehow…’

Liverpool’s left-back, Tony McKins, who faced Johan, unconsciously took a step back.

It was impossible for him to steal the ball from Johan alone.

All he could do was delay until his teammates came to cover.

That thought was very wise.

Anyway, he didn’t act recklessly and chose the best play.

However, the best choice doesn’t always produce the best result.

Someone’s best can be someone else’s worst.

Tatatat-!

Johan quickly picks up speed.

Running straight at McKins, Johan moved diagonally from the right side towards the box, then cut to the center and overtook McKins.

Speed that McKins couldn’t keep up with even though he was maintaining a good distance by stepping back.

In the first place, it’s impossible to turn around and catch up while stepping back when they should have been running side by side.

Still,

“Behind you!”

“I’m here!”

McKins did his part.

Because Steve Duncan and De Clain, who had been running with all their might, had reached the box.

But that wasn’t the problem.

Johan had no business with those two.

Tatatat-!

Johan continued to run, crossing the field horizontally along the box line.

The direction intersected with the movements of Duncan and De Clain, who were back-pedaling.

The two defenders could only watch him pass by without being able to stop him in any way.

It was only a moment before Johan reached the left side of the box from the right side.

No one could prevent him from reaching there.

Ppeoooeeeeong-!

The final finish was quite dynamic.

For most strikers, the shooting direction would have been to the left.

Because it’s very difficult to curve a shot to the opposite side while running to the left.

But it wasn’t difficult for Johan.

Johan dynamically put his weight on the ball and shot with his left foot towards the right corner of the goal,

Chwaaaaaaaa-

Thud-!

Putting in a goal that made the goalkeeper, who had anticipated it and jumped in advance, look foolish.

Johan’s goal caused an uproar in the London Stadium, and a handful of Liverpool fans were left disappointed.

“Maybe…”

“Maybe… it was right to just sign a striker…”

Would the scene have been different if Guimarães had come?

Well, I don’t know.

Even if you asked Guimarães himself, he would say no.

In fact, Guimarães was thinking the same thing.

“Hey, you don’t even think about your former team anymore, do you? We have a guy like that at the forefront!”

“…”

Guimarães shrugged his shoulders, watching Bellamy’s back as he ran, saying, “I can’t resist a celebration!”

As he said, it was quite exciting to have such a monster striker on our team.