Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 152

152: Natural Enemy

“…You’ve played against them a lot, right?”

“That’s true.”

Yesterday afternoon.

The players, gathered for a tactical briefing ahead of the Manchester City game, murmured in agreement with Hyungmin’s words.

This is their 6th encounter in 2 seasons.

Actually, if you include the Ben Mee testimonial match, it would be their 7th, but they decided to exclude that from their calculations since it was a friendly.

Since the 2017/18 season, they have risen as one of the only two teams, along with Liverpool, to dominate the Premier League, and it’s frightening how they evolve every season.

Initially, they were equipped with tiki-taka [a style of play characterized by short passing and movement, working the ball through various channels, and maintaining possession], overwhelming opponents with precise passing, but gradually their tactics became more detailed, and at the same time, their stamina, activity, and, above all, pressing intensified to match the Premier League.

Of course, since they need to have skills, stamina, and intelligence, there aren’t many players at the level that Manchester City requires, but conversely, every player who plays for Manchester City is world-class.

However, against the strongest team in the Premier League, Burnley, led by the young Asian maestro, is the only team with a superior head-to-head record, with 3 wins and 2 losses in the last 5 encounters.

Hyungmin nodded to the players who were looking at him with expectant eyes.

“Coach Pep Guardiola is probably expecting us to come at them with full-frontal pressure in tomorrow’s game. Therefore, they will try to circulate the ball comfortably in the back, and when we focus our power forward, they will use fast players on the flanks to target the space behind us.”

Both teams have a basic 4-3-3 formation.

The three midfielders are also in the same inverted triangle formation, with two players positioned higher and one supporting from below.

Hyungmin pointed out on the tactical board the pressure that Burnley usually exerts up to the front line, and the way Manchester City players penetrate behind the raised line because of it.

“So, tomorrow, we will take a slightly different approach to the form and range of our pressure than usual.”

This is a method that can be attempted because the players have perfectly adapted to Burnley’s tactics, and their teamwork and organization have reached the point of completion.

“The pressure starts outside the opponent’s penalty box. In other words, there is no need to interfere with the passes between the opponent’s goalkeeper and central defenders.”

A standard line of pressure that is one step back from the usual relentless pressure on the opponent’s defenders and even the goalkeeper.

“The fullbacks should keep the opponent’s wingers from getting behind them. And one of the central defenders will check Erling Haaland along with the defensive midfielder.”

Sealing off Manchester City’s central striker, who can hold two opposing players just by his presence, is essential to have a chance of winning.

As the players nodded, Hyungmin pointed to the midfield.

“Then we will be at a disadvantage in the center with 2 against 3, so Benyamin will come down to check the opponent’s defensive midfielder. Probably only one of Rodri or Kalvin Phillips will come out.”

Manchester City hasn’t had much fun in games where they started both defensive midfielders this season.

The problem is that Kalvin Phillips, who hasn’t fully integrated into Pep Guardiola’s tactics yet, keeps overlapping with other players when moving forward.

Considering that it usually takes about one season for a new player joining Manchester City to adapt to the team’s tactics, it’s not unusual, but anyway, we could expect one less variable to come out in tomorrow’s game.

“It’s okay if both of them come out. Just create a 3-on-3 situation and press in a 1-on-1 state.”

Manchester City’s pressure is also at the top of the Premier League, but Burnley’s pressure this season is simply number one in the Premier League.

Having surpassed both Leeds and Liverpool, which had been the standard for pressure and activity, Burnley runs the most, presses the most, and even has the highest success rate for that pressure, so they can somehow withstand a 1-on-1 situation in the center against Manchester City.

“And the wingers check the opponent’s fullbacks. That’s the basic plan.”

“Uh… then it seems difficult to stop the opponent’s central defender from coming up?”

Nicholas Seiwald raised his hand and asked with a worried expression.

Hyungmin nodded.

“So, there is a second plan. Like this.”

Hyungmin started moving the markers on the tactical board.

First, one of Manchester City’s central defenders, who had formed an inverted triangle with the goalkeeper, protrudes forward.

Then, the defensive midfielder among Burnley’s central defender and defensive midfielder, who had been attached to Erling Haaland, moves to check one of Manchester City’s central midfielders.

Then, one of Burnley’s midfielders, who had been checking that midfielder, goes up to check Manchester City’s defensive midfielder, who Benyamin Šeško had been checking, and Benyamin Šeško blocks the incoming central defender.

“You have to constantly check each other’s positions, and especially the players standing in the central line must keep both the opponent’s and our team’s movements in mind.”

Benyamin Šeško, the midfielders, and the central defenders nodded heavily.

“What you need to remember is to always have one central defender to spare. And to keep moving up and down in the center and appropriately check the opponent’s movements. Those are the two things.”

Putting strength in the center is to block Erling Haaland.

“Then the victory will be decided on the flanks.”

***

“…Ighty! Dwighty!”

“Huh? Oh.”

Dwight McNeil looked at his friend, who was looking at him with concern.

“Dwighty, are you okay? Something doesn’t seem right?”

Dwight McNeil shook his head at the young Slovenian striker who was asking with a worried expression.

“No, I’m okay. I was just thinking for a moment.”

Benyamin Šeško, who had been carefully examining his face, did not remove the worried expression from his face, but Dwight McNeil waved his hand.

“It’s nothing.”

“Okay. Then, let’s focus. For ever and ever!”

“We are Burnley.”

Dwight McNeil, who reassured his teammate by briefly chanting the slogan, looked around the stadium.

While waiting for the referee’s whistle outside the center circle, the shouts of fans from both teams, filling the 53,000 seats of Manchester City’s home stadium, City of Manchester Stadium, echoed.

Of course, the home fans wearing Manchester City’s blue uniforms, which numbered almost 10 times more than the away fans occupying about 5,000 seats and fiercely waving claret flags.

When the referee’s whistle blows, the first of two games against the two teams that have practically dominated the Premier League since the 2017/18 season will now begin.

Dwight McNeil, who had missed 3 games, including the 2 games against Sparta Prague in the Europa League semi-finals and the game against QPR in between, couldn’t exactly express how he felt.

Frustration? Annoyance? Disappointment? Sadness? Depression?

Some kind of diverse negative feelings are lingering in my heart, but I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is.

It doesn’t seem to be an emotion about Jamal Lewis, who was suddenly selected as the left winger due to Max Cornet’s injury and is playing a great role.

At least, this feeling is not mixed in when he sees him or applauds his performance from the bench.

It’s also not a feeling towards the manager or fitness coach Paulo Morão, who showed him the amount of time he played, the distance he ran, and the number of sprints he made during this season, and explained the justification for the week’s rest given to him.

A strange feeling that cannot be described and whose source cannot be known is swirling in his heart, and the referee’s whistle blew.

Well, okay.

If that’s the case, then I can release it on the grass of the stadium, which I’m stepping on after a long time.

***

“Huh? Huh? Huh?!”

A sound that was neither a scream nor a sigh nor an exclamation burst from Hyungmin’s mouth as he stood in the technical area.

And the Burnley players and coaches on the bench behind him all started to get up at once.

Right after the second half started, after the tense first half ended.

Dwight McNeil suddenly attempted a solo dribble breakthrough into Manchester City’s penalty box.

Manchester City’s right-back Kyle Walker seemed momentarily flustered by Dwight McNeil’s short passing, which had continued throughout the first half, but immediately followed Dwight McNeil.

And just as Dwight McNeil seemed to be pushed away from the ball by Kyle Walker’s shoulder-to-shoulder challenge, Burnley’s young ace suddenly sped up and succeeded in breaking through, leaving Kyle Walker behind.

“Huh? Huh?!!!”

Now the spectators also started to get up from their seats one by one and exclaim.

And the Manchester City players, realizing that something was wrong, started flocking towards Dwight McNeil like bees.

The path of a pass that Dwight McNeil could send to the midfield or the center of the penalty box was already blocked.

There are too many obstacles in front of him to send a cross to the opposite flank.

Before he knew it, Manchester City’s defensive midfielder Rodri, central defender Rúben Dias, and right winger Phil Foden, who had hurriedly come down to participate in the defense, succeeded in surrounding Dwight McNeil.

A 3-on-1 situation.

A dogfight began in a narrow space, with legs being extended and kicked to take the ball away.

While Phil Foden and Rodri were closely marking Dwight McNeil, Rúben Dias took a position slightly behind to block any attempts to escape.

“…Just hit the opponent and get it out to the sideline….”

Hyungmin muttered as he watched Dwight McNeil desperately protect the ball.

If he is lucky enough to hit the opponent and get out, he can get a throw-in, and if not, he can buy time to reorganize his formation while the opponent approaches to make a throw-in.

But as if he had made up his mind, Dwight McNeil desperately protected the ball, avoiding the orthodox method he would normally choose.

And while the players adjacent to the place where the four players were entangled were unable to move because they were checking each other and the ball that might flow out, the players further away started running.

“Dwighty! Hold on a little longer!”

This is Burnley’s Nicholas Seiwald, who is running at full speed from the other side of the midfield with the captain’s armband on his arm instead of James Tarkowski, who is absent today.

“Keep your distance and stall for time!”

This is Manchester City midfielder İlkay Gündoğan, who formed the midfield with Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne.

As one player from each team arrived in the narrow space where four players were crowded, cracks began to appear in the solid encirclement formed by Manchester City.