Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 155

“Li~verpool! Li~verpool!”

“Li~verpool! Li~verpool!”

It was the first half at Anfield.

The home fans’ chants vibrated through Anfield, but Burnley were winning the chaotic struggle on the pitch.

In the previous match against Manchester City, the first half was a battle of meticulous tactics between the managers, while the second half saw Burnley’s relentless pressure clashing with Manchester City’s passing game. Today’s game, however, was a head-on collision of pressure against pressure, a true clash of titans.

If you were asked which team in the Premier League records significantly higher metrics in activity, pressing, and sprinting compared to other teams, you would undoubtedly name Burnley, Liverpool, and Leeds United.

If you were then asked which of these is the highest, the only answer would be that it depends on the match. But at least today, both Liverpool and Burnley seemed to have lifted all restrictions on their activity, playing with unrestrained energy.

And the winner of the head-on collision in the first half was Burnley, who succeeded in overwhelming Liverpool’s experienced midfield with their youthful vigor.

“Get out of the way! You old fossil!”

“You son of a bitch!”

Liverpool’s veteran midfielder, Thiago Alcantara, cursed as he was pushed off the ball and sent sprawling.

Born as the son of Brazilian legendary midfielder Mazinho, he had played for Barcelona and Bayern Munich before settling in Liverpool.

As a player, he had experienced victory in the European Champions League and had lifted the championship trophy in three of Europe’s four major leagues: Spain, Germany, and England.

However, what hurt more than the impact of the grass on his face was being called an old fossil.

Of course, now in his 30s, his body and stamina were not what they used to be, but it was still a hard thing to hear as a starting midfielder for Liverpool, one of the top two teams in the Premier League.

Thiago Alcantara glared at his opponent while lying on the grass, but the opponent seemed to pay him no mind, dribbling the ball away.

Nicolas Seiwald.

The fans and the media seemed to have settled on the nickname ‘Burnley’s Black Hole’ for him, and no longer used terms like ‘destroyer,’ ‘butcher,’ or ‘vacuum cleaner.’

Even Liverpool’s captain Jordan Henderson and vice-captain James Milner, who were known for their strong personalities, shook their heads at the mention of Nicolas Seiwald.

“He’s just like a natural disaster. I think it’s better not to engage with him.”

Even Virgil van Dijk, one of the world’s best defenders that Liverpool boasts, could only offer such a resigned comment.

After the game, he smiles kindly, shakes hands, exchanges jerseys, and signs autographs and takes pictures with fans until the club staff comes to drag him away, but during the game, his eyes roll back and he completely transforms.

Is it Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde…?

The referee’s whistle might have a hidden effect that triggers a change in personality.

Or perhaps the player himself was specially trained to change his personality like that.

Thiago Alcantara decided to officially request a psychological evaluation of Nicolas Seiwald from the Premier League, and at the same time, try to establish the nickname ‘Mr. Hyde’ for Burnley’s young midfielder instead of ‘Black Hole.’

But first, he needed to catch his breath and wipe the grass off his face.

***

BEEP!

“Waaaaah!!!”

As the referee’s whistle signaled the end of the first half, it was the away fans who erupted in cheers, having secured a 1-0 lead.

As the away fans enthusiastically waved the massive crimson flags they had brought to Anfield, Paulo Morais caught up with Hyungmin as he descended the tunnel towards the locker room.

“Kim, Kim!”

“Ah, Paulo. What’s the matter?”

Paulo Morais, seeing the players and staff from both teams passing through the tunnel, covered his mouth with his hand and spoke quietly.

“Dwight, he’s already entered the red zone [indicating a high risk of injury]. What should we do?”

“Already?!”

He seemed to be running a lot in the first half, but he never imagined it would be this bad…

Hyungmin, checking the screen of the tablet Paulo Morais held out, cursed quietly.

He had failed to fully account for the excessive activity Dwight McNeil had shown in the second half of the previous match against Manchester City.

Although there had been almost a week, considering the accumulated fatigue of the season, the possibility of Dwight McNeil’s injury had already far exceeded the permissible level.

He should have noticed when Dwight was rampaging like crazy and scored the opening goal in the first half of today’s game, as if the aftereffects of the last game still lingered.

“I’m sorry. I should have restrained him.”

“No, it’s okay. How could you have done that in a half like this?”

A game where if either side stopped pressing, they would be instantly devoured by the other.

Both teams had already run over 60km in the first half alone.

The 10 outfield players, excluding the goalkeepers, had run an average of 6km in 45 minutes.

The distance a typical Premier League team runs in a game is around 100km.

But running 60km in the first half was a huge overexertion.

Moreover, central defenders usually have less activity than other players, so from the perspective of teams executing full-frontal pressing like Burnley or Liverpool, the order of activity would be wingers, fullbacks, and then midfielders.

Hyungmin, considering the available bench resources, asked.

“Karim is still difficult, right?”

“…More than 10 minutes in the late second half is risky.”

Paulo Morais answered after hesitating for a long time.

Karim Adeyemi, who had been undergoing rehabilitation with desperate effort, was on the bench today, but the team doctor Simon Morris and fitness coach Paulo Morais had strictly limited him to playing only the last 10 minutes to regain his match fitness.

In fact, the medical staff would prefer not to send him out at all in such an intense game.

“I understand. Then can you tell Jamal to prepare to be substituted in immediately in the second half? I’ll talk to Dwight.”

“Okay.”

Suddenly, both wing attacks were transformed into Jo Gelhardt and Jamal Lewis.

Jo Gelhardt had held up well in the first half, but would he be okay until the second half?

Hyungmin was suddenly overcome with anxiety.

***

What should this be called?

Reverse compatibility?

A nemesis?

Hyungmin was unaware that Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola had called Burnley his nemesis, but he felt viscerally what relationship the red uniforms moving in front of him had with him.

“I’m so glad that Jurgen is a Red!”

“I’m so glad he delivered what he said!”

“Jurgen said to me, you know!”

“We’ll win the Premier League, you know. He said so.”

“I’m in love with him and I feel fine!”

Hyungmin shook his head at the home fans’ chants echoing through Liverpool’s home ground, Anfield.

A firm belief that their manager would bring them the championship trophy again this season, following the last.

Indeed, as Burnley’s young midfield began to lose pace in the second half, Liverpool’s experienced midfielders were taking control of the game as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, and Thiago Alcantara.

Although their average age had entered their 30s, they were showing with their whole bodies that old minds are sharper, at least in the second half today.

Especially Thiago Alcantara, who was making all sorts of faces and sending sharp passes everywhere.

“Is this what a nemesis is like?”

“Jurgen Klopp wouldn’t like you saying that, would he? The head-to-head record is too ambiguous to call them a nemesis.”

Carolina immediately retorted as Hyungmin muttered.

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola had faced Burnley 6 times in the past 2 seasons, recording a head-to-head record of 2 wins and 4 losses.

The number of losses was twice the number of wins, and there were no draws.

A team that always decides a winner or loser when they meet.

Regardless of objective strength, the game strangely goes awry only when facing Burnley.

On the other hand, Liverpool is playing their 7th game against Burnley during the same period, and in the previous 6 encounters, Liverpool had a slight advantage with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 2 losses, but in reality, they are closer to being evenly matched.

Of course, 1 draw and 1 loss occurred in the Premier League last season, and this season, starting with the 4-2 victory in the Community Shield [a pre-season match between the previous season’s league winner and FA Cup winner], the head-to-head record is overwhelmingly in their favor with 3 wins and 1 loss, and a cumulative score of 12-3.

The only regret is the 1-0 loss to Burnley in the Carabao Cup final [a domestic cup competition in England], where they came out with gritted teeth.

Jurgen Klopp’s expression, who had freely mocked his young juniors this season, became much more relaxed as he regained control in the second half.

“Ah, this is ambiguous…”

Even if he wanted to use a substitution card, it wouldn’t be easy to send out a force better than the one currently on the field.

In fact, there are no midfielders in Burnley with more activity than the combination of Nicolas Seiwald, Tomaso Pobega, and Sebastian Szymanski.

“Taking out Tomaso and putting in Nico?”

“Hmm… but Tomaso’s defense is better than Nico’s. They could suddenly get completely breached. How about taking out Sebastian and putting in Nico instead?”

“No. Then the attack would be too blocked. Jo has been completely shut down by Andrew Robertson today.”

Hyungmin and Carolina exchanged opinions, but only confirmed that the alternatives had more disadvantages than advantages.

Jo Gelhardt lacks the skill and experience to break through a fullback who has reached the peak of his abilities, having played over 50 A matches [international matches] as the captain of the Scottish national team.

“Damn it. I can’t take out Benjamin and put in Taejin either.”

Even if he put in an attacker with good technique but low activity, Liverpool would gladly assign a dedicated defender and then go all-in on the attack with the remaining players.

And if that dedicated defender is Virgil van Dijk, honestly, he’s outmatched in height, physique, and speed.

“Somehow… Ah!”

Hyungmin, who was about to continue speaking, groaned at the situation unfolding on the field.

Carolina, who had been looking at Hyungmin, turned her eyes to the field following his gaze and frowned.

“…The choice has left our hands.”

Tomaso Pobega was rolling on the ground, clutching his leg.

The referee who ran over immediately presented a yellow card to Fabinho, but Hyungmin clicked his tongue as he watched the Burnley medical staff rushing over like lightning.

“Let’s drop back and watch for now. Tell Nico to get ready to come in, as we’ll take Tomaso out.”

“Okay.”

At the manager’s instruction, Carolina turned and ran to the bench.

“Ah, dropping back at this timing seems like it’ll backfire…”

Hyungmin muttered with a frown.

They were suddenly forced to play the all-out defense they had used in the second half of the Carabao Cup, but Karim Adeyemi, who had constantly threatened the opponent’s defense at that time, was not there.

Naturally, the opponent would be able to focus on the attack more comfortably.

Frowning, Hyungmin desperately began to rack his brain.