Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 156

“Ughhhhh!!!”

The stadium roared with the cheers of the home fans, and the stadium announcer’s excited voice boomed.

“76 minutes into the second half, Liverpool scores again! The score is now 2 to 1! The hero of this incredible comeback goal is number 27 of the Reds—”

“Darwin Nunez!!!”

The fans erupted in response.

As the Liverpool players mobbed the young Uruguayan striker, who ran to the Kop stand [the stand traditionally occupied by Liverpool’s most ardent supporters] and roared in triumph, Hyungmin kicked the turf in the technical area, frustration evident.

Burnley had retreated defensively after Tomaso Pobega was replaced by Nico Gonzalez, but the change hadn’t yielded the desired result.

Liverpool’s forwards and midfielders unleashed a barrage of shots, and Burnley’s goalkeeper, Nick Pope, couldn’t replicate the miraculous saves he’d made in the Carabao Cup final [a major English football cup competition].

In truth, Nick Pope’s performance that day had been an anomaly.

It’s unrealistic for a manager to expect to win a game solely on the back of a goalkeeper’s heroics.

Consequently, Mohamed Salah scored the equalizer, and less than 20 minutes later, Darwin Nunez completed the comeback with a go-ahead goal.

Sensing a turnaround victory, Liverpool fans jubilantly launched into their support song for their manager.

“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!”

The towering German manager, Jurgen Klopp, punched the air in delight, acknowledging the cheering song, and lightly waved to the fans, igniting even greater enthusiasm at Anfield.

“Karim is ready.”

Hyungmin nodded at Karolina’s words as she approached.

“Aren’t you going to put him in?”

“Yes, I am going to put him in.”

But it felt irresponsible to ask a player just returning from injury to score a game-saving goal with only 10 minutes left in the second half.

“Tell Taejin to get ready to come in too.”

“So, you’re replacing Benjamin?”

Hyungmin shook his head at the head coach’s question.

“No. It’s Sebastian.”

“Huh?!”

Karolina was taken aback by the unexpected answer.

But she quickly grasped the manager’s intention.

“You’re switching to a 4-4-2 formation now? We haven’t even practiced this properly!”

“I know. But there’s no other option right now.”

A formation they’d abandoned after a disastrous experiment with a two-striker setup featuring Benjamin Sesko in the first half when Wout Weghorst was on the field.

They hadn’t practiced it since, yet this seemingly reckless manager, desperate for a goal against Liverpool, was about to resurrect it.

The plan was to aim for an equalizer by positioning Jamal Lewis and Karim Adeyemi on the wings, with Benjamin Sesko and Jung Taejin spearheading the attack.

The idea hinged on Virgil van Dijk being forced to mark Jung Taejin, potentially freeing up Benjamin Sesko.

Karim Adeyemi posed a greater threat than Joe Gelhardt, drawing additional attention.

“Uh… well, you’re the manager…”

However, adding a forward meant reducing the midfield from three to two, further weakening the defense, which was already under immense pressure.

If Liverpool, riding their momentum, exploited the vulnerabilities of this hastily implemented 4-4-2 formation, another lopsided defeat, like 4-1 or 5-1, could be in the cards.

Hyungmin shrugged at Karolina’s hesitant reaction.

“I’ve said it before…”

“…I know. Losing 1-0 or 5-0 is the same.”

Swallowing the retort that the management and fans wouldn’t see it that way, Karolina hurried to the bench.

Regardless of the outcome, two players needed to be substituted to execute the manager’s plan.

***

“Taejin.”

“Yeah.”

Hyungmin quickly approached Taejin, who was standing on the sideline with the fourth official, warming up intermittently.

“Just occupy Virgil van Dijk.”

“What should who do to whom?”

Hyungmin repeated seriously to his friend, who looked at him with disbelief.

“Just keep Virgil van Dijk busy.”

“Hey, why ‘just’? You want me to take down Virgil van Dijk single-handedly?!”

*And* I’m a forward, and he’s a defender.

A silent message conveyed that even a slight tug would draw a foul, so how could he possibly contain him?

“I know, but just try to block Virgil van Dijk.”

“With Karim and Jamal linking up with Benjamin?”

Despite his initial bewilderment, the veteran immediately understood the manager’s strategy.

The concept of assigning one striker to neutralize the opponent’s best defender.

This would significantly increase Burnley’s chances of gaining a numerical advantage near Liverpool’s penalty area.

“You know it’s all pointless if Jurgen Klopp drops the defensive line, right?”

If Liverpool retreated into a defensive posture to protect their lead, it wouldn’t matter whether Virgil van Dijk was marked or not.

Hyungmin shrugged at the playing coach’s observation.

“Then there’s nothing we can do. But look at the atmosphere. They won’t.”

Anfield was vibrating with the cheers of the home fans, sensing victory.

Fueled by the enthusiastic home crowd eager to avenge the first-half setback and further dominate Burnley, the Liverpool players were surging forward, seeking additional goals to seal the win rather than retreating.

Liverpool and Burnley had clashed three times this season in cup competitions, starting with the Community Shield, Carabao Cup, and FA Cup.

The Liverpool players, driven by the desire to avenge their Carabao Cup final defeat and fueled by the fans’ expectations based on their three previous dominant victories [three 大勝 is a reference to large victories], were fully embracing the aggressive atmosphere.

“Haa…”

So, you’re telling me to overcome all that and somehow score an equalizer?

With the home fans’ intense hostility palpable, the veteran striker sighed and looked at the manager.

“Okay. Well, let’s give it a try.”

***

“Ugh!”

Despite his confident response to the manager, the reality proved more challenging.

“Oops, sorry, sorry.”

Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, having knocked down Burnley’s veteran striker, apologized.

Taejin himself longed to collapse onto the inviting grass, but the Liverpool defender smiled and forcibly helped him up, seemingly concerned that the referee might misinterpret the situation.

Taejin was confident in his height of 190 cm (6’3″) and his well-built physique, but he was no match for his opponent.

The opponent’s height of 193 cm (6’4″) and a physique that appeared twice as large, composed entirely of muscle, was overwhelming.

Even in his prime, a victory would have been difficult to guarantee, but now, as he approached the twilight of his career, he faced a defender in his prime.

It had been a mere shoulder-to-shoulder challenge moments ago, yet he had been instantly overpowered.

Taejin, who had thrown his body onto the grass in an attempt to impede the opposing center back, sighed and began to shadow Virgil van Dijk once more.

Virgil van Dijk, sensing something unusual but not yet fully grasping Burnley’s tactics, frowned and kept a close watch on the opposing veteran striker.

The Liverpool midfielders had demonstrated their enduring quality in the second half, but experienced veteran strikers always posed a threat.

With their refined game reading and positioning, they possessed the ability to exploit gaps and score goals in an instant.

Moreover, there was no telling what unconventional tactics Burnley’s unpredictable young manager might employ.

Taejin, dedicating himself to faithfully executing the manager’s instructions, silently pleaded with the young Burnley attackers who were constantly moving around him.

*Guys, please score an equalizer quickly while I’m still alive!*

*I’m going to die out here!*

***

Although there was no direct communication from the manager, the remaining three players comprising Burnley’s front line understood his intentions through shared glances.

Benjamin Sesko certainly found it easier to breathe with Jung Taejin’s introduction.

Of course, Sebastian Szymanski could no longer contribute to the attack, leaving the rear unsupported, but Nicolas Seiwald and Nico Gonzalez, positioned near Burnley’s penalty box with four defenders, lessened the defensive burden.

Thanks to the relentless attacks of the Liverpool players and midfielders, and the Liverpool side defenders advancing beyond the halfway line to join the attack, a narrow but accessible gap opened for the Burnley attackers to exploit.

With Jung Taejin still marked by Virgil van Dijk, and Liverpool’s defensive midfielder Fabinho and another center back, Ibrahim Konate, patrolling near the center circle, a numerical advantage of 3 to 2 had been created.

As the three exchanged glances and shifted from side to side, awaiting a potential pass, the moment they had been anticipating finally arrived.

“Oops!”

Not again.

Thiago Alcantara instinctively closed his eyes as the horizontal expanse of the stadium’s blue grass transformed into a vertical blur.

Thump!

The Liverpool veteran midfielder, colliding with Nicolas Seiwald outside the penalty box, was launched into the air as if struck by a vehicle and crashed to the ground, rotating mid-air. However, the referee’s whistle remained silent.

“Foul!”

“No! Play on!”

Ignoring the appeals of the Liverpool players, the referee gestured forward with both hands, allowing the game to continue.

The ball, forcibly dispossessed by Nicolas Seiwald, rolled to Nico Gonzalez’s feet.

Damn it.

Nico Gonzalez was acutely aware that negotiations between Burnley and Barcelona were faltering, despite his agent’s vague assurances and the silence from Burnley’s football director and manager.

Returning to Barcelona and solidifying his position like Pedri or Gabi would be ideal, but even conversations with his friends who remained there offered little clarity.

The current manager, Xavi, actively encouraged promising players from La Masia [Barcelona’s youth academy], but the management, facing fan criticism, continued to appease the discontent with high-profile signings.

The contradictory situation of demanding existing players to accept wage cuts to demonstrate their loyalty while simultaneously recruiting top players from across Europe.

Ideally, he would either remain permanently at Burnley or secure a legitimate starting competition at Barcelona, but the example of Oscar Mingueza, who endured a frustrating season unable to achieve either, haunted his thoughts.

“Ah, X발 [a Korean curse word]!”

Nico Gonzalez violently swung his right foot, cursing his predicament, the team’s defensive pressure, and the frantic signals from his three teammates positioned up front.