Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 20

20. Ready to Leap

Before Hyungmin could react to the possibility of losing a player, Liverpool’s homegrown right-back, Trent Alexander-Arnold, stepped up to take the free kick Robertson had earned. He sent a gently curving ball into Burnley’s penalty box.

“Clear it!” Arthur shouted anxiously.

Liverpool didn’t have many players with a significant height advantage.

Especially fortunate for Hyungmin was the absence of Liverpool’s central defender Virgil van Dijk, known for his imposing physique and exceptional football intelligence, making him a constant threat during set-piece situations.

As Liverpool’s starting central defensive duo, Ibrahima Konaté and Joël Matip, rose to meet the free kick, Burnley’s central defensive pair, James Tarkowski and Ben Mee, jumped to challenge them.

Solid frames collided with force.

James Tarkowski, with good positioning and timing, managed to shrug off the Liverpool players and clear the ball with a header.

Whether by luck or design, James Tarkowski’s clearance headed towards Burnley’s central midfielder, Josh Brownhill, who was waiting outside the penalty box.

“Nice!” Hyungmin and Arthur clenched their fists in anticipation, watching the ball fly towards the key player responsible for Burnley’s attack and boasting the best kicking ability.

Although Hannibal Mejbri, who adds creativity to Burnley, was absent, Josh Brownhill had the ability to connect the attack to any of Burnley’s forwards with his long passes.

“Brownie!!!” Burnley’s left and right wingers, Dwight McNeil and Karim Adeyemi, who were already waiting outside the penalty box, called out to Josh Brownhill and sprinted forward.

Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Alisson, who had ventured up to the halfway line, also sprinted back to guard his goal.

The moment Liverpool’s left-back, Andrew Robertson, and central midfielder, Thiago, who were waiting near the center circle to stop the counter-attack, took a step or two towards Dwight McNeil and Karim Adeyemi.

And just before Josh Brownhill, who received the ball outside the penalty box, could turn to launch what might be Burnley’s last counter-attack.

Liverpool’s central defender, Joël Matip, quickly returning to his own half, reached out his foot, seemingly by chance, to steal the ball, simultaneously bumping into Josh Brownhill from the side.

“Oh no!” Hyungmin and Arthur exclaimed simultaneously.

It was a choice between stealing the ball or committing a foul.

Matip, with his arms spread wide as if unintentional, protested his innocence as the referee blew his whistle. The referee, finding it difficult to judge intent, gave a verbal warning.

The Liverpool central defender, having successfully committed a ‘perfect crime,’ disappeared leisurely into his own half without receiving a card.

Meanwhile, the quickly repositioned Liverpool players glared, eager to regain possession from Burnley.

“Haa.”

Hyungmin sighed and finally waved the white flag.

“Arthur. Please tell Jack, Jacob, and Nathan to prepare to be substituted.”

“…Huh?”

The head coach was momentarily taken aback, not grasping the manager’s intention.

“It’s a shame, but I think today is as far as we can go. Getting a point in Liverpool’s home game wouldn’t be a complete failure, would it?”

Arthur was about to argue, but swallowed the words he wanted to say, seeing Hyungmin’s resolute face.

“…Then who are the substitutions for?”

“Chris. Karim. Dwight. All of them.”

Soon after, when the assistant referee raised the substitution board, Anfield reverberated with boos from the home fans.

Taking off all three forwards and bringing in two midfielders and one defender meant that Burnley acknowledged their disadvantage of one player and were fully committed to an extreme defensive tactic.

Captain Ben Mee and central defender James Tarkowski, understanding the manager’s intention, arranged the newly introduced players appropriately to build a solid two-line defense with determined faces.

Sixty minutes into the second half, it was time to focus entirely on defending for the remaining thirty minutes against the Premier League’s best attacking team.

***

Shots 0, Shots on Target 0, Corner Kicks 0, Yellow Cards 5, Red Card 1.

Naturally, the expected goals [a statistical measure of the quality of chances created] were 0.0.

Although they managed to draw thanks to the goalkeeper and defense’s brilliant performance, the atmosphere in Burnley was dismal, having accepted the worst result since Hyungmin took command.

After the game, Hyungmin gathered the squad in the away team’s locker room, which had a somber atmosphere as if the lingering feeling of defeat had settled in, and began to speak with a tired face.

“I’m sorry. My judgment was lacking. Trying to wage a head-on battle against Liverpool at Anfield was a mistake.”

The Burnley players, who were prepared to hear criticism, anger, or complaints, stirred at the manager’s honest apology.

“I don’t think a draw against Liverpool is a sufficient result. What I wanted, and what I promised, was to play our football, and we couldn’t do that today.”

Hyungmin looked around the squad and took a deep breath.

“But everyone worked really hard. All responsibility for today’s result lies with me, so no one needs to blame themselves.”

From one corner, a sound that was hard to tell whether it was a sob or a wail leaked from Hannibal Mejbri, who was covering his head with a towel, and was immediately muffled by his own hand.

“Next time, we must get a good result. Let’s show them that Turf Moor [Burnley’s home stadium] isn’t an easy place to play.”

“…Let’s do it!”

A quiet but powerful response from the squad filled the locker room.

Looking around at his players, Hyungmin forced himself to smile.

***

Amidst the flashing lights from all directions, Hyungmin blinked and pointed to a person who could only be seen as a dark shape.

“Yes, this is Henry Carter from BCC Evening News. Hannibal Mejbri was sent off today. It seems that Burnley failed to achieve a giant-killing [an unexpected victory against a much stronger opponent] at Anfield because this young prospect couldn’t control his temper. What are your thoughts on this?”

Hyungmin struggled to suppress the urge to click his tongue.

In fact, no matter how many times he did it, he never got used to the press conferences held before or after the game.

Perhaps the essence of a press conference was that reporters asked questions to elicit the stories they wanted, and the manager desperately tried to give neutral and rational answers to avoid being drawn into them.

As flashes continued to burst, capturing his weary face, Hyungmin, feeling like a defeated general despite drawing the away game, tried to answer the reporter who was questioning him as if he were a defeated general, gently.

“No. I don’t think so. It’s true that Burnley didn’t respond properly to Liverpool’s attack, but that’s my mistake. Any player, not just Hannibal, would have had no choice but to try and stop Andrew Robertson in that situation, and that’s an issue regardless of the player’s age.”

Muffled voices requesting questions popped up from here and there at the manager who was shielding the player and taking the issue as his own, and Hyungmin chose someone with a resigned heart.

“Yes, this is David Lawnham from the Manchester Evening Post. Burnley had a disastrous performance today, failing to register a single shot. Isn’t it because Burnley’s squad ultimately failed to execute the manager’s tactics that they couldn’t play the thrilling football they’ve been trying to play?”

As time passed and Hyungmin’s explanations continued, the reporters were becoming more aggressive.

Hyungmin suppressed a sigh.

“I think Burnley’s squad has sufficient quality. Rather, I think today’s problem is my tactical failure in attempting a head-on match against Liverpool at Anfield. I think I needed to consider the tactical aspects more carefully.”

“Then can we expect changes in Burnley’s tactics in the future?”

A question popped out from somewhere without the manager’s designation.

The Liverpool press officer, who was also attending the away team’s press conference, tried to intervene.

However, Hyungmin lightly shook his head to politely decline the press officer’s assistance and chose to answer the question.

“No. Although today’s game ended in a draw, I think Burnley’s performance in the league itself shows that this approach is not wrong. I have no intention of making tactical changes at this time.”

What followed after the away team manager’s press conference was the home team manager’s press conference.

While the young Asian manager, who had drawn an away game against the league’s top team, answered as if he had lost, the renowned Jürgen Klopp, who had accepted a disappointing draw at home, skillfully dealt with the reporters while praising the opposing team and their manager.

“…The season is still early, and we are just doing our best to accumulate points. The two points we didn’t get today may be regrettable at the end of the season, but the one point we gained today may bring unexpected benefits.”

A detached answer to the reporter’s question about whether today’s draw would hinder their championship aspirations.

“…Virgil van Dijk’s absence is always felt, but it’s important that he fully recovers from his injury and returns to the field when he’s ready. The same goes for Joe Gomez. We are trying to take a cautious approach rather than rushing their return and risking further injury. Of course, both Joël Matip and Ibrahima Konaté are filling that gap admirably.”

Deflecting questions about players who didn’t play today with praise for the players who did.

“…Burnley had a sudden change of manager early this season, and it’s only been about a month since they adapted to the new tactics without a pre-season. The progress that Kim has made during that period is remarkable. I think the difference in performance today is the result of Liverpool’s past five years of development meeting Burnley’s one month.”

Showing respect for Burnley, which overcame the bleak prospects at the beginning of the season.

“…No. Why should I change it? Kim is imprinting his own style on Burnley, and I think that’s really cool. I’m honestly looking forward to seeing what Burnley will look like in the second half of the season.”

And finally, expressing expectations for Burnley and Burnley’s new manager.

Inside the club bus on the way back, Hyungmin, who confirmed online that he had been completely outmaneuvered by Liverpool and their manager except for the game result, tried to soothe the bitter feeling of defeat.