Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 204

204: Short of a Title Challenge

[…Wouldn’t you say the most exciting part of this season is that we don’t know what will happen?]

Late night.

The news was over, and even the sports programs had wrapped up their highlights and key stories of the day.

A soccer analysis show was dissecting recent events with its panel.

The main topic, reignited and analyzed by every program in England since early February, was the Premier League title race.

[…Honestly, I thought Liverpool would run away with the title this season, but it’s been quite unexpected.]

The panelist, his hair starting to gray, pointed out.

Having gained fame as a player and then as a manager before retiring to become a pundit, he wasn’t known for flashy rhetoric or charisma. However, his calm and collected analysis earned him high praise from knowledgeable fans, boosting the show’s credibility.

[…Of course, I expected Manchester City to go through a period of adjustment after Pep Guardiola stepped down. Luis Enrique is a good manager, but when you take over a team that’s been led by a manager with such a distinct style for so long, it’s inevitable that it will take time to adjust, especially in a new league.]

[…Well, Manchester City’s slump… it’s almost embarrassing to call third place a slump, but since everyone seems to think of it that way, let’s just call it a slump.]

The veteran panelist was followed by a younger, former player.

Though his playing career wasn’t particularly glamorous and he lacked managerial or coaching experience, he was popular with fans for his flamboyant speech and demeanor, as well as his coolness that rivaled the veteran.

The young panelist chuckled self-deprecatingly before continuing.

[…Anyway, for the past few seasons, the Premier League title race has been a two-horse race between Manchester City and Liverpool. When Thomas Tuchel took over Chelsea and won the Champions League in just half a season, everyone expected Chelsea to turn it into a three-way battle again, but…]

Against all expectations, Thomas Tuchel was sacked the following season due to poor performance, and Chelsea was constantly changing managers, with the Todd Boehly era spiraling into a disaster.

[…Actually, ever since Antonio Conte led Chelsea to a surprise title in the 2016/17 season, Manchester City and Liverpool have dominated the title race.]

The host chimed in, just as a graphic was displayed on the screen.

[…Let’s see… Manchester City won back-to-back titles from the 2017/18 season, and then Liverpool finally won their long-awaited first Premier League title in the 2019/20 season. Manchester City again in the 2020/21 season, and then Liverpool with another two-peat from the 2021/22 season…]

Only these two teams were realistically challenging for the Premier League title, leaving the others far behind, and the phenomenon of the title being decided through their fierce competition repeated itself.

[…But this season, a completely unexpected team has joined the title race.]

The league standings for each round of the 2023/24 season appeared on the screen.

Liverpool, who had taken the lead with a five-game winning streak at the start of the season, and Burnley, who were stuck in 20th place with a five-game losing streak.

However, as each round passed, Burnley began to climb rapidly while Liverpool maintained their lead.

They climbed the standings in almost every round, and by the 16th round, they had finally reached second place.

Manchester City, Tottenham, and Chelsea, who had been relatively sluggish at the start of the season, secured their places from 3rd to 5th, but the gap between the top two teams and the next group continued to widen.

[…Honestly, I thought Liverpool would just take the title because Burnley had been so terrible against them since last season.]

The veteran panelist spoke seriously as he watched the screen.

[…Their head-to-head record last season was…]

The young panelist kindly provided the numbers to the veteran panelist, who was trying to recall.

[…Liverpool had the advantage with 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss last season.]

[…That’s right. And if you include the UEFA Super Cup this season, Liverpool had won all four matches against them by the end of January.]

[…To be honest, before February 2024, Burnley’s manager, Hyungmin Kim, had only won twice against Liverpool.]

The host interjected, and both panelists nodded.

[…One of those times was in the Premier League match in the 2021/22 season, when Hyungmin Kim first took charge. I still remember it. I thought that was the moment Liverpool, who were in a fierce title race with Manchester City, would stumble against Burnley and lose the title.]

The veteran panelist shook his head as the young panelist confessed honestly.

[…Everyone thought so at the time. I certainly did. Who would have known that Burnley would beat Manchester City in the final game of the season?]

[…Thinking about it that way, it seems like Hyungmin Kim had a good record against Manchester City?]

At the young panelist’s question, both panelists turned to the host at the same time.

As the host was slightly flustered by the sudden question, the staff frantically searched for data backstage and displayed the head-to-head record on the screen.

[…Ah, it’s on the screen now. Hmm… this is better than I thought?]

With 5 wins and 3 losses in a total of 8 matches, his win rate was 62.5%.

Even more impressive, in the first 7 matches, he had 4 wins against Pep Guardiola from the 2021/22 season to the 2022/23 season.

[…I don’t think there are many managers who can say they have a head-to-head record of over 50% against Pep Guardiola?]

The veteran panelist chuckled at the young panelist’s comment.

[…We’ll run out of breath if we keep talking about Hyungmin Kim’s abilities. Honestly, if he had the financial backing of Manchester City or one of the so-called Big Six (the six wealthiest and most successful clubs in the Premier League), his head-to-head record might be even better.]

[…Well, he led Burnley to European competition and won the Europa League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup. I think it’s fair to say he’s one of the most successful managers in Europe since the 2020s.]

The veteran panelist scoffed at the young panelist’s statement.

[…That’s why I kept saying that Hyungmin Kim should have won Manager of the Year last season…]

[…Haha, let’s not talk about that. To be honest, Jurgen Klopp was fully deserving as well! He won the Premier League and the Champions League.]

The veteran panelist clicked his tongue at the host’s remark.

[…Everyone would say that leading Liverpool to a double and leading Burnley to a Europa League and Carabao Cup double are completely different in terms of difficulty! Everyone gave too much weight to winning the Premier League… tsk.]

The other two people in the studio chuckled at the veteran panelist’s words, who was now retired but had once been a colleague of other managers.

Everyone vividly remembered how indignant he had been in the studio when the Manager of the Year results were announced last May.

[…If you say that, Jurgen Klopp, who won the Premier League in the 2021/22 season and still gave the Manager of the Year trophy to Hyungmin Kim, might feel slighted?]

The veteran panelist waved his hand at the young panelist, who was grinning as he pointed out.

[…Nah, Jurgen isn’t that petty. And he probably admits it too? Burnley’s situation at that time was really… really…]

The host interjected at the veteran panelist’s inability to continue.

[…Honestly, it was miserable. Sean Dyche resigned, and the club went bankrupt. An owner who knew nothing about soccer and a rookie manager leading the first team for the first time.]

The three people who remembered that time all shook their heads.

Now, Burnley has become a tricky opponent that all teams in the Premier League want to avoid, but at that time, the managers and teams facing Burnley were desperate to get 3 points.

Hyungmin Kim’s achievements with Burnley, which delivered a strong shock that shattered everyone’s expectations, were clearly etched in everyone’s minds, even more so than Jurgen Klopp’s achievements with Liverpool, who had won the Premier League, allowing him to win the Manager of the Year double.

[…Anyway, the real issue is this season.]

The host, returning to the original topic, refocused the two panelists.

[…Easily defeating Ajax in the Champions League round of 16 isn’t surprising, but the pace that both teams are showing in the Premier League is truly astonishing.]

With 29 rounds of the Premier League completed, Burnley has 72 points with 24 wins and 5 losses.

Liverpool, who have also played 29 games, have 77 points with 25 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses.

Burnley barely managed to win once against Liverpool, but even though the gap in points had narrowed from 8 to 5, the distance still seemed far.

[…Liverpool took the first step towards the quadruple (winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup in a single season) that was expected before the season started by lifting the Carabao Cup, but honestly, they are at great risk of being pushed back if they make even a slight mistake.]

Both panelists nodded at the host’s words.

Knocking Burnley out of the FA Cup in the first game of the two-game series was a good result for Liverpool, but what if they lost to Burnley in the Premier League 24th round that followed immediately after?

It’s still okay for now, but if they accumulate one or two more mistakes, they could end up trading the FA Cup trophy for the Premier League title.

Moreover, Burnley has been winning every Premier League game since September, after their five-game losing streak ended.

[…Liverpool must be very nervous. The title race this season is unfolding in an atmosphere that doesn’t allow for even one mistake.]

[…From Jurgen Klopp’s perspective, the 2 points they missed by drawing against Everton in the first half of the season must be very regrettable. Honestly, they can afford to draw against Manchester City or lose narrowly in the away game against Tottenham, but Everton…]

The young panelist nodded in agreement with the veteran panelist’s point.

In particular, the Everton game was a painful point for Liverpool supporters.

Everton, who spent the 2022/23 season in the Championship (the second division of English football) hell and returned to the Premier League in the 2023/24 season, were barely avoiding relegation, hovering around 15th-17th place, but they came at Liverpool with their eyes blazing in the Merseyside derby (the local derby match between Liverpool and Everton).

As a result, Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, where injuries were rampant during the game, lashed out at Everton’s Frank Lampard and the Everton players, but at least the Everton fans were elated, treating the draw against the defending champions as a victory.

[…What do you think will happen in the future?]

At the host’s question, the two panelists looked at each other.

[…Honestly, I don’t think Burnley can maintain their Champions League and Premier League title challenges at the same time.]

The veteran panelist honestly expressed his feelings.

[…I’ve become a self-proclaimed fan of Burnley and Hyungmin Kim, but their squad is too thin and lacks experience. Of course, it’s amazing that they’ve come this far, and I think they’ll easily beat Ajax, so they’ll make it to the quarterfinals against either AC Milan or Athletic Madrid.]

[…I agree. In fact, the odds for Burnley to reach the semifinals are skyrocketing among bookmakers.]

The host laughed and asked at the young panelist’s addition.

[…Then shouldn’t we bet on Burnley reaching the semifinals instead? The payout will be generous.]

[…Well, that’s true, but…]

While everyone was laughing, unable to openly talk about gambling, the host asked in a slightly more serious voice.

[…Then is it possible for them to win the Premier League? Liverpool has to compete in the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup at the same time.]

As the two panelists checked each other’s faces again, this time the young panelist answered the host’s question.

[…To be honest, it doesn’t seem easy for them to compete for the Premier League title.]

[…But what if, by any chance, Burnley lifts the Premier League trophy?]

The veteran panelist interjected at the host’s mischievous question.

[…Then Hyungmin Kim should definitely be the Manager of the Year this season!]