Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 28

28: Burnley’s Onslaught

Southampton match, 17 minutes into the first half.

Before Burnley’s players could even calm down from the excitement of their recent goal, Southampton launched a swift counterattack, scoring to equalize.

As if following manager Ralph Hasenhüttl’s instructions, Southampton’s center-back, Mohammed Salisu, delivered a long pass to right midfielder Stuart Armstrong, who had drifted into a central position.

Armstrong then bypassed Burnley’s captain, Ben Mee, with a long pass to Nathan Tella, who was sprinting forward.

“Ah… !”

Hyungmin exclaimed, impressed by the cleanly executed counterattack.

Southampton’s young prospect, facing Burnley’s goalkeeper, Nick Pope, in a one-on-one situation, seized the opportunity and curled a shot to Pope’s right as he advanced.

The shot count stood at 13 to 2, with 6 to 1 shots on target.

Despite being under immense pressure in the away game, Southampton was demonstrating efficient play.

[Chris Wood’s shot!]

[Ah, what a pity! Southampton’s goalkeeper, Fraser Forster, makes a great save!]

The commentator’s excitement was echoed by the analyst.

[Chris Wood raises a hand to apologize to his teammates, but he’s already preparing to disrupt the goalkeeper’s build-up play instead of retreating outside the penalty box.]

[The rest of Burnley’s players are also pressing Southampton’s players. Although they conceded an equalizer, they are clearly determined to extend their lead, not just protect a draw!]

Hyungmin frowned, dissatisfied as Burnley’s players began to show signs of strain.

And finally, halftime arrived.

Despite a fierce attack until the two minutes of added time declared by the fourth official, Burnley’s players, unable to breach Southampton’s goal, headed to the home team’s locker room, visibly frustrated.

Hyungmin shared their frustration, but Burnley’s young manager decided to address it from a different angle.

“There’s no need to rush! Why are you rushing?! We’re winning anyway!”

Hyungmin, addressing the team gathered in the locker room, encouraged the players who were looking at him.

“Right now, Southampton isn’t aiming for just 1 point from this away game. If the second half ends like this, they get 0 points, and we get 3 points. I’ll say it again: don’t rush.”

As the players nodded, Ben Mee, feeling responsible for the conceded goal in the first half, raised his hand, looking dissatisfied.

“But it’s only a one-goal difference. I don’t want to concede the equalizing goal.”

“Believe in yourselves. You conceded one goal? Then go out and score three more! Southampton only recorded 2 shots in the entire first half, with only 1 shot on target. Sure, it was a clean counterattack, but there’s no need to doubt our overall game.”

The team nodded at the manager’s calm but confident words.

Hyungmin, watching the players’ faces regain their composure, felt relieved, though cold sweat trickled down his back.

After halftime, the game resumed with Burnley’s kickoff.

Watching the game unfold, Burnley’s captain, Ben Mee, continued to reflect.

When did it start?

Desperate defense, and more defense.

From there, long balls forward and scoring through counterattacks.

For the past 6 seasons, being content with draws as excellent results and occasional victories.

He had grown accustomed to the past 3 months of aiming for victory in every game, and the manager apologizing if they drew against a top-tier team.

Perhaps he had become complacent, immersed in this new reality.

Was he wrong to think that taking second place in the league, surpassing top clubs like Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham, was solely due to his skill?

He might have foolishly believed that he no longer needed to put in a desperate effort in every game.

He doesn’t possess the innate talent of Hannibal Mejbri, Karim Adeyemi, or even Burnley’s youth academy ace, Dwight McNeil.

But there is something only he can do at Burnley right now, and now was the time to do it.

“Focus!”

Encouraging teammates and urging on lagging players is the responsibility that comes with the armband on his arm.

“Let’s push!”

His mission is to defend firmly and create opportunities for attack.

Ben Mee threw himself to intercept Southampton’s attack, which aimed to exploit the space behind with a sudden long pass.

At the last moment, he slightly turned his head and headed the pass to his teammate, James Tarkowski, his long-time partner in central defense.

His partner, who had contributed to building Burnley’s solid defense this season, did not disappoint.

James Tarkowski evaded Southampton’s attacker, Che Adams, who was pressing forward with a high line, and connected the ball with a short pass to defensive midfielder Nicolas Seiwald, who was approaching.

The young Austrian midfielder, skilled at winning, protecting, and redistributing the ball, easily fended off Southampton’s Nathan Tella, who was charging from behind, with a body check, spreading both arms.

“Niki!”

The shout came from Karim Adeyemi, his teammate and friend since their RB Salzburg [Red Bull Salzburg, an Austrian football club] days, who had crossed the halfway line to support him.

Still easily holding off Nathan Tella with his broad back and strong arms, Nicolas Seiwald slightly turned his body to the left and passed the ball back to Karim Adeyemi with another short pass.

Just before receiving the ball, Karim Adeyemi lifted his head to assess his surroundings and made eye contact with Burnley’s midfielder, Hannibal Mejbri, who was nearby.

Hannibal Mejbri nodded almost imperceptibly, and before Karim Adeyemi even controlled the ball, he turned and sprinted towards Southampton’s goal at full speed.

He saw Southampton’s Mohammed Salisu, Jan Bednarek, and Kyle Walker-Peters forming a straight defensive line to catch him offside.

With each step, the line drew closer, and at the precise moment when one more step would trigger the assistant referee’s flag, Karim Adeyemi, who had come to see him as a teammate (though not a friend) after initially disliking him for blocking him even while shivering in the town of Burnley, shouted as he struck the ball hard, fulfilling his expectations.

“Hannibal!”

The ball flew past his left shoulder towards the opponent’s goal at high speed.

Vowing to explain how to execute a proper long pass next time, Hannibal chased the ball at the same speed he was running.

Southampton’s goalkeeper, Fraser Forster, was already rushing out to intercept him.

He could hear the heavy breathing of Southampton’s center-back, Mohammed Salisu, who was sprinting towards him from behind.

And he instinctively knew that Southampton’s Jan Bednarek and Kyle Walker-Peters, whose offside trap had been broken, were racing back to the goal to cover the space left by the goalkeeper.

The speed of the ball, his own speed, and the movements of the opposing players were all mapped and calculated in his head.

Considering everything, he would be blocked if he touched the ball more than three times.

Hannibal first slightly increased his speed, exceeding the ball’s velocity, and then, only when he was close enough to see the color of Southampton’s goalkeeper Fraser Forster’s pupils as he lunged towards him, did he gently nudge the ball to the right.

The ball and the opposing player slid in opposite directions on the smooth grass, and Hannibal himself leaped over the outstretched body of the giant goalkeeper at the same speed he was running.

Now, the ball was rolling towards the goal, veering away from between the goalposts, and the opposing goalkeeper was desperately scrambling on the ground, trying to block the space between the ball and the goal.

All that remained was a split-second and a single touch.

The goal was barely visible, but Hannibal trusted his instincts and threw himself forward.

A powerful shot, curling the ball slightly with his right foot as he fell to the side.

Along with the sight of the side net of the goal rippling, Hannibal, spinning and sliding on the grass, heard a deafening roar.

It was the moment when Burnley re-established their commanding lead at home.

“Goal! Burnley’s third goal! 50 minutes into the second half! The number 26 who illuminates the Claret [Burnley’s team color], that name is~!”

“Hannibal Mejbri!!!”

Hannibal, rising to his feet towards the crowd chanting his name at the announcer’s call, spread his arms and savored the moment.

He almost stumbled forward, staggering under the weight of a teammate who jumped on his back from behind, but when he realized who the protagonist of the cheers echoing from above was, he lowered his arms and decided to simply carry him.

Yeah, you probably want to experience this kind of cheer from the fans at least once…

“Uwaaaaa!!! My assist is the best!”

“No, it’s not!”

I should just throw him to the ground.

It was my brilliance that salvaged your terrible long pass!

While Karim Adeyemi and Hannibal Mejbri were once again bickering amidst Burnley’s celebrating players, Hyungmin and Arthur hugged each other, celebrating in the technical area.

“Yes! We did it!”

Over Arthur’s shoulder, who was as happy as a child, he saw the grim faces of Southampton’s players and the determined expression of manager Ralph Hasenhüttl, who was trying to encourage them.

There were 40 minutes left.

The score was 3 to 1.

But now the momentum had completely shifted to Burnley’s side.

As Burnley’s center-back, Ben Mee, along with his partner James Tarkowski, sharply intercepted all of Southampton’s attack attempts from the back, Burnley’s players, sensing victory, launched a relentless assault on Southampton’s goal.

Eventually, in the 54th minute of the second half.

Southampton’s goalkeeper, Fraser Forster, made a good save on Chris Wood’s header from a corner kick, but Dwight McNeil, who was waiting nearby, slotted in the rebound for another goal.

And again in the 61st minute of the second half.

This time, Chris Wood, receiving a cross from Karim Adeyemi, who had broken through on the right, finally succeeded in scoring, breaching goalkeeper Fraser Forster’s valiant defense.

Burnley, who had scored 3 goals in 16 minutes since the start of the second half, completely overwhelmed Southampton.

Since the launch of the Premier League, Burnley had never scored 5 goals at their home ground, Turf Moor.

Overwhelmed by the sight of their team displaying overwhelming firepower and dominating their opponents, Burnley’s home fans stomped their feet so hard that Turf Moor seemed to tremble and sang their cheering song at the top of their lungs.

“No one likes us”

“We don’t care”

“We are Burnley”

“Super Burnley”

“We are Burnley”

“From the Moor”