Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 30

30. Burnley’s Onslaught

Whether it was a trick by the Premier League secretariat or a prank by the goddess of fortune…

Occasionally, league matches and cup games are scheduled back-to-back like this, creating a double-header.

Usually, teams play each other once in the first half of the season and once in the second half, so there are often significant changes in each team’s condition compared to the previous match.

This is due to the accumulation of fatigue or injuries among key players, or because existing tactics are exposed as the season progresses, prompting the manager to change tactics from the previous encounter.

However, Tottenham and Burnley had just competed against each other at this very location a mere three days prior.

After a whopping 5-goal slugfest (though Burnley might see it as a one-sided beating), much to the dismay and anger of both managers, providing joy to the home and neutral fans.

Without enough time to properly grasp and analyze each other’s tactical weaknesses, the two managers decided to ignore their opponents and focus solely on their own team’s tactics.

Perhaps because both managers had repeatedly emphasized their tactics to their players, the Carabao Cup Round of 16 match between Burnley and Tottenham, fielding mostly reserve players, turned into a tedious game with alternating attacks.

Conte’s Tottenham diligently launched attacks, but their offensive opportunities were often squandered due to the players’ lack of coordination in their partial tactics.

Hyungmin’s Burnley struggled to convert their already limited quantity and quality of chances created by their reserve players into final shots.

Ultimately, the dull match, with neither side scoring a single goal in 90 minutes, went to a penalty shootout.

As the once-famous English national team striker Gary Lineker said:

“Football is a sport where 22 people chase a ball for 90 minutes, and in the end, Germany wins.”

It was a remark made with a sense of resignation by the tactical striker, who had lost to Germany in penalty shootouts in the semi-finals of both the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1996.

It was an expression of how, in a contest between professional players who do nothing but kick a ball for a living, penalty shootouts are more influenced by mental strength and concentration than by skill or anything else (and a lament for the composure of the Germans).

And although there were no German teams on the field that day, the goddess of fortune began to play tricks with the atmosphere.

The first kick was a showdown between the central strikers of both teams.

Tottenham’s central striker, Harry Kane, stepped up to the penalty spot and took a deep breath.

Burnley’s goalkeeper, Nick Pope, waved his long arms up and down to distract his national teammate.

With the home fans holding their breath and the away fans making as much noise as possible, Tottenham’s youth academy ace approached the ball and unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot.

“Aaaaargh!!!”

And to the shock of the home fans and his teammates, he sent the ball flying over the goal.

Could it be that the Burnley manager’s resentment from the previous game was lingering in the goal?

It was the start of a nightmarish penalty shootout for Tottenham, initiated by a missed penalty from their ace, who rarely misses such opportunities.

Burnley’s first kicker, Ashley Barnes, scored.

Tottenham’s second kicker, Lucas Moura, also scored.

Burnley’s second kicker, Josh Brownhill, scored as well.

As they took turns scoring, Tottenham’s third kicker, Ben Davies, prepared for his turn.

Basically, the highest probability of scoring a penalty kick is by aiming for the top corners of the goal, and if you’re not confident in that, the next highest probability is by aiming for the bottom corners.

Perhaps he was bothered by the fact that Tottenham’s first kicker, Harry Kane, had aimed for the top right corner and missed.

The Tottenham center-back aimed for the bottom left corner with his favored left foot.

And the ball hit the left goalpost and bounced out, causing the home fans to groan and clutch their heads.

As Burnley’s third kicker, Hannibal Mejbri, confidently scored, Tottenham’s fourth kicker, Ryan Sessegnon, faced a situation where a miss would mean defeat for Tottenham.

The young Tottenham wing-back aimed for the left goalpost, just like Ben Davies, but this time, fortunately, the ball went inside the goalpost and scored.

However, Burnley’s fourth kicker, Maxwel Cornet, lightly poked his penalty kick under Tottenham’s goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, ending the shootout before it even reached five players, with Burnley winning due to Tottenham’s two misses.

“Uwaaaaaaa!”

Against the backdrop of Burnley’s players celebrating Maxwel Cornet and Tottenham’s players looking dejected, Burnley’s young manager made up for the defeat three days ago and shook hands with the renowned Italian manager who approached him.

Of course, the silent exchange of glances between the two football-crazed men, which had been going on since the last game, continued.

Alright, I’ll let you off the hook this time.

Oh, really? Then give me back my Premier League points.

No way.

They didn’t say a word, but the two football-crazed managers were strangely communicating through their eyes alone.

“What are you doing? Just staring at each other? You’re going to burn holes in each other,” Arthur said to Hyungmin, disgusted, as the two turned away.

“Can’t you hear it? Conte’s heart?”

“Hey, are you okay? Should I ask Simon to take a look at you?”

Arthur looked at the manager with a dumbfounded expression and prepared to call the team doctor.

***

Burnley, who suffered a blow in their previous away game against Tottenham, are proudly in second place in the Premier League with 7 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in 9 games.

After a good performance last season, finishing 6th, they were looking to continue their winning streak from the Carabao Cup by welcoming West Ham, who had been struggling early in the season and had fallen to 9th place, to their home ground.

23rd minute of the first half.

With their formation generally pushed back, West Ham’s center-back Kurt Zouma sent a long pass forward for a counterattack, which Burnley’s captain Ben Mee easily intercepted.

As the West Ham players quickly retreated to avoid giving up space, the Burnley players began to prepare to break down West Ham’s formation with concise triangular passes.

“Brownie!”

First, Ben Mee passed to central midfielder Josh Brownhill, who was waiting just past the halfway line.

“Dwight!”

Recognizing West Ham’s attacking midfielder Nikola Vlasic rushing to block him, Josh Brownhill passed to Burnley’s left forward Dwight McNeil, who was making an infiltrating movement on the left.

As if already well aware of Burnley’s pattern, West Ham’s central midfielder Declan Rice and right-back Vladimir Coufal surrounded McNeil.

“Charlie!”

McNeil didn’t hesitate to pass the ball to Burnley’s left-back Charlie Taylor, who was chasing up from behind, and Taylor passed it back to Josh Brownhill, who was waiting in the center, continuing the triangle of passes.

“Ben!”

Josh Brownhill, still being closely marked by Nikola Vlasic, sent a back pass to center-back Ben Mee, who was waiting in the defensive line.

Finally, Nikola Vlasic, who had been clinging to Josh Brownhill like a leech, took the bait and rushed towards him, Ben Mee passed the ball back to Brownhill.

Josh Brownhill passed it back to left-back Charlie Taylor, who had come closer again, and Charlie Taylor passed it back to Ben Mee, who had started to move up slightly from the defensive line.

Unable to steal the ball, West Ham’s formation gradually began to tilt, as if being sucked into a black hole, towards the ball being passed back and forth on the left side.

Now, Burnley’s defensive midfielder, Nicolas Seiwald, joined the feast of passes taking place on the left, with as many as five Burnley players submitting their invitations to the party.

Nicolas Seiwald’s addition created another triangle that Burnley could utilize.

From center-back Ben Mee to central midfielder Josh Brownhill.

“Nicky!”

From Josh Brownhill to defensive midfielder Nicolas Seiwald.

Back from Nicolas Seiwald to center-back Ben Mee.

While passing the ball back and forth between Burnley’s players, ignoring the West Ham players, West Ham’s formation unknowingly advanced several meters towards Burnley’s goal.

With the eyes of all the opposing players fixed on the left side of Burnley’s formation.

The opportunity that Burnley had been waiting for finally arrived, as they patiently dragged West Ham’s formation for 13 passes.

“Hannibal!”

Nicolas Seiwald sent a pass to Hannibal Mejbri, who was waiting on the right side, in one swift motion.

A pass that instantly neutralized the seven West Ham players who were unknowingly leaning towards the right.

Hannibal, who received the ball freely, immediately sent a long pass that landed right in front of the feet of Burnley’s right forward, Karim Adeyemi, who had started to penetrate forward even before he received the ball.

A perfect pass that required no adjustment to the running speed or angle.

“Karim!”

“Stop him!!!”

Amidst Hannibal’s triumphant shout and the West Ham defenders’ terrified screams.

Karim Adeyemi, Manchester United’s promising talent and Burnley’s loanee [player on loan], followed the ball sent to his feet as if lecturing on how to pass.

West Ham’s goalkeeper, Alphonse Areola, was desperately rushing out to block him.

Karim Adeyemi softly pushed the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal, avoiding the tall goalkeeper.

“Goal! Burnley’s first goal! Number 17, shining in claret [dark red], Karim Adeyemi~!”

As the announcer’s shout mixed with the cheers of the crowd, who were excited by the beautiful football they had just witnessed, those watching on TV could hear the commentators’ astonished exclamations.

[Did you all see that?!]

[15! Burnley’s ability to break down West Ham’s solid defense through a sequence of 15 passes!]

[Ah, it’s truly beautiful! Burnley, who had previously relied solely on quick counterattacks as their only means of attack, now opens the scoring with an attractive passing play!]

[After exchanging 1 win and 1 loss with Tottenham in the last 2 games, Burnley’s manager Kim is adding a new tactical formation to Burnley as if he had been waiting for this moment!]

As his teammates rushed to congratulate Karim Adeyemi, who was celebrating the goal with somersaults, Hannibal Mejbri folded his arms in the center of the field.

“Hmph, that’s how you pass.”

A hard object struck the back of Hannibal’s head as he was praising himself.

“Hey, stop doing useless things and hurry up and congratulate him!”

It was Burnley’s mainstay and model citizen, Nicolas Seiwald.

Forced to be dragged away by Nicolas Seiwald, a smile appeared on Hannibal’s face as well.

Without imagining the trials that lay ahead.