Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 70

70: Is April Cruel?

The opponent for Premier League Round 30 is Crystal Palace.

In the first half of the season, Burnley enjoyed a comfortable 3-1 away victory against them.

After veteran manager Roy Hodgson, who was also considered for the Burnley managerial position, announced his retirement at the end of last season,

Crystal Palace’s management appointed Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira as their manager. Vieira had been gaining experience with New York City FC in the American MLS and OGC Nice in the French Ligue 1.

However, things didn’t quite gel, and after a disastrous start of 1 win, 1 draw, and 8 losses in the first 10 Premier League games, Patrick Vieira was sacked on February 12, 2022, following an additional 3 draws and 11 losses in the subsequent 14 games.

The team only managed to secure 7 points in the first 24 games.

Considering that a team typically needs a minimum of 30 points, and ideally 40 points, to avoid relegation in the Premier League, Crystal Palace needed to earn roughly between 23 to 33 points in the remaining 14 games.

While critics and the media were lambasting Crystal Palace’s indecisiveness and delayed decision-making, it was none other than Burnley’s former manager, Sean Dyche, who took the helm in a virtually hopeless situation where relegation seemed inevitable.

Having taken over the team in crisis, he managed to keep their survival hopes alive with 1 win and 5 draws in the first 6 Premier League games.

Against a Burnley side confidently cruising in 6th place in the Premier League, Crystal Palace, led by a Burnley legend, paid a visit.

“Oooo!!!”

Another attack went awry, drawing disappointed gasps from the home fans and sighs of relief from the visiting supporters.

Hannibal Mejbri, making a rare start, was leading the attack with vigor, but the experienced opposing manager, who had long guarded Turf Moor [Burnley’s home stadium], remained unfazed, focusing on a solid defense and repeated counter-attacks.

Even Burnley fans watching seemed to be of two minds; many joined in whenever a chant for Sean Dyche was heard.

“Haa… It’s tough to break through when Sean decides to solidify the defense.”

“Indeed. Moreover, Turf Moor is practically his home ground, so he must feel quite comfortable.”

Arthur replied to Hyungmin, who was standing in the technical area, watching the clock on the scoreboard with a frustrated expression.

Both of them turned their gaze towards Sean Dyche, who looked somewhat out of place in the visiting team’s technical area.

***

Approximately 8 months ago.

Hyungmin, newly appointed as the youth team coach for Burnley Football Club, entered Sean Dyche’s office upon being summoned by the first-team manager who had hired him.

He had heard the news the previous day that the club’s ownership had been transferred from ALK Capital to the American Cartwright Fund, but there had been no official announcement from the club since then.

Expecting an explanation of the situation and a message urging the existing staff not to be shaken, Hyungmin was met with shocking news when he entered Sean Dyche’s office.

“…You’re resigning?!”

“I’m sorry to you… but I’m a bit tired of this situation now.”

He had led the team for the past eight seasons, six of which were in the Premier League.

Considering that there had been two promotions and one relegation during that time, the fact that the owner was being replaced by a new one, along with a virtual bankruptcy, just eight months after the ownership change could be a mentally devastating blow.

“Still, shouldn’t you at least listen to the person in charge of the Cartwright Fund or their opinions…?”

“I feel like leaving now would be less of a disservice to the team. Although we didn’t get to go through the pre-season, there’s still about a week until the opening game, so if they can appoint a manager quickly, the new manager can take charge from at least the second or third game.”

“Ah…”

Hyungmin let out a soft sigh, realizing that the decision had already been made.

“Listening to explanations, expressing my resignation, and then being held back again would all be a waste of time. Mike and John assured me that this wouldn’t happen, but since it is, I can’t trust their words completely.”

“Um… what should I do then?”

Sean Dyche shook his head with a sorry expression at Hyungmin, who looked ready to follow him if necessary.

“Ian and the rest of the coaching staff, as well as friends like Mike Jackson, have all decided to leave together.”

“Then I should…”

“No, I’d feel too bad.”

It would be too harsh to ask him to resign when he had only arrived in Burnley a month ago, abandoning the foundation he had built in Austria, solely on his word.

“You haven’t been here long, and you’re in the youth team, which is separate from the first team, so it’ll be okay for you to stay. If they dismiss you to bring in a completely new staff, you’ll at least be able to receive severance pay… That way, I’ll feel a little less guilty.”

“That’s true.”

Sean Dyche smiled faintly at the expression of the young Asian coach, who didn’t care about money but knew that it was important.

“If you do get dismissed like that, let’s go to the next team together. This time as a first-team coach.”

“I’d like that.”

“Okay. And…”

“Yes?”

“…No, nothing.”

The veteran manager, who couldn’t bring himself to speak until Hyungmin had said his goodbyes and left his office, repeated the words lingering on the tip of his tongue.

Since the club’s coaching staff has been blown apart like this, it would be a good experience if you could manage a game or two as an interim manager… or something like that.

***

Now, the 80th minute of the second half.

Burnley has an overwhelming lead in shots, 15 to Crystal Palace’s 4.

Shots on target are 9 to 1, and even possession is 60 to 40 in favor of Burnley.

However, Burnley is getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of goals, while Crystal Palace is becoming more relaxed.

Bringing in Nico Gonzalez to replace Nicolas Seiwald to enhance creativity in the midfield.

Replacing Wout Weghorst with Jay Rodriguez to reduce the density inside the crowded penalty box.

Even replacing the visibly tired Karim Adeyemi with the energetic Maxwel Cornet, but Crystal Palace remained unmoved, firmly maintaining their 4-4-2 formation.

Crystal Palace solidified their defense with Joachim Andersen, Marc Guéhi, Conor Gallagher, and Jeffrey Schlupp, forming a solid square with two central defenders and two central midfielders straddling the edge of the penalty box.

They only occasionally attempted counter-attacks through Wilfried Zaha, who started as a right midfielder, and forward Jordan Ayew.

Meanwhile, Hannibal Mejbri, the Burnley central midfielder who had been energetic after starting the game but was now breathing heavily after facing a tough opponent, approached Maxwel Cornet, who had been substituted in as a right winger.

“Max, Max!”

“What? Is the manager calling me?”

Maxwel Cornet naturally replied in French to Hannibal Mejbri, who was speaking in French while being mindful of the opposing team’s players.

Hannibal Mejbri, covering his mouth with his hand, asked.

“Has the manager instructed any tactical changes?”

“Nothing special. Actually, there’s not much you can do with tactical changes when they’re defending so compactly. I think he’s expecting us to shake things up with individual tactics?”

Hannibal Mejbri nodded at Maxwel Cornet’s reply.

“Then let’s try this.”

“…?”

If we were to compare Hyungmin’s basic Burnley tactics to a hammer and anvil, the right-wing attack is closer to the anvil [the stable base].

Of course, the variations have become more diverse in the second half of the season as the players have become more familiar with the tactics and technical options like Nico Gonzalez have been added to the midfield, but basically, the key on the right is to continuously introduce players sequentially to increase density.

First, the central striker drops down, drawing out one or more central defenders.

Then, when the right winger penetrates the space vacated by the central striker, the right defender moves up into the space vacated by the right winger.

Finally, Hannibal Mejbri or Jacob Ramsey, who are responsible for penetrating from the central midfield, arrive late in the penalty box with a time difference, receiving a back pass and connecting it with a shot, or connecting the ball to the left, utilizing the opposing team’s attention that is focused on the right.

Of course, due to the nature of professional soccer games, it is normal for the attack to proceed differently in detail depending on the situation, rather than unfolding exactly as planned.

In the big picture, players are sequentially introduced, and the order in which the players are introduced is predetermined.

And Hannibal Mejbri, the Manchester United prospect on loan to Burnley, decided to tamper with that order of introduction in a game where a frustrating stalemate was continuing.

“Huh?!”

Crystal Palace’s young central defender, Joachim Andersen, tilted his head.

Before the game, Sean Dyche’s instructions while analyzing Burnley’s tactics were simple.

Central defenders should not be drawn out by the opposing central striker and should hold their position, and the central midfielders should deal with the opposing central striker’s retreating movements.

It could have been a move that virtually gave up on attacking except for counterattacks, but in reality, Burnley’s central strikers, Wout Weghorst or substitute Jay Rodriguez, were spinning around without making much of an impact inside the square formed by Crystal Palace players in the center of their defensive zone.

Attacks were stalled because the central defenders were not moving easily, and even when Dwight McNeil, Karim Adeyemi, or Maxwel Cornet, the left and right wingers, penetrated, no space was created.

Suddenly, Burnley’s central midfielder, Hannibal Mejbri, stormed into the penalty box.

“Brownhill!”

He even waved his hand at Josh Brownhill, who is in charge of Burnley’s attack development, while standing on the edge of the upper left corner of the penalty box and shouting loudly.

While Crystal Palace’s defenders were briefly confused as to whether this was bait or an actual attempt to develop an attack, Josh Brownhill sent a long pass towards Hannibal.

Hannibal Mejbri, who was looking at the incoming ball with his back to the goal, rotated his body 90 degrees to face the left side of Crystal Palace’s penalty box, and at the same time, suddenly switched to an attacking stance, showcasing exquisite trapping by receiving the ball with his right foot.

“Block him! The curly hair!”

At the direction of Crystal Palace’s goalkeeper Vicente Guaita, Crystal Palace’s defense compressed around Hannibal Mejbri.

While the left and right fullbacks were checking the opposing team’s left and right wingers, Conor Gallagher and Jeffrey Schlupp came down from the midfield, and Joachim Andersen and Marc Guéhi moved up from the central defense, narrowing the gaps between each other.

The path to Crystal Palace’s goal was already blocked by two central defenders.

Hannibal Mejbri tapped the ball and started dribbling at full speed towards Jay Rodriguez, Burnley’s central striker, who was also trapped inside the square.