Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 94

“Welcome! Welcome to the Jungle!”

“Kim’s got fun and games!”

“Kim’s got everything you want, honey!”

“Kim knows the names!”

“In the jungle, welcome to the jungle!”

“Watch it bring you to your shaking knees!”

(From Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle”)

Though the Newcastle home fans’ shouts and chants were louder, Burnley’s away fans desperately raised their voices, determined not to be outdone.

A chant for their manager, filled with the earnest hope that he would deliver another miraculous season.

“Hoo…”

Amidst the shouts and chants echoing through St. James’ Park, Benyamin Šeško took a deep breath, the ball at his feet.

Having decided to become a professional soccer player, he moved to Austria’s RB Salzburg youth team at the young age of 14, amidst expectations that he would become the next great striker for the Slovenian national team.

Then, after a loan spell at FC Liefering in the Austrian second division, he established himself as a key player in RB Salzburg’s first team last season.

After scoring 14 goals in 17 games in one season, Burnley, which had taken the Premier League by storm last season with RB Salzburg alumni as its core, made an offer.

The youth team coach he had known since his days at RB Salzburg was the manager, and Nicolas Seiwald and Karim Adeyemi, who had been with him at RB Salzburg’s youth team or FC Liefering, were also at Burnley.

He hadn’t expected Luka Sučić to join Burnley as well, but coming to Burnley, which belonged to the world’s best Premier League—a dream for any professional soccer player—wasn’t a difficult choice.

And today.

In the Premier League opener, the manager chose him as a starter, ahead of veteran striker Wout Weghorst, who had been a starter last season.

Of course, this decision fully reflected tactical reasons rather than a pure difference in skill, and the manager himself gave detailed explanations to both him and Wout Weghorst.

Anyway, the moment the referee’s whistle blows, while looking at his wristwatch and communicating with the assistant referees and the fourth official via a miniature receiver, one of his goals of playing in the Premier League would be achieved.

Beeeep!

With the referee’s whistle, the shouts of the crowd faded from his mind, and the shouts of his teammates surrounding him began to be heard clearly.

“Alright, let’s go!!”

Encouragement from the captain, James Tarkowski.

“No need to be nervous. Let’s go beat them up!!”

Karim Adeyemi’s confident taunt.

“Everyone, focus!!”

Nicolas Seiwald’s weighty instruction to focus on the game.

“Haa…!”

This time, Benyamin Šeško unknowingly took a deep breath he had been holding in and took the first kick of the opening game for Burnley Football Club in the 2022/23 season, which would later be nicknamed ‘Burnley Kindergarten.’

Both Burnley and Newcastle had significantly reorganized their squads during this summer transfer window.

Manager Eddie Howe placed Newcastle’s new signings from last season and this season, mainly, in his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation.

Martin Dúbravka, the Slovakian national team goalkeeper who is entering his sixth season at Newcastle, is one of the few players from the existing Newcastle team who is considered to be of a level befitting a true Premier League top team.

The four defenders are, from the right, Kieran Trippier, Diego Carlos, Nicolás Otamendi, and Philipp Max.

In central midfield are Franck Kessié and Bruno Guimarães.

Callum Wilson is at the forefront, with Oscar, Ryan Gravenberch, and Allan Saint-Maximin in the second line, from the right.

The squad had been significantly reorganized, with goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka being the only player who had been at Newcastle two seasons ago.

Facing them, Burnley’s 4-3-3 formation has Nick Pope guarding the goal, with the defense consisting of, from the right, Guglielmo Vicario, James Tarkowski, Abdou Diallo, and Jamal Lewis.

In midfield, Nicolas Seiwald firmly protects the rear, while Sebastian Szymański plays the role of penetrating alongside Nico González, who is in charge of passing.

The attack is led by Benyamin Šeško as the central striker, with Karim Adeyemi on the right and Dwight McNeil on the left.

A whopping seven players are making their Premier League debut today across both teams.

A whopping ten players are making their debut for their respective teams.

Thanks to this, the beginning of the game was a period of exploration and adaptation for the newly signed players.

It was the away team, Burnley, that first broke the tense balance between the two teams.

“Nico!”

“I know! Get ready, Karim!”

“Dwight!”

While Burnley players shouted the names of their teammates from all directions, confusing the Newcastle defense, Burnley’s central striker Benyamin Šeško moved up and down, targeting Newcastle’s central defender Nicolás Otamendi’s slow feet, disrupting Newcastle’s defensive line.

Benyamin Šeško’s starting appearance, who is fast and agile, was a surprising tactical move for the Newcastle defense, which had expected the powerful but slow Wout Weghorst from last season.

In addition, Karim Adeyemi and Dwight McNeil, who had worked together last season, and Nico González and Nicolas Seiwald, quickly integrated with Benyamin Šeško and Sebastian Szymański.

In particular, Sebastian Szymański, who is adapting to a completely new system unlike Benyamin Šeško, who was trained in the Red Bull system, had moments where their teamwork was off.

However, in terms of overall movement, penetration, and passing ability, he is one step more mature and experienced than Hannibal Mejbri and Jacob Ramsey, who were the main players last season.

“Nico, to me!”

As central striker Benyamin Šeško dragged down Newcastle’s central defenders, Sebastian Szymański penetrated the empty space in the penalty box, calling out loudly to Nico González, who was in charge of the attack from midfield.

Whether Nico González, who has the ball, gives him a pass, or he becomes a decoy and creates space for another player, either way is fine.

Newcastle’s goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka pointed and urgently called out to the defense as Burnley’s young midfielder charged into the penalty box with two choices that he absolutely couldn’t lose.

“Block him! Number 8!”

“Bruno! No!”

Newcastle’s new midfielder Franck Kessié urgently called out the name of his midfield partner, who was running at full speed, but it was already too late.

In the defensive tactics set by manager Eddie Howe, the two central midfielders were to support Kieran Trippier and Philipp Max, who were guarding the left and right flanks, respectively.

It is Ryan Gravenberch, who started as an attacking midfielder, who should be supporting the central defense.

The key is for the young Dutch genius, who is good at both attack and defense at the highest level and is familiar with all midfield positions, to fill the defensive gaps with his tireless activity.

However, the Brazilian midfielder, in his haste, forgot his mission and followed Burnley’s Sebastian Szymański, who was penetrating into the penalty box along with Ryan Gravenberch, who was running from the opposite side.

Sebastian Szymański, who suddenly succeeded in attracting two opposing midfielders, subtly moved to the left, further disrupting the Newcastle defense.

Franck Kessié is in a situation where he is checking Burnley’s left winger Dwight McNeil in cooperation with Newcastle’s right defender Kieran Trippier, as originally agreed.

Four Newcastle players are glued to Burnley’s Dwight McNeil and Sebastian Szymański.

“Watch the back! He’s cutting in!”

Manager Eddie Howe’s shout, sensing the crisis from the home team’s technical area, echoed loudly through the stadium, but it was already too late.

While the right side of Newcastle’s penalty box was instantly saturated with six players, on the opposite side, Burnley’s right winger Karim Adeyemi succeeded in creating a 1-on-1 situation against Newcastle’s new left defender Philipp Max in two movements of cutting in and out.

“Nico!!”

“I know, I know.”

Despite Karim Adeyemi’s shout as he accelerated instantly and desperately chased after Philipp Max, Nico González, who was coordinating the Burnley attack, answered calmly, even leisurely.

In his head, he calculates the speed at which Karim Adeyemi is running at full speed, the movement of players in the penalty box, and the position of the Newcastle goal.

“It’s about here.”

The shooting angle is such that if he swings his left foot at the same speed he is running, it will bury the ball in the upper left corner of the Newcastle goal.

The low and fast pass that Nico González kicked accurately reached Karim Adeyemi’s feet, and Karim Adeyemi swung his sharp left foot as it was, without unnecessary touch, in accordance with the unspoken request sent by his teammate.

“Uwaaaa!!!”

While Newcastle’s goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka was frozen, unable to even reach out his hand, the ball, which flew in a straight line, powerfully passed through the goal along with the shouts of the away fans, as if trying to pierce the goal net.

In the 18th minute of the first half, Burnley took the lead by scoring the first goal with ease.

“Okay, everyone, sit down and listen!”

Half time.

In the away team’s locker room, where sweat from responding to Newcastle’s fierce offensive to make up for the first conceded goal was forming water vapor, Hyungmin shouted at his players.

While quenching their thirst with drinks and catching their breath, the Burnley players watched their young manager intently.

“First of all, the first goal scene was great. Benyamin, Sebastian, Nico, Karim, you all did well!”

At first glance, it may seem that Karim Adeyemi received Nico González’s fantastic pass and scored a goal, but in reality, it was based on the dedicated movements of other players who disrupted the opposing defense quite elaborately.

Hyungmin, who praised the players who properly executed the elaborate offensive tactics designed by Carolina, tapped the tactical board with one hand.

“First of all, since Newcastle’s organization is not well-established, they will not use dramatic tactical changes or substitution cards in the second half. However, what we need to prepare for is that Ryan Gravenberch may come down from the current 4-2-3-1 formation or change the midfielder to strengthen the defense by changing to a 4-3-3 formation.”

On the tactical board, Newcastle’s marker, which was in the attacking midfield position, was moved below the two central midfielders.

“In this case, the way we respond will not change significantly, but if a defensive midfielder sticks to Nico, please be more careful when giving the ball to Nico. In our attacking situation, Nicky [Nickname for Nicolas Seiwald] will definitely defend Nico [Nico González].”

The players nodded all at once.

“And as I said before the game, since it’s the opening game and we need to consider the season in terms of physical strength, there will be many substitutions in the attack and midfield. Since up to 5 players can be substituted from this season, even if we don’t use all the substitution cards, about 3 or 4 players can be substituted.”

This time, his expression wasn’t as good as before, but there wasn’t a player who showed dissatisfaction on his face either.

Of course, no player likes to be substituted.

But the season is long, and today is just the opening game.

If they continue to advance in the Europa League, the Burnley first team, which consists of 22 players, may have to play about 50-60 games this season alone.

A schedule that is tight enough that everyone is given enough opportunities to recognize other players as competitors, and furthermore, to need each other.

“Okay, then go out in the second half and crush Newcastle just like in the first half!”