Became The Premier League’S Youngest Manager [EN]: Chapter 98

98: September’s Fierce Battle

“Steven Gerrard! Steven Gerrard!”

“He ruled Anfield! Steven Gerrard!”

“Take us to glory! Steven Gerrard!”

Hyungmin clicked his tongue at the chant roared by the home fans filling the stadium.

He had been pleased when Tommaso Pobega, starting as one of Burnley’s three midfielders, connected with a smooth pass from Sebastian Szymański to score a fantastic long-range goal in the first half.

But just now, Leon Bailey, who started as Aston Villa’s left-wing attacker, succeeded in scoring the equalizer with brilliant link-up play with Philippe Coutinho and Emiliano Buendía, who formed the second line of attack together.

Although it was gradually improving, Burnley’s defense still wasn’t showing the solidity of last season.

Moreover, despite the equalizing goal in the 78th minute, there was only one reason why Aston Villa fans were chanting the manager’s name.

It was a sign that they were not satisfied with a draw in the home game against Burnley, who had inflicted three humiliating defeats on them last season and prevented Aston Villa from winning the FA Cup.

Aston Villa’s Steven Gerrard seemed to agree, as a large number of substitute players who had been sitting on the home team’s bench rushed out to warm up on the sidelines.

“What are you going to do?”

Carolina, who came out to the technical area and stood with her arms folded, asked Hyungmin, who was hesitating.

At Carolina’s question, Hyungmin glanced back at the bench.

Excluding the goalkeeper and defenders, who would be meaningless substitutions, there were only a few players who could change the game right now.

If he had to pick players who could make appropriate changes to the game without ruining the flow…

“…Take out Sebastian and Benjamin and put in Nico and Wout…?”

Carolina frowned, her golden eyebrows furrowed at the manager’s statement, which was somewhere between an instruction and a question.

“Are you asking for my opinion, or are you ordering a substitution?”

“Um… opinion?”

Carolina sighed at Hyungmin’s ambiguous words, which were unlike his usual self.

“I think it’s too defensive an approach… Whatever it is, decide quickly. We were going to save Nico and Wout for the Europa League, weren’t we?”

Four days ago, in the Carabao Cup Round 3 [a domestic English cup competition], they easily defeated Forest Green, a team from the fourth division, 2-0.

In four days, they would be bringing Sparta Prague, a powerhouse from the Czech League, to Turf Moor for the first leg of the Europa League Group E qualifiers that Burnley was a part of.

In the tightly packed schedule, they prioritized the Premier League and fielded the best possible starting lineup against Aston Villa.

But whether to expect Nico Gonzalez and Wout Weghorst to change the game again.

Or to solidify the defense as it is and hold on for a draw, preserving the fitness of Nico Gonzalez and Wout Weghorst, who had to play in the Europa League.

Hyungmin, who had not been able to decide where to focus between the Premier League and the Europa League even in the coaching staff meeting, continued to hesitate despite Carolina’s urging. Meanwhile, the home team’s technical area, which had made a decision faster than him, became busy, and the fourth official began to prepare the substitution board.

The young player standing on the sidelines, warming up and listening to Steven Gerrard’s final instructions, was a familiar face to Hyungmin and Burnley fans alike.

It was Jacob Ramsey, who had played a key role in Burnley’s FA Cup victory and 6th place finish in the Premier League in the second half of last season.

“Yo, Jacob!”

At the sudden voice of the away team manager calling his name, Jacob Ramsey and Aston Villa’s Steven Gerrard, who was giving him instructions, turned their heads to look at Hyungmin with puzzled expressions.

“Take it easy on us!”

While the fourth official approached the opposing team’s player and manager, who smirked, with the substitution board, Hyungmin quickly whispered to Carolina.

“Substitute them! Both of them. Wout and Nico. Quickly!”

“Okay.”

As Carolina realized that the atmosphere was unusual and hurriedly ran to the bench, Hyungmin bit his lower lip.

He was late to respond because he was hesitating due to concerns about the schedule and priorities.

Leon Bailey, Philippe Coutinho, and Emiliano Buendía, who were forming the second line centered around Aston Villa’s striker Danny Ings, had been attacking Burnley’s defense by freely switching positions throughout the second half.

With the addition of Jacob Ramsey, the number of players directly involved in the attack for Aston Villa would increase to five.

And if Aston Villa’s left and right fullbacks, who had been consistently surging up the flanks throughout the game, joined the attack, it would be a maximum of seven players.

Steven Gerrard’s plan was to pour a total offensive on Burnley by committing seven players to the attack for the last 10 minutes.

It was clear that he was determined not to repeat the mistakes of last season, when he failed to respond to the flow of the game and Burnley’s changes and was dragged along.

In response, Hyungmin tried to solidify the defense further by bringing in Nico Gonzalez instead of Sebastian Szymański.

He also tried to pin back the opposing team’s defense in the penalty box by bringing in Wout Weghorst as the central striker instead of Benjamin Šeško.

It was an unusually defensive response for Hyungmin, and it backfired.

[Ah! Aston Villa! They’re keeping the ball moving without losing it!]

The commentator who was broadcasting the game exclaimed.

“Emi!”

“Here, Philippe! Jacob?”

“Top of the penalty box!”

Except for Danny Ings, the other four players who make up Aston Villa’s five-man attack are excellent in technique and passing skills.

In addition, left-back Lucas Digne, who penetrated the left space left vacant by left-winger Leon Bailey cutting inside, may have questionable defensive abilities, but his technique and passing skills are top-notch, having once played for Barcelona.

As the five players began to exchange passes with determination, the Burnley players, who were exhausted and had dulled organization, quickly tired as they failed to cut off the passes with pressure.

“Organize the line! The line!”

Captain James Tarkowski, who was pushed back to the penalty box line, desperately gave instructions to the defenders to adjust their positions.

“Tommaso! Nico! What are you doing?! Don’t chase the ball, block the path!”

From the sidelines, Hyungmin directed the midfielders to block the path to the goal by any means possible.

However, right-back Guglielmo Vicario, left-back Jamal Lewis, and center-back Anel Ahmedhodžić, who started today, were newly signed this season.

The defense, which had three new players this season, was still caught up in Aston Villa’s brilliant link-up play due to their loose organization, eventually creating a gap.

Aston Villa’s right-winger Emiliano Buendía, attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho, and Jacob Ramsey, who charged up from central midfield, exchanged short, quick passes on the left side of Burnley’s penalty box, pulling Burnley’s defense to the left.

Aston Villa’s right-back Matty Cash was also rushing up to support them.

On the other hand, Burnley’s defense was barely failing to steal the ball.

If only they were a step faster, if only they were a hair closer.

The exquisite movement of Aston Villa’s attack, which pulled Burnley’s defense while walking a tightrope of passing in a narrow space, as if they were about to lose the ball but not quite.

Eventually, not only Burnley’s left-back Jamal Lewis and center-back Anel Ahmedhodžić, but also defensive midfielder Nicolas Seiwald and central midfielder Nico Gonzalez were sucked into that area.

In addition, Aston Villa’s central striker Danny Ings succeeded in tying up the feet of the remaining central defender as he struggled with Burnley’s captain James Tarkowski in the center of the penalty box to secure a good position.

The Aston Villa attack, which disrupted Burnley with precise attacking moves, completed preparations and launched their operation with the appearance of Aston Villa’s left-back Lucas Digne, who charged into the right side of Burnley’s penalty box a beat late as planned.

“Luca!”

With a long shout, Aston Villa’s attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho swung his favored right foot and sent a low, fast pass diagonally across the penalty box.

Guglielmo Vicario, who was guarding the right side of Burnley’s penalty box, was instantly outnumbered 2-on-1 between Aston Villa’s left-winger Leon Bailey and left-back Lucas Digne, who had just joined.

“Oh no!”

As Hyungmin, who was watching anxiously from the technical area, let out a sigh, Lucas Digne, who received the ball sent by Philippe Coutinho near the corner flag, slightly avoided the rushing Guglielmo Vicario and passed the ball again to Leon Bailey, who was penetrating into the penalty box from the side.

“Support him!”

In a desperate moment, James Tarkowski, who had completed his assessment of the situation and made a decision, requested support and abandoned Danny Ings, whom he had been blocking, to run to block Leon Bailey.

Even if he could delay them by just one or two beats, Burnley’s other players could support the defense.

James Tarkowski desperately threw his body, but Leon Bailey, who had already gained momentum, slightly pushed the ball out with the outside of his favored left foot against the opposing defender who was throwing his body, and then pulled it back in, avoiding the sliding tackle.

“Wow!!!”

As Aston Villa’s home fans cheered at the perfectly timed dribble, Burnley’s defense continued to move urgently.

“Anel! Mark number 20!”

Nick Pope, Burnley’s goalkeeper, who was facing a 1-on-1 situation with the opposing attacker who was charging in, pointed to the opposing team’s central striker Danny Ings, who was freely released in the penalty box, to block any possible cutback assist.

At the same time, he took a step towards Leon Bailey, who was dribbling in.

As such, the veteran Burnley goalkeeper spread his arms wide and slightly tilted his body to the right, where a left-footed shot would be fired, in order to narrow the shooting angle of the Jamaican international attacker who was rushing towards him.

Leon Bailey, in the same motion as if he was about to shoot, bent his left foot and sent a cutback pass to the center of the penalty box.

“I’m blocking… Ugh!”

Anel Ahmedhodžić, Burnley’s central defender, who had received Nick Pope’s instructions and was already blocking the space between Aston Villa’s central striker Danny Ings and the goal, screamed at the sight of Danny Ings passing the quickly flying pass straight through his legs.

The place where the ball arrived while continuing to cross the penalty box diagonally was Jacob Ramsey, Aston Villa’s central midfielder, who had calmly found an empty spot in the penalty box and was preparing to support the attack in the meantime.

The young prospect, who had been a key player at Burnley on loan last season, swung his right foot calmly, as if he had not forgotten what he had learned, and shook Burnley’s goal net.

“Ugh!!!”

90th minute of the second half.

Aston Villa’s youth prospect scored a crushing goal against Burnley, who had been tormenting them all of last season.

As Aston Villa’s teammates swarmed the young midfielder, who ran towards the home fans and roared, pounding his chest badge, Hyungmin covered his eyes with one hand and sighed.

“I told you to take it easy on us, you punk. Take it easy.”