Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 160

The Arrogant Genius Striker – Episode 160 (160/202)

-Ronaldo Sends Support to Man U Ahead of West Ham Match… But Sounds Like Bragging? “I Can’t Imagine Losing to West Ham When I Played.”

└Ronaldo *hyung* [Korean honorific term for older brother or respected male figure] has the right to say that. 인정 (Acknowledged)

└When are you talking about? 20 years ago?

└Fact) Ronaldo led Man U to 3 league titles, an FA Cup, and a Champions League win during his time.

└What about the 21/22 season?

└That wasn’t Man U then, was it? It was MangU [a derogatory term for Man U, implying they are failing].

└Indeed, Man U disbanded in 2013 and MangU was founded ㅜㅜ [Korean emoticon representing tears]

└That Ronaldo is feeling inferior ㅋㅋ [Korean emoticon for laughter] Why does he keep mentioning it?

└Inferiority? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Why would a 5-time Ballon d’Or winner feel inferior to a 1-time winner?

└Info) Johan’s highest league goal record is 59 goals, far surpassing Ronaldo’s best. In the Champions League, he has 16 goals by the round of 16, on the verge of breaking Ronaldo’s record.

└Yeah, 5 Ballon d’Ors and 5 Champions League wins ㅋㅋ

└Yeah, if Ronaldo played now, he’d have 0 Ballon d’Ors ㅋㅋ If Messi was there too, he’d be third ㅋㅋ

└So, who would you want to be if you were reborn?

└Johan ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Shearer Says 17-Year-Old Johan Surpasses Ronaldo if He Wins the League… Ronaldo Angrily Snipes Back on SNS: “I’m Already a 7-Time League Winner… Even if He Wins, It Won’t Change Anything.”

└How old is he, still acting like a kid…

└So, should he just stay still when someone talks nonsense?

└What’s nonsense? It’s a fact that Johan surpassed Ronaldo.

└Yeah, 0 league wins vs. 7 league wins ㅋㅋ

└Bringing up cumulative stats to a 17-year-old in his second season ㅋㅋㅋ So how many wins did Ronaldo have in his second year?

└They know they’re lacking in pure skill themselves ㅋㅋㅋ

└Why leave out the Euro win? Ronaldo barely managed a Euro win after 16 years as a pro, and he did it in his 2nd year ㅋㅋ

└Johan even got the MVP from the group stage to the final in every game.

-Ronaldo Unhappy: “Don’t Compare Him to Me. I’m the Greatest of All Time, He’s Just a Rookie Starting His Career.”

└You started the comparison first ;;

└You’re the greatest of all time, but why do you have fewer Ballon d’Ors than Messi who played in the same era? 호북공정 ㅅㅂ (Ho Buk Gong Jung – a Korean internet slang for unfair treatment towards Ronaldo)

└Greatest of all time, but not the greatest of the era ㅋㅋ Just a walking contradiction, King God-du!

└Now he’s feeling rivalry not only with Messi but also with someone young enough to be his son… Pathetic

└That competitive spirit is what made Ronaldo the greatest of all time?

└So, if you had to put either Ronaldo or Johan at the top, who would you choose?

└Even Ronaldo Jr. would pick Johan ㅇㅇ [Korean abbreviation for ‘yes, yes’]

└Johan is already this good in his second season, Ronaldo’s all-time ranking will drop by one later ㅜㅜ

As the match between Man U and West Ham approached, Ronaldo’s personal SNS [Social Networking Service] caught fire.

Ronaldo’s targeting, which began when Johan scored his 16th goal in the Champions League round of 16, intensified even more ahead of this game, where the outcome could determine the fate of the championship.

In fact, no fans were comparing Johan to Ronaldo and diminishing Ronaldo’s status.

Ronaldo’s achievements over 20 years were undeniably great, and Johan was just a young player who had begun to make a name for himself in the soccer world.

It was rather peers or competitors in the same position, such as Fernando Viega of Real Madrid or Granach of Man City, who were often compared to Johan and talked about among people.

However, Ronaldo, whose records were in danger of being broken, needlessly stepped forward, putting himself on the scales.

People began to compare Johan and Ronaldo, and the fans’ debate seemed like it wouldn’t stop until the end of the Man U vs. West Ham game.

Of course, Ronaldo’s SNS as well.

Therefore, this game inevitably began to receive even more attention from fans.

If West Ham beats Man U, they can get not just one step, but two steps closer to winning the league.

If Johan leads West Ham to win the league, it would be a truly great achievement, and Johan’s status would skyrocket.

Ronaldo was a man who had a huge number of fans and a huge number of anti-fans at the same time, both now and in the past.

Many fans want Man U to stop West Ham and protect Ronaldo’s status, and many anti-fans want Johan to crush Man U and break Ronaldo’s pride.

Who will be the one laughing after this showdown?

It was a moment where attention was focused on the outcome.

*

Man U’s manager, Jeroen Hauer, was a bit perplexed.

At this point ahead of the most important match of the season, the showdown with West Ham.

Manager Hauer was preparing for the game quite sensitively.

To such Manager Hauer, a request came in that several outside figures wanted to observe the training.

To be honest, it’s a bit ambiguous to call them outside figures, but those who wanted to observe were the club’s legends.

Manager Hauer had initially refused.

Because the reason why they wanted to observe the training was obvious.

It’s more like meddling than observing.

The current team is a team that he is managing entirely on his own.

No one could come and tell him what to do.

Even if they were the legends of this team.

So, he had refused.

However, he had no choice but to raise both hands to the front’s strong persuasion [meaning he had to give in to the club’s management].

And, now.

Manager Hauer is sighing as he watches the legend, that person, giving a long speech to the players.

‘What is this for?’

Manager Hauer, wearing a cynical smile.

There is a reason why many managers avoid the position of commander of this Man U team.

This team is too popular, and thanks to that, there are too many people who want to act like nagging mothers-in-law.

Because there was such a long period when they were so successful, there are enough legends to make two squads just by gathering them.

It’s headache-inducing enough even if those legends say just one word each, but they also come out all the time and try to control the team.

The Man U fronts [referring to the club’s management] had contacted Hauer, saying they wanted a manager with a firm philosophy and backbone who wouldn’t be swayed by that.

But, isn’t it funny that they, who had said that, allowed that person to come into the training ground, saying it wasn’t a difficult task?

‘If you have so much affection for this team, you should be the manager yourself.’

Manager Hauer sighs as he looks at Ronaldo, who is spitting while passionately explaining why they must win the West Ham game.

Anyone can see why that person is acting like that.

Is it really because he wants Man U to win?

No.

He must be scared that his status will fall.

That Johan will destroy those things.

‘I don’t like it.’

Hauer is someone who thinks Johan is the best player in the world.

No, perhaps he was someone who thought that Johan was the best of all time in terms of attacking ability.

Because Manager Hauer’s reason for taking the position at Man U in the first place was that he wanted to see Johan play for longer.

So, Hauer didn’t like Ronaldo.

But what can he do?

Although he doesn’t want it, he must try to protect Ronaldo’s status in this game.

He can’t let West Ham win the championship.

He must win no matter what.

If Johan plays for just one more year, he will far surpass Ronaldo.

Hauer wanted to see that.

So, he had to win.

‘···Go away, now.’

But geez, you talk so much.

I’ll take care of it, so please go now.

Yes?

ㆍㆍㆍ

The game started in a heated atmosphere.

Looking back at the Round 8 game held at Old Trafford, Man U had memories of embarrassing West Ham with strong pressure and physical play centered on young players.

Today, Man U’s starting lineup is the same.

The way they play the game seems similar as well.

From the start, they were showing that they would go up with strong forward pressure and harass West Ham’s rear.

However, there is a difference.

Today is the Round 28 game of the league.

Over the past 27 rounds, the young Man U players have gained experience.

The current Man U, where Manager Hauer’s system has been perfectly established, is definitely different from the Round 8 game in terms of tactical completeness.

Man U takes the first shot of the game.

After finishing the attack with a shot like that, the Man U players quickly returned to their own camp.

Therefore, when Hurichel, the keeper, tried to start the build-up again with a short pass instead of a long kick, the Man U players who had returned quickly came up again and started to put pressure on.

Man U’s pressing with tremendous energy levels.

West Ham’s start was not smooth.

*

“That’s right! Push them harder!”

In a top-class hotel in England.

Ronaldo is watching the live broadcast of the Man U vs. West Ham game on a large TV screen.

In the early stages of the game, Man U was playing well.

Thanks to that, Johan’s appearance had not been seen even after 10 minutes had passed, and Ronaldo’s mood was very pleased.

“Good. How dare you…”

Ronaldo takes a moment to grab his cell phone.

He uploads a photo to his SNS account.

A selfie of himself spending a leisurely time in the hotel swimming pool he rented out.

And he writes a phrase.

-A relaxing weekend with my beloved family.

He posted it as if it were now, but it was actually a photo taken yesterday.

After finishing the upload, Ronaldo started to focus on the TV screen again.

‘Ignorant things,’ he thought.

How dare they try to compare that kid to himself.

He is the greatest player of all time.

“Do you think winning the league is easy?”

If you want to be compared to him, you should at least win the league.

But that won’t be easy.

Winning the league is something that heaven gives.

You must have heroic qualities.

Like himself.

“If you can’t perform in games like this, you’re not qualified.”

Ronaldo smiles triumphantly at Johan’s appearance, which is still not visible on camera.

Man U is doing very well.

Commendable guys.

I think it was a good idea to visit the training ground.

His advice, as the greatest player of all time, must have been very helpful.

“I think I should have a drink.”

Ronaldo, feeling good, headed to the kitchen.

Then he came back to the TV with a glass of top-quality whiskey.

But.

“…”

Ronaldo’s brow furrowed.

What? What is it?

What happened in that short time he was in the kitchen?

Why is the score on the broadcast screen changed?

15:28

MU 0 – 1 WHU

And why is the camera focused on that guy?

Johan, who is doing a relaxed celebration, and the commentator, who is making a fuss.

“···Foda-se!” [Portuguese curse word meaning “fuck”]

Ronaldo threw the remote control.