Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 62

< 061 – Golden Boy >

For Manager Schmidt, benching Johann was an unavoidable choice.

Not only Johann, but also Jacob Buckley and Jonathan Naison were resting today.

They had played an away game two days prior.

In that game, Johann played 84 minutes and scored five goals.

Although he understood the behind-the-scenes story, the kid had worked harder than usual in that game.

He even gave him free time to spend with his father after the game.

After that, he was tired and slept all the way back on the bus.

He was already used to regular rest and regular games.

So, I remember the look on his face when he saw the December schedule and was shocked.

Today he was late. He arrived at the stadium in a daze with a swollen face.

It was a good thing I had planned the starting lineup with that in mind, or it would have been a disaster if I had put him in the starting lineup.

Anyway, Manager Schmidt wanted to give Johann a break today, who complained about why he had to come to the stadium just two days after scoring five goals.

If possible. If possible.

But…

“Damn it.”

“You’re just like me, aren’t you, Manager? I can’t stand it either.”

It was too hard to resist the temptation.

It was too hard to just keep Johann sitting on the bench.

It would be different if the game was going well.

No, it would be different if the opponent was a strong team.

It’s driving me crazy to be getting dragged around at home by Brighton.

This is like withdrawal symptoms, and the withdrawal symptoms are coming on strong.

I need to let him rest.

I need to let him rest a little…

However, Manager Schmidt’s patience finally ran out when Brighton scored the first goal.

In the end,

“Keuh!”

Manager Schmidt gave in.

“I can give him a complete rest for the next game, right? Isn’t that right, Jamie?”

“The next game is not easy either. Newcastle, are you sure you’ll be okay without Johann?”

“I don’t know! But that’s an away game. It’s hard to ignore the fans’ voices!”

“Then, I’ll take responsibility. Do as you wish, Manager.”

“Responsibility? What responsibility can you take?”

“…Huh? I wasn’t really thinking deeply, I was just saying it. What can I take responsibility for anyway?”

“Tsk.”

There was no other choice.

I can’t lose to Brighton.

Moreover, it’s a home game and there was an awards ceremony before the game.

Johann received the Golden Boy award [an award given to the best young football player in Europe] in front of these many fans.

But if the team is losing and he’s just sitting on the bench, the fans won’t understand.

So, Manager Schmidt ordered Johann to warm up.

However,

He told him not to warm up in a hurry.

He told him to do it slowly, even slower than usual.

There was a reason for that.

“Everyone is watching that guy instead of the game.”

“So are you.”

“How did you know?”

“Because I’m only watching you.”

“Oh my. My heart is fluttering.”

“…Are you crazy?”

As Coach Jamie said, everyone was focusing on something other than the game.

The spectators were sending applause and cheers to the players who were warming up rather than the ground where the game was in full swing, and the Brighton bench and players were also glancing at that side.

Everyone must be conscious of Johann.

Buckley and Naison, who were lightly running with Johann, could also be aware of those gazes.

“Why is everyone only looking at us? Is it because of me?”

“…That’s not possible.”

“Just kidding, just kidding. It’s all because of this kid. But, it feels good. It feels like we’re on the same level as this guy, doesn’t it?”

“…A little?”

“Hehehe. We’re the core three of West Ham! Anyway, look at them trembling just because he’s warming up.”

That’s the level of presence Johann currently has.

It’s natural since he’s a player who scores goals whenever he plays, and multi-goal games are common.

In addition, the award ceremony held before the game also played a part. The award was even given while the players were lined up.

Players are human, so they couldn’t help but be lost in thought while watching that.

Also, they couldn’t help but be a little intimidated.

So, they can’t help but be conscious of Johann even though he hasn’t entered the ground yet.

Golden Boy, not just any Golden Boy, but a guy who could be a future Ballon d’Or [the most prestigious individual award in football] winner is preparing to enter the game.

That is,

Even though the game atmosphere is very good, it was making the Brighton players feel impatient.

“Jamie, tell Jenkinson to move forward more.”

“Yes. Whee! Jenkinson-!”

Ideally, Johann would turn the game around without even playing.

So, I told him to warm up for now, but it’s still just for show.

I was just aiming for the effect of distracting the surroundings just by having him warm up.

In fact, whether it worked or not, the flow that Brighton was leading is shifting to a 50-50 feeling.

What should I say.

It feels like Brighton is getting impatient.

Of course. No matter how many minutes are left, no matter how many points are behind, Johann is an attacker who can turn the game around.

In addition, it feels like the West Ham players are regaining their focus.

Maybe Captain Gordon encouraged and scolded his teammates.

He shouted fighting, saying let’s not bring in the youngest who needs to rest, let’s do it with our own strength.

Thanks to that,

“Everyone! Come back! Rest again!”

“Phew.”

Coach Jamie is putting Johann and the players, who have only been warming up for about 5 minutes, back on the bench.

It’s really amazing.

Having such a superstar on the team has this effect. He influences the ground even though he hasn’t actually played.

It’s like in baseball, when a great pitcher warms up in the bullpen, the opposing players give up.

In the end, the game for the remaining time flowed evenly.

There were no more goals conceded, and the first half ended with a 0-1 score.

*

The second half started.

During halftime, the West Ham players boosted their morale and went out onto the ground.

Let’s let Johann rest.

Let’s solve it on our own.

The players had benefited greatly from Johann, so the motivation was good.

Thanks to that, unlike the beginning of the first half, the beginning of the second half started with West Ham taking the lead.

In particular, the attacking team that played instead of Johann, Naison, and Buckley started to show enthusiasm.

Jeremy Barton on the left, Shane Coleman on the right, and Nicola Garay in the center.

These three were West Ham’s starters until last season.

However, after Johann’s sudden appearance, they were pushed to the bench as the team was reorganized.

Naturally, these people were not happy with the sudden change.

It’s not pleasant to be pushed from the starting lineup to the bench in an instant.

Moreover, their thoughts became more complicated because the team was flying high and even reached first place after they were pushed to the bench.

Here, players could be divided into two categories.

Accept that it’s right for them to go to the backup for the sake of the team and do their best in the given role.

Or be dissatisfied and not do their best.

Either way, everyone could understand. Even if they were dissatisfied with being on the bench and showed a lack of motivation.

In that sense, Manager Schmidt was grateful to them.

All three of them chose the former instead of the latter.

Of course, the former coaching staff made a lot of efforts to take care of them.

They kept boosting their confidence so that their motivation wouldn’t drop, saying that you are indispensable to the team.

However, no matter how much they did that, it would have been difficult for the players to feel comforted by the fact that they were spending more time on the bench than on the ground.

Still, they accepted it.

That was possible because of Johann.

Because they were the ones who saw Johann’s talent up close.

A talent that they couldn’t help but acknowledge.

Everyone knows. In order for the team to aim higher, Johann must be there.

So, they are also trying to gain strength.

They also want to cherish Johann.

They want to show him that he can rest comfortably without worry, and that he doesn’t have to play in every game.

So, they are trying to run one more step when they have a chance like now.

‘Show them.’

For themselves, and for the team.

Manager Schmidt hoped that they would solve it with their own strength.

However, Brighton’s goal was not easily opened.

If it had been easy, they wouldn’t have rebuilt the team around Johann in the first place.

In the end, Manager Schmidt had no choice but to take out the card again.

Johann started warming up again, and another cheer full of anticipation erupted.

However, unlike the first half, Brighton didn’t show any particular reaction this time.

It seems that they also understood the intentions of this bench.

It’s easy to guess why Johann was left out of the starting lineup in the first place.

It must be because of rest.

Johann is not a player who would be left out for any reason other than rest, whether in terms of skill or tactics.

In other words, Brighton realized that West Ham had no intention of actually putting Johann in, even if he warmed up.

So, Brighton didn’t get impatient.

It seems that they think it’s easy to defend one point in the current situation.

Brighton is further strengthening their defensive posture and starting to block the goal.

“…”

Watching that, Manager Schmidt gritted his teeth and conveyed instructions through Coach Jamie.

And, after a while.

This time, a cheer erupted that they had no choice but to turn their heads to.

As expected, it was because Johann came out to warm up, but this time it was a little different.

Johann, who was wearing a training suit until just now, was now sprinting in a uniform.

Just three times.

Johann, who sprinted back and forth three times over a distance of about 10 meters, nodded to the bench once and stood on the touchline.

Manager Schmidt had drawn his sword.

As soon as Johann actually entered the ground, the Brighton players’ expressions hardened.

Everyone has a bewildered face.

Is he really coming in?

Hey! West Ham manager!

Damn it, this isn’t right!

For Johann, there was a reason to be in a hurry.

Just before being put in, there was a promise from Manager Schmidt.

“If you turn the game around today, I’ll exclude you from the roster for the next game.”

Starting from the bench and being excluded from the roster are worlds apart.

The bench still has to come to the stadium.

It means you have to go to work.

However, if you are excluded from the roster, you don’t have to go to work at all.

This was a world of difference for Johann.

Even Johann can’t miss the game itself, no matter how much he can miss training.

But, even the next game is an away game against Newcastle.

Newcastle’s home stadium is hundreds of kilometers away from home.

So, this is a rare opportunity for Johann.

There is not much time left.

Approximately 15 minutes.

Clearly, 15 minutes is not enough time to score two goals.

However, 15 minutes may have been enough time for Johann.

In the end, it just means that there have to be two chances in 15 minutes.

…No. It’s not.

Maybe 15 minutes is not enough.

Maybe 15 minutes is a long time for Johann.

30 seconds.

It was only 30 seconds.

From the moment Johann was put in, to the moment the equalizer went in.

Johann scored the equalizer with his first shot,

“…”

“…”

Made the Brighton players, who had been given false hope, dumbfounded.

Damn it.

If you were going to do this, you should have just come out from the beginning.

Why did you make us flutter? Why did you give us hope that we could win!

It is said that the most cruel thing is to give and then take away.

The Brighton players lowered their heads.

In other words, as long as Johann is in.

It was the story that Brighton had already lost their will to fight.