Lazy Genius Striker [EN]: Chapter 72

< Cozy Winter - 071 >

The 2027 schedule concluded with the game on December 27th, and while the transfer market opened with the new year, the league season continued without a break.

West Ham’s next game was on January 2nd, following a brief 5-day respite.

Their opponent was Leicester City.

For Yohan, they were an opponent associated with unpleasant memories.

West Ham had previously faced Leicester City at the King Power Stadium in the 6th round, resulting in a 1-1 draw.

In that game, Yohan was heavily marked by Leicester’s defense, managing only one assist and failing to score.

The only two games that season where Yohan played but didn’t score were this one and the Burnley game.

The Burnley game was understandable, as he prioritized assists due to the double assist event [an event where players get rewarded for multiple assists in a game].

The Leicester City game, however, was purely due to being shut down by their strong defense.

Leicester City was the first team to deny Yohan a goal.

Therefore, Yohan’s mindset going into the second game against Leicester City was markedly different.

This time, he was determined to overcome them with everything he had.

Jenkinson played a crucial supporting role for Yohan.

Jenkinson seemed more confident in his crosses, not only penetrating deep into the side to deliver them but also attempting early crosses.

As the saying goes, late bloomers are scary. Perhaps he was overconfident at times, occasionally giving up possession due to excessive crossing.

But with more attempts, the number of successful crosses inevitably increased.

Yohan scored an early goal, beginning to make amends for the previous round’s frustration.

However, Leicester City didn’t concede easily.

With their entire attack possessing quick feet, Leicester City continued to threaten West Ham with counter-attacks, just as in the previous round.

Knowing that West Ham’s fullbacks would inevitably push high, Leicester City employed direct football with quick transitions through the sides and precise crosses.

Leicester demonstrated their potential by scoring an equalizer just 10 minutes after conceding.

As the commentator noted, the absence of Gordon in midfield, a player who could hold the center, contributed to the instability.

During defense, the line control is managed by goalkeeper Hurrichel and center-back Lucas Simone.

However, when both fullbacks push high…

It’s natural that the keeper or center-backs can’t effectively cover them in such situations.

Originally, captain Gordon played that role, but without Gordon, West Ham was showing some vulnerability.

Indeed, West Ham’s squad is young, even somewhat immature.

Starting with Yohan, who holds the record for the youngest goal scorer, and including Jacob Buckley, Jonathan Nathan, and other players.

West Ham’s average age is among the youngest in the Premier League [PL].

Perhaps that’s why the team tends to get caught up in the momentum of the game.

Of course, when things are going well, they ride that wave and can even beat Manchester City.

But they lack the consistent, solid performance of teams with experienced veterans who can control the game’s tempo.

It’s not for nothing that they’ve conceded 29 goals in 22 rounds.

It’s not solely due to a lack of defensive ability.

Anyway, the game remained tense until the final whistle because Leicester City’s counter-attacks were fast and incisive.

But West Ham ultimately secured the victory.

Because they had a striker who could score two goals for every one they conceded.

Yohan scored two goals, successfully releasing his frustration from the previous game, and with those two goals, West Ham managed to beat Leicester 3-2.

Also,

With the two goals he scored that day,

Yohan reached the 40-goal mark in the league, etching a new chapter in history.

Not 40 goals in the season, but 40 goals in the league alone.

Yohan became the first player to reach the 40-goal mark, a feat no one had ever achieved before.

And that was with 15 games still remaining.

“That’s a real striker! Nothing else matters. Strikers speak with goals!”

“40 goals. I never thought I’d see such a record in my lifetime. And it’s even a player from our team.”

“How many goals did Messi score in the league when he scored the most goals?”

“50 goals. In the league alone.”

“Yeah, let’s break that record too!”

“No, not just that. Let’s break the 100-year-old record too! Let’s get over 60 goals!”

Premier League New Record

Yohan Van

40 GOALS!

The screens at the London Stadium were filled with congratulatory messages celebrating Yohan’s 40 goals, and the home fans erupted in applause and cheers.

“Hey, what happens to our team if Capello comes here?”

“If Capello comes, it’s game over [meaning it will be a huge improvement]. He’s a guy who can control the midfield. The 불안한 [uneasy] feeling like today will disappear.”

“I’ve been looking up his games since the link came out. He’s good. A twenty-year-old controlling the game like he’s thirty.”

The fans, who were in a great mood, naturally started talking about Capello.

Capello was a hot topic for all the fans.

In fact, West Ham fans had never experienced this before.

The situation where a highly sought-after player, pursued by many teams, is linked to their club.

At least not in the last 10 years.

Every time, they’ve been anxious about their key players being linked to other big clubs.

So, the fans were relishing the moment.

Even though they didn’t necessarily believe the transfer would materialize.

“Let’s not get our hopes up too high. He’s probably going to Juventus anyway, right?”

“It’s just fun. When else would we get excited about something like this?”

“Haha. That’s true. We should feel like a big club at times like this.”

“It would be really nice if he came, though.”

“But when you think about it, there’s no reason for him not to come, right? Why, that guy was saying so much. He wants to test his talent.”

“Then there’s no better place than our team. If you’re a man, don’t go to a greenhouse like Juventus, come to the wilderness itself, West Ham, and prove it! Capello!”

“Hahaha!”

The fans left the stadium, chatting happily and boisterously.

But, among them,

A young man wearing a hat pulled low smiled as he listened to their conversation.

ㆍㆍㆍ

“I’m really going crazy. What should I do?”

Lohan is suffering, buried under his blanket.

He clenches his teeth and grips his pillow tightly, but he can’t bear it. He feels itchy all over.

It was because of the news he had just received from a front office staff member he works with.

Unbelievable news.

He asked if it was real several times, and he received confirmation each time.

It was news that would astonish everyone.

But he couldn’t reveal it because it was embargoed [officially suppressed or kept secret].

That’s why he’s going crazy.

He wants to tell someone, but he can’t.

It’s news that people would be incredibly happy to hear!

“Ugh… I can’t do this. It’s okay as long as I don’t say it directly, right?”

After agonizing for a while, Lohan couldn’t resist and sat down at his desk and opened his laptop.

Then, he accessed Hammers.com and started writing.

Title: I think it’s okay to look forward to it.

Romance, challenge.

The genius of Florence has decided to join the Golden Boy.

“Hoo.”

Lohan sighed after leaving a short message.

Lohan realized this time that he couldn’t keep the secret any longer.

He felt relieved after posting a message like this.

“…Hehehe.”

A smile crept across his face.

Soon, Lohan was jumping around the room.

“Wow, I still can’t believe it. Is our team changing this much?”

He really couldn’t believe it.

Bringing him in.

West Ham winning the recruitment competition against countless big clubs!

Lohan, who had been a fan for a long time and loved West Ham more than anyone else,

It’s not that he didn’t have any complaints about the team. Rather, he sometimes criticized them more because he loved them.

One of them was that they didn’t make aggressive signings.

The mindset of prioritizing academy players rather than signing famous players for a lot of money.

It is true that West Ham’s academy is of a high standard, but it was also true that they were too passive in signing players. It’s not like they don’t have money.

But that club has changed.

“Dongsaeng [term of endearment for a younger brother or friend], how can you change the team like this? 응 [a Korean interjection, like ‘huh’ or ‘right’]?”

Lohan felt like he was going crazy with love for Yohan.

According to what he heard from the staff, this signing was successful thanks to Yohan.

That player rejected offers from other clubs and joined hands with West Ham because he wanted to work with Yohan.

Also,

Basically, the reason why West Ham made such an aggressive signing was also because of Yohan.

Because Yohan awakened the team’s ambition.

The ambition that they can reach higher places with this player, and that they can write a new history with this player.

West Ham was willing to transform into a team that matched Yohan.

This signing would be the beginning.

Now, instead of being a team that is satisfied with the mid-table, they will be reborn as a team that threatens the Big 6 [the top six teams in the Premier League].

“Yohan, the team thinks of you like this. So, let’s play happy football for a long time. Yohan Jongshin [meaning ‘Yohan forever’ or ‘Yohan is the best’]!”

Lohan punched the air and sat back down at his laptop.

Then he started looking at people’s reactions.

Lohan was a user with top credibility on Hammers.com, so there were already nearly 100 comments on the post Lohan left.

└If it’s the genius of Florence, is it ‘that guy’?

└ㄷㄷㄷ [Korean abbreviation for ‘덜덜덜’, meaning trembling] Is he really coming?

└Wow, he’s a real man ㅇㅈ [Korean abbreviation for 인정, meaning ‘ 인정’ or ‘acknowledged’]

└Sibal [Korean swear word]! Take off your pants and scream!

└New slave is here lololol

└Get ready to die when you come lololol You’re sentenced to start every game

└He has an eye for teams. It’s a competition for starting positions if you go to Juventus, but if you come here, you’ll be the starter and Yohan will make 20 assists!

└It’s not fun if you go to a team that always wins lol

└It’s going to be so funny to think about that guy being dumbfounded when he sees that Jenkinson has 5 assists lololol

└He just passes, but the assists come in!?

└Did you want to be the assist king?

└What if his passing ability deteriorates later?

└It’s okay even if it deteriorates lololol Be an assist civil servant

└Wow, I’m already looking forward to it ㄷㄷ The Caban line to follow the Jeto line and Sonke line ㄷㄷ

└Isn’t Cayo line a better feeling?

└I feel good, but let’s not get too excited. He’s not proven yet

└Sibal I’m just going to get excited today. Let’s advance to the Champions League this time and win the Champions League next year!

└Seriously possible

└Let’s go Hammers!!!

└This winter is so warm… Is this global warming?

└If you see someone taking off their shirt and cheering at the next game, know that it’s me

└Are you a woman?

└Would I be a woman?

└I’m a man

└Ah Sibal.

└I like it even more

└You get out

“Hehehe.”

Lohan couldn’t help but laugh.

He wasn’t envious of other big clubs today.

We were the big club.