Chapter 216 – Castle Lord (1)
216
Hong Min-joon’s move to Newcastle caused a lot of controversy in Korea.
—Ah, what Newcastle is this?
—Hwang Yoo Gaji tttt
—They’re just making a fuss about transfer rumorshaha
-What? Gakkuljam Molkanga… ? Isn’t Hong Min-joon a good player as we think?
—If a player worth 100 million euros is not a good player, then who is a good player?
How thrilled I was to read an article about starting negotiations with a number of prestigious clubs that are considered so-called big clubs. Even if it was one or two clubs.
Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Bayern Munich, Juventus and even Real Madrid.
All of them are big clubs with outstanding name values and a strong fan base in Korea.
However, Hong Min-jun’s choice was Newcastle, which no one expected.
—Real oil money is so fucking fuckinghaha
—Hong Min-joon I’m disappointed… I’m only 22 years old, but I’m already looking for money and moving.
—ㄹㅇ That bastard has the highest scorer in his career in the Bundesliga
After the photo wearing the number 7 uniform was released on Newcastle’s official website, the initial reaction to the official article poured out like a beehive.
However, as a few days passed, netizens who escaped from disappointment accepted Hong Min-joon’s transfer more calmly through interviews with officials and expert analysis.
—But Newcastle wasn’t sold again?
ㄴㅇㅇ It’s sold in Dubai.
Is Dubai the UAE? It’s oil money
No, Dubai does not have oil.
—Looking at the recruiting process, Newcastle is the best? Besides, when did they come up like this?;;
—Newcastle is now a warehouse of promising playershahaLet’s advance to the Champions League with fucking little kids
—From the interview with the general manager, he said he would make Hong Min-joon the core of Newcastle’s future project?
ㄴI used to spend money when it was owned by Saudi Arabia, but now the owner is a kid who spends money bit by bithahaBut did you invest 100 million euros? Of course, Hong Min-joon rated it so highly.
— Confident statement) Come to think of it, Newcastle isn’t bad
ㄴI agree lol The Newcastle squad is so young right now, but their skills are good. Hong Min-joon seems to eat the locker room leader and carry it
Little by little, positive public opinion is forming, but doubts still persist.
—But how many days are left until the opening day?
Germinate in a few days
ㄴ Seventeen left?
You?
— Let’s keep an eye on it
—I believe in Minjoon
—I don’t know if it’s a fuckin’ thinghahaI think I’ll be the EPL’s top scorer
—Fuck you, if you’re good at it, you’ll win the Ballon d’Or.
ㄴIt’s crazy, I can’t recognize your name at all now you;
Now people’s eyes turned to the opening match.
* * *
It was on August 11th that I officially joined the Newcastle squad.
The contract was signed on August 10th, and the transfer was over, but I had to wait another day because I needed approval from the EPL secretariat.
At the Newcastle’s urging, the secretariat’s approval came out in one day, and I was finally able to join the squad.
The day that is exactly one month from July 11, when the Newcastle squad started their pre-season.
And it was the day of the final evaluation match of the pre-season.
Although I joined the squad, I had to do physical training while the other players practiced.
The first thing to do is to heat up the body that has been stretched out from rest and build stamina to endure the season.
It was a harsh schedule in which the other players had to catch up in a short period of time with the stamina they had built step by step over the past month…
“I’ve been steadily building my body in preparation for the season during my vacation, so I’m moving on.”
I passed coolly.
Why? Because I have a status window.
The biggest advantage of the status window is that you can objectively grasp your skills and increase your abilities with points.
However, the part that I feel the most is managing my condition.
There are stats written on the status window, but there is no way the stats will jump around depending on the condition?
Thanks to this, unless I have to roll my body for a while, my condition is generally close to the best, and my performance has always been steady.
And this kind of consistency is one of the most necessary virtues for a player who spends a long season.
So… When everyone else was training hard, I took a break and joined in, so I’m already in a physical state that’s close to perfection. Enough to run the game right now.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t play the last game of the pre-season.
Because others don’t know the status window.
Unfortunately, I had no choice but to sit on the bench and watch my new teammates play… Well, this wasn’t bad either.
How to accurately know the skills of colleagues only with videos or reports.
As a player, you also need to watch the game.
When you intuition like this, you can see the team’s tactical concept, the manager’s philosophy, and the general skills and play style of the players.
‘It’s been so long since I haven’t played, my body is already itching just watching me. Ah~ I want to play.’
Still, it’s a pity that I’m just watching it like this.
It’s the last game of the pre-season. But what…
‘I’d rather be fine. To make an impact from the first match, the first match must be an official match.’
The opening game is a home game, so what can I do if I show it in my debut game?
The game was over when I was thinking about what kind of ceremony I would do if I scored the first goal.
It’s an evaluation match, but if you win the game, you’ll feel good.
The players, who were intoxicated with the atmosphere and smiling broadly, came rushing towards me.
“Red! How was this game? Was I okay?”
“The defenders are out. Hong, did you see my move? Wasn’t the movement to dig into the space a little nice? I analyzed a lot while watching the video of your game, how is it, is it a bit similar?”
As soon as the game was over, I looked at me with sparkling eyes like children who gathered around me on the bench and were looking for candy.
It’s only like this that I’m like a superstar.
… Not a superstar, but a second grader.
In fact, it wasn’t like this from the beginning.
Of course, there was a guy who idolized me from the start, but that’s why he’s weird.
No matter how great my recent performance is, I am only a 22-year-old player in my 3rd year as a pro.
How many fluke players have been shining for a short period of time. Not to mention a player who has been active in the Bundesliga for a year to an EPL player who prides himself on being the best in another league, not to mention.
But that all changed when I started training in earnest.
It is impossible not to know when I see my skills in training or practice matches with my own two eyes.
Oh, this player is real. He’s really good at it What a wall! … Do it
Is it because they are players who have been recruited by Newcastle in their early teens, or at least in their late teens, and have grown up by staying in the dormitory for several years. Players in their early and mid-twenties who were purer than their peers were immediately fascinated by my skills.
During the recruitment meeting, it felt like the president had easily achieved from the beginning the ‘center of the team’, the premise of the ‘center of the Newcastle dynasty’ that he wanted.
The few senior players in the squad are only in their late 20s, and captain Baum Johan, the only field player in his 30s, was only happy to see this, so it was so easy to take over the squad.
Well… It’s been a while since I came to Newcastle, but so far I’m satisfied.
The five days flew by.
Newcastle’s first game is against Leicester City at home on August 15th.
It is today.
“This is the start of the season we have been waiting for. Thank you everyone for coming along to the pre-season training. Last season we proved our potential by finishing 4th. You’ve made it to the Champions League too. We are young Jimmy!”
“Yep?”
“How old are you?”
“I’m 22 years old!”
“Henry! You?”
“I’m 21 years old!”
“Okay. We are young! I will continue to grow and grow! We have developed Compared to last year, it’s definitely stronger. Since we placed 4th last year, will we be able to use it this time as well if we aim for 4th place? Our goal is… It is a win.”
A team that is quiet.
And the gaze of the director standing alone is directed to me. At the same time, the eyes of the players are focused on me.
Suddenly, the memory of meeting with the manager right after the transfer came to mind.
“Thank you for choosing us. You could have chosen a more prestigious club.”
“I was drawn to the vision of the club. Building a Newcastle dynasty.”
“A man.”
“A man.”
After an exchange of heartwarming laughter,
“Of course, it would be to build a dynasty centered on you, right?”
“Absolutely.”
He confidently answered the director’s question after grasping his intentions.
“It’s not like I wanted you. Skill? Of course, excellent skills are fundamental. Your goal productivity is insane! But more than anything, what we need on our team is your clutch abilities. That clutch play you show whenever you need it!”
The director exclaimed passionately as if he were eloquent.
“When the team needs it! When it’s hard! The ability to make you expect to do something! As you know, our team has only captain Baum Johan in his 30s besides the goalkeeper. And although the captain is sincere, it is not enough to be the center of the team.”
Certainly, Baum Johann is an unfortunate player in many ways to take the captaincy.
Sincere, but that’s it. It is not enough to have leadership, and it is unfortunate to lead with skill.
“We need the kind of image you showed in Frankfurt and with the Korean national team. Leadership that mobilizes, motivates, and mobilizes the will. And that clutch play that always results when the team needs it.”
It is probably no coincidence that the words of the director, who showed trust enough to feel burdened during the first meeting, came to mind.
I am not a player who is under pressure. Rather a person who enjoys
“When I first moved to Frankfurt, the team was struggling in the second division. We got Frankfurt promoted from the former Second Division, put them in the race for the title and helped them win the Europa League.”
The players who did not respond to the coach’s declaration aiming for the championship focus.
“How about Newcastle? Last season without me, Newcastle finished 4th in the league. And now? I am Hong Min-joon. Our goal is, of course, to win.”
And even the Champions League.
I swallowed the words behind me.
Yet… Because the league is still enough.