Chapter 217 – Castle Lord (2)

217

Leicester City is, in a way, Newcastle’s role model.

It has already been 20 years since they created a sensation in the Premier League and achieved a fairytale-like victory.
Despite numerous hardships, Leicester City, which has never been relegated in 20 years, has become a respectable source of the Premier League.

Very occasionally (once every 10 years) they try to qualify for the Champions League or struggle in the relegation zone, more often but rarely (once every five years) they try to qualify for the Europa League, but most of them aim to qualify for the Conference League. Mid-level club.

There is no fairy tale like 20 years ago anymore, but it is a good enough achievement that it has stably established itself in the middle ranks in the harsh reality. For Newcastle, the pain of relegation to the second division has not yet healed.

And this is on the contrary, in Leicester City’s view, Newcastle still has a lot to learn.

“Our first match of the season is against Newcastle. Luckily, they are the guys who finished 4th last season. They are really lucky guys.”

Leicester City manager Yusuf Barashi said confidently to the squad watching him.

“Luckily, we won the sluggish Liverpool, caught Man City, who was suffering from injuries, and caught Chelsea, who were in the second team, and rose to fourth place. Lucky for you, it was too good. Isn’t it?”

Newcastle’s squad is young.
Young players have relatively high ups and downs in their performance, and when they get on the momentum, they get scared.

Fortunately, Newcastle, which gained momentum by catching Liverpool who was sluggish at the beginning of the first half of last season, even captured Manchester City, which became an injured ward, and Chelsea, which sent the second team to the Champions League cup competition, to rise to the top even for a short time.

Of course, I slipped all the way in the second half when I lost momentum.

“Everyone will remember Newcastle’s ugliness in the second half. The match where we met and couldn’t do anything and lost.”

A game in which four goals were scored against Newcastle, who showed a garbage performance that could not even be compared to the performance of the first half when they rode the momentum.

“Last season Newcastle were 13th. The season before that, they narrowly avoided relegation. You seem to be bragging about being lucky enough to finish 4th last season, but please go out and let us know where this place is. That this is the most intense and high-level EPL in the world.”
“Okay, friends! Let’s go!”
“GO, GO, GO!!”

It didn’t take long for the smile to disappear from the face of Yusuf Barashi, who smiled contentedly as he watched the back of the team full of enthusiasm at the start of the new season.

“… What? Is it a dream?”

* * *

I joined the squad on August 11th, and today, the first match, is August 15th… It’s only 4 days.
Join a new league, a new team, and only 4 days. Isn’t it a short period of time that cannot be melted into the team’s tactics?

In addition, I couldn’t focus solely on tactical training for those 4 days, so I only had a rough understanding of team tactics when I started the opening game against Leicester City.

Roughly, with a certain concept, with a certain direction, I pursue how to move in my position… Degree.
They don’t know the promised pattern play when attacking, partial tactics, or tactics when defending.

No matter how genius I am, in the end, team tactics are a task that requires the understanding of the entire team to share, not just my own understanding, so it absolutely required time.

That’s why I started training with a few simple but powerful patterns—

‘What? What are you guys Did you raise the line?’

Isn’t there a situation that is perfect for one of them?
The coach, who just happened to meet my eyes, gestured at the Leicester camp as if he had read my thoughts and nodded.

‘Okay, I guess I got permission, pass slave… No, it’s perfect if there’s a colleague who can pass it.’

Debut match played at home.
How can I win over the fans at once? I’m in a state of high spirits, but I set the table and feed them? Can’t stand this

“Hey Luke. Let’s try what we practiced before. It’s the combination of my speed and your long passing skills.”
“… It’s lock Can I sing a little bit now? How many times is it already….”
“No, you are Luke. Luke is more catchy than Locke. Somehow, it seems that the luck of the archmage will dwell.”

A rejuvenated archmage with pricked ears and a fluffy tail, this guy with a name that seems to be blessed has a completely different appearance from his cute name.

Like a defensive midfielder, he is 190 cm tall and has muscles wriggling in a combative way. Really, is it ironic?

Anyway, this contradictory guy was the most accurate long passer on the team.
A player who really enjoys technical play.

Apparently, the Leicester guys must have raised the line without knowing my changed speed, but it’s important to snatch just one opportunity to save this opportunity.

After getting hit once, it’s obvious that I’ll drop the line.

“What is it? Can’t you see that empty back space?”
“Ah… !”

I patted the admiring guy on the shoulder and said a word.

“It is the home opener. Let’s present a great scene to Toon Army.”

Newcastle supporters Toon Army packed the over 52,000-seat St James’ Park for the home opener.

I wanted to give a strong impact as it was the first stage in front of Newcastle fans who are famous for being passionate, but the situation is good.

“Red… !”

I wonder if I was moved by the idea of ​​presenting great scenes to the fans.
Lock… No, Luke looks up to me with sparkling innocent eyes. … He’s taller, so he’s looking down at me.

“Anyway, let’s do our best. As soon as you start. Know?”

The coin toss result is our team.
In other words, the plan can be executed at the same time as the start.

We wait for the referee’s whistle while having a snowball fight with the Leicester players who look confident.
And finally—

Beep!!
The first match of the EPL, the debut match, has begun.

Central striker Sakum Shakhi passed the ball straight back.
A short amount of time for the passed ball to reach the feet of the waiting Luke in the 3rd line. In that short time, only 2-3 seconds, I dug into Leicester’s camp.

At first, it was like jogging.
Keeping pace with the others, so the Leicester players don’t notice.

And-
The moment Luke, who was looking at the Leicester camp with the ball under his feet, met his eyes, he ran away.

“Uh huh?”
“Catch!!”

One step, two steps and three steps.
In just 3 steps, it strikes with explosive speed.

The foul of reaching out to grab the uniform out of urgency, the chase after hurriedly turning around, and the movement of trying to block the path with the body in a fright, were only passed away with speed—

‘About this… !’

A strange sound heard through the sharp wind brushing my ears.
Promise through several times of practice, prediction through sensitive hearing, and instinctive feeling, he slightly lifts his foot after striding forward.

Tung!
A familiar feeling on the heel.

Then, catch the ball that falls in front of her feet in line with the speed of running over her head and continue sprinting.
The moment he crosses the boundary line of the penalty box, a strong shot is made towards the goalkeeper.

The ball passed the side of the stiff goalkeeper’s face just as he was running out, and the ball cut through the net.

Debut, debut goal.
Neither his teammates nor his supporters react to what happened at the start of the game, and they run slowly on the ground as if jogging.

As he jogged toward the stands full of home fans, he lightly tapped the logo on his chest.

[Go, goal!! Back number 7 to score debut goal in debut game!! Newcastle’s new hero!! Shinsung from Korea!! Their names are Hong, Min, and Jun!!]

A huge shout erupted at the grandiose cry of the wife Unseo in the hall.

Leicester City didn’t know me too much.
No, maybe vice versa. You may have investigated me too closely.

It would be an insult to Leicester City that the mid-tier EPL club did not analyze the player who transferred for a ransom of 100 million euros.

Leicester City did nothing wrong.
If you really want to find it… Yes, it is because of the analysis of the day of the previous season.

Because this year’s me is so different from last year.

Overwhelming.
Truly an overwhelming prowess to tear up Leicester City’s defense.

When the line is lowered, it becomes a powerful and accurate mid-range shot.

[Hong Min-jun takes over the ball and takes off the pressure with trapping! Shuuuuu as it is!! Goal post!! It hit the goal post!! Hong Min-jun’s menacing mid-range shooting!!]

If you raise the line, it will be insanely fast.

[Pophael Carter, can’t catch up! Ah, Hong Min-joon is fast! It’s too fast!!]

With unbelievable decompression ability when you apply pressure.

[Hong Min-jun, Hong Min-jun in a small space! Ah danger, no, taken away— get away!! Oh My God! What did I see? Hong Min-joon escapes from the pressure of 3 people!!]

If you isolate him, he will receive the ball from below, and with absurd dribbling skills.

[Leicester City! Unstoppable! Again, I get hit again!! Even after the first half was over, Hong Min-jun could not be stopped!! The stage for the Newcastle divinity is truly unfolding!!]

Was Ronaldo like this in his first season at Barcelona?
On that day, Leicester City lost a whopping 3:0, giving a hat-trick to the debutant.