Chapter 247 – Hong Min-Joon Who Came to Rest (1)

247

Of the 8 teams that reached the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup, 5 teams belong to the Premier League, the first division.
In other words, it is a whopping 3 teams or lower league teams.

For Newcastle, who is seriously aiming to win the EFL Cup, they wanted a lower league team rather than a Premier League team, which is the first division, and realistically, it was a good enough chance to bet on their hopes.

Isn’t that a 3/7 probability?
In percentage terms, 42.8%. If you exaggerate a little, it’s half the probability, so the hopes of Newcastle executives and staff are just unrealistic, so what to do.

But on the other hand, the chance of meeting the Premier Team was 57%… Newcastle won that 57% odds.

“What the fuck. It was almost a half chance, but I avoided it. Gacha game like a dog. I really have no luck.”

Daye, who had been sucking something delicious under me who was grumbling, threw a word.

“Good luck. Avoid Manchester City and Liverpool.”
“…….”

Man City, which is reaping overwhelming results in all competitions it has participated in, as well as our team… Liverpool, who earned defeat from the beginning of the season by being smashed by me rather than that, is also on a winning streak with the performance of anger.

Judging from the recent momentum of the two teams, who are ranked 1st and 2nd in the league side by side, and also passed the Champions League group stage in 1st place, it is right that they are the opponents they want to avoid the most.

But, even so—

“Luckily they are the ones who avoided me.”
“Therefore. Do you have the confidence to win if we meet?”
“…….”

Man City is a bit… Still have a chance at Liverpool? … Judging from the recent performance, Liverpool seems to be having a hard time too. How did you win back then?

‘No. I beat Liverpool, didn’t Liverpool beat Manchester City? Then can’t I beat Man City too?’

Not too long ago, there was a match between Manchester City and Liverpool, who are ranked 1st and 2nd in the league.
The winner is Liverpool.

Doesn’t that mean that Manchester City is not invincible, and that I have a good chance of winning against Liverpool?

What is the difference between Manchester City, which lost miserably, and Liverpool, which won?
Could that difference be the answer? Come to think of it, there was a difference.

“It was because I was out of stamina. Now that I have had a good rest, I am different!!”
“So are you confident of winning?”
“…….”

No, but this naughty bitch has been talking about things from a while ago, Mr. Seo, and it must be noisy.

“Hey.”
“What.”
“Shut up and suck.”
“Is that so?”

Goosebumps at the grinning cat’s smile… !?
After that, I was hit by Mechakucha.

* * *

Arsenal’s coaching staff was looking back at the last game, especially the other team’s game, over and over again.

“Write… Here, this part. Stop for a moment.”

The stopped video starts playing slowly,

“I’ve seen the muscles come up from here? Look, your posture is awkward. It leaned to one side.”

Then, the video was played back and then slowed down several times.

“At the end of the first half, I couldn’t even run. The leg is also slightly amputated. It seems that the muscles in the back are definitely raised.”
“Injuries are certain. I’m sure… Write… I wonder how many weeks this injury is.”

Arsenal officials who repeatedly watched the video looked at each other with ambiguous expressions.

“Once you see that it’s hidden to the end, it won’t be a problem with the central tendon. Medical team, right?”
“I will. If it was a severe rupture, I wouldn’t have endured it like that.”

The coach flipped through the report and saw the date of Hong Min-joon’s injury.
December 6th.

“About half a month has passed. It means that the possibility of returning to this game is not zero at the earliest.”
“It’s not impossible, but it will be difficult to come back that early.”
“The grounds?”

The head of the medical team took out the materials and handed them over.

“If we analyze Hong Min-joon’s activity per game from last season and this season, we can see that his recent activity has significantly decreased.”
“You know that. You were talking about a change in play style and all that.”
“Above all, Hong Min-joon’s unique dribbling breakthrough has been reduced to 1/3. Considering that movements that put strain on muscles, such as sprinting and sudden change of direction, have decreased overall, it is highly likely that Hong Min-joon’s injury did not occur suddenly.”
“Didn’t it happen all of a sudden?”

The head of the medical team, nodding his head at the director’s question, insisted with conviction.

“Even before that, he must have felt discomfort in his muscles or slight pain. So it must have been this kind of movement. So, if the last thing I was barely holding on to was about to explode this time… 1-2 weeks isn’t too bad. A month to think about rehabilitation… At least one month.”
“It’s been a month… So, only the boats are telling lies again… Was that fool so shameless?”

Media Day prior to the game.
Newcastle coach Lauren Botman proudly mentioned the return of Hong Min-joon.

Since we were at the interview site together, it was hard for the director who saw the scene in person to regard the dignified appearance as a lie.

“Didn’t the media play about Hong Min-joon’s return the other day? After having fun with it once, I wonder if I will use it again this time.”
“Hong Min-joon… Hong Min-joon… “
“It’s an EFL Cup that I won’t regret if I lose anyway, but the rotation as scheduled… The league doesn’t matter now.”

Considering the league situation, which is fiercely competing for rankings, Europa, which has succeeded in advancing to the finals, and the FA Cup, it is necessary to give the main players a break.

Isn’t Newcastle, who was putting all their efforts into every game right now, a teacher on the other hand?
Hong Min-joon’s injury is so prominent, but the biggest cause of Newcastle’s recent sluggishness is the deterioration in form of their key players.

After changing the starting lineup like that, the ace falls off due to injury, and the uninjured players lose their form due to deterioration in stamina.

So without Hong Min-jun, Newcastle would be— but what if Hong Min-jun really comes out?
The troubled director suddenly burst into laughter.

“Director?”
“Huh true. What is this Asian, since when did we become so anxious about a player like this?”
“Aren’t you a simple player who won the FIFA World Player of the Year on the Ballon d’Or podium?”
“Okay. He’s a guy you can’t ignore.”
“It’s an injury anyway, so don’t worry—”
“No.”

The EFL Cup logo came into the coach’s eyes.
Even though it’s the EFL Cup, winning is winning. It is a tournament that can add a line to your career.

If you win the next 3 games, you will win, but it would be a shame to just throw it away.

“Catch this match.”
“Then?”
“Let’s go to the main battle except for Alvaro. So that we can win whether or not that Asian comes out.”
“Write… I won’t be able to come out due to an injury.”

The medical team leader, who had been diligently analyzing the data, muttered disapprovingly.

“… Are you out?”

* * *

EFL quarterfinal match against Newcastle held at Arsenal’s home ground.
Even before the game, the media, which predicted the possibility of Hong Min-joon’s return, said that he had participated in team training and had a normal schedule, but as soon as the starting lineup was announced an hour before the game, the press launched an article all at once.

『The lord of the castle is back! Hong Min-jun started against Arsenal!!
『Return after 15 days! What about the aftermath of the injury?』
『Returned Gem of the Ground』
『The joining of an ace that will add to Newcastle’s rise after overcoming sluggishness』

His popularity, which had faltered after the scandal, recovered in an instant as if it had never happened before, and rather, the number of fans increased even more.

There were a lot of people who cheered for men to go around flirting with women to their heart’s content in addition to their soccer skills, and women say they feel like a ‘sexy man’ by escaping from the image of Asians who are too well-groomed in their youthful looks.

No matter what, a superstar’s every word and deed attracts attention, and if that superstar is a soccer player, it’s only natural that a lot of attention is focused on him before returning after an injury.

The match between Newcastle and Arsenal proved Hong Min-jun’s popularity by attracting huge traffic after the news of Hong’s return.

And the game started every time Hong Min-joon caught the ball,

“Stick!! Hang on!! Stop it!!!”

Every time I nullify the pressure with a very simple and concise trapping,

“Stuck… No, don’t stick!! If it gets too close again— what are you doing, back up quickly!!”

Whenever players fall down in light painting motion,

“Don’t give me space! More pressure— Holy shit!”

Every time you take the ball out between 2 or 3 players pushing in with your body,

“Stop that bastard! Cut it off with a foul! No, but if you give them space— FUCKING!!”

Every time I kick the ball and run at breakneck speed,

“… How does that man move? A devilish bastard… Satan -like cub… “

The voices of the Arsenal staff, who were screaming loudly, diminished.

* * *

The first game he returned to after a 15-day break due to an injury was against Arsenal.
Having started as a left striker, my main position for the first time in a while, I realized as soon as I received the ball handed to me by forward striker Sakum Shakki along with the referee’s whistle.

‘My body is light.’

I felt it even when I went out on the field.
No. I felt it when I returned to training and during practice matches, but I thought it was because I was taking a break.

However, what I felt when I touched it for the first time today…

‘Why is my condition so good?’

The condition is better than expected.
This feeling of being able to do anything, this elation was just like the beginning of the season.

To compete in every game, no matter how much I changed my playing style, no matter how much I sprinted and reduced my activity level, I couldn’t help it—

‘I see. I must have been terribly exhausted.’

It’s been a long time.
This feeling. This uplift. This omnipotence.

That is,

“Captain, Jose, Luke. Drive me the ball today.”
“Do you want me to drive you?”
“Chew Arsenal today.”
“What do you eat? Are Arsenal sweets?”
“If it’s Minjun, that’s it!! Arsenal are sweets!!”
“Hey, grab Luke. Why does that bastard get worse as he goes?”

It means that I can shoot a flashy flare to announce my return.