Chapter 300 – King of Steel Hong Min-Joon (1)

300

The final opponent in the hellish series of 5 games over 13 days was “The Blues” Chelsea.

There are well over 10 professional football clubs based in London.
Among them, there are many famous clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham, Crystal Palace, and Fulham, but if you are to pick the best football team in London, Chelsea will definitely come out.

That’s right, Chelsea’s brilliant career was so great that no other London-based club could match it.
It holds the record of winning the Premier League 9 times, the FA Cup 10 times, and the League Cup 6 times, and even won the Champions League, Europa League and Winners Cup, the first English club to win the three major UEFA competitions.

This is a rare record held by only Chelsea, Ajax, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Manchester United across Europe, and only Chelsea has won more than two titles.

It’s literally the best of the many clubs in London, and it’s the best team in London, but Chelsea wasn’t going well from the beginning.

Chelsea’s beginnings date back to 1905.
It is a club with a long history of well over 100 years, but surprisingly, winning careers are rare, and the league championship before the 21st century was only once in 1954-1955.

It was in 2003 that Chelsea, a mediocre London-based team, transformed into what it is today after winning the league title for the first time half a century after its founding and failing to win again for more than half a century.

It was from the beginning of oil money, the appearance of Roman Abramovich, an oil conglomerate who brought a war of money to the EPL.

After taking over Chelsea, Russian oil tycoon Roman Abramovich poured oil money into the EPL by recruiting star manager Jose Mourinho and a number of star players, including Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko and Fernando Torres.

Chelsea, which signaled a full-fledged war for money in the EPL, which was becoming more commercialized amidst the wave of globalization, and announced the beginning of “No-roots money,” Became a public enemy with the claim that “Money cannot buy fundamentals and championship cups.” Overcome with overwhelming money, and even get the ‘root’.

Afterwards, with the advent of new oil money and the appearance of “Sugar daddy” Money-loving owners, Chelsea’s overwhelming financial power shined, but Chelsea, which was on a winning streak, fell into hardship in earnest just a few years after Roman left the club.

After the overwhelming financial power disappeared and the emergence of outstanding superpowers such as Man City and Liverpool, Chelsea became a team that was far from winning.

A team that is still regarded as a ‘championship candidate’, but is unable to reach the championship.
This continued until the 2030s.

Obviously, the quality of the team is evaluated as a championship, and in fact, the quality of each player is slightly inferior to Manchester City and Liverpool, but it was not enough to say that the gap was large.

Even so, it is because the team has not been completed that it often slips in the championship competition.
Chelsea showed a bizarre level of organization like grains of sand, which was the reason why even if it was not revealed against a mid-to-lower team, a similarly strong team or team was caught at every moment of crisis.

And it was Lorenzo Federico who took over three years ago that solved this problem.
The Sand Grain team, which often fell at every moment of crisis, was transformed into a team full of winning mentality that could not be vigilant at any time, leading it to runner-up in the league last year and runner-up in the Champions League.

Even though he was not the champion, but the runner-up, the reason why Chelsea fans are enthusiastic and praised as a great coach was that there was a ‘natural disaster’ that everyone acknowledged—

It is because Chelsea was the only one who survived the natural disaster of Newcastle last season.

Despite the performance and points that would not be strange to win if it had been a fair season, Newcastle, who bombed the league, only finished runner-up due to a natural disaster.

However, even in such a disaster, only Chelsea is the only one in the league that does not lose against Newcastle, or rather, is ahead of them.

Even Manchester City, who won the Champions League, loses against Newcastle, only Chelsea had the upper hand against the overwhelming Newcastle last season.

A miracle created by the manager’s outstanding ability, where teams with similar or better player quality failed.

Newcastle, who won the league overwhelmingly… No, the opponent who is called Hong Min-jun’s only nemesis—

“It’s getting harder and harder.”

Coach Lorenzo Federico sighed as he wiped his chin at the sight of the marksman, who was tricked by Hong Min-joon’s flashy upper body paint that caught the ball, and hit the butt, and the shot that the backup player hit in the brief moment just before running into it barely brushed past the goalpost. He Exhaled.

He thought he was well prepared.
Again, Hong Min-jun finishes the attack with more than expected play.

No matter how much analysis, preparation, and countermeasures are prepared on this side, it would be no different than a natural disaster to see it break through.

His performance clearly shows why coach call Min-jun Hong ‘Disaster’.

‘What… The reason why this guy is truly a disaster is that he retired because he couldn’t give despair to the coach and players….’

As Lorenzo’s anguish deepens over the notorious performance of Hong Min-joon, the Chelsea players quickly rush in with the ball out of the goal line.

“What about the director? He seems to be more agile than before.”

A face full of cold sweat, a young, feelble anxiety.
Lorenzo pretends to be calm and gives instructions while putting on a dignified expression.

“Matip, tie up the opposing builder. Run more vertically and press harder to pass. Barian and Kell swap places.”

It was only then that the players’ expressions brightened at the tactical instructions that flowed out without a moment’s delay.

“Puse. You go further inside and block Hong Min-joon.”
“Would you like the side?”
“It’s okay. Because you’re giving it up on purpose. Come in the center, but I’m not asking you to stick with Hong Min-joon. If you’re too close, you won’t be able to keep up with the speed, so he’s good enough to come in moderately and give you the threat of being able to block a pass. Then the opponent will aim for the back space. At that time-“

Passionate hand gestures and concise and precise instructions.
The confidence of the players increased as Lorenzo’s confident expression continued.

“Gabi. It’s time for you to step out. You return to your original role. Can I trust you?”

Lorenzo’s hand grabs the dark-skinned shoulder of the giant.

“Of course, Boss. As the boss told me, after doing an aerial competition, I got it. Hong, that guy’s jumping ability has improved recently.”
“But not for you.”
“Absolutely. Just trust me, Boss.”

A smile grows on Lorenzo’s lips at Gabriel Mbaba’s trustworthy answer to his.

“Great. Go and break it!”

Players scatter to their seats to restart the game.
And behind the scattered players, Lorenzo’s smile disappears as if washed.

‘… It must be difficult.’

* * *

Mr. A.
Watching the ball barely pass the goalpost and go out of the goal line, I kicked the awkward ground.

‘The real Chelsea annoys me whenever I play against them.’

Obviously, Chelsea is rated lower in team quality than Man City or (former) Liverpool, but when it comes to dealing with it, it is Chelsea again.

The level of each player is similar, but it’s an unpleasant feeling that there is something more sticky.
This is all…

‘It must be because of that annoying nobleman.’

Looking at the Chelsea bench, I see Coach Lorenzo, who is giving instructions while gesturing enthusiastically about what he is doing, and Chelsea players who are nodding their heads.

When the game resumes, the defense method will change again.
Oh i’m tired

He rolls his head as he hops back to his seat.
How will the opponent’s response change?

The tricky thing about Chelsea is that each player has excellent skills and organization skills, but… Above all, it is because the motivation and winning mentality of the players are strong.

As well as the ever-changing tactical movements.
Once you get used to it, it changes in an instant, so you have to fight to figure out and analyze it throughout the game.

Of course, the same goes for other games, but Chelsea is much more sophisticated and demanding.

“Red! The director told me to move further to the side. The opponent’s pressure is strong, so rather than making it, I’ll send it from the back at once, so prepare to dig into the back space.”
“Okay.”

It seems that our coach is also fighting hard, but…

‘I read it again.’

I sprinted to follow Luke’s inaccurate long pass, which was under pressure from the opponent, but Mbaba took a step ahead and kicked the giant with his head.

“After….”

I trudged back to my seat, brushing my sweaty hair, and Mbaba roared from behind.

“Uuuuu!!”

Oh, are you getting spoiled?

“Minjoon, are you okay? Shall we send a replacement sign?”

As he was standing on his thighs and breathing, Sakum Shakhi, who played as a striker in the front line, asked him with a worried look on his black face.

“The first half isn’t over yet. It’s okay.”
“Still… Aren’t you overdoing it? You know the second half is just starting, right?”
“No no. It’s really okay.”

He must have been worried as he started in all 4 of the 5 consecutive matches.
But. These days, in the media, there is a lot of talk about Hong Min-joon working too hard or losing his stamina his.

After… Can’t help it
I have no choice but to show that I have been reborn as the King of Steel.