Chapter 18: Preparing for the Leap (2)

The mood among the fans, which had improved slightly after Burnley won all four of their matches in August, was beginning to turn gloomy again.

However, regardless of the conversations happening on TV, at the stadium, in pubs, or in the living rooms of Burnley residents, Kim gazed earnestly at the players gathered in the locker room.

"It's a shame that Ashley Westwood is gone, but I believe the players here can more than fill his role. If we stick to the strategy and execute what we've practiced, we can absolutely achieve results."

Trying to make eye contact with each player while suppressing the tension and pressure he felt inside, Hyung-min spoke with deliberate force, emphasizing every word.

"So don't be afraid—go out there and play our game. If we can play the way we've practiced and aimed for, I'll never blame you. And trust me—trust the strength you've shown by winning all four of our last matches."

The players nodded at their manager's serious words.

After the final tactical briefing, team captain Ben Mee stood up, looking around at the squad.

"Was there even one game last month that was in our favor?"

"No!"

The team shouted in unison.

Looking at the fired-up squad, Ben Mee yelled, "Did anyone out there say we were going to win?"

"No!!"

"And who won?"

"We did!!!"

As the team erupted in cheers, the captain delivered the final rallying cry.

"For ever and ever! Who are we?"

"We are Burnley!!!!"

Burnley took a bold gamble by starting three loanees in the lineup.

Above their mainstay goalkeeper Nick Pope, the backline consisted of Matt Lowton on the right, James Tarkowski, Ben Mee, and Charlie Taylor.

But in midfield, with Ashley Westwood gone, even veteran vice-captain Jack Cork was relegated to the bench, and Nicholas Seiwald stepped in as the defensive midfielder.

The central midfield featured Josh Brownhill and Hannibal Mejbri.

Up top, Jay Rodriguez, who had been in top form for Burnley, was benched due to a minor injury affecting his condition. Instead, Karim Adeyemi, Chris Wood, and Dwight McNeil lined up from right to left.

Facing Burnley's 4-3-3 formation, Watford, a team expected to be a rival in the relegation battle, countered with a traditional 4-4-2.

Veteran Manchester United alum Ben Foster guarded the goal, with Francisco Sierralta, William Troost-Ekong, Christian Kabasele, and Adam Masina forming the defense from right to left.

Their midfield consisted of Emmanuel Dennis, Moussa Sissoko, Juraj Kucka, and Joshua King from right to left.

In attack, they fielded Ismaila Sarr, a Senegalese ace coveted by many top clubs, and Cucho Hernández, who joined Watford's youth system, spent four years on loan producing solid results, and finally earned a starting spot.

On paper, these two teams—both pegged as relegation candidates before the season—seemed evenly matched, with no significant gap in quality.

With a tight game anticipated, the match kicked off with the referee's whistle and Watford's opening move.

However, the expectation that the two teams would start with a cautious probing phase was immediately tossed out the window.

"Goal! It's a goal! Number 26, lighting up the Clarets—Hannibal~ Mejbri~!!!"

With the announcer's shout, just seven minutes into the first half, Burnley's home ground, Turf Moor, erupted with the roars and cheers of ecstatic home fans.

After scoring the opener, Hannibal Mejbri ran to the corner flag, arms outstretched, soaking in the crowd's adulation as his Burnley teammates piled on top of him.

"Great job! Great job!"

Amid the celebration, captain Ben Mee and veteran center-back James Tarkowski grabbed the young rookie midfielder from both sides, shaking him enthusiastically.

The rest of the Burnley players followed, hugging Hannibal tightly and shouting in triumph.

"Woooahhh!!"

After the intense goal celebration, as they returned to their half, the last to approach Hannibal Mejbri was Karim Adeyemi, the right winger who had just provided the assist.

"Not bad, kid."

"I'm always pretty good, you know. Anyway, thanks for the compliment."

Hannibal Mejbri shrugged smugly at Karim Adeyemi's lukewarm praise.

"Still don't like you. That goal wouldn't have happened without my assist. Pay me back with one next time."

"Hah. I'll think about it. But I prefer scoring over assisting."

"What's that supposed to mean? I'm the striker here."

As Hannibal Mejbri and Karim Adeyemi bickered, a figure squeezed between them, wrapping their necks with strong forearms.

"You punks! Can't you get along?! Huh?!"

"Gack! Gack!"

"I—I can't breathe!"

The two players, caught in the iron grip of Nicholas Seiwald—the defensive midfielder—flailed their arms, desperately trying to free themselves and catch their breath.

"Goal! Another goal! Number 9, lighting up the Clarets—Chris~ Wood~!!!"

Before the excitement of the first goal had even faded, the home announcer bellowed in delight as Burnley scored again.

*[Wow… I don't even know what to say except that it's incredible.]*

Watching Chris Wood's additional goal at the 13-minute mark of the first half, the caster exclaimed in awe.

*[Is it Kim who's incredible, or Burnley's players? I'm not sure if there's ever been a manager in Premier League history who's produced results this quickly under such unfavorable conditions.]*

*[Three of the starting lineup are loanees under 20 who joined just two weeks ago and are playing their first game for Burnley. Considering the international break, they've had no time to gel, yet Burnley is dominating this match seamlessly.]*

*[Arthur Brimlow, Burnley's senior coach, has years of experience developing youth players, so I figured he'd have some know-how. But to sync the players this fast…]*

Kim had given clear roles to Burnley's players, especially the newcomers.

Nicholas Seiwald, the defensive midfielder, used his relentless work rate to sweep across the midfield, shielding the defense, breaking up opposition attacks, and winning the ball back.

Josh Brownhill, the central midfielder with the best passing ability, was tasked with receiving the ball and initiating attacks.

Hannibal Mejbri, with his standout creativity and technique, was to constantly penetrate the opposition defense, creating secondary and tertiary chances or taking shots himself.

Dwight McNeil and Karim Adeyemi, starting as left and right wingers, were to use their speed to overwhelm the defense—either stretching the play wide along the sidelines or cutting inside toward the penalty box based on their judgment.

Chris Wood, in the center, would either drop back as a decoy or push forward to shoot.

As per the manager's instructions, Burnley's first goal came when Chris Wood dropped back as a decoy in the penalty box, allowing Hannibal Mejbri to surge forward in his place, receive a pass from Karim Adeyemi, and finish.

The second goal exploited Watford's defense shifting left to mark Hannibal Mejbri and Karim Adeyemi, leaving space for Dwight McNeil to send in a cross that Chris Wood headed in effortlessly.

There was a clear pattern, but Watford, overwhelmed by the speed of the execution and the stamina of Burnley's players, conceded two goals in the first half and completely lost their fighting spirit.

Even when captain Ben Mee scored a third goal from a corner kick in the 63rd minute of the second half, it felt like it barely impacted the game—Watford was so thoroughly outplayed by Hyung-min's tactics.

---

After the BCC's evening news concluded, it was time for the sports segment.

In football-obsessed England, especially on Premier League matchdays, most of the airtime was dedicated to the sport.

The day's topic was Burnley, now on a five-game winning streak, and Kim, who had risen to stardom after being officially appointed manager.

"Shots: 24 to 7. Shots on target: 13 to 3. Expected goals: 2.57 to 0.59. I mean… you almost feel sorry for Watford."

A former player turned pundit shook his head as he analyzed the stats, and the host chimed in.

"Yeah, Watford's manager Xisco Muñoz is going to go home wondering what just happened. Sorry for the crude term, but they got absolutely thrashed."

The panelists around the table let out low chuckles.

"What's fascinating is that Kim's tactics haven't changed over the last five games, yet opposing teams can't counter them. What do you make of that?"

At the host's question, one of the panelists raised a hand after they exchanged glances.

A retired gentleman, a former England national team midfielder and renowned manager, began to explain.

"I think knowing something and stopping it are two different things. Honestly, Kim's tactics aren't revolutionary or groundbreaking. The 4-3-3 formation with high pressing and quick counterattacks is something Jürgen Klopp perfected at Dortmund with Gegenpressing, winning the Bundesliga twice. It's a tactic with clear strengths and weaknesses."

As the other panelists nodded, the host asked, "Then why aren't other managers countering Kim's tactics?"

"It's not that they aren't—it's that they can't. Let's look at Watford's first goal conceded."

At his cue, the large screen behind the panel displayed Watford's first conceded goal.

The retired veteran turned his chair to face the screen, pointing at it as he explained slowly.

"Look here. Watford's attack breaks down near Burnley's penalty box. Then James Tarkowski, Josh Brownhill, Karim Adeyemi, and Hannibal Mejbri up top—just four touches to reach the opponent's goal."

The footage played slowly, showing the ball moving from Burnley's half to Watford's.

"It feels long in slow motion, but in real time, this took maybe five seconds—probably less. That's nowhere near enough time for the attacking players to retreat, and even the defenders left behind don't have the time or numbers to get into position."

As the video continued, it showed Chris Wood dragging Watford's two center-backs down with him, leaving a gap that Hannibal Mejbri exploited, surging in from the right side of midfield.

The retired veteran pointed at the two Watford defenders who followed Chris Wood.