Chapter 20: Preparing for the Leap (4)

Before Hyung-min could even turn his thoughts into action after losing a player, Liverpool's academy product right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold stepped up to take the free kick earned by Robertson. He delivered a beautifully curling ball into Burnley's penalty box.

"Block it!"

Arthur shouted in frustration.

Liverpool didn't boast a roster full of players dominant in the air.

For Hyung-min, the absence of Virgil van Dijk—Liverpool's center-back renowned for his physical prowess and footballing intelligence, especially in set-piece situations—was a stroke of luck.

As Liverpool's starting center-back duo, Ibrahima Konaté and Joel Matip, rose to meet the free kick, Burnley's center-back pairing of James Tarkowski and Ben Mee leaped to challenge them.

Solid frames collided and parted in the air.

With perfect positioning and timing, James Tarkowski shook off Liverpool's interference and successfully headed the ball clear.

Whether by luck or intent, the ball landed at the feet of Josh Brownhill, Burnley's central midfielder waiting just outside the penalty box.

"Yes!"

Seeing the ball head toward a key player with Burnley's best kicking ability and responsibility for orchestrating attacks, both Hyung-min and Arthur clenched their fists in anticipation.

Though Hannibal Mejbri, who brought creativity to Burnley, was gone, Josh Brownhill's long passing could connect with any of Burnley's forwards to keep the attack alive.

"Brownie!!!"

Burnley's left and right wingers, Dwight McNeil and Karim Adeyemi, already waiting outside the box, called out to Josh Brownhill as they sprinted full speed toward the opposition half.

Liverpool's goalkeeper Alisson, who had ventured up to the halfway line, was also racing back to defend his goal.

Andrew Robertson, Liverpool's left-back, and Thiago, their central midfielder, stationed near the center circle to thwart a counter, each took a step or two toward Dwight McNeil and Karim Adeyemi.

And just as Josh Brownhill, fortunate to receive the ball outside the penalty box, began to turn—likely preparing what might be Burnley's final counterattack of the match—

Joel Matip, Liverpool's center-back retreating quickly to his own half, extended his leg as if by chance, simultaneously barging into Josh Brownhill from the side to steal the ball.

"Damn it!"

Hyung-min and Arthur groaned in unison.

Either win the ball cleanly or commit a foul.

Matip spread his arms, protesting his innocence as the referee's whistle blew.

After a verbal warning from the referee, who couldn't definitively judge intent, Liverpool's center-back completed a perfect crime—escaping without a card and casually retreating to his position.

In that brief moment, Liverpool's players swiftly repositioned themselves, their eyes gleaming as they prepared to wrest the ball from Burnley once more.

"Haa."

With a sigh, Hyung-min finally raised the white flag.

"Arthur, tell Jack, Jacob, and Nathan to get ready to sub in."

"…Huh?"

For a moment, the assistant coach didn't grasp the manager's intent and looked puzzled.

"It's a shame, but I think this is as far as we go today. Getting a point at Anfield against Liverpool isn't a complete failure, right?"

Arthur opened his mouth to protest but swallowed his words upon seeing Hyung-min's resolute expression.

"…Who's coming off, then?"

"Chris, Karim, and Dwight—all of them."

Moments later, as the fourth official raised the substitution board, Anfield reverberated with the boos of the home crowd.

Replacing all three forwards with two midfielders and a defender signaled that Burnley was accepting their one-man disadvantage and fully committing to an ultra-defensive strategy.

Understanding the manager's intent, captain Ben Mee and center-back James Tarkowski, with grim expressions, directed the incoming players to form a solid two-line defensive block.

At the 60-minute mark of the second half, it was time to endure 30 minutes of relentless bombardment from the Premier League's most potent attack.

---

Shots: 0. Shots on target: 0. Corners: 0. Yellow cards: 5. Red cards: 1.

Expected goals, unsurprisingly: 0.0.

Thanks to the goalkeeper and defense's heroic efforts, they salvaged a draw, but the mood in Burnley's camp—having recorded their worst result since Hyung-min took charge—was dismal.

After the match, in the away team's locker room, where the atmosphere felt heavy with the lingering sting of defeat despite not losing, Hyung-min gathered the squad and spoke with a weary face.

"I'm sorry. My judgment was lacking. Challenging Liverpool head-on at Anfield…"

The Burnley players, braced for criticism, anger, or even complaints, stirred at their manager's candid apology.

"I don't think a draw against Liverpool is a good enough result. What I wanted—what I promised—was for us to play our football, and we didn't do that today."

Hyung-min scanned the team and took a deep breath.

"But you all worked incredibly hard. The responsibility for today's result is entirely mine, so none of you need to blame yourselves."

From a corner, where Hannibal Mejbri sat silently with a towel over his head, a sound—somewhere between a sob and a wail—escaped before he quickly stifled it with his hands.

"Next time, we'll get a good result for sure. Let's show them Turf Moor isn't an easy place to visit."

"…Let's do it!"

A low but resolute response from the team echoed through the locker room.

Looking at his players, Hyung-min forced a faint smile.

---

Amid flashing lights, Hyung-min blinked and pointed to a shadowy figure he could barely make out.

"Yes, Henry Carter from BCC Evening News. Hannibal Mejbri was sent off today. It seems Burnley failed to pull off a giant-killing at Anfield because a young prospect couldn't control his temper—what's your take on that?"

Hyung-min suppressed the urge to click his tongue.

No matter how many times he did it, pre- or post-match press conferences never felt comfortable.

Perhaps the essence of these events was journalists asking leading questions to craft their desired narrative, while he, as the manager, struggled to respond neutrally and rationally to avoid being drawn in.

As flashes continued to capture his haggard face for reasons he couldn't fathom, Hyung-min—feeling like a defeated general despite securing a draw away from home—tried to answer the question gently.

"No, I don't see it that way. It's true Burnley couldn't properly respond to Liverpool's attack, but that's on me. In that situation, any player—not just Hannibal—would've had to stop Andrew Robertson. It's not about a player's age."

Voices clamored for more questions as he defended his player and took the blame, and Hyung-min, resigned, pointed to another reporter.

"Yes, David Lornham from Manchester Evening Post. Today, Burnley failed to register a single shot in a disastrous performance. Doesn't this mean the squad couldn't keep up with your thrilling football, which they've pursued so far?"

As time passed and Hyung-min explained, the reporters grew more aggressive.

He swallowed a sigh inwardly.

"I believe Burnley's squad has plenty of quality. If anything, today's issue was my tactical failure to challenge Liverpool head-on at Anfield. I think I needed more tactical reflection."

"So should we expect a change in Burnley's tactics going forward?"

A question shot out from somewhere without his prompting.

Given it was an away game, Liverpool's media officer, observing the away team's press conference, moved to intervene.

But Hyung-min shook his head lightly, politely declining the help, and chose to answer.

"No. Today ended in a draw, but I think Burnley's current league performance shows this approach isn't wrong. At this point, I have no plans to change our tactics."

After the away manager's press conference concluded, it was time for the home manager's turn.

While the young Asian manager, who earned a draw against the league leaders on the road, answered as if he'd lost, Jürgen Klopp—the towering mastermind who settled for an underwhelming draw at home—handled the press deftly, showering praise on the opposition and their coach.

"…The season's still early, and we're just doing our best to rack up points. The two points we didn't get today might sting at the end, but the one point we earned could bring an unexpected outcome by season's end."

A calm response to a question about whether the draw might hinder their title race.

"…Virgil van Dijk's absence is always a shame, but completing his recovery and returning to the pitch is what matters. Same with Joe Gomez. We're taking it step-by-step to avoid rushing them back and risking reinjury. Of course, Joel Matip and Ibrahima Konaté are filling that gap brilliantly."

A question about absent players deflected with praise for those who played.

"…Burnley had a sudden managerial change at the start of the season and adapted to a new system without a preseason in just a month. What Kim has achieved in that time is beyond words. Today's performance gap reflects Liverpool's five years versus Burnley's one month."

Respect for a Burnley team that rose from grim early-season predictions.

"…No, why change it? Kim is instilling his own style at Burnley, and I think that's fantastic. I'm honestly excited to see what Burnailing."

And finally, anticipation for Burnley and their new manager in the second half of the season.

Inside the team bus, Hyung-min—reviewing online reports that, aside from the result, confirmed a total defeat to Liverpool and their manager—bitterly soothed the sting of loss.