Chapter 26: Attack of Burnley
Brighton, or more precisely Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, is based in the southeastern English city of Brighton and Hove, known as one of the UK's premier resort destinations.
In the sense that a small club has managed to avoid relegation from the Premier League for four consecutive seasons, it shares similarities with Burnley.
However, unlike Burnley, Brighton is situated in the second-largest city in southeast England with a population of 270,000 and has built a solid squad thanks to stable financial management.
In particular, Brighton has earned praise for its attractive style of football, which emphasizes possession and passing—a stark contrast to other mid-to-lower-tier teams that focus on pressing or counterattacks.
This distinct identity was shaped under the guidance of 46-year-old manager Graham Potter, a young tactician widely expected to soon take charge of a top-tier club or even the England national team, backed wholeheartedly by the club's leadership.
Of course, calling Potter "young" might seem a stretch when compared to Hyeong-min, who, at just 34, is the youngest manager in the Premier League—a gap of more than a decade.
"Potter's Brighton typically lines up with a back three and wing-backs on either side, but it's different from Brentford or Wigan," Hyeong-min explained.
The day before the match, in the afternoon, Hyeong-min conducted a team briefing ahead of the game.
"They flexibly switch between a 5-2-2-1 formation—where four midfielders form a square and one striker protrudes—and a 5-2-1-2, where one midfielder pushes forward into attack."
The players nodded as they reviewed the opposition's lineup and formation on the tactics board.
"With four midfielders forming a square in the center, they rarely lose control and can circulate the ball with ease. Then, when an opportunity arises, one of the midfielders advances."
Hyeong-min moved one of the square's vertices on the board, reshaping the formation into an hourglass.
"Tomorrow, expect at least two of these three midfielders to start: Leandro Trossard, Alexis Mac Allister, or Adam Lallana. Trossard and Mac Allister can double as forwards, while if Lallana plays, he'll focus purely on linking play from an attacking midfield role—he lacks the mobility of the other two."
Hyeong-min operated his laptop, projecting profile pictures of the three midfielders onto a large screen.
"If both Trossard and Mac Allister play, they'll come out aggressively. If only one of them starts alongside Lallana, they'll be more cautious."
Next, Hyeong-min pointed to the back three and the wing-backs on the tactics board.
"Lastly, Brighton excels at building play from the back. Having survived in the Premier League for years, they're adept at evading pressure and connecting passes forward. All their players can execute at least a decent level of passing, so targeting just one individual won't work."
Listening intently to the manager's analysis, team captain Ben Mee tilted his head and asked a question on behalf of the squad.
"So, how exactly are we supposed to stop them?"
"Stop them? Who said anything about stopping them?" Hyeong-min grinned.
It was the same grin the players had seen whenever they were fined during training—a mix of amusement and a hint of ruthlessness.
"Just go out there and crush them."
"Wait, that actually works?"
On match day against Brighton, assistant coach Arthur, watching from the technical area, let out an exclamation of both surprise and delight.
Burnley's players stormed into the opposition half, pressing relentlessly, winning the ball back, and unleashing a barrage of shots. Brighton's players struggled to maintain possession or develop their play, overwhelmed by the one-sided onslaught.
Hyeong-min, also visibly enjoying the spectacle unfolding before him, responded.
"Their stamina's improved, and they've gained confidence in their passing. Honestly, we owe a lot to Paulo—he's boosted their fitness far quicker than I expected."
"Karim and Nicky coming in has been huge too. Especially Nicky… Man, he's tearing up the midfield," Arthur added, marveling at Nicholas Seiwald's performance as he single-handedly dismantled Brighton's four-man midfield.
"Heh. To think we got a guy like that for £13 million with a £1.5 million option… That's a steal. A total steal," Hyeong-min chuckled.
"But do we actually have the money to sign him permanently?" Arthur asked.
Hyeong-min pretended not to hear, keeping his eyes fixed on the pitch.
Arthur noticed Hyeong-min subtly wiping the corner of his eye with his right hand but decided not to tease him this time, letting it slide.
After all, he was the kind-hearted assistant coach.
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**Post-Match Press Conference: Burnley vs. Brighton**
After the defeat at Burnley's home ground, Turf Moor, Brighton's manager Graham Potter calmly assessed the game.
"…To be honest, it felt like stepping into a jungle. The goal was barely visible with their players packed in front of us, and it was like wild beasts were attacking from all directions. You could really feel how fiercely Kim has been drilling Burnley since he took over."
"…Exactly. The pressure was relentless from front to back, and today we failed to escape it with our usual tight-space passing. Burnley's pressing was outstanding."
"…Yes, that's not a bad way to put it. From their perspective, it might've even felt reminiscent of Klopp's heavy-metal football."
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Just northwest of Birmingham, a major city in central England, lies Wolverhampton, a city of about 250,000 people.
Once a hub for wool trading in the Middle Ages, it grew into an industrial center in modern times, driven by coal, steel, and automobiles.
Wolverhampton's flagship football club, Wolverhampton Wanderers—nicknamed Wolves—was founded in 1877 and was one of the founding members of the English professional league.
After being acquired by China's Fosun Group in 2016, Wolves built a so-called "Portuguese connection," assembling an exciting team centered around Portuguese and South American players.
For the 2021/22 season, they parted ways with long-time Portuguese manager Nuno Espírito Santo and appointed another Portuguese manager, Bruno Lage.
At 45, the young tactician—who had led Benfica to a title—was known as a workaholic, particularly for his habit of reviewing as much footage of opponents' previous matches as time allowed.
Naturally, Bruno Lage meticulously studied every game Burnley had played this season and even listened closely to both managers' press conferences.
As he watched the scene unfold before him, he deeply empathized with the lament uttered by Graham Potter—someone of a similar age—after Burnley's last match.
This was Molineux Stadium, Wolves' home ground, with 90% of the 30,000-strong crowd being Wolves fans.
So why did it feel like he'd wandered into the middle of a jungle and was being torn apart by wild beasts?
Of course, the team was in a transitional phase, blending the solid defensive-counterattacking style of his predecessor, Nuno Espírito Santo, with his own more attacking approach.
As a result, games often ended in either big wins or heavy defeats.
Even so, aside from the season opener against European champions Chelsea and an away match against league leaders Liverpool, they'd never been shut out.
They'd even managed to score once against Manchester City despite conceding three.
In his first seven Premier League games in charge, Lage had recorded three wins, one draw, and three losses—exactly a 50% record.
Considering they'd already faced four of the Big Six—Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City—the club's board and fans viewed it as a decent start.
But 26 minutes into the first half, during a corner kick, Wolves' center-back Willy Boly fouled Burnley's central striker Chris Wood, bringing him down.
Chris Wood converted the penalty he'd won, giving Burnley a one-goal lead. From there, Burnley pressed Wolves relentlessly, as if they were the home team chasing an equalizer.
Wolves' experienced midfield duo of Leander Dendoncker and João Moutinho was being shredded by Burnley's young defensive midfielder Nicholas Seiwald.
The back three of Romain Saïss, Mateo Musacchio, and Willy Boly—already guilty of conceding a penalty—struggled to breathe under the constant pressure from Burnley's three forwards.
The 15-minute halftime break offered Wolves a brief respite.
But despite Lage's hasty tactical adjustments, he was met with a Burnley side that emerged as if they'd rapid-charged their batteries during the break, resuming their first-half rampage.
In the 76th minute, Burnley, who'd maintained their one-sided dominance, seized another chance.
It was a pattern Wolves knew well but couldn't stop.
Burnley's right-back Matt Lowton intercepted an attack from Wolves' wing-back Toti on the left, skipped the usual buildup through center-back James Tarkowski, and launched a long pass to Josh Brownhill waiting in central midfield.
"Selective long passes are allowed when we're ahead!"—Hyeong-min's permission had unleashed them, and Burnley's players now had the composure and confidence to pick the fastest route forward.
Receiving the ball, Josh Brownhill sent another long pass diagonally toward Dwight McNeil, who was sprinting down the left sideline toward Wolves' goal.
"Oh… damn it…" Lage muttered.
I've seen this somewhere before.
Recalling the countless Burnley scoring scenes he'd studied, Lage sensed the inevitable and sighed.
Against Watford, it took them at least four passes from winning the ball to shooting…
So why is it just two passes against us before they're firing?
Ignoring the opposing manager's sleepless nights analyzing Burnley's game against Watford, Dwight McNeil charged toward Wolves' goal.
Burnley's homegrown ace didn't bother with passes or crosses—sliding smoothly across the turf, he struck the ball cleanly with his left foot.
"Goal! Burnley's number 11, Dwight McNeil, scores!"
The Molineux Stadium announcer, suppressing his irritation, calmly announced the away team's goal as the 2,672 Burnley fans who'd made the trip erupted in celebration with the players who ran toward them.
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**Post-Match Press Conference**
After losing at home to Burnley, Wolves manager Bruno Lage couldn't hide his frustration as he shared his thoughts.
"…I completely understood what Graham Potter meant."
"…Yes, this is a jungle—a jungle. It's like… a Roman circus with wild beasts unleashed? Next time, I'd rather send out gladiators than footballers."
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