Chapter 56: Is Arsenal a Strong Team? (1)

After the unpleasant incident within the team, the media predicted that the team’s atmosphere would be shaken.

Furthermore, concerns were raised about my mental state, given that the victim was an 18-year-old Asian prospect.

However, we completely dispelled their worries by securing consecutive victories against Nottingham Forest in the second round, Sheffield United in the third, and Fulham in the fourth.

And I showed I was unshaken by the incident with Ederson by finishing every match with a clean sheet.

However, some were of the opinion that the teams we had faced so far were mostly from the lower half of the table.

They claimed that the 5th-round showdown against the powerhouse Arsenal would be our team’s true test.

‘Arsenal, a powerhouse?’

Arsenal had certainly achieved the grand record of an ‘invincible season’ and was once one of the strongest teams in Premier League history.

During the Wenger era, Arsenal boasted a force so powerful they were called the ‘Invincible Armada,’ but it was also true that the current Arsenal had lost much of that strength.

Besides, looking at the tactics Arsenal had been using recently, I had no confidence at all.

No confidence that I would lose.

Unlike our team, which employed a sophisticated passing game and tiki-taka football based on possession,

Arsenal primarily used the so-called ‘kick and rush’ style, relying on long balls from defenders to create one-on-one chances for their forwards against the goalkeeper.

This tactic may seem simple, but it can be a powerful weapon, especially when the opposing team has crowded the midfield.

But as I just said, the core of this tactic is to create a one-on-one situation between the forward and the goalkeeper…

‘That happens to be the situation I’m most confident in. To be honest, I have no confidence I can even concede a goal in a one-on-one situation.’

At first, I wondered if growing 3cm taller would be that helpful.

But it had been an enormous help in the games I’d played so far.

Balls that I thought I couldn’t block even with a normal reaction were now being tipped away by my fingertips.

Anyway, the conclusion is simple.

As long as I’m at City, Arsenal is no longer a powerhouse.

***

Arsenal’s manager, Michael Brown.

He was a man who loved the so-called ‘kick and rush’ style of football.

Of course, many dismissed his tactics, calling it ‘football without tactics’ or ‘tactics only weak teams use.’

But he had his own philosophy and pride.

“There’s no need to attack for the full 90 minutes. We only need to score once, just once in 90 minutes. Because that’s football.”

And surprisingly, his philosophy was working this season.

1. Manchester United (4W 0D 0L / 9 GF 1 GA / 12 Pts)

2. Manchester City (4W 0D 0L / 7 GF 0 GA / 12 Pts)

3. Arsenal (3W 1D 0L / 4 GF 2 GA / 10 Pts)

4. Liverpool (3W 1D 0L / 5 GF 3 GA / 10 Pts)

A manager’s true worth is ultimately proven by results.

No matter how innovative or brilliant a tactic may be, if it’s not backed by corresponding results, it’s nothing more than an empty theory.

Conversely, no matter how outdated a tactic may seem, if the results back it up, no one can criticize it.

And his next opponent was Manchester City’s Peter Guardian, a manager who, like himself, had been leading his team since the previous season.

‘If I can beat this team, I can prove the value of my tactics.’

Unlike himself, Coach Peter Guardian was highly regarded for his tactical prowess.

No matter how much philosophy and conviction one had, it was human nature to want recognition.

He wanted to tactically overwhelm Coach Peter Guardian in this match and show the world.

‘My tactics are by no means outdated. I just have my own strategy, different from others.’

“Hoo… To do that, I’ll need to thoroughly analyze City.”

His gaze fell upon the laptop on his desk.

On the screen, clips of Manchester City’s players were playing.

The first subject of his analysis was Guerrero, City’s new signing this season.

“His movement is really good…”

Brown’s eyes gleamed.

On the screen, Guerrero moved freely among the defenders like a fish in water.

His timing, in particular, when slipping behind the defensive line to beat the offside trap, was almost an art form.

“He’s constantly checking the distance to the last defensive line… This isn’t something that can be achieved through training. It’s like an instinct. And then there’s the guy who perfectly times the pass to match that movement…”

His gaze naturally shifted to Sanchez.

“He puts the perfect spin on the pass to match the forward’s direction and speed. Plus, he has the creativity to deliver passes from unexpected angles… His only weakness seems to be a slight lack of physicality.”

Brown was lost in thought for a moment.

To exploit Sanchez’s weakness, he would need to assign a physically strong defender to him.

But it seemed unlikely that he could completely shut down his creative passing routes.

“Ha… this is absurd. How did they manage to bring in all these guys?”

He believed that tactically, the difference between himself and Peter Guardian wasn’t that significant.

But there was one thing he had to admit.

When it came to scouting promising talent, Guardian was a cut above.

The video moved on to the next clip.

This time, City’s defensive plays began to show.

A scene of Castillo’s defending filled the screen.

“Hmm… This kid’s tackles are precise and clean. His split-second decision-making is especially surprising. And that physique and speed…”

Brown replayed the scene of Castillo blocking an opponent’s breakthrough several times.

At 188cm tall with a solid build, Castillo never lost out in physical battles.

On top of that, he was also fast.

He was the ideal defender for modern football.

The way he intercepted the ball at the perfect moment, without being fooled by the opponent’s feints, was impressive.

“For a defender, his build-up play is excellent too…”

Finally, the video switched to the game footage of City’s new goalkeeper, Jeong Tae-woo.

As the video played on, unlike when he was analyzing the other players, he said nothing and simply focused on the screen.

As the night deepened, only the blue light of the laptop screen flickered in the office.

He picked up the mouse and replayed the video from the beginning.

Then again. Not a single word escaped his lips even as he watched it for the third time.

Only his gaze grew sharper and sharper.

Finally, as the third viewing ended, the first word came out of his mouth.

“Insane.”

That single word represented everything he was feeling.

Guerrero, Sanchez, Castillo… all of them were top prospects for their age.

And all of them were showing the best possible play for their age.

But this was different.

Jeong Tae-woo’s play… was something that simply couldn’t come from an eighteen-year-old goalkeeper.

“It’s like a world-class player on the verge of retirement is playing with a youthful body.”

What surprised him wasn’t just the reaction speed or the saves.

It was his ability to read the game, his build-up play… even the way he coordinated with the defense.

Everything was perfect, as if he were a veteran who had played hundreds of matches.

‘This is going to be harder than I thought.’

That night, unlike usual, the light from the Arsenal manager’s office, where he was preparing for the match against Manchester City, stayed on late into the night.

***

[Yes, good evening everyone. Today, a big match between Manchester City and Arsenal is scheduled to unfold.]

[The match will take place at Manchester City’s home ground, the Etihad Stadium. The passionate home fans’ chants are already filling the stadium.]

[And for good reason. City is currently on a four-game winning streak since the start of the season, sitting comfortably in second place in the league. It’s a remarkable rise compared to last season.]

[There was an unfortunate incident within City before the second round, which caused many fans to worry, but Manchester City has been showing such overwhelming performance that they’ve completely blown away those concerns.]

Before the match started, as the players were warming up, a chant I had never heard before began to ring out from the stands.

Jung Tae Woo, wherever you may be,

You’re keeping clean sheets for Man City,

With an angel’s face and lightning saves,

The youngest keeper making waves,

He’s our Number One from Ko-re-a!

Tae Woo! Tae Woo!

It was my chant, for Jeong Tae-woo.

‘I have a chant already.’

A chant was something the fans created to show their appreciation for a player who was performing exceptionally well for the team.

The fact that it was made just four rounds into the season was a testament to how much the fans were counting on me.

‘An angel’s face… I like that part the most.’

Back in my Kim Chan-ki days, my chant included the phrase ‘a devil’s face’.

Just then, Guerrero, who was warming up next to me, started grumbling again.

“Hey, why don’t I have one? How can they treat the hero of City, who’s been on a goal-scoring rampage, like this!”

Did the fans understand Guerrero’s feelings?

As soon as my chant ended, they began to sing a new chant with Guerrero’s name in it.

He’s mental, he’s wild, that’s Guerrero,

Running ’round like a tornado,

Tackles hard and scores for fun,

He’s crazy but we love our son!

“Hey, why is my chant only about being crazy?”

“Because you really are crazy.”

Guerrero pouted, seemingly displeased with his chant.

But it couldn’t be helped.

Whether you looked at him from afar or up close, he really was a madman.