Chapter 131
Chapter 131
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 131
Chapter Title: 2022-2023 Season, Championship (2)
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Black-Haired Tactical Genius
Chapter 131: 2022-2023 Season, Championship (2)
The League One promotion playoffs had finally wrapped up.
In the end, just three teams earned their way into the EFL Championship.
[Bolton Wanderers]
[Hall City]
And Wigan Athletic, who clinched victory after a grueling playoff battle.
With that, the 24 teams set to battle it out in the 2022-2023 Championship season were locked in.
1. Fulham FC
2. West Bromwich Albion FC
3. Sheffield United FC
4. Swansea City FC
5. Reading FC
6. Queens Park Rangers FC
7. AFC Bournemouth
8. Cardiff City FC
9. Middlesbrough FC
10. Millwall FC
11. Sunderland FC
12. Stoke City FC
13. Blackburn Rovers FC
14. Nottingham Forest FC
15. Birmingham City FC
16. Huddersfield Town AFC
17. Derby County FC
18. Watford FC
19. Sheffield Wednesday FC
20. Norwich City FC
21. Burnley FC
22. Hull City AFC
23. Wigan Athletic
24. Bolton Wanderers
“...”
Ma Jeong-woo slouched unevenly in the executive chair, narrowing his eyes.
‘What the hell is this...’
On the pristine white cover of the paper booklet, the massive EFL Championship emblem was emblazoned boldly at the top center.
At the bottom was the roster of all 24 teams they’d be facing this season.
Flip open the 24-page booklet, and each team’s style and history filled a densely packed page.
Jeong-woo had already been poring over this complimentary Championship guide for a solid 30 minutes.
His eyebrows shot up, then settled back down.
His lips drooped, only to twitch suddenly on one side of his face.
“Fuck?”
Then he erupted in a spasm of profanity.
No matter how many times he looked, the list of 24 teams was packed with powerhouses that made his eyes doubt what they saw.
‘I was so focused on League One that I completely ignored the upper-table fixtures.’
Fulham alone was a team that treated the Premier League like a revolving door.
Swansea City, Queens Park Rangers, Bournemouth, and the rest were no different.
“Sunderland’s basically the Championship’s Mansour, isn’t it.”
On top of that, Burnley, Norwich City, and Watford were all teams relegated to the Championship this season.
Sheffield, West Brom, Stoke—names he’d seen plenty in the Premier League...
“Goddamn it.”
More curses spilled out.
Just glancing at the list told him this wouldn’t be an easy fight.
For a fleeting moment, his resolve wavered.
‘Just sell the damn club...?’
* * *
Unlike Jeong-woo’s wavering heart, the Wanderers fans were lost in nonstop celebration.
Bolton University Glamping Site had been fully booked for days straight, and Bolton Park was mobbed from open to close.
Sizzle—!
Sizzle—!
All around, folks were firing up pork belly on oil drum grills.
It had caught on like wildfire after Adebayor and his crew made it a thing back in the day.
The crowds clinked beer glasses day and night, singing Bolton’s praises.
“Manchester United can eat shit—!”
The chant rang out from every direction, no need to strain your ears.
* * *
Local Bolton radio outlets gave heavy coverage to Jeong-woo’s post-final-match interview, where he’d capped off the League One title with a thrashing.
Horwich media DJ Aaron Bench was no exception.
[Manager Ma of Bolton laid out his bold ambitions for the 2022-2023 season! He says not only promotion, but Championship glory is the goal! Muamba! What do you think?]
Just a year ago, everyone would’ve scoffed.
Some might’ve even barked that it was nonsense.
But not anymore.
The live radio chat exploded with waves of positive comments.
- : They won League One! Championship’s next!
- : We’ve got winner’s DNA now!
- : I think it’s possible. As long as the owner and squad stay the same this season!
- : ARRRRGH! Let’s go Bolton! We got this!
- : Lock down Owen, Pax, and loan-returnee Frank Gerrard for the season. They’re a different level!
Regular panelist Fabrice Muamba backed him up with a whistle and a grin.
[Bolton’s always been at home in the Premier League. The Championship’s just another mountain to climb.]
* * *
A few days flew by in a blur.
At Manchester City’s first-team training ground in Greater Manchester.
“Every time I come here, it costs a fortune.”
Jeong-woo let out a small sigh of admiration at the sprawling pitch and state-of-the-art facilities.
The sky was so clear it felt like staring at a landscape painting.
Of course, with the first-team players on holiday, the place was deserted.
“We were hoping for a peek at the first team.”
Jeong-woo smacked his lips in disappointment.
“Still, as an affiliate club, you’d think they’d give us a little edge?”
Park Hee-won, strolling alongside him beyond the training ground fence, asked casually.
He meant the loan targets they were scouting in this talent tug-of-war.
Jeong-woo shoved both hands in his suit pants pockets and shrugged.
“Who knows. Our Hoseb hyung’s crew is ice-cold when it comes to this stuff.”
A cocky grin spread across his face.
“But he’s gotta give his little bro some priority, right? Heh.”
That confidence came from his stellar track record with Frank Gerrard and Cole Palmer.
Frank Gerrard especially was red-hot after his loan spell—Championship sides were lining up for him.
Which also meant it’d be a tough battle.
‘Not just Championship clubs—even freshly promoted Bundesliga and Ligue 1 teams want him.’
He wasn’t a flashy playmaker, but his midfield engine was off the charts.
‘Yeah, blocking and intercepting like it was nothing.’
The epitome of self-sacrifice.
League One fans had dubbed him the “Silver Kangtae.”
‘Without him, we’d have shipped way more goals.’
That’s when it happened.
“Great to see you, Manager Ma!”
Player loans and transfers rep Francis Carson approached with a warm smile.
Jeong-woo returned the grin, shaking his hand firmly.
The two chatted amiably for a while.
For Carson, Jeong-woo was genuinely welcome.
‘Just like Manager Hoseb said—a real talent!’
He even shot Jeong-woo admiring looks for winning League One.
Their first phone call had pegged him as odd, but that was ancient history.
No doubts left about his player development skills.
He’d more than doubled Man City loanees’ values in one season.
“Our club’s quite impressed with your player development methods.”
Soon the three of them were strolling past the first-team pitch down the corridor, conversation flowing.
Jeong-woo tilted his head slightly and asked.
“Impressed enough to loan us those two again? I’d love that. Cheap price would be even better.”
“Haha, we’ll have to review the proposals.”
Carson parried with a smile.
Jeong-woo narrowed his eyes.
‘Figures. Hoseb hyung’s guy—zero room for sentiment.’
But Carson’s next words tugged a smirk from Jeong-woo.
“Frank and Cole will pick Bolton over other offers, no doubt.”
Carson asked again.
“Where to first? Reserves? Or U19?”
Unlike the first team, the reserves and U19s were heading on holiday in about four days.
Right now, they were in the thick of practice matches, with scouts from various clubs already watching.
Palmer and Gerrard were training with the reserves.
Carson figured Jeong-woo would head straight for them.
And he didn’t hesitate.
“U19 first.”
* * *
Man City provided visiting club reps with profiles of loan-listed players.
Neil Katchis, Nottingham Forest’s assistant coach—gatekeeper of the Championship for four straight years—eyed the field sharply.
The 36-year-old clutched a binder full of detailed player profiles.
Beyond the fence, young prospects charged about fearlessly.
“Scouting someone in particular?”
Birmingham City assistant Aaron Grassi asked from beside him.
Rivals in the Championship, but the two shared a thick bond.
Katchis glanced at hiMad Dog fired back.
“Why? Who’re you after?”
“Ahem, just something decent. Oh, that lad looks solid. You?”
The bearded half-man-half-bear Grassi pointed at one player.
Thud—!
“Guh!”
Even in practice, the guy got muscled off the ball without a counter, tumbling out to the touchline.
Katchis thought to himself.
‘Who’s he trying to fool?’
Thick as thieves or not, they were competitors.
Grassi had just tried to pull one over on him.
And he kept yapping.
“See that? Physical’s not his forte, but explosive dribbling. He’d be a gem for Nottingham.”
“Why not snag him for Birmingham?”
“Nah, why?”
“You lot are all giants. Height’s useless if they’re lumbering around, caught flat-footed on turns. Grab this silky dribbler and...”
“Nottingham’s no better—backline wide open in your season finale against us. Your so-called top defender just froze.”
“What? That’s...!”
It devolved into their usual bickering.
The two traded barbs about each other’s teams, all smiles.
How much time passed?
“Check that out.”
Katchis narrowed his eyes first, nodding toward one spot.
“What?”
Grassi rolled his eyes that way, bickering forgotten.
He winced too.
Ma Jeong-woo—the guy who’d stormed League One in 2021-2022 and rocketed to the Championship—had just arrived.
A new rival had them on edge.
They knew he wasn’t your average manager, so the wariness doubled.
Katchis mused inwardly.
‘Tied up with Man City on an affiliation deal, too...’
He’d have the edge on loans.
Irritation bubbled up.
‘Skips reserves for here?’
Cash-strapped, Katchis and Grassi’s teams had hit U19 first, hunting hidden gems.
Affiliates like Bolton started at reserves—so the manager’s presence here screamed bad news.
But soon they burst out laughing.
Jeong-woo, who’d seemed to scan the action intently, pointed at one player.
The scrawny winger they’d just been squabbling over.
Meanwhile, Jeong-woo eyed the kid dodging pressure from giants a head taller and grinned to himself.
“Name’s Ethan Roberie.”