Chapter 136
Chapter 136
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 136
Chapter Title: 2022-2023 Season, Championship (7)
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Black-Haired Tactical Genius
Chapter 136: 2022-2023 Season, Championship (7)
After his meeting with Gary Todd, Ma Jeong-woo headed straight back to his office.
Tap, tap!
The moment he sat down in his executive chair, he flicked his lighter.
Sparks flew a few times before the tip of the cigarette clenched between his teeth caught fire.
“Whew—!”
Jeong-woo exhaled smoke through his mouth and nose, then muttered under his breath.
Park Hee-won, who hadn’t gone home yet, plopped down on the sofa at the sight and asked.
“You sure this is okay?”
“Todd?”
“Yeah, that guy. He wears a headgear even in practice—that means he’s got some serious mental scars.”
It was an undeniable fact.
For a soccer player, a skull fracture was troubling not just for the recovery process, but even more for what came after.
The mental aftermath was no small thing.
Hee-won leaned back into the sofa, fiddling with his phone screen as he muttered.
“Remember Ryan Mason from Tottenham? He came back from a skull fracture and retired right away.”
Hee-won added that plenty of other players had been forced into early retirement due to skull injuries.
Cases like Gary Todd’s, where the psychological damage was the biggest factor.
They’d feel extreme fear even in basic on-field challenges.
It robbed them of their previous skill level, left them lacking confidence, and slowly killed their careers.
A sticky trauma that wouldn’t let go.
“Petr Cech’s case is the exception.”
With that, Hee-won popped an ice cream he’d bought from the convenience store on the club grounds into his mouth.
He’d advised Jeong-woo several times before to hold off on signing Todd.
But Jeong-woo saw it differently.
Creaaak—!
Leaning back hard against the executive chair’s backrest, it groaned in protest.
Through the half-open blinds, yellowish sunlight seeped into the room.
Jeong-woo narrowed his eyes against the intruding light.
“You saw his play. He was Erling Haaland up front—fearless in the opponent’s box. And he’d drop back tirelessly to cover for defense. Even in his four Championship sub appearances, he was impressive, if not quite youth-team level.”
Hee-won took a bite of his ice creaMad Dog shot back immediately.
“That was before the injury, when he was at his peak.”
“Yeah, his peak. But talent like that doesn’t just vanish.”
Up until now, Jeong-woo had focused on one-tool players.
Like Park, specialized in running, or Owen, all-in on his kicking.
‘No money back then.’
But now Bolton had to compete for promotion in the Championship.
This promotion had boosted the club’s value noticeably, and the existing players’ levels had risen sharply.
Even so, the Championship’s quality was incomparable to League One.
‘Higher than some European first divisions.’
It wasn’t coincidence that Championship sides pulled off giant-killings against mid-to-upper EPL teams.
Reinforcements were essential.
And Gary Todd was an attractive prospect there.
“Huuuh—!”
Jeong-woo exhaled smoke again through his open teeth and spoke up.
“Trauma can be overcome.”
It hadn’t been long, but Jeong-woo had closely reviewed Todd’s post-injury footage.
And he’d seen it clearly.
The kid was avoiding challenges in the opponent’s box.
A stark contrast to before.
‘He’d hesitate even on headers and miss them.’
But in defensive areas, it was different.
His aggression had dipped, but his tackling timing and predictive reads to intercept still shone.
The coach at the time had instructed him to join attacks more, so he’d push up quickly.
‘Looked like he hated going forward.’
In the footage, Todd resembled a dog hesitating at every step on a walk, waiting for its owner to say “let’s go home.”
But in those brief moments, Jeong-woo had made his judgment.
Todd was valuable even defensively.
‘He just has a mental block in the final third.’
That’s why Jeong-woo planned to deploy him as a sweeper first.
With his 190cm-plus frame and physicality, plus speed.
And he already had a toolkit of defender skills.
‘Already released, no transfer fee.’
He was practically grateful to Man Utd.
Dumping a kid with unlimited potential like that.
‘Idiots.’
Of course, there was another goal.
To shove a massive middle finger at Manchester United.
By developing and reviving their prized youth product, Gary Todd.
That alone was enough.
Just seeing Todd thrive would make Man Utd’s hearts ache.
‘It’ll be a mid-to-long-term play, but whatever.’
Plus, Jeong-woo was imagining another jab.
The mere thought tugged his lips into a sly grin.
“Keuhehehe.”
Meanwhile, Hee-won paused halfway through his ice cream, narrowing his eyes.
‘That bastard...’
Jeong-woo was suddenly smirking to himself, lost in some reverie.
And Hee-won knew well.
Whenever he grinned like that, someone ended up in despair soon after.
* * *
Manchester United was having one of the most active transfer windows of any club.
[Manchester United! Signs 19-Year-Old Prodigy Alon Musk from Huddersfield Town!]
[Manchester United! Signs 20-Year-Old Prodigy MF Bojan Marin from Swansea City!]
Most were young prospects for the future.
Average fees around £2M (₩3.1B), up to £5M (₩7.9B).
They’d join reserves, return to parent clubs, or go straight out on loan rather than the first team.
Man Utd was churning through its youth setup, but criticism was inevitable.
The new signings were mostly players Bolton had eyed first.
There were unrelated ones sprinkled in to deflect suspicion.
Today was no different.
[Bolton! £3M (₩4.7B) Bid for Cardiff City’s All-Action Midfielder!]
“Hmm.”
Solskjaer narrowed his eyes.
The article showed Bolton targeting another young Championship talent.
His assistant, Michael Phelan, stood before him with a displeased expression.
‘Again.’
Of course, two days ago, signing Erling Haaland had quelled fan worries for now.
But Phelan still didn’t like Solskjaer chasing Bolton’s targets.
“Freddy Makheda...”
Solskjaer glanced between the article and the scout’s report file, a satisfied smile forming.
“Impressive. At just 18, 20 sub appearances in the Championship last season with 8 goals.”
“Gaffer.”
“This could be a great asset for Man Utd. What do you think, Assistant?”
Phelan met Solskjaer’s gentle smile with a firm stance.
“Following Chelsea’s youth model isn’t bad. But isn’t this enough already?”
They’d already signed 9 prospects not for the first team.
Including Haaland, 4 were first-team caliber.
Sure, they’d released 10 from reserves and youth, but this felt off.
Solskjaer nodded, sensing Phelan’s gaze.
“That’s why we’re releasing the misfits and bringing in new blood, right? Heh heh.”
But inwardly, he sighed in regret.
‘I wanted to mess with them a bit more, but... ugh.’
He wished he could sabotage Bolton until deadline day.
Hearing they’d signed Man Utd cast-off Gary Todd recently had fired him up even more.
‘It’s obvious...!’
Trying to spite him by boosting the kid’s career.
But no real threat there.
To Solskjaer, Todd was a flower with a snapped stem.
Still, he respected Bolton’s scouting eye.
“Todd was to poke at me, but... their other targets are solid.”
Several overlapped with Man Utd scout reports.
Recent signings were mostly players both clubs’ scouts had raved about.
‘Heh heh heh.’
Solskjaer chuckled just imagining the future.
He didn’t expect all the prospects to hit big.
But if a few exploded in potential, his reputation would soar.
‘Like Fergie’s kids back in the day.’
He was sure Park and Owen Presley would succeed too.
The wages he’d offered dwarfed Bolton’s.
‘Chump change to us.’
That’s how Solskjaer planned to slowly crush Bolton with cash.
But soon his eyes crumpled in discomfort.
While habitually scanning articles, he spotted an interview from Bolton’s manager, Ma Jeong-woo.
He didn’t even need to read it—his under-eyes twitched, face flushing red.
[Ma Jeong-woo: ‘Owen and Park told me. They won’t join a teaMad Dog manager who lost to Bolton twice.’]
* * *
A sunny afternoon in Jeong-woo’s office.
“Alright, this player, this one, and this one. Oh, cool name—Bebe? Yeah, proposal for him too.”
“Transfer fee...?”
“Just a fair offer. Man Utd will hijack it anyway.”
Player transfer and loan handler Luis Babel nodded at Jeong-woo’s orders, scribbling notes on files nonstop.
Some time passed like that.
After Babel left, Jeong-woo leaned back into his chair with a relieved expression.
His lips stayed curled upward, refusing to drop.
“What an utter moron.”
Lately, Bolton had pushed harder on signings than any Championship club.
They topped the article mentions by far.
But actual acquisitions? Just Gary Todd and two loanees from Man City.
Simple reason.
Man Utd hijacked them all.
But Jeong-woo wasn’t mad.
The moment he realized Man Utd was blatantly sabotaging, he’d flipped it into a prank.
The players he’d just told Babel about were perfect examples.
“All Championship level—nothing more, nothing less.”
To Jeong-woo, they were young but lacked Park or Owen’s growth ceiling.
Some had personality issues or other flaws.
And through planted stories, he’d steered Man Utd toward them.
To give them indigestion.
Pushing them to hoard until they couldn’t sign more.
“Keh heh.”
Jeong-woo’s laugh turned sinister for a moment.
‘Real signings can wait till they’re bloated.’
Then his eyes caught an article.
Owen and Park committing to Bolton.
He’d been a bit worried, honestly.
Man Utd’s offers were nearly 4x Bolton’s wages.
But the day before, they’d come to hiMad Dog said.
‘We want to stay at Bolton.’
‘We want to challenge for the Championship with Bolton.’
No long speeches.
Jeong-woo just saw the resolve in their eyes and knew.
They were hungry to grow at Bolton.
And more.
‘They trust me...’
Over the past year, he’d unintentionally built solid trust with them.
Their faces had flushed as they showed their faith.
‘Eyes sparkling like stars—practically glowing.’
Now it was time for Jeong-woo to repay that.