Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Start (6)
Black-Haired Tactical Genius
Chapter 143 Start (6)
Right after conceding, Marco Silva immediately pulled out his substitution card.
[Fulham FC is subbing in Ivan Cavaleiro for Aleksandar Mitrovic!]
[Bringing on a speedy player to target Bolton's backline?]
It was safe to say the aerial battle relying on Mitrovic had already failed.
'The height is too much...!'
Silva shot an uncomfortable glance at Bolton's 2-meter tall center backs.
They could clear headers with just a slight jump.
With only about five minutes left in regular time, Silva had no choice but to give the order.
Push the midfielders forward and break Bolton's backline with long-range lofted passes.
"Long counter?"
Jeong-woo narrowed his eyes.
He could see Fulham's forwards and midfielders compressing the space between them.
Speedy players like Amad Diallo, Cavaleiro, and Bobby De Cordova were stepping onto Bolton's defensive line.
"Aiming for line-breaking with a long counter?"
Beside him, Hee-won muttered with a slightly tense expression.
After all, soccer was at its most nerve-wracking in a one-goal game.
On the other hand, he must have felt it too.
Championship-level teams were definitely different from League One.
Jeong-woo thought the same.
'Only one goal after all this.'
From the early game, he'd focused on adjusting line spacing to drain their stamina.
Then, from mid-second half, he'd switched to wave-like attacks to shatter their lines.
But they were tougher than expected.
'The breakwater's solid.'
Not tactically, but due to player quality.
Even when space opened, Fulham players would cover it with individual skill in an instant.
Their decision-making was quick too.
'There is a tempo difference.'
League One and Championship tempo were worlds apart.
In League One, players had an average of 3 seconds to breathe; here, it was just over 2.
Fail to connect or decide in that time, and pass and shot lanes were cut off.
Early on, most Bolton players had looked flustered.
The pressing intensity was higher too, so stamina dropped faster than in League One.
'Of course, the stage they're used to running on changed in a flash.'
But... that was it.
Bolton had scored first and seized control.
Now the opponents, exhausted, were attempting a desperate long counter.
Raising the line and accepting the risk of space behind.
'Whether down one or two, a loss is a loss. Pride stung, huh?'
Just look at Marco Silva's furious face in the technical area.
A newly promoted team had struck them.
Jeong-woo turned to check the scoreboard.
Barely three minutes left in regular time... Extra time wouldn't be long.
He muttered through slightly parted teeth, flashing white.
"If they push the line up, that's music to my ears."
With that, his eyes met Pax's, who was loitering by the touchline.
He swiftly raised one finger to his chest, signaling a tactical change.
Pax immediately dropped deeper.
Then Jeong-woo's eyes met another player's.
Soon, his eyes crinkled in a smile.
Gary Todd, in the center of the three-back, lit up with fighting spirit just from the eye contact.
Jeong-woo thought.
'This guy's a gem beyond expectations.'
Second half, 41st minute.
"Amad! Yes, dive in like—!"
Marco Silva was yelling from the edge of the technical area when he flinched.
As planned, Fulham's attack surged forward like moths to a flame on Bolton's long build-up.
But that was as far as it went.
Gary Todd appeared before Amad Diallo like a shadow, eyes wide open.
"You crazy bastard, get off me!"
Diallo back-passed.
Todd's presence had shrunk his field of vision.
Second half, 42nd minute. Diallo received the ball, and Todd appeared again. He panicked.
This time, he tried his specialty: dribbling.
Tap, tap, tap, taat—!
Rabona fakes, step-overs, flip-flaps... But he barely advanced 30 cm.
Todd stood firm, denying even a chance to probe with minimal movement.
Instead, attempting a nutmeg, Diallo took Todd's instinctive backhand to the eye—turning it black and blue—and tumbled backward.
Second half, 44th minute.
"Get lost, you fucker!"
Diallo, now repulsed, shouted as he turned the freshly fallen ball with his right outfront and turned his back.
Desperate to escape.
But Gary Todd lunged toward the deflected ball, heedless.
"Uwooo!"
Thwack—!
"No, fuck!"
Diallo, darting to the side, took Todd's incoming right shoulder to his left back, knees buckling.
Slam—!
Humiliation: hands on the ground.
Thwang—!
Undeterred, Todd short-passed after the intercept.
Owen, just below the center circle, pulled back his left foot to receive.
"No!"
Silva, watching, felt a chill and yelled.
Thwang—!
Owen fired a two-touch straight pass to the open opposite flank.
Tap—!
Pax, who had dropped deep, took it forward with a dribble.
Tuk, tuk, tuk—!
[Pak, pak, paaak—!]
The commentators screamed.
Wanderers fans ooohed, bouncing in their seats.
In a blink, Pax was charging down the left flank again.
"You bastard!"
As he crossed halfway in a flash, Jambie Angisa body-checked from the side.
Thud—!
"Ghuh!"
Pax groaned short and was shoved out to the touchline.
As the stunned Silva nearly sighed in relief—
Ooooooo—!
The Wanderers' roar grew louder.
Silva's eyes widened.
"What?!"
Reeling Pax exploded forward again, stamping the turf and unleashing a shot from distance.
"Huh!"
Angisa, who had closed to half a step from the ball, startled.
Tap—!
Pax chipped it long with his right instep, shaking Angisa.
Thwoong—!
Then pure speed overtook the rattled Angisa.
"That guy...!"
Marco Silva, desperate for an equalizer, started yelling at his defenders but sucked in a breath.
Scanning Fulham's half, his eyes filled with doubt.
'No one...?'
Precisely: no defenders ahead of Pax slicing from sideline to half, then to the left area.
Only the keeper, grimacing, stomped then charged out.
Thwang—!
Clang!
Pax nailed the dagger with a clean right inside kick, Adebayor-style.
* * *
[ Bolton Wanderers! 2:0 win over Fulham! ]
[ Bolton! Grabs 3 points in opener, climbs to 6th...! ]
[ Bolton Wanderers sounds the horn for a strong Championship start! ]
The press sang Bolton's praises.
BBC host Gary Lineker too.
[What a fantastic night for the Wanderers fans! They absolutely deserved the win!]
Championship teams rarely got airtime on the UK's top soccer broadcaster.
But with ex-Man Utd players and Bolton's endless Utd jabs, it was different.
Since last season, Bolton had built thick ties to Man Utd, earning constant media buzz.
Lineker continued from his cozy living room studio, sunk in a plush sofa.
[Star Pax, Owen Precise, and Emmanuel Adebayor proved their skills translate to the Championship. Experts here agree, right?]
Lineker grinned, glancing around.
Across sat Man Utd legend Rio Ferdinand, nodding affirmatively.
[I agree. Bolton played intelligently against Fulham. Fulham grew frantic and fatigued as time went on.]
He'd dissed Bolton before.
His feelings hadn't improved.
His grave-digger line had backfired onto Utd.
But he had to say this.
[Personally... I can't understand the board releasing Gary Todd like that.]
[Because of his standout performance today?]
To Lineker's question, Ferdinand shook his head, irritation flickering.
[Todd was exceptional from youth. Behind Beckham, Rashford, Greenwood—Man Utd's top youth talent. Sure, injuries tanked his form... but that's temporary, in my view.]
Sprawled on the sofa watching TV, Jeong-woo smirked satisfied.
"Kuhuhuht."
Just three hours post-match, media and public were in frenzy.
As Ferdinand said, Gary Todd was a massive talent.
"Real Yaya Touré vibes."
Pushing with superior physique, just like Yaya.
Plus supple ball control and technique.
Of course, Todd wasn't perfect yet.
That playstyle shone only in the defensive line.
Closer to the opponent's half, his aggressive flair noticeably faded.
"Kuhut."
But Jeong-woo's smile lingered.
Todd's chained, limited play still wielded huge impact.
"Completely neutralized Amad Diallo, for one."
Not just Diallo.
Once confident in the tall center back behind him, Todd shut down every approach.
Even outrating goalscorers Adebayor and Pax for top marks.
Naturally, MOM.
Watching the live analysis stream like Jeong-woo, Man Utd fans split opinions.
He snickered at the phone's overseas forum.
- : Gary Todd was right to be released. Striker playing CB? Headers nonexistent!
: Tons of attackers turned defenders, idiot. Even England NT CBs were forwards in youth?
- : One good game and it's world-class bullshit.
- : Solskjær, you moron—why ditch Todd deeming him no striker potential?
Most said one game wasn't enough.
Jeong-woo disagreed.
One game sufficed.
Todd was a talent rivaling Fergie's kids.
In other words...
"Hit the lotto."
Just tutor right, like cashing a check.
* * *
September 16, 2022.
Championship Round 5 concluded.
Top 7 standings:
1. 5 matches 4W 1D 0L 13 pts
2. [Sunderland FC] 5 matches 4W 1D 0L 13 pts
3. [Bolton Wanderers] 5 matches 4W 1D 0L 13 pts
4. [Watford FC] 5 matches 3W 1D 1L 10 pts
5. [Norwich City] 3W 1D 1L 10 pts
6. [Wigan Athletic] 3W 0D 2L 9 pts
7. [West Bromwich Albion FC] 2W 2D 1L 8 pts
Notably, Bolton—shaky defensively from League One—conceded zero goals in five rounds.