Chapter 149
Translator: uly
Chapter: 149
Chapter Title: Derby Spirit, (2)
Manager Ma had said it.
The opponent had no choice but to waver when a player they thought was nothing started running rampant more than anyone else.
And once they wavered, it would take quite a long time to steady themselves.
He had been right.
Thud, thud, thwack—!
[Ethan Roberie! Undaunted by left or right foot, he cuts in from the left flank with another underlap—!]
That was when the physically strong midfielder, Jack Cork, predictably threw himself into a standing tackle.
Whoosh—!
When the gap had narrowed to less than half a step, Ethan Roberie suddenly dragged the ball back with his right foot in a drag-back, evading the tackle.
Even as he did, Roberie recalled Manager Ma's advice in his mind.
'Cork tends to lean his center of gravity forward when attempting a standing tackle. So once he misses, there's a noticeable gap.'
He had gone further.
'Even if it's just a few seconds..., that's enough time for you to exploit.'
It was just as he said.
"Shit!"
Cork stomped his studs into the empty turf and let out a curse.
His mind was in chaos.
'I thought he'd just charge straight in...!'
In an instant, Roberie had come to an abrupt halt and retreated.
There wasn't the slightest hesitation.
For a moment, Cork flinched, his shoulders trembling.
Swoosh—!
Before he could regain his balance for a second press, Roberie surged into the open space to Cork's right.
43rd minute of the first half.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Ethan Roberie's confidence had been rising with every passing minute.
'It's working...! It's getting through!'
In the 3-4-3 formation, he was responsible for the left-sided midfielder role.
At first, he hadn't known what to do with the pressure.
In a back three, he had to drop back into defense whenever needed.
That was the simple view from the formation alone.
But it had been a misconception.
'Don't think about dropping back—only think about pushing forward. Carry the ball upfield or shake up the opponents relentlessly.'
Manager Ma's instructions had been incredibly straightforward.
Positioned where the sideline met the halfway line, when in possession, he was to drive forward with a dribble or underlap deep into their territory.
And he was convinced.
'Just by playing like that, Bolton will create scoring chances much more easily.'
On defense, there was Gary Todd.
No matter if the flank was breached, Todd was covering like a fullback, filling the space.
"Huff, huff, huff—!"
By now, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Roberie's eyes were fiercely alive.
Due to his slight frame, he had collapsed in hesitation many times...
Frankly, the anxiety had amplified even more in the Championship, a higher league.
About whether he could withstand the fierce waves he'd never experienced before.
That was how, from the moment he chose to join Bolton, Roberie had harbored two conflicting emotions.
All or nothing.
In other words, those were the only two options left to him.
And now..., even if it was just for one match, Roberie could be certain.
'This is all-in...!'
From the moment he stepped onto the pitch, he had felt a strange sensation.
For some reason, his vision felt wider than usual, and his body moved more as he intended.
Above all, he could tell.
'They're a tempo slow...!'
Every opponent movement toward him was a tempo behind—sometimes two.
Thanks to that, Roberie could more easily pick out gaps to penetrate with greater composure and shake off markers.
That was when it happened.
Thwack—!
A lob pass came once more from central midfielder Owen Pressais.
Thud!
Roberie chest-trapped it near the end of the sideline, then cushioned it with his instep to a halt.
"You little brat!"
At the same time, Jack Cork—who hadn't managed a proper charge all first half—rushed in with his face flushed red again, but...
Swoosh—!
In less than a second, Roberie targeted the space behind where Cork's momentum had carried him.
* * *
Manchester.
Hosap Guardiolla sat on the reception sofa with his legs crossed.
His gaze was fixed solely on the TV straight ahead, showing no sign of straying.
On the screen, the Burnley FC vs. Bolton Wanderers match was being broadcast live.
Now into the 7th minute of the second half, the score was 0-1, with Bolton leading.
And the commentators beyond the speakers kept shouting.
[Ethan Roberieeee!]
[Oh! After the Rabona feint, a backheel to beat Burnley's fullback...! Oh! And now a Cruyff turn!]
As he executed a Cruyff turn hugging the opponent's dead ball line, Burnley's center-back, Van Mee, charged in.
Thump—!
[Ah! Roberie! Van Mee shoulders him off, and he tumbles out beyond the dead ball line...!]
But the commentators quickly corrected themselves.
[Ah, he doesn't go down!]
Just as they said, Roberie endured the shove, dragging the ball back along with him.
Then thud! He chipped it up with his nose of the boot, long, and from outside the line, charged inward in a dazzling run.
[Oooooooo—!]
That was when the Wanderers rose as one, letting out a roar of anticipation.
Immediately after, spotting the keeper off his line hugging the post, Roberie struck with a right-footed instep drive.
Aiming for the far post space.
Swish—!
[Ahh! It's a bit too far! It sails well wide of the far post and out over the goal line!]
[Park and Shearer Kane look gutted! They were definitely in better positions than Roberie!]
Though Roberie's greedy shot had wasted the chance, the fans applauded.
Park and Kane quickly thumbs-upped, boosting the exhilarated Roberie's spirits.
The commentators marveled again and again.
[What tenacity! Ethan Roberie! This kid's on loan from Manchester City!]
[Despite his diminutive frame—barely scraping 170cm—he's relentlessly outfoxing Burnley's feisty defenders and midfielders with his quick play!]
Heh.
Hosap Guardiolla now wore a faint smile.
'Ethan Roberie...'
On the broadcast camera, Roberie, after missing, raised a hand in apology to his teammates before sprinting straight back to his own half.
His expression did indeed brim with the fighting spirit the commentators described.
As the whistle blew to restart, Roberie predictably chased the ball without fail.
To Hosap, the kid never seemed to have both feet on the ground for a single moment.
'The instant he gets the ball, it's like he knows exactly who's pressing and is already set...'
After eight Championship games without even making the bench since the season started, Hosap had been deeply troubled.
He had even considered terminating the loan early.
Part of him wondered if Roberie's talent had simply plateaued there.
'He was once hailed as Man City's future gem.'
But the more he developed from youth level, the clearer Ethan Roberie's limitations became.
Especially physically—he was severely lacking compared to his peers.
Even so, Hosap had held onto him.
For a simple reason.
'It felt like watching Lionel Messi.'
It was true.
Absurdly, Roberie carried Messi's scent.
'From close control to explosive acceleration.'
It wasn't an exaggeration to call him two-footed; he used both feet freely for shots, passes, and dribbles, just like Messi.
Of course, that phase had been fleeting.
Beyond his early teens, that scent would dissipate in the harsh winds before it could even tease his senses.
But now, Hosap was seeing it clearly on TV.
The bold, early days of Ethan Roberie, the first time he'd encountered him as a child.
He recalled their first conversation then.
Watching Roberie toy with 6 or 7 players single-handedly with dribbles alone, Hosap had made an offer.
Come to Manchester City.
And the 10-year-old Roberie had replied with sparkling eyes.
'Will you raise me like Messi?'
With such an innocent expression, as if he'd read Hosap's mind that very day.
Of course, his current play was nowhere near Messi's level.
But Hosap could sense it.
The faint scent of Roberie was beginning to waft to his nostrils again.
'It's all thanks to Ma.'
Hosap could see it in his eyes.
'He's not using Roberie defensively at all.'
He was treating the halfway line like the Maginot Line, with no intention of dropping further.
Whenever he received the ball, he invariably surged forward or into central areas.
'He looks so much more at ease.'
His dribbling even seemed sharper and more composed than in youth team days.
For a simple reason.
'He's utilizing his teammates around him.'
Manager Ma had placed the speedy Park and combative Shearer Kane on the flanks.
That alone pinned Burnley's fullbacks.
Their center-backs had no choice but to split their attention checking them.
On top of that, Shearer Kane was faithfully holding up play as a defensive forward with his back to goal.
'A defensive attacker, through and through.'
It wasn't an exaggeration to say he was doubling as a defender up top.
Even now, he was screening Van Mee and James Tarkowski like chains on their ankles.
'And Owen Pressais's long-range shots need watching too.'
In Hosap's view, Bolton's Manager Ma was deploying every available attacking option while using sheer confrontation to shrink Burnley back.
That meant less pressure on Roberie, who was somewhat removed from counters.
In every way, Hosap couldn't help but admire Manager Ma's tactics and player usage time and again.
* * *
24th minute of the second half.
Bolton Wanderers finally added a second goal.
Thwack—!
Clang!
[Goooooooal—!]
[Shearer Kayyyyyyne—!]
[A low drive from outside the area into the bottom left corner for the second goal!]
[This guy's off to a faster scoring start than last season!]
31st minute of the second half.
The faces of the Wanderers, already certain of victory, turned sour in an instant.
A Burnley corner kick.
Thwack—!
Winger Dwight McNeil floated an outswinger, and Chris Wood rose outside the area to head it home.
"Yes! Yes!"
Only then did Sean Dyche, who had worn a tense expression throughout, let out a short roar of joy.
With the score now tied at one, he immediately pulled a substitution.
[Ashley Westwood Out, Jay Rodriguez In]
"Taking off a midfielder for an attacker."
Jeong-woo muttered lowly, leaning awkwardly against the bench.
Score: 2-1.
Definitely a precarious one-goal lead.
And Jay Rodriguez was one of Burnley's key strikers back from injury.
'A guy specialized in goals and link-up play.'
It meant they might switch up their attack.
Then Jeong-woo glanced back.
"Huff, huff, huff—!"
He could see Ethan Roberie relentlessly moving on the flank.
Desperate to receive the ball more comfortably from teammates.
But to Jeong-woo, the kid was already spent.
'His reactions are slowing.'
Still, he'd put in a performance worthy of applause.
Including an assist to Park, he'd shaken the opponents with dribbles all game.
And drawn six fouls to boot.
With that, Jeong-woo also played his first substitution card.
[Ethan Roberie Out, Emmanuel Adebayor In]
He also changed the formation.
[Oh! With 14 minutes left in the second half, Bolton changes formation!]
[Leading by one, you might expect a defensive shift...! No! Bolton Wanderers switch to an attacking 4-2-4!]