Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 019
Chapter Title: Low Cost, High Efficiency (6)
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Owner and manager.
Not a bad side gig.
Truth be told, Ma Jeong-woo had been agonizing over this very issue.
Was there any manager out there who could hand twelve wins in seventeen matches to a team sitting dead last at 24th? When he posed that question, no answer came.
No, looking at it coldly, there absolutely wasn't.
Any such manager was already leading the league's top teams—first, second, third place.
Even if you threw money at them, they wouldn't dream of joining a relegation-battling side.
'And we don't have the money anyway.'
That was where Jeong-woo quietly gained confidence in his own abilities.
Watching Derek Scott's consistent yet idiotic tactics disguised as classic playstyles had even boosted his self-assurance.
'It might actually work if I play it right?'
Life was all or nothing.
If they got relegated this season, it was bankruptcy anyway.
The end of the line.
Leaning back into the sofa, Jeong-woo muttered solemnly.
"Even if we're going down, better to go out on my own terms, right? Way cooler that way."
It had nothing to do with a lack of managerial candidates.
* * *
Among club owners, there were plenty of eccentrics.
Some even slotted their own sons into the first-team lineup at their clubs.
Others brought in celebrities to the squad.
Compared to those types, Jeong-woo was downright reasonable.
He at least had experience as a performance analyst in the K-3 League.
But today, the fans were horrified by the story in the local paper.
[Owner Ma grabs the reins as owner-manager...!]
From their perspective, it was shocking and downright bizarre news.
The Wanderers' morale was already shattered from the Derek Scott fiasco.
On one hand, they were relieved that the cancer had finally been cut out.
Some had even started supporting Jeong-woo for trying to straighten out the club.
But manager?
- : What the hell is this? The owner taking over as manager too?
- : This is straight-up insane. What is this, China? You know, that place where fat kids with zero soccer experience debut in pro leagues because Daddy owns the team!
- : We're 24th right now! Dead last! And instead of scrambling for a proven manager to boost results, what's the plan?
- : Fuck this. I'm done with Wanderers.
- : I know where Owner Ma lives. Let's go kill him. Ma Hunt recruiting.
* * *
With Round 29 complete, seventeen matches remained.
"Simple math... we need twelve wins out of these seventeen chances to stay up. If luck's on our side, eleven might do it."
Jeong-woo's first act as manager was a coaching staff meeting.
He coMad Doged their attention not just with shifting expressions but with hand gestures too.
"I know the team's slump, combined with the Derek Scott mess, has sunk morale even lower. But—and forgive my bluntness—right now, even indulging in that gloom is a luxury we can't afford."
Unfortunately, most coaches were only half-listening.
Some openly showed their displeasure.
Even after purging the Derek Scott loyalists today, plenty still refused to accept Jeong-woo as manager.
Performance analyst Neil Rose was one of them.
"Owner... no, Manager. The clear way out of this slump is victories."
Rose, who had just turned fifty, had sharp wrinkles etched across his face.
He twisted his features into a fiercer scowl, laying his dissatisfaction bare.
"To be honest, I can't say I'm not disappointed. We desperately need a turnaround, and I expected someone better than Scott to join us."
But the new manager turned out to be a total rookie—Jeong-woo.
For a moment, Rose felt his decades-long career paling in comparison.
Jeong-woo nodded calmly.
Then he scanned the room steadily.
Every single one of them seemed to be cursing him with their eyes.
'Seven years in this soccer world, and I never made manager...!'
'This kid's supposed to lead us...?'
'This how Easterners do it? Heard Chinese pro clubs run like video games—total chaos...!'
Some felt the harsh reality hit.
'Money's king after all. Got enough cash, you can just become manager.'
Jeong-woo had no intention of making excuses.
'Yeah, exactly.'
He accepted their complaints at face value.
Getting heated and arguing would achieve nothing.
Just a waste of time.
He wasn't planning to persuade them either.
'Not like these faces are open to reason right now anyway.'
From the Derek Scott purge to the owner-manager bombshell, they'd been hit with nonstop shocks—they were one spark away from exploding.
'Touch 'em wrong, and they'll bite first.'
So, he kept it to a few sharp words.
"Let me be clear. I welcome advice. But don't stubbornly push your own opinions. I won't even pretend to listen."
"W-what did you say?"
Rose sputtered in disbelief.
Jeong-woo tapped his temple with his index finger.
"This season, I'm running the team with this head alone."
Right now, one captain was needed.
In their position, a dictatorship was preferable.
These people, who wouldn't even acknowledge his career, were bound to nitpick everything.
Jeong-woo added shamelessly.
"If we lose and reporters ask what's behind the slump... just say the owner's a dictator."
The coaches' faces soured completely.
But Jeong-woo had no doubt those expressions would brighten soon enough.
Hadn't veteran analyst Rose himself said it?
The only clear way out of the slump was victory.
'Whoever can't hack it can leave.'
Soon, Jeong-woo flashed the cheeky grin he'd learned from Richard Geers and wrapped it up.
"Blanket slander is fine. Trash-talk me all you want. Oh, and no front-stabbing. My temper's not that great. Backstabbing only, backstabbing only."
* * *
Jeong-woo had seen it coming.
Even he would've doubted a young, inexperienced guy plopping into the manager's seat.
Is this punk a parachute hire?
And truth be told, Jeong-woo was the ultimate parachute.
'No, more like I flew in on a plane.'
Now all that was left was proving himself with results.
But first, there was work to do.
"Alright. Let's cut this guy, ditch that one... and this one's out too."
Park Hee-won watched in confusion as Jeong-woo tossed player profiles onto the office sofa.
"Wasn't it just six releases?"
"Yeah, no."
"And you told the fans there'd be massive changes."
He'd said as much on a radio show once.
The fans had buzzed with excitement.
Maybe a big signing?
But Jeong-woo shot back as if it were obvious.
"I never said massive changes meant signings, did I?"
"W-well, no...?"
"In my judgment... the current Bolton Wanderers squad needs a complete overhaul. Hell, we need to shake it upside down and beat the dirt out. It's that much of a mess."
"I get that, but..."
Hee-won stared at Jeong-woo, then voiced his worry.
"You little shit... you keep this up, you might actually get killed. Brits are soccer fanatics, you know."
Now Hee-won was genuinely concerned for Jeong-woo's safety.
Jeong-woo, however, saw it as non-negotiable.
"No choice. The team's a disaster. Fuck."
Plus, with the current roster, scraping twelve wins from the remaining games looked impossible.
The answer was set.
"Anyone who won't accept me as manager gets released. Players who don't fit my tactics? Released. Guys with salaries way out of line with their talent? Released."
"..."
"Of course, we'll need signings right away. Big rebuilding in the winter window and all that."
To Hee-won, it looked more like a massive squad purge than rebuilding.
On the flip side, with his good eye for talent, even Hee-won had to admit—watching recent Bolton games—that Jeong-woo's calls made sense.
Just look at them propping up the League One basement.
Still... fans craving immediate results wouldn't get it.
Suddenly, Hee-won muttered with a sad gaze.
"This bastard's gonna get rocks thrown at him..."
* * *
No results yet.
To the Wanderers, Jeong-woo's moves just looked like empty gestures.
Some were whining that the current owner really planned to sell off all the players, then the club itself.
Six civic wards outside Horwich were voicing concerns too.
[<Blackroad> 'Bolton—Is This Really Okay?']
[<Panwis> 'Bolton Wanderers: One Setback After Another This Season...']
[<Kearsley> Experts in Unison: 'Without a Miracle, Bolton's Going Down.']
Whatever.
Jeong-woo lounged crookedly in the executive chair, fiddling with his phone.
With four players already released, signings were urgent.
The club had about 600,000 pounds (roughly 9 billion won) in transfer funds.
Enough for some decent League One pickups, but...
"Nah."
The best play was cheap, efficient talent.
Free agents were ideal there.
No transfer fee—just wages.
Above all, Jeong-woo needed a one-tool wonder for current Bolton.
'Someone I know well and can maximize.'
He'd dabbled in K-3 League before.
Stepping in as pitcher-reliever stand-in, he'd made great use of one-tool resources sporadically.
No guarantee it'd work in England's third tier.
But right now, betting on players and styles he handled best felt right.
'We need points now.'
One name popped into his head.
Park Chong-ah, the K-3 League ace he'd debuted.
'And he scored.'
Speed rivaling Kylian Mbappé.
They'd bonded like brothers after that game.
Kept in touch with occasional texts.
Friendly check-ins.
'No one faster than Chong-ah, even by K-2 standards—not K-3.'
Born in the UK with dual citizenship was a bonus.
No work permit snags.
And crucially, he'd just been released.
Decision made, Jeong-woo dialed Chong-ah.
Riiiing, riiiing, riiiing!
After three rings, a weary voice came through.
Jeong-woo leaned loosely into the chair back, chuckling slyly.
"You got released, huh."
*(Did you call just to rub it in?)*
"Yeah, figured you were done for."
*(...)*
Pouring oil on the fire drew an irritated sigh from the receiver.
Still, Jeong-woo pressed on with a grin.
"Coach Jo Sung-jun's an idiot who couldn't use you right. Treating a spear like meat shears—how could you thrive? Me? I can use you perfectly."
Chong-ah listened to the Korean through.
*(What... are you saying?)*
Curiosity laced his tone.
He even sounded a bit perked up.
'Weak to praise, this guy.'
Jeong-woo cut straight.
"Wanna come to England?"
*(England...?)*
Chong-ah knew.
Word of Jeong-woo owning the club had spread through Jinju CF circles.
Jeong-woo had bragged via text before leaving too.
*(You mean... sign me?)*
He seemed hesitant.
He knew Bolton was having their worst season ever.
Jeong-woo pushed anyway.
"Yeah, don't overthink it. No need to agonize. If big bro says run, you run. So, what happened?"
*(Got cut...)*
"..."
Jeong-woo coughed awkwardly, injecting more force into his voice.
"No, not that. How'd it feel playing my way against Gimhae?"
*(Pretty good. Scored and all.)*
Undeniable fact.
Jeong-woo was the one who'd called up the lower-league drifter to first team.
Now Jeong-woo added cockily.
"Right? So let's drink some English water."
*(But...)*
Jeong-woo cut him off before more words.
"Can't drag you to the Prem, but ain't this third tier better than that one? Season's barely half done too. Plenty of time to escape relegation."
He planted deep trust in the manager too.
"Trust me once. No one uses you better than me. You're a one-tool guy. But damn good at it. You felt it yourself under my guidance."
He topped it with a realistic, forward-looking deal.
"Shine here, then transfer to a higher league. Or cash in big in the Middle East or China for retirement funds. One big score in life, right?"
Have a great day~
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