Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Firmly and Brilliantly (4)
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Black-Haired Tactical Genius
Chapter 83: Firmly and Brilliantly (4)
From the moment he'd set promotion to the Championship as his goal, Jeong-woo had made up his mind.
He would forgo some competitions to focus entirely on the league.
"That makes way more sense."
Seated in his executive chair, Jeong-woo let out a long yawn before muttering to himself.
Darkness had already settled beyond the window.
On the guest sofa, Hee-won slurped away at a cup of instant ramen.
Even as he ate, he chimed in.
"Damn right. I think so too."
It was a simple reason.
Bolton's individual player quality had risen compared to before.
But overall, they were still only mid-to-upper table level.
'At least that's only possible because we've received players through Man City.'
Of course, those individuals' strengths hadn't fully integrated into the squad yet.
A few losses had stemmed from that process, including the platoon system.
Jeong-woo judged that by the time they meshed, he could combine tactics to aim for promotion.
The league was a long haul, after all.
In this situation, pouring everything into the league was the only path to promotion, so easing off other competitions made sense.
Suddenly, Hee-won tilted his head.
"But what about the FA Cup?"
"FA Cup's the exception."
Bolton had already won their first-round proper match against a lower-league side.
Jeong-woo added,
"The FA Cup's the most valuable cup competition we can realistically target."
Started in 1871, it was the oldest tournament in soccer history, even by world standards.
Above all, the FA Cup featured teams from the 10th tier all the way up to Premier League sides—a massive stage.
For lower-tier teams, it was a dream come true.
"When else will we face those powerhouse teams we only see on TV? Huh? It's motivating for the players too. And hey, aren't you gonna make some money?"
Jeong-woo grinned and continued.
"Who knows? We might catch some top-flight manager's eye and produce the next Dele Alli."
Hee-won nodded vigorously.
"Yeah, you're right. Just think about that Man United game... We gained so much from it."
Hee-won reflected.
Even though it had been over a month since facing Man United, the positives were still rolling in.
Jeong-woo lit a cigarette with a flick of his lighter.
"Anyway, Premier League teams enter in the third round, so we gotta hang in as long as we can."
Of course, he didn't expect to win it all.
Round-by-round prize money was peanuts compared to Champions League, Europa League, or Conference League.
But Jeong-woo had other targets in mind.
First up: gate receipts.
Hee-won narrowed his eyes, catching on.
"Now that you mention it, FA Cup gate receipts get split between home and away teams, right?"
That alone could mean massive profits for an amateur side facing a Premier League team.
The stadium size difference between Premier League grounds and amateur ones was incomparable.
It wasn't just size—ticket prices differed too.
Jeong-woo smirked and nodded.
"That's why underdogs go all out for giant-killings against big teams."
Second: media exposure, like with Man United, boosting club value.
Even Marine FC from the 8th tier had reaped huge benefits facing Tottenham in the third round.
One match had put Marine on the map in Korea and countless other countries.
That was why Jeong-woo couldn't give up on the FA Cup.
Then, suddenly, he furrowed his brow slightly.
Looking closer, that guy... It was past the time he'd normally be home eating dinner.
Yet here he was, shoulders slumped, already on his second bowl of ramen.
"Why haven't you gone home?"
At the question, Hee-won hemmed and hawed, let out a short sigh, and answered.
"Got kicked out~ I did the laundry this morning, but it came out smelling like vinegar... Oh, and I messed up some errand she sent me on, I think. Or maybe it was when I cleaned the bathrooMad Dog just splashed water around... Hmm."
Mid-sentence, Hee-won grew serious.
He was pondering what he'd done wrong.
Even folding and unfolding his fingers.
"Did I put something not laundry in the wash...?"
He looked truly pitiful.
Soon, Hee-won sniffled and continued.
"Yeah, I screwed up. I was gonna head home earlier, but I got a text saying 'Don't come back tonight.' No emojis or exclamation points—she was seriously pissed."
"..."
Jeong-woo was witnessing married life in real time.
* * *
Bolton's daily routine was business as usual.
With the 10th round of the league approaching, the players threw themselves into training.
After morning training, in the first-team cafeteria, Jeong-woo spotted an eye-catching scene.
"Yo, bro. Listen up. Your feet are straight-up shit, but you can't let 'em look shit. So, they are shit, but make 'em not shit, like...!"
Adebayor was lecturing Younga amid his meal.
Younga furrowed his brow, then nodded in agreement busily.
Around Adebayor clustered quite a few players too.
From Sensuous to Dave, and Shearer Kane, etc.
They set aside their food, listening intently.
Jeong-woo, who had been eating with the staff, couldn't help but chuckle.
'He's changed his mindset, huh.'
Not long ago, no one approached Adebayor first.
His intimidating aura had been too much.
But now that he was engaging actively, everyone edged closer, seizing the moment.
The downside? His facts hit hard.
Jeong-woo sighed and muttered.
"Why's that guy turning all the kids into 'shits'?"
Younga's face would brighten, then sour again—you could tell.
"Should I hire another psychologist...?"
Once afternoon training wrapped, a club meeting followed.
After that ended, Jeong-woo napped briefly in the owner's office for about 10 minutes.
Then he shuffled around the perimeter of the club.
For Jeong-woo, this was part of his routine.
And it helped plenty.
Just walking the grounds often sparked breakthrough ideas.
The raffle event and mascot dolls had come from it.
Staff who recognized him smiled and greeted.
"Good day, sir."
"Ah, yeah. Doing well? If there's any issues, make sure to let me know."
"Owner! My kid wants an autograph?"
"I'll swing by later. Have some paper ready then~"
Jeong-woo smiled back warmly.
After a while, he reached the plaza.
Behind it lay the food corner.
On non-match days, it was empty, but not today.
'Folks just keep coming.'
From Bolton locals to passersby pulling in one or two cars at a time.
They hit the food corner for a bite or rest.
Some parked and dozed off.
Seeing it all, Jeong-woo smiled contentedly.
'The club feels alive, somehow.'
Then he narrowed his eyes.
"The stadium's right in Horwich, surrounded by hills."
When he'd first stepped into this place, it felt like entering nature itself.
Hills everywhere, all lush and green.
"The air's insanely fresh."
That hadn't changed.
Nestled among them were houses.
Most residents worked in textile factories and such industries.
Suddenly, comments from that YouTuber's channel popped into his head.
- <LifeIsALongJourney>: No packages? Booking stadium tickets and hotels separately is a pain. And why so few accommodations near the ground?
- <SergeantKang>: Yeah. Horwich has too few places to stay.
: Yup. I ended up booking in Trappers or somewhere else and went to watch.
- : Horwich is quiet. But the natural scenery is gorgeous—great for trips with girlfriend or friends. Downside: hardly any lodging or dining options, like folks said.
"..."
Jeong-woo's gaze lingered on the houses dotting the hills and flats.
He took a deep breath through his nose.
Amid the fresh leaves and clean air, a familiar scent filled his lungs.
"Yeah, what's the point of letting land sit idle? Money's coming in. This could work great."
Before he knew it, he was chuckling to himself.
* * *
[Mad Dog, aka Mad... Who is he?]
[Recently, there was major buzz around Mad.
The first to mention Mad was Charlton's boss, Jimmy Jones. (Omitted...)
Jones called Mad a tactical genius.
The next day, Blackpool's manager Eric Rye admitted borrowing Mad's tactics (Omitted...)
Identity unknown, but experts say Premier League or equivalent manager. (Omitted...)
His track record is short, but every post is holy writ...! (Omitted...)
As of 8:20 PM.
More managers now claim to use Mad's tactics.
Russia's league...,
Middle East league...,
Serie B alum...!
Meanwhile, Charlton's Jimmy Jones and Blackpool's Eric Rye both adapted Mad's tactics yet lost to Bolton's manager, Ma Jeong-woo. (Omitted...)]
In Jeong-woo's office.
Hee-won sat on the guest sofa, reading a columnist's post uploaded just two minutes ago on his laptop, then asked.
"Hey, you're starting to get a name for yourself, huh?"
"What're you on about?"
"You know Mad?"
"Mad?"
From the opposite sofa, Jeong-woo looked up from the tactics board.
Hee-won stared at the screen with a grave expression.
Come to think of it, Jeong-woo hadn't told Hee-won he was Mad.
No real need to.
But the reason for the question was straightforward.
Lately, local buzz around Mad had picked up.
The first mention came from Charlton Athletic's manager, Jimmy Jones.
He'd skipped interviews after the Bolton game but spoke about Mad just two days ago.
[I've adapted and tweaked Mad's tactics from WorldManagement a few times. Now I'm dying to know who he is.]
It was from an interview after a big win two days back.
Jimmy had crushed the opposition with a goal fest, avenging the Bolton loss.
In his elation, he'd shouted out Mad's existence—and even voiced curiosity.
"It's been blowing up lately."
Jeong-woo feigned ignorance with a mutter.
Hee-won clicked his tongue.
"It's more than buzz! WorldManagement users worship him like a god. Jimmy too."
That big?
Jeong-woo casually asked,
"Isn't he just some internet tactician?"
At that, Hee-won lit up and shot back.
"What? Mad's probably managing in the Premier League! Friends in the know say he's a pro-level manager prowling the big stages. Read this column. Tons of managers admit borrowing or adapting his tactics."
Jeong-woo's jaw dropped at the rebuttal.
"Mad a Premier League manager? He's just some internet tactician."
He was barely a third-tier manager himself.
Still, it left him feeling oddly unsettled.
After Jimmy's mention, curiosity exploded within a day.
A glance at Hee-won's laptop showed even other leagues using Mad's tactics.
'Look at this.'
A detailed read revealed an unnamed Premier League coach's quote too.
[Mad's tactics work in the Premier League too. We've used them several times.]
The columnist called that coach top-10 worldwide.
'No wonder it's chaos.'
Celeb words carried more weight than a thousand randos, right?
Meanwhile, Hee-won looked even more baffled.
"You're the analyst—don't diss Mad. He's got holy posts galore. Have you even studied his tactics properly?"
This guy might be a Mad disciple too.
But hearing such earnest praise puffed Jeong-woo up a bit.
Soon, stroking his chin with one hand, eyes narrowed, he said,
"Hmm, really? I had no idea I was that famous."
"Yeah, man! Mad, man! Wait—what?"
Hee-won froze mid-rant, eyes bulging.
Jeong-woo said nonchalantly,
"I'm Mad."
"For real?"
"Yeah."
"You bullshit artist?"
"It's really me."
Hee-won still looked skeptical.
Jeong-woo snatched the laptop and logged in with his ID.
Hee-won's jaw dropped.
The login screen showed Mad Dog plain as day.
Then Hee-won got mad.
"You bastard! Why didn't you tell me? You've been at it over a year!"
"Half a year off, though."
"That's not the point...!"
Jeong-woo held up a hand to stop the fired-up Hee-won.
Then he furrowed his brow lightly.
"If you were me, getting shit on by old-head managers and real life, venting online as a hobby—would you brag to your buddy?"
"How's that trash? It's Mad!"
"That's why it's novel. Say I'm a K3 League analyst. Would anyone care? So I routed through VPN."
Hee-won fact-bombed the smug, nodding Jeong-woo.
"You're hilarious! You think I don't know you keep VPN on for overseas porn sites?"
"Ahem. At the end of the day, it's just analysis posts—common tactics anyone could have."
"Hah."
Hee-won let out a hollow laugh.
His tactical chops weren't Jeong-woo's level but solid enough.
To him, WorldManagement's uploads were mind-blowing.
Tactics his brain couldn't dream up.
Still, Jeong-woo muttered with narrowed eyes.
"Honestly... That 'Premier League coach' might be fake. Probably clickbait."
Jeong-woo's paranoia had swelled like waves since that 1.5 billion won scam.
Suddenly, Hee-won's eyes gleamed.
He brushed off Jeong-woo's grumbling.
"Just go public. With all this hype, let's pump your profile in the media."
He was proud his buddy was the Mad he'd idolized.
Wanted to brag.
Bragging wouldn't cause issues, right?
Sure, Jeong-woo's brain worked different from normals, so he worried.
But contrary to fears, Jeong-woo perked up.
"Go public?"
"Yeah!"
"Alright. Let's do it."
"Yes! Awesome!"
Hee-won clenched his fist, envisioning the spotlight.