Chapter 39
Chapter 39
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: Fierce Title Race
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"Too bad, bro still has no plans to transfer..."
"Bro can't throw the game to Man City, but I'll grab the jersey anyway."
"Th-that's not what I meant!"
Bang—!
His little sister stormed back into her room.
At this rate, he genuinely wanted Manchester United to face Man City in the FA Cup now.
He was dying to see Yerin's reaction.
The rumors about a Real Madrid transfer were just noise from the outside world. Inside the club and among his close circle, no one paid much attention.
"..."
'Or maybe not?'
He'd clearly told them after promotion that he was positively inclined toward re-signing, but she still seemed anxious.
As if there was any player out there busting his ass like a dog for the club's future who they'd have reason to worry about.
"I'm telling you, I'm not going to Real, so let's just solve the winger issue."
"...Never worried."
Darren Fletcher, pretending he hadn't been fishing for answers multiple times.
There were more pressing matters than his transfer right now, but was he the only one feeling the urgency...?
Maybe so.
The players were the ones actually on the pitch, so the manager couldn't grasp just how frustrating it was.
The current discussion with Darren Fletcher was about calling up wingers from the reserve team.
Lucas Cruijff had been called up, reducing his involvement, but he still joined U-18 training once every two weeks.
No one else was showing Lucas-level form for an emergency call-up, but these were the club's future stars, so he made a point to show his face regularly.
Plus, being the same age and overwhelmingly successful made it easy to bond and build connections.
But to bolster the first team right now, they needed to look to the reserves, not U-18.
They were discussing two players in particular.
"Players with this kind of raw talent need to be brought up right away, don't you think?"
"Hmm... It's still uncertain if they can adapt to first-team level..."
"How about letting them train with the first team, like Lucas?"
"These two are different from Lucas. They'll draw massive attention, and that pressure could be intense."
"Tch..."
Darren Fletcher's concerns were perfectly reasonable.
These two reserve players were already hugely popular, so despite performances that would warrant a first-team training stint for any ordinary talent, the manager was being cautious.
Worried that excessive hype and expectations might backfire.
From his perspective, though, it was a no-brainer welcome.
He knew exactly what those two would become.
And they filled a desperately needed position right now.
"Like I said, first-team training won't be an issue. They're already beyond that level of pressure. They've been in the spotlight since they were kids."
"...I'll think it over more deeply."
He understood, but it was frustrating from his end.
Time to give Darren Fletcher a wake-up call.
"What if Shea Lacey gets injured again?"
"We definitely need to prepare for that!"
"Uh, yeah..."
He'd planned to point out what they'd do if they had to rely on Antony and Garnacho as starters again, but the manager bought it instantly.
"Talking with you was the right call. Your young mind is so flexible~ Hahaha!!"
"I'll be off then. With the FA Cup on top, calling them up is pure gain for the first team."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Their first-team integration was earlier than in his past life, but first-team experience was almost always a good thing.
The league was down to just 7 rounds left.
Even if they reached the FA Cup final, that meant only 2 more games ahead.
This season's matches for Manchester United were down to a total of 9.
The early-to-mid season hadn't been good by any stretch.
Even in League Two, they hadn't dominated, hovering around 5th-6th, and they crashed out of the League Cup in the first round—to Chesterfield of League Two, no less.
But since Ban Yeager joined, the victory train had been unstoppable.
Now, Manchester United sat in 2nd place.
They'd closed the gap to just 2 points behind league leaders Leeds United.
A real shot at 1st place was on the table.
They'd already played Leeds twice this season, so it wasn't in their hands entirely, but no one thought Leeds would win out their last 7.
That's right.
Manchester United planned to win all 7 remaining games.
And they were confident they would.
Among the opponents left, only one posed a real upset risk: Sheffield United, currently 4th.
The other 6 were no threat before, and even less so since Ban Yeager joined.
Proving it, they comfortably beat Oxford United in round 40 and Swansea City in 41.
Now came the big one that would likely decide the EFL Championship winner.
Round 42: Manchester United VS Sheffield United
Round 42: Leeds United VS Leicester City
Same round, same day, same time: 1st vs 3rd and 2nd vs 4th.
No one could predict how the top of the table would look after 90 minutes.
In 18 league games so far, even playing the remaining 5 would only be 23—half the season.
Not due to injuries or slumps; he joined midway.
Yet he was already the frontrunner for top scorer and assist king.
The gap to 2nd was huge—practically guaranteed.
At this league's level, comparing to others was pointless; it was about historical records.
Even Mo Salah in the Prem couldn't hit 30/20, but Ban Yeager had it in sight.
All he needed: 3 more goals, 2 assists.
A tall order—needing an attack point per game.
For Ban Yeager, a walk in the park.