Sinking Manchester United

When the first half of the Manchester United–Southampton match came to a close, the two sets of fans reacted in completely opposite ways.

Manchester United's fans seethed with rage, hurling abuse at Manager Moyes and the players alike.

Southampton's supporters roared with hope that they could actually beat Manchester United, cheering their players on. And now, as the second half began, those cheers only grew louder — because Jung Hyuk was putting on a masterclass from the moment play resumed.

A shadow striker is an attacker who hovers just behind the main forward like a second shadow. Also called a second striker, the role is to draw defensive attention away from the primary scorer and create chances that make finishing easier. Because the position sits so close to the front line, it also produces plenty of goalscoring opportunities of its own.

Naturally, the role demands sharp dribbling, the ability to escape pressure, and refined passing — and Mauricio Pochettino had identified Jung Hyuk as the player best suited to fill it. Right now, Jung Hyuk was proving that judgment correct in every way.

"Stop him! Don't let him break through!"

"Damn it! He's inside the box! Watch the one-twos and squeeze the space!"

The moment the second half kicked off, Jung Hyuk began relentlessly tormenting Manchester United's back line. When he had the ball, he danced through them with dazzling dribbles, dragging defenders wherever he pleased. When he didn't, he constantly linked with teammates and knifed into the defensive line, shaking United's shape to its core. Even under concentrated marking, they could not contain him.

It wasn't that his dribbling was unstoppable. Honestly, compared to the league's elite dribblers, Jung Hyuk still fell short — his attributes leaned heavily toward pure speed, and the balance wasn't yet complete. He was nowhere near ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the peak dribbling of his previous life. And yet United's defenders still couldn't shut him down, because he knew exactly when to dribble and when not to. He never clung to prideful solo runs. Even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after a brilliant breakthrough, he mixed in clever use of his teammates, scrambling the opposition's minds. For the men tasked with marking him, it was pure hell.

Why does he have so many patterns? I can't predict a single thing he's about to do!

What the hell is this kid? He's seventeen? Why is he this seasoned?

If it weren't for him, the match wouldn't have gotten this one-sided…!

And why is his stamina so ridiculous? It's the second half and he's still running like it's the first!

Even the hardest stone cracks if you keep striking it. And today's Manchester United was no hard stone — it was already riddled with fractures. Jung Hyuk was about to shatter it completely.

Tap!

After a short, weaving dribble, Jung Hyuk combined with Adam Lallana on a one-two and sliced into Manchester United's penalty area. Central defender Phil Jones closed in — but the ball was already gone from Jung Hyuk's feet.

Tap— bang! Lallana, surging in at the perfect moment, met the ball Jung Hyuk had slid through and struck it clean.

Thump!

It was a finish so perfect that De Gea never even had a chance to react. Manchester United's players stared at the ball nestled in their net with hollow expressions.

"No…"

"This can't be happening… We're getting overrun like this?"

"We're Manchester United…"

The chants that had filled Old Trafford fell silent. Only the roar of Southampton's traveling fans and their songs remained. At the same time, Adam Lallana's celebration began.

From that moment, Southampton's players — riding a wave of momentum — hit peak form. Lallana, already on the scoresheet, looked especially sharp. After another driving dribble he took a shot of his own, but Manchester United still had their reliable guardian between the posts. David De Gea flung himself across and made the save.

Southampton's threat continued from set pieces as well. Thump— Lallana lofted a delivery, and Victor Wanyama met it with his forehead. It flashed just wide of the goal, but for Manchester United it was a heart-stopping moment all the same.

And yet—

"Faster! Concentrate harder!"

"Keep moving! We have to create space!"

Manchester United's recent form may have been poor, but as the most decorated club in Premier League history, they still possessed real resilience. Midfielder Marouane Fellaini, in particular, used his overwhelming physique to win every duel against Southampton's midfield — he even bounced Jung Hyuk off him at one point. Wayne Rooney, deployed as a shadow striker himself today, created chances with his trademark restless movement. And van Persie, one of the world's finest strikers at this moment, took bold shots whenever a gap appeared, reminding everyone of his class.

Now World Class pair Wayne Rooney and van Persie began to hammer at Southampton's defense in earnest.

Thud! Rooney laid the ball off to van Persie and sprinted. Van Persie returned it — not the most precise pass, but perfectly timed. Tap! As Rooney drove into the box, Jose Fonte crashed into him hard. Thud! But Rooney refused to go down. Even under Fonte's pressure he bullied his way forward like an ox and forced a shot.

Bang!

"Aaaargh!"

Rooney roared in frustration as the ball sailed over.

The moment Manchester United wasted the chance, Southampton launched the counter. Bang— Lallana drilled a low, sharp pass toward Jung Hyuk up ahead. Thump— whoosh! Jung Hyuk took one touch and spun in the same motion, slipping free of Phil Jones's pressure. De Gea, guarding the goal, gaped as Jung Hyuk dismantled Jones with almost casual ease.

He just beat Phil Jones that cleanly?

There was no time to marvel. The moment Jung Hyuk completed the turn, he struck.

De Gea widened his eyes and threw himself across the goal.

The shooting timing is too fast…!

The instant he saw the shot, David De Gea — a goalkeeper of world-class caliber — knew instinctively: this one could not be saved. All he could do was leave it to luck.

And, astonishingly, luck favored Manchester United.

Clang!

The thunderous shot that should have been a goal cannoned off the post and spun away. United fans exhaled in collective relief, hands pressed to their chests, while Southampton's supporters clutched their heads in agony.

But—

"Tch. So close."

Jung Hyuk turned away with a bitter little smile. He had nearly scored, yet he wasted no time dwelling on it. He would simply create another chance. There was still plenty of time left.

Centered on Jung Hyuk's brilliance, Southampton continued to batter and harass Manchester United. Having already recorded two assists, Jung Hyuk refused to stop there — he added a goal of his own and drove his team to victory. Manchester United, reeling from a crushing defeat, salvaged a shred of pride only through a late van Persie strike just before the final whistle.

Football fans everywhere applauded Southampton for toppling a giant like Manchester United. Industry insiders, too, marveled at the team's performance — though more than a few cast worried glances as well.

"Southampton might actually cause some real chaos this season."

"This year… I honestly don't know. United's form has been poor lately, sure, but still… this…"

"You can't call Southampton's surge luck anymore. Their quality is genuine. They even beat Liverpool, remember?"

"They still have to face stronger sides, of course — but with this momentum, a title challenge isn't impossible."

"That said, Southampton's squad depth is thin. In the EPL, that's a fatal weakness."

And now, after delivering a masterclass at Old Trafford, Jung Hyuk stood gazing into the empty air. Sweat poured off him from the enormous work rate he had put in, yet a smile curved his lips — because of the message that had appeared the moment the match ended.

"Five points, huh."

The moment the reward arrived, Jung Hyuk opened his status window.

Heh.

Jung Hyuk laughed the moment he saw the window. One glance at the numbers told him exactly what to raise.

Obviously this one.

Decision made, he spent every last point without hesitation.

The instant the message confirmed that his Speed stat had hit 100, Jung Hyuk felt his body grow lighter. And he knew — the sensation was real. It had happened because his Speed attribute had truly risen.

"…This is completely insane."

A Speed of 100 at eighteen years old! Even when he first regressed, he had never imagined something like this. And now his smile deepened further — because another message had appeared before his eyes.