Dad was a Genius - Chapter 100



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My Dad Was a Genius Episode 100

‘I finally came back here.’

The team that comes to mind when you think of EPL is Manchester United.

The stadium that comes to mind is none other than Old Trafford.

It boasts a history of over 100 years, having been built in 1909 and opened in 1910.

When the Korean Empire was forcibly annexed by the Japanese Empire, a stadium like this was being built in England.

Of course, the stadium was rebuilt after being bombed during World War II, destroying more than half of its original size, but that was 70 years ago.

Because of this, the facilities were extremely outdated and there were many complaints, but this was still the stadium that represented England.

It is the stadium with the largest capacity for spectators in England, has the longest history and is also the home stadium of Manchester United, the most popular team in the world.

“… … .”

I quietly looked around the stadium.

In my last life, I came here as a tactical coach.

But now he has become a manager representing a team.

I thought it was something exciting back then, but it was nothing.

Standing here, fulfilling my lifelong dream of becoming an EPL manager, is an overwhelming feeling beyond compare.

“Director. What are you doing?”

“I’m lost in thought.”

“… … Well, I guess it’s that age.”

Thanks to Ramsey, my appreciation was shattered.

This is like a destroyer of emotion.

“Are you T by any chance?”

“T? What is that?”

“Are you a psychopath?”

“What are you talking about? Just hurry up and go to the locker room. If you stay here, you’ll end up meeting Manchester United fans and getting into trouble.”

“… … That’s true.”

Europe is crazy about soccer.

Because of that, the fans also had a rough side.

It is not uncommon for home and away fans to fight in groups at subway stations, and as a result, you can always see the unusual sight of police officers stationed all over the place on game days.

Britain, on the other hand, was somewhat less affected.

Even if you go to Italy or Spain right now, you will find that there are places where riots break out whenever they are bored.

But that doesn’t mean you can feel at ease.

Sometimes, there are incidents where diehard fans rush at the opposing team’s manager or players.

So the rule was that coaches and players on away games were never allowed to go into areas where they could collide with spectators.

“But doesn’t it feel grand here?”

“That’s true. It’s really big.”

“… … Okay. What do I want to talk to you about?”

“Oh, why.”

I shook my head as I watched Ramsey’s empathy score converge to 0.

“Do you like it here?”

“Well, I’m a Manchester United fan too.”

“What what what?! You?”

“You don’t seem to know, but most Koreans are Manchester United fans.”

It can’t be helped, as it is the team that introduced Koreans to the charm of overseas soccer and created the legend of Park Ji-Sung.

“Huh? Really? But I hate this fucking Manchester United.”

“Because you’re a Man City fan?”

“That’s not necessarily true.”

“I understand. I’ve heard a lot that Manchester City is called a salty city because of Manchester United.”

“Ah. That’s not it!”

But those days are now gone.

From now on, when you think of Manchester, the first thing that comes to mind will be Manchester City.

After Ferguson retired, Manchester United were no longer a strong team, and Manchester City became the best team in the world and dominated the football world for a while.

“Look at this facility. They treat the away team like X!?”

There is a reason why players have a particularly hard time on away games.

This is because they have to travel by bus for a long time, and the checks start from the stadium.

Old Trafford in particular has been criticised as being the most outdated of all stadiums.

But the board only cared about the players and had no interest in maintaining the stadium.

Because it costs a huge amount of money to remodel a stadium.

Isn’t Manchester United the most profitable team in the world?

Moreover, it was a team for which it was incredibly difficult to get tickets.

As a result, the board was not interested in building a new stadium that would not help with profits and would only break the bank.

“I know other teams are tough on away teams too, but this is just too much.”

If the stadium with the largest number of spectators in the world is like this, what must the away team’s locker room be like inside?

The bathrooms, showers, and even the lockers were all covered in mold.

As away teams are treated in such facilities, it is not without reason that teams that harbor resentment against Manchester United intentionally make their locker rooms a mess on days when they play away.

As far as I know, as this phenomenon continued to worsen, the board eventually decided to invest 30 billion won in the away locker room to make major improvements.

The problem is that that happened five years later.

That means we have no choice but to use the old, worn-out away locker room.

“You little shits. Come on an away game next time. Seriously, we’re going to shit on the away locker room too… …!”

“참아. 상대가 개새끼라고 해서 너까지 개새끼가 될 필요는 없어. 뭐…… 이미 개새끼긴 하지만.”

“what?”

I patted Ramsay on the shoulder as he spoke.

“And in the end, shouldn’t we repay this with victory?”

Then Ramsay smiled faintly.

“That’s right. In the end, if we win, that’s the end of it. We can’t lose to these guys! But… … can we win?”

Ramsey, who had been saying that he would tear Manchester United to pieces until recently, seems to have become scared when he actually faces them.

“Are you scared?”

“The opponent is Manchester United. They are the strongest team in the EPL.”

Man U = The Strongest

This perception is still deeply rooted in many soccer fans.

It can’t be helped.

Because the legendary manager Ferguson saved the dying EPL and kept Manchester United on the throne for a long time.

but,

“Not anymore.”

That glorious Manchester United is no more.

Today’s game will show everyone that this is an inconvenient truth.

* * *

Robin van Persie.

The Dutch striker created a legend at Arsenal and is now creating a new one here at Manchester United.

Even when he first came and played in the 12-13 season, there was no doubt that he would continue to win trophies here.

That’s how strong Man U was.

But everything changed after Ferguson left.

The team was the same, but that was the first time I realized that a team could be this bad just because one manager changed.

And then I realized.

In fact, the skills of Manchester United players are not as good as expected.

It’s just that they looked good because they had a manager named Ferguson.

Could it be because I ate a handful of that red medicine?

Van Persie, who was called a glass body, suffered a serious injury last season and ended up missing half of the season.

That’s why people don’t mock him as the season-half Persie.

‘But that can’t happen this time either.’

Van Persie had a deep sense of responsibility.

In fact, it is true that I was aware of it because I was getting paid every week last season.

No, the most decisive reason is because of the director who decided to do it.

He had experience playing with me on the Dutch national team.

But as the media says, he is very stubborn and does not build any close relationships with his players.

What should I say?

It really feels like I’m looking at the players as chess pieces.

So, no matter how long they played together, or even if they were from the same country, they were merciless. If they felt that they were no longer needed, they would be thrown away immediately.

And the manager who had already been in charge of the game once called Van Persie in and spoke to him separately.

This season, if he misses the season due to injury or is in a slump, he cannot remain on this team any longer.

It was essentially an ultimatum.

‘I understand that you hate me.’

How can someone who blows half the season look good?

Even Van Persie was so vulnerable to injuries that many said he had a glass body.

But apart from injuries, he always looked good.

But coach Pan Hal was cold.

It felt like he didn’t like Van Persie from head to toe, let alone nagging him whenever he wasn’t in good form.

‘You’re like a grumpy old man.’

So, the burden and ill feelings built up.

But all of this would eventually be resolved if the game was played well.

As if to prove it, with Manchester United on a four-game winning streak, manager Van Gaal no longer held Van Persie in his hands like a mouse.

Moreover, today’s opponent was Wolves, a team that would bring out the best in Van Persie.

Although that team is on a four-game winning streak just like Manchester United, not all winning streaks are the same.

It was absurd for United to lose to a team that had just been promoted from the second division.

Moreover, unlike last season, this season’s attack line boasts tremendous power, so they should be able to easily defeat Wolves.

however,

‘… … Huh?’

Something was off from the start of the game.

Van Persie has been playing in the PL for a long time, so he has a feel for the opposing team.

Should I call it a beastly sense?

Just by feeling it, I could tell if the opponent was a strong team or a weak team that I could easily beat.

And surprisingly, right now, his instincts were crying out loud and saying this.

‘This team is strong!’

That is also a strong team that Manchester United will have a hard time dealing with.

‘Is that possible? They’re a team that just got promoted from the second division?’

Even though they have won four games in a row, they are considered a weak team because the squad is full of new players. However, contrary to what the media says, Van Persie was surprised by the aura emanating from the players here.

As if that wasn’t a vain thought, Wolves’ passing was very smooth and their attacking style was sophisticated.

This aggressive yet artistic passing progression.

An organizational force that appears as if it were one body without moving separately.

It was a sight I felt like I had seen many times before.

Yeah. Arsene Wenger.

There was a hint of manager Wenger, who achieved the legendary feat of winning the league undefeated at Arsenal.

He always said that.

‘Football should be beautiful.’

‘Football should be artistic.’

And indeed, the football he played was beautiful.

Under precise calculations and flawlessly created tactics and pass maps, the team came alive and moved, and his predictions soon became reality.

In doing so, Wenger achieved the first undefeated title in EPL history.

That is, they have never lost a single match.

Having played under Wenger, who achieved such absurd feats, Van Persie knew that feeling better than anyone else.

But somehow, the art and beauty Wenger pursued was seen in Wolves, a team that was considered weak.

Also, the players were creating the art with their nimble movements and talent.

There I realized it again.

Just as all the Manchester United players shined because of Ferguson, the players here may each have outstanding talents, but in the end, it is thanks to the manager that they are able to shine.

You could tell just by looking at the tactics they were using.

Wolves are playing football under a fantastic manager at the moment.

‘They said he was the first Asian manager in the EPL.’

Coincidentally, Arsene Wenger was also Arsenal’s first foreign manager.

Even at that time, the EPL had almost no foreign managers, so it is said that no one knew who Arsene was.

But he made new history at Arsenal.

And that Asian guy leading these Wolves was also trying to do something huge right now.

Van Persie felt that way.

‘But in the end, we are the ones who win.’

But we are Man U.

Even this is Manchester United’s home, Old Trafford.

No matter how great the coach is, isn’t the team ultimately full of losers?

In the end, the weight class difference cannot be ignored… … .

“uh?”

At that moment, Van Persie saw a shadow hanging over him.

big.

Height, shoulders, body size.

Everything.

thud-!!

So I ended up bumping into a gorilla (what seemed to be one).

“Tangle!”

His groans echoed loudly throughout Old Trafford.