243_Chasing the Impossible -2
Home games and away games could be said to be heaven and earth apart. Even when facing the same team, seeing how enormous the difference is, it's clear that the atmosphere of the stadium is one of the factors that greatly influences players.
Thinking about it, it's true. Home or away, the pitch is similar wherever you go. The size of the penalty boxes doesn't differ from stadium to stadium, the goals aren't a different size, and there's no rule saying the away team has to play with ten men. The environment on the pitch applies equally to everyone.
If there's anything different, it's only who sits in the stands outside the pitch. Yet seeing how home and away are worlds apart, it goes to show just how great an influence fans have on a match. To the point where it cannot be ignored.
Wooooooo—
About five minutes after the match against Manchester United began. The moment we touched the ball, boos poured in from all directions. The jeering was so loud that nothing else could be heard beyond it.
I'd heard it often while preparing for this match. That Manchester United fans were the noisiest even in the Premier League. It wasn't just because we're Man City either; apparently, actual data measured by some organization showed that Old Trafford recorded the highest decibel levels.
Man United fans are normally that loud. If it's us, their derby rivals, coming to play at their home, what would it be like? My ears are so numb I'm out of my mind, to the point where they hurt as if I'm wearing earphones with the volume turned to the maximum.
Thwack—!
Slowly, we circulate the ball from the back. Because it's an environment where maintaining composure and calm is difficult, I decided to take some time getting used to the stadium atmosphere in the early stages of the match.
First things first, I think I need to adapt my ears most of all. My ears are ringing so much that it makes me wonder if this is what it would feel like if around seventy thousand people gathered around Jiwoo.
Thwack—!
What's more unfair is that every time I touch the ball, that ear-splitting noise grows even louder. What have I done to those people? If it's a crime, it's only wearing a sky-blue kit instead of a red one, yet their reactions make it seem like I've committed some grave sin.
Thwack—!
It's not even my imagination. When I pass the ball to the side, the decibel of the jeering drops a little. Just why am I so unpleasant to them?
Well, actually I do know. It's not that they personally hate me as a human being, but rather they're trying to harass me for the sake of the match. What they mean is that they're pouring boos on me more conspicuously to break my spirit.
As I said, players are human too. They can't help but be influenced by the atmosphere in the stands, and if they become mentally shaken, it inevitably shows in their performance. In that sense, I've become their primary target.
Thwack—!
Thwack—!
If I were to guess why I've become their particular target, I can easily tell just by looking around. My teammates around me. True to players who have reached the highest level, they're all athletes with hearts and mentalities as solid and bold as can be.
Well, a player like Haaland looks like he wouldn't even be shaken by boos, but would enjoy them instead. Veterans like De Bruyne or Kyle Walker need no mention. The other players also seem used to situations like today, simply kicking the ball as if on the training ground. This level of jeering doesn't seem to faze them at all.
If I were to look for a player who might be easily shaken by this surrounding environment, even I can see there's no one but me. The opponent's eyes must see the same thing. So isn't that why an especially loud deluge of boos pours down on me?
We're a team without many weaknesses. However, if there's one weakness today, I wonder if it's my faint heart.
Tap-tap—
Staying in my original position in the center, I shift to the right according to the flow of the ball and my teammates' movement. I stand like a right winger, and Phil Foden, who was originally on the right, switches to the center. It's a movement I often make, but the moment I stand near the touchline, explicit curses from behind bore into my eardrums.
"──!!"
"──!!"
Strangely, curses stick in your ears even if you're not fluent in that language. Well, just from the voices and tone alone, I don't think they're saying anything nice. Unspeakable words are bizarrely strung together and strike the back of my head.
At least when standing in the center, it was nothing more than the sound of boos. Standing on the touchline so close to the stands, it's frightening to realize that those jeers were formed by bunches of these words.
But I must never show that I'm scared. Because people who enjoy tormenting others will torment you even more severely when they see their target suffering.
Hoping they'll feel pity for me is a foolish thought. I know that very well.
Thwack—!
With my back to the touchline, I receive a ball from the center. Immediately, the opposing fullback blocks my path, lowering his stance.
Before the match, perhaps because he was worried about me since it was my first Manchester derby, De Bruyne had told me something. That the more fearful a dog is, the louder it barks. He said that if the opposing fans are booing especially loudly, it's proof that they're scared of us.
If it's De Bruyne's words, they're worth taking to heart.
Thwack—!
I play a short pass to the left. It just so happens that De Bruyne was approaching to help with the attack. I pass the ball to De Bruyne, and while the defender's gaze is drawn to him, I spin around and run in behind.
You can't just stand watching when De Bruyne takes the ball. Because De Bruyne is that kind of player. Thanks to that, simply by touching the ball briefly, space opens up for his teammates. Finding and moving into that space is our job.
Thwack—!
De Bruyne's return pass heads to the right side of the box. It's the space in front of me. As I run toward the ball, I subtly turn my head to survey the situation inside the box.
The space is extremely narrow. My teammates have boldly penetrated to the point where I can see about four or five of them inside the box, but the opposing players are also all defending inside, so no gaps are visible.
In times like this, it seems better to drive in once more. Because I need to draw at least one defender out to the edge of the box.
Thwack—
Tap-tap—!
I drive inside from the right side of the box. Then a defender rushes out; I avoid him, accelerate to the right, and get past him. And just before the ball crosses the goal line—
Thwaaack—!
I stab a strong cutback inward. I learned that the most important thing when putting in a cross is that it must have purpose. Honestly, even when I was at Fiorentina, I didn't have many chances to cross due to tactical situations, so I was lacking, but after coming here I've learned a lot.
I learned a lot especially from De Bruyne. What he emphasized is that a cross must be decisive. Whether you're targeting the space between the goalkeeper and the defenders, aiming for the far post, or looking at a teammate running in from behind to give a cutback. As long as you deliver it decisively, finishing it is the teammates' job from there.
Swoosh—
The cutback sequentially passes the feet of defenders caught wrong-footed. Thanks to that, the ball leisurely travels through the crowded box. Waiting at the end of it is Phil Foden, who has read the situation perfectly and taken his position.
Booooom—!
Foden's shot, timed perfectly, flies toward the goal. And—
Swish—!
The opponent's net shakes lightly.
At the same time, the stands that had been so noisy fall silent all at once.
"···""···"
It's the moment the true nature of the loud jeers is starkly revealed. The reason they were so loud was because they were that scared of us.
Thinking that way, when the match resumed and the boos started up again, I thought it wouldn't be disheartening, but rather amusing.
*
Manchester United is a team that can't help but have many fans. Because it's an extremely attractive team in many ways. Its long-standing history, interesting stories, and the symbolism that only Man United can possess. There's definitely a reason why Manchester United is one of the teams with the most fans in the world.
Therefore, Man United fans are especially known for their passion. Even in the Premier League, where the atmosphere is heated wherever you go, Manchester United possesses the most passionate fans. Thanks to that, matches played at Old Trafford always boast a hot and fantastic atmosphere. It's all thanks to those passionate fans. There are probably few fandoms that can match Man United fans in terms of the love they have for their team.
Their pride is enormous. However, recently, if there's one fact that even such Man United fans have no choice but to admit inwardly, it would be that their derby rivals Manchester City are enjoying their heyday.
No matter how much Manchester City is an unsightly neighbor and a bothersome existence like the boy next door who's constantly compared to them, even the fans couldn't deny that right now Man City is a team of a higher weight class. Because the difference in results the two teams have achieved over the past few years has been that large.
To be frank, Manchester City was a fearsome existence. All the more so because they were derby rivals. If it were not a matter of pride but simply a matter of three points, it would rather be fine. But precisely because it was a rival match tied to pride, having to face them was even scarier. Considering the team's recent mood that showed no signs of improving, an atmosphere of 'the inevitable has come' had been dominant ahead of this match.
Of course, the more that was the case, the more they couldn't help but wish for Man United to win. It's natural that the more difficult the situation, the more desperately one hopes for a miracle. Thanks to that, the cheering of the Man United fans who filled Old Trafford today was loud enough to stand out compared to any other day.
Especially, among them. Whenever Manchester City's number 7, Ijian, touched the ball, the boos from Man United fans were enormous, as if piercing the sky.
The reason was simple. It was because he was the most frightening player. Manchester City was already a team whose weaknesses were hard to find, and even among them, Ijian was the one who had been standing out the most recently.
That is why enormous boos continued from the early stages of the match. It felt like a prayer to keep his spirits down just a little, to prevent him from showing his usual ability. Although Ijian was an incredible player in terms of skill, he was still young and inexperienced. They had hoped he would be mentally intimidated by an atmosphere he was experiencing for the first time.
But now, as the match is heading toward the 30th minute of the first half, the boos directed at Ijian had subsided considerably.
"···""···"
Have they lost steam already? Ijian touches the ball, and the same boos from before don't come out.
It was because despite all the jeering, he hadn't even batted an eye. No, rather, he moved lightly as if drawing more strength from that sound. He didn't seem afraid to take the ball, as if telling them to boo him more.
Thanks to that, the boos that had continued since the beginning had no choice but to turn into sighs before anyone knew it.
"Ugh···"
Until now, there had certainly been many young and exceptionally talented players at Man United. But strangely, the majority were players with many mental issues. So why is he, equally young, so mentally solid and even mature? It would be normal to be terrified, yet he looks the least bothered of all.
29:42 MNU 0 : 2 MCI
The scoreboard already shows 0-2. They had hoped for a miracle, but reality was as expected.
Not that the stadium atmosphere had quieted down; angry voices still continued to make noise. But the only difference was that rather than being directed at the opponent's ace, the majority were self-deprecating voices.
"Those fucking Glazers···""What a mess."