[Ho-young signs a 6-month professional contract with Manchester City worth £200,000 per week, a completely different level from a youth contract, highest weekly wage in the world]
[Mansour: "If the opportunity comes, I am willing to offer an even better deal."]
[Ho-young: "I will repay with trophies." Manchester City can still compete for the EPL, FA Cup, and Europa League]
That morning, many fans were thrilled by Ho-young's strong ambition expressed at the press conference.
Not only the Citizens, but football fans across the EPL welcomed his arrival, eager to see him play.
Of course, not everyone was pleased.
Especially fans of teams competing for the top spots against Manchester City.
On EPL Mania, one of the largest football forums in the world, posts flooded in endlessly as fans clashed.
[This is ridiculous. Where is fair play? Do you even know sportsmanship? What are teams without money supposed to do? Dirty City! (Tottenham supporter)]
└Why not sell some chicken and make money? (West Ham supporter)
└Yeah, focus on avoiding relegation first. (Tottenham supporter)
└Damn it. Does this mean we have to give up on the Champions League now? This is unacceptable for a big club! (Liverpool supporter)
└Stop crying about Gerrard already. (Everton supporter)
Tottenham, currently 5th, and Liverpool, 6th, were especially frustrated since they were close to overtaking City for a Champions League spot.
Meanwhile, West Ham and Everton, rivals of those teams, welcomed Ho-young enthusiastically.
They were already out of contention, so it made no difference to them.
And they were not the only ones concerned.
[We can't relax either. If City wins 75 percent of their remaining matches, they'll catch up. (Arsenal supporter)]
└We're in danger too… (Chelsea supporter)
└Haha. Is Manchester about to change owners? (Leeds supporter)
└Are you serious? Stay in the second division. I'd rather die than see City take over. Manchester belongs to United forever. (Manchester United supporter)]
Chelsea and Arsenal, sitting in 2nd and 3rd, were also uneasy.
Although they had a decent points gap, if Ho-young performed at his peak, the standings could easily shift.
Manchester United, firmly in 1st place, did not need to worry much, but they were still irritated that City had signed him.
With Ho-young's arrival, the EPL split into two camps.
First, teams protecting their positions, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool.
Second, Manchester City, rivals of those teams, and neutral fans.
As a result, global attention focused on the EPL.
Fans were used to direct, physical football, but a highly intelligent and technical player like Ho-young entering the league made things exciting.
At 17, he had already dominated La Liga and the Champions League.
Now, everyone wondered if he could succeed in the EPL.
Betting sites quickly opened markets for his season performance.
For the question, "When will Ho-young score his first goal?" the most popular answer was "his debut match."
Many expected and hoped for his success.
However, there were also critics.
Daniel Taylor of The Guardian, known for his credibility, gave a cold assessment.
[Ho-young's move to Manchester City should not be viewed emotionally. Some say he must prove himself in the EPL to be the best. That is nonsense. Many experts already consider La Liga stronger than the EPL. The EPL is more physical and faster in transitions, but La Liga is not inferior in space control and pressing. Defenders like John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, and Vidic exist, but there is no true match for Ho-young. His adaptability is also well known.
However, my concerns lie internally. Manchester City has already spent over 100 million euros this season, signing players like Jerome Boateng, Yaya Touré, and James Milner. The squad is overcrowded. Robinho, the current number 10, may lose both his number and his starting spot.
Moreover, it is mid-season, not the beginning. Players may not welcome Ho-young's sudden arrival. Manchester City is a team full of players who want to be heroes. With existing tensions between Mancini and the squad, his arrival could increase dissatisfaction.
Additionally, Ho-young is only expected to stay for six months. It will not be easy for him to take control of the team in such a short time.]
It was a reasonable argument.
And all of it was something Ho-young had to face.
'I have to solve this myself.'
He already felt nervous about meeting the players.
Coincidentally, Manchester City had a match scheduled that afternoon, and he planned to watch it with the club executives.
Etihad Stadium.
Also known as the City of Manchester Stadium, it was the fifth largest in the EPL, with a capacity of 47,726.
Following Mansour's ambition to build one of the best stadiums in the world, expansion to 55,000 seats was underway.
Ho-young watched the match from the VIP section with Mansour and Al Mubarak.
Kickoff was at exactly 3 p.m.
'A match on New Year's Day.'
Unlike other leagues, the EPL had no winter break.
Instead, teams played three matches between December 26 and January 1, known as the Boxing Day schedule.
Still, today's opponent was Blackpool, sitting in 18th place.
One of the weakest teams in the league.
A match City should win comfortably.
City lined up in a 4-2-3-1.
Kolarov, Lescott, Kompany, and Richards formed the back four.
Gareth Barry and Nigel de Jong played as defensive midfielders.
Yaya Touré operated as the attacking midfielder.
Robinho and Shaun Wright-Phillips played on the wings.
Carlos Tevez led the attack.
'They sit deep, rely on solid defense, and counter through the wings. Robinho and Wright-Phillips are among the fastest in the league.'
During the Christmas break, Ho-young had analyzed City's matches in detail.
He wanted to adapt as quickly as possible.
'If I come in, Yaya would drop deeper, and I would play as the attacking midfielder.'
That was the ideal setup.
But whether he could fit into the team was the real issue.
In fact, City's teamwork looked far from smooth.
Their movements lacked cohesion.
Fatigue from multiple competitions also affected their performance.
Against Blackpool's intense defensive setup, City struggled to create chances.
Even when they did, Tevez missed repeatedly.
The home crowd grew restless.
But Blackpool held firm and ended the first half at 0-0.
For a relegation team, even one point was valuable.
At halftime, Mansour spoke.
"What do you think?"
"City's squad is very strong. But…"
Ho-young covered his mouth and spoke quietly.
"The biggest issue seems to be teamwork. It feels like everyone is moving separately."
The squad was undoubtedly strong.
'The depth is impressive.'
Compared to two years ago, it was a completely different team.
But.
'If I remember correctly, David Silva and Balotelli should have joined by now.'
They were not there.
The future had changed with Robinho still in the team.
'Still, Robinho's form isn't that bad.'
Although inconsistent, he was still effective as a playmaker.
"I think I'll understand better after training. I might be wrong."
"I see. I do not interfere with team management. Speak with Mancini about that."
"Yes."
Experts often praised Mansour for separating investment and management.
He did not interfere in tactics or player selection.
Those decisions were left to the manager.
Of course, if he wanted a specific player, he acted directly.
"By the way, what about what I asked you before?"
"The transfer list?"
"Yes."
It made no sense for a player staying only six months to be asked for a transfer list.
Mansour was clearly supporting Ho-young's long-term vision.
Preparing a transfer list meant he might stay longer than six months.
But it was not stated openly.
"I'll discuss it with Mancini first."
Ho-young did not want to overstep.
Even if he had players in mind, the manager's opinion mattered.
"Good. I'll arrange a meeting after the match."
"Thank you."
As Ho-young lowered his hand from his mouth, something unexpected happened.
The big screen showed him and Mansour.
"Waaaaaaaaaa!"
"We've got Young!"
"And he is Hero, Hero!"
"Citizen's Hero!"
"He's number ten, he's perfect man!"
A rhythmic chant filled the stadium.
He had only been in Manchester for eight hours.
And already, he had a personal chant.
"Haha. They are already expecting you to play."
"Yes."
His heart swelled.
Even in the cold winter, his palms were sweating.
He wanted to step onto the pitch as soon as possible.
After the match, Ho-young met Roberto Mancini.
"Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you."
The conversation was brief.
After a 0-0 draw, Mancini was clearly not in a good mood.
"It's unfortunate you had to watch this kind of performance on your first day."
"No, I enjoyed the match."
The atmosphere was tense.
Mancini had a gentle appearance, but was known for his difficult personality.
There were already rumors of conflicts with players.
Former manager Mark Hughes had even called him a dictator.
Mancini spoke bluntly.
"I won't lie. The team is not in a good situation. Our form has dropped recently. But now, I see hope."
He extended his hand again.
"I'm counting on you."
Ho-young.
Mancini wanted to believe in that miracle.
Ho-young responded.
"I'll do my best. When does training start?"
"Tomorrow. Our next match is on the 5th. Do you know the opponent?"
"Of course."
EPL Round 22.
Their next opponent was Tottenham Hotspur.
A rising powerhouse with Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon, Luka Modrić, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, and Kyle Walker.
They had just climbed to 4th place.
And it was an away match.
A very tough challenge.
But Ho-young felt confident.
He was excited.
The talent he gained at the Ballon d'Or.
Flawless Dribbling (W+3).
Combined with Ultimate Footwork (W+2), it was the perfect chance to test it.
But on the first day of training, he realized.
'This won't be easy.'
The team was in a bigger crisis than he expected.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
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