Breath of The Interferer - Chapter 111
Only Noblemtl
#111 – Breath of the Interferer_Key – 1689794
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Growing Notts County
On September 29, Notts County defeated Bournemouth 3-1 away. Bournemouth also used the same extreme defensive tactics as Southampton. However, Kishin is not a carp, so he did not suffer the same tactics that he suffered once.
After Hunter and Gray, Jeremy was brought in to break Bournemouth’s defense with a header. After scoring three goals in the first half, Notts County played an extreme defense in the second half. They only let Elliott and Hector attack. Kasper, who came in instead of Kim Si-woong, also showed a good performance by focusing only on offense in the first half and defense in the second half.
Notts County, who jumped to second place in the league by beating Tottenham on goal difference, won the next game. They crushed Crystal Palace 3-1 at home. Crystal Palace’s goal was scored by an offside striker in a rare attacking opportunity. They are now level with league leaders Arsenal on 16 points.
Turner, Hector, Cha Beom-soo, Kim Si-woong, and Beno were called up to the national team for the international competition. Hunter was not called up to the national team, but he had a good time with individual training. In the away game against Newcastle on October 19, Notts County conceded two goals and drew 2:2. The defense was continuously exposed due to the exclusion of Cha Beom-soo and Kim Si-woong, who were not in good condition.
They have 17 points, the same as Chelsea, but are pushed to third place due to goal difference. On October 26, Notts County beat West Brom 4:3 at home. Through four games with three wins and one draw, Kishin has figured out how to deal with lower-middle-ranked teams.
The ability of each player in the lower-middle-ranked teams is quite different from that of the players in the big clubs. If you keep attacking, you will make mistakes. And Notts County has Hector and Bonavich who are good at taking advantage of such opportunities. Hunter also has a good sense of scoring, although it is a matter of shooting skills and positioning.
So Kasper is playing in many games these days. Kim Si-woong has played only one game in the last four games. His attack participation is too little, so his tactical utility is low. However, Kishin did not ask Kim Si-woong to do attack training. Since Kim Si-woong does not have much potential left, he must survive in the Premier League through defense.
And on November 3, Notts County will face Arsenal, the league leaders. Currently, Arsenal has 22 points and Notts County has 20 points, but they are tied with Chelsea on goal difference. However, Chelsea had already lost the previous day, so Notts County will be top of the league if they win.
Arsenal played a 3-4-2-1 formation at home. Kishin looked at the three-back formation, which is only possible for strong teams, with envious eyes. It is a three-back tactic that is only possible with strong wingbacks. Not to mention Kim Si-woong, Beno is also lacking in playing as a wingback in the three-back tactic.
The three-back formation, which exerts strong power in the center, can use various tactics depending on the player’s ability. If the wingback has sufficient attacking power, it is a very suitable tactic for dealing with weak teams. Against Arsenal, Kishin put forward a 4-3-3 formation.
Kim Si-woong and Beno started as starters, while Cantu and Black played as central defenders. The tall Jeremy is not suitable for playing against teams like Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool, who have many skilled breakthrough players.
Cha Beom-soo and Gray played as defensive midfielders, and Benjamin played as a midfielder. Baguio played on the left wing and Hector played on the right. Renault played as a central striker.
All-rounder Bonavich was so tired that he had to rest. Homan showed good performance with numerous crosses in matches against weak teams, but it is difficult to perform well in matches against strong teams. There are few people involved in the attack, so even if he makes a good cross, there is no one to receive it.
If Hunter’s positioning is good, the combination of Homan and Hunter can be very powerful. However, after the attack positioning became 6 at the beginning of the season, there was no sign of growth. This value requires both innate and accumulated experience. Some experience can be replaced through training, but there is no other way to grow.
As expected by everyone, including Kishin, the game started with Arsenal’s one-sided attack. With Ozil’s performance declining rapidly, Mkhitaryan, Aubameyang, and Lacazette formed the attacking triangle.
Less than three minutes into the game, Ramsey broke through Cha Beom-soo’s defense. Black rushed out and blocked Ramsey’s path. Normally, even if the second line of defense is broken through, the players in the final line of defense should continue to play zone defense, but Black rushed out in a hurry.
The ball was carried into the space created by Black’s run. Benoit belatedly abandoned Bellerin and headed towards Lacazette, but Lacazette did not hold the ball long and passed it to the far post. Aubameyang ran in with great speed in small strides and pushed the ball into the empty goal.
Cha Beom-soo approached Black and comforted him as he covered his face. In the past, Black didn’t think much of mistakes because he had won many games. However, after being promoted to the Premier League last year, Black changed after he started as a regular player at the beginning of the season and the team had the worst record of 3 points in 10 games due to numerous mistakes. After being excluded from the starting lineup, he trained very hard.
Although individual defensive skills have improved a lot, judgment and defensive positioning during the game are still lacking. Since Ramsey is not a fast player, Cha Beom-soo can chase him again, and even if another player defends Ramsey, it is Benjamin or Gray who should do it. As a member of the final defensive line, he should not move easily.
Despite conceding a goal quickly, Notts County played the game without any disturbance. Black also quickly recovered his mentality under the encouragement of Cha Beom-soo and Turner. Baguio, Renault, and Hector are all players with strengths in dribbling and breakthrough. Kishin tried to lead the game with extreme defense and counterattacks by three players like Southampton did, but the plan fell through as soon as it started.
Notts County’s tactics changed to target set-piece situations, with a focus on breaking through and crossing to create free kicks or corners. However, goalkeeper Ospina, who had made a string of mistakes early in the season that cost Notts County the win, looked completely different, as if he had taken a stimulant.
Thanks to Black’s comeback, Notts County’s defense also found stability. After conceding the first goal, Cha Bum-soo asked Black to trust Turner. Black always wants to finish the defensive situation on his own line. Cha Bum-soo reminded Black that Turner would block most shots. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that Turner won the Manchester United game.
Arsenal’s attacks were repeatedly blocked by the tenacious Notts County attacks. However, this year’s Arsenal was different. Arsenal, which took the top spot in the league, did not slow down its attacks at all despite repeated attacks being blocked. In the past, Arsenal would have taken a break when continuous attacks did not work.
At the end of the first half, Black and Cantu’s uniforms were dirty like a child playing in the mud. The other players were not much different, but the two were particularly bad. This was because Arsenal’s attacks were concentrated in the space between the central defenders and the full-backs.
At the 70th minute of the second half, Kishin replaced Kim Si-woong with Kasper and Gray with Hunter. After moving Renault down to an attacking midfielder, Baguio was sent to the right. Hector moved to the central striker position. An asymmetrical 4-2-2-2 formation without a left wing was completed.
When Beno joined the attack, Benjamin filled in. Hunter, Hector and Renault tried to turn Beno and Baguio’s crosses into goals. And Hunter’s header actually posed a big threat. However, Ospina’s performance was so good that doping was suspected.
Notts County looked good in the last 20 minutes of the second half. It was enough for Arsenal’s home fans to worry about a comeback, not just a draw. However, they unfortunately conceded another goal after a counterattack in a situation where both Benoit and Kasper overlapped.
Black continued to mark Lacazette and defend his defensive zone despite consecutive breakthroughs by Cha Beom-soo and Cantu. After conceding a goal, Turner approached Black and apologized.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t repay your trust. But I hope you’ll trust me again next time in a situation like this.”
Black nodded at Turner’s words. He is one of the 11 players in Notts County. Hunter and Hector, who seem really great in Black’s eyes, also score goals with the help of their teammates. He knew it in his head, but this is the first time he felt it so desperately.
Even though the game ended in defeat, Kishin’s expression wasn’t bad.
‘3 points for 3 ability points isn’t bad.’
Black’s composure rose to 5 and stability rose to 6. Both were 4, but they rose sharply through today’s game. Today’s game was the opportunity for all the hard work to come to fruition. Through the training, his confidence in himself grew, and through the hard training together, his trust in other players also grew stronger, which is what made this achievement possible.
Notts County climbed back to second place in the league after a 4-0 home win over Burnley on November 9. In this game, where Kasper was a regular, Black and Jeremy did a great job of defending. Once the ball started, it was impossible to control it. Black was not only stable in his own defense, but also had an eye for cooperative defense.
Chelsea drew, Tottenham lost, and Southampton, who handed Notts County their first defeat with an extreme defensive tactic, unexpectedly finished in third place.
Arsenal, who lost to Manchester United, is first in the league with 25 points, and Notts County is second with 23 points. Southampton, with 22 points from 6 wins and 4 draws, is third. Notts County has accumulated points with extreme attack tactics against weak teams, and Southampton has accumulated points with extreme defensive tactics regardless of the opponent. These two teams have become the talk of the Premier League.
The next match for the national competition is on the 23rd. During the precious time close to this week, Kishin visited the orphanage that Black supports with Black. Hunter, who was not called up to the national team, also went with them, and Gray, who Black had been regularly sponsoring, was also included in the group.
Thanks to Black, all the children in the nursery were fans of Notts County. Even though they were not from Nottingham, they truly loved Notts County. After giving them gifts, including the footballs they brought, they also had fun playing football together.
“I need to develop my abilities to do more. Please take good care of me, Director.”
He often makes mistakes and clumsies on the field, and sometimes provokes opposing players into giving him cards, but Black is usually a young man with great teamwork skills and a strong sense of responsibility. Even when he was working hard at a construction site and playing soccer for an amateur team, he always made small donations to a daycare center.
That Black has become more mature. He is no longer an immature young man who is only driven by passion, but a person who looks around and makes appropriate compromises. This compromise is not a compromise that recognizes reality and steps back, but a compromise to move forward.
“May the blessing of the sorcerer be upon the righteous Black forever.”
Hunter’s joke caused a burst of laughter in the car on the way back to Nottingham.
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