I became the Premier League’s youngest manager

The mood among Burnley fans, which had lifted somewhat after a perfect four-game run in August, was starting to darken again.

But whatever discussions were taking place on TV, in the stadium, in the pub, or in the homes of Burnley residents, Kim, the manager, stood in front of the players in the locker room, his focus sharp.

"It's a shame that Ashley Westwood is gone, but I truly believe the players here are more than capable of filling that gap. If we stick to our plan and play like we've practiced, results will follow."

Hyungmin's voice was steady and strong as he made eye contact with each player, though deep inside, he struggled to suppress the mounting tension and pressure he felt.

"Don't be afraid. Go out there and play our game. If you execute what we've practiced and aimed for, I will never place the blame on you. Trust me. You've already proven that you can win—four games, remember?"

The players nodded in agreement, taking in the seriousness of their manager's words.

After one final tactical check, captain Ben Mee stood up and addressed the team, his voice resolute.

"Was there even one game that went our way last month?"

"No!"

The entire team responded in unison.

Ben Mee looked around, a fire in his eyes.

"Was there anyone who said we'd win?"

"No!!"

"But who won?"

"We did!!!"

The players cheered in excitement, lifting their fists into the air, fully united.

Ben Mee, leading them with energy and enthusiasm, bellowed out the final chant.

"For ever and ever! Who are we?"

"We are Burnley!!!!"

Burnley made the bold move of starting three loanees for the match. Behind established goalkeeper Nick Pope, the defensive line featured Matt Lowton, James Tarkowski, Ben Mee, and Charlie Taylor, moving from right to left.

In midfield, with Ashley Westwood absent, veteran vice-captain Jack Cork was placed on the bench, and Nicolas Seywald was entrusted with the defensive midfield role. Josh Brownhill and Hannibal Mabry joined him as central midfielders.

Up front, Jay Rodriguez, Burnley's most in-form striker, was sidelined due to a minor injury and poor physical condition. Instead, Karim Adeyemi, Chris Wood, and Dwight McNeil led the attack.

Watford, expected to be Burnley's main competitors for avoiding relegation, set up with a 4-4-2 formation to face Burnley's 4-3-3.

Veteran goalkeeper Ben Foster, formerly of Manchester United, guarded the Watford goal, with Francisco Sierralta, William Troost-Ekong, Christian Kabasele, and Adam Masina forming the defense.

Their midfield, from right to left, included Emmanuel Dennis, Moussa Sissoko, Juraj Kuka, and Joshua King. Up front, they had Senegalese star Ismaila Sarr and Cucho Hernandez, who had earned his place as a regular after an impressive loan spell.

Despite the similarities on paper, the two teams were fighting for survival, and a tight game was expected. But from the moment the match began, any predictions of a tactical stalemate were thrown out the window.

"GOAL! GOAL! The number 26 that shines in Claret! It's Hannibal~ Mabrey~!!!"

The stadium erupted in a frenzy as Burnley scored just seven minutes into the first half. The fans at Turf Moor went wild, their cheers filling the air as the players rushed to congratulate Hannibal Mabry, who had just opened the scoring.

"Good job! Good job!"

Captain Ben Mee and veteran defender James Tarkowski, full of energy, mobbed the young midfielder as they celebrated together.

The other players quickly joined in, wrapping Hannibal in a tight embrace as they reveled in the moment.

"Eww!!"

The wild celebrations momentarily subsided as Karim Adeyemi, who had provided the assist, approached Hannibal with a teasing smile.

"You punk. You're kind of doing it."

"I'm actually pretty good at this," Hannibal replied with a shrug, clearly enjoying the attention.

"I still don't like it. If it weren't for my assist, you wouldn't have scored," Karim teased, a smirk on his face. "You owe me one."

"Uh-huh. I'll think about it. But I like goals more than assists."

"What are you talking about? I'm the striker!"

The playful banter between them was interrupted as Nicolas Seywald, who had been watching the exchange, playfully squeezed between the two and started to choke them with a bear hug.

"Guys! Let's be friends! Huh?!"

"Ugh! Ugh!"

"Wow, your breath!"

The two young players tried to break free from Nicolas's strong hold as they struggled for air, but their laughter filled the locker room.

Before they had time to recover from the excitement of the first goal, Burnley scored again.

"Goal! Another goal! The number 9 that makes Claret shine! It's Chris~ Wood~!!!"

Just six minutes later, Chris Wood added a second goal, and Turf Moor erupted once again.

The television commentators were in awe of the performance.

"Ah… This is really something," said the commentator, clearly stunned by the pace of Burnley's dominance. "Should I say Kim is great, or should I say Burnley's players are great? I can't tell which. To be honest, I'm struggling to think of any other manager in Premier League history who's gotten results this quickly under such unfavorable conditions."

The commentators continued:

"Three of Burnley's starting lineup members are loanees under the age of 20, who joined just two weeks ago. They're playing their first match today, and yet Burnley is playing like a well-oiled machine."

"I thought Burnley's head coach Arthur Brimlow would have some knowledge of youth development, but this? This is something else."

Kim's tactics were now crystal clear to the players. Seywald, as the defensive midfielder, was active and relentless, sweeping the midfield and breaking up attacks. Josh Brownhill, known for his precise passing, was the one to start the offensive moves. Meanwhile, Hannibal Mabry, the most creative player, was always looking for ways to penetrate the defense.

Karim Adeyemi and Dwight McNeil provided width, using their speed to stretch the defense, either cutting inside or going wide, depending on the situation. In the center, Chris Wood played the role of both decoy and target, either pulling defenders out of position or finishing off crosses.

The first goal was a perfect example of the system: Karim Adeyemi sent a pass to Hannibal Mabry, who finished smartly. The second goal came from a well-executed move in which Chris Wood, attracting attention from Watford's defenders, headed home a cross from Dwight McNeil.

The speed and fluidity of Burnley's play overwhelmed Watford, leaving the visitors struggling to cope with the quick transitions and precise execution of the tactics.

By the time Ben Mee added a third from a corner kick in the 63rd minute, the result was already a foregone conclusion.

As Burnley's victory made waves across the country, the BBC's evening news turned to sports, where Burnley's remarkable performance was the subject of discussion.

"The statistics tell the story," one of the analysts said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Shooting: 24 to 7; effective shots: 13 to 3; expected goals: 2.57 to 0.59. It's an overwhelming result."

The host chimed in with a smile, "Watford were absolutely pummeled today. Manager Francisco Muñoz will likely need some time to reflect on what went wrong."

The panelists around the table chuckled, but the conversation turned more serious.

"What's strange," the host continued, "is that Kim's tactics have remained largely unchanged over the last five games, yet the opposition has failed to counter them. Why do you think that is?"

An experienced former England midfielder spoke up, "Knowing and blocking are two very different things. Kim's tactics aren't revolutionary, per se. They're very similar to Jurgen Klopp's pressing and counter-attacking tactics at Dortmund, but they've been perfected here. Watford couldn't handle the speed and intensity of Burnley's attack."

The panelist pointed to the screen, where footage of the first goal was replayed.

"Look at this," he said, pointing at the fast transition from defense to attack. "From Burnley's penalty area to Watford's in just five seconds. Watford didn't have time to react. The players didn't have time to reposition themselves, and the defenders couldn't get back in time."

As the replay continued, the veteran explained how Chris Wood drew defenders out, creating space for Hannibal Mabry, who finished with ease.

"This is why teams are struggling to deal with Burnley's style. It's not just about knowing the tactics; it's about stopping them in real-time. And right now, no one is managing to do that."