Weird Defender Joo Ji-Tae

196 – Star of the Era

196

Manchester City, who scored a hat-trick in the opening game against Aston Villa, won 6-0 and started the season on a high note.

『2 games in, Joo Ji-tae and Cho Jae-sin scored in the 2nd round of the Crystal Palace game!』

『5 wins in 5 games, what a great start! Is this the Joo Ji-tae effect?』

『The hero of the opening game hat-trick, Jack Gabbert, how long will his goal drought last?』

『7 games in, he ended his goal drought with a multi-goal game!』

『(photo) Is Joo Ji-tae scary? Jack Gabbert, who suddenly ran towards him, quickly changed direction』

One month after the season opener.

Despite Jack Gabbert, the hero of the opening game hat-trick, not scoring any goals after that, Manchester City continued to soar.

Especially notable was the 6th round game against Liverpool.

Manchester City’s overwhelming performance against mid-tier teams was no surprise, but Liverpool was different. They were a strong team that could compete for the championship.

The away game against Liverpool, which could determine Manchester City’s season, was a crucial match. Manchester City showed a clear difference in level, winning 5-0.

After the game, Manchester City continued their winning streak, but the only concern was Jack Gabbert’s strange silence after the opening game hat-trick.

It wasn’t that his form was bad, but he couldn’t find the back of the net, and people even joked about the “Joo Ji-tae curse”.

Of course, that was a misunderstanding.

It seemed like Manchester City’s attacks were somehow centered around Jack Gabbert, but that was an illusion.

Joo Ji-tae controlled the team’s build-up, created more decisive chances than the second line of attackers and midfielders, and practically led the team’s attack. But that was just a rumor.

Even Joo Ji-tae couldn’t force a player to score or take away their goals. And on the field, he didn’t play inefficiently. Joo Ji-tae wasn’t a player who would do that.

Anyway, Jack Gabbert finally broke his goal drought after 7 games, putting an end to his dry spell and restarting his scoring streak, making Manchester City perfect.

『Perfect organization, perfect teamwork, perfect team spirit! Manchester City has become one team!』

The locker room, which the board, coach, and captain Oliver Negredo had struggled to unite, finally came together as one team.

That was largely due to Joo Ji-tae’s overwhelming charisma, but more importantly, it was the atmosphere.

The best medicine for team morale is winning, but that’s only half true.

For a team like Manchester City, where winning is a habit, it’s hard to change the locker room atmosphere with just wins. Something more is needed.

That’s expectation.

It’s not just about winning, but about having a performance that makes players look forward to the future, the results, and the championship. And it’s about enjoying the game while playing.

You can win even if your performance isn’t good.

Even if we win with a comeback, it’s certainly thrilling, but if it’s a team like Manchester City, wouldn’t we be just happy?

At the moment of the comeback, it’s thrilling, but after it passes, the thought “Our team is only this good…” naturally arises. That’s how Manchester City has been until now.

It’s not like their performance is bad enough to be criticized.

However, it’s hard to acknowledge their performance as that of a team aiming for the Champions League title.

Although individual players have great skills and sometimes show brilliant performances, they often display disappointing performances in important matches against strong teams. This is also due to frequent mistakes in communication and teamwork between players, which makes fans frustrated.

Still, Manchester City is Manchester City, so it’s natural that they have more wins than losses.

They’re a team that’s accustomed to winning, but their performance has been stuck in a vicious cycle of not improving.

It’s like, what’s the point of winning if the problems aren’t resolved in the content?

That’s how Manchester City has been until now. A team that can’t resolve their problems even with wins. The board members, coach, and former captain Oliver Negredo have had a hard time for nothing. The players’ egos were too big, and it was hard to resolve conflicts with just 1-2 games.

But this season is different.

Firstly, the newly appointed captain, Joo Ji-tae, has been dominating the team with his overwhelming charisma since his debut, and has changed the team’s atmosphere.

People are naturally affected by their surroundings, and it’s not like they’re not influenced by the people around them. That’s why they say that a loud voice can win.

Especially for young football players, it’s even more so.

Even if a player is worried about the current situation, it’s hard for them to deviate from their own faction’s behavior and that of their close friends.

In that sense, Joo Ji-tae, the irregular, has destroyed the existing order with his appearance alone, giving moderate players who were hiding a chance to act.

With his overwhelming control, he has grasped the leaders of each faction, and just with that, conflicts have almost been resolved. Moreover, with consistent performances since the opening game, he has raised the team’s atmosphere and instilled a sense of purpose in the players’ minds.

It’s not like we’re winning somehow anymore.

We’re winning overwhelmingly.

In sports, what’s most important is the result, but for players, it’s not just about the result. As the ones who create the result, the process is also important.

If the game is fun, thrilling, and enjoyable, wouldn’t we be more enthusiastic and play better?

Who would like a dull, winning-only football? Even players dislike that.

In that sense, this season, Manchester City players have finally found football enjoyable again. They’re looking forward to the next game, and they’re confident they can win.

It’s the moment when Manchester City, centered around Joo Ji-tae, becomes a single, genuine team.

And in early November, the Ballon d’Or ceremony took place.

Jack Gabbert also attended the ceremony as a nominee, but he didn’t have high expectations of winning. This year’s Ballon d’Or already had a strong favorite.

“Joo Ji-tae.”

The same team member and captain.

He’s an Asian with a childish face, looking like a high school student… Jack Gabbert glanced at him, sitting next to his fiancée.

They looked like kids playing together, giggling and whispering to each other.

To Jack Gabbert, Joo Ji-tae looked like a high school student, and his fiancée looked even younger, like a middle school student. Her body was okay, but her face was really hard to believe she was an adult.

However, to Jack Gabbert, Joo Ji-tae looked like a kid playing, but the other person was already a legendary player. What’s important is that he’s a living legend, not just a simple legend.

There are many legends.

From Pelé and Maradona to Messi. But even Messi has retired long ago. They’re all people of the past.

But Joo Ji-tae is different.

Even someone who doesn’t know football well can see that his achievements are already legendary, but what’s more important is that he’s only 24 years old.

The legend is still ongoing.

The path he’s taking will become a legendary journey, and his current achievements will shine brightly in the future. Everyone knows this, especially players.

To play with such a player?

It’s like saying we’re playing with a young Pelé or Maradona, or Messi.

We can be part of his ongoing legend.

It’s… really amazing. It’s hard to express in words.

“The winner… congratulations on winning three times in a row! Juzi Tai!”

“Legend…”

As Jack Gabbert watched him walk up to the stage, he applauded enthusiastically. It wasn’t because he was impressed by his appearance.

“Hello, I’m Juzi Tai. It feels like I’ve gotten quite used to this place.”

The enormous presence that filled the stage,

“I’m thrilled to be able to keep my promise from last year to stand on this stage again. Some people say it’s boring because there’s no competition. I agree. With no competitors, I’m a bit disappointed too.”

Even Fernando Alvarez, who looked like he was about to cry, couldn’t help but bow his head,

“It’s already three consecutive wins. This is the third time. I’m only one short of Lionel Messi’s record of four consecutive wins. Now I only have one… no, two chances left. One chance to surpass Messi’s record, and two chances to become a legend. You guys, time is running out. Catch me before I become a legend and get out of your reach. If not—”

His overwhelming presence made the term “legend” seem insufficient.

“This era will be remembered as the era of Juzi Tai alone.”

No, even the term “legend” seemed inadequate.