"K-League Super-Special Rookie" Lingard, "Coach Kim Ki-dong strongly criticized and got it together"
Oct 30, 2024
|
|
Lingard attended the club's media day at 2 p.m. on the 30th at Guri GS Champions Park, FC Seoul's training ground, saying, `When I first came here, I didn't know it would be this tough and difficult. I didn't expect it to be an atmosphere of running a lot, fighting, and trying, and I came with an easy heart." When I played two games, head coach Kim Ki-dong criticized me intensely through the media. That's when I came to my senses. Since then, as I entered the game, I have naturally adjusted little by little to the tempo, style, and rhythm of the game. Now, I think I'm used to the style to some extent,' he said, looking back on one season.
Lingard, a former EPL big club Manchester United and one of the best name values in K-League history, joined Seoul in a surprise move earlier this year and has scored five goals and two assists in 23 K-League games so far. He is the second-leading scorer in his team after striker Ilyuchenko (14 goals). While Ki Sung-yueng was injured, he led the team's rebound with the captain's armband. Lingard said "Ulsan away (*17 rounds) was the turning point." He trailed 0-2 in the first half and showed a strong performance following 2-2. The mental part, the will to win, came up. Whenever I played a game, I felt that I played good soccer and gained confidence. I overcame it well in a great way."
As for K-League great manager Kim Ki-dong "I think Kim Ki-dong has a high understanding of soccer. There is a clear plan for every game. It is not easy for any coach to come to a new team and play the first season. Nevertheless, I think it's a season where the coach and the players quickly adapted. In particular, I think the player understood the soccer that the coach wanted from the middle of the season. Kim Ki-dong's biggest strength is man management. There are good advantages in talking and communicating one-on-one. When I looked back on my career, I showed good performance under a director who talked a lot one-on-one and listened to me. Now it's time to understand and enjoy the coach's soccer."
|
|
Seoul, which has advanced to the top split for the first time in five years and is currently running in fourth place, will play a 36th round home game against fifth-ranked Pohang at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the 2nd of next month. It is a game that will determine the direction to advance to the Asian Champions League. After that, they will play Ulsan (home) on the 10th and Gimcheon (away) on the 23rd. Seoul wants to surpass 500,000 spectators by gathering as many spectators as possible in the remaining two home games. Currently, the number of spectators is 434,426. Lingard recalled "I remember the moment I first arrived in Korea. Many fans welcomed with love and welcome. More than 50,000 people visited the first home game as well. "We were able to come here because of the fans' support. I want to show them how they advance to the Champions League for the sake of their guardian," he stressed.
-How do you feel about the Pohang war
▶Looking back at the beginning and the middle of the season, there was also a bad season where they lost five consecutive home games. I've accomplished a lot. Looking back on the past season, Ulsan away (*17 rounds) was the turning point. He trailed 0-2 in the first half and showed a strong performance following 2-2. The mental part, the will to win, came up. Whenever I played a game, I felt that I played good soccer and gained confidence. He overcame it well in a great way. We have nothing to lose now. We're looking at the remaining three games with a lot of confidence. One regret is that he lacked confidence and self-belief in the match against Gangwon. It brought a disappointing result. Bringing back the game in the previous game brought hope. The main goal is to win a ticket to the Asian Champions League. The match against Pohang begins. I think if you have faith in the soccer you want to do, you can show good performance in the game.
-Target of 500,000 spectators (*currently 434,426)
▶I remember the moment I first arrived in Korea. With love and welcome, many fans are memorable. More than 50,000 people also visited the first home game. Besides the two moments, the most surprising thing about the season was that many guardian gods came even when going to away games. When I went to Jeju or other areas, they cheered us on by paying for the train and plane tickets themselves. It was a great help to the players. The more spectators come, the better we can play soccer. The energy felt in the stadium is different. We were able to come this far because of the fans' support. For the sake of our guardian, I want to show the team advancing to the Champions League. Please come and support us this weekend.
-Coach Kim Ki-dong said at the inauguration meeting that he would show 'Kim Ki-dong is different'
▶I think I have a high understanding of soccer. There is a clear plan for every game. It is not easy for any coach to come to a new team and play the first season. Nevertheless, I think it's a season where the coach and the players quickly adapted. In particular, I think the player understood the soccer that the coach wanted from the middle of the season. The biggest strength is man management. There are good advantages in talking and communicating one-on-one. When I looked back on my career, I showed good performance under a director who talked a lot one-on-one and listened to me. When we talked about life other than soccer, trust was built and confidence was raised. While coordinating well, the players were well influenced by the overall ㅇ. He brings a clear game plan, and he also showed that a new build-up strategy works against Gangwon. Now, the soccer that the coach wants is understandable, and it's time to enjoy it.
-Ki Sung-yueng and Lingard have played more than 300 EPL games together. What I feel while running together is
▶I ran with Sung-yong a few times. I remember scoring two goals against us. He was a young player at the time. When I saw Sung-yong, I felt in England that he was a very technical and responsible player. He was a good player. They really helped me a lot in the beginning. I didn't put it into words, but it helped me talk when I felt a little awkward. I helped bring out leadership that I didn't have. I gave him a lot of opportunities to talk to the players in the locker. It must have been hard. I was missing a lot of the team because of injuries. It helped me a lot to support the team. What really matters is that there are three games left. In the return match of the last game, I felt Ki Sung-yueng's presence in the locker room was huge. Other than me, I felt that it was a big factor to be able to speak in a heavy voice. He taught me a lot whether I should lead the team as a leader as a captain. I learned a lot. The squad gave me a lot
-The Strengths of Korean Football in the K-League
▶When I first came here, I didn't know it would be this tough and hard. I didn't expect a lot of running, fighting, and trying, and I came with an easy heart. When he played two games, he criticized intensely through the media. Since then, it has been an opportunity for me to come to my senses. Since then, as I entered the game, I have naturally adjusted little by little to the tempo, style, and rhythm of the game. To a certain extent, the style seems to have adapted. The K League has made a lot of progress this season. Football is life in the Premier League. Eating and sleeping is for soccer. Tuesday, Wednesday, Old Trafford is full. If players, club officials, and those in the soccer industry push more firmly, I think it will be possible to create an atmosphere similar to EPL. I think the K-League is just beginning, and it's the first year to be known to the world. I am confident that it will be known to the world next year.
yoonjinman@sportschosun.com
