Starting With Real Madrid

The whole world said that Gao Shen had found the secret to winning on the football pitch.

That was why his teams always won.

The British media even described him as a wizard from Hogwarts.

But only he knew that the wand in his hand sometimes malfunctioned.

Like this afternoon, January 7, 2012.

When Gao Shen walked into the home team's dressing room at the Etihad Stadium, he could clearly feel the panic in the players.

It was fear.

In fact, people often forget that the more a team wins, the more afraid they become of losing.

And the more you're afraid of losing, the easier it is to lose—and the more painful the loss will be.

That's why they had to approach every match with caution, work harder than anyone else, and give everything, just to have a chance to win the next one.

The beauty of football is that it's never just about skill or tactics. It's a competition between people.

It's like war.

Gao Shen understood this very well. Over the years, he had seen the core thoughts and philosophies of countless great managers.

In the end, he discovered that between the lines of every book in every tactical library, two words appeared again and again.

Human nature.

Ferguson had held back a big trick in the away match against Newcastle.

That was why Manchester United were crushed by Newcastle at St. James' Park.

In truth, that result showed that United were strategically giving up on the league in favor of chasing the FA Cup.

Especially in a match against Manchester City.

This game wasn't just a simple FA Cup knockout—it could very well be a turning point in the season.

Manchester City were in a tough position, not just because of the schedule, but also because of the pressure.

Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, Club World Cup, and now the FA Cup.

City had more on their plate than any other team this season. Even though they kept winning, every player was carrying immense psychological pressure.

Ferguson was a master of psychology. He knew better than anyone that in a situation like City's, a loss in just one competition could trigger a total collapse.

Mid-season collapses had happened to plenty of clubs in top European leagues.

No one was immune.

Because this was human nature.

Everyone fears, dreads, and resists failure.

So, Ferguson had been saving this trick. And in the first half of this FA Cup third-round tie at the Etihad, he stunned Manchester City.

0-2. That was the score at halftime.

The first goal came from a tackle by Kompany inside the penalty area.

Clearly, he didn't touch Nani. It was a clean, successful tackle, but the referee pointed to the spot and gave a yellow card.

The second goal was City's own fault.

Valencia exploited the space behind Leighton Baines after his forward run, latched onto Sneijder's pass, surged down the flank with pace, reached the byline, and sent in a low cross.

Rooney slid in and finished from close range.

Those two goals left City reeling.

"Sorry, Jordan. We need to adjust the tactics. Take a break in the second half and leave it to your teammates. Go take a shower first."

As soon as Gao Shen entered the room, he walked straight to Jordan Henderson, crouched down, and spoke softly.

Then he patted Henderson's thigh and said, "Don't worry. In the next round of the FA Cup, I'll let you start and play the full 90. Consider it compensation!"

Gao Shen even flashed a confident smile.

Henderson was stunned. How could the boss still be smiling at a time like this?

But Gao Shen's words carried unquestionable authority in the Manchester City dressing room.

Everyone trusted him.

"Got it, boss," Henderson replied as he stood up.

The England midfielder looked around the room and nodded. "I'll leave the rest to you. I'm still with you guys!"

Then he walked out to the applause of his teammates.

Gao Shen still didn't say a word. He simply stood there and waited.

One of the key reasons he had started Henderson, David Silva, and Fernandinho in midfield tonight was because the last few matches had been so intense that City's normal rotation had been disrupted.

Rakitic was injured, and Javi Martinez had picked up a knock. Both needed rest.

It was the coldest time of the year, with matches coming thick and fast. Gao Shen couldn't afford more injuries.

Originally, he had planned to start David Silva and De Bruyne, but given United's midfield, and Ferguson's looming tactical trap, he had opted to start Henderson over De Bruyne.

To be fair, Henderson had played well.

The midfielder was progressing rapidly at City and had already become a key figure in many matches.

The 0-2 scoreline felt more like a fluke.

Especially the penalty—that was a killer blow.

The intense Christmas schedule had already put a huge mental strain on the players. That penalty just made things worse.

But now, they had no choice. They had to go on the attack.

De Bruyne walked into the dressing room.

Even before the first half ended, he had been told to warm up.

As he entered, he greeted his teammates and sat down.

Still, Gao Shen said nothing.

The dressing room was silent.

The heavy breathing gradually faded, and players wiped away their sweat.

Some even closed their eyes to rest.

They had worked under Gao Shen for nearly three years. They understood exactly what he was doing right now.

He was helping them calm down.

Only when Carlo re-entered did Gao Shen take a deep breath and start walking across the room.

He moved from one end to the other, thinking.

Everyone could tell that he was calculating, adjusting.

Gareth Bale pulled a jersey from his locker, slipped it on over his muscular frame, and stared at Gao Shen.

Suárez, David Silva, Robben...

The same went for everyone else.

Once all eyes were on him, Gao Shen finally stood in front of the tactics board.

Carlo had already arranged both teams' lineups and formations.

Gao Shen didn't even need to look. He already knew. But he still examined it carefully. After confirming everything was correct, he turned around to face the players.

Carlo was always meticulous. He rarely made mistakes.

"Everyone," Gao Shen began.

The air in the dressing room instantly tightened.

"You all know me. I'm a Virgo. I even suspect I have a serious perfectionist complex. I hate flaws. They feel like needles, constantly pricking me. It hurts."

"Like losing a game."

"I don't like to lose. You all know that. I love to win. I want to win every single match."

"When I enter a competition, I give it everything. I do whatever I can to reach the final and win."

"So, you can understand that my belief is simple: winning. Winning titles!"

"This is going to be tough, guys."

"I know. I've always known. It's very, very hard. No team can win every match, or every title. That's impossible. There will always be losses."

"But that belief pushes me to give everything in every match."

Everyone in the dressing room nodded.

He had lived by that belief since day one. It had never changed.

"I told you at the start of the season, after we won the Champions League, that we had only one enemy left."

"Not Manchester United. Not Chelsea. Not Barcelona. Not Real Madrid. No one else."

"Just ourselves!"

"Yes. After winning the Champions League, our only opponent is ourselves."

"On the road to European glory, we proved to the world that we're the best team on the planet. We don't have to prove anything else."

"What we need now is to keep challenging ourselves. Keep breaking our limits. Keep beating the versions of ourselves from yesterday."

"That takes courage. That takes resolve."

"I told you. Our goal this season is four trophies. We want four titles, guys!"

"I need you to show your courage and your belief. Show your strength!"

"In the second half, we need to push up and put more pressure on them."

"United will press for the ball. They don't have our ability to hold possession. They won't let us keep the ball for long. They'll go hard after it."

"When they press, we play it to Kompany or Boateng."

"The full-backs push up and help control the middle. Silva and De Bruyne, you must be proactive. Attack both flanks more often. If the ball's on the right, hit the left side. If it's on the left, hit the right."

"When Silva or De Bruyne get the ball, move forward with purpose. Play the ball forward. Create danger. Make the opponent feel our threat."

"Make them fear us!"

By the end, Gao Shen was nearly shouting.

But quickly, he regained his composure.

"I have no doubt we have the strength to turn this around. Even though it's difficult, I believe in you. I know you can do it!"

At that moment, the whistle blew, urging players to return to the pitch.

Gao Shen clapped his hands hard. "Alright, that's all."

"One last thing."

"Show your belief. Show your courage. You are Champions League winners. A team chasing the quadruple. We should fear no one—because you are the strongest!"

"I'll be watching from the touchline. I know you won't let me down."

With that, he clapped again, signaling everyone to get ready.

Before heading out, each player came over and hugged Gao Shen.

(To be continued.)

***

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