Starting With Real Madrid

This year's Christmas period and winter schedule are an unprecedented test for Manchester City.

This is recognized around the footballing world.

Although the Champions League hasn't resumed yet, January sees the Premier League, League Cup, and FA Cup all converge. That presents an enormous challenge for Manchester City, especially as they've drawn Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup.

Right after Christmas, the team will face Manchester United in the FA Cup, followed by a League Cup semi-final against Liverpool at Anfield.

Before the team set off for Liverpool, Gao Shen held a special team meeting.

Mubarak also made a trip to Carrington to attend, where he announced the board's decision to introduce a bonus scheme even more generous than last season, in order to motivate the players to keep pushing for strong results across all competitions.

Gao Shen encouraged everyone to grit their teeth and power through this most difficult stretch.

"Believe me, guys, if you're feeling the pressure, it means you're standing right at the threshold of progress.

"From here on out, all you need is courage. Make your decision, take the step forward, and break through it!"

At Anfield, Manchester City ran into a stubborn Liverpool side.

For years, Benítez's team had been built around the iron triangle of Biglia, Mascherano, and Gerrard—a combination that hadn't changed.

It could be said that this midfield trio was the floor of Liverpool's performance.

But the real issue for this team was the ceiling, specifically around Torres.

Injuries had prevented the Spanish striker from maintaining his form. His performances were nowhere near what they had once been at his peak.

Now, many Liverpool fans regretted not selling him to Chelsea earlier. Had they done so, the funds could've been reinvested in a new striker.

But there's no medicine for regret.

Still, Liverpool's so-called attacking weakness was only relative.

Benítez's teams have never been easy to deal with.

At Anfield, Manchester City struck first and took the lead in the 22nd minute.

Not long after, Gerrard equalized for Liverpool.

In the second half, Van Persie converted a cross from the left to restore City's lead.

But just seven minutes later, Bellamy equalized again for Liverpool.

2-2. The match ended in a draw.

The entire game was choppy and lacked rhythm.

Part of that was down to Liverpool's tactics, but more importantly, it reflected Manchester City's inconsistency.

After grinding through so many tough matches, even a deep squad like City's was beginning to tire.

Especially during the demanding winter stretch.

If it had been any other team, they'd have collapsed long ago.

After returning from Liverpool, Manchester City had no time to rest.

Gao Shen felt like the team was just coming back to reload, reshuffle, and then head right back out.

This time, it was an away match against Wigan Athletic.

Roberto Martínez had prepared well. He was fully aware of City's difficulties and intended to exploit them by dragging the game into a physical battle of attrition.

Under normal circumstances, this wouldn't be a problem.

But right now, it was dangerous for Manchester City.

Gao Shen also knew exactly how precarious things were, so he had no intention of engaging in a head-on confrontation.

He went for an all-out attack from the very start.

This was Gao Shen's signature approach.

Just three minutes into the match, David Silva assisted Suárez to open the scoring.

What happened after that?

Manchester City shut down.

They didn't bunker down, but they did pull back, slow the game down, and allow Wigan to push forward.

This frustrated Roberto Martínez greatly.

Push up?

But how do you defend when your backline is exposed?

If we don't press forward, we'll fall behind. What are we supposed to do?

Caught in this dilemma, the game slowly ticked toward full time.

1-0. Manchester City ground out the win.

Surprisingly, the British media heaped praise on the victory.

Because Gao Shen had rotated heavily for this match.

Apart from the spine of David Silva, Suárez, and Kompany, the rest of the lineup was completely rotated. Everyone else was rested.

Even key players like Gareth Bale and Robben were given a few days off.

This wasn't some decision made on a whim by Gao Shen, but one taken after discussions with his coaching staff, particularly Buenatella and Pintus, and after reviewing the psychologist's report.

Because after facing Wigan Athletic, Manchester City would take on Tottenham Hotspur.

Another fierce battle.

Then comes the decisive second leg against Liverpool.

Even more unbelievable, in the draw for the FA Cup fourth round, Manchester City were drawn against Liverpool again.

Yes, after playing Liverpool in the League Cup, they would face them again in the FA Cup.

On top of that, Manchester City still had a rescheduled league match against Arsenal, with the date yet to be confirmed.

Could there be a tougher schedule?

It could be said that Manchester City would be playing top teams throughout January.

This kind of suffocating intensity could drive anyone to collapse.

Forget the players—even Gao Shen felt breathless.

Only when he returned home each night and saw his wife could he truly relax.

Now, he finally understood why no team had ever completed a quadruple in the Premier League.

Because these two domestic cup competitions were too much of a burden.

And just when you're done with those, the Champions League Round of 16 begins.

"I feel like my brain's about to stop working. I have to consider both the present and the long term. Every match has to be taken seriously, played well... it's just exhausting!"

After saying this, Gao Shen let out a long sigh.

The main issue was fitness and condition.

If the players were robots, Gao Shen wouldn't be worried at all.

Mubarak and Gary Cook were both highly supportive of Gao Shen and the team, so now everything was focused on getting through the matches.

But it was clear—if anything unexpected happened to Manchester City's upper management now, the team would fall apart.

Su Qing knew Gao Shen well. She knew he was just venting.

He would never give up.

Having fought to this point, he would keep going no matter what.

She stood behind him and gently rubbed his temples. "It's tough, but from now on, you have to come home on time for dinner every day. Finish your work, rest more, sleep early and wake early. We'll go for morning runs in the park together."

"Ah?" Gao Shen was taken aback.

What was this about?

"Our parents are threatening us—if we don't have a baby soon, they won't help us raise it later."

"What? Just them?" Gao Shen chuckled at her sudden remark.

It was true—most parents couldn't wait to have grandkids. His own parents had nagged them countless times. The worst time, they even hinted that maybe Gao Shen and Su Qing should get checked at the hospital.

"My parents are the same. They want us to have kids soon so they can take turns retiring," Su Qing said with amusement.

Rotating retirement?

Now that's a new phrase.

What it really meant was taking turns helping with childcare.

Both sets of parents still couldn't let go of their businesses in China. Even though there were managers running things, they didn't feel at ease and insisted on staying involved. Having someone they trusted watch over the company gave them peace of mind.

"So what are you saying?" Gao Shen turned his head slightly, held her soft hand, and asked with a smile.

"If they're pushing us to have a baby, we might as well. Besides, we're already 31. We don't want to be elderly parents, right?"

Gao Shen was about to jump up in excitement, but Su Qing quickly held him down, laughing, "Mr. Gao, don't get ahead of yourself. Preparing for pregnancy still follows rules. First, you have to take care of your health. We need to make a plan."

…

January 22nd, noon. Etihad Stadium.

In the 22nd round of the Premier League, Manchester City hosted Tottenham Hotspur.

By the 89th minute, Manchester City had earned a corner kick in the final third.

But the delivery wasn't ideal and was cleared at the near post by a Spurs defender.

Chance gone.

The Sky Sports broadcast cut to the touchline, showing Gao Shen in a black windbreaker, standing by the sideline shaking his head in frustration, clearly dissatisfied with the result.

The score remained 0-0.

Tottenham had managed to hold on thanks to stellar performances from center-backs Kaboul and Redlikin, and some heroics from veteran goalkeeper Brad Friedel.

Manchester City's attacking players were also off their game.

There were too many coordination issues.

Like this moment: Henderson passed to Hazard, who sent a straight ball forward. Van Persie looked to charge into the penalty area, but instead, he flicked Hazard's pass backward with his heel. The Belgian didn't react in time, failed to control the ball, and not only missed a great opportunity to cut inside, but also lost possession.

This wasn't an isolated incident.

Such breakdowns were frequent throughout the match.

The players clearly weren't in form.

In the 75th minute, Gao Shen brought on Gareth Bale, but the Welshman was tightly marked by Kyle Walker and couldn't find space to threaten.

At this point, Gao Shen had used all three substitutions and exhausted his tactical options. The players simply weren't performing. There was nothing more he could do.

All that was left was to wait... and hope.

But time was running out.

The fourth official raised the board. Four minutes of stoppage time.

It was acceptable, but not much to work with.

Gao Shen walked to the sideline and urged the players to keep pressing, to not give up.

Especially down the left, where Gareth Bale and Hazard were operating. He wanted them to cause more problems for Spurs.

"Keep attacking, keep pushing forward!" Gao Shen shouted loudly.

He was making his stance clear to every Manchester City player.

He would not accept a draw.

He wanted the win!

(To be continued.)