As his coaching career progressed and he accumulated more experience, Gao Shen's views on professional football changed significantly.
First and foremost, he developed a more accurate assessment of a team's strength.
This applied not only to his own team but also to others.
For example, Gao Shen was very clear about Manchester City's situation this season. With their current strength, even if they qualified for the Champions League, they would have to choose between that and the Premier League. There simply wouldn't be enough energy to compete in domestic cup competitions. They would need to focus on one of the two major fronts and do everything possible to win a title.
Of course, Gao Shen had confidence in Manchester City's ability to fight on a single front, but even so, a bit of luck was still necessary.
And that, in fact, was normal.
Professional football is often said to be metaphysical because luck always plays a role.
Sometimes, a team is suddenly plagued with injuries without any clear reason. It might sound ridiculous, but it's quite common.
Just like Manchester City this time. While the fans started complaining, the coaching staff dug deeper and found some explanations, but none that fully made sense. They couldn't just chalk it up to bad luck. Ultimately, the blame fell on the coaching staff.
These types of situations happen to every team.
Take Chelsea, for instance—they've been in a slump lately.
Gao Shen's ability to judge a team's strength came not only from his coaching experience but also from the extensive reading he did in the tactical library. As his career deepened, the more he read, the more he realized how valuable that library truly was.
It was a treasure trove of accumulated knowledge.
In that library, Gao Shen had repeatedly come across evaluations by renowned coaches about the teams they had led. Many of these evaluations were very accurate. Most coaches had a clear understanding of their teams, and some even had that awareness before they ever took charge.
Take Scolari, for example, when he managed Chelsea—it was all about the money.
Some do it for money, others for fame. But one of the two is always the driving force.
As for those who claim they coach purely out of passion or sentiment—well, it's not that such people don't exist, but that's rarely the decisive factor.
We're all adults. We have families to support and careers to build. There's nothing wrong with that.
Gao Shen now had a clear judgment of Manchester City's situation. What he needed to do next was to further improve the squad depth so they could remain competitive in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
As for whether they could win a title, all they could do was give their best and leave the rest to fate.
…
Facts seemed to confirm his insightful judgment.
In the 30th round of the Premier League, Manchester City beat Sunderland 2-0 away.
In the 31st round, they defeated Fulham 2-1 on the road.
Then, in the 32nd round, Manchester City thrashed Wigan Athletic 6-0 at home.
Unlucky Roberto Martinez was crushed by Manchester City in both legs.
Just three days after the 32nd round, Inter Milan suffered a 0-1 home defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League.
Benítez's side narrowly edged Inter away thanks to a crucial goal from Biglia.
With that home defeat, Inter's chances of advancing were slim.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the last team to lose at home and still turn things around in the away leg of a Champions League knockout stage was Real Madrid—and the coach who led them to that comeback was none other than Gao Shen.
Since Mourinho had been named the top candidate for the Real Madrid job, the Spanish media were closely following this matchup, eager to see if his team could overturn the deficit at Anfield.
It felt like a long-distance showdown between Gao Shen and Mourinho.
…
In the 33rd round of the Premier League, Manchester City demolished Burnley 7-0 away.
Gao Shen's team recorded back-to-back dominant wins and earned roaring applause from the fans.
Liverpool, meanwhile, played away at Birmingham with a rotated squad and only managed a 1-1 draw.
But in the midweek Champions League clash, the Reds once again edged Inter 1-0, this time with a goal from Gerrard.
With a 2-0 aggregate score, Liverpool knocked out the Nerazzurri and advanced to the Champions League semi-finals.
The other three teams in the semi-finals were Manchester United, Barcelona, and Napoli.
Allegri's Napoli continued their strong performances in the Champions League. The team largely retained its high-level squad and playing style, while the emergence of Vidal and Nainggolan made them even more formidable.
Cavani maintained his impressive form, once again winning the Serie A Golden Boot.
It could be said that Gao Shen had left a treasure trove of talent for Napoli.
Mourinho failed to reach the semi-finals and lost this long-distance duel with Gao Shen, frustrating the Spanish media.
Once again, Ibrahimovic disappeared in the Champions League, going goalless in four straight knockout games.
The Swedish striker's slump was a key factor in Inter's double defeat to Liverpool.
Fortunately, Mourinho's team remained at the top of Serie A, but Napoli trailed by just one point and could overtake them at any moment.
…
In the 34th round of the Premier League, Manchester City beat Birmingham 5-1 at home.
Even before this match, Manchester City had already clinched the Premier League title. This big win made the championship even more meaningful and sent fans into a frenzy.
This was Manchester City's first Premier League title and their third top-flight title in club history.
After a 42-year wait, Manchester City were champions of the top division once again.
Everyone in the Blue Moon camp was ecstatic.
At the Etihad Stadium, all the players rushed over and lifted head coach Gao Shen into the air.
Over 50,000 fans in the stadium sang and cheered wildly.
Outside, hundreds of thousands of Manchester City fans took to the streets in celebration.
In terms of local fanbase, City might still be a bit behind Manchester United, but that was normal. After all, fans tend to support stronger teams.
But as Manchester City grew stronger, their local and global fanbase would surely expand rapidly.
After the celebrations, Gao Shen led his players to the center of the pitch to thank all the fans.
At the same time, he made a solemn promise on behalf of the team: they would deliver even better and more consistent performances next season.
"What I want to say is, this championship is not our peak. It's just one of the steps we're climbing."
"To all Manchester City fans: mark my words. Next season, and every season after that, we'll only get stronger and stronger. We'll win more and more important titles."
"You'd better get used to celebrations like tonight!"
The moment Gao Shen finished, the whole stadium erupted.
Over 50,000 fans chanted his name in unison.
"I also want to tell you, today's Manchester City is no longer the Manchester City of the past. Today's Premier League is no longer the Premier League of the past, because we, Manchester City, are on the rise. We will become the most competitive force in the league. Starting with this championship, we will completely change the Premier League landscape!"
Deafening cheers filled the stadium once again.
Finally, Gao Shen left a surprise for the fans, promising that the club would bring in exciting new players this summer to significantly improve the squad's overall strength for next season.
"We're going to charge toward the Champions League title!"
…
After Manchester City secured the title with five games to spare, the biggest remaining suspense in the Premier League was the relegation battle.
As for the top four, there was little left to fight for.
Since last December, Manchester United had gone on a strong run and quickly closed the gap on the second tier.
Manchester City stood alone at the top of the table, while Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United were separated by only one or two points. Arsenal, in fifth, trailed fourth place by a full ten points.
Sixth-placed Tottenham were five points behind Arsenal.
After City clinched the title early, The Guardian gave the season's top four a new nickname: the "new Big Four."
It sounded tacky, but it got the point across.
Manchester City had replaced Arsenal in the league's top four.
The unlucky Gunners were squeezed out.
The Sun, known for its transfer scoops, reported that if Arsenal failed to qualify for the Champions League, several stars including Fabregas might leave.
In other words, the long-running saga of Fabregas returning to Barcelona might finally be nearing its end.
Fabregas' agent even revealed that Manchester City's Gao Shen was also very interested in his client.
That revelation immediately stirred up a strong reaction across the Premier League.
Gao Shen had finally turned his attention to his domestic rivals!
But bringing in Fabregas would indeed be a major boost for Manchester City.
Both Gao Shen and Manchester City declined to comment on the rumor.
…
In the 35th round of the Premier League, the Manchester Derby.
Champions Manchester City hosted Manchester United and won 1-0, with Suarez scoring the only goal.
Everyone knew that the Red Devils' minds were no longer on the league.
The title race was already over, and their place in the top four was secure. Manchester United were fully focused on the upcoming Champions League semi-final against Liverpool. That was Ferguson's top priority.
United midfielder Sneijder even told the media he was eager to return to the Bernabéu to play in the Champions League final.
It would be his personal revenge against Real Madrid.
In the end, Ferguson's side drew 0-0 away to Liverpool.
Meanwhile, Barcelona defeated Napoli 3-1 at home, gaining revenge for last season's Champions League final.
A week later, Barcelona drew 1-1 away to Napoli, advancing to the final with a 4-2 aggregate win.
Manchester United also drew 0-0 with Liverpool at home. After extra time, the match went to penalties.
The Red Devils emerged victorious in the shootout and booked their place in the final against Barcelona.
This season's Champions League final would be held at the Santiago Bernabéu.
…
In their last three league matches, Manchester City used the games to give young players more playing time and test tactical plans.
A 0-0 draw away to Arsenal, a 3-1 home win against Aston Villa, and a 1-1 draw at West Ham.
City finished the season with over 100 goals and surpassed Chelsea's 95-point total from the 2004–05 season, setting new records for the best performance in Premier League history.
But the British media had already shifted their focus to the exciting new player Gao Shen had promised in front of fans.
Some outlets couldn't wait and even photoshopped images of Fabregas wearing a Manchester City shirt.
(To be continued.)