SWR: Chapter 825/827

Chapter 825: I'm Waiting for Your Call

The game was nearing its end.

Tottenham Hotspur once gained possession near midfield. Modric attempted to play a forward pass to find Džeko, but Manchester City's center-back got to the ball first and headed it away.

The ball dropped to midfielder Scott Parker.

Parker had just brought the ball under control and was preparing to pass forward when Henderson charged in. The ball deflected off Henderson and bounced behind Parker.

Henderson intercepted Parker's pass, took a step forward, and sent it ahead to Hazard.

The Belgian controlled the ball, turned, and played a diagonal pass back toward the left flank.

At that moment, Gareth Bale came surging past Kyle Walker like a bolt of lightning.

Both players are quick, but Walker had played the entire match and was clearly fatigued. Bale, on the other hand, had only come on in the 75th minute. Their physical condition was no longer on the same level.

And physical condition directly affects pace and explosiveness.

Gareth Bale sprinted forward, beat Walker to the ball, tapped it ahead to push it into space, and then exploded after it at full speed.

Ledley King was positioned just outside the box and tried to track back, but Bale, upon reaching the edge of the penalty area, poked the ball forward again and accelerated.

The entire Etihad Stadium erupted into wild cheers.

"Gareth Bale accelerates again!!!"

"Oh my God, he's so fast!"

The Welsh winger used sheer pace to burst past Ledley King and charged into the left side of the penalty area. He reached the ball on the edge of the six-yard box, glanced toward the center, and sent in a low left-footed cross.

The ball zipped across goal and fell right into the danger zone in front of the six-yard line. Suárez arrived just in time, met Bale's delivery, and slotted the ball into the almost-empty net with his right foot.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"In the 93rd minute, the final minute of stoppage time, Suárez breaks the deadlock for Manchester City!"

"Gareth Bale made a brilliant, explosive run down the left and delivered a perfect assist to Suárez."

"Look at the Manchester City players—absolutely ecstatic!"

"The entire Etihad is chanting the names of Gareth Bale and Suárez, and of course, their head coach—Gao Shen."

"As the live broadcast shows, Gao Shen sprinted out of his technical area to embrace his players at the touchline. He's overwhelmed with emotion!"

"Ninety-three minutes—almost ninety-four—and Manchester City finally find the breakthrough!"

"This is strength!"

"This is the magic of Gao Shen!"

"He always finds a way to turn the tide in the dying moments, just like this substitution with Gareth Bale!"

…

"You're really making it tough for me, Gao!"

Referee Howard Webb quickly ran over, shaking his head and gesturing to Gao Shen not to go any further.

Just stay there. I'm pulling out my cards!

Gao Shen laughed and spread his arms, as if to say, "Bring it on, mate!"

Webb chuckled, reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out a yellow card, and showed it to Gao Shen.

"Careful now, Gao. Any more and you'll be suspended for yellow card accumulation," Webb warned jokingly.

Gao Shen laughed, stepped forward, shook Webb's hand, then leaned in for a friendly hug before returning to the home dugout.

The entire stadium was chanting Gao Shen's name.

"At this moment, he's probably the happiest man in the world to receive a yellow card," Andy Gray said admiringly.

"Manchester City have faced tough opponents recently. There have been draws, there have been wins, but every match has been a battle."

"This is like a test for every Manchester City player—to see whether they have what it takes to continue challenging for unprecedented glory."

"Remember, when Manchester United completed their historic treble, they too came from behind repeatedly against tough opponents."

"Manchester City are going through the same now. Since the winter break, they've fought hard in nearly every match."

"And coming up next, they'll face Liverpool, Arsenal, and then the Champions League will return."

"Full-time!"

"Referee Howard Webb blows the final whistle after Tottenham's restart."

"Let's congratulate Gao Shen and his Manchester City side on securing another hard-earned three points!"

"For Manchester City, this isn't just a win on their title campaign—it's a crucial psychological boost as they navigate this brutal stretch of fixtures."

…

"Congratulations, Coach Gao!"

"Thanks!"

Gao Shen smiled and walked toward Modric, who came over after the final whistle.

"You played really well tonight. Honestly, it was tough for us to get past your midfield." Gao Shen praised sincerely.

He had always held Modric in high regard.

Back during his Napoli days, he'd tried twice to sign the Croatian. Even after arriving at Manchester City, he'd always hoped to bring him in. Unfortunately, the opportunity never materialized.

Modric's greatest strength lies in his versatility.

There's a saying that fits him well: the more complete the technique, the more expansive the tactics.

Players like Modric are rare gems.

Although Leeds United had a similar player, he wasn't quite the finished article yet.

Van der Vaart had done well since joining Spurs, but the real heart of the team was still Modric.

"I hope you keep working hard and achieve your goal of winning the quadruple!" Modric said with a smile.

Tottenham had no real chance of lifting major silverware this season, but the whole football world was watching to see if Manchester City could accomplish Gao Shen's historic objective.

It was a bold and enviable ambition.

Gao Shen noticed the hunger in Modric's eyes.

At 26, he was at the perfect age to make his mark.

This was the golden phase of a player's career—where fitness, experience, and technical ability all reach their peak.

A few years later, even if skills improve, the body begins to decline. It's a fact no one can escape.

If Modric couldn't take a leap forward now, he might never reach the top.

The Croatian clearly wasn't willing to let that happen.

"I heard two or three teams are interested in you lately, Luka?" Gao Shen suddenly asked.

Modric was momentarily stunned, then nodded with a wry smile. "Leonardo called me, and Ancelotti too. He's managing Paris Saint-Germain now. But… I'm still undecided."

"I get it." Gao Shen nodded. PSG could definitely offer him great wages, but in terms of honors, the risk was high. Ligue 1's global influence was still limited.

"I've always wanted to thank you." Modric suddenly seemed a little shy.

"Thank me? For what?"

"When you said I was the best player in the Premier League, it gave me confidence. People always say you're the best coach in the world at spotting talent, so I believed you."

For some reason, Gao Shen felt moved.

He realized that sometimes, a single comment—even a casual one—could change a person's life.

"Then I take it back now!" Gao Shen said abruptly, his smile vanishing.

Modric was startled. What did that mean?

Had he offended Gao Shen?

Seeing his reaction, Gao Shen was inwardly pleased. His trick had worked.

"You're not just the best in the Premier League—you're one of the best in the world!"

Modric broke into laughter, visibly touched.

"Thank you!"

"Luka, I really hope we get a chance to work together someday." Gao Shen extended his hand.

Modric froze for a moment, then quickly shook his hand. But mentally, his thoughts were already racing.

Given Manchester City's current midfield setup, there was no space for Modric.

Everyone knew Gao Shen trusted David Silva, Rakitic, and Yaya Touré the most. Then there was the young De Bruyne, another key developmental focus.

Why would City break apart a midfield they'd spent three years building just for him?

Then Modric suddenly thought of another possibility—Real Madrid?

Was Gao hinting he might take over at Real Madrid and bring him along?

The thought made him excited.

But Modric wasn't reckless. He quickly calmed down.

"Me too. I've always dreamed of playing under you. I'm ready to give everything for you," Modric said earnestly.

Gao Shen was briefly stunned. Did this guy misunderstand something?

"Modric moved closer and whispered, "I've never told anyone this, but Levy and I have a gentleman's agreement. If a big club comes in this summer, he'll let me leave."

Gao Shen was surprised, looking at Modric, who nodded seriously.

"I'll wait for your call!"

With that, Modric smiled and walked away.

Gao Shen stood there, smiling wryly.

What did I even say to make him think that?

It was just a polite remark, wasn't it?

He genuinely admired Modric, but Manchester City didn't need him now. Unless…

Still, Gao Shen had no plans to think about it now.

He shook his head helplessly.

Forget it. Let the misunderstanding stand.

Still, this kid is really something. To tell me something so personal...

Damn it, now I feel a bit guilty.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 826: Manchester City Survived

January 25th, Etihad Stadium, Manchester.

In the second leg of the League Cup semi-final, Manchester City hosted Liverpool.

As the away side, Liverpool played a deep, compact formation throughout the match, frustrating Manchester City's attacking efforts time and time again. But the home team remained patient, keeping possession and controlling the tempo.

Until the 56th minute of the second half.

Liverpool won the ball near the edge of their own penalty area and passed it into midfield, finding Mascherano.

The Argentine midfielder played it to Biglia, but Manchester City's counter-pressing forced Biglia to return the ball to Mascherano, who then turned and passed to the right.

On Liverpool's right side was Martin Kelly, a 21-year-old full-back. Standing 1.91 meters tall, he wasn't the most agile player. Mascherano's quick pass to the flank caught him off guard, and he struggled to control the ball initially.

By the time Martin Kelly turned and chased the ball down at the sideline, Gareth Bale—starting on the left wing—had already closed him down and blocked the pass, forcing the young defender to quickly pass the ball back.

Bale nearly poked the ball away.

Kelly was lucky to recover in time, turning his body to shield the ball from Bale.

One of the characteristics of Manchester City's pressing is their aggressive trap on the wings. When the ball moves into tight spaces near the touchline, it becomes the ideal pressing zone. Once the trap is set, players around the ball collapse in simultaneously.

As Kelly turned to shield the ball and looked to play it back to Skrtel, he noticed David Silva had stepped up, cutting off that passing lane.

The difference between young and experienced players is often composure. Kelly panicked when he saw his intended pass blocked and felt Bale pressing from behind. It looked like Silva and Bale could trap him any second.

He rushed his decision. Not daring to hold onto the ball, he hit a long back pass toward goalkeeper Reina.

But the ball flew past Skrtel and straight into the penalty area.

Any experienced defender knows this kind of long-distance back pass is extremely risky.

It shouldn't be too strong or too fast, or it might result in an own goal.

But if it's too soft or slow over a long distance, the window of vulnerability increases significantly.

All it takes is a striker to break into that lane.

Just like Van Persie did.

The Dutch striker had been lurking between Liverpool's two centre-backs, Skrtel and Agger. When Skrtel shifted left to support Kelly, Van Persie followed, looking to double up with David Silva.

But he always stayed level with Skrtel to avoid being offside.

When Silva cut off Kelly's passing option and Kelly looked to pass back, Van Persie saw the chance.

In that situation, the only available pass was to the goalkeeper.

So Van Persie broke forward decisively.

There's no such thing as offside when intercepting a back pass!

In that moment of panic, Kelly didn't check his surroundings.

He just launched the ball back.

The moment he kicked it, he felt a chill run down his spine.

He saw a figure in a sky-blue shirt sprinting into the box.

Goalkeeper Reina immediately realized the danger and rushed out.

But Kelly's back pass was neither fast nor strong. As soon as it entered the box, Van Persie intercepted it cleanly with the outside of his left foot. The ball stuck to him like glue as he sidestepped Reina, who was rushing out, and glided along the baseline.

Reina was completely beaten. In that situation, there was only one option left—no option.

A foul would mean a red card and a penalty.

So the Spanish goalkeeper froze, then quickly turned and tried to recover.

Van Persie, after beating Reina, sprinted to the left side of the six-yard box. Near the baseline, he caught up with the ball and smashed a left-footed shot.

The ball rolled toward the goal in a straight line.

Reina stretched out to save it, but it was too late.

Agger had raced back and attempted a sliding clearance, but he missed. The ball kissed the inside of the left post and crossed the line.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

"In the 56th minute, Liverpool's iron defense finally cracked under Manchester City's relentless pressure!"

"Martin Kelly's errant pass gifted Van Persie a golden opportunity. The Dutch striker rounded Reina and slotted home to give Manchester City a 1-0 lead!"

"Van Persie! The scorer for Manchester City tonight!"

After scoring, Van Persie wheeled away in celebration, sprinting toward the corner.

The Etihad erupted, roaring his name.

1-0!

Liverpool's wall was finally breached.

…

January 28th, noon, Anfield Stadium, Liverpool.

In the fourth round of the FA Cup, Liverpool hosted Manchester City.

The atmosphere was intense from start to finish.

In January 2012, these two teams had now faced each other four times—once in the league, twice in the League Cup, and now in the FA Cup.

In the previous three meetings, Manchester City had two wins and one draw. They were unbeaten.

This match would decide who advanced in the FA Cup. After falling short in the league and League Cup, the FA Cup was Liverpool's only hope for silverware. Benítez went all in.

Both sides scored in the first half.

The rest of the match remained tense and balanced.

City dominated possession, but Liverpool's defense remained disciplined.

Gao Shen made several substitutions in the second half to try and change the tempo.

When the match reached the 88th minute, the score remained 1-1. Neither team had managed to break through again.

City pushed forward into Liverpool's final third.

Yaya Touré received the ball near the edge of the arc. He used his body to shield Mascherano, calmly held the ball with his right foot, and waited until Biglia stepped in to challenge.

Then he lobbed the ball forward into the top of the penalty area.

Substitute striker Giroud, who had dropped deep with his back to goal, held off Daniel Agger and met Yaya Touré's pass. He used the inside of his left foot to lift the ball delicately.

Giroud's flick beat Skrtel and dropped into the left side of the six-yard box.

Sturridge came racing in from behind Skrtel at top speed. Before the ball could bounce, he met it with a left-footed volley, blasting it into the right side of Liverpool's net.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!"

"Manchester City! Another late winner!"

"This time, it's Sturridge!"

"The homegrown forward, a product of Manchester City's academy, latched onto a clever flick from Giroud and volleyed home the winner!"

"2-1!"

"At a crucial moment in a punishing fixture schedule, City's squad depth once again made the difference. Sturridge delivered when it mattered!"

"Three days ago, in the League Cup semi-final, Martin Kelly's back-pass error gifted City a goal. Tonight, he lost track of Sturridge again."

"But to be fair, Kelly can't be blamed entirely. At 1.91 meters, it's tough for him to match Sturridge in a foot race!"

"Manchester City's tactical flexibility continues to shine. In key moments, they always seem to find the right player to make a difference."

"Giroud and Sturridge—tonight's match-winners for City!"

…

Before the nightmare schedule of Christmas and winter truly kicked in, many doubted Manchester City.

They believed it would be impossible for the team to compete on all fronts. It was simply too much.

But just how brutal was it?

From December 26 to January 28, Manchester City played nine matches in 34 days.

That included five league matches—away to West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland, home to Liverpool, away to Wigan Athletic, and home to Tottenham Hotspur.

Two League Cup semi-final legs against Liverpool.

Two FA Cup clashes, against Manchester United and Liverpool.

Out of these nine games, only West Brom, Wigan, and Sunderland weren't top-five sides. Every other opponent was elite.

This schedule was so difficult, The Sun called it the most grueling run in Premier League history.

Some outlets even claimed Manchester City wouldn't survive. They said the team had to choose between competitions.

But a month later, everyone saw the truth.

Manchester City survived!

In the League Cup, they won one and drew one against Liverpool over two legs to reach the final.

Their opponent in the final? Leeds United, who beat Cardiff in both legs.

It's already being billed as a showdown between master and apprentice.

The Sun even called it a "civil war" between the Gao Shen couple.

But regardless of the drama, Manchester City are the heavy favorites. Leeds will struggle to threaten them on any front.

In the FA Cup, City knocked out Manchester United and Liverpool to advance to the Round of 16.

And after enduring a brutal run, the draw finally offered some relief. They were paired with Championship side Brighton.

The match is being marketed as a battle between Premier League wealth and Championship ambition.

Let's see who's richer.

As for Leeds United, after their upset win over Arsenal, they fell 3-2 at home to Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The League Cup dark horse couldn't pull off another shock in the cup.

Still, Leeds United's performances have turned heads. Beating Arsenal and reaching the League Cup final was impressive. Their attacking style and breakout players have caught attention.

But concern is rising.

More and more Premier League clubs have started targeting Leeds United's players.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 827: Gao Shen's Personality Change

As February approached, Manchester City remained under immense pressure.

The most grueling and brutal fixture run in history was still not over.

On the evening of February 1st, Manchester City headed to Liverpool once again to face Everton away.

After such an intense stretch of matches, City finally showed signs of fatigue.

Facing an Everton side that was disciplined and defensively solid, Manchester City controlled possession and dictated the tempo but squandered multiple clear chances.

Neither Gareth Bale's one-on-one nor Robben's close-range effort found the net.

Suárez hit the post twice.

What more could they do?

In the end, both sides settled for a 0-0 draw.

Manchester City walked away with just a point.

It's worth noting that this year's winter transfer window in the Premier League was relatively quiet.

Many clubs, including Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea, were cautious.

United only brought Paul Scholes out of retirement and poached a youth prospect, Vesely, from Manchester City's academy.

Neither Chelsea nor Liverpool made any significant moves.

There had been rumors that Tottenham Hotspur were looking to loan Adebayor from Real Madrid, but the move fell through.

This was largely because Spurs had sold Pavlyuchenko to Lokomotiv Moscow for £7 million, while Džeko had hit a wall this season and his Premier League performances had declined. Spurs hoped to bring in Adebayor as reinforcement.

Liverpool were also reportedly interested in Adebayor, but Mourinho blocked the move.

Although Mourinho's departure from Real Madrid was a foregone conclusion, Florentino and other senior officials insisted that he would remain in charge until the end of the season. Naturally, there was no reason to sell Adebayor midseason.

Both AS and Marca revealed that Real Madrid were already in contact with Gao Shen, and Mourinho would remain until the end of the season.

The quiet winter window reflected the state of the Premier League this year.

The biggest transfer came from Newcastle.

The Magpies were in seventh place, level on points with sixth-place Arsenal, just one point behind fifth-place Liverpool and two points behind Chelsea.

Such strong results sparked ambition within the club, and the dream of Champions League qualification became real.

Newcastle became one of the most active clubs in the window, bringing in Senegalese forward Papiss Cissé from Bundesliga side Freiburg.

Clearly, they were no longer content with the Demba Ba–Andy Carroll pairing and sought to strengthen their attack to push into the top four.

To that end, they offered Papiss Cissé a staggering £100,000 weekly wage.

That's a huge amount for a club not yet in a Champions League spot.

If they make the top four, it'll be a great deal. If they don't, it could backfire badly.

But sometimes, that's how football works. Whether you move forward or stay still, both carry risks.

Interestingly, both Demba Ba and Papiss Cissé represented Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, but the national team crashed out in the group stage. So the players reported back to their clubs immediately.

Only one Manchester City player went to the tournament—Yaya Touré, who joined the Ivorian national team at the end of January.

Côte d'Ivoire topped their group, and Yaya Touré would be playing in Africa a little longer.

Leeds United also had some African players, but Senegalese youngster Mané had not yet broken into the national team. Egyptian youngster Salah was included in the squad, but the Egyptian team was undergoing a transition and performed poorly, finishing bottom of their group and missing out entirely.

As for DR Congo's Bolasie, they also failed to qualify for the Africa Cup.

So, the tournament had little impact on either Manchester City or Leeds United.

…

On the evening of February 4th, at the Etihad Stadium.

In the 24th round of the Premier League, Manchester City hosted Fulham.

Three days earlier, they had been held to a frustrating draw by Everton. That frustration was fully unleashed tonight.

Just five minutes in, Hazard broke through on the left and whipped in a cross. Van Persie got in front of goal and poked it into the net.

From there, Manchester City launched wave after wave of attacks, playing with ruthless efficiency.

In the 25th and 30th minutes, they scored two more goals in quick succession.

Before the end of the first half, City countered quickly again. This time, Van Persie assisted Robinho, who made it 4-0.

By halftime, the game was effectively over.

Initially, City intended to push for a bigger win in the second half.

But the snow began falling harder.

Considering player safety, Gao Shen signaled the team to ease off the pressure.

In the 60th minute, the referee temporarily halted the game and summoned ground staff to clear the snow.

Ten minutes later, the game was stopped again for the same reason.

Seeing this, Gao Shen began making substitutions.

With Yaya Touré away at the Africa Cup, City's midfield was already stretched. Gao Shen didn't want his players to get injured on a frozen pitch.

Even so, in the 82nd minute, Sturridge, who had come off the bench, cut in from the left and crossed low. Van Persie completed his hat trick with a simple finish.

5-0!

Manchester City thrashed Fulham.

That same day, Arsenal also smashed Blackburn 7-1 at home and were applauded off the pitch.

Chelsea were unlucky. After leading 3-0, Manchester United came back with three second-half goals to draw 3-3 at Stamford Bridge.

The match was surrounded by controversy, as the referee awarded United two penalties within ten minutes.

Liverpool drew 0-0 with Tottenham at home.

Benítez's side remained the same—solid in midfield, lacking up front.

Reports suggest Liverpool's managerial change is already in motion, with Brendan Rodgers, who has impressed with Swansea, the most likely successor.

…

There was a full week's rest between the 24th and 25th rounds of the Premier League.

It was a timely break, much needed by teams who had endured the brutal Christmas and winter schedule.

But not for Manchester City.

Because they played in the Club World Cup, their Round 16 league match against Arsenal had been postponed until now.

So, another week of two matches began. With the FA Cup, League Cup final, and Champions League looming, Manchester City had no free slots. The Arsenal match had to be squeezed into midweek.

It didn't matter much to Arsenal, who had no European commitments, but it was a huge burden on City.

Since Christmas, City's schedule had been packed, nearly pushing the team to the brink.

Many players were not in peak condition and had no time to recover.

Some carried minor injuries but couldn't rest.

With Yaya Touré away, the midfield burden was even heavier.

Thanks to their squad depth, Manchester City managed to hold on. Any other Premier League club might have collapsed by now.

In the rescheduled match, both teams struggled. In the end, thanks to a goal from David Silva, City narrowly beat Arsenal 1-0 and scraped three points.

On February 12, in the 25th round, City traveled south to Birmingham to face Aston Villa away.

After a hard-fought match, they secured another 1-0 win, this time from a corner header.

With the Aston Villa game done, Manchester City finally got a break.

Because the FA Cup's fifth round was scheduled for the weekend, the Premier League was suspended. City's next opponent: Brighton.

To be honest, Gao Shen had never taken this team seriously.

The day after the Aston Villa game, after some light recovery training in the morning, Gao Shen directly announced a two-day break.

Carrington was filled with joy.

Not just the players—coaches and staff too.

From Christmas until now, they had been playing nearly every three days. And almost every opponent was strong. This brutal schedule had driven everyone to the edge.

It was Gao Shen and his coaching staff's constant encouragement that helped the team get through it.

But Gao Shen clearly saw the team's growth.

"We Chinese have a saying," he smiled as he addressed the joyful group, "A sword is sharpened by grinding. The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from the bitter cold!"

"I know how much you've given these past two months. You've worked harder than ever before. But now, it's all worth it."

"We're in the League Cup final. We've reached the fifth round of the FA Cup. And we're still top of the league. All of this is thanks to your sweat and sacrifice."

"I hope you enjoy this break."

The crowd erupted again.

But Gao Shen quickly added, "That said, you can relax, but don't slack off. When you return, the medical team will assess everyone thoroughly. If anyone fails the physical standard…"

He snorted twice, casting a mock-threatening glare. "You all know my temper."

The players were so thrilled to have time off that no one cared about the warning.

They all nodded and agreed instantly.

As soon as Gao Shen gave the signal to dismiss, within thirty minutes everyone had showered, changed, and driven off. Not a single one lingered.

Gao Shen, Carlo, and the rest couldn't help but laugh.

But no one could deny how tough this stretch had been.

"Thanks for all the hard work. Get some real rest. We'll need it for what comes next," Gao Shen said.

Carlo, Brian Kidd, and the others all nodded in agreement.

The players had worked hard, but so had the coaching staff.

Training sessions, opponent analysis, tactical prep—none of it was easy.

Lately, something strange had been happening.

Gao Shen had been clocking out on time every day and leaving work to his assistants.

That wasn't like him at all.

He used to be a total workaholic.

Had his personality changed recently?

(To be continued.)