SWR: Chapter 725/726

Chapter 725: Crazy Buying

Manchester City defeated Manchester United 2–0 at home, completing a season sweep over their rivals.

Not only did the Etihad Stadium fans remain in the stands long after the final whistle, cheering passionately for head coach Gao Shen and the players, but media and fans alike immediately praised Manchester City's performance.

Almost everyone agreed that City had one foot in the Champions League final.

Manchester United manager Ferguson also admitted in the post-match press conference that failing to score an away goal was a heavy blow for his side.

"In the first thirty minutes, we had a clear advantage."

"Whether it was possession or the chances we created, we were ahead of our opponents."

"We even kept them from getting a single shot off or even entering our box for the last thirty minutes. I can't quite describe the feeling, but at that moment, we all believed we could win."

Ferguson wanted to emphasize that although United lost 0–2, the match didn't reflect total City dominance. Especially in the early stages, City had been forced into a very uncomfortable position. It was the first time all season they had been pressured like that.

Despite the defeat, Ferguson promised a better performance at Old Trafford.

"It's difficult, no doubt, being two goals behind and having conceded no away goals, but I believe we still have a chance at Old Trafford. I spoke to the players after the game, and they are full of confidence."

"I can't reveal specific tactics, but we will perform better than tonight, that much I can promise."

Ferguson's message was clear: Manchester United still had a chance.

Gao Shen agreed.

At the post-match press conference, Gao Shen said the 2–0 result at home was not enough to guarantee progression.

"We're not particularly satisfied with the result, because we should've scored more."

Gao Shen emphasized that Manchester City was at a crucial stage in their season. The team had made progress in the Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League. They had already clinched the league title early, and in both the FA Cup and Champions League semifinals, their opponent was Manchester United.

"I've said before that we are very familiar with Manchester United, and we're confident we can beat them five times this season."

As he said this, Gao Shen raised his right hand, palm open, showing five fingers.

That image quickly spread across websites and media outlets.

Gao Shen had declared his intent to beat Manchester United five times!

"Now, we've completed three wins. Let's aim for the fourth next week. Let's wait and see!"

…

The media response to Manchester City's 2–0 win over Manchester United was fairly measured.

This season in the Premier League, City had remained unbeaten and had already beaten United twice. That level of dominance in the league brought City's status to new heights.

Even with Arsenal's "Invincibles" season as a comparison, City had not only remained unbeaten but also had many more wins.

No matter what happens in the final four rounds, it's widely accepted that Manchester City's achievement has surpassed that of Arsenal's historic run.

So a 2–0 win over United at home? Perfectly normal.

The Times wrote that Manchester City deserved to reach the Champions League final. However, whether they could surpass Barcelona remained to be seen.

Arrigo Sacchi pointed out in his column that Gao Shen's team had almost no obvious weaknesses. Every position was filled by world-class players, making City a team of tremendous overall strength.

"Even before the season started, I said Manchester City would be perfect this season. At the time, people said I was exaggerating Gao Shen's impact. But if you look closely, it's clear that he's had a complete vision for the team from day one. This second season is where it all comes together."

Sacchi explained that this wasn't unique to Gao Shen. It often took coaches at least two or three years to build a team to its peak. But Gao Shen's tactical brilliance, vision in player recruitment, and team-building skills allowed him to do it in under two years.

"With Manchester City's financial power and current form, every major club in Europe will be under pressure in the coming years."

"They'll have to contend with the threat of Manchester City and Gao Shen at all times."

While the British media took a relatively reserved tone despite it being an all-English clash, the European media were far more enthusiastic.

L'Équipe described Manchester City's performance as dominant once again.

"Gao Shen and his team are marching toward the summit of European football."

L'Équipe revealed that if Manchester City won the Champions League this season, Gao Shen would achieve a historic feat.

In just three years, he would have led two clubs that had never played in the Champions League before and won the title in their first appearance.

This would not only be unprecedented in Champions League history, but very likely unrepeatable for many, many years.

"It's an unbelievable achievement. But Gao Shen is just one match away from it."

L'Équipe was clearly not optimistic about Manchester United's chances in the second leg.

Bild, meanwhile, tried to find some solace in defeat.

When Manchester City knocked out Bayern Munich 4–1 away, the German press had gone into mourning. But after City beat United 2–0, the consensus was that losing to such a strong team wasn't so bad.

This was a team destined to win the Champions League.

In a way, it echoed the Chinese national team's self-consolation after the 2002 World Cup.

…

Although strength alone doesn't determine everything on the football pitch, it can often show in key moments.

The day after City's 2–0 win over United, Guardiola took Barcelona to face Napoli at the San Paolo Stadium.

Allegri's team was organized and disciplined. With Cavani leading the line, supported by Vidal, Nainggolan, and Benatia in defense, plus Handanović in goal, Napoli's backline held firm.

This was a steel wall shaped by Gao Shen over three years, and polished further by Allegri.

Even Barcelona struggled to find a breakthrough.

With full energy, Napoli managed to frustrate their opponents. But as fatigue set in, Barcelona's stars began to find space.

In the final ten minutes, Messi came alive, using his brilliance to break down Napoli's defense twice and score both goals.

Guardiola's side eventually left Naples with a 2–0 victory.

Both semifinal first legs ended 2–0, but Barcelona's advantage was bigger than City's.

If Manchester City had one foot in the final, Barcelona had the whole team already there.

The Italian media were generally disappointed, but not surprised.

Napoli was no longer the same side from two years ago. Although Cavani remained in superb form, the departures of Di María and Sánchez had left Napoli's attack reliant almost entirely on Cavani. Winning back-to-back Serie A golden boots was as much as he could do.

In midfield, Hamsik continued to perform consistently. Vidal and Nainggolan were the core, while Pastore had become a revelation after Parejo's departure, emerging as Serie A's breakout star.

Young midfielder Verratti had also broken into the first team and performed impressively.

At the back, Bonucci and Benatia continued to form a solid central pairing, key to Napoli's position at the top of the Serie A table. Fullbacks like Maggio, Danilo, and Alex Sandro made Napoli's wide play dangerous.

Still, Napoli wasn't a true top-tier side.

With heavy investment going into San Paolo's renovation, the club didn't yet have the foundation of an elite giant. As a result, this season, having already won the league and reached the Champions League semifinals—Napoli's players had again become targets for the biggest clubs.

Reports claimed Bayern Munich, desperate for defensive reinforcements, were after Benatia and Vidal. Juventus were also said to be pursuing Vidal and Bonucci. Inter, AC Milan, and even Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, and Chelsea all had Napoli players on their radar.

This summer's European transfer market was bound to see another frenzy of spending.

Others might not know it yet, but as a "shareholder" in Napoli, Gao Shen had already been briefed by De Laurentiis and Marino.

In addition to the big-name clubs mentioned, they revealed one more name that caught Gao Shen by surprise:

Paris Saint-Germain.

The Qatari-owned powerhouse, newly acquired and flush with cash, had already contacted Napoli well before the takeover. Their sporting director was none other than former Inter Milan boss Leonardo.

Yes, the same unlucky man who was sacked by Inter and now found himself holding a transfer budget worth hundreds of millions. Who wouldn't be envious?

Leonardo clearly understood that, with Ligue 1's current reputation, it was nearly impossible to lure players from top Premier League or La Liga sides. So he turned his eyes to Serie A and the Bundesliga.

And among all the Serie A teams, who was more suitable than Napoli?

De Laurentiis and Marino had never tried to force players to stay. They had sold hundreds of millions worth of talent before and reinvested in infrastructure like the stadium and training center. The two club executives had profited handsomely.

Now, they were following the same path.

That was always Napoli's self-positioning. They never aspired to become a footballing superpower.

Their goal was to be a consistent force in Serie A, a club that finishes near the top every season.

Today, Napoli can strengthen themselves by recruiting from mid- and lower-tier teams, developing talent, and then selling to Europe's elite.

That is the Napoli way.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 726: Emperor Lingard!

After the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals, the Premier League resumed with Matchday 35.

Manchester City had already secured the league title, and Manchester United, with no pressure to finish top four and fully focused on the second leg, sent out a rotated lineup in London.

In the end, Manchester United lost 0–1 away to Arsenal.

Manchester City, meanwhile, hosted West Ham United with a fully rotated squad and won 3–0 at home, thanks to goals from Yaya Touré, Zabaleta, and Van Persie.

With this win, Manchester City moved one step closer to an undefeated Premier League season.

Liverpool also beat Newcastle 3–0 at home, basically locking in third place in the league.

…

Three days later, the second leg of the Champions League semi-final.

Manchester City traveled to Old Trafford.

Trailing 0–2 from the first leg, Ferguson had his back against the wall and was forced to send Manchester United into full attack mode at home.

From the opening minutes, the Red Devils pressed hard, just as they had at the Etihad.

This time, however, they scored.

In the 24th minute, Manchester City's pass was intercepted during a counterattack. United launched a quick transition. Sneijder played a ball behind him, and Valencia broke the offside trap, ran into the right side of the box, and scored.

1–0!

This goal reignited the passion of the home crowd and fired up United's players.

But the momentum didn't last. Just six minutes later, United paid the price for their emotional high.

Fabio lost his man on the right, and Gareth Bale burst into the left side of the penalty area. He received a diagonal pass from Robben, who had cut in from the right, and calmly slotted the ball home from his signature "Bale Zone," beating Van der Sar.

1–1!

Now United were in trouble.

The aggregate score was back to 3–1, and City had an away goal.

That meant United needed to score at least three more goals without conceding to turn the tie around.

But how easy is it to score three goals against Manchester City without conceding?

Still, Ferguson urged his players to push forward.

At this point, United's players had lost their sharpness and intensity. The opening assault had drained their energy. Then, in the 38th minute, City struck again.

David Silva flicked a pass behind the defense. Robben latched onto it, broke through, rounded Van der Sar, and calmly rolled the ball into the empty net.

2–1.

This goal completely shattered United's belief in a comeback.

In the second half, Ferguson made several substitutions in an attempt to shift the momentum, but it was in vain.

In the end, Manchester City came from behind to beat Manchester United 2–1 at Old Trafford, advancing to the final with a 4–1 aggregate score.

…

"How is it? Can you still take it?"

After the match, Gao Shen returned to a familiar room at Old Trafford, where Ferguson had already started drinking.

As usual, he handed Gao Shen two bottles of water.

Ferguson didn't even look up. He didn't need to see Gao Shen to know how smug he must be feeling right now.

Both managers had won the Champions League twice. Now that one had reached another final, he had the chance to win a third and become the most decorated active coach. Ferguson wanted that honor more than Gao Shen did.

In recent years, he had begun to feel his own decline.

Especially after Queiroz's departure, he could no longer manage everything. Problems kept cropping up.

The first team. The youth system.

"Don't worry. We survived the disaster of last season. What's a Champions League semi-final exit?" Ferguson grunted.

Gao Shen laughed and raised four fingers. "Four kills!"

Then he unscrewed the bottle and took a swig.

Ferguson sighed, twirled the wine in his hand, then downed it in one go, as though drinking away his sorrow.

But drinking only deepened the sorrow.

In Ferguson's case, it just meant he hadn't had enough yet.

If he drank more, he could fall asleep quicker.

"By the way, how's your club acquisition coming along?" Ferguson suddenly asked.

Gao Shen was stunned. He had kept it under wraps. How did the news get out?

He'd signed a confidentiality agreement with Ken Bates and the Leeds United board. If they'd leaked it, he could sue.

That'd be a bonus.

But seeing Ferguson's face, Gao Shen quickly realized the old man didn't know anything. He just wanted to poke him in the ribs.

"Damn, you want me to go bankrupt?" Gao Shen asked.

Ferguson chuckled and shook his head. "You? Go bankrupt? With your brains? If you actually buy a club, you'd probably turn it into a goldmine. A proper black market!"

Ferguson really did know him.

"But I hope you buy it quickly. And get the hell out of here."

Gao Shen smiled bitterly. That was the old man's true wish.

"Premier League clubs are too expensive. Why don't you lend me some cash?" Gao Shen teased.

"Get lost! If I had money, would I still be doing this at my age? Letting you bully me?"

Ferguson was annoyed.

Whether someone has money or not depends on perspective.

For most workers, a house, a car, a spouse and kids, and a job paying ten to eighteen thousand a month is already good. Saving tens of thousands makes you feel rich.

But for someone like Ferguson, even hundreds of thousands or millions of pounds wasn't enough.

Because there were too many mouths to feed.

A big house, luxury cars, family members both young and old, brothers and cousins, many of them worked at United or related businesses.

In such circumstances, the question isn't whether Ferguson wanted to retire. It's whether he could.

He had mentioned retirement many times.

At the start of the century. After winning the Champions League.

He kept postponing it.

He told the media and wrote in his autobiography that it was because he loved football.

But let's be real here.

Do you really think it's easy to stay at the top level of football in your seventies?

If his kids were capable, would Ferguson still be here?

He was like one of those first-generation entrepreneurs. If the next generation was good, he could retire early. If not, he might be stuck grinding until the end.

Every family has its struggles. No one has it easy.

…

"To be honest, if I really buy a club, you'll have to keep your promise."

Gao Shen wasn't here just to listen to Ferguson complain. He was here to collect.

"Of course! I keep my word," Ferguson said firmly.

"You'll give me whoever I want?" Gao Shen pushed.

Ferguson flashed a cunning smile. "No chance. You think I own Manchester United?"

There it was. The old man's true face.

"I want three players."

"Impossible. One, max."

"Then forget it. You definitely won't give me the best two."

"Who?"

"Morrison and Lingard... wait, you're trying to trick me?" Gao Shen feigned sudden realization.

Ferguson burst out laughing.

Forget the Champions League, forget the defeat. That grin said it all.

"You're still too green!" Ferguson said proudly.

Gao Shen glared and pouted. "You crafty old fox!"

Ferguson shrugged. "To be fair, Morrison is the most talented in our academy. But Lingard..."

Gao Shen gave him a double snort and stayed silent.

Ferguson laughed again. "Fine. Don't sulk. Aside from those two, you can take anyone else. I'll give them to you at market price. No regrets. But only if you actually buy the club."

So far, Ferguson hadn't heard any confirmation that Gao Shen had bought a club. He didn't believe he'd move that quickly. By the time summer arrived, who would even remember this?

Transfers? Maybe next winter, at the earliest. Who knows what could happen in six months?

"I don't trust you anymore," Gao Shen replied.

"No, but seriously. About Lingard. Is he really that good?"

Gao Shen stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. Just to soothe your broken heart, I'll believe you again."

Ferguson grinned. "Go ahead, record it. I won't go back on my word."

"In my eyes, there's no player in the world with Lingard's level of natural talent."

"He's that good?" Ferguson was puzzled.

United were indeed high on Lingard. Otherwise, they wouldn't be grooming him alongside Morrison and Pogba, seeing him as one of the next leaders.

But was he really that good?

"Maybe I'm exaggerating," Gao Shen said, "but compared to Lingard, Messi is nothing!"

Ferguson froze.

If someone else had said that, he'd have spat in their face.

Come on, who are you kidding?

But this was Gao Shen.

The man known worldwide for his eye for talent.

He had spotted Morrison, after all.

So what was it about Lingard that made him so confident?

Ferguson couldn't help but ask himself—had he and his team missed something in Lingard?

And Gao Shen really did have a track record.

So many overlooked players had become stars under him. Maybe Lingard had something special after all.

If so, there was no way Ferguson would let him go. Even if he couldn't develop him properly, he wouldn't let someone else take him.

"Trust me, Sir. Lingard has the potential to become the emperor of European football!" Gao Shen added, boosting Ferguson's confidence even more.

When he calls for the ball, the world bows!

If Lingard hadn't been born, football would have remained in darkness forever!

Emperor Lingard, mighty!

(To be continued.)