SWR: Chapter 643/644

Chapter 643: It's Him

In recent years, with the booming American football market, more and more top European teams have begun holding their summer training camps in North America. It has become a common practice.

Manchester City were not the only Premier League team visiting this summer.

Their city rivals, Manchester United, were training in Bridgeview, Illinois, just south of Chicago.

Wearing a grey Manchester United summer training kit, Ferguson smiled warmly as he waved to reporters and fans outside, looking very approachable. The Manchester United manager had a rosy complexion and seemed to be in a very good mood.

This summer, he had finally convinced the Glazer family to open their wallets again and sign Lassana Diarra.

This would be a significant boost to Manchester United's overall strength.

Of course, looking at the entire summer transfer market, Manchester City's squad had improved the most significantly.

After winning the Premier League title last season, Gao Shen once again invested nearly 100 million euros in the transfer market this summer. The overall strength of the Blue Moon had risen dramatically. It was clear that Gao Shen had ambitious plans.

Even more intriguing was that there was still an "exciting star" yet to be officially announced.

Ferguson had a feeling that the player Gao Shen had chosen was definitely not an ordinary one.

Lichtsteiner cost 30 million euros, so this mystery player should be at least at that level.

The most likely candidate seemed to be Fabregas.

But after Manchester City signed Yaya Toure, Ferguson became uncertain.

If it really was Fabregas, wouldn't City's midfield become overcrowded?

Gao Shen had always been rational when it came to building squads. He valued quality over quantity. If there wasn't room in the squad, he wouldn't have brought in Yaya Toure.

So the most likely option was still a forward.

Could it be Torres? Adebayor? Drogba? Or… Rooney?

Rooney had not joined Manchester United's training camp in the U.S., as he was still on vacation after the World Cup.

Ferguson called him, but Rooney denied having any contact with Gao Shen. However, his agent said otherwise.

Ferguson felt overwhelmed just thinking about it.

Even though they had signed the Mexican forward Hernandez, Rooney remained indispensable for Manchester United.

And it was all because of that damn Gao Shen!

…

Ferguson returned to the coaching staff's temporary office, his face gloomy.

But just then, his phone rang.

Caller ID: Martin Ferguson.

Martin was Manchester United's scout and Ferguson's intelligence chief.

"Brother, it's Van Persie!"

As soon as the call connected, Martin Ferguson shouted impatiently.

"What?" Ferguson didn't catch it.

That sentence came out of nowhere.

"I said, the player Gao Shen wants to sign is Van Persie!" Martin Ferguson said loudly.

Ferguson paused for a moment. A very complicated emotion surged in his heart, one he couldn't quite describe.

It was actually him!

"Are you sure?"

"It's confirmed. Manchester City has officially made an offer to Arsenal. The transfer will likely be completed in the next few days. Clearly, Arsenal has agreed, and Van Persie has also given the nod."

Ferguson's expression turned even more complex. After remaining silent for more than ten seconds, he finally said, "I understand."

After hanging up, Ferguson found a chair and sat down, suddenly feeling exhausted.

A wave of helpless fatigue washed over him.

He wanted to achieve something big, yet he couldn't do anything.

He should've felt relieved, maybe even secretly pleased, because it wasn't Rooney that Manchester City were poaching.

But he also felt extremely frustrated because Van Persie was a player he had always rated very highly.

Few knew that as early as last summer, before Arsenal renewed Van Persie's contract, Ferguson had already contacted Wenger and Arsenal in an attempt to sign him. But Wenger intervened and renewed Van Persie's deal, offering a new contract with a weekly salary of £80,000 to keep the Dutch striker at Arsenal.

Since joining Arsenal five years ago, Van Persie had never been a prolific goalscorer. Even in the Dutch national team, his strike rate was unimpressive. When people discussed the Dutch team, they only mentioned Robben and Sneijder. Van Persie was rarely considered a top player.

But only those truly familiar with him knew how good he really was.

He had always been good!

Some might ask, if he's so good, why hasn't he performed well?

The answer is simple. Injuries.

For example, last season Van Persie made only 16 Premier League appearances, scoring 9 goals and providing 7 assists.

At first glance, those stats seem modest compared to Fabregas, Adebayor, or Arshavin, who led the team in goals and assists.

But Van Persie only played 1,253 minutes.

What does that mean?

He averaged a goal contribution every 78 minutes.

Even more impressively, in the first twelve Premier League rounds, he scored 7 goals and provided 7 assists. Then, in a national team match against Italy, he was injured in a tackle by Chiellini and missed over five months with an ankle injury.

Ferguson had been coaching for many years and understood better than anyone how such injuries could disrupt a player's rhythm.

No one could guarantee that Van Persie would regain his early-season form after such a serious injury. But Gao Shen's decision to sign him showed he believed Van Persie could replicate that peak form from the first twelve games.

Last season's players like Suarez, Robben, Hazard, Robinho, Gareth Bale, and even Sturridge and Giroud were already tough enough to deal with. Now there was another one—Van Persie.

Gao Shen was reaching for the stars!

Ferguson sighed heavily.

Manchester City had truly become stronger this season.

So strong, it was frightening.

This was a feeling Ferguson had never experienced before. Not even when facing Newcastle, the unbeaten Arsenal, or Mourinho's record-setting Chelsea. Ferguson had always remained confident and defiant.

But now, he genuinely feared whether Manchester United could survive the new season.

In the past, he had been the one striking fear into his opponents.

Maybe, he really was getting old!

…

Van Persie to Manchester City!

Both Arsenal and Manchester City posted the news on their official websites.

But neither club disclosed the exact details of the transfer, including the fee or Van Persie's wages. Everything remained a mystery.

The Sun, always ahead of the curve, revealed that the transfer fee was 30 million euros, far above Van Persie's current market value. After joining Manchester City, his weekly wage would rise from £80,000 to £150,000—the highest salary at the club—showing just how much Gao Shen valued him.

Arsenal fans were furious, believing the club should not have sold Van Persie to a direct rival.

In response to the fans' outcry, Wenger said helplessly, "This was a painful decision!"

Everyone understood immediately.

After missing out on the Champions League, Arsenal had to sell players to make up for the financial shortfall. It had to be either Fabregas, Adebayor, or Van Persie, Arshavin, Nasri, Clichy—anyone who could be sold for a good price.

Even selling Van Persie might not be enough to plug the gap.

Adebayor also wanted to leave.

Fabregas had even been "forced" into wearing a Barcelona jersey during Spain's World Cup celebrations.

Everyone could see that Arsenal could no longer keep their stars.

Gao Shen welcomed Van Persie on Manchester City's official website, saying the Dutchman had made a great decision. He believed Van Persie would bring a new dimension to City in the new season.

But what made Gao Shen happiest was that right after the World Cup, neither Suarez of Uruguay nor Robben of the Netherlands took a vacation. After wrapping up their national team duties, they stayed behind for just two days to handle personal matters, then rushed straight to the U.S. to join up with the squad for summer training.

After signing with Manchester City in Manchester, Van Persie also flew to the U.S. for training.

With that, by mid-July, Manchester City had all of their players assembled.

…

Goalkeepers: Neuer, Given, Courtois
Defenders: David Luiz, Kompany, Filipe Luís, Zabaleta, Gary Cahill, Trippier, Jerome Boateng, Leighton Baines, Lichtsteiner
Midfielders: David Silva, Rakitic, Javi Martinez, Fernandinho, Ireland, Henderson, Adam Lallana, De Bruyne, Yaya Toure
Forwards: Suarez, Robben, Hazard, Gareth Bale, Robinho, Sturridge, Giroud, Van Persie

A total of 29 players took part in Manchester City's summer training camp. Except for Courtois, the other 28 were part of the first-team squad for the upcoming season.

Every single one had been handpicked and signed by Gao Shen. He was confident in their ability and in what the new season held.

Once Van Persie arrived in Portland, Gao Shen personally led the Dutch striker into the dressing room and formally introduced him to the squad. He also welcomed him on behalf of the team.

Kompany, Rakitic, and the others warmly welcomed Van Persie.

Long before Gao Shen decided to bring him in, he had already sought the opinions of several key players. He even spoke to Suarez directly. The players were all open-minded.

Although Suarez was a bit concerned about increased competition, after talking to Gao Shen, he also expressed his willingness to compete or fight alongside Van Persie.

Gao Shen was thrilled as he looked at the talented squad in front of him.

"I want to say that I'm proud we can all come together at Manchester City and fight side by side!"

"I believe you all joined this team with great determination and ambition. You're eager to succeed here and win more titles and glory."

"The new season is about to begin. I have full confidence that I can lead you and Manchester City forward on all fronts. I firmly believe we have the strength to do it, and I know you won't let me down!"

"What I want to tell you is this—I promise you will never regret joining Manchester City, because you're joining a team ready to challenge for the Premier League, the Champions League, and every title out there!"

"I can't wait!"

The players were inspired and gave Gao Shen a warm round of applause.

(To be continued.)


Chapter 644: You Don’t Know How to Defend

The entire summer training camp was packed with activity.

Although Gao Shen handed over all the training duties to his coaching staff, as the team's head coach, he still had plenty on his plate.

How were the World Cup players adjusting after rejoining the team?

Could they return to peak condition before the new season began?

Van Persie had suffered an ankle injury last season and was sidelined for five months. How was his recovery progressing?

De Bruyne was too thin, and his stamina was a serious concern. Could he endure Pintus' specialized training?

Giroud had missed far too many chances last season and needed focused shooting training. The plan submitted by Borrell still needed Gao Shen's review and approval.

Then there was Gareth Bale, a standout performer last season. However, he remained inconsistent and needed further development. His role and position in the team still needed clarification and deeper planning.

Henderson was a young player in whom Gao Shen placed high hopes. He had earned plenty of chances last season, but with Fernandinho and Yaya Toure now in the squad, he felt his role had been seriously impacted. The player was a bit unhappy and needed a conversation with Gao Shen.

Adam Lallana didn't get much playing time last season. Seeing City's wealth of talent this season, his agent inquired about a loan back to Southampton. The club wanted him back, but the player himself preferred to stay and improve under Gao Shen's coaching. That too required handling.

There was so much to manage that Gao Shen often wished there were forty-eight hours in a day.

And this was just the beginning.

As the team trained together, more and more problems came to light—not just in integrating new players, but also lingering issues from last season, and even some persistent structural flaws within the squad.

All of it had to be handled by head coach Gao Shen.

Fortunately, there was good news as well.

After Van Persie arrived in the United States, Gao Shen arranged for him to undergo the most advanced and thorough physical exam available—especially for his ankle. The conclusion: no significant issues. The coaching staff received the full medical report.

Buenaventura and Pintus would now tailor a training program for Van Persie based on those findings.

De Bruyne was physically slight and lacked endurance. That's one of the reasons Mourinho didn't favor him at Chelsea. But his passing was exceptional, and he was highly proficient with both feet.

Having a player like that in midfield was incredibly valuable.

Moreover, his style was different from Adam Lallana's. The Englishman was better at ball control and possession.

Courtois, meanwhile, was genuinely outstanding.

Although just eighteen years old, his height and skillset were so impressive that Gao Shen was taken aback.

In the words of goalkeeping coach Lopis, "I can't stand watching a player this talented sitting on the bench!"

But the reality was that Manchester City already had Neuer.

Luckily, Courtois had been loaned out to train in Belgium for another year or two.

Problems down the line could be handled later.

After all, bringing in Courtois had been an idea from Brian Kidd and the others. Gao Shen had been "forced" to go along with it.

During several warm-up matches in the U.S., Gao Shen mostly stuck with his established tactics.

For example, he had Javi Martinez play as a central defender to help with transitions between defense and attack.

He also tested different double-pivot combinations—sometimes Yaya Toure with Javi Martinez, sometimes Yaya Toure with Fernandinho, and occasionally Henderson.

As for Yaya Toure, Gao Shen continued experimenting. He tried him as a center-back, defensive midfielder, central midfielder, and even attacking midfielder. But no matter the position, it was difficult to fully unlock Yaya Toure's abilities.

He was an incredibly talented but contradictory player.

The ideal solution might be to build the midfield around him, but that wasn't exactly a refined approach.

As head coach, Gao Shen had multiple conversations with Yaya Toure, making it clear that he had to adapt to the team, not the other way around.

After being suppressed at Barcelona for two straight seasons, the Ivorian midfielder had something to prove. But he also complied with Gao Shen's instructions.

Manchester City's warm-up match results were mixed, with wins and losses, largely because Gao Shen wasn't focused on results.

With last season's experience, everyone knew Gao Shen didn't care about pre-season results, so nobody made a big deal out of it.

He and the coaching staff worked tirelessly to solve problems through this intense preparation phase, gradually strengthening the team. But the stronger the team got, the more new problems emerged.

It was a dynamic process.

There was no such thing as a perfect team in this world.

True perfection only existed in the memories of fans.

But there was one serious problem.

Jerome Boateng.

…

After playing four warm-up matches in the United States, Manchester City returned straight to Manchester without delay.

The day after their return, Gao Shen called Jerome Boateng to his office.

The tall, physically imposing defender clearly knew something was up.

His performance in the warm-up matches had been poor, and the coaching staff had already spoken to him more than once.

But he admitted his mistakes with the right attitude.

As soon as he walked in and sat down, he took the initiative to own up.

"Boss, I know I've got issues. I promise I'll work hard to fix my habits—avoid being rash, stop making reckless challenges, and cut down on unnecessary fouls." Jerome Boateng gave Gao Shen an apologetic smile, clearly trying to show sincerity.

From his point of view, being summoned to the head coach's office usually meant a dressing-down.

Clearly, he didn't fully understand the culture at Manchester City.

"Don't rush to admit fault. I have a few questions I want to ask you first," Gao Shen said with a faint smile.

Honestly, the kid wasn't quite as humble as he seemed.

But he wasn't rebellious either.

At least, he was very different from his brother, Kevin-Prince Boateng.

"Go ahead." Jerome Boateng kept up his positive attitude.

Gao Shen flipped through the report submitted by the coaching staff, frowning slightly.

It seemed unlikely, but he decided to ask anyway.

"I remember you came through the Hertha Berlin youth academy, right?"

"Yes."

"What position did you play in the youth team?"

"I started as a midfielder, but as I got taller, I was moved around—defensive midfield, left back, right back, center back. I've played pretty much every position."

Gao Shen nodded. That was fairly common with youth players.

In fact, many coaches liked to try players in various roles during their development. It helped them become more versatile, enhanced their game understanding, and unlocked potential.

And honestly, when you're young, if you can get on the pitch, you're not going to be picky.

"When did you start playing as a defender full-time?" Gao Shen asked.

"At Hertha Berlin II."

"As a center back?"

"I only played center back for the national youth team, but that was my best period. I think I can do well as a center back," Boateng replied proudly.

He felt good thinking about the time he helped Germany's U-17 team win the European Championship.

"Okay, let me ask you something. This might be a bit awkward," Gao Shen said cautiously.

"Go ahead."

"Has anyone ever systematically taught you how to defend?" Gao Shen asked, looking him straight in the eyes.

Boateng didn't quite get what he meant. "Boss, what do you mean?"

"I mean, did any of your coaches, from Hertha Berlin II to the first team to Hamburg, ever teach you proper defensive movements, techniques, positional awareness, things like that?"

Boateng seemed puzzled, but then scratched his short hair and said, "Boss, do you need someone to teach you that stuff? Isn't that self-taught? You watch other players' matches or videos, and then you rely on instinct when you're on the pitch. Just do what you're good at…"

Gao Shen closed his eyes. He felt like he might faint.

The coaching staff's report had been spot-on.

This guy really didn't know how to defend.

If word got out, the football world would be in stitches.

A defender who had represented Germany at the World Cup and won the U-17 Euros… didn't know how to defend?

"What were your coaches at Hertha Berlin and Hamburg even doing?" Gao Shen muttered, genuinely baffled.

Wasn't this the bare minimum?

Boateng thought for a moment and replied seriously, "They were always busy analyzing opponents, working on tactics, and giving us instructions. Then we just went out and tried to follow their plan."

"Didn't anyone say that you commit too many fouls, that your technique is sloppy, or that your positional awareness is poor?" Gao Shen pressed.

"They did. They gave me game footage and told me to study it myself."

Gao Shen almost collapsed.

All he could do was curse internally.

He'd heard about things like this before, but now that he saw it firsthand, it was still shocking.

This kind of player development was downright irresponsible.

Then again, looking at it from another angle, if a player trained under such a flawed system could still reach Boateng's current level, that said a lot about his talent and potential.

And he was still young, with solid fundamentals.

He just needed time and proper coaching.

Gao Shen gave him a wry smile.

For a second, he even felt like returning the product. It was complicated.

But after thoroughly reviewing Boateng's development—from Hertha Berlin to Hamburg—he started to understand. It was all full of frustration and helplessness.

And suddenly, his earlier complaints seemed a little unfair.

(To be continued.)

Junkdog's Note: Did you guys watch yesterday's match? Man what the hell happened? Arsenal actually beating Madrid 3-0?

Ancelotti you bald fraud, sack this man immediately.