SWR: Chapter 606/607

Chapter 606: The World Has Changed

"Have you had your eye on Gareth Bale for a while?"

After the match, in one of the meeting rooms at Old Trafford, Ferguson specifically invited Gao Shen for a drink.

He opened a box of Chilean wine that Gao Shen had gifted him and poured himself a glass. He also brought out a few bottles of water for Gao Shen, knowing he didn't drink alcohol.

What a boring man!

The match ended in an 0-8 blowout.

It was the worst defeat of Ferguson's managerial career and it happened at Manchester United's home ground.

And the man responsible for this humiliating loss was none other than Gao Shen.

His most devastating weapon that night was Gareth Bale.

But what Ferguson really wanted to know was, how was Gao Shen so confident that Gareth Bale would perform at such a high level?

After all, it was only this summer that Gao Shen had spent 15 million euros to bring Gareth Bale in.

Looking back now, Ferguson was sure there was more to Gao Shen's insight than simple intuition.

Gao Shen picked up a bottle of water, took a sip, and started thinking quickly.

He obviously couldn't just tell Ferguson: I came here from the year 2021.

"Sir, you've never played Football Manager, have you?" Gao Shen said with a faint smile.

"What?"

"Football Manager, a football simulation game," Gao Shen replied as if he'd expected the reaction.

"A game?" Ferguson looked surprised.

"It's a game developed by the British, known for its detailed statistics. There are a lot of promising young players in it. My favorite part of the game is collecting young talents and slowly developing them into stars. For me, that's the greatest joy."

Thinking about Football Manager made Gao Shen nostalgic.

Before traveling back in time, he played it all the time, he knew all the promising talents like the back of his hand.

Ferguson looked puzzled. "I'm asking about Gareth Bale. What does that have to do with you playing some game?"

"He's been a well-known wonderkid in the game for years," Gao Shen replied.

Ferguson was clearly taken aback, staring at Gao Shen as if trying to confirm: Are you serious? Because this sounds absurd.

"So you're saying you used data from a game to identify a young talent and decided this Tottenham Hotspur 'disaster' could become a star?" Ferguson asked in a displeased tone.

He thought Gao Shen was just pulling his leg.

Gao Shen clicked his tongue. "See? You don't believe me. I told you, the game's data is very detailed. In fact, a lot of clubs actually use it to help scout players. And I didn't rely on it entirely, I had my scouts investigate him thoroughly."

Ferguson stared at him for a long moment, as if trying to read something from his face. But Gao Shen met his gaze head-on, as if to say: This is the truth!

In the end, the Manchester United manager could only accept defeat.

Just like what happened on the pitch, he had been thoroughly beaten.

And at this point, obsessing over how Gao Shen discovered Gareth Bale was pointless.

The reality was that the Welshman was the standout star of the night, with a hat trick of both goals and assists. He was undoubtedly the brightest player in this Manchester derby and would dominate the headlines across the country, maybe even worldwide.

It was clear that, after a performance like this, Gareth Bale's future at Manchester City was going to be even more promising.

Especially the pace and explosiveness he showed.

Professional football is brutally pragmatic.

When Bale was just a misfit at Tottenham, he had no influence, no voice. But now? In a massive game like the Manchester derby, he helped City crush United 8-0 and recorded a double hat trick. With a performance like that, there's no way City wouldn't prioritize him going forward.

It was entirely predictable—tomorrow, the media and fans across Britain, Europe, and the world would be stunned by Gareth Bale's display.

With this 0-8 victory, Gao Shen ensured Manchester City remained top of the Premier League table.

And really, what's more convincing than crushing your biggest rival in a head-to-head showdown?

"To be honest, based on your current form, I don't think there's a team in the Premier League this season that can suppress you," Ferguson said, his tone both amused and complex.

This wasn't something he'd ever say in public. Even in private, Gao Shen couldn't help but feel suspicious.

"Are you flattering me?" Gao Shen asked with a smile.

Ferguson's expression froze, then turned sour with frustration.

Damn it, do I really come across as that untrustworthy?

But judging by Gao Shen's grin, it was clear he meant every word.

"I'm done talking to you. I need to head back and see if Lineker really drops his pants tonight."

In the end, Gao Shen couldn't hold back his laughter.

Of course, he didn't actually believe Lineker would strip—that was impossible.

The key now was figuring out how to steer the narrative back on track.

Riding the wave of publicity was fun but riding it for too long might come back to bite you.

It was all in good fun for now, but the backlash could leave some bruises.

Not that Gao Shen cared, he wasn't the one who had to deal with it.

He even planned to tweet later, encouraging fans and netizens worldwide to tune in and watch Lineker "drop his pants." A livestream would be ideal—it'd go viral instantly.

After Gao Shen left, Ferguson kept staring at the door for a long time before finally looking away.

He poured himself another glass of wine. The more he drank, the more bitter it tasted. The more bitter it tasted, the more he wanted to drink.

The weather in Manchester has changed!

The sky over the Premier League has changed too!

Ferguson had been mentally prepared for this, as he was the person in Europe who understood Gao Shen's strength the best.

But even then, he didn't expect Manchester City under Gao Shen to rise so quickly and become this strong.

On second thought, it actually made perfect sense.

Back when Gao Shen was at Napoli, he built a treble-winning team with just over 10 million euros. Now that he's come to Manchester City and has more than 200 million euros at his disposal, how could he not be able to immediately build a top-tier squad?

Not to mention that with such advanced tools and support, Ferguson believed even he could do it.

Many might wonder, if that's the case, why couldn't Mark Hughes succeed, even though he spent so much money?

That's the difference in managerial ability.

Gao Shen has a very mature and stable tactical framework, and he brings in top-level players based on the needs of each position within that system. That's why Manchester City was able to become so competitive so quickly and deliver outstanding performances.

It seems simple on the surface, but in reality, it requires strong financial backing, a coach's personal ability, his authority within the club... there are so many factors involved, and none of them can be missing.

Many times, when a well-known coach hits a rough patch in their career, it's not necessarily a problem with their own coaching ability but more often due to internal club conflicts.

Some might ask, why would a famous manager take on a job knowing there are so many internal issues?

That's part of what it means to be a professional football manager.

It's a job.

And as with any job, it mainly comes down to two things: fame and fortune.

Once you consider those two factors, the reasons become clear.

To achieve both fame and fortune while still delivering results, a coach needs not just ability, but also reputation and status—plus the full support of the club.

And right now, Gao Shen has all of that!

Ferguson had felt a strong sense of foreboding from the moment Gao Shen took over Manchester City.

This season in the Premier League, Manchester City would be the overwhelming title favorite.

And now, it seemed that prediction was spot on.

…

"I heard someone's taking off his pants live on air today. Sit back and enjoy the show!"

Gao Shen's tweet quickly caused a massive stir online.

They had just destroyed Manchester United 8-0 at Old Trafford, and immediately afterward, he tagged Match of the Day and Gary Lineker in a tweet, saying he was looking forward to the show that night.

The studio of Match of the Day fell into complete silence when Gao Shen's tweet came through.

Gary Lineker sat there, grief-stricken and expressionless.

It was obvious he was heartbroken.

Manchester City's goals had felt like one slap after another.

Eight to zero!

Eight to zero!

When had Manchester United ever lost by such a huge margin?

The real problem now was—what about that bet he'd made for publicity?

If he actually followed through, would the BBC even allow it?

If he didn't, would fans and netizens forgive him?

"What should we do?" Lineker asked weakly.

Everyone in the studio looked up at him, but quickly lowered their heads again.

If he did take them off, the station definitely wouldn't approve. So the only option would be to wear underwear and cover it with a mosaic.

But the problem was, what if the mosaic failed?

If he didn't do it, his popularity in the UK would plummet. He'd be mocked everywhere he went, and he might even lose his hosting job.

"Gary, at this point, I'm afraid there's no other way," producer Ian Finch said helplessly as he walked over.

"Mosaic it!"

Lineker was about to say something else when his colleague Stephen Turnbull chimed in.

"Public opinion is really heating up. If we play it right, we could use this to generate a viral moment, something fans will remember forever, like when Hansen mocked Ferguson back in the day. But if we back out now, all the momentum we've built will backfire."

Ian Finch nodded. "Then let's go with the mosaic. You can wear flesh-colored underwear, and once the mosaic's applied, no one will be able to tell."

Really no one will know?

Lineker thought to himself.

Maybe years from now, someone from this studio would write a book or reveal in an interview what really happened today.

That Lineker didn't actually take off his pants.

But those were worries for the future. Right now, with the mosaic applied, even if he didn't fully take them off, it would still look like he had.

For money—uh, no—for the job, sacrificing a bit of dignity isn't that shameful!

With that, Lineker forced himself to buck up and said through gritted teeth, "Then hurry up and get it ready. I'll take them off!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 607: I Was Really Wrong

"Eight to zero?"

Because the match between Manchester City and Manchester United was played in the afternoon, Florentino watched the crucial game from his office at the Santiago Bernabéu, accompanied by Zidane, Valdano, Butragueño, and others.

No one had expected Manchester City to defeat Manchester United 8-0 away from home.

After watching the entire game, everyone was utterly shocked.

Especially by the style of football Manchester City played, it was incredibly attacking and left a profound impression.

Players like Gareth Bale, Suárez, David Silva, they all clearly had strength and potential. And that's not to mention established stars like Robben, Rakitić, David Luiz, and others.

"I never imagined he could humiliate Manchester United at Old Trafford," Florentino said in amazement.

More importantly, it was the attacking football Manchester City played, it was simply electrifying!

"Gao Shen has taken another step forward!" Valdano also praised.

"After three years of experience in Serie A, I originally thought winning the treble with Napoli was his limit. But I underestimated him. In the end, Napoli and Serie A still restricted his potential."

Zidane nodded and added, "Six games, six lineups, six different tactics. I don't know what else to say—just pure admiration."

Everyone fell into a strange silence.

They were all wondering the same thing, could it be that Gao Shen's current achievements were a deliberate display of his talent and ability?

The reason he had rejected Real Madrid back then was because he didn't have transfer authority and was also against having too many superstars in the squad. Florentino wanted to take action first and inform later, which angered Gao Shen and led to his move to Manchester City.

He even went out of his way to bring in Robben, a player Real Madrid had cast aside.

Now, it was as if Gao Shen was using Manchester City to prove a point to Florentino and Real Madrid: he didn't need superstars at all.

Because he himself was the biggest star in world football today, the rarest kind of superstar!

He could turn promising youngsters into world-class players.

He could help former stars regain their form and become elite again.

He could spend the least amount of money to achieve the most, building a team that was competitive, exciting, and successful.

Isn't that more valuable than any superstar? More important?

This summer, the whole world was stunned when Gao Shen's transfer dealings at Manchester City topped €200 million.

But in truth, Real Madrid had spent even more.

So far, Real Madrid had played three matches. Although they'd won all three, the performances hadn't been entirely convincing, especially the 3-2 home win over Super Depor, which was incredibly tense.

More importantly, Real Madrid hadn't yet faced a real powerhouse in La Liga.

Deportivo La Coruña still had a big name, but their strength wasn't what it used to be.

In comparison, Manchester City's performances were far more impressive.

Even without mentioning the 8-0 away win over Manchester United, weren't the earlier wins over Arsenal and Everton just as exciting?

At this moment, Florentino had to quietly ask himself: was the previous decision really the right one?

If Gao Shen were Real Madrid's coach now, would those six consecutive wins belong to Real Madrid?

Could Real Madrid beat Barcelona 8-0 at Camp Nou?

But there are no "what ifs" in football.

Florentino knew deep down that Gao Shen leaving for Manchester City was his way of taking revenge.

And now it seemed that Gao Shen was indeed incredibly capable.

Maybe… I really was wrong!

But Florentino's regret was fleeting—he quickly composed himself.

Real Madrid's current form wasn't bad either.

It was unfortunate to have missed out on Gao Shen, but with this squad, Real Madrid didn't necessarily need him to succeed.

Pellegrini could deliver results too, couldn't he?

…

Even the most optimistic fans wouldn't have believed that Manchester City could beat Manchester United 8-0 in the Manchester derby.

As Andy Gray said after the match, "Watching a game like this is like seeing a year without rain in the UK—unbelievable."

The British media largely agreed with Gray's view: this was the most lopsided Manchester derby in history, and also the most painful home defeat Manchester United had ever suffered.

In the post-match press conference, Ferguson admitted that Manchester United had not done well enough in several areas, especially in marking key Manchester City players, which led to local collapses that affected the overall situation.

Although Ferguson didn't name anyone directly, everyone knew he was referring to Gareth Bale.

Bale was named Man of the Match with a perfect score, while the Manchester United right-back O'Shea, who had to deal with him was rated the worst player on the pitch with the lowest score.

Ferguson defended O'Shea, saying that in a match like this, it would have been hard for anyone to contain Gareth Bale. He added that Manchester City's entire tactical setup had clearly been designed to maximize Bale's speed advantage.

The British media generally agreed with Ferguson's assessment.

Although Gareth Bale recorded a hat-trick of goals and assists, the media generally believed that Manchester City's dominant victory was the result of an outstanding overall performance, and that the team's true key contributor was manager Gao Shen.

As The Times put it:
"In the past, we always focused too much attention on the stars. But in today's Manchester City, even with players like Suárez and Gareth Bale performing brilliantly, all eyes are still on Gao Shen."

"The six-match winning streak is only the surface. On a deeper level, Gao Shen has designed six different starting lineups and tactical systems for Manchester City across six games, all of which have been highly effective in suppressing opponents and simultaneously highlighting Manchester City's strengths."

The Times believed that different players had excelled in each of Manchester City's six matches this season, all thanks to sophisticated tactical design.

"Gao Shen has reminded us once again of the beauty of football tactics! He has made us clearly understand how crucial an excellent manager is to a team."

It wasn't just The Times. The Guardian also called the 8-0 win over Manchester United a profound and symbolic victory.

In addition to highly praising Gao Shen and Manchester City, The Guardian also pointed a finger at Manchester United, criticizing Ferguson's side for lacking competitiveness, especially when facing strong opponents.

"At Old Trafford, Ferguson's team revealed the shortcomings of their individual quality. O'Shea was completely shredded by Gareth Bale, and United had no answer for City's threat down the left flank."

The Guardian also noted that although Ferguson did attempt tactical adjustments, once Manchester United focused on defending the left side, new problems emerged in the center.

"Manchester United are clearly being outclassed by their city rivals."

…

Outside of the British press, media outlets across continental Europe were also stunned by the result.

L'Équipe claimed this match would likely completely reshape the current power structure of the Premier League and establish a new order.

"From this point forward, Manchester City has become a rising power that cannot be ignored in the Premier League."

"After six straight wins, the next big test will be Liverpool. Manchester City won't face a truly elite opponent until their Round 13 away trip to Anfield."

"Manchester City could very well maintain this high-level form throughout the coming weeks and potentially keep winning game after game."

If they really managed to string together 12 straight wins, Manchester City would build an enormous lead at the top of the table.

L'Équipe even went so far as to label Manchester City the current number one favorite to win the Premier League this season.

Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport published a column by Arrigo Sacchi.

Since Gao Shen moved to England, Italy's number one Gao praiser had kept a much lower profile and praised him less frequently.

But after Manchester City's 8-0 win over Manchester United, Sacchi immediately published a column, offering high praise for Gao Shen's performance in the Premier League and stating that he had fully demonstrated what he'd gained during three years in Serie A.

"He's even better than I expected!"

Sacchi added, "Gao Shen is now a world-class manager. I have no doubt he'll continue to succeed at Manchester City. He'll definitely lead this team to a Premier League title, maybe even to the summit of Europe."

Germany's Bild, meanwhile, reacted more bitterly, lamenting that Bayern Munich had missed out on hiring a world-class coach.

This past summer, there were rumors that Gao Shen had been considered when Bayern were planning to change managers. But for various reasons, the deal fell through, and Van Gaal was ultimately appointed.

Now, six rounds into the Bundesliga and Premier League seasons, Gao Shen had won six straight with Manchester City and sat firmly at the top of the table. Meanwhile, Bayern, under Van Gaal, had won three, drawn two, and lost one, putting them only third in the Bundesliga.

Bild argued that Gao Shen's coaching philosophy wasn't just about splashing cash in the transfer market—his scouting vision was unique and spot-on.

If Bayern had successfully hired Gao Shen, he likely would've built a far more competitive team using the existing squad.

But now, Gao Shen was at Manchester City.

Missing out on him may mean Bayern missed their chance to return to the top of European football.

…

In addition to the widespread applause and praise, the mosaic-covered scene involving Gary Lineker, Match of the Day's star host also stirred up heated debate among fans and netizens worldwide.

Lineker admitted that he lost the bet and kept his word.

But the moment he "took off his pants," he immediately turned to criticize Manchester City on the program and on Twitter, claiming that while they were impressive, a tactically complex team like this might struggle to finish strong, and that Manchester City lacked the depth to truly win the title.

Many fans and netizens left comments blasting Lineker for being stubborn. They felt that after losing so thoroughly, he still insisted on questioning Gao Shen and Manchester City—it was laughable.

Gao Shen, for his part, didn't criticize Lineker directly. Instead, he posted a short, provocatively calm tweet:

"Do you still have any chips left?"

(To be continued.)