SWR: Chapter 563/564

Chapter 563: Kill!!!!

On the afternoon of August 15th, at Ewood Park, Blackburn.

In the third match of the opening round of the Premier League, Manchester City faced an away challenge against Blackburn.

Inside the home team's locker room before the game, Blackburn's head coach, Sam Allardyce, received the starting lineup of the visiting team.

Goalkeeper: Neuer.
Defense: Filipe, David Luiz, Kompany, Zabaleta.
Midfield: David Silva, Javi Martínez, Rakitic.
Forwards: Robinho, Suárez, Robben.

The moment Allardyce saw the lineup, his hands visibly trembled.

Manchester City's squad was ridiculously strong!

David Silva, Rakitic, David Luiz, Robinho, and Robben were all well-known European stars, each of them immensely talented, some even world-class.

Based on Gao Shen's past record, Neuer, Suárez, and the others must also be outstanding players.

While there had been a lot of speculation and doubt in the media, within professional Premier League circles, most believed that Manchester City had the potential to challenge for the title this season. The key factors would be team chemistry and tactical adjustments.

Another major question was whether these players could adapt to the Premier League.

Robinho and Robben had both expressed before the match that they hoped to rediscover their best form this season. Reports from Manchester City suggested the two had been training exceptionally hard in preseason. It was highly likely that Robben would be deployed on the left and Robinho on the right, forming a devastating wing partnership.

Suárez wasn't the kind of center forward Gao Shen had preferred in the past, but judging from the preseason matches, the Uruguayan forward possessed immense individual ability, was highly versatile, and had an excellent goal-scoring record at Ajax.

In 64 games, he had scored 39 goals and provided 28 assists—a remarkable return in the Eredivisie.

But the biggest question remained: could he adapt to the Premier League?

As this thought crossed his mind, Allardyce couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Being the first Premier League manager to test Gao Shen and his Manchester City wasn't exactly a privilege, it was an ordeal.

He was certain that managers across the league were watching this match closely.

They all wanted to see how this Manchester City team, assembled for over 200 million euros would perform.

Would they struggle like they did in their preseason friendlies? Or would they deliver a performance worthy of their reputation, just as Gao Shen's past teams had done in official matches?

…

As the players fastened their shin guards and donned their jerseys, ready to step onto the pitch at a moment's notice, Allardyce gave his final instructions, focusing heavily on defensive discipline.

When he was certain that everyone was prepared, he signaled for his assistant, Neil McDonald, to lower the projector screen.

"Before we step onto the pitch, I want everyone to watch this video. I believe it will give you strength!"

As he spoke, the screen flickered to life, playing a montage of scenes from Gladiator and 300, carefully edited together into a motivational video.

This was a psychological tactic Gao Shen had used in the past to great effect, this time, Allardyce was using it against him and his Manchester City squad.

The players, already buzzing with pre-match adrenaline, found themselves further fired up by the intense and inspiring visuals. Their faces flushed with excitement, as if they had been injected with pure energy.

"Gentlemen, you are warriors, just like the ones in the film. You will fight with your weapons until the very last moment. I believe the warrior spirit will give you unmatched strength and help you conquer your opponents on the pitch!"

One by one, the players rose to their feet, clenching their fists and shouting in unison.

"Kill!"

…

At nearly the same moment, inside the visiting team's locker room, Gao Shen also received Blackburn's starting lineup.

Goalkeeper: Robinson.
Defense: Warnock, Givet, Samba, Jacobsen.
Midfield: Pedersen, N'Zonzi, Andrews, Diouf.
Forwards: Jason Roberts, Santa Cruz.

This was the same tactical setup Blackburn had used last season—4-4-2 at home, 4-2-3-1 away.

The previous year, Allardyce had relied on these structured tactics to lead Blackburn out of a relegation battle and secure their survival, once again solidifying his reputation as a survival expert.

But now, the "relegation expert" was stepping into a brand-new season.

Inside the locker room, Manchester City's players were fully geared up and ready, but instead of standing or moving about, they remained seated, eyes fixed on their manager, Gao Shen.

They had heard Rakitic mention it before, before every match, their head coach would deliver a motivational speech.

"He's the best coach I've ever had at firing up players' emotions," David Luiz had told them. "Every time we listen to his speech, we can't wait to rush onto the pitch and fight!"

This had built up the players' anticipation for Gao Shen's first pre-match speech as Manchester City's head coach.

Gao Shen, of course, was well prepared.

…

"I don't remember exactly when, but I once heard someone say this."

The locker room was so quiet that only the players' breathing could be heard, making Gao Shen's voice sound even deeper and more powerful.

"He said there are two ways a person can live their life."

As he spoke, Gao Shen subtly coordinated his hand gestures with his words, adding to the impact of his speech and making it easier for the players to absorb.

"You can be like a blade of grass, struggling desperately to survive—absorbing the rain, the sunlight, the nutrients from the soil. Year after year, you grow, but you never truly become strong. Because, in the end, you're just a blade of grass."

"Anyone walking past can step on you, trample over you. They won't feel your pain. They won't pity you. Because to them, you don't even exist!"

The players listened in silence, their emotions stirred.

Isn't that exactly how most people live, like insignificant blades of grass?

"But there is another way to live—like a tree."

"Maybe, right now, we are nothing. Maybe we are buried deep underground. Maybe countless people have stepped on us, crushed us beneath their feet. But we survive. We endure. We grow."

"We absorb nutrients from the soil. We strengthen ourselves little by little. And one day, we will break through the earth. We will face the wind, the rain, the storms, and we will grow stronger and stronger."

"One day, we will become towering trees. We will stand tall for all to see, even from miles away. We will provide shade for those around us, and no one will ever dare to trample on us again!"

As Gao Shen spoke, his fists clenched, his jaw tightened, and every word he uttered was deliberate and forceful.

His message resonated deeply with the players.

"Here and now, I hope that every single one of you chooses to live like a tree, unyielding, determined, strong! I hope that each of you will break through the soil and grow into giants!"

"And it all starts today! From this match, from this moment!"

Gao Shen's words weren't flowery or overly dramatic. They weren't meant to be grandiose. He simply told a story in the plainest way possible—a story with a simple truth.

If you don't want to be trampled on, ignored, or pitied, then you must make yourself strong!

At this moment, Gao Shen and his Manchester City squad understood each other perfectly.

And each of them had taken his message to heart.

…

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Ewood Park!"

"We're bringing you live coverage of the third match of the opening round of the 2009-2010 Premier League season."

"Today, the ambitious Manchester City take on the traditional powerhouse Blackburn in an away fixture."

"This is also the first official match since the globally renowned coach Gao Shen took charge of Manchester City!"

"The entire world is watching—after leading Real Madrid and Napoli to success, can Gao Shen continue his winning ways with this newly assembled, 200-million-euro squad?"

"And now, led by referee Mike Dean, the two teams are stepping onto the pitch!"

Ewood Park, with a capacity of over 30,000, was packed tonight.

Since Blackburn is located just north of Manchester, the two cities are very close. As a result, 6,000 Manchester City fans traveled north with the team to witness Gao Shen's debut firsthand.

Even with Blackburn strictly controlling ticket sales, Manchester City supporters still managed to secure a significant presence. If tickets had been sold freely, it's likely they could have turned Ewood Park into a home game for City.

That was evident in the stands, where the noise from the visiting fans was no less than that of the home supporters.

Six thousand against twenty-four thousand, yet Manchester City's fans were holding their own. An impressive sight!

In their last six home games against Manchester City, Blackburn had an excellent record, four wins and two draws, remaining unbeaten.

Additionally, many of City's players had just arrived in the Premier League this summer. Whether they could adapt to the league's pace and physicality was still uncertain.

Now, both teams were taking their positions on the pitch.

The crowd erupted into enthusiastic cheers.

Manchester City's head coach, Gao Shen, emerged from the tunnel.

"For those watching on television, let me introduce you to the man leading Manchester City this season. He is just 28 years old, yet he has already led both Real Madrid and Napoli to Champions League glory. He is the youngest manager in history to win the competition and is widely regarded as a coaching prodigy.

—Gao Shen.

"Some might say that tonight's game isn't crucial for him, that the result won't define his tenure. But as football fans, whether you like Gao Shen or not, I believe we are all eager to see what he and his Manchester City side can do."

"We hope that Gao Shen and his team will once again bring us the kind of breathtaking attacking football that has become his trademark!"

"Now we see Gao Shen acknowledging the Manchester City supporters who are chanting his name in the stands. He raises his hand, making a gesture of victory, he looks full of confidence tonight."

"The match is about to begin. Let's wait and see!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 564: Scored Two Goals

As the players from both teams took their positions on the pitch, Allardyce strolled out of the tunnel alongside his assistant coach, Neil McDonald.

The Blackburn fans in attendance greeted their manager with applause, though it was noticeably weaker compared to the enthusiastic reception from the Manchester City supporters.

Fortunately, Allardyce hadn't heard the deafening roar when Gao Shen had stepped onto the field earlier.

Upon entering the pitch, he first surveyed the playing surface before turning toward the visiting team's technical area.

As the home team's head coach, it was customary for him to greet the opposing manager with a handshake—a simple courtesy.

At 55 years old, Allardyce was nearly twice Gao Shen's age.

It was clear the two had little in common, and their exchange consisted of brief pleasantries before the impending battle.

After shaking hands and exchanging a few words, Allardyce returned to the home team's dugout.

"He looks like he's in a good mood!" Allardyce chuckled.

Neil McDonald glanced over at Gao Shen, who stood by the Manchester City technical area, sharply dressed in a tailored suit.

With that image, among all the managers in world football, he was undoubtedly one of the most charismatic.

No wonder he was so popular right now.

"Remind our players to stay alert. Shen's teams are always dangerous at the start of a match," Allardyce cautioned. He was taking this game very seriously.

McDonald made his way to the touchline, relaying instructions to the players just as referee Mike Dean blew the whistle to start the match.

Ewood Park erupted in cheers.

Since it was an afternoon fixture, Blackburn had won the coin toss but opted against taking the kickoff, instead choosing the more favorable side to avoid the sun's glare.

This was a pre-planned tactical decision.

With Manchester City taking the kickoff, Blackburn immediately pressed high, looking to disrupt their buildup.

This was typical of the Premier League, rarely did teams sit back and defend passively from the start.

However, their attempt to win the ball back failed. Blackburn quickly retreated, forming a compact defensive shape, while Manchester City patiently built from midfield. After a minute and a half, they attempted their first penetrating pass into the box, but Suárez lost possession under pressure from Samba.

Blackburn tried to launch a quick counterattack, but it posed little threat, and they soon fell back into their defensive setup.

Allardyce had expected this and wasn't disappointed. He turned back toward the bench, already forming a preliminary assessment of the match.

Manchester City were playing cautiously in the opening stages. Given that it was the first game of the new season and the Premier League debut for several of their players, Gao Shen had opted for a composed approach rather than an all-out attacking strategy.

The only thing that caught Allardyce by surprise was Robben's positioning.

Instead of operating from his favored left flank, he was playing on the right, while Robinho had taken up the left-wing role.

It wasn't a major tactical shift, but it was still worth noting.

"Keep a close eye on Manchester City's movement—track their player activity, passing patterns, and runs. I might ask for data at any moment," Allardyce instructed a member of his coaching staff.

He was one of the earliest managers in the Premier League to embrace data analytics, using it not only to monitor player fitness but also to analyze in-game performance.

But just as he finished speaking, a sudden roar of excitement erupted from the crowd.

Startled, Allardyce spun around.

Damn, did I miss something?

On the pitch, Robinho had just attempted to dribble into the left channel but was quickly closed down by Jacobsen, forcing the Brazilian to halt and play the ball backward.

The crowd's reaction came from Robinho's initial burst of acceleration, he had nearly broken through.

Allardyce was momentarily stunned.

Robinho had performed well for Manchester City last season, but this was an explosive start.

David Silva stepped in to receive the return pass before swiftly shifting it leftward to the overlapping Filipe Luís.

The Brazilian left-back took a touch inside, spotted Rakitic making a run, and immediately played the ball to him.

Rakitic received it on the half-turn, controlling it with his right foot, but Blackburn's midfield duo of Andrews and N'Zonzi had already taken up their defensive positions.

Andrews, in particular, had stepped up quickly, pressing tightly against Rakitic.

After stopping the ball, the Croatian midfielder immediately played a direct pass.

Up front, Suárez dropped deeper, just as he had in the first attack, pulling Blackburn's central defender Samba out of position.

In a physical battle, Samba had the clear advantage, but Suárez was clever. This time, he moved behind Blackburn's two midfielders. Just before receiving the ball, he suddenly stopped, using his body to shield Samba and force the defender to halt as well. Then, with a deft touch, he controlled the ball to his left.

Almost simultaneously, Suárez spun to the left, completely shaking off Samba.

The entire sequence flowed seamlessly, leaving the Blackburn defender with no time to react.

Suárez wasted no time, before Givet could step up to close him down, he unleashed a powerful right-footed shot from outside the penalty area.

As soon as he struck the ball, Suárez leaped up.

The shot was like a bolt of lightning, rocketing toward the left side of Blackburn's goal.

Goalkeeper Robinson dived, stretching fully, but he couldn't reach it.

The ball crashed into the net!

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!"

"Manchester City!! Manchester City!!!"

"Less than three minutes into the game, Manchester City have taken the lead against Blackburn!"

"And it's their new summer signing from Ajax—Luis Suárez!"

"This is Manchester City's first goal of the new season! It's also the first goal under Gao Shen's management!"

After scoring, Suárez sprinted off in celebration, rushing toward the Manchester City fans in the stands. He leaped toward them, pumping his fists in the air.

The entire stadium was filled with the ecstatic cheers of the traveling City supporters.

A goal in under three minutes!

His teammates quickly caught up, surrounding Suárez in celebration, especially Rakitic, who had provided the assist.

On the sidelines, Gao Shen had been on edge, watching closely. The moment Suárez controlled the ball and turned, he knew something special was coming. When the shot hit the net, he jumped up in excitement, cheering loudly. Landing back on his feet, he turned and rushed to his coaching staff, exchanging high-fives and hugs.

"Yeah! Fantastic!"

A goal within three minutes—what more could he ask for?

"Luis, great job!" Gao Shen cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted toward Suárez.

Hearing his coach, Suárez raised his right fist in response, brimming with confidence.

"Let's break down Manchester City's goal—it came out of nowhere!"

"Robinho attempted to dribble down the left but was stopped, so he recycled possession. David Silva then switched play to the wing, where Filipe played a sharp pass inside to Rakitic, who was left unmarked."

"The pass was well-placed, but the real highlight was Suárez's control. He turned and shot in one fluid motion, leaving the defender with no chance to react."

"Brilliant play! This goal perfectly showcases Suárez's technical ability!"

Over at the home team's technical area, Allardyce and his staff were momentarily stunned, just like the Blackburn fans in the stands.

They had already conceded?

How?

Barely two minutes into the match, and they had been beaten by a long-range strike?

But what frustrated Allardyce even more was Gao Shen's reaction. From the touchline, the Manchester City manager waved his hand forward, signaling his team to press even higher and attack!

…

From the third minute onward, Manchester City launched wave after wave of attacks, especially in the final third.

Only now did Blackburn fully experience the intensity of City's high-pressing game. Allardyce, too, got a firsthand taste of Gao Shen's tactical philosophy.

The Premier League was known for its fast pace?

Manchester City played even faster!

Whenever they lost possession in the attacking third, City players immediately pressed to win it back. Even if they couldn't steal the ball, they forced Blackburn to play backward or out wide.

And if there was no other option, they would simply foul tactically—no hesitation, no second thoughts.

This made it incredibly difficult for Blackburn to maintain possession, especially since they didn't have the crisp passing and movement of a team like Arsenal.

Manchester City's players were growing more confident, their movements becoming smoother, their combinations sharper, especially in midfield and attack. Their passing was fluid, their positioning relentless.

Suárez, in particular, was relentless in his movement.

At one point, he dropped deep, dragging Samba out of position again. This allowed Robinho to make a diagonal run into the left side of the box. David Silva spotted the opportunity and delivered a perfectly timed through ball.

Robinho sprinted onto it inside the area, stopping quickly to evade the onrushing Robinson. He then skipped past Samba, who had scrambled back to defend. But when he took his shot, he didn't strike it cleanly, and Blackburn's other center-back, Givet, managed to clear it off the goal line.

The Brazilian was visibly frustrated, shaking his head as he walked back up the pitch.

This wasn't the first time.

Under Gao Shen's coaching, he had been pushed to improve his finishing, but it would take more time.

In the eighth minute, Suárez dropped even deeper, positioning himself in front of Andrews and N'Zonzi. Receiving a pass from Robinho, he quickly laid it off to David Silva and spun forward into space.

David Silva recognized the signal and lifted a precise lobbed pass into the penalty area.

Samba struggled to keep up. Suárez had sprinted nearly 30 meters, arriving near the left side of the penalty spot. Before Robinson could react, Suárez flicked a header toward the right side of the goal.

At that moment, Robben, who had been lurking just outside the box, surged forward.

Arriving first, he smashed the ball into the open net with his left foot!

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"Two-nil!"

"Arjen Robben!"

"Manchester City have doubled their lead!"

"My God, this is unbelievable!"

"Less than ten minutes into the new season, and Manchester City have already scored twice!"

"Blackburn simply weren't prepared for Manchester City's intricate attacking play. Their defensive positioning couldn't keep up with the movement and speed of Gao Shen's side."

"Allardyce needs to make adjustments fast—otherwise, this could turn into a rout!"

(To be continued.)