SWR: Chapter 553/554

Chapter 553: The Genius Who Wants to Challenge Messi

"Honestly, Gao, I feel like your taste in players is getting weirder and weirder."

After seeing Giroud off, Carlo chuckled as he spoke.

"What's so strange about it?" Gao Shen laughed as well.

Originally, he had planned to take a nap and then spend some time in the tactical library, reviewing the experiences of Premier League managers. He wanted to learn more about how they handled the demands of the league, especially the grueling Christmas fixture schedule.

This was precisely the kind of knowledge that Gao Shen lacked the most.

But now, thanks to Giroud's unexpected visit, there was no way he could sleep.

"When you signed Suarez, you specifically told Ferrucci to pay extra attention to his mental state, to counsel and guide him more, saying you had a feeling he might bite people when he got nervous. We were all baffled at the time, he just had a pair of cute buck teeth."

Unexpectedly, after just one conversation with Suarez, Ferrucci actually concluded that he did have some minor psychological issues, likely stemming from a difficult childhood. He believed that under high-intensity competition and extreme stress, Suarez might struggle with self-control and could end up biting someone or venting his emotions in other ways.

This wasn't entirely unheard of in professional football. For example, Zidane's infamous headbutt on Materazzi in the World Cup final was also an emotional outburst under pressure.

But no one had expected Gao Shen's prediction to come true, it was almost eerie!

Later, Gao Shen awkwardly explained that it was just a psychological effect. When he was a kid, he had been bitten by someone, which left him traumatized by prominent buck teeth. He had just been fooling himself.

But now, out of nowhere, he had scouted a striker from an obscure second-division team in France and claimed that this player could become a reliable backup forward for Manchester City. It sounded utterly absurd.

And what was even funnier—this guy seemed to be quite a character himself.

The contract wasn't even signed yet, but he was already eager to report to Manchester City.

"You guys just need to understand and get used to it!" Gao Shen said earnestly.

They're all here for my personal charm!

Everyone silently gave him the middle finger in their hearts.

Could you be any more shameless?

But in all fairness, Giroud did seem to have real potential.

"Borrell, I watched some of his previous match footage from his time at Tours. As a striker, his greatest strength is his heading ability, but he's lacking in other areas. So, I need you to design a specialized training program for him—one that enhances his strengths while developing his tactical role."

Borrell nodded. As the team's technical coach and the current technical director of Manchester City's youth academy, this fell right under his expertise.

"Understood. I'll monitor his training closely."

Gao Shen had full confidence in Borrell's abilities.

"And Henderson, he's a local player with solid ability and potential. He's still young and physically strong, but his technique is a bit rough. Work on him and see how much he can improve."

Borrell nodded again.

"This training camp in South Africa is crucial," Gao Shen reminded everyone. "We need to refine a mature and stable tactical system and squad as quickly as possible for the new season—especially the opening match and the early fixtures. This is absolutely critical."

Just as he liked to strike fast at the start of a game, Gao Shen also placed great emphasis on the first match of a new season.

Our team has a fine tradition of treating the first battle with great caution.

If we can secure a strong start, everything else will fall into place much more smoothly.

And for Manchester City, this was especially important right now.

"Don't worry, we know what to do," Carlo reassured him on behalf of the coaching staff.

The others nodded as well.

After three years of working together, they all understood each other well. They knew exactly what Gao Shen was thinking.

…

Giroud's arrival didn't disrupt Manchester City's schedule or plans.

The French striker completed his medical, signed his contract, and had his transfer officially announced on the club's website all within a single afternoon.

Tours quickly finalized the transfer paperwork with Manchester City and sent the necessary documents to UEFA for registration.

The very next morning, Giroud boarded an Etihad Airways charter flight with the team, departing from Manchester Airport for Abu Dhabi.

Upon arrival, Manchester City was accommodated at the luxurious Royal Palace Hotel. The day after, they were invited to Sheikh Mansour's palace, where the club owner hosted a lavish banquet for the first-team players, coaching staff, and key personnel.

As a welcome gift, each attendee received a limited-edition Franck Muller Swiss watch, reportedly worth 200,000 euros.

In just one gathering, Mansour had gifted away tens of millions of euros—an act befitting one of the richest men in the world.

Of course, this extravagant gesture was quickly picked up by media outlets like The Sun, effectively turning it into a global advertisement for Abu Dhabi. In the end, Mansour may not have lost out at all.

After spending two days in Abu Dhabi, Manchester City flew to Cape Town, South Africa, to begin their training camp.

Cape Town's July weather was pleasant, making it an ideal location for training.

Manchester City had booked out the entire Bay Hotel, a seaside resort with only 78 rooms—more than enough for the squad. The hotel was thrilled to host a high-profile club like Manchester City and even offered substantial discounts for the full booking.

Just outside the hotel was a beautiful beach, and the facilities included a private gym, tennis courts, swimming pools, and various fitness amenities.

The most convenient part was that right next to the hotel was a football club's training ground with a large grass pitch, which Manchester City had rented in its entirety.

They ate and stayed at the hotel, and for training, they simply walked out, turned right, and were there—extremely convenient.

Even better, the scenery here was stunning, and the team could organize plenty of recreational activities on the beach to break up the monotony of training.

Buenaventura and Pintus had even planned in advance to use the natural conditions of the beach to enhance the players' physical training. As for traditional seaside activities like beach football, jet skiing, and diving, none of them would be left out.

Gao Shen moved into a single room. He didn't forget to post a few photos on Twitter and also sent some to Su Qing. Looking at them, he couldn't help but feel emotional, when you have money, you really can do whatever you want.

If this had been in Naples, such extravagant spending would have been unimaginable.

During his three years coaching Napoli, Gao Shen had never arranged an out-of-town training camp. Ultimately, it all came down to budget constraints.

On the day they arrived in Cape Town, the team had free time to move around, but only within the beach area outside the hotel, they weren't allowed to go any further.

Starting from the second day, everyone had to focus entirely on training and preparation.

Gao Shen also took the opportunity to meet with Robinho.

…

Gao Shen still remembered when Robinho arrived at Real Madrid, carrying the title of "the next Pelé." He was seen as the future of the club and a prodigy who could rival Messi.

But as time passed, Robinho had long since lost his former glory, while Messi had risen to become a world-class superstar. The gap between them had become insurmountable. Any talk of Robinho challenging Messi now was nothing more than wishful thinking.

That said, he still had the potential to be an excellent winger.

In fact, before moving to Manchester City, Robinho had performed quite well at Real Madrid. Unfortunately, he was used as a bargaining chip in Calderón's pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo. Feeling disrespected, he forced a move away from the club. However, instead of joining his preferred destination, Chelsea, he unexpectedly landed at Manchester City.

A year ago, when he first joined, Robinho had been full of ambition, and his performances were impressive. But as Manchester City struggled last season, the team's poor results also took a toll on his morale.

So when Gao Shen met Robinho, he immediately saw the loneliness written all over the Brazilian's face.

"I heard that you often take the bus and subway in Manchester?"

His casual opening line caught Robinho off guard, but hearing Gao Shen speak fluent Spanish made him feel a sense of familiarity.

Life at Manchester City had been lonely.

He had even gotten into an argument with Bellamy once because Bellamy was yelling at him, and he couldn't understand a word of it.

"Yeah, it's a way for me to relax," Robinho replied.

"That's nice. Do fans recognize you?" Gao Shen asked with a slight smile.

"Yeah, often, but they don't really bother me."

Gao Shen nodded. "If you get the chance, take me around sometime. I still don't know where the most interesting places in Manchester are."

Robinho smiled and nodded.

Of course, he understood Gao Shen's intention.

With Gao Shen's status, did he really need Robinho to show him around Manchester?

"I actually understand your situation at Manchester City," Gao Shen said.

Back then, Scolari had personally called Robinho and promised him a key role at Chelsea. Chelsea even made an offer to Real Madrid, which led to Robinho publicly falling out with Calderón and Mijatović. He felt humiliated that they had treated him as a mere bargaining chip in their pursuit of Ronaldo.

The negotiations between Chelsea and Real Madrid were practically complete, but then Chelsea made the mistake of selling jerseys with Robinho's name on them before the deal was officially done. This infuriated Real Madrid, who canceled the transfer and sold him to Manchester City instead.

To this day, the exact details of what happened remain unclear.

Perhaps Manchester City had simply offered more money, prompting Real Madrid to backtrack on the deal with Chelsea. Or maybe Calderón and Mijatović were genuinely angered by Chelsea's premature jersey sales and decided to teach them a lesson.

After all, in the end, they neither kept Robinho nor signed Ronaldo, making a complete mess of the situation. The fans were furious, so it wouldn't have been surprising if they had taken out their frustration on Robinho.

"If I had the chance to do it over, I think I'd have handled things differently," Robinho said, his voice tinged with regret.

Gao Shen could hear the remorse in his words.

Maybe he regretted leaving Real Madrid.

Maybe he regretted joining Manchester City.

Or maybe it was a little of both.

Gao Shen's expression suddenly turned serious. "To be honest, Robinho, I'm disappointed to see you like this."

Robinho looked up at the new manager, and in that moment, memories of their time at Real Madrid flashed through his mind.

Back then, when Gao Shen first took over, Robinho and the other Brazilian players had all been under his strict management. Even Roberto Carlos had left Real Madrid earlier than planned because of it.

Gao Shen had been just a rookie coach at the time.

Now, he was a world-class manager.

"I don't want to waste time talking nonsense with you," Gao Shen continued coldly. "You have two options: either stay and fully commit to training and matches, you know my expectations for my players or have your agent find you a new club. If the price is right, I'll let you go."

With that, Gao Shen waved his hand, dismissing him.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 554: Half-Finished Superstar

"What's going on? The talk ended that quickly?" Carlo asked curiously.

The Brazilian left with an expression that was a mix of fear, loneliness, and confusion. He clearly didn't understand why the head coach's attitude toward him had shifted so abruptly. Wasn't everything fine just moments ago?

As soon as Robinho left, Carlo, Lucas, Sarri, and the others entered the room, looking just as puzzled.

Unlike the rest of the team, they were Gao Shen's closest assistants, and they had known for a while that he wanted to have a sit-down with Robinho. In fact, they had even prepared for this meeting while on the flight over. So why had it collapsed almost immediately?

That didn't make sense!

With Gao Shen's ability to talk, he could hold a conversation for hours, even with a cow.

"Just seeing his expression and hearing his tone annoyed me!" Gao Shen replied indifferently.

Carlo and the others exchanged glances, half-amused and half-exasperated.

Boss, if you're unhappy, can't you just hide it a little?

Seeing their reactions, Gao Shen smirked. "He needs some pressure. If we don't push him, no one can do anything about his personality."

Carlo and the rest immediately understood.

Brazilian players were often carefree, sometimes even reckless, but there were limits.

Robinho and Ronaldinho were not the same as Kaka.

Kaka was disciplined, rational, and composed—traits shaped by his middle-class upbringing and well-educated family. Meanwhile, Ronaldinho and Robinho, both from working-class backgrounds, had a much freer, more impulsive approach to life.

It was hard to say which type of player was better. Kaka was easier to manage and delivered stable performances, while Ronaldinho and Robinho could produce magical moments of inspiration but when they were off their game, they could drive a coach crazy.

Managing them required both incentives and discipline.

They needed freedom to express themselves on the pitch, but at the same time, they had to follow team rules and respect the locker room hierarchy.

Ronaldinho had thrived at Barcelona under Rijkaard's encouragement, but Ten Cate's strict discipline had played an equally important role. Even though Ronaldinho frequented nightclubs, he remained somewhat restrained because he knew Ten Cate would publicly call him out and even punish him the next day.

Once Ten Cate left, Ronaldinho lost all self-control.

Robinho's situation was eerily similar. There were occasional rumors about his off-field activities, but more importantly, his mentality had clearly changed.

Players like him were ruled by their emotions. Once their mindset shifted negatively, they became depressed, and it was nearly impossible for them to recover their former brilliance.

Seeing this, Gao Shen decided to put some pressure on him to force him to fight for survival.

Sure, Robinho hadn't been thrilled about joining Manchester City, but the club was paying him £160,000 a week—the highest salary in the Premier League at the time and one of the highest in the world.

If he left City, where else would he find a club willing to match that salary?

Of course, if he couldn't handle the challenge, then there was nothing Gao Shen could do.

Whether at the club level or as a head coach, there were limits to what could be done. In the end, it all depended on the player himself.

Even parents often struggled to control kids at that age, what could a manager do?

Thinking about it, Gao Shen felt a little frustrated.

"By the way, Antonio." Gao Shen turned to Pintus.

"I watched some footage of Manchester City's games last season, as well as some clips of Robinho. I think his biggest issue is still his physical fitness. he hasn't fully adapted to the physicality of the Premier League. The other problem is his leg strength."

As he spoke, Gao Shen played a video on his computer.

The clip showed Robinho dribbling from outside the box, weaving past defenders before taking a shot with his right foot. But it was obvious—by the time he took the shot, he had no power left.

"There are plenty of moments like this. We need to figure out a way to improve his leg strength without affecting his flexibility and ball control. At the very least, he needs to have enough power in his final shot. How can he score when his shots are this weak?"

Pintus thought for a moment and nodded. "That's not difficult, but the key is getting him into the gym."

"Leave that to me," Gao Shen said confidently.

For most professional players, the gym was a nightmare.

But looking at modern football in 2021, the game was evolving. The pace of play was getting faster, and physical battles were becoming more intense. Strength training was becoming a necessity for every team.

Even a genius like Messi needed to build his physical strength.

…

After meeting with Robinho and discussing with the coaching staff, Gao Shen checked the time and called for Robben.

Since Robben had joined Manchester City from Real Madrid, Gao Shen had only spoken to him once, and even then, they hadn't had a deep conversation—Gao Shen had simply been too busy at the time.

He highly valued the Dutch winger and relied on him a lot, but Robben also had significant problems.

In Gao Shen's eyes, he was still a half-finished player.

That statement might sound ridiculous to some.

Many people would scoff at the idea that a top-class winger like Robben could be considered "half-finished."

But that was the reality.

Why?

It all went back to Robben's early career.

From Groningen to PSV Eindhoven to Chelsea, Robben had always played as a left winger. At the time, European football still revolved around traditional wing play, with center-forwards like Van Nistelrooy, Crespo, and Shevchenko dominating the attack.

Even Drogba, despite his physical dominance under Mourinho, followed this general tactical trend.

So, naturally, Robben was always positioned on the left flank.

In his first season at Real Madrid, he mostly played on the left as well, forming a wing partnership with Robinho. But after Robinho left, Robben began appearing more frequently on the right.

And that's where Real Madrid's long-standing tactical issue emerged.

The attacking midfielder position.

From Raul to Guti to Baptista, and later Sneijder and Van der Vaart, Real Madrid had always used an attacking midfielder or a second striker.

But when Robben played on the right, he inevitably cut inside, a habit that often saw him occupy the same spaces as the attacking midfielder.

Later, Schuster tried using a 4-4-2 formation, positioning Robben on the right. The result? Robben played exceptionally well.

But that still wasn't the strongest version of Robben that Gao Shen envisioned.

Hazard wasn't particularly fast or explosive, but he possessed excellent ball control. He could play a role similar to Ribéry in Bayern's famous Robbery duo, drawing defensive attention through dribbling and ball retention.

If Hazard had more pace and explosiveness, his impact on the game would be almost unimaginable. But unfortunately, there are no ifs in football.

Robben, on the other hand, thrived in one-on-one situations. He was like a sharp dagger, relentlessly stabbing at the opponent's weak points.

In a sense, Robben wasn't a typical core player. He needed the team to create space for him to operate effectively. At the same time, his playing style required some adjustments and evolution.

…

After meeting with Robben, Gao Shen first inquired about his transition to Manchester City—his family arrangements and any other concerns he had.

Having played in the Premier League before, Robben was already familiar with the English climate and football culture.

Even so, he admitted that his transfer to Manchester City had come as a surprise.

He had chosen to come because of Gao Shen.

Over the phone, Gao Shen had told him one thing very clearly:

"My team and I will help you return to your peak!"

That statement had moved Robben and convinced him to join.

This meeting was a continuation of that conversation, a deeper discussion about the steps they would take to help him reach the top again.

There was a lot of work to be done.

For starters, they needed to minimize his injury risks.

Many people believed Robben had been saved by Bayern's medical team, keeping him injury-free, but that wasn't entirely true. He still suffered numerous injuries at Bayern, which significantly impacted his playing time. His peak moments always coincided with his periods of good health.

Gao Shen explained that Marcos Sala's medical team, along with Buenaventura and Pintus, had been studying Robben's muscle composition and playing habits. They had developed a specialized plan aimed at strengthening key muscle groups and reducing his injury risk.

But for this plan to work, Robben's full cooperation was essential.

The Dutchman already knew about the coaching staff's efforts, and he didn't hesitate, he was willing to do whatever it took.

In Robben's eyes, Gao Shen saw something he hadn't seen in Robinho: hunger.

A mix of frustration, sorrow, and defiance, all of it transformed into an intense desire to prove himself once more.

This was exactly what Robinho lacked.

This was why Gao Shen had been so harsh with the Brazilian earlier.

Without that fire, how could there be progress?

"Right now, this is just the initial plan," Gao Shen said. "But I can tell you with certainty, you'll be playing on the right for Manchester City. I want you to fully utilize your strengths, cutting inside to break down defenses."

Manchester City's system was a 4-3-3. Without a traditional attacking midfielder, the two wingers and the center forward had more freedom to move.

Gao Shen then set clear expectations for Robben.

He explained that whether it was Suarez, Hazard, Robinho, or Giroud, the front three needed to function as a unit. Everyone had to share responsibilities and complement each other.

In the past, Robben hadn't been heavily involved in pressing and counter-pressing. But at Manchester City, he had to be. Every player was expected to contribute defensively—there were no exceptions.

"Arjen, from what I remember, you're a professional with an unmatched competitive spirit," Gao Shen said. "Right now, I believe there's a fire burning inside you."

"This fire—it's the reason you came to Manchester City."

"As your coach, my mission is to help you improve and achieve your goals. But for that to happen, I need your trust, your support, and your full commitment. You know better than anyone that modern football is completely different from the past. Gone are the days of solo play, no matter how talented a star is, he needs a team around him."

"The same applies to you."

Gao Shen locked eyes with Robben.

"Believe me, Arjen—I will help you improve. I will help you return to your best. And more than that…"

"I will help you win titles."

He paused for a moment before adding,

"Maybe even... the Ballon d'Or."

Hearing those last words, Robben's head shot up.

His eyes burned with determination.

(To be continued.)