In the large conference room, the players sat up straight, listening attentively as the coaching staff analyzed their performances.
From Carlo to Lucas, from Buenaventura and Pintus to Borrell, each coach took turns on stage, offering their assessments based on their respective areas of expertise.
One defining characteristic of Gao Shen's coaching team was their exceptional professionalism.
Their analysis wasn't just surface-level, it was rooted in video reviews, data, and in-depth tactical breakdowns. They dissected each issue thoroughly, explaining the cause-and-effect relationships behind mistakes, helping the players understand what went wrong, why it happened, and how to correct it. This method was essential for progress.
In the past, Gao Shen was always the first to speak, but today, he went last.
It was only after the other coaches had finished that he strolled up to the stage at a leisurely pace.
"You all made some excellent points," he said. "I'd like to add a few more."
Gao Shen scanned the room, his expression dark and serious. It was necessary to apply pressure when needed.
This had always been his approach to managing the locker room.
To outsiders, he was the players' shield, protecting them from external criticism so they could focus on training and matches. But within the team, he had no problem calling out mistakes. If players failed to respond after repeated warnings, he would demote them to the reserves. In extreme cases, he wouldn't hesitate to cut them from the squad altogether.
This authority gave him a firm grip over the dressing room.
Although Manchester City was still a developing team, a month of working together had been enough for the players to understand Gao Shen's personality and leadership style.
Off the pitch, he was approachable, able to draw players into conversations with just a few words. But when it came to discipline, he was stricter than anyone—his rules were absolute.
Even the biggest names in the squad, like Robinho, Rakitic, David Luiz, and Robben, followed his lead. Naturally, the rest of the team dared not step out of line.
After all, even club captain Richard Dunne had been sold under Gao Shen's orders. If he could go, anyone could.
Kompany, Zabaleta, and other players brought in during 2008 had fully bought into his philosophy. Meanwhile, local academy graduates like Micah Richards were still too junior to challenge his authority.
As a result, the Manchester City dressing room had become a place where Gao Shen's word was final.
Standing on stage now, he swept his gaze across the room. Every player was focused, sitting with rigid attention, wary of being singled out.
"The First Issue: Mentality."
"Through the four warm-up matches we've played so far, the biggest problem I've seen is that many of you, if not the majority have not fully adjusted your mindset."
The fundamental difference between Manchester City and the Napoli team Gao Shen built was that his Napoli players had been blank slates—young, highly adaptable, and easy to mold.
Manchester City's squad was also young, but many of these players had already spent two, three, or even four or five years playing under different coaches. Their habits and playing styles had already been shaped by others.
That made change more difficult.
"As I've repeatedly emphasized, our pressing is not about winning the ball. Not about winning the ball. Not about winning the ball."
He deliberately repeated the phrase three times for emphasis.
"But after four matches, I still see too many players chasing the ball instead of pressing properly. That makes our movements disorganized."
Whether at Real Madrid, Napoli, or now Manchester City, Gao Shen had always advocated high pressing—not to immediately win the ball back, but to apply pressure and control the game.
At this point, he played a video clip showing Manchester City attempting a counter-press after losing possession. When the press failed, the players instinctively chased after the ball, breaking their defensive shape and allowing the opposition to create a dangerous attack.
"I understand that at your previous clubs, the focus was on winning back possession as quickly as possible. Of course, we want to win the ball too, but that is not our objective."
"The purpose of our pressing is to delay and dictate."
He paused, letting the words sink in before continuing.
"We've talked about this before, don't be afraid of the opposition attacking us. Let them come. When a boxer throws a punch, they first pull their fist back, that's what gives the punch power. It's the same in football. We want our opponents to attack because it plays into our strategy."
"So stop being afraid. Stop panicking. Our goal is to control the flow of the game, to guide the opposition into the areas we want them to be in."
"But when you fixate on winning the ball, you disrupt our entire shape. The moment the opposition makes a simple pass, we're out of position and left scrambling."
A heavy silence filled the room.
The players knew he was right. The data backed it up.
Mental adjustments and ingrained habits couldn't be changed overnight.
The footage Gao Shen had just shown was from their first warm-up match, and they had improved since then but the issue still appeared in every game. That made it worth addressing again.
"The Second Issue: Midfield."
Gao Shen turned his attention to Javi Martínez.
"Your positioning is still an issue, especially when dropping back. You're not retreating deep enough."
Then he expanded his criticism.
"But this isn't just your fault. The midfielders ahead of you are also failing to track back and provide the necessary cover."
After saying that, Gao Shen played two more video clips—one showing a successful sequence and the other highlighting a failure. Both focused on how Manchester City transitioned from attack to defense, particularly the positioning of the midfielders.
Gao Shen's philosophy was clear: after losing possession in the attacking third, the team should immediately counter-press and apply pressure. Winning the ball back was ideal, but the primary objective was to delay the opposition, forcing them to play backward and buying time for the rest of the team to reposition defensively.
If they couldn't hold the opposition in place, the next priority was to guide the ball to the flanks.
There were two main reasons for this approach. First, the wings were narrower, making them easier areas to press and suffocate the opposition. Second, Manchester City's full-backs pushed forward aggressively during attacks, meaning that when possession was lost, they were already positioned high up the pitch, providing defensive support on the flanks.
But what if the opponent bypassed the wing and attacked through the half-space or center?
That's where the importance of the number four position came in.
One of the two center-backs would shift to the side to cover the space behind the full-back, taking on a role similar to a wide defender. Meanwhile, the player in the number four position would drop into the vacant center-back slot.
Once the defensive midfielder fell back into position, the two central midfielders ahead of him had to quickly recover and provide additional cover in front of the defensive line.
This defensive setup had already been tested successfully at Napoli, proving to be both effective and flexible.
After all, Napoli's defense had withstood the test of top-level competition, including the Champions League.
Why Javi Martínez?
The entire system revolved around the number four position, which was why Gao Shen had specifically chosen Javi Martínez for the role.
Not only was he a talented midfielder with strong passing and defensive abilities, but he also had the physical attributes, strength, positioning, and a height of over 1.90 meters to excel in that role.
Regardless of the era, the defensive midfield position had always been crucial.
But in Gao Shen's eyes, Martínez had yet to fully adapt to the demands of the role and needed further improvement.
To address this, the coaching staff would develop specialized training programs to help him refine his positioning and decision-making.
"The Third Issue: Communication."
"Now, let me ask you—how do you think your communication has been on the pitch?"
"Because from my perspective, it's complete chaos."
Gao Shen's tone became noticeably sharper.
"I've said this before: in the locker room, on the pitch, and on the training ground, only English is allowed. We need to unify our language and communication methods."
"But frankly, you've done a poor job in this regard!"
This shouldn't have been a problem.
It would be unreasonable to expect every player to become fluent in English within a month. However, at the very least, they should have grasped the essential football-related terms and phrases needed to communicate effectively during matches and training sessions.
Yet, reality painted a different picture.
Many players were still struggling.
"From this moment forward, I'm launching a ten-day intensive English crash course!"
"For those of you whose English isn't up to standard, your assigned English teachers will be giving you daily learning tasks. Starting tomorrow, before every morning training session, I will randomly test your progress. Everyone must pass."
Gao Shen's voice was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
"I'm making this clear now, anyone who fails the random checks, regardless of who they are, will immediately be sent to train with the reserves and have their workload doubled. Until you meet the required standard, you will not be allowed to participate in first-team training or matches!"
"Let me repeat: no exceptions!"
The room fell into dead silence.
For players like Giroud, David Silva, and Suárez—who weren't fluent in English—this was a nightmare.
European football had never seen a manager like this before.
A dictator!
Not only did he expect them to play football at the highest level, but now he was making them memorize English words, phrases, and sentences?
Even in school, their English teachers hadn't been this strict!
"If we wanted to study, we wouldn't have become footballers!"
But Gao Shen had no other choice.
If there had been an easier solution, he wouldn't have resorted to such a drastic measure.
"These struggling students are really giving me a headache," he thought.
A month had passed, yet communication on the pitch was still an issue. How were they supposed to function as a cohesive unit?
Many of the problems exposed in the warm-up matches weren't due to individual player ability but poor coordination and language barriers played a major role.
When players didn't share a strong tactical understanding, verbal communication was the key to survival.
"In addition," Gao Shen continued, "if any of you have suggestions for improving in-game and training communication, speak up!"
"You're welcome to create custom jargon or secret codes, as long as your teammates understand them instantly during matches, I'll approve."
He paused before adding, "In fact, if your contributions are useful and get adopted by the team, you'll be rewarded—including but not limited to skipping certain training sessions."
Suddenly, the players' reactions changed.
If the first part of his speech had left them feeling oppressed, the last part had ignited excitement.
Skipping training?
That was a golden opportunity—especially when it came to Pintus' grueling fitness sessions.
Anyone who had endured Pintus' training knew it was pure torture. If there was a way to avoid it, they'd take it in a heartbeat.
"All we have to do is come up with some jargon and secret signals?"
"That's easy!"
(To be continued.)