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.)