"Martin, you know what? I've been commentating on the Premier League for so many years, and I've never seen a head coach like Gao Shen attract this much attention and cause such a sensation across the league."
Sky Sports' lead commentator, Andy Gray, was seated in the press box at the Etihad Stadium, providing live coverage for the fans. This was the final match of the Premier League's second round, a clear indication of its significance.
At that moment, a short welcome ceremony was taking place on the pitch, organized by Manchester City's supporters. It was an event they had planned on their own to welcome Gao Shen.
The FA and the Premier League had both given special permission for the performance to take place before kickoff.
This was the first time in Premier League history that a club had welcomed a new manager with such grandeur.
"Back then, José Mourinho arrived at Stamford Bridge with the Champions League trophy, having just won the Portuguese domestic treble. He was even more high-profile than Gao Shen at the time. But to be honest, Mourinho back then wasn't as eye-catching as Gao Shen is now," Andy Gray continued.
"That makes sense," his longtime broadcast partner, Martin Tyler, replied. "Mourinho was making a name for himself when he won the Champions League, but his true peak came during his time at Chelsea in the Premier League."
"But Gao Shen is different. He doesn't need to prove himself like Mourinho did back then. He's already won a double with Real Madrid and pulled off three consecutive underdog title wins with Napoli. His résumé is legendary in world football, especially last season's historic Serie A and Champions League treble."
"Gao Shen is already a world-class coach. And more importantly, he'll only turn 29 in September. That's an incredible age for someone with his achievements. He's got the looks, the charisma, he's one of a kind in European coaching."
"That's why, even before he announced he was joining Manchester City, The Sun had already labeled him 'the Premier League's new idol.' And ever since he arrived, his popularity has been through the roof. He's in the papers every day, not because of some PR campaign, but because people genuinely want to follow him."
Andy Gray nodded. "You can't manufacture this kind of hype."
"Exactly. Sure, Manchester City might help manage his media presence, but no club can fabricate this level of interest. Right now, Gao Shen is the biggest star in the Premier League, and plenty of people are trying to ride the wave."
Andy Gray laughed. "Like our own Gary Lineker, who practically worships him on live TV."
"And The Sun," Martin Tyler added with a grin. "Before the season started, they even ran a cheeky ad on Page 3, joking that they'd find Gao Shen a new girlfriend every week."
"Yeah, and Manchester City fans actually protested it, claiming The Sun was in Manchester United's pocket and trying to sabotage their coach. I mean, who could physically handle a new girlfriend every week?"
"Haha, looks like that debate has died down now."
As experienced media professionals, Andy Gray and Martin Tyler understood exactly how media hype worked and recognized the immense commercial value Gao Shen brought to the Premier League and European football.
Even from a purely footballing perspective, Gao Shen was the most-watched manager in Europe right now.
"Recently, especially after the first round of the Premier League, I've met a lot of people in the football world," Andy Gray continued. "And they were all talking about Manchester City's tactical sophistication in that game. To be honest, everyone found it fascinating."
Martin Tyler nodded. "Yeah, I've had similar conversations. It seems like there's a lot of admiration for Gao Shen. Many experts believe Manchester City's technical and tactical style is unprecedented in the Premier League—perhaps even in all of Europe. And that includes his use of Suarez and Neuer."
"I still remember what Ferguson said before the season started," Andy Gray said with a smile. "He singled out two next-generation coaches—Barcelona's Guardiola and Gao Shen. But back then, I don't think he expected Gao Shen to overshadow Manchester United so quickly."
Martin Tyler chuckled. "Yep. Manchester City has played one game fewer, but they're already ahead of United in the table."
"Tonight is Gao Shen's Premier League home debut. Manchester City fans are giving him a hero's welcome, but Moyes' team might be here to crash the party."
"After their first-round disaster, Moyes will be more cautious now. And since they're playing away, I expect Everton to be more defensive. Last season, they conceded just 37 goals—the fourth-best defensive record in the league. Moyes knows how to set up a solid backline."
"But the absences of Jagielka and Arteta will hurt them. The key question is how Moyes will adjust his approach."
Martin Tyler picked up the conversation. "Ferguson has high expectations for both Gao Shen and Moyes as young Premier League managers. But Gao Shen is even younger—only 28—and he's already won two Champions League titles."
"Tonight is his first Premier League home game. Let's see if Moyes has any surprises in store for him."
...
Moyes did indeed have a surprise prepared.
Everton's starting lineup:
Goalkeeper: Tim Howard.
Defense: Leighton Baines, Antolin Alcaraz, Phil Neville, and Tony Hibbert.
Midfield: Jack Rodwell and Marouane Fellaini sat deep, with Steven Pienaar, Tim Cahill, and Leon Osman ahead of them.
Striker: Louis Saha.
When Gao Shen received the lineup, his first reaction was that Moyes had not set up conservatively.
Why?
Because Saha was best at playing with his back to goal. That was precisely why Ferguson had signed him for Manchester United, so he could hold up the ball and allow Ronaldo to make runs in behind.
It was the same system Ferguson later perfected with Ronaldo and Berbatov.
Tim Cahill was another key piece—his late runs into the box, particularly his heading ability, made him a major goal threat. Despite his relatively short stature, he was one of the best aerial players in the league.
Then there was Fellaini.
Standing at 1.94 meters tall with his signature afro, he took up a lot of space on the pitch.
As a midfielder, Fellaini's versatility made him particularly dangerous. He could play as a defensive midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder, or even an attacking midfielder.
Think about it, a player who wasn't a traditional center-forward but was 1.94 meters tall, physically dominant, and had solid footwork. That was a problem for any defense.
Tim Cahill and Fellaini had actually been Everton's joint-top scorers last season, each netting eight goals.
Behind them were Saha, Arteta, and Osman, all with six goals.
In terms of assists, Tim Cahill had five, just one less than Arteta's six and the seven provided by Pienaar and Baines.
It was clear what Moyes intended by starting both Tim Cahill and Fellaini together.
When Gao Shen saw Everton's lineup, he couldn't help but be surprised.
Handing the list over to Sarri, he gave a wry smile. "We all guessed wrong. Moyes is braver than we thought."
Starting both Cahill and Fellaini was a bold statement, it meant Everton were ready to go head-to-head with Manchester City.
The tactical mind games had taken an interesting turn.
Based on the first round, Manchester City had expected Moyes to adopt a defensive counterattacking approach. But Moyes had anticipated that City would prepare for that, so instead of playing conservatively, he chose to fight them head-on.
After looking at the lineup, Sarri shook his head and smiled bitterly. "I'm sorry, Gao. I was wrong."
Gao Shen waved it off. "Don't worry about it, Maurizio. Moyes has been a well-respected Premier League coach for years, he's got the experience."
The irony wasn't lost on anyone—Sarri was born in 1959 and had just turned 50, while Moyes, born in 1963, was only 46.
Yet Moyes was an established Premier League manager who regularly led his team to European qualification, whereas Sarri had spent most of his career in the lower leagues, still waiting for his big break.
Noticing Sarri's slightly embarrassed expression, Gao Shen immediately understood what was going through his mind.
"Maurizio," he said, "there's an old saying: There is no age difference in learning—the one with greater ability can be the teacher."
He paused briefly before smiling at Sarri. "Don't dwell on it, and don't put too much pressure on yourself. Believe me, your time will come."
"What matters most right now is preparation. When the opportunity arises, you need to be ready to seize it. Otherwise, no matter how many chances you get, they'll slip away."
Sarri listened carefully.
At 50, he didn't need grand wisdom, he already understood his own strengths and weaknesses. But in that brief moment of doubt, Gao Shen's words had given him clarity again.
"Thank you, Gao," Sarri said sincerely.
Gao Shen waved his hand dismissively, as if to say, No need for thanks.
Carlo, Lucas, and the others exchanged knowing smiles. They were used to this by now.
Many assumed Gao Shen's motivational talks were only for his players, but in truth, his assistants, especially Guardiola, Zidane, and now Sarri had all been on the receiving end of his encouragement.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Moyes' expression later," Gao Shen said with anticipation.
...
At the same time, in the away dressing room at the Etihad Stadium, Moyes was reviewing Manchester City's starting lineup.
His first reaction?
Shock.
Gao Shen had rotated his squad. And not just minor tweaks, this was a significant change.
The real question was, how was he planning to use this lineup?
(To be continued.)
***
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