After a day off, the team regrouped.
With most of the squad away on international duty, Carrington felt noticeably emptier.
On the training ground, there were more staff members than actual players.
It was a strange sight, to say the least.
Even though the numbers were lower, training continued as usual, with a full schedule of drills and exercises.
For the players who weren't called up for national duty, these two weeks were just as challenging as they were for those representing their countries. They had to maintain their form and sharpness despite not having competitive matches.
After training, Gao Shen called Jordan Henderson to his office.
The 19-year-old English midfielder stood at 1.87 meters, slightly lanky and not particularly muscular. However, as a classic English-style midfielder, he had impressive stamina, excellent work rate, and was capable in both attack and defense.
But what Gao Shen valued most was his passing ability.
"How's the foot injury been lately?"
As soon as Henderson sat down, Gao Shen asked with concern.
Henderson had suffered a fractured foot back in early April while on loan at Coventry in the Championship. The injury had cut his loan spell short and effectively ended his season.
Technically, when he joined Manchester City, he had just recovered from the fracture.
Gao Shen hadn't been aware of the injury beforehand. It was only during Henderson's medical at City that he voluntarily disclosed it to Buenaventura and the team doctors. That was when Gao Shen first learned about it.
Since then, the coaching staff had worked specifically on his rehabilitation and strengthening exercises.
"It's fine now. I went for a check-up recently, and everything's healed," Henderson replied, his tone full of gratitude.
Gao Shen regularly checked in with him, and every time, he made sure to ask about his injury first.
This wasn't just superficial concern, it was genuine.
Of course, as the head coach, Gao Shen had a vested interest in Henderson's recovery, but the level of attention he gave to it was rare.
Gao Shen smiled faintly. After learning about Henderson's past injury, he finally understood why Sunderland had been so willing to include him in the deal as a "bonus."
On the surface, it might have seemed like a loss for Manchester City, but Gao Shen believed Henderson wouldn't let him down.
"Your passing has been very steady in training, with a success rate of over 80%. Whether in matches or in practice, you've performed well. Your defensive contributions have also been impressive. To be honest, I'm very satisfied."
Hearing this, Henderson couldn't help but feel excited.
A coach's approval meant more opportunities on the pitch.
And this wasn't just any coach, it was Gao Shen, the man known for discovering and developing young talents.
After all, wasn't identifying promising players one of Gao Shen's greatest strengths?
There was even a saying in European football: "Any young player highly rated by Gao Shen is never a bad player."
"A while ago, I asked Fernando to collect some match footage and highlights of Rijkaard, Busquets, Thiago Motta, and others. Have you watched them?" Gao Shen asked.
It was no secret that he wanted to mold Henderson into a holding midfielder. He had even discussed it directly with the player.
Since that was the plan, Henderson needed a clear direction for his development. That was why Gao Shen had specifically asked Lucas to gather game footage of top No. 4 players for him to study.
"I've watched all of them, boss, and I've gained some insights. But to be honest, there are a lot of things I still can't do, or at least not very well," Henderson admitted, sounding a little discouraged.
However, Gao Shen wasn't the least bit disappointed. Instead, he smiled.
"That's completely normal, Jordan. No two leaves in the world are identical, and the same goes for footballers. The reason I asked you to study Rijkaard and the others wasn't so you could copy them exactly, it's impossible to play like someone else."
Gao Shen looked at Henderson, speaking with clear sincerity.
"I want you to understand their way of thinking—their vision, how they control the tempo of the game not to imitate them move for move. Because at the end of the day, you can only be yourself, not someone else."
"You have to take the strengths of others and integrate them into your own game."
Whenever a player transfer happened, the media and fans always talked about "replacements."
For example, now that Manchester United had signed Sneijder, people were saying he was brought in to "replace Scholes." But were the two really that similar?
Was Scholes even United's biggest problem right now?
On the football pitch, no player is identical to another.
There was no such thing as one player being a perfect replacement for another—only different roles, responsibilities, and tactical adjustments.
Football was about dynamic adaptation and teamwork.
Take Manchester United, for example. Their biggest issue wasn't finding a "Scholes replacement", it was how to fill the 60 to 70 goals left behind by the departures of Ronaldo and Tevez.
The answer was simple: they couldn't.
Looking at world football today or even in the coming years only two players could consistently deliver that kind of goal-scoring output: Ronaldo and Messi.
For anyone else, even coming close would be a monumental challenge.
Consistently scoring goals across an entire season was one of the hardest things in football.
Gao Shen's vision for Henderson wasn't to turn him into "the next Thiago Motta" or "the next Javi Martínez." That would be unrealistic, they were completely different players.
There was no single template for a No. 4 midfielder.
Yaya Touré could play as a No. 4. So could Busquets. And Henderson had the potential to do the same in his own way.
The key was whether he could serve the team well and fulfill his role.
Gao Shen spoke at length with Henderson about the No. 4 position, outlining his expectations and hopes for him.
As a young player, Henderson still lacked a clear identity on the pitch. However, his height and passing ability gave him strong potential. Gao Shen firmly believed he could develop into a capable holding midfielder. He hoped Henderson would embrace this role, refine his tactical understanding, and continuously improve his skills.
"In the coming fixtures—whether it's the upcoming busy schedule with domestic and European matches, the congested winter period, or next season's Champions League, I believe the team will rely on you more and more. I hope that when the time comes, you'll be ready to step up."
Henderson, still young and eager, was visibly thrilled after hearing Gao Shen's words. He nodded enthusiastically, vowing to give his all, study hard, and fully commit to his transformation so as not to disappoint his coach's high expectations.
…
After sending Henderson off, Gao Shen welcomed Adam Lallana into his office.
Interestingly, the midfielder from Southampton was one of the very few Manchester City players who had yet to make an appearance this season. Among the signings and promoted talents under Gao Shen, he was the only one who hadn't played a single minute.
Even Trippier had managed to get some time off the bench. But for Lallana, nothing.
It wasn't that Gao Shen had anything against him, it was simply a matter of squad depth.
There were only so many spots available, and Gao Shen constantly faced tough choices when selecting his matchday squad.
However, during this meeting, Gao Shen made it clear to Lallana that he was now under serious consideration for inclusion in the squad for the upcoming match against Arsenal. The only condition was that he had to deliver his best performances in training leading up to the game.
In his previous life, Lallana had been regarded as the most technically gifted player in England—a title that, at the moment, still belonged to Joe Cole.
Even so, the fact that Lallana had been in that conversation spoke volumes about his ability.
Passing, dribbling, and making runs from deep were all part of his skill set.
However, he was still physically underdeveloped and lacked the defensive awareness and work rate that would later define him in his career.
Those qualities had been instilled in him by managers like Pochettino.
At this stage, Lallana was still an elegant young playmaker—technically refined, tactically aware, but lacking physical presence.
Gao Shen had already made it clear to Lallana: his future was in midfield, not out wide.
Neither Robinho nor Hazard were pure pace merchants, but that didn't mean they were slow. In fact, they were quite fast, just not at the level of pure sprinters like Robben or Gareth Bale.
Lallana, however, was different.
Despite standing at just over 1.7 meters, his acceleration was mediocre at best. He wasn't quick, and in the modern game, playing as a winger with limited pace was extremely difficult.
If he wanted to succeed in Manchester City's midfield, he needed to develop his stamina and defensive ability.
Even as a technical player, he had been putting in the effort in training, and the results were showing. Gao Shen hoped he would continue on this path.
"I believe that in midfield, you can make a real name for yourself in English football."
England was still stuck in the Lampard-Gerrard era, but everyone knew that their partnership had been a long-standing issue, one that lacked creativity and imagination.
That was the fundamental problem with England's midfield.
Lallana, however, could provide exactly what England had been missing.
"To be honest, Adam, I have high expectations for you. I believe you have the potential to become England's most creative midfielder, but that depends entirely on how hard you're willing to work."
Gao Shen promised Lallana that if he performed well enough in training over the next two weeks during the international break, he would be given at least ten minutes against Arsenal, possibly even more.
Lallana could hardly contain his excitement.
Being trusted in such a crucial fixture was already an incredible vote of confidence. Arsenal were direct competitors in the title race, getting minutes in this match meant something.
But only Gao Shen himself knew the real reason behind his decision.
With several South American internationals traveling long distances for national team duty, their fitness and sharpness would be compromised upon their return.
When they got back, Gao Shen would have to assess their condition carefully before deciding who could play and who needed rest.
One thing was certain, a major rotation was inevitable.
That meant Lallana would get his chance.
Of course, only Gao Shen understood the full extent of the selection dilemma he was facing.
Lallana, however, left the office overjoyed. He was grateful for the opportunity and vowed to give everything he had.
Watching him walk away, Gao Shen smiled.
Maybe, when we face Arsenal, we'll really have to rely on him!
And Robben…
I wonder how that guy's holding up after his time off?
(To be continued.)