On the evening of September 15th, at the Inonu Stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye.
As the referee blew the final whistle, Ferguson raised both arms and let out a roar, celebrating Manchester United's hard-fought victory with unrestrained excitement.
0–1—the scoreboard showed the final result.
The Red Devils had defeated Turkish side Besiktas 1–0, thanks to Scholes' decisive goal.
It was a great start to their Champions League group stage campaign!
But even more important, Ferguson's rotation strategy had paid off.
Van der Sar was still sidelined with injury, so Foster was in goal.
Ferguson made major rotations across other positions.
At right-back, veteran Gary Neville replaced O'Shea. Evans came in for Ferdinand at center-back. In midfield, Carrick and Fletcher were both rested. Ahead of Scholes, the attacking trident featured Park Ji-sung and Anderson behind Nani, Owen, and Valencia.
You could say it was a makeshift Manchester United side.
But even with this lineup, United managed to defeat Besiktas and Valencia was particularly lively down the right flank.
Twenty-five million euros. When Ferguson first signed this winger, many thought it was excessive.
But now, it seemed completely worth it!
Anything recommended by Gao Shen had to be a masterpiece.
Valencia created the most threats for United throughout the match and was their standout performer. He was named Player of the Match, though the assist for Scholes' goal came from Nani on the left.
Sometimes, that's just how football goes.
Still, Ferguson was more than satisfied to win away at Besiktas.
From the opening whistle to the final moments, his face beamed with satisfaction and even delight, his mood was plain for all to see.
And rightly so.
United had traveled to Türkiye with a rotated squad to conserve energy for the weekend derby. But they still came away with a win, something even Ferguson hadn't expected.
It was a pleasant surprise.
He had mentally prepared for a draw or even a narrow defeat. But a win?
"Gao Shen, I'm ready. I'll be waiting for you!" Ferguson said proudly.
…
After beating Besiktas 1–0 away, Ferguson was high-profile in the post-match press conference.
On one hand, he singled out Antonio Valencia for praise, saying the winger had everything needed to become world-class and was the most dangerous player throughout the game—only lacking a bit of luck.
On the other, he explained the rotation strategy as part of managing the squad for multiple competitions.
"Anyone familiar with the Champions League knows how tough it is to travel to Türkiye," Ferguson said. "But today, our players overcame the challenge. Not only did we dominate the field, but we also got the win."
"For me, this result couldn't be better."
When asked about the upcoming Manchester derby, Ferguson didn't hold back.
"I don't care how many games my neighbors have won, it means nothing to me. At Old Trafford, any winning streak stops here."
Ferguson said he never worried about Manchester City.
"I used to call them the noisy neighbors, and I still do."
"This isn't the first time City's made a splash. They spent big last season and did well, but where did they finish? Tenth in the league. And at Old Trafford, we beat them by two goals."
Ferguson continued, "If winning titles was just about spending money, why even bother playing the games? Just compare who has deeper pockets. What's the point of working hard?"
In short, he continued to mock City, portraying them as nothing more than a mercenary squad built with cash.
Regarding the first Manchester derby of the season, Ferguson said that at Old Trafford, United would show their experience and heritage.
"We'll crush them!"
…
Gao Shen ignored Ferguson's trash talk in Istanbul.
He was more focused on Manchester United's performance and squad rotation.
As soon as United's match against Besiktas ended, City's coaching team began compiling data from all sources to analyze United's preparations for Premier League Round 6—especially their lineup.
It was clear Ferguson had left his key players in Manchester.
"First, rule out the ones who played the full 90 minutes in Türkiye," Lucas analyzed. "That includes Park Ji-sung and Valencia, both went the distance."
"If nothing unexpected happens, Carrick, Sneijder, and Fletcher will form the midfield."
That would be Ferguson's preferred setup: balanced in both attack and defense, perfect for a home match.
"On the right, O'Shea should return. In central defense, Ferdinand will definitely partner Vidic. Left-back will still be Evra, there's no better option right now."
United's left flank had become a concern. Evra had no real backup.
Ferguson had tried using Brazilian youngster Fabio there, but his performances hadn't impressed. Evra's durability and high match load meant the youngster rarely got playing time.
On the right, there was more depth: Brown, Rafael, O'Shea—and even Fabio could play there.
"From how he played against Besiktas, it was obvious Evra was holding back. He's saving energy for the derby," Carlo noted.
Evra would be facing Manchester City's right flank.
Robben had come off the bench against Arsenal, scored twice, and provided an assist, three goal contributions in just over 20 minutes. It was by far his best performance since joining City.
After a week of rest and recovery, there was no telling how dangerous Robben would be in the derby.
More importantly, Evra had just completed a long round-trip to Türkiye.
If one side gained momentum while the other was fatigued, it made perfect sense for City to target United's left side.
"In the middle, if Sneijder starts behind the strikers, then Berbatov will be there for sure," Lucas added. "That will help take the pressure off Rooney. Both forwards can receive with their back to goal and with passers like Carrick and Sneijder behind them, United's attack will be very dangerous."
Both Rooney and Berbatov were excellent at holding up play. With Carrick and Sneijder distributing from midfield, they'd become even more of a threat.
And don't forget—Ferguson had left Giggs in Manchester too.
As he aged, Giggs had become more and more effective in specific roles.
As a tactical expert, Ferguson had clearly devised a detailed strategy for the derby well in advance. That's why he rotated so heavily against Besiktas.
And now, it seemed his gamble had worked.
Everything would come down to the clash at Old Trafford.
Everyone in the meeting room offered their insights and analysis on Manchester United and the upcoming game.
Gao Shen sat quietly in his seat, listening calmly.
That had always been his way.
He was used to listening to his assistants' thoughts before giving his own opinion.
This had become the norm in meetings between Gao Shen and his coaching staff when discussing tactics.
"Gao, how do you plan to approach this match?"
Following Carlo's question, all eyes turned to Gao Shen.
Yes—what was the plan?
"Our advantage isn't in the middle," Gao Shen began. "We can't go head-to-head with them there. Instead, we should look to stretch the width in attack and create more one-on-one opportunities on the wings."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Manchester City had an edge on the flanks but not through the center.
Although David Silva and Rakitic both had the ability to make runs from deep, their overall attacking threat was still limited.
Suárez wasn't the kind of center forward who could carve out space on his own, he was more renowned for his agility and movement.
"What we're discussing now, Ferguson's probably already thought it through. And he'll definitely have prepared specific countermeasures."
The coaches all nodded.
Ferguson's tactical acumen was close to perfection. He wouldn't leave himself exposed like that.
"Our two wingers will be marked as priority targets. There won't be many one-on-one chances down the flanks. So I suspect United might use a setup resembling three defensive midfielders—similar to Arsenal, but more disciplined."
Against the Gunners, Gao Shen had only introduced Robben after Wenger pulled off his three defensive midfielders.
There was no reason to think Ferguson hadn't seen that as well.
"I'm even thinking he might leave Giggs out and start Anderson instead. After all, Anderson was subbed off early in Türkiye," Gao Shen speculated.
Many had said Gao Shen was using Manchester City as his personal tactical board or lab but wasn't Ferguson doing the same with United? And he'd been doing it for years.
In the past, people often wondered: how come players who won titles under Ferguson couldn't replicate that success under other managers?
The answer lay in Ferguson's incredible tactical intelligence.
It was like building with Lego blocks. Give the same set to two people, some can't make anything, while others build entire models. It all comes down to ability.
"So what do we do, then?" Carlo asked, sounding a bit concerned.
Everyone turned to Gao Shen, waiting for his response.
They all knew, if Gao Shen pointed out a problem, then he definitely had a solution.
"Don't try to beat Manchester United at their game. Play to our strength, our passing and control. Since they're going to fixate on our wingers, let them. Use the flanks to pin them back."
Everyone was puzzled. What did he mean?
Weren't the wingers Manchester City's most dangerous attacking weapons?
Gao Shen smiled, full of confidence. "Just wait and see, our secret weapon is about to debut!"
Everyone was stunned.
Manchester City had a secret weapon?
How come they didn't know about it?
(To be continued.)