On the evening of January 27th, at Old Trafford, Manchester.
In the second leg of the League Cup semi-final, Manchester City were the away challengers against Manchester United.
When referee Howard Webb blew the final whistle, Gao Shen stood in front of the visiting team's technical area, his face grim.
He had every reason to feel disappointed by the outcome of this match.
2-1. Manchester United beat Manchester City at home, thanks to Carrick's assist and a clinical finish.
In the first leg, Manchester United had drawn 1-1 at the Etihad Stadium, so with an aggregate score of 3-2, the Red Devils advanced to the League Cup final.
Manchester City were eliminated in the semi-finals!
Even with a thick black coat, the cold still seeped through. Gao Shen exhaled softly, and a wisp of white mist slowly drifted in front of him, giving the moment a strangely ethereal feel.
Just like the weight of this moment.
The entire past month had felt surreal to him.
Since their 0-2 defeat to Everton, which ended their winning streak, it seemed like Manchester City had begun to lose their momentum.
Robben got injured, then Hazard, followed by Suarez, David Luiz, Robinho, David Silva, and just two days ago, Javi Martínez also went down.
Team doctor Dr. Marcos Sala gave Gao Shen a detailed injury report, attributing the string of injuries to several factors: the intense Premier League schedule, the bitter cold, and the players' psychological state.
Hit by a wave of injuries, Manchester City's form became inconsistent.
After losing to Everton, the team bounced back in the FA Cup on January 2nd with a 4-0 away win over Championship side Middlesbrough, even with a rotated squad—a clear demonstration of their depth.
Then, in the 21st round of the Premier League, they defeated Blackburn 4-1 at home.
Although they were held to a 1-1 draw by Manchester United at home in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final in midweek, they quickly recovered with a 3-0 away win over Wolves in the 22nd round of the Premier League.
Despite the growing injury list, Manchester City's winning streak in the league continued.
But soon, the situation spiraled in a direction neither Gao Shen nor his coaching staff could halt.
In Round 23, Manchester City were held 1-1 away at Stoke City.
Gao Shen admitted after the match that David Silva's absence had significantly impacted the team, though deep down he knew their overall performance had dropped.
The Premier League teams were no pushovers. When in form, Manchester City were unbeatable, but once they faltered, even Stoke could give them problems.
In the FA Cup fourth round that weekend, they faced Stoke again.
This time, Manchester City lost 0-1 away and were knocked out of the FA Cup.
Worse still, just three days later, they lost again—this time 1-2 at Old Trafford to local rivals Manchester United, ending their League Cup campaign as well.
Two games in four days. Knocked out of two competitions.
Gao Shen found it hard to believe.
Just a month ago, his team had been unstoppable in the Premier League.
Who could have imagined that, just four weeks later, they'd lose the chance to compete for two trophies?
Though Manchester City were still top of the Premier League, their lead had clearly been shaken.
In the past month, City had dropped five points, while Manchester United and Liverpool maintained perfect records.
Arsenal drew twice, Chelsea also dropped points in two games, and even Ancelotti's team drew in Round 18 on December 19 and again on Boxing Day in Round 19.
But Ferguson's Manchester United had been on fire since mid-December.
Seven straight wins in the league, 23 goals scored, and just one conceded.
Benítez's Liverpool also maintained solid form—not as explosive as United, but consistently strong.
This made Gao Shen wonder: did having more domestic players really help teams navigate the brutal Christmas and winter fixture list?
…
After the match, Ferguson invited Gao Shen for a drink in a conference room at Old Trafford.
The Scotsman was in high spirits after the win. Gao Shen had recently gifted him a box of good Chilean wine, which Ferguson now praised enthusiastically.
Gao Shen smiled bitterly to himself, wasn't this the same wine he'd given last time?
Back then, Ferguson had called it astringent, and now he was praising it as top quality. Clearly, his opinion depended on his mood.
"Want to know my secret for handling the brutal Christmas and winter schedule?" Ferguson asked with a hint of mystery.
Gao Shen shot him a sideways glance and scoffed, "Isn't it just tradition, background, and local players?"
He had learned this from Ferguson's own tactical book.
In it, Ferguson wrote that to survive the demanding holiday schedule, a squad not only needed depth for rotation but also the mental strength to withstand the grind. He even suggested that psychology was the most critical factor.
"You see? That's just the surface," Ferguson replied, clearly in a very good mood.
Gao Shen snorted in mock disdain. He could tell the old man was showing off.
"I told you already. Your team's full of foreign players. Most of them are playing in the Premier League for the first time. They've got no experience. No matter how much you explain or how well you prepare them, it won't work."
Ferguson laughed proudly. "It's like telling a kid not to drink boiling water because it's hot. But until he burns his mouth, he won't understand what 'hot' really means."
Outwardly, Gao Shen kept up his disdainful act, but inwardly, he had to admit the old man had a point.
"You know, some people are naturally good at adapting. They recognize patterns, they understand the essence of things. But some, like Wenger, always drop points over Christmas and the winter period. Just wait—you'll see. Arsenal will start losing points soon."
In the next round, Round 24 of the Premier League, Manchester United were set to play away at Arsenal.
Gao Shen suspected Ferguson was already hyping himself up for that game.
"So what kind of person do you think I am?" Gao Shen asked jokingly.
Ferguson chuckled but didn't answer. Instead, he changed the subject.
"Benítez has done well this year, but in his first season at Liverpool, he hit the Christmas and winter schedule and dropped three games out of six after Boxing Day—including back-to-back losses."
He paused and gave Gao Shen a deep look. "Your current record is the same as Benítez's second season. You've dropped five points this month."
Gao Shen smiled, thinking Ferguson might be giving him a compliment.
In fact, Gao Shen believed the problem wasn't about it being his first season in the Premier League, it was the players.
That same year, it was also Mourinho's first season, but Chelsea kept winning through the festive period.
That was because Chelsea kept their core intact.
Manchester City, however, had been completely rebuilt under Gao Shen. Many of the new players were experiencing the Premier League—and its brutal winter schedule—for the first time.
That, he believed, was the real reason for their struggles.
"Just wait and see. Next season, I'll definitely crack the code for Christmas and the winter schedule!" Gao Shen declared with firm confidence.
Ferguson stared at him for a moment. He'd been planning to offer some advice, but realizing Gao Shen wouldn't be swayed, he let it go.
"I'll be watching!" Ferguson replied calmly.
"And you'd better watch out, now that you're out of the League Cup and FA Cup, I'm going to chase you all the way!"
Gao Shen laughed, "Old Sir, did you forget that even after your win streak, you're still only in fourth?"
"Just two points behind," Ferguson said confidently.
He had always been a second-half-of-the-season master, experienced and full of belief.
…
Manchester City is finished!
After crashing out of both the League Cup and FA Cup, the news exploded across British and European football circles.
Everyone knew how brutal the Premier League's Christmas and winter schedule was, but no one expected Manchester City's form to nosedive like this. It was as if they were a completely different team from the one that had just racked up 19 consecutive wins.
The British media were already used to it.
In fact, they took pride in this devilish schedule—after all, even someone like Gao Shen was brought to his knees by it.
It wasn't just a unique trait of the Premier League; it was something they were proud of.
In an interview, Gao Shen publicly shouldered full responsibility.
"My players did everything they could. I know they gave it their all. The responsibility lies with me—I wasn't fully prepared for this brutal schedule."
However, in an interview with the Manchester Evening News, City captain Kompany had a different take.
The Belgian center-back said that Gao Shen and his coaching staff had done extensive preparation for the festive schedule. The players had also tried their best to deliver, but their form simply wasn't at its best, leading to a drop in team performance.
"This isn't on any one person—it's on all of us."
Kompany also praised Gao Shen as a top-class coach, something evident from the team's previous 19-match winning streak.
"We're going through a rough patch, but I don't believe these setbacks will stop us."
When asked how the team would bounce back, Kompany revealed that Gao Shen had reassured the dressing room of his full trust and confidence in every player, and he believed they would adjust with time.
"We can feel the manager's support, and we believe Manchester City will come out of this slump soon."
In his own interview, Gao Shen once again stated that these challenges wouldn't defeat Manchester City.
"It's a pity to miss out on the League Cup and FA Cup this season, but it allows us to focus more on the league. It will also drive us to achieve better results and more trophies next season!"
(To be continued.)
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