On the evening of September 14th, at the Etihad Stadium.
As both teams walked onto the pitch, led by the referee and to the roar of Manchester City fans, Gao Shen and Mourinho stood side by side at the tunnel entrance.
There wasn't much awkwardness between them. They both understood that a lot of what had happened wasn't each other's fault.
Or rather, it was simply the reality of professional football today.
"When did you shave your head?" Gao Shen asked curiously.
Mourinho chewed his gum stubbornly. After hearing Gao Shen's question, he lifted his chin slightly, as if trying to show his hair. But the truth was, there wasn't much left—he had shaved it into a short buzzcut.
"I did it at the hotel at noon. Looks good, right?" Mourinho grinned.
"Ha, very stylish. Among all the shameless middle-aged men, you're one of the better-looking ones."
As long as you pile on enough qualifiers, every man in the world is handsome.
"But seriously, you should dye your hair," Gao Shen suggested.
Mourinho instinctively reached up and scratched his hair. "Why dye it? This is my trophy!"
Gao Shen laughed again, a bit speechless.
Mourinho's hair had gone much whiter lately, whole patches of it. The pressure was enormous—especially when managing Real Madrid.
Mourinho might be arrogant on the surface, but not entirely.
When you truly got to know him, you realized he was actually quite insecure.
Ball control and passing are now the mainstream of European football. Every team has to emphasize it.
Why? Because if your passing and ball retention are poor, the opponent will press high. If you can't build out from the back, you're done.
Didn't Gao Shen use this exact tactic in Serie A to make teams cry out in frustration?
That's why, in recent years, ball-playing centre-backs have become so popular. And expensive.
Why? Because when your centre-backs can pass, you're no longer afraid of pressing.
In fact, you might even welcome the press so you can exploit the space behind it.
But centre-backs with great passing range are hard to come by, and the cost is a major barrier.
Whether in selecting his lineup or in-game adjustments, Mourinho couldn't help but be cautious.
To put it nicely, he was pragmatic. Put bluntly, he was just conservative.
Like tonight, using Coentrão at left back instead of Marcelo.
Sure, it was because Manchester City had Robben on the right. But Marcelo was far better going forward and had superior skills.
In midfield, Mourinho started Khedira next to Xabi Alonso.
Previously, he had used Coentrão alongside Xabi Alonso, and sometimes even Pepe or Ramos.
Centre-backs were Carvalho and Pepe. Right back was Ramos.
This was clearly a defensive, counter-attacking setup.
There was nothing new.
Up front, it was Cristiano Ronaldo, Adebayor, and Di María.
Real Madrid maintained their 4-2-3-1 formation, with the German No. 10 as the attacking midfielder.
Adán was in goal.
"You want to lecture me too?" Mourinho suddenly turned and looked directly at Gao Shen, a provocative glint in his eyes.
It was like, if Gao Shen said yes, he'd throw down right there.
Gao Shen laughed, "I'm not that free. At this point, if it were me, I'd do the same."
If Gao Shen were in Mourinho's shoes, honestly, banning Casillas would probably be the only choice left.
It had to be done. A manager's authority is more important than anything else.
But Gao Shen didn't say the next part—he would never have let things get to this point.
As long as things didn't spiral out of control, there would've been no need to face a dilemma between banning Casillas and preserving his authority. He would've had more time and space to change the dynamic.
To put it bluntly, Mourinho never should've started his so-called "war" with Barcelona.
It was clear that Real Madrid were not as strong as Barcelona.
Some might disagree, but it's the truth.
Not just now, even in previous years, they were inferior.
Don't believe it?
Compare the number of league titles Real Madrid won during their Champions League-winning seasons to how many times they beat Barcelona.
There's no inherent link between a team's strength and the result of a single match.
If your squad is weaker, and your results are worse, starting a head-to-head battle with a team like Barcelona only ends up hurting yourself.
What's more, Mourinho's biggest issue now lies in himself.
He needs a complete overhaul—from tactical concepts to management methods...
"You better not try playing the sympathy card before kickoff. I'm not going easy on you," Gao Shen said with a smile, changing the subject.
Mourinho laughed. "Like I need you to show mercy."
"Keep talking. I'll buy you a drink after the game. Don't run off," Gao Shen said, extending his hand.
They shook hands, and then Gao Shen turned and walked out of the tunnel, heading for the home dugout.
Mourinho watched Gao Shen's back with a complicated expression. His heart felt like a stirred pot of mixed emotions.
Damn, so many feelings at once.
To be honest, sometimes he even wished he could just fight with Gao Shen.
At least then he could insult him in public.
But now? He felt like the backup to someone he still got along with. Couldn't even bring himself to curse at the guy. What the hell?
"Half of my gray hair is because of you!" Mourinho muttered.
…
Real Madrid's tactics were clearly cautious.
Last season's thrashing at the Etihad had left its mark, and they were playing conservatively.
Meanwhile, Manchester City came out aggressively, launching a high press from the opening minute.
Contrary to his usual steady starts, Gao Shen pushed forward hard at home, showing clear intent to finish Real Madrid off early.
This forced Real Madrid to drop even deeper.
Gao Shen once again used a 4-3-3 formation.
Goalkeeper: Neuer.
Defense: Felipe, David Luiz, Kompany, and Zabaleta.
Midfield: Rakitic, Fernandinho, and Yaya Touré.
Forwards: Gareth Bale, Suárez, and Robben.
With Rakitic and Yaya Touré in midfield, Gao Shen felt confident pushing the entire midfield and forward line high up the pitch.
He trusted those two midfielders to press effectively and control the game in the middle and final third. Combined with the front three, it was enough to contain Real Madrid's midfield and backline.
And it worked.
Real Madrid were cautious and conservative. Manchester City were assertive and aggressive.
Just two minutes into the game, Robben received the ball on the right flank, accelerated past Coentrão, cut inside the box, and squared it across. Yaya Touré charged in and fired the first shot of the match from just outside the area.
Moments later, Robben dribbled down the right again, bursting into the corner of the penalty area. He shook off Coentrão, about to cut inside, when the Portuguese full-back slid in, missed the ball, and dragged Robben down.
The referee gave nothing. No penalty. No foul. No simulation.
Two consecutive attacks down City's right immediately put huge pressure on Real Madrid's left.
One of the reasons Robben was able to attack so freely was Zabaleta's support from behind.
This highlighted the difference between Gao Shen and Mourinho.
Mourinho's full-backs rarely pushed forward. Even when they did, it was usually one side at a time.
Gao Shen's system was different.
His full-backs often surged forward.
So here's the question: if Mourinho is reluctant to let his full-backs go forward to maintain defensive stability, how does Gao Shen keep his defense solid with both full-backs pushing up?
Just with pressing up front?
That's not enough.
The key lies in the No. 4 position.
Looking back from 2021, almost every top team has a player filling the No. 4 role.
This isn't just a tribute to Barcelona. Everyone understands its importance.
When Bayern won the Champions League, Javi Martínez filled that role.
When Real Madrid won, first Xabi Alonso, then Casemiro.
Liverpool had Fabinho.
Even teams that weren't as strong used a No. 4. Remember Southampton? Under Pochettino and Koeman, the Saints had back-to-back strong seasons in the Premier League, thanks in part to Schneiderlin.
Schneiderlin was later criticized at Manchester United for dropping too deep and getting too close to the centre-backs.
But that's the role of the No. 4.
Why do it?
Simple: to free up the full-backs.
That's why Atlético Madrid boss Simeone once said the most important position in European football was the full-back.
Real Madrid had Carvajal and Marcelo. Bayern had Alaba and Lahm. Liverpool had Robertson and Alexander-Arnold. Barcelona had Alba and Alves. Juventus had Alex Sandro and Lichtsteiner...
Noticed the pattern?
Both flanks featured full-backs who were better at attacking than defending.
So how do you defend when both full-backs push up?
The answer is the defensive midfielder—your No. 4—drops between the centre-backs to form a back three and hold the line until the full-backs return.
As for the benefits of attacking full-backs? That goes without saying.
This trend wasn't yet mainstream, but more and more people were studying Gao Shen's tactics at Manchester City.
And eventually, it would become a trend again.
Of course, this brings up another tactical question.
If the full-backs push up and the No. 4 drops into the back line to form a three-man defense, what roles do the other two midfielders in the 4-3-3 play?
Just as Gao Shen stood on the touchline thinking, Neuer played a goal kick.
The German keeper sent it long toward the front line.
Suárez had used his body to shield Pepe and tried to win the first ball, but Pepe still got his head to it.
However, the ball still ended up at Manchester City's feet.
(To be continued.)
***
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