Real Madrid's 6-0 victory over Granada was met with thunderous applause from the home fans.
After three rounds of La Liga, Real Madrid had two wins and one draw, remaining unbeaten. Their performances were unanimously praised by the Spanish media.
Whether it was AS, Marca, or a variety of neutral outlets, all were impressed by the powerful attacking football displayed by Real Madrid under Gao Shen. Most agreed that Los Blancos deserved to be considered the top favorites for the La Liga title this season.
However, many outlets also pointed out that Real Madrid currently looked a bit like a "home bully."
Both of their wins came at the Bernabéu, while their away performance against Getafe was clearly lacking.
While Real Madrid sat on seven points after three matches, Barcelona had won all three and led the table by two points.
According to the Catalan media, Barcelona had taken the early initiative.
After the Granada match, Gao Shen stoked the fires of psychological warfare by declaring, "We'll take those two points back at Camp Nou!"
That was unmistakably a declaration of war against Barcelona.
As the Spanish football world buzzed with anticipation, La Liga entered a break for two weeks of international matches.
As usual, UEFA held its annual elite coaches' summit in Nyon, Switzerland during the international break. But Gao Shen didn't attend. It wasn't due to any dissatisfaction with UEFA, but simply because he missed his wife.
Since leaving the UK and arriving in Madrid in early July, Gao Shen hadn't seen Su Qing in two months.
Although he knew that both his mother and mother-in-law were taking great care of her back in Cheshire, he still felt uneasy.
Now that there was a rare break, he certainly wasn't going to choose an elite coaching summit over reuniting with his wife.
So once the national team players were released, Real Madrid entered a break as well.
Even those not called up for international duty…
Well, in truth, almost every player in Real Madrid's first team had national team responsibilities.
Even Courtois had been called up by Belgium.
Jesé, Morata, and others were also selected for Spain's youth national teams.
By the way, the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup would be held in Turkey, and several Real Madrid players were participating.
The only relatively free players were the likes of Granero and Kaká. Still, the coaching staff granted them two days off.
…
It was already midnight when Gao Shen finished his work at Valdebebas.
He stayed overnight at a hotel in Madrid, then took the earliest flight the next morning, flying directly from Madrid to Manchester.
After a two-and-a-half-hour flight, he landed in Manchester shortly before 10 a.m. local time.
Although Gao Shen had firmly insisted that Su Qing shouldn't pick him up at the airport, she still came.
Not only did she come, she also brought along his mother, Zhang Wenying, and his mother-in-law, Lin Xiuhui.
They didn't want Su Qing driving alone while pregnant.
After two months apart, Su Qing looked just the same. The only noticeable change was that her shoulder-length hair had been cut short to ear level. She looked neater, and her temperament had subtly shifted.
"You've lost weight."
As soon as Su Qing saw Gao Shen, she noticed he looked thinner.
"How could that be? I eat well, drink well, and sleep well in Madrid. How would I lose weight?" Gao Shen laughed. "But you haven't gained any weight either, so why do you keep saying you're fat?"
Su Qing sighed and tossed him the car keys, gesturing for him to drive. She walked over to the passenger seat.
She was more than three months pregnant, but her belly wasn't showing yet — not visibly at least.
Gao Shen felt she was just overly self-conscious about her body. In reality, she hadn't changed much.
A little rounder maybe — and that was a good thing.
However, during the short drive back, he got an earful from his mother and mother-in-law.
The issue? Su Qing wasn't "cooperating."
For example, pregnant women were supposed to eat more nourishing food.
The two mothers made a detailed plan and immediately had the best bird's nests, ginseng, and other health supplements shipped in from China. They spared no expense.
And the result?
Su Qing insisted, "That's not scientific!"
That set both mothers off. "What science? We've had children before. You think you know more than we do?"
There were also opinions about postpartum confinement and a whole set of traditional practices.
Apparently, they had already prepared a mountain of supplies for the baby, enough to fill an entire room.
It made sense. The two women were retired, had money, and plenty of free time. They had to find something to occupy themselves.
Most amusing of all, they always bought everything in pairs.
Why?
Because no one knew whether the baby would be a boy or girl.
So of course, they had to be prepared for both.
Wasteful?
Absolutely not.
Even if they had a second child, the items would still come in handy.
Just from the short ride from the airport to Cheshire, Gao Shen completely understood the "despair" Su Qing had been expressing.
"Do you feel my pain now? Save me, my hero — get me out of this abyss!" her eyes seemed to plead.
Sorry, madam. This is a battle I cannot win!
…
In fact, Gao Shen and Su Qing both understood.
Both mothers were fairly traditional Chinese women. Though educated, they had spent most of their lives in smaller cities and had only recently moved to more developed areas. Many of their values were still very conservative.
Most obviously, they both instinctively saw the man as the head of the household.
So in the car, they kept asking Gao Shen for his opinion.
He didn't claim to be an expert, but he believed in trusting professionals.
"Leeds United has professional nutritionists — some of them are university professors. They're highly qualified. It's best to follow their professional advice." Gao Shen started by echoing the elders and gently "criticized" Su Qing, then shifted sides to support his wife.
Both mothers nodded in agreement.
"You hear that? Gao Shen knows what he's talking about, but you're always so stubborn," Su Qing's mother, Lin Xiuhui, teased.
Su Qing nearly burst into tears.
Was this her biological mother?
Hadn't she just said earlier that it was better to rely on traditional wisdom? What happened to that?
How could foreigners understand Chinese bodies?
Now she's switching sides?
But of course, these were just happy complaints.
Overall, both mothers were taking excellent care of Su Qing. Seeing that, Gao Shen felt much more at ease.
Su Qing didn't want to be separated from Gao Shen again, so during the drive she asked about their house in Madrid.
The house had already been found. Gao Shen had visited it personally and thought it was a great fit. It was near Zidane's home, spacious, and designed in a style both he and Su Qing liked. It just needed some renovations and the garden needed work.
All of that had already been contracted out to professional companies, including post-renovation cleaning.
After all, with a pregnant woman and a child living there, Gao Shen placed great importance on health and environmental safety.
It would take a bit more time, but it was worth it.
…
The Premier League had just kicked off with three rounds played, but one dark horse had already emerged.
That was Leeds United.
Their explosive form surprised not only the fans, but even Gao Shen and the club's executives.
Just how crazy was it?
According to the initial plan by Gao Shen, Lucas, Borrell, Sarri, and the others, Leeds United's main attacking focus this season was supposed to be on the left flank — the side of Coutinho, Pogba, and Kurzawa.
The midfield trio consisted of Pogba, Allan, and Jorginho.
Sarri had been carefully developing this setup, and it had begun to show promise.
Leeds faced a brutal schedule to start the season: hosting Liverpool, away to Tottenham, then back home against Everton. All three opponents were among the top Premier League sides.
Many pundits predicted a rough start for Leeds, with some even forecasting an early slide into the relegation zone.
But who would've guessed…
In the first round, Leeds hosted Liverpool.
It was a spectacular match.
Sarri's side was evenly matched with Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool in the first half. Then, in the 43rd minute, Pogba assisted Coutinho to open the scoring.
Shortly after, Liverpool center-back Agger fouled Icardi in the box and was shown a straight red card. Icardi converted the penalty himself to make it 2-0.
Leeds then launched wave after wave of attacks. Just four minutes later, Icardi assisted Salah to make it 3-0.
In the end, Leeds United beat Liverpool 3-0 at Elland Road.
If the first match was a stunning upset, the second showed the team's resilience.
At White Hart Lane, Leeds fought tooth and nail with Tottenham. They fell behind in the 74th minute when Hector opened the scoring for Spurs, but late in the match, Pogba equalized with a powerful strike from deep.
A week later, back at Elland Road, Leeds hosted David Moyes' Everton.
The game remained goalless for over an hour. In the 65th minute, Salah, who came off the bench, broke through on the right and assisted Icardi for the opener.
Then, in the 82nd minute, Koulibaly headed home from a corner after Kondogbia won the initial header.
2-0, Leeds beat Everton.
Before the September international break, three Premier League rounds had been played. Leeds United recorded two wins and one draw, earning seven points. With a +5 goal difference, they stood third in the table.
Each of the three games was a tough test, but they came through all of them with points.
Chelsea led the table, Swansea were second, and Leeds sat third.
Just below them were Manchester City and Manchester United.
In other words, the White Rose had leapfrogged both Manchester giants in the standings.
No one expected Leeds United to stay in the top three all season — their overall strength had limits. But after just three matches, to sit third in the Premier League as a newly promoted side, especially after facing Liverpool, Tottenham, and Everton… it was an incredible achievement.
Another newly promoted team, West Ham United, was in seventh place. Reading, however, was already sinking toward the relegation zone.
But Leeds United's stunning start had already caught the attention of the entire Premier League — and even European football.
(To be continued.)
***
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