"Remember, don't become the second Arsenal!"
On the morning of May 14, inside an upscale manor hotel in the northwest suburbs of London, during Manchester City's pre-match tactical meeting, Gao Shen gave his players a stern reminder.
Standing beside him, assistant coach Brian Kidd had a strange look on his face. He wanted to laugh but held it in.
Unlucky Arsenal had once again become the negative example.
Fortunately, it was only said behind closed doors. If Wenger heard it, he would probably be furious.
He might even take back the Colney training base.
No more borrowing!
The reason Arsenal was brought up was because of their League Cup final against Birmingham earlier this season.
The whole world thought the Gunners had that trophy in the bag.
But who would've thought they'd lose?
Sometimes it's truly unbelievable. Losing to Birmingham in a final continued Arsenal's long-standing tradition of coming up short, as if Wenger's team was determined to maintain their trophy drought to the very end.
Ahead of this FA Cup final, Manchester City were undoubtedly the top favorites.
Not just because they had already beaten Manchester United four times this season, but also because United were in complete disarray.
The story is quite something.
United's chaos stemmed from Giggs.
News of the Welsh player's scandal had already made headlines. At first, the media and fans treated it as a bit of juicy gossip, but the hype soon died down.
After all, Giggs was nearing retirement.
The real issue was with his sister-in-law, Natasha.
Her explosive revelations in News of the World sent shockwaves across the globe.
It turned out that behind Giggs' affair was a far more outrageous scandal. The key detail? It had lasted eight years. That was beyond shocking!
All taboos suddenly became headline material, and public opinion exploded overnight.
Within a few days, Natasha kept revealing more and more through News of the World.
According to Daily Mail, she earned up to £500,000 just from those disclosures.
That's pocket change to a superstar like Giggs. But to an ordinary person, it's a massive amount. Especially when you consider that Giggs had only given Natasha £500 for an abortion.
Now, paparazzi across the UK were swarming like sharks that smelled blood. They wanted a piece of the action, digging up more about Giggs' mistresses.
This sort of thing isn't unusual in the football world.
Professional football is a world of fame and fortune. Any woman who gets involved with a star player instantly becomes high-profile, appearing on front pages and attracting major attention.
Players don't think much of it either. First, at this age, their physical condition is better than most people's and they don't break easily. Second, as long as they perform on the pitch, no one cares about their private life.
As long as it's legal, it's fine.
Morality?
That's only for ordinary people. For top-level footballers, especially those in elite leagues, morality is the rarest luxury.
Besides, fans don't care how many women you've been with. They only care about your form.
The media?
They'll stir things up for a while, but it'll pass. Sometimes, these scandals even increase a player's market value.
But this time, Giggs went too far. This was his brother's wife. That made it worse than John Terry's scandal with a teammate's partner. The backlash inside and outside Manchester United was intense.
Sources said that Ferguson was furious.
And that, indirectly, helped Manchester City.
…
"This season, we've played Manchester United four times and won all four. Like I said before, beating United five times in one season is an unprecedented feat."
"So, in this FA Cup final, I want you all to be in your best form. I want to see your best performance. I want to see that FA Cup trophy after the match!"
The players nodded in response.
At this point, nothing more needed to be said. The players understood the importance.
This treble would be the first in Manchester City's history, and only the second in the history of English football.
More importantly, the club's management had offered generous championship bonuses.
In addition to individual rewards, Manchester City's bonus scheme included extra payouts for a domestic double, treble, and even quadruple. It was incredibly generous.
So whether for glory or money, the players would go all out.
This season, Manchester City had beaten Manchester United four times. In some games, Ferguson went on the offensive from the start. In others, he was more cautious. But regardless of United's approach, City always responded with a steady start.
They advanced step by step, exuding the calm and confidence of a powerhouse.
This was seen by the media and fans as a sign of Manchester City's maturity and evolution.
This time, Gao Shen once again emphasized the importance of a steady start.
In their last visit to Old Trafford, United had a scoring opportunity. Gao Shen reminded his players that such mistakes must not be repeated.
"No matter how Manchester United plays, they'll rely on defensive counterattacks in the end. We have the strength to dominate the game, especially in terms of possession. We must control the tempo and press them hard."
Gao Shen also shared a bit of inside info: Giggs didn't travel south with the team.
Obviously, he wasn't fit to play, and his absence would further limit United.
If nothing unexpected happened, United would either remove Park Ji-sung, move Sneijder to the wing, and play Anderson or Fletcher in midfield...
The aim would be to bolster midfield interception and defense, though it would hurt creativity and wing play.
It was also possible they'd stick to the previous setup, with Park Ji-sung on the left and Sneijder, Carrick, and Lass Diarra in midfield. They might even swap Sneijder for a more defensive midfielder.
In that case, United would be placing all their bets on counterattacking chances.
Ferguson isn't the type to rely on his opponents' mistakes, so Gao Shen guessed he wouldn't bench Sneijder.
The most unpredictable part was the back line.
Evra was fine on the left, but the right was problematic.
Fabio wasn't consistent, and both O'Shea and Smalling had been torched by Gareth Bale. So what now?
Gao Shen now fully understood what it meant to crush an opponent with a higher level of strength.
This time, Gao Shen intended to stick with a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Goalkeeper: Neuer.
Defenders: Leighton Baines, David Luiz, Jerome Boateng, and Zabaleta.
Holding midfielders: Fernandinho and Yaya Touré.
Attacking trio: Gareth Bale, Hazard, and Robben.
Striker: Robin van Persie.
This lineup had carried them through the league and cup this season. The reason they made it to the FA Cup final was thanks to their performance. You can't expect them to collapse in the final, right?
But against Manchester United, Gao Shen still had to go with his strongest XI. That meant Bale and Robben on the wings. It didn't matter if Van Persie or Suárez started up front. Both were among the best strikers this season.
The real concern was still Leighton Baines and Jerome Boateng.
Baines would face Valencia, and Gao Shen was well aware of how fast the Ecuadorian winger was.
Ferguson even preferred him over Nani. That showed the level of trust.
Boateng had improved a lot, but problems remained. He had to be cautious against Rooney.
Still, Gao Shen couldn't bench him. His recent performances had been solid.
Sometimes, when a coach selects his lineup, it's not just about picking the best players. It's also about keeping the dressing room united and maintaining morale.
…
After laying out everything, Gao Shen also tried to ease the players' nerves.
"In short, eat well, drink well, and take a nap today. Get plenty of rest and relax. As for the match this afternoon, just treat it as a trip to Wembley to bring back the FA Cup. That's all there is to it!"
In the end, Gao Shen took a light-hearted tone to reassure everyone.
The players couldn't help laughing.
If only it were that easy!
But hearing the head coach say it like that, the pressure suddenly felt much lighter.
Manchester City did have the upper hand. As long as they played to their usual standard, winning the trophy wouldn't be an issue.
Gao Shen observed their expressions and reactions but didn't mind.
"By the way, when we get back to Manchester tonight, we should have a meal together. Where should we go?"
After asking, he casually pulled out a chair and sat down, arms and legs spread out, letting everyone voice their opinions.
"The barbecue place we went to last time was pretty good." David Luiz, who knew Gao Shen well, was the first to speak up.
"I'm not a big fan of barbecue. I think that Chinese restaurant the boss took us to was nice."
"Chinese food sounds good. I vote for that."
"I think we should have Western food. Barbecue is fine. Or... McDonald's?"
"Damn, can you aim higher? McDonald's after winning the cup? Trying to outshine Giggs in the headlines?"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Anyway, it was just a private chat. No one would leak it. There was no need to be afraid of offending anyone.
"Then, as usual, let's vote by raising hands!" Captain Kompany said.
Everyone agreed and quickly started casting their votes.
The room erupted into lively chatter. Everyone was focused on food.
The FA Cup final? They seemed to have forgotten all about it.
(To be continued.)
***
For every 200 PS = 1 extra chapter. Support me on patreon to read 30+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/Blownleaves.