The international players had not yet returned to the squad, but Manchester City's Carrington training base was already bustling with activity.
Aside from the players who stayed behind, several internationals who were stationed closer to home had already begun returning to the team one after another.
Gareth Bale, for example.
The Welshman was always among the first to report back. In addition to training with the remaining squad, he consistently increased his personal training load. According to Buenaventura and Pintus, Bale had specifically requested additional training.
The benefit of this was clear. Gareth Bale's physical condition had significantly improved compared to when he first arrived at Manchester City.
Especially when he took off his jersey—his muscular physique was striking and left a strong impression on everyone.
Last season, on the left flank, Gao Shen had actually favored Hazard a bit more. The Belgian winger also worked incredibly hard, particularly excelling in physical conditioning, which had made him stand out and allowed him to suppress Robinho's position in the squad.
But Gareth Bale's performance had been far from disappointing.
This season, Gao Shen was even forced to make adjustments, moving Robinho to the right.
The left wing became a fierce competition between Hazard and Gareth Bale, leaving even Sturridge with few opportunities to feature.
Gao Shen's usage of these two players was also different.
Hazard possessed excellent dribbling ability, somewhat reminiscent of Messi. He was suited for breaking down stubborn defenses.
Gareth Bale, on the other hand, was incredibly fast, physically dominant, and explosively powerful. When given space, he was like a dragon-slaying sword, always capable of slicing through defenses to create chances.
More importantly, Bale had started his career as a full-back. His defensive abilities and willingness to track back were both very strong.
Because of this, in many high-stakes matches, Gao Shen actually preferred to start Gareth Bale.
Simply because he was so effective.
On top of that, Gareth Bale had a powerful scoring ability from the left side of the penalty area, with solid technique and remarkable efficiency.
It could be said that as long as you created opportunities for him in that zone, he would always find a way to score.
Among wingers, there were truly not many who could consistently cut inside and finish as decisively as he could.
With such clear strengths, natural talent, and a strong work ethic, it was hard for Gao Shen not to rely on him.
Just like now.
The team had finished training and most players had left Carrington, but Gareth Bale remained on the field, practicing free kicks and shooting alone.
This was a requirement Gao Shen had set for him, and there would be no compromise.
Many people had asked Gao Shen why Bale could always score from that specific zone.
The answer was right here!
…
"Gareth!"
Gao Shen carried two chairs to the entrance of the training building and brought over a few bottles of water. Then he called out to Gareth Bale and waved him over.
The Welshman had just finished his extra training session. He was sweating heavily and panting, but when he heard Gao Shen call him, he immediately jogged over.
"Boss, you were looking for me?"
Ever since the match against Manchester United last season, Bale had held deep admiration for Gao Shen. His tone was always polite and full of respect.
"Sit down, have some water." Gao Shen pointed to a chair and handed him a bottle.
Bale grinned, unscrewed the cap, and drank the water down in one go.
Gao Shen sat next to him, looking at his sweat-soaked body. He could clearly feel the explosive strength hidden within Bale's bulging muscles, something that could never be achieved through talent alone. It was the result of tireless effort.
Back then, Real Madrid's decision to pay 100 million euros for Gareth Bale had not been a joke.
If Bale could stay healthy, steadily develop, and maintain his progress, Gao Shen truly believed that his future potential was limitless.
Unfortunately, in his previous life, Bale's move to Real Madrid had not been the wisest choice.
The main issue was that Real Madrid already had Cristiano Ronaldo dominating the left flank.
No matter how great Bale's potential was, Ronaldo's superstar status at Real Madrid was untouchable.
What's more, Bale was one of the rare players whose performance on the right side was not as effective as on the left. Combined with frequent injuries, his development at Real Madrid had ultimately fallen short of expectations.
But right now, looking at Bale's powerful physique, Gao Shen couldn't help but feel admiration.
No top superstar achieves success purely through talent alone.
Even someone as naturally gifted as Messi had put in unimaginable effort.
Because hard work and dedication are also part of what makes up talent.
For players like Ronaldo and Bale, success achieved through relentless effort is a big part of their appeal.
Gao Shen even felt that this was the point that resonated most with ordinary people.
Rare geniuses like Messi and Maradona were undoubtedly extraordinary, but their brilliance often felt out of reach to the average person.
Ronaldo and Bale represented what everyday people could aspire to become.
In Gao Shen's previous life, many fans used to argue over who was better: Messi or Ronaldo?
In truth, there was no need for such debates.
The two represented two different extremes and both were the best in their own way.
Now, Gao Shen wanted to personally train Gareth Bale and see if, by staying at Manchester City instead of moving to Real Madrid, Bale could achieve even greater heights than in his previous life.
…
"How have you been feeling lately?" Gao Shen asked casually.
Bale's eyes lit up. "Very good. Really good."
Gao Shen smiled. "I saw you hit a nice free kick just now."
"The accuracy and consistency still aren't where they need to be," Bale replied honestly.
Gao Shen nodded. Free kicks were a skill that required painstaking practice, and even then, the success rate in actual matches was often not high.
Many players were accurate in training but struggled to replicate that under match pressure and environmental factors.
"Do you know Maicon?" Gao Shen asked, steering the conversation directly to the point.
"Maicon? Of course. The world's number one right-back. Very strong," Bale replied.
Real Madrid had come close to signing Maicon from Inter Milan this summer, but the two clubs failed to agree on a price.
Whether that was a blessing or a curse for Maicon remained to be seen.
"Are you confident going up against him?" Gao Shen asked seriously.
"Me?" Bale was a little surprised.
"Yes. One-on-one. I'll give you the space to sprint. Do you have the confidence?" Gao Shen repeated, his tone serious.
Bale immediately understood what his coach meant.
This was Gao Shen hinting that he would be starting against Inter Milan.
For any Manchester City player, this was a huge opportunity.
The competition for starting spots this season was incredibly fierce. Almost every position had two capable players competing for it.
If you could perform well in a key match, it would undoubtedly give you the upper hand in the battle for playing time.
More importantly, Bale was still considered an underdog in this competition.
"If it's one-on-one, I'm confident!" Bale answered firmly, his tone filled with determination.
After all, wasn't this exactly why he had been training so hard? To seize the opportunity when it came?
Now, the opportunity was right in front of him.
Gao Shen nodded. "Good."
After a short pause, he continued, "I'll have Lucas prepare a detailed scouting report and video analysis on Maicon and Inter Milan. Study it carefully. When the time comes, our attack will focus on your side."
Bale could feel the trust and expectations Gao Shen had placed on him. He nodded repeatedly.
"Don't worry, Boss. I won't let you down."
Gao Shen smiled and nodded.
…
Watching Bale jog back toward the locker room, Gao Shen remained seated, leaning back in his chair, gazing at the sunset that had quietly dipped below the horizon.
People often say that the sunset is beautiful because it signals the end of the day.
But Gao Shen felt that for him, everything was just beginning.
Times had changed. People had changed. Tactics had changed. Everything had changed.
But some things would never change.
For instance, Gareth Bale was even stronger and more confident now than he had been at this stage in Gao Shen's previous life.
There was no Benítez using a high-line 4-2-3-1 this time. Instead, Inter Milan had Leonardo and his offensive-minded football.
More importantly, Gao Shen was determined to create as many one-on-one opportunities as possible for Bale to face Maicon.
If the conditions existed, he would use them. If they didn't, he would create them.
Either way, he just wanted Bale to take down Maicon.
He wanted to see if anyone could stop him.
Thinking of this, Gao Shen felt a wave of pride swell inside him.
As a time traveler, he was often trapped by the memories of his previous life.
But he wanted to break free from that past and rewrite everything.
No one could stop him!
…
Three days after the international players returned to the squad, Manchester City set out for their next away match.
In the eighth round of the Premier League, Manchester City were set to face Blackpool away from home.
Gao Shen again implemented a large rotation, keeping all the South American internationals on the bench.
Manchester City played poorly throughout the first half and failed to break through Blackpool's defense.
It wasn't until the 67th minute of the second half that Van Persie scored to give Manchester City the lead.
But shortly after, Haywood equalized for Blackpool following a mistake from Gary Cahill.
However, just one minute later, Sturridge put City back in front, and then Hazard added another goal.
In the end, Manchester City defeated Blackpool 3-1.
Elsewhere in the league, Manchester United drew 2-2 at home against West Bromwich Albion. Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw away at Aston Villa, while Liverpool lost 2-0 to their city rivals Everton.
Only Manchester City and Arsenal managed to win this round, with Arsenal coming from behind to beat Birmingham 2-1.
Gao Shen's team remained as stable as ever, while Wenger's Arsenal showed a rare bit of grit.
Many believed that if Wenger's team could maintain this fighting spirit, they still had a chance to achieve something this season.
As for Manchester City, with eight consecutive wins in the Premier League, they had once again cemented their status as the top title contenders.
Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool were beginning to fall behind, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for them to shake Manchester City's dominance in the league.
After the match against Blackpool, Gao Shen did not return to Manchester with the team. Instead, he traveled to Italy with Lucas and Sarri.
(To be continued.)