Chapter 694: Iron Tree Blossoms

No one expected that this season's Champions League would produce such a major upset in the group stage.

Inter Milan was all but knocked out, and Real Madrid had also been eliminated.

This immediately triggered heated debate across the world.

In the Group of Death, Inter Milan was in Pot 1, Real Madrid in Pot 2, Schalke 04 in Pot 3, and Manchester City in Pot 4. But after five rounds of group matches, everyone was shocked to find that the group standings had been completely reversed from their UEFA coefficient rankings.

Manchester City now sat at the top of the group and had already qualified as group winners with a clear lead.

And now, the two top-seeded teams had been eliminated before the final round even began.

Many Spanish media outlets, including Marca and AS, criticized Mourinho's team selection and tactical decisions, believing that Real Madrid should have performed better in their home match against Manchester City.

Marca believed that Mourinho had ambitions of competing on both fronts—La Liga and the Champions League—but Real Madrid's squad was not deep enough to support a two-pronged campaign, which led to their elimination in Europe.

From the current standings, Manchester City and Schalke 04 were on track to qualify from the Group of Death.

This shocked the media and fans worldwide.

If Manchester City's massive investment over the past three seasons had significantly strengthened the team, then why did Real Madrid, which had spent just as heavily, crash out in the group stage?

Arrigo Sacchi analyzed the situation in his column, stating that Mourinho had not adapted well to the environment at Real Madrid.

The legendary Italian coach pointed out that when Mourinho coached Porto, Chelsea, and Inter Milan, he heavily emphasized defense, particularly pressing. However, though the philosophy was consistent, the implementation varied significantly.

"In the three clubs before Real Madrid, Mourinho almost never took the initiative to press high. But at Real Madrid, he wanted to play a more modern style and keep pace with the tactical revolution sparked by Gao Shen. So we've seen him start focusing on ball possession, compressing his lines into 25 to 30 meters."

"The more notable shift is that his teams have started to press higher up the pitch."

Sacchi saw this as a sign that Mourinho was genuinely trying to evolve. Of course, this also had to do with Real Madrid's squad makeup and the club's environment, but Mourinho's own desire to improve was key.

"To coach in a top European league, you have to improve every single day. Otherwise, you'll fall behind."

However, this pursuit of evolution inevitably brought new problems.

For example, Mourinho soon found that once he started pressing high, his previously reliable defense began to show cracks. So he began searching for a new balance between pressing and solidity.

Regarding the match against Manchester City, Sacchi felt Mourinho's tactical deployment perfectly reflected this dilemma.

He wanted to win. He tried hard to win. But he lacked confidence in his defense.

This hesitation prevented him from fully committing to attack, keeping him cautious and conservative throughout.

"This can lead to a strange outcome: when facing a weaker team with limited attacking threat, Mourinho's teams often play well and look exciting."

"But when up against teams of equal or slightly stronger strength, he becomes anxious and overly cautious."

Sacchi believed this was natural, but it was something Mourinho had to overcome and resolve.

As for Real Madrid, the biggest issue remained the midfield.

"I watched both matches against Manchester City. When Mourinho wants to initiate a high press, the commitment of the front line is critical. But not all of Real Madrid's attacking players were willing to engage fully, and that was a major problem."

…

At the post-match press conference, Gao Shen also defended Mourinho, saying that the club should give him more time. "I believe Mourinho will be able to build a competitive Real Madrid."

But just after he said this, a Spanish journalist called out, "We hope it's you who will lead Real Madrid! Lead us out of this mess and break the damn curse!"

The press room erupted in an uproar.

This moment quickly spread around the world and became a hot topic among fans and media alike.

Everyone knew Real Madrid had long been pursuing Gao Shen, but this was the first time a journalist had said it so bluntly to his face.

Although Gao Shen refused to comment on the statement, it sparked a massive reaction among Real Madrid supporters.

Many fans flooded Gao Shen's Twitter, reminiscing about the glorious past.

Even King Juan Carlos of Spain made a public statement to the media, declaring that Gao Shen was the head coach who best matched Real Madrid's ideals.

"After the match, I met Florentino outside the box and told him clearly, we must bring Gao Shen back. He is the best coach in the world and the most suitable for Real Madrid."

"I can't reveal exactly what he said to me, but I believe Gao Shen will come back."

"Gao Shen told me that Madrid is his home!"

This left Gao Shen speechless.

While it was true that he saw Madrid as his second home, had he really said that to Juan Carlos?

Damn, this old man was too sly!

You promised me the throne and haven't delivered. Now you're spreading fake quotes about me?

If you weren't the king, and I wasn't afraid of getting into trouble, I'd have given you a beating already, believe it or not?

…

Though the Champions League group stage had become the hottest topic in football, Gao Shen quickly put it behind him.

For Manchester City, the group stage was already settled and no longer mattered.

After returning to the UK, Gao Shen immediately resumed preparations for the upcoming match against Stoke City.

It was the fifteenth round of the Premier League.

Stoke City at home was a notoriously difficult opponent.

Liverpool lost here, and both Manchester United and Tottenham had to fight hard to get anything at the Britannia Stadium.

Gao Shen rotated the squad for this away fixture and faced fierce resistance from Stoke.

The two teams were deadlocked until the second half. Ultimately, thanks to goals from Zabaleta and Suarez, Manchester City scored twice in ten minutes and took all three points.

…

A week later came the 16th round of the Premier League.

Manchester City hosted Bolton at the Etihad.

After getting some rest, Manchester City played with high intensity and rhythm in this match.

Just 24 minutes into the first half, David Silva delivered a corner that Kompany headed into the net.

Twenty minutes later, right before halftime, Robben assisted Suarez to double the lead.

In the 58th minute of the second half, David Silva set up Suarez again, who scored his second goal, extending the scoreline to 3-0.

No one expected that Gareth Bale would assist Javi Martinez for a goal in the 78th minute.

An iron tree blooms!

Who would've thought Javi Martinez would get on the scoresheet?

Five minutes later, David Silva recorded another assist, this time setting up Van Persie for a goal.

In the end, Manchester City defeated Bolton 5-0 at home in a resounding victory.

…

After the Bolton match, Manchester City welcomed Schalke 04 to the Etihad.

Both teams had already qualified for the knockout stage, so the result of this match had no real significance. It wouldn't even affect who finished top of the group.

So, in a relaxed mood, Gao Shen and Magath shook hands and made peace.

In the other match, Real Madrid visited Inter Milan and drew 2-2.

In the end, the Group of Death concluded with Manchester City and Schalke 04 advancing, Real Madrid dropping into the Europa League, and Inter Milan eliminated.

This result stunned the football world.

Who would have believed that Real Madrid, after spending 400 to 500 million euros in just two years, would fail to even make it out of the group?

…

That weekend, in the 17th round of the Premier League, Manchester City traveled south to London to face West Ham United away.

This season, West Ham were managed by former Chelsea boss Avram Grant, who had replaced Mourinho and led Chelsea to a Champions League final. After several moves, he was now at the helm of West Ham.

Unfortunately, West Ham were bottom of the Premier League at the time.

Before the match, Grant tried to lift his players' morale and pledged to give Manchester City a real fight at home.

But in truth, when the match began, West Ham still relied on deep defending and counterattacks.

Their defense couldn't withstand Manchester City's onslaught. Just three minutes in, Yaya Toure struck from outside the box to open the scoring.

In the second half, another long shot from Yaya Toure forced a save from Robert Green, but the goalkeeper failed to hold it, and Suarez pounced on the rebound.

Eight minutes later, Robben scored again to make it 3-0.

At that point, West Ham had completely collapsed.

In the dying minutes, Van Persie added another to seal the win.

Four-nil. Manchester City claimed another dominant win, delivering excellent attacking football.

…

A week later, Manchester City faced Everton in their final game before Christmas.

David Moyes' team had been struggling recently and were sitting 15th in the league, just four points above the relegation zone.

Facing Manchester City away from home, Moyes tried to catch them off guard with an aggressive start. But in the third minute, a long shot from Rakitic deflected off Jagielka and flew into the net past Tim Howard.

Suarez and Leighton Baines scored soon after, making it 3-0 before halftime, effectively killing off the match.

But the biggest surprise came after the break, when Nigerian striker Anichebe picked up two yellow cards in five minutes and was sent off.

That was only the 60th minute.

With half an hour still to play, Manchester City launched wave after wave of attacks. Everton held on tightly, but eventually lost 6-0.

Manchester City thrashed Everton and collected another three points, setting the tone for a busy Christmas and winter schedule.

UEFA also held the draw for the Champions League round of 16 at its headquarters.

(To be continued.)