Chapter 807: Record Broken

Before this match, no one would have believed that Queens Park Rangers—who had been in good form recently—would collapse so completely.

It was as if, the moment Mark Hughes saw Manchester City's starting lineup, he became convinced that Gao Shen was being too reckless.

But sometimes, that's exactly how things unfold.

In the 43rd minute of the first half, Ferdinand's red card not only gave Manchester City a penalty but also left QPR with ten men for the entire second half.

It was a tactical foul, committed after Van Persie dribbled past him, and referee Atkinson had no hesitation in issuing a straight red.

The Dutchman stepped up and converted the penalty, extending the lead to 6-0.

After the break, with a numerical advantage, Manchester City intensified their attacking pressure.

Mark Hughes made two substitutions at halftime to bolster the defense, but in the 52nd minute, David Luiz scored with a header from a corner to make it 7-0.

In the 60th minute, Suarez found the net again, 8-0.

In the 75th minute, Gareth Bale stepped up and curled in a stunning free kick to make it 9-0.

By this point, most QPR fans in the stands had already left. They couldn't bear to witness such a humiliating defeat at home.

And just when everyone thought it was over, Gao Shen made a series of substitutions. Notably, he took off Suarez and brought on Giroud, clearly signaling his intention to ease off.

After all, 9-0 would equal the biggest margin of victory in Premier League history.

Previously, that record belonged to Manchester United.

On March 4, 1995, Manchester United beat Ipswich Town 9-0.

No one had surpassed that—until now.

It was already impressive enough that Manchester City had matched the record.

But just before full time, QPR conceded a corner.

David Silva delivered it. Jerome Boateng rose to head it across goal, and Giroud, who had just come on, was in the right place to head it home from close range.

10-0!

The record was broken!

"What an unbelievable match!"

Sky Sports' veteran commentator Andy Gray couldn't hide his astonishment as the final whistle blew.

"I really didn't expect Manchester City to hit double digits tonight. This is the first time in Premier League history."

"Mark Hughes is a well-known Premier League manager, but his lineup tonight was overconfident. Especially at the start—trying to attack Manchester City like that? That was absolutely naive."

"Now, QPR must face the consequences of their poor decisions, suffering a humiliating defeat at home. This will be a devastating blow."

"But what impressed me most was Manchester City. 10-0. This match is the best testament to their current dominance."

"Since the start of the season, Manchester City have held top spot in the league, and even though the lead is just five points right now, everyone knows they are the favorites for the title. Unless something drastic happens, it's hard to see another team catching them."

"The real test lies in the packed December schedule."

"As reigning Champions League winners, City will head to Japan to represent Europe at the Club World Cup. Those two matches fall right in the middle of the Premier League's busy Christmas period. A long trip to Japan followed by the festive fixture pile-up will be a huge challenge."

"Before flying to Japan, City must still face Newcastle, who are fourth, as well as Liverpool and Chelsea. In between, they also have two Champions League group matches and a League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal."

"Clearly, if Gao Shen wants to challenge for the title and compete on multiple fronts, there's still a long road ahead."

When referee Atkinson blew the final whistle, Gao Shen stood quietly in front of the away team's dugout, sipping water and looking toward the home team's bench.

After every match, home coaches usually come over to shake hands as a sign of courtesy.

Gao Shen waited for Mark Hughes.

He was quite curious to see what kind of expression Hughes would have at this moment.

Mark Hughes already had a naturally stern face and beard. Now, after losing so badly, he looked downright tragic.

Still, his pride wouldn't let him lower his head.

As he walked over, he even forced a smile, as if to say: "I can still handle this."

Gao Shen wasn't the type to kick someone when they were down.

When Hughes came over, Gao Shen shook his hand politely. But once he walked away, Gao Shen couldn't help but sigh and shake his head.

"What a stubborn and conservative guy!"

There's a saying: Pitiful people often have something hateful about them.

That might not always be true, but in Mark Hughes' case, it fit.

For example, he had always insisted on building teams rooted in traditional English style. Everywhere he went, he relied on, promoted, and signed players with a distinctly English profile.

Take Manchester City. He spent £150 million on transfers, but when Gao Shen took over, there were hardly any players he could use.

Is it because Gao Shen's standards are too high?

Not really.

Even in his previous life, if a player wasn't the right fit, they just weren't the right fit.

From Mark Hughes, you could see the stubborn side of British managers.

But in European football, people like him were destined to be phased out.

Because times change.

It's not just tactics or training methods that evolve. Even the head coach's responsibilities and role within the club are transforming.

A few days ago, Gao Shen went to London for a meeting and met Arsène Wenger. They sat down at a café and had a long conversation.

One of the key topics was data analysis, which Gao Shen had been deeply involved in for years.

Wenger, more than anyone else in the Premier League, had long valued data.

What many don't know is that the earliest attempts at football statistical analysis can be traced back to the 1950s. A former Royal Air Force commander and accountant named Charles Reep began manually recording data from matches.

Today, the Premier League leads all leagues in data analytics.

Why?

Because the Premier League clubs own their stadiums, and their broadcasting technology is the most advanced in the world.

Each stadium has four or five, sometimes up to ten or more, high-angle broadcast cameras, tracking every player on the pitch in real time.

Fans familiar with the Premier League will know: its broadcasts look different from those in other leagues.

Even a dull match feels watchable in the Premier League, whereas similar games in other leagues can be unbearable.

That's thanks to the skilled work of the live broadcast directors, and the sheer volume of quality footage they have access to.

This camera coverage also provides essential data for performance analysis.

As early as the early 2000s, the Premier League was riding the wave of data, led by managers like Ferguson and Sam Allardyce.

Big Sam's success with Bolton in the early years was built on data.

In recent years, Premier League managers have split into two camps: those who embrace data analytics and those clinging to traditional English football.

After all, English football once set the trend in tactics. Who's to say it won't come back?

Mark Hughes clearly belongs to the latter group.

But Gao Shen didn't think people like Hughes could succeed anymore—not just based on his past experience, but also from what he'd seen and learned as a coach over the years.

With the advancement of science and tech, and the increasing influx of capital, football has become more specialized.

The coaching staff around a head coach is bigger and more professional than ever.

Tactics aren't the main responsibility anymore.

The head coach has become more like a project manager, managing departments and personalities.

And in the future, young players will only become harder to manage.

Before, they drank, chased women, and gambled. In the future, they'll be glued to video games, social media, TikTok, and more—full of personality and opinion.

In that kind of environment, the coach's primary job isn't tactical. It's communication.

You can already see signs of this now. You don't need to wait for the future.

So the real question is: Can a coach like Mark Hughes succeed in this environment?

Wenger agreed completely with Gao Shen and offered another perspective: outsourcing.

What did he mean?

When Gao Shen left Real Madrid and joined Napoli, he only had five staff with him. By the time he left Napoli for Manchester City, his entourage had grown to over a dozen—analysts, nutritionists, psychologists, and more.

Wenger felt this was a growing trend.

In the future, coaching teams would operate like outsourcing firms, handling all the club's football operations.

It's an interesting concept.

Gao Shen's team, while referred to as "his staff", all signed contracts with the club. When he left, they left too.

But in the future, if a club hires a coaching company, it becomes a contractual business relationship, not an employment one.

That shift could bring radical changes.

Neither Gao Shen nor Wenger could predict exactly how things would evolve.

Could it end up like the NBA, where superstars influence front office decisions—trades, contracts, even coaches?

All of this kept Gao Shen feeling a constant sense of urgency.

Because he knew one truth above all:

The only constant in this world is change.

If he couldn't keep pace, he too would be swept away.

Just like Mark Hughes tonight.

After the match against QPR, Manchester City disbanded in London.

National team players returned home for international duty. The coaching staff and remaining squad members were given two days off.

Gao Shen also stayed in London.

He had a meeting scheduled—with a heavyweight figure he had long admired.

(To be continued.)