Gao Shen walked briskly into the meeting room at Valdebebas.
By this time, the players of Real Madrid's first team were already seated, the coaching staff were in position, and everyone was waiting for Gao Shen to arrive.
With a quick glance around the room, Gao Shen noticed that Casemiro, whom he had just met earlier, was also present.
"Okay," he said as he sat down.
As soon as he took his seat, Carlo stepped forward.
Today's meeting was crucial, not only to summarize the previous league match, but also to reflect on issues that had arisen from the international break up to now.
More importantly, it was to lay out the work arrangements for the next two weeks.
After the fifth round of the league, Real Madrid were afforded a rare week of rest. But very soon, the team would face another grueling schedule.
This weekend they would play Deportivo La Coruña, followed by a Champions League match against Porto. Both were home fixtures. But the weekend after that, they would travel to face Barcelona at Camp Nou.
It was clear that starting with the Deportivo match, Real Madrid would no longer have the luxury of slow, in-depth analysis sessions like this one.
Every day from now on would feel like going to war.
Carlo summarized the problems exposed in recent matches, including defensive organization, coordination between passing and movement, and especially player positioning.
Each player's performance, whether in matches or training, is pushed to their mobile phones or tablet apps. Everyone could review it, and just before this meeting, the coaching staff had sent out a combined version.
So now, Carlo was analyzing the issues more from a tactical and collective perspective.
Following Carlo's report, Buenaventura, Pintus, Llopis, and others shared their analysis based on their respective responsibilities and highlighted current issues within the team.
Buenaventura, who also oversees rehabilitation and physiotherapy, focused on injuries.
At present, Real Madrid had no major injuries or absences, but vigilance was still required.
Injuries are inevitable for professional players, but precautions must be taken, especially for key players.
Buenaventura was satisfied with the current injury status, but emphasized that some players needed to work more closely with the coaching and medical staff.
Zidane and Hierro were in charge of specialized individual training. Zidane focused on personal skills, shooting technique, and free kicks—such as shooting drills for Jesé, Morata, and others, and direct free-kick training for Ronaldo.
Although Hierro was famous for playing center-back, he was in fact a very well-rounded player with high football IQ. His training for midfielders and defenders focused mainly on imparting experience. Even Ramos, Pepe, and Varane held great respect for him.
As usual, Gao Shen walked forward calmly after all his assistants had finished speaking.
…
"As you all know, we are currently four points behind Barcelona in the league."
Gao Shen said this very calmly. It was clear that this gap was still within his acceptable range.
"If we drop more points, especially at Camp Nou, the gap could become seven points. At that point, the situation will be completely different. The pressure on us will be much greater, and the games will be much harder."
Everyone in the room nodded in agreement.
If the gap widened, pressure would come from all directions. Under intense pressure, problems would be exposed, and even relationships could start to break down.
This happens to every team. Many teams function well when they win, but fall apart as soon as they lose.
"So, no matter how we look at it, we cannot afford to lose at Camp Nou."
This was the harsh reality.
"As for the Champions League, no one can say how the two matches against Manchester City will turn out. You've all experienced Dortmund's strength. But I can tell you with certainty, Manchester City are stronger than Dortmund. Much stronger. No one knows that team better than I do."
"When the media were celebrating City's loss in Portugal, I was more concerned. Because I know that team. That defeat will only make them more desperate in the remaining games, which is a dangerous situation."
Porto was clearly the weakest team in this group of death.
Whether Manchester City were careless or simply caught off guard, their loss to Porto would now force them to focus fully on the rest of the group stage.
That's bad news for both Real Madrid and Dortmund.
"So, we absolutely cannot lose the match against Porto."
Once again, the players nodded.
"I don't need to say much about the match against Deportivo La Coruña. We must win to avoid falling further behind Barcelona. So, the bottom line is this—we have to win all three of our next matches!"
The pressure was intense.
Deportivo was manageable, but Porto and Barcelona would be tough, and even Real Madrid had no guarantees of beating them.
Especially when facing Barcelona at Camp Nou, where the odds were stacked against them.
"I've faced Barcelona many times. When you play at Camp Nou, the most important factors are form and physical condition. So in the next two games against Deportivo and Porto, we must rotate. Especially in the match against Deportivo."
Given the physical limits of professional footballers, it was unrealistic to expect them to give 100% and maintain form across three high-level matches in one week.
In fact, in the eyes of many media outlets, winning all three matches in a row was almost impossible.
"In the next week, I'll closely monitor your performances and build the starting lineups based on your condition and form. I hope each of you will fully cooperate with the coaching staff and give your best in training."
As he said this, Gao Shen's eyes swept over the room.
The players looked back at their head coach.
Casemiro quickly looked down after making brief eye contact with Gao Shen.
The Brazilian midfielder knew that Gao Shen had promised him a starting spot, but also asked him to earn it through effort in training.
If he performed well against Deportivo, he might get the chance to play in the Champions League, and even in El Clásico.
Xabi Alonso was carrying some minor injuries.
At present, Real Madrid didn't have many players who could fill his role. Modrić and Toni Kroos weren't first-choice options for that position. Casemiro and Raúl Albiol could both play there, and even Ramos and Pepe could deputize in emergencies.
But clearly, Casemiro had the best chance now.
That thought filled him with motivation.
However, this was a private agreement between him and the coach. No one else knew.
"Everyone, I'll say it again—stay relaxed, stay focused, stay committed. Believe in me and believe in the coaching staff. We can overcome any obstacle. That's my promise!"
Gao Shen's words gave the players great confidence.
As the most successful head coach in world football, what was more convincing than a promise from Gao Shen?
Externally, Gao Shen barred the media from his work. But inside the team, everything was relatively transparent.
This helped the players fully understand the coaches' thinking and intentions, making them more willing to follow.
…
Deportivo La Coruña had just been promoted to La Liga this season, but their performances so far were respectable. They were currently 10th in the league. In their first five rounds, they had one win, three draws, and one loss, scoring seven goals and conceding seven.
Their results included a 2-0 home win over Osasuna, a 3-3 away draw with Valencia, and a 0-2 home loss to Sevilla in the most recent round.
This kind of form, especially defensively, placed them fairly high among La Liga sides.
Their head coach, José Luis Oltra, was 43 and from Valencia. He made his name at Tenerife and later managed Almería to stabilize their season.
After taking over Deportivo last season, he led them to win the Segunda División and secure promotion to La Liga. He was retained this season.
Based on last season's title win, Deportivo were especially strong at home, though their away form was weaker. Their attacking play was decent, while defense was a bit vulnerable. However, they had brought in veteran Carlos Marchena from Villarreal and a few others to strengthen the back line.
Their most used formation was 4-2-3-1, a tried and tested system.
Their current striker was Ricky, a former Real Madrid academy product.
Interestingly, Real Madrid have always produced quality strikers—Morientes, Morata, Joselu, Negredo, Soldado, and now Ricky.
"As usual, they'll likely build around Ricky," Carlo analyzed.
In a 4-2-3-1 system, the striker still plays a central role.
Gao Shen nodded. "Have the center-back step out and press him."
"Should we start Varane?" Zidane asked with concern.
After all, Zidane was the one who had brought the young French defender to Real Madrid.
Gao Shen nodded. "This kid needs more opportunities. We also need to be patient. We can't discourage him. This match is at home, so there won't be much defensive pressure. Give him more chances to build confidence, and let Ramos rest."
Zidane had no objections.
"If Varane starts, then Albiol will be on the bench," Hierro said, a bit helplessly.
Pairing Albiol and Varane carried risk.
Albiol was a good passer, but average in one-on-one defense. Varane was still too young and might struggle against a striker like Ricky.
The other center-back should be Pepe.
"I've spoken to him. After this stretch, I'll give him more chances," Gao Shen explained.
Only two center-backs could start each game. Of course, he had to choose the most suitable.
Varane was a truly promising young talent.
"On the right, I'm planning to start Carvajal and push forward."
In this match, Real Madrid needed to rotate the midfield. If Arbeloa started on the right, there wouldn't be enough attacking threat.
"In the next training session, pair Di María and Carvajal more often to build chemistry," Gao Shen instructed.
Carlo nodded in agreement.
(To be continued.)