Sometimes, Gao Shen feels that coaching is like playing a football manager game.
Players who are familiar with the game mechanics know that the outcome of a match has already been calculated by the system the moment you click to start.
After that, everything you see is just the result of that calculation.
By the same token, there is a saying in European football:
The moment you step onto the pitch, the outcome of the game has already been decided.
Everything else happens outside the competition itself.
Ferguson also made very careful preparations for this game.
For example, everyone knows that Michael Carrick is crucial to Manchester United and is the soul of their midfield.
Schneiderlin once played as a single defensive midfielder at Leeds United, but that was Leeds. Things were very different after he joined Manchester United.
The French midfielder was used more as a ball-winner in midfield, while it was actually Carrick who sat deeper.
Sneijder was responsible for passing further forward, but it was Carrick who organized and directed the attack.
Such an outstanding midfielder is seriously underestimated by the outside world.
But he is already 31 years old.
Aging is a serious problem facing Manchester United, and Ferguson could not ignore it.
Visiting the Bernabéu to challenge Real Madrid, Ferguson dared not be careless at all. Managing the veterans' workload and conserving their energy became an important issue for him.
On February 2, Carrick played the full 90 minutes in Manchester United's 1-0 away win against Fulham.
Later that week, England had scheduled a friendly against Brazil. As an England international, Carrick was called up by Hodgson, but Ferguson personally phoned the England manager and persuaded him otherwise.
Carrick did not feature in that friendly, and he did not even report to the national team.
On February 10, in United's match against Everton, Carrick came on as a substitute for just half an hour.
It was clear Ferguson only wanted him to warm up and get back into rhythm, not to overexert himself.
All of this was preparation for the battle at the Bernabéu.
Even tonight, in the second half, when Ferguson replaced Sneijder with Giggs, it was not only to further strengthen Ronaldo's containment on the right but also to share the workload of Carrick.
Unlike Carrick, the 32-year-old Evra had played the entire France vs Germany match. He had also featured against both Fulham and Everton because Manchester United had no other reliable option on the left.
On one hand, the veteran Evra was playing too intensively and expending a lot of energy. On the other hand, Real Madrid's right flank pairing of Di Maria and Carvajal was becoming increasingly dangerous, their combination sharper and more fluid with each attack. This made Ferguson clearly aware of the danger on that side.
Carrick alone could not cover it.
So in the first half, Ferguson had gone with Sneijder, hoping for a goal.
In the second half, when Real Madrid kept targeting United's left flank, with Gao Shen frequently urging Modric forward to link up with Di Maria and Carvajal, Ferguson had no choice but to adjust.
Giggs moved up to contain the right side, while Schneiderlin shifted left to support Carrick and Evra.
As a result, the game went back to a stalemate.
But United's midfield had completely lost its sharpness.
Of course, even then, breaking through their defense was no easy task for Real Madrid.
Gao Shen kept waiting, letting his players continuously wear down the opposition.
Real Madrid's players had both technical and physical superiority. They were younger, in better condition, were playing at home, and had enjoyed one more day of rest than United. All of this gave them the edge in a battle of attrition.
Gao Shen believed that sooner or later cracks would appear in United's iron wall, and opportunities would come.
Only then would it be time to make substitutions.
…
After sixty minutes, Ferguson could no longer sit still.
Others might not have noticed, but he understood Gao Shen's plan better than anyone.
It was an open strategy, not even hidden, and they were not afraid of Ferguson realizing it.
United's current problem was a troubling one: their players were aging, and they were at a disadvantage in a game that came down to stamina.
Ferguson could have substituted Smalling for Evra, but he could not be certain the defense would hold together after the change.
Sometimes it happens like this. Before a substitution, the defense looks stable, but after the change, the rhythm is disrupted. Not only does it fail to solve the problem, but it can also create even bigger ones.
Meanwhile, on Real Madrid's bench, players kept warming up.
This was also part of the strategy.
It put pressure on Ferguson, keeping him guessing about Real Madrid's substitutions.
This damn kid is getting more and more cunning.
Ferguson was so angry his teeth hurt.
On the pitch, Real Madrid probed repeatedly on both wings, keeping United's players on edge and nervous.
In the first half, Real Madrid had already taken 15 shots. And Manchester United?
Just 4.
In the second half, Real Madrid's constant pressure made Ferguson realize the crisis was far from over.
Even worse, after 65 minutes, Gao Shen still showed no intention of making substitutions.
This gave Ferguson a headache.
The initiative was no longer in Manchester United's hands. It was firmly controlled by Gao Shen.
Real Madrid's players could choose when to slow down, when to speed up, when to press, and United had no choice but to hang on tightly.
Because United were simply weaker than their opponent.
Then, something unexpected happened on the pitch.
After receiving the ball near the left side of the halfway line, Ronaldo turned to dribble but was tripped by Giggs.
The referee awarded Real Madrid a free kick from that position.
Toni Kroos stepped up, placed the ball, and acted as if he would pass short to Ronaldo nearby. Instead, he suddenly launched a long diagonal pass behind United's defense into the right side of the penalty area.
Di Maria made a blistering run, splitting Evra and Vidic, and surged into the right side of United's box. He controlled the long pass perfectly with his left foot.
Vidic was steady, closing him down immediately and shutting off his left foot, forcing the Argentine to shoot with his right. De Gea had the angle covered, and the shot was comfortably collected by the Spanish keeper.
The Bernabéu erupted in applause for the move.
Ferguson's heart jumped. He rushed to the sideline, shouting at Evra to stay focused.
How many times had this happened now?
In the first half, Real Madrid's best chance had come when Di Maria switched flanks and Ronaldo targeted Evra, who lost his man. Fortunately, the header hit the crossbar.
But they could not rely on luck every time.
"Boss, Patrick is running out of steam," Mike Phelan reminded him.
Ferguson saw it too. Evra was clearly struggling to keep up.
This is what happens when fatigue reaches a certain level.
"Substitution?" Phelan asked.
Ferguson hesitated.
All because of that damn Gao Shen.
He had wanted to sign Everton's Leighton Baines to rotate with Evra or even replace him.
And what happened?
Gao Shen signed him for Manchester City.
Now Evra was old and exhausted, yet still forced to hold on.
And that damn brat was exploiting United's weakness.
…
"Evra's activity level has dropped significantly," Carlos Vargas quietly reported to Gao Shen.
In the live data system, there was a metric that objectively reflected player activity.
It combined running, passing, and defensive actions to give a true picture of performance.
"His running distance has also decreased sharply. He looks out of gas."
After Vargas spoke, Zidane, Hierro, Carlo, and the others all turned to Gao Shen.
This was the signal they had been waiting for.
Gao Shen had emphasized before the match that United's left flank would be the weak point.
That was why Real Madrid focused their attacks on that side.
In the first half, Ronaldo's header had almost broken the deadlock.
If that had gone in, Real Madrid would have been under much less pressure.
"Substitution?" Hierro asked anxiously.
Gao Shen frowned and looked at United's bench. Ferguson was still seated, probably chewing gum. That was his habit.
A bit like the God of Gamblers in the movies, always eating chocolate.
"Wait a little longer," Gao Shen said.
Carlo and Hierro were both stunned. Still waiting?
Zidane, on the other hand, immediately understood.
"We've seen it, so Ferguson must have seen it too. He is holding back, waiting for us to move first."
"Exactly." Gao Shen glanced at Zidane with appreciation. His reaction was sharp, instantly grasping the situation and applying it.
"It is not us who should be anxious now, but Manchester United. Let's see whether Ferguson makes the substitution or not."
Tonight, United had only brought one defender to the Bernabéu, Smalling.
If Ferguson substituted, he would likely put Smalling on the left. Real Madrid had already prepared tactics for that scenario and would adjust accordingly.
"But it doesn't look like he'll make a change," Hierro said.
Gao Shen smiled. "That's fine. I've already waited seventy minutes, I can wait five more."
Then, his eyes flashed with determination.
"If he doesn't make a change now, then he won't get the chance anymore."
…
Ferguson must have weighed it all carefully and decided that substitutions might not help, so he held back. Instead, he dropped Welbeck deeper to work with Schneiderlin and bolster the left side.
But in the 74th minute, Gao Shen finally made his first substitution.
After receiving detailed instructions, Kaka walked to the sideline, waiting for the next stoppage to come on.
He replaced Toni Kroos.
The Bernabéu responded with warm applause, both to thank Kroos and to welcome Kaka.
On the visiting bench, Ferguson's heart sank as he saw Kaka enter the pitch.
(To be continued.)