Since returning to Cheshire, Gao Shen had been occupied with endless social gatherings.
First, he had dinner with Ferguson, then met with Mubarak and Guardiola from Manchester City, followed by Klopp, Sarri, and others. Even Wenger, who had just been dismissed from Arsenal, made a special trip north to visit.
During the meal, Gao Shen joked with Wenger, suggesting he join Leeds United to take charge of the youth academy, which almost earned him a beating from the Frenchman.
Throughout the evening, Ferguson was full of praise for the remarkable Leeds United.
He probably never expected that the nearly bankrupt Championship side Gao Shen had purchased years ago would transform into a Premier League powerhouse capable of winning the league title. It was an astonishing achievement.
The most frustrated team, however, was Manchester City.
Historically and in recent years, the relationship between Manchester City and Leeds United had been quite close. The two clubs even cooperated on several occasions. Manchester City had signed players from Leeds United, and Leeds had also poached young talents from City's academy.
At first, Manchester City did not resist. Their objective was never to develop their own youth players but to dominate the Champions League and establish themselves as one of Europe's elite.
But gradually, problems began to surface.
Take Sterling as an example. When this local academy product joined Leeds United, the transfer fee was relatively low. But when Manchester City later tried to buy him back, they discovered his value had soared to €70 million. The price gap was staggering.
The price difference itself was not the issue—after all, Manchester City's model did not focus on player development.
The real problem was that Leeds United had become Manchester City's top rival for the Premier League title last season, which was simply unacceptable.
In the past, City treated Leeds like an older brother looking after a younger one, knowing they posed no threat. But now, not only were they a threat, they were the biggest one. It was hard to believe.
From that moment, the relationship between the two clubs became complicated.
When Gao Shen dined with Mubarak and the others, the conversations remained personal, never touching on club business. And when meeting Guardiola, they only discussed football.
After several such dinners, a few days quickly passed.
…
After the Champions League final, Pochettino took some time off to recover and reflect.
When he returned to England, before reporting to the club, he first visited Gao Shen in Cheshire.
The two men sat in Gao Shen's courtyard, discussing Leeds United.
"From the Champions League final, your biggest problem was the midfield. Before Bernardo Silva came on, there was no real threat. Only Dele Alli's few dribbles created some danger. Apart from that, the midfield was ineffective, which is a serious issue."
Gao Shen directly pointed out Leeds United's biggest mistake in the Champions League final.
Judging from the match, Leeds United had overwhelming control of the ball and the tempo.
It was unacceptable that they failed to win despite such dominance.
That could only mean there were problems with both the lineup and tactics.
Pochettino agreed with Gao Shen's assessment.
He said that during his break, he had repeatedly rewatched and analyzed the final, coming to the same conclusion—it was a problem of midfield passing and transition.
"Fabinho dropped deep, with Dele Alli and Kante pushing up. I was hesitant at first, but I thought it was most important to suppress Real Madrid's midfield and attack. But your defense at that time was really…"
Pochettino paused, realizing he had underestimated Real Madrid's defensive resilience.
"You didn't underestimate our defense, you overestimated your attack," Gao Shen replied sharply.
Leeds United had played spectacular attacking football throughout the Champions League campaign. Almost every game had been explosive and beautiful, their offense devastating.
Harry Kane, Mbappé, and Mané had scored a combined 12 goals. That kind of record was almost unheard of in the Champions League.
This success had made Pochettino and his coaching staff overly optimistic about their attack.
When the final began, they were shocked by the intensity of the match and quickly realized their problems in possession, but by then, it was too late.
Leeds United was now overflowing with talent.
Up front, they had Harry Kane, Vardy, Mbappé, Dembélé, Grealish, Rashford, Portuguese prodigy Félix, and local stars Sancho and Foden.
In midfield, there were Fabinho, Kimmich, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Milinkovic-Savic, Kalvin Phillips, Valverde, Dele Alli, and Kante.
Youngsters like Declan Rice and Tchouaméni were also emerging.
The defense was equally impressive.
They had Van Dijk, Militão, De Ligt, Ruben Dias, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, Achraf Hakimi, José Fonte, Cucurella, Reece James, and Alphonso Davies.
As for goalkeepers, after Ederson was sold during the winter break, Alisson had firmly established himself as the team's first choice.
From the perspective of a transmigrator, Gao Shen could see that Leeds United's lineup was absolutely star-studded. In two or three years, it could be described as world-class.
But for now, the players were still young, mostly around 20 years old, with some as young as 17 or 18.
The most interesting figure among them was veteran José Fonte, already 35.
In recent years, Leeds United had signed top central defenders almost every season and sold them for high prices. The key behind this success was Fonte's mentoring role.
Whether in training or matches, Fonte helped his teammates grow significantly. Because of this, Leeds United renewed his contract until he was 40, effectively making him a lifetime player for the club.
The best part was that his weekly wage remained modest.
…
"I heard Harry Kane might be leaving?" Pochettino asked with concern.
Gao Shen nodded. It was indeed possible.
The English striker's wage demands were too high for Leeds United, even with an increased salary cap.
Some players simply couldn't be retained. That was the harsh reality.
"I was thinking," Pochettino said, "if that happens, could we use Milinkovic-Savic as the attacking pivot next season? Like how Moyes used Fellaini at Everton?"
Gao Shen immediately laughed. "You and I are thinking the same thing."
Looking at the current squad, if Leeds United didn't bring in another top striker, Milinkovic-Savic as a pivot would be the best solution.
Haaland wasn't yet 18, so it would be unrealistic to rely on him immediately. He still needed time to mature.
Vardy wasn't a traditional center forward, and relying on him alone for an entire season would be difficult. Using Milinkovic-Savic as a focal point was clearly a strong tactical option.
Of course, Pochettino didn't mean using him as a pure striker, but rather as a central attacking reference point.
"His technique is more refined than Fellaini's, his dribbling is stronger, his physicality and aerial ability are on par, but his defensive ability isn't as strong," Gao Shen analyzed.
After years of coaching, Gao Shen knew Fellaini's traits well.
Milinkovic-Savic had better technique and passing. He was calm under pressure and rarely lost the ball in one-on-one situations, making him an ideal pivot in midfield.
All that remained was to build the attack around him.
If Harry Kane left, Milinkovic-Savic could be Leeds United's offensive core. If Kane stayed, then he would still serve as a solid plan B.
"This is a smart, intelligent player," Gao Shen continued, "but you must be careful about one thing."
Pochettino nodded seriously, paying full attention.
"When Fellaini played at Manchester United, his biggest problem was unclear positioning. He wanted to do everything but ended up doing nothing well. With his size, he couldn't play a full box-to-box role either. It was unrealistic."
Pochettino fell into deep thought.
It was a subtle yet crucial tactical point, often overlooked.
For a player over 1.9 meters tall, covering the entire pitch was nearly impossible.
Still, some managers continued to demand it.
It was always difficult to use midfielders like Fellaini, Pogba, or Yaya Touré effectively.
As mentioned earlier, Tottenham's record signing Ndombele had similar problems, both tactically and with dressing-room conflicts.
"You're much more familiar with Milinkovic-Savic," Gao Shen said. "Think carefully about creating a tactical system that suits him. Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes are both outstanding, but in battles between top teams, relying on them alone won't be enough."
"Also, remember that after Leeds United's success this season, more teams will treat you as a major opponent. How to maximize the strengths of Mbappé, Dembélé, Mané, and Vardy will be crucial."
These players all shared similar traits—pace and explosiveness.
But they all needed space to thrive.
The Premier League was perfect for such styles, but Leeds United couldn't rely on this tactic alone. That's why having a plan B with Milinkovic-Savic, or a pure striker like Kane, was essential.
If Kane departed, Haaland would be next in line, though he was still too young.
"Honestly, Mauricio," Gao Shen said, "it's easy for Leeds United to achieve results now. As revenue grows, our overall strength and player retention will only improve."
"Believe me, this team has massive potential. In the new season, you can challenge for the Premier League again, or even… the Champions League."
As Gao Shen spoke, he stared into Pochettino's eyes.
He noticed a faint gleam flash across them when he mentioned the Champions League.
"I'll stay in Cheshire to back you next season," Gao Shen added. "You and your team must give your all. Whatever you won last season, win it again. Whatever you didn't win, conquer it this time."
Pochettino suddenly felt an uncontrollable surge of determination.
For any manager, the Premier League and Champions League are the ultimate temptations.
What made it even more exciting was that the next season's Champions League final would be held at Leeds United's Amazon Stadium.
(To be continued.)