Back when Gao Shen was working at a company in his previous life, he was sent to training as soon as he was promoted to manager. The trainer at the time was quite renowned and summed it up succinctly: corporate management is very simple. It comes down to three things—lead good people, do good things, and gather good hearts.
The corresponding principle is: systems manage people, processes manage tasks, and culture manages hearts.
Don't underestimate these three things. Many companies, even Fortune 500 giants, fail to implement them effectively.
After becoming a manager, Gao Shen gained a deeper understanding of this.
There was once a vivid example in football: Manchester United.
Ferguson was an anomaly in professional football. His influence extended across all levels at Manchester United, even reaching the board.
But this inevitably led to a problem: Manchester United became too dependent on Ferguson. The club never established a proper personnel management system or structured processes for operations.
When Ferguson was around, he was like a dictator, in full control. But the moment he retired, Manchester United's entire structure fell apart. They were like a headless chicken—lost.
They started spending recklessly, almost as if they feared spending too little, and yet their performances worsened.
From a fan's perspective, Ferguson is legendary—a beacon of inspiration and success.
But from a club management perspective, it's a huge failure.
The fact that a club still relied so heavily on a figure like Ferguson in 2012 was, in a way, a disaster for its management.
Some might say, isn't that proof of how profound his impact was?
Wrong.
At Napoli, Gao Shen only had authority over transfers. He wasn't involved in any other football-related affairs. At Manchester City, while he served as technical director and was responsible for transfer decisions, he rarely got involved in other areas, like youth development.
But what about Ferguson?
His brother was a Manchester United scout, his son an agent. He had spent decades at United, controlling every aspect of football operations, big and small. He even often meddled in business decisions.
Some people might think, isn't that normal?
Doesn't United's success over the years prove Ferguson's decisions were right?
Sure, Ferguson was unique. But there's only one Ferguson in the world.
Don't forget, in professional football, head coach is the riskiest job. Every manager starts knowing they'll likely be sacked. It's practically inevitable.
Building a club—or even just a team—around a manager is a high-risk gamble.
Some might ask: isn't that absurd? If we don't build around the manager, why hire one at all?
That brings us to another role: the technical director or sporting director.
What's their purpose?
Simply put, they stand one level above the manager and oversee the big picture.
When a player leaves, the manager turns to them for a replacement—or even several options—so the squad stays balanced.
When issues arise, they're the ones who must identify the root cause and help the manager solve them. And if the manager has to go, it's up to them to find the right successor.
The most typical examples? Southampton and Leicester City.
Over the years, no matter how many players Southampton sold, the team just kept getting stronger.
Adkins brought the Saints from League One to the Premier League in two years. That's an incredible achievement.
But after their promotion, Southampton hovered near the relegation zone. The board grew uneasy. After reaching out to Pochettino, who had just been dismissed by Espanyol, they sacked Adkins.
The move caused a major backlash at the time.
They weren't even in the relegation zone yet—wasn't that too harsh?
But it turned out to be the right call. Pochettino succeeded and eventually moved on to Spurs. What did Southampton do then?
They hired Ronald Koeman, whose coaching style was similar to Pochettino's, based on their existing squad and tactics.
They sold players?
No problem. They just kept replenishing and got stronger each time.
That's the Saints' model.
Every football fan knows about Kante.
When Ranieri asked Leicester's technical director Steve Walsh for a defensive midfielder, Walsh recommended Kante from Caen in Ligue 1. Ranieri initially refused—Kante seemed too short for the Premier League.
But Walsh persisted. Kante joined Leicester and won Ranieri over in just one training session.
Absolute gem!
Of course, not every case is successful. There are failures too.
But these examples show that division of labor and cooperation are the future of football club management.
There's no hierarchy between technical director and manager—just different responsibilities.
Wenger once said that coaching staffs might be corporatized and outsourced in the future.
Interesting thought.
How would that work? Which company would you outsource to—Mourinho's group? Guardiola's?
That's why the role of a technical director or sporting director is essential.
As for Leeds United, over the past year, whether it was Gao Shen, Su Qing, Lucas, Borrell, or Sarri, they were all close to Gao Shen and aligned with his vision. They understood that he was trying to build a modern football management structure at Leeds. Everyone contributed ideas toward that goal.
But at this stage, Leeds United's biggest asset was Gao Shen.
He knew it. Lucas, Borrell, Sarri—they all knew it too.
Every Leeds United first-team player had been handpicked. Their performances and abilities had been proven over the course of the season. The active transfer market was proof enough.
But Gao Shen never wanted Leeds United to depend entirely on him. That's why he kept improving the scouting system, technical team, and data center—building toward a modern, self-sustaining club structure.
Institutionalization, process standardization, and club culture have been Su Qing and Lucas's focus over the past year and will continue to be moving forward.
But first, Leeds United must survive in the Premier League.
That requires wisdom and finesse.
Gao Shen consciously chose not to get too involved at Leeds.
When speaking privately with Sarri, they only discussed tactics—never club operations.
When recommending players, he went to Lucas and Borrell. All recommendations were vetted by scouts and had to go through formal club procedures.
Still, there's a long road ahead.
…
It's also clear now that Gao Shen's involvement in Manchester City's internal affairs wasn't as deep as many believed.
You could see this clearly from how smoothly he handed over the club.
Some of the youth academy staff had been recommended by him or his assistants, but they were hired by Manchester City.
The entire youth development model was modeled on Spanish academies, adapted to local English conditions.
Brian Kidd was always in charge of the academy, so there was no need for a handover.
Gao Shen managed the first team, but since Brian Kidd was also his assistant, he was well aware of all the day-to-day operations.
In the end, the only issue between Gao Shen and Manchester City was image rights.
For example, Etihad Airways had painted the club's coach and players on their plane fuselages. Now that Gao Shen was leaving, this created complications.
But such adjustments take time.
Gao Shen was easy to deal with. He said he didn't mind, and didn't even ask Etihad Airways or Manchester City to continue paying image fees between his departure and the campaign's rectification.
There were many such cases. Gao Shen had spent three years at Manchester City and was the club's biggest star. Sponsors naturally centered campaigns around him. Now that it was time to "break up," it was inevitable that some issues would arise.
But with goodwill and a commitment to a friendly parting, nothing became a real problem.
Even Mubarak, Gary Cook, and others were surprised by how agreeable Gao Shen was.
"Thank you, Gao."
After everything was settled, Mubarak suddenly stood up, deeply moved, and shook Gao Shen's hand before giving him a hug.
"I've learned a lot during our three years working together. I sincerely thank you for everything you've done for Manchester City. I, along with my colleagues, the players, and the fans, will always remember you!"
This was the chairman of Manchester City speaking on behalf of the club.
"Thank you," Gao Shen replied, offering his hand once more.
Over the past three years, Manchester City had treated him sincerely. He couldn't deny he had developed feelings for the club.
As a manager, it was a privilege to work under such an owner.
Especially one with deep pockets and a willingness to spend freely. That was rare.
But some things are inevitable.
No party lasts forever.
"I don't plan to sell my house in Cheshire, so I'll probably be back often. If you're free, drop by for some tea." Gao Shen made a phone-call gesture.
Mubarak, Gary Cook, and the others all nodded.
"Goodbye, everyone!"
With that, Gao Shen turned and walked away without hesitation, not looking back once.
To Mubarak and the others, he seemed calm and composed. But only Gao Shen knew how reluctant he really was.
That's life.
Su Qing had shown him Manchester City's official statement, and he was satisfied with it.
So, he didn't plan to make one of his own.
He believed that, no matter how long it took, Manchester City fans would remember him.
And he would always remember his time there.
As he walked out of the Etihad Stadium, he turned back for one last, lingering glance at the magnificent football ground.
Goodbye, Etihad.
…
After Manchester City released the official statement about Gao Shen's resignation, the media and fans around the world were stunned, even though they'd braced for it.
Gao Shen, meanwhile, stayed in his Cheshire home, declined all interviews, and focused on receiving visits and calls from Manchester City players.
They all wanted to say goodbye in person.
Many even thanked him publicly on Twitter and in interviews.
It was a clear reflection of Gao Shen's immense status at Manchester City.
And it was in this emotional farewell atmosphere that Real Madrid's high-profile coaching delegation arrived in Manchester.
(To be continued.)
Junkdog's Note: And finally, we are done with the City arc; now we are on the second-to-last arc. Just want to thank you guys for your fantastic support so far. Enjoy the Los Blancos Reign : )
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