Starting With Real Madrid Chapter 554: Half-Finished Superstar

"What's going on? The talk ended that quickly?" Carlo asked curiously.

The Brazilian left with an expression that was a mix of fear, loneliness, and confusion. He clearly didn't understand why the head coach's attitude toward him had shifted so abruptly. Wasn't everything fine just monts ago?

As soon as Robinho left, Carlo, Lucas, Sarri, and the others entered the room, looking just as puzzled.

Unlike the rest of the team, they were Gao Shen's closest assistants, and they had known for a while that he wanted to have a sit-down with Robinho. In fact, they had even prepared for this eting while on the flight over. So why had it collapsed almost imdiately?

That didn't make sense!

With Gao Shen's ability to talk, he could hold a conversation for hours, even with a cow.

"Just seeing his expression and hearing his tone annoyed !" Gao Shen replied indifferently.

Carlo and the others exchanged glances, half-amused and half-exasperated.

Boss, if you're unhappy, can't you just hide it a little?

Seeing their reactions, Gao Shen smirked. "He needs so pressure. If we don't push him, no one can do anything about his personality."

Carlo and the rest imdiately understood.

Brazilian players were often carefree, sotis even reckless, but there were limits.

Robinho and Ronaldinho were not the sa as Kaka.

Kaka was disciplined, rational, and composed—traits shaped by his middle-class upbringing and well-educated family. anwhile, Ronaldinho and Robinho, both from working-class backgrounds, had a much freer, more impulsive approach to life.

It was hard to say which type of player was better. Kaka was easier to manage and delivered stable performances, while Ronaldinho and Robinho could produce magical monts of inspiration but when they were off their ga, they could drive a coach crazy.

Managing them required both incentives and discipline.

They needed freedom to express themselves on the pitch, but at the sa ti, they had to follow team rules and respect the locker room hierarchy.

Ronaldinho had thrived at Barcelona under Rijkaard's encouragent, but Ten Cate's strict discipline had played an equally important role. Even though Ronaldinho frequented nightclubs, he remained sowhat restrained because he knew Ten Cate would publicly call him out and even punish him the next day.

Once Ten Cate left, Ronaldinho lost all self-control.

Robinho's situation was eerily similar. There were occasional rumors about his off-field activities, but more importantly, his ntality had clearly changed.

Players like him were ruled by their emotions. Once their mindset shifted negatively, they beca depressed, and it was nearly impossible for them to recover their forr brilliance.

Seeing this, Gao Shen decided to put so pressure on him to force him to fight for survival.

Sure, Robinho hadn't been thrilled about joining Manchester City, but the club was paying him £160,000 a week—the highest salary in the Premier League at the ti and one of the highest in the world.

If he left City, where else would he find a club willing to match that salary?

Of course, if he couldn't handle the challenge, then there was nothing Gao Shen could do.

Whether at the club level or as a head coach, there were limits to what could be done. In the end, it all depended on the player himself.

Even parents often struggled to control kids at that age, what could a manager do?

Thinking about it, Gao Shen felt a little frustrated.

"By the way, Antonio." Gao Shen turned to Pintus.

"I watched so footage of Manchester City's gas last season, as well as so clips of Robinho. I think his biggest issue is still his physical fitness. he hasn't fully adapted to the physicality of the Premier League. The other problem is his leg strength."

As he spoke, Gao Shen played a video on his computer.

The clip showed Robinho dribbling from outside the box, weaving past defenders before taking a shot with his right foot. But it was obvious—by the ti he took the shot, he had no power left.

"There are plenty of monts like this. We need to figure out a way to improve his leg strength without affecting his flexibility and ball control. At the very least, he needs to have enough power in his final shot. How can he score when his shots are this weak?"

Pintus thought for a mont and nodded. "That's not difficult, but the key is getting him into the gym."

"Leave that to ," Gao Shen said confidently.

For most professional players, the gym was a nightmare.

But looking at modern football in 2021, the ga was evolving. The pace of play was getting faster, and physical battles were becoming more intense. Strength training was becoming a necessity for every team.

Even a genius like ssi needed to build his physical strength.

…

After eting with Robinho and discussing with the coaching staff, Gao Shen checked the ti and called for Robben.

Since Robben had joined Manchester City from Real Madrid, Gao Shen had only spoken to him once, and even then, they hadn't had a deep conversation—Gao Shen had simply been too busy at the ti.

He highly valued the Dutch winger and relied on him a lot, but Robben also had significant problems.

In Gao Shen's eyes, he was still a half-finished player.

That statent might sound ridiculous to so.

Many people would scoff at the idea that a top-class winger like Robben could be considered "half-finished."

But that was the reality.

Why?

It all went back to Robben's early career.

From Groningen to PSV Eindhoven to Chelsea, Robben had always played as a left winger. At the ti, European football still revolved around traditional wing play, with center-forwards like Van Nistelrooy, Crespo, and Shevchenko dominating the attack.

Even Drogba, despite his physical dominance under Mourinho, followed this general tactical trend.

So, naturally, Robben was always positioned on the left flank.

In his first season at Real Madrid, he mostly played on the left as well, forming a wing partnership with Robinho. But after Robinho left, Robben began appearing more frequently on the right.

And that's where Real Madrid's long-standing tactical issue erged.

The attacking midfielder position.

From Raul to Guti to Baptista, and later Sneijder and Van der Vaart, Real Madrid had always used an attacking midfielder or a second striker.

But when Robben played on the right, he inevitably cut inside, a habit that often saw him occupy the sa spaces as the attacking midfielder.

Later, Schuster tried using a 4-4-2 formation, positioning Robben on the right. The result? Robben played exceptionally well.

But that still wasn't the strongest version of Robben that Gao Shen envisioned.

Hazard wasn't particularly fast or explosive, but he possessed excellent ball control. He could play a role similar to Ribéry in Bayern's famous Robbery duo, drawing defensive attention through dribbling and ball retention.

If Hazard had more pace and explosiveness, his impact on the ga would be almost unimaginable. But unfortunately, there are no ifs in football.

Robben, on the other hand, thrived in one-on-one situations. He was like a sharp dagger, relentlessly stabbing at the opponent's weak points.

In a sense, Robben wasn't a typical core player. He needed the team to create space for him to operate effectively. At the sa ti, his playing style required so adjustnts and evolution.

…

After eting with Robben, Gao Shen first inquired about his transition to Manchester City—his family arrangents and any other concerns he had.

Having played in the Premier League before, Robben was already familiar with the English climate and football culture.

Even so, he admitted that his transfer to Manchester City had co as a surprise.

He had chosen to co because of Gao Shen.

Over the phone, Gao Shen had told him one thing very clearly:

"My team and I will help you return to your peak!"

That statent had moved Robben and convinced him to join.

This eting was a continuation of that conversation, a deeper discussion about the steps they would take to help him reach the top again.

There was a lot of work to be done.

For starters, they needed to minimize his injury risks.

Many people believed Robben had been saved by Bayern's dical team, keeping him injury-free, but that wasn't entirely true. He still suffered nurous injuries at Bayern, which significantly impacted his playing ti. His peak monts always coincided with his periods of good health.

Gao Shen explained that Marcos Sala's dical team, along with Buenaventura and Pintus, had been studying Robben's muscle composition and playing habits. They had developed a specialized plan aid at strengthening key muscle groups and reducing his injury risk.

But for this plan to work, Robben's full cooperation was essential.

The Dutchman already knew about the coaching staff's efforts, and he didn't hesitate, he was willing to do whatever it took.

In Robben's eyes, Gao Shen saw sothing he hadn't seen in Robinho: hunger.

A mix of frustration, sorrow, and defiance, all of it transford into an intense desire to prove himself once more.

This was exactly what Robinho lacked.

This was why Gao Shen had been so harsh with the Brazilian earlier.

Without that fire, how could there be progress?

"Right now, this is just the initial plan," Gao Shen said. "But I can tell you with certainty, you'll be playing on the right for Manchester City. I want you to fully utilize your strengths, cutting inside to break down defenses."

Manchester City's system was a 4-3-3. Without a traditional attacking midfielder, the two wingers and the center forward had more freedom to move.

Gao Shen then set clear expectations for Robben.

He explained that whether it was Suarez, Hazard, Robinho, or Giroud, the front three needed to function as a unit. Everyone had to share responsibilities and complent each other.

In the past, Robben hadn't been heavily involved in pressing and counter-pressing. But at Manchester City, he had to be. Every player was expected to contribute defensively—there were no exceptions.

"Arjen, from what I rember, you're a professional with an unmatched competitive spirit," Gao Shen said. "Right now, I believe there's a fire burning inside you."

"This fire—it's the reason you ca to Manchester City."

"As your coach, my mission is to help you improve and achieve your goals. But for that to happen, I need your trust, your support, and your full commitnt. You know better than anyone that modern football is completely different from the past. Gone are the days of solo play, no matter how talented a star is, he needs a team around him."

"The sa applies to you."

Gao Shen locked eyes with Robben.

"Believe , Arjen—I will help you improve. I will help you return to your best. And more than that…"

"I will help you win titles."

He paused for a mont before adding,

"Maybe even... the Ballon d'Or."

Hearing those last words, Robben's head shot up.

His eyes burned with determination.

(To be continued.)