Beckenbauer and the others all understood football well.
Bayern's overall squad was still relatively thin. The starting lineup was solid, but the bench lacked sufficient depth.
Without a killer like Robben in the attack and Jero Boateng at the back, Bayern was clearly affected.
Mario Goz was excellent, but still a notch below Mandzukic.
Then there was the defensive midfield position. In Gao Shen's previous life, Javi Martínez's move to Bayern was a critical turning point.
After securing Robben and Ribéry, Bayern reached the Champions League final but lost to Inter Milan. The following season, they finished third, and then ca the treble. Bayern gradually consolidated their overall strength year after year.
That eventually led to the Samr era when Guardiola took over as head coach.
As for why Guardiola didn't win the Champions League, that's a different discussion. But at the very least, during those years, Bayern's overall quality was among the best in Europe.
It was a process of accumulating strength before achieving explosive results.
All the reasons cited by the outside dia—such as blaming Heynckes for refusing to rotate players or choking at key monts—were really just outcos.
It's not that managers don't make mistakes, but all achievents are built on foundational strength.
…
There were several key positions in Bayern that urgently needed reinforcent.
Naly, the central axis.
Defensive midfielder, centre-back, and goalkeeper.
Their defensive midfield was decent compared to ordinary teams. But if they aid to compete for the Champions League, players like Luiz Gustavo and Tymoshchuk lacked the necessary top-level quality.
Then there were center-back Daniel Van Buyten and goalkeeper Hans-Jörg Butt.
So, when speaking with Beckenbauer, Rumnigge, and UEFA officials, Gao Shen made this comnt.
"It's not easy for Heynckes to bring this Bayern team to the final!"
Beckenbauer and Rumnigge fell silent in thought, then nodded.
Who could deny it?
It wasn't that Bayern lacked quality, but their depth was insufficient. That put an enormous burden on the head coach's tactical abilities.
Beckenbauer even joked with Gao Shen, "Everyone says you've got an eye for talent. How about recomnding a solid defensive midfielder for us?"
Everyone chuckled.
This was the man about to face them in the final. Asking him for a player recomndation now?
Was that even remotely believable?
But of course, everyone knew it was just a joke.
Even if Gao Shen gave a na, Bayern would never act on it without rigorous evaluation.
Naturally, Gao Shen politely declined. "Co on, I'm just ssing around."
But Rumnigge, already in a lighthearted mood, chid in. "Just treat it as a joke anyway."
Everyone nodded.
There were countless clubs that would kill for a personal recomndation from Gao Shen. Why not at least ask?
"So I can just say whatever I want?" Gao Shen grinned.
Beckenbauer and the others nodded in agreent.
"Morgan Schneiderlin," Gao Shen said, shrugging with a smile.
Everyone was stunned for a mont. So couldn't even recall the na, then laughter broke out.
Well played.
"If you're actually interested, you'd better move fast. Manchester United has already made a move," Gao Shen added.
Even Beckenbauer and Rumnigge laughed.
No one took his words seriously.
Or did they?
Maybe it was a subtle bit of self-deprecation. Or sothing deeper.
Just then, the press conference was about to begin. Gao Shen excused himself and headed out with UEFA officials.
Outside the press room, screams and cheers from reporters could already be heard.
Gao Shen's popularity was off the charts.
How amazing would it be if he coached Bayern one day?
…
"What's on your mind, Franz?" Rumnigge asked, noticing Beckenbauer's expression.
Beckenbauer furrowed his brows behind his gold-rimd glasses, clearly deep in thought.
"I suddenly started thinking about the guy Gao Shen just ntioned."
"Morgan Schneiderlin?"
"Yeah."
"Co on, it was just a joke. Everyone in the industry knows he plays for Leeds United, and Gao Shen's wife owns the club. He's just hyping up his own player."
After all, Gao Shen clearly didn't want to suggest anyone to Bayern.
But Beckenbauer waved it off. "No, that's not it."
"What is it then?"
"I'm saying, your analysis might be off. I've read Schneiderlin's match reports. His strengths are defense and passing."
"Right. His ball recoveries per ga rank at the top in the Championship, and he's among the leaders in the Premier League too."
"What if he were partnered with Schweinsteiger?"
"Isn't that Gustavo's job?"
Beckenbauer didn't answer further. He wasn't suggesting Bayern chase Schneiderlin. He just felt there might have been more to Gao Shen's comnt.
Or… maybe he was just overthinking it?
…
If Gao Shen, now sitting in the press conference hall, knew that one offhand remark had triggered so much pondering from football royalty, he would've been proud.
When did I beco such a deep thinker?
In truth, when he ntioned Schneiderlin, he was just trying to brush them off.
Who doesn't know how to deflect?
Like right now, sitting in front of a crowd of journalists, Gao Shen was once again going through the motions.
Their questions were clever and varied, but to Gao Shen, they were old news. He had heard them a thousand tis.
Week in and week out, sotis even daily, he was asked the sa things. He'd long since mastered the art of dodging, answering in a way that sounded aningful but said nothing at all.
For example, a reporter asked, "What do you think of Heynckes' Bayern team?"
Gao Shen replied without hesitation, "This is the strongest Bayern Munich side in the past ten years!"
Everyone nodded happily.
Right? That sounds about right.
Soone else asked, "What is Manchester City most wary of from Bayern in this final?"
"Ribéry," Gao Shen replied instantly.
In his head, he silently added two more words: yeah, right.
But what else could he say? The dia and fans loved hearing Ribéry's na.
Sotis it was really annoying.
If you didn't give them an answer, they'd just keep asking until they got what they wanted.
That was even worse. Better to throw them a bone early and move on.
So might ask, why not just tell the truth?
Because no one wants to hear it. There's no hook, no narrative to hype.
Like now, if Gao Shen told the truth and said Bayern's biggest threat was their off-the-ball movent and midfield pressing, he'd have to go into a long, technical explanation.
Dry. Boring. The dia would tune out. The fans wouldn't care. Who would even report it?
So it's better to give them a flashy na and let them run with it.
Most people wouldn't believe it, but Gao Shen genuinely thought this Bayern side—without Robben—was stronger than the 2012 version that faced Chelsea.
Compared to the treble-winning team of 2013, the only real gaps were in goal and midfield pressing.
But who would believe that?
That's the strange thing about football.
People are easily blinded by what they see.
Take José Fonte, for example.
Why is he the constant while his partners keep changing?
Because everyone focused on how good his partners looked beside him. Their brilliance overshadowed Fonte's presence, making people overlook the Portuguese veteran and the vital work he did behind the scenes.
But whether you're a head coach, a club executive, or running a company, the key is to recognize the core—what really matters—and zero in on it.
…
After the press conference, Gao Shen didn't et with Beckenbauer or the others, nor did he cross paths with Heynckes. His press conference was scheduled later.
Gao Shen returned straight from the Allianz Arena to the team hotel.
By then, analyst Carlos Vargas had already compiled training data from the Allianz Arena session.
The coaching staff imdiately held a eting to finalize tomorrow's tactical approach.
Football is constantly evolving.
Take the current Manchester City squad.
Against Barcelona, the Catalans are the controlling team, and City must act as the disruptor. Unless they've lost their minds, trying to out-possess Barcelona would be suicide.
But against Bayern, Manchester City becos the team in control, while Bayern must take on the disruptor's role.
That sa Bayern side, though, plays the controller role in the Bundesliga against teams like Dortmund.
The players are the sa, but the roles shift depending on the opponent.
Both sides had reached the final, and at this point, neither team's tactics were a mystery.
Even their playing styles had beco predictable.
The difference lay in the details.
Formational tweaks. Player positioning. Individual responsibilities. Small shifts that could alter the entire match.
And yet, those were often overlooked.
Based on all pre-match analysis, Manchester City could more or less predict Bayern's starting eleven.
Goalkeeper: Butt.
Defense: Contento, Badstuber, Tymoshchuk, and Lahm.
Midfield: Schweinsteiger and Gustavo sitting deep, with Ribéry, Toni Kroos, and Thomas Müller ahead.
Up top: Goz.
Barring any surprises, this should be Heynckes' starting lineup.
A classic 4-2-3-1.
Thomas Müller, playing on the right, could offer the off-ball movent and support Robben lacked in his previous life, unlocking Lahm's overlapping runs and improving Bayern's counter-pressing after losing possession.
These details mattered in high-level contests.
Of course, when facing weaker sides, Müller could never replace Robben's impact.
Which also explained why Bayern fell short in the Bundesliga and German Cup this season.
But in the Champions League, that very structure gave Bayern their edge.
(To be continued.)
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