Ever since Gao Shen first revealed that he would be bringing in an exciting signing, the whole world had been eagerly waiting.
From Messi to Ronaldo, Kaka to Ribery, then to Rooney, Torres, Gerrard, Drogba…
Anyway, a long list of superstars were hyped and speculated on by the media, one after another.
In the end, who would've guessed it would be Van Persie?
Van Persie wasn't an unknown player, but he wasn't exactly the kind of name people associated with the word "exciting," especially when it came to Gao Shen.
Since Henry's departure, Fabregas had been Arsenal's top star and Adebayor their leading striker.
During his years at Arsenal, Van Persie had struggled with recurring injuries. Though his form gradually improved and he transitioned from a winger to a central striker, forming a partnership with Adebayor, the core of the attack was still Adebayor.
At least, in that partnership, Van Persie was more of a second striker.
That was also why he had so many assists.
Last season, Van Persie had a brilliant start and a strong run of form, but once he got injured, his season was basically done. He eventually made it to the World Cup, but his performance there was underwhelming.
At least, he didn't look anything like the "exciting" player Gao Shen had talked about.
Was this really the kind of player worthy of such praise?
The media certainly didn't think so.
And Manchester City's poor performance in pre-season couldn't be used as an excuse. That would be dodging the issue.
Criticizing Van Persie for poor form was perfectly reasonable.
He really had been underwhelming. He hadn't even scored in the warm-up matches.
A striker who cost €30 million couldn't even find the net in friendlies. That was disappointing, to say the least.
One had to admire the British media's ability to hype things up. Especially when they all worked in unison, the noise they generated was overwhelming. Even when big names like Henry—speaking from the U.S.—defended Van Persie, calling him an underrated player, it didn't help much.
The British tabloids seemed to be targeting Gao Shen.
If they couldn't attack him directly, they'd go after his players. Simple as that.
And if the pressure broke Van Persie and exposed him as a flop, even better.
People kept saying that Gao Shen had an incredible eye for talent and rarely made mistakes.
Well, they were going to make sure he made one this time.
…
Gao Shen understood exactly what the media was doing. At the pre-match press conference, some reporters had already asked about it, and Gao Shen had responded with words of support and belief in Van Persie.
But as the team prepared to head south to London, the media was still stoking the fire, and Gao Shen was clearly irritated.
He posted several tweets in response.
"At Manchester City, we have the strongest forward line in the Premier League. We have two of the league's top strikers, both of whom are capable of scoring over 30 goals in a single season!"
"Many people are blaming Van Persie, but let me say this: in the last decade of Premier League history, as long as he stays healthy, he absolutely ranks among the top five center forwards. And so, I'm proud to say we have two of the top five center forwards in history!"
"Yes, I'm talking about Suarez and Van Persie!"
The moment Gao Shen's tweets were posted, they sparked a massive uproar.
The internet went wild.
Suarez had performed exceptionally last season, and if someone wanted to hype him as one of the greatest, that was somewhat understandable. But Van Persie? Did he really deserve that status based on his stats and performances?
But Gao Shen didn't back down. When one of his critics, the head of the sports department at The Independent, made a snide remark, Gao Shen replied in the comments—pointing out that the guy was an Arsenal fan and suggesting that his harsh words were driven by resentment over Van Persie's transfer.
"You all say he didn't play well in the World Cup, but did you actually watch the Netherlands' matches? Van Persie wasn't the team's top star, but as the center forward, his role and contribution were clear. You just don't want to see it."
Some accused Gao Shen of blindly defending his players and being detached from reality.
Several fans argued that Van Persie wasn't even as good as fellow Dutch striker Van Nistelrooy.
Gao Shen replied, "The old knight wouldn't agree with that."
One fan asked cheekily, "What about Henry?"
"He's not a center forward, thank you," Gao Shen replied.
"Then give us your top five!"
"Alan Shearer, Drogba, Torres counts for half, Suarez, and Van Persie!"
Outrageous.
Absolutely outrageous!
Gao Shen's remarks immediately triggered a wave of disbelief and ridicule from fans, netizens, and media alike.
Was this really something a two-time Champions League-winning manager would say?
People had seen coaches praise their players before, but never in such a wildly controversial way.
Even England legend Alan Shearer, who had been included in Gao Shen's list, replied on Twitter:
"Thanks for the recognition, Coach Gao! Van Persie is definitely underrated, but he still has something to prove!"
Gao Shen replied with two handshake emojis—clearly in agreement.
But everyone also noticed that Shearer only mentioned Van Persie. Not Suarez.
Some eagle-eyed fans and journalists began to wonder, did Suarez really deserve to be ranked among the top five center forwards in Premier League history?
After taking some heat online, Shearer followed up with another tweet:
"He was talking about CENTER FORWARDS!"
"Cantona, Bergkamp, Henry—those aren't pure center forwards. Van Nistelrooy was a great scorer, but as a tactical reference point, a center forward..."
Shearer emphasized that Gao Shen's list wasn't as crazy as it seemed—it was just that the role of the center forward had evolved.
In the past, center forwards weren't required to be as complete as they are today. Players like Van Nistelrooy, while prolific, didn't offer much as focal points or in overall play.
In that respect, Van Nistelrooy was lacking.
Henry, for example, was the only striker in Premier League history to have a 30-goal, 10-assist season.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored 31 goals at his peak, but only had seven assists.
Last season, Suarez had come very close to matching Henry's all-around stats.
Given his age and form, it wasn't out of the question that he could catch up—or even surpass—Henry.
Alan Shearer concluded that Gao Shen must have had his reasons for saying what he did.
If both of Manchester City's strikers could really score more than 30 goals in a season, that would be terrifying.
"Let's wait and see!"
…
"Did you see the media reports and posts online today?"
After a night's rest at a hotel in West London, the next morning after breakfast, Gao Shen called Van Persie to his room and asked him if he'd been paying attention to the media coverage.
"I saw it," Van Persie nodded, his eyes full of gratitude. "Thank you, boss!"
"Don't thank me. I'm just trying to protect my own reputation. I can't stand those journalists," Gao Shen smiled.
"But, Robin, I meant every word I said!"
Van Persie sat across from him, looking surprised.
"I believe you felt it too—especially early last season, before your injury. I believe you have the strength and potential to be one of the top five center forwards in Premier League history."
"Boss… you're joking, right?" Van Persie gave an awkward smile.
He assumed Gao Shen was just defending him publicly.
"I'm not joking," Gao Shen said seriously. "I have full confidence in my ability to evaluate players. I believe in you. I believe you won't let me down. The real question is, do you believe in yourself?"
"Join me, and together let's prove the doubters wrong. If you back down now, I'll be disappointed."
Van Persie fell silent.
He could tell Gao Shen was serious.
But that made it even harder to respond.
Thirty goals in one season? That wasn't easy.
Even Henry, in his best season, had just reached 30. How could he do it?
"What, scared?" Gao Shen teased with a grin.
"I remember when you joined Arsenal, you were a cocky bad boy who didn't care about anyone, always talking big and getting into trouble. What happened, did you mellow out?"
The truth was, Van Persie had been through a lot over the years—constant injuries, just as he was starting to find form.
Like last season. In the first twelve matches, he had seven goals and seven assists. He was flying.
Then Chiellini's tackle ruined his season.
He was no longer the reckless, outspoken youth of the past. He'd settled down, started a family, grown up.
Gao Shen paid close attention to the change in Van Persie's expression, especially his eyes.
He could understand it. Everyone had to grow and adapt.
In a sense, Van Persie's transformation wasn't a bad thing.
But over-suppressing yourself isn't good either.
Gao Shen clearly remembered that in his previous life, after Arsenal sold Adebayor to Manchester City in 2009, Van Persie was promoted as Arsenal's main striker. He started strong with seven goals and seven assists in twelve games, then got injured and lost most of the season.
This season, he had been eased in and played well. But in September, another injury while on international duty kept him out for over two months. He was still regaining form.
Then, starting in January from Round 21, he scored 18 goals and provided 4 assists in the final 18 rounds. And because of the Champions League, he actually only played in 16 of them.
Clearly, at 27, Van Persie was entering the peak of his career.
He was like a volcano, ready to erupt—but always held back by injuries.
Gao Shen's job now was to reduce the risk of injuries, ignite his fighting spirit and hunger, and let that volcano erupt in full force.
(To be continued.)
***
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