In Ferguson's impression, Gao Shen would usually argue with him after a remark like that.
But what happened next completely surprised him. Gao Shen didn't argue.
Not only did he not argue, he nodded readily and smiled, "I believe it."
That left Ferguson utterly confused. When did this kid become so agreeable?
Seeing Ferguson's puzzled expression, Gao Shen smiled again. "Ever since you sold Pogba to me, I decided not to argue with you for a while."
Ferguson felt both angry and helpless. This brat clearly had no sense of respect for his elders.
But then, something clicked in his mind. He stared at Gao Shen again, suddenly realizing he had been tricked.
"So you were after Pogba from the beginning?" Ferguson raised his voice.
Gao Shen smiled and waved his hand. "Don't be so surprised, Sir. Think of it this way. Manchester United doesn't have the right environment to develop young players, so now we'll do it for you. And you have plenty of money. When the players are developed, you can just buy them back."
At this, Gao Shen spread his hands. "Look, you get top-tier players, we get money, and everyone's happy."
"I'm not happy!" Ferguson snapped.
He truly hadn't expected it to be Pogba. After all, Gao Shen had shown disinterest in the French midfielder from beginning to end.
Turns out it was all a setup. All that effort had just been to get Pogba.
"Then what you said about Lingard being comparable to Messi, was that a lie too?" Ferguson was even more furious.
Gao Shen paused for a moment, then nodded quickly. "That's real. Absolutely true. More real than pearls."
That's Emperor Lingard!
In front of Emperor Lin, Messi is nothing!
Hearing Gao Shen say this with such confidence, Ferguson finally felt a bit better.
He'd spent his life outwitting others, and now, in his old age, this young man had outmaneuvered him. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
The more he thought about it, the more annoyed he became, so he finally extorted a few boxes of wine from Gao Shen as a small punishment.
"It's fine, it's fine. As long as you're not mad." Gao Shen agreed happily.
Seeing him like this, Ferguson finally calmed down.
After all, running a club wasn't easy.
Especially with a mess like Leeds United.
Others might not know, but how could Ferguson not? He knew everything about Leeds United's situation from top to bottom. After all, they were arch-rivals and practically neighbors.
"I watched the Championship match yesterday," Ferguson said.
Gao Shen was a bit surprised. He hadn't expected Ferguson to pay attention to Leeds United.
"Don't look at me like that. We're sworn enemies. If you're aiming for promotion, of course I need to keep an eye on you," Ferguson explained.
It was a bit of a stretch, but still acceptable.
Gao Shen wasn't worried about players being poached because Leeds United now had full control of their player contracts.
The real trouble comes with players in the final year of their contract.
In fact, renewing a player's contract is a science.
Sure, clubs are smart, but players aren't stupid either.
Take Berbatov last season. It was his contract year, and suddenly he turned in his best performances.
Another well-known case was Flamini. When he moved from Arsenal to AC Milan, he exploded in his contract year, only to cool off after signing the extension.
This kind of situation is often difficult to handle.
Look at Flamini's career. From Marseille to Arsenal, then Arsenal to AC Milan, then back to Arsenal from Milan—all his transfers were free.
Interesting, right?
Everyone knows that free transfers aren't actually cheap. Players ask for higher salaries.
In simple terms, Flamini's approach hurt the clubs but enriched himself.
And the key is, somehow this guy found a partner skilled in chemistry, developed some kind of product, and later got rich—making it onto the French rich list. He's definitely a winner in life.
There's never been a clear rule for resolving the conflict of interests between players and clubs. It's always been about bargaining and compromise.
…
"How do you feel?" Gao Shen asked with concern.
Ferguson had coached in the Premier League for decades. He had seen it all—every kind of team, every kind of situation—and his insight was still sharp.
"At the moment, the overall structure is still a bit loose. The squad needs more cohesion. If you can gradually build chemistry through matches, promotion is very possible. But to survive in the Premier League, you'll need to go further. Especially in terms of player development."
At this, Ferguson looked straight at Gao Shen, as if trying to see through him. "Your players are very young, but they're all capable. Good raw talent. How did you find them?"
After coaching for so many years, Ferguson could spot potential at a glance.
Take Koulibaly. He's a bit raw, but his physical attributes are outstanding. And he's only 20. In the next three or four years, as long as his defensive awareness and decision-making improve, he'll become a top defender.
Then there's Bolasie. His physicality is exceptional. He's fast and agile, and he's genuinely threatening on the pitch. His only drawback is age—he's already 22, so his ceiling isn't as high.
This also reflects a key standard in youth scouting.
Age matters.
If Bolasie were two years younger, his current form would be even more eye-catching.
For example, Zaha. Ferguson spotted him at first sight. Unfortunately, after joining Manchester United, Ferguson retired. Zaha was loaned out multiple times and eventually returned to Crystal Palace.
If Ferguson had been around to develop him, Zaha might have achieved much more than he did in Gao Shen's previous timeline.
Gao Shen certainly wouldn't reveal how he found all these gems, but he still humbly asked Ferguson for advice on youth development, especially in the British environment.
Ferguson knew Leeds United's situation well, so he advised Gao Shen to keep the players away from bad influences, particularly peers who loafed around and caused trouble.
That reminded Gao Shen of Ravel Morrison.
That kid was insanely talented. Even more so than Pogba. But he fell in with the wrong crowd.
Ferguson had repeatedly told him to stay away from those friends. Morrison himself had tried to cut ties. But they kept coming back, and in the end, he isolated himself and never fulfilled his potential.
There were reports that Ferguson even tried to send him to West Ham, hoping he'd get out of Manchester. But it didn't work. Morrison still failed.
"You know, kids at that age don't understand consequences. They care about bravado and brotherhood, and rarely think about the cost of their actions. So the best way is to keep them out of those environments."
Gao Shen understood what Ferguson meant.
Especially with players like Bolasie and Zaha. Their backgrounds were complicated, and their relationships outside of football weren't simple. So often, the club had to step up, care for them, and guide them.
But truthfully, clubs aren't charities. They can't do everything for the players. And the players might not even appreciate it.
So most of the time, the club's ability to help is limited.
"Actually, I think your current training base is good. It's far from the city, not much police trouble, and the players are all from outside the area. If you arrange fan families for them to stay with, you'll avoid a lot of problems."
Many youth players lived with host families. The club subsidized the costs, and fans were usually happy to help.
In the UK, many inner-city areas have worse crime rates than the suburbs. The roughest areas of Leeds are in the northern part of the city. But the Thorp Arch training base is located quite far out in a small town with excellent security.
"Times have changed. What used to be normal is now rare."
Ferguson smiled with some emotion.
"You know, back then, youth players staying with fans was limited. There were only a few spots, and they were in high demand. It built a bond between the club, fans, and players. But now, that connection has faded. It's become more transactional."
Ferguson was seventy.
After so many years in football, the hardest part for him was seeing how much had changed.
He couldn't accept it, but he had no choice but to adapt and compromise.
That's what happened when the Glazer family took over Manchester United, and it's the same with youth development now.
"Keep working hard. I only watched one match, but your players are genuinely good. If you can guide them well, you've got a real shot at staying up in the Premier League," Ferguson encouraged.
The gap between relegation battlers and mid-table Premier League teams isn't that big.
A club like Everton could find themselves fighting relegation if they weren't careful.
Just look at Birmingham. Ninth place one season. Relegated the next.
The Premier League is brutal. Every team has to be extremely careful.
So if Ferguson says this team has the strength to avoid relegation, he's essentially saying they're already lower-mid-table quality.
That's high praise.
But Ferguson's assessment still differed somewhat from Gao Shen's own expectations.
In any case, that's a concern for later. Right now, Leeds United's top priority is to integrate the squad, build chemistry, and perform well in the Championship to earn promotion.
As for surviving in the Premier League, that's a problem for next year.
(To be continued.)