Most fans think of conservatism as simply sitting back and defending.
But that's not entirely accurate.
Conservatism is a mindset. It doesn't necessarily have to manifest as pure defense.
For example, Guardiola and Barcelona's version of conservatism often takes the form of obsessive ball control, to the point where they sacrifice forward passes and attacking threats, instead endlessly recycling possession in the midfield and defensive third.
We've seen this happen at Barcelona and with Guardiola's teams today.
Especially in high-stakes matches.
When Gao Shen hoped that Guardiola wouldn't be conservative, he meant he hoped Guardiola wouldn't default to endless passing in midfield and defense.
Another issue is indecision.
Guardiola is known for being indecisive, most notably in the Champions League final in Gao Shen's previous life.
Whether he will struggle with this in tomorrow night's final remains uncertain.
But one thing is clear: Pochettino's Leeds United is more than capable of threatening and hurting Manchester City.
Efficient pressing and rapid counterattacks are Leeds United's strengths.
So the real question is how Guardiola will choose to respond.
In a final like this, it's hard for outsiders to give concrete advice, because no one understands the team better—or knows the opponent more thoroughly—than the manager.
Victory still comes down to the players and the head coach giving everything on the pitch.
...
"There's a lot of speculation that Pochettino used a three-man defense against Wolves as preparation for the Champions League final."
Wenger brought up the topic with interest.
Conspiracy theories always have their place, and football is no exception.
Many rumors have been swirling, some incredibly detailed, claiming that Leeds United's closed-door training camp focused on practicing a back three, with Pochettino planning to catch Manchester City off guard.
Gao Shen swore that this was absolute nonsense.
Right now, the chance of Leeds United using a three-man defense in the Champions League final was nearly zero.
But still, people love a good theory.
"In recent years, the three-man defense has made a comeback, but to be honest, many aspects are very different from the past," Ferguson said.
When thinking of a three-man defense, the first team that came to Gao Shen's mind was Capello's Roma, the one that won the Serie A title.
That team had world-class wing-backs like Cafu and top defenders like Samuel, Zebina, and Panucci. Their back three was extremely effective.
But as Ferguson said, the times have changed.
Gao Shen has always believed that football tactics evolve in a spiral. Many ideas may look similar on the surface but are actually very different in practice.
Forget the three-man defense for a moment—take the four-man defense as an example.
Many fans still debate the roles and cooperation between the two center-backs.
That's not necessarily wrong, but the traditional setup of one center-back stepping up while the other drops deeper is rarely seen anymore. Defensive systems have become integrated, and even attacking and defending are no longer separate.
What does "integration" mean?
It means systematic coordination.
Every player must function as part of the team's offensive and defensive system. Besides completing their individual tasks, they must also fulfill roles in the larger tactical structure.
In the past, it was simple: strikers attacked, midfielders organized, and defenders defended.
But now?
Defenders push forward. Forwards drop deep to defend.
And "defensive forward" isn't even a new term anymore.
In this age of integrated football, players are expected to be versatile and multi-functional. This leads to flexible positioning, where anyone in a certain area takes on the relevant role.
So even in a back four, you'll often see the two center-backs evenly positioned.
In Capello's Roma, the three-man defense had a clear structure, with detailed roles for each player.
Now, it's more complex.
Take Gao Shen's Real Madrid as an example. The number four often dropped deep to form a third center-back alongside the regular two.
Everyone knew that Madrid's full-backs were used like wingers. Does that mean they used a back three?
That's just the beginning.
As more coaches adopt three-man systems, they continue to evolve new tactical ideas.
"Actually, I had an idea the other day," Gao Shen said. "We could use a high-pressing 3-4-2-1 system, with a tall center forward to pin the defense, and two attacking players behind him who can operate wide or centrally, giving the attack lots of flexibility."
"Behind them, the four midfielders would include two wing-backs and two all-around central midfielders to stabilize the middle. The wide center-backs in the back three can push up when the team advances, supporting the midfield and frontline."
Everyone fell into thought after hearing this.
"Interesting tactics," Ferguson said. "If I'm not mistaken, you're targeting players like Messi, Neymar, and Hazard."
Those players love to operate in the half-spaces between the lines and near the flanks, which are traditionally hard to defend. Gao Shen's system frees the wing-backs to mark them directly.
"But this setup would place heavy demands on the center-backs. The wide ones need speed and the ability to track runners. Also, the three attackers up front aren't great at maintaining spacing. If not handled well, they'll drift too far apart and lose coordination."
Without combination play, the attackers can easily be isolated, and then it's just solo efforts.
Ferguson paused, then smiled again. "And in central midfield, I suspect you're thinking of going back to the Biglia-Rakitic double pivot from your Napoli days."
That pairing became a classic.
Both were technically gifted, capable of defending and attacking. Their passing, late runs, and work rate made them a very effective midfield duo. Fans still remember them fondly.
In Gao Shen's 3-4-2-1 concept, the two central midfielders in the four-man midfield seem perfectly suited for players like them.
After Ferguson explained it, everyone began to understand.
Though all coaches, Wenger sometimes found it hard to keep up with Ferguson and Gao Shen when they got into tactical theory.
"If that's the case, your system has clear flaws, but also obvious strengths. The pressing and attacking will be dangerous," Wenger added.
"But those three attacking players have to be dominant," Ferguson warned.
Especially the center forward. If he can't control the game and lacks presence, the system will fail.
On paper, it's a 3-4-2-1, but everything revolves around the number 9.
This system is designed to maximize the center forward.
"You're preparing for Haaland, aren't you?" Ferguson suddenly asked.
Gao Shen gave a sheepish smile. "It just came to mind."
Call it an occupational hazard.
When he saw Pochettino trying a 3-4-2-1 against Wolves, Gao Shen sensed something was off.
The main problem is that Mbappe isn't suited to the system. Grealish fits better.
The two players behind the center forward should be able to operate both centrally and wide. Besides Grealish, players like Sancho, Felix, Foden, and Rodrygo would work well.
As Ferguson said, the team's resources should revolve around serving the number 9.
"I think it's worth studying, but the system is demanding," Ferguson said. "The striker goes without saying. Haaland is still inexperienced, especially with back-to-goal play and other striker fundamentals."
"As for the two behind him, they must be creators, capable of combining, breaking through, and making runs. Their speed and timing must be top-tier. Not many players fit that profile."
There are generally two approaches to building a team: one is to design a system and then find the players to fit it.
The other is to buy players first and build the system around them.
Finding the right players for Gao Shen's vision would be extremely difficult.
Even the two midfielders in the central roles would be hard to identify.
Kimmich might be one. Milinkovic might not fit. Valverde isn't ideal either. Using him there would waste his strengths. The Uruguayan is quick and has an excellent instinct for making late runs. If he develops that properly, he'll be a devastating late-arriving threat.
"I'll pass it along and have the team study it," Lucas said with a smile.
Even if the idea is just in its early stages, the more you explore it, the more intriguing it becomes.
The current four-at-the-back systems have started to reach their limits. More teams are now exploring three-man defenses.
That's why Pochettino experimented with a back three against Wolves.
Gao Shen's design was still rough, but the concepts were promising. You could imagine that, with refinement, it could become a high-powered tactical system.
Of course, flaws are inevitable. The key is learning how to minimize them.
The tactical research department spun off from Leeds United has specialists who study systems like this. They can analyze the concept, run simulations, and feed it into their database to model different outcomes. You might uncover something unexpected.
After this deep dive into tactics, the discussion gradually returned to the Champions League final.
This season's final was different from previous years in that both teams had ample time to prepare.
Everyone believed that both Pochettino and Guardiola were spending this time studying their opponents.
Both squads were at full strength, with no injuries. All key players were available.
This would be the ultimate test for both managers.
How can you create the most favorable conditions for yourself using the cards you already hold?
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)