"Hazard gets the ball and drives into the box."
"He bypasses Arnold and breaks into the area, defenders closing in on him."
"He's still dribbling, feinting, cutting, edging toward the byline!"
"De Ligt comes over to cover."
"Hazard goes for the shot!"
"It hits the side netting!"
"That sequence of dribbles and skill moves from Hazard was brilliant, but Leeds United's defense was also extremely tight."
"Let's take another look at the slow-motion replay. He had four defenders surrounding and pressing him, but they couldn't dispossess him."
"You have to say, the Belgian winger's ability is truly top-notch."
"But Leeds United's defensive line is very compact tonight."
"That was also Manchester City's final attack of the first half."
"The referee blows for halftime. Leeds United go into the break with a 1-0 lead over Manchester City, thanks to Mbappe's goal."
"City dominated the first half, with 11 shots to Leeds' 3. But Leeds made one count, and Manchester City couldn't find the net."
"Let's see if Guardiola can make effective adjustments in the second half and bring us a more exciting game."
...
Amidst the cheers of the fans, the players walked off the pitch one after another.
The coaches had already returned to the dressing rooms, busy organizing halftime tactical instructions.
Fifteen minutes is more than enough to change the course of a game.
"Hazard isn't Messi after all. There's still a big gap between them," Wenger said, a hint of regret in his tone.
A lot of people say Hazard is like Messi.
They might have looked similar once, but a high-intensity showdown like tonight between two top teams is the true test of raw ability.
Hazard is certainly very good, and among today's players he's definitely in the top tier. But to compare him to Messi? That's a stretch.
"His dribbling style is definitely similar to Messi's," Ferguson picked up, continuing the thought. "Short, low center of gravity, quick changes of direction, explosive bursts, those quick steps—these are trademark traits. Players like Messi, Robben, Neymar all have that same profile."
Why was Robben's inside cut from the right wing always so hard to stop?
Because of those short, rapid steps, sudden shifts, bursts of pace. Even if defenders knew he was cutting inside, they couldn't keep up and always got sold.
It's just like Mbappe's goal earlier—you know he's going to sprint, but you still can't catch him.
So, what can you do?
Nothing!
At the professional level, players with that kind of unstoppable individual ability are the ones who become true superstars.
"But what separates Messi from the rest, aside from dribbling, is his incredibly fast movement frequency, elite close control, and top-class awareness. That's why even while dribbling at high speed or under pressure, he can still deliver quality passes or lethal shots."
Ferguson sighed. "No defender can stop Messi, because it's nearly impossible for one player to match his pace of change, movement rhythm, and also block his passing or shooting lanes at the same time."
Messi isn't even that fast in terms of top speed. Anyone who's watched him closely knows that. What sets him apart is pure technical ability and rhythm. He can leave opponents behind just through his timing and movement.
His instinct allows him to release a pass or shot the instant the opportunity presents itself.
And that's the biggest difference.
Hazard's dribble just now looked flashy—beating four defenders—but ultimately, it posed little real threat. Why?
If you go frame by frame, you'll see Leeds United's defenders were steadily forcing him toward the byline. Only when he had no option left did he shoot, and the result was a shot into the side netting.
In other words, he couldn't carry the team forward at that moment.
If it had been Messi, he likely would have passed earlier.
Did Hazard consider passing?
Gao Shen believed he definitely did. There's no way he didn't see it. But either he failed to spot the best option, or he hesitated and missed the moment.
That's the biggest difference between him and Messi.
"Honestly, if Neymar hadn't left Barcelona, he would have had the best shot at succeeding Messi. Back then, he had already surpassed Messi in many areas and was starting to take on more responsibility on the pitch, gradually overshadowing Messi. But unfortunately..." Wenger sighed.
As Gao Shen listened to the two old men picking apart Hazard, he couldn't help but lose his patience.
"That's enough, you two. Stop comparing just to drag him down. I know Hazard has caused both of you plenty of pain in the past. Is it really necessary?"
Ferguson and Wenger looked at Gao Shen, then burst out laughing.
Well, he wasn't wrong.
Using Messi as a benchmark to criticize Hazard really was a bit much.
"If you ask me, Hazard and Ronaldo are the most talented players humanity can actually develop through training. Messi, to be honest, is untrainable. Even Barcelona didn't realize just how extraordinary he was at the time, did they?"
Ferguson and Wenger nodded in agreement at Gao Shen's words.
Everyone praises Messi and Barcelona now, but that's not how it really was.
Back then, did Barcelona really see the potential in Messi?
Ask Borrell if he dared say that.
Not to mention, Barcelona was quite stingy with his medical expenses. Most of the treatment costs came from Messi's own family.
So how much did Barcelona truly believe in him?
Talent is something you can't always see right away. It only reveals itself gradually on the pitch.
Anyone who claims a player has world-class talent but hasn't backed it up on the field is basically lying.
Like in Gao Shen's previous life, many Real Madrid fans mourned Jesé's decline. But in this life, Jesé didn't suffer any major injuries, and both Gao Shen and Real Madrid focused heavily on developing him. Yet he still didn't reach the so-called level of "King Jesé."
Let alone becoming a football king, he struggled even to become a regular starter at Real Madrid.
"I remember when I spoke with Van Gaal once, he dismissed Kluivert entirely. But he said something that really stuck with me."
At this point, Gao Shen was a little taken aback.
He hadn't realized it before, but a lot of what Van Gaal had said was actually deeply philosophical.
He said that from Michels to Cruyff to Guardiola, they were all chasing certain ideals and beliefs. But they overlooked a critical truth: most of their success came from rare and uncontrollable talents that were beyond any ideology or system.
Ferguson and Wenger nodded again.
"That's very close to what my former assistant René Meulensteen used to say," Ferguson added. "He always spoke highly of Gufren's scientific training system. And nowadays, that approach is becoming mainstream."
Wenger smiled faintly. "The Netherlands has a rich football culture, great youth development, and advanced tactics. But their problem is the small population."
The Netherlands has a population just over 10 million, far behind countries like France, the UK, Germany, Spain, and Italy.
With a smaller population, the talent pool is naturally more limited.
Why can Brazil continuously produce talented players every year?
Because they have over 200 million people.
Of course, that comparison only holds if there's a strong youth training system in place. Whether it's Europe's community-based grassroots programs or Brazil's poverty-driven street football, both are valid forms of youth development.
Without an effective and comprehensive youth system, population size means nothing.
That's why when people ask why a massive Eastern country with over a billion people can't produce a Messi or Ronaldo...
The real question is, how many of those billion are actually playing football?
In reality, you don't need a billion. If even just 1 percent—no, even one-tenth of 1 percent—played football seriously, you'd still produce your own Messi or Ronaldo.
The key is building an effective system that can get that 1 percent into the game.
...
Back to tonight's match.
Gao Shen believed Leeds United had managed to weather the first-half storm.
Now, the second half was going to get really interesting.
"Guardiola is going to make adjustments," Ferguson speculated. "His first-half tactics were aggressive, but clearly didn't work."
Wenger agreed. "There was zero threat on the right flank. I think De Bruyne only managed one semi-threatening attack all half. That's unacceptable."
"But if they do change tactics, will they go back to the original 4-3-3? Or build on the system from the first half?" Gao Shen asked with a smile.
Tactical tweaks may have looked good early on, but now that they're trailing and the game's tighter, what options does Guardiola have?
Was Gareth Bale really suitable for left-back?
Jerome Boateng offered no threat on the right, and Cancelo was still on the bench.
Guardiola had three substitutions left. Would he use one now?
All of these headaches had now been dumped on Guardiola.
That's the price of playing around.
That last-minute formation change might've looked flashy, but it disrupted the players' roles and game plan. Now what?
Would Leeds United give Manchester City time to clean up the mess?
"If I were Pochettino, I'd wait for you to make a change, then hit back hard," Gao Shen said with a smirk.
Ferguson and Wenger exchanged a look and both shook their heads.
That guy is still as cunning and shameless as ever.
Good thing they had retired. No more worrying about running into guys like this.
But they had to admit, Gao Shen's comment was a genuine threat.
...
When the players re-entered the pitch for the second half, everyone was surprised to see that Manchester City were indeed making a substitution.
Benjamin Mendy came on for the veteran Ivan Rakitic.
At that moment, it was clear what Guardiola intended.
He wanted to return to the 4-3-3.
The first half was all-in. The second half, he was playing it safe. Guardiola's thinking was once again full of contradictions.
After the substitution, De Bruyne dropped back into midfield alongside David Silva, while Gareth Bale moved to the right wing.
This would significantly reduce the pressure on Leeds United's right flank.
Pochettino walked to the touchline and signaled his players to press higher.
Ferguson and Wenger shared a look of surprise.
Birds of a feather flock together.
Pochettino wasn't just Bielsa's student—he was clearly a top-tier disciple.
That sly, cunning style? A perfect match!
(To be continued.)