Ferguson and Wenger were both seated on stage alongside UEFA President Ceferin. When they heard Gao Shen's so-called "outrageous remarks," they exchanged knowing smiles. It was exactly what they had expected from him.
He always said things that were guaranteed to be bold and shocking.
But more often than not, behind these provocative arguments lay his own personal agenda. And somehow, he always managed to get everyone to accept it.
Gao Shen, on the other hand, sat relaxed on stage, legs crossed, looking calmly at the more than twenty top European coaches in front of him.
Given his current status, he had certainly earned the right.
He believed that in recent years, the technical and tactical levels in professional football had developed rapidly, especially in terms of defensive improvements, which had significantly raised the demands placed on center forwards.
The center forward position had always been the most demanding role on the pitch.
"I once told Ronaldo that if he were playing today, he wouldn't be able to play as a center forward. He'd only be fit to play as a winger."
That final sentence from Gao Shen made everyone in the room laugh.
If Ronaldo played as a winger, isn't that just Cristiano Ronaldo?
But on further thought, it made sense.
If defense is like a net, then the job of the center forward is to find a hole in that net and break through it.
When the net is loose, players who rely on technique, movement, and strategic reading of the game can shine.
Why?
Because there are gaps in the net. As long as they can find and exploit them, they can score goals.
Players like Del Piero, Henry, Inzaghi, and even Van Nistelrooy were all masters at this.
But what if the net becomes tighter and tighter, the gaps fewer and fewer, and even if you spot one, you still can't break through?
Then there are two solutions.
The first is to find space between the lines of midfield and defense, essentially deploying a false nine—like Messi once did.
That was even the period when Fabregas played as a center forward.
But gradually, everyone realized this route was a dead end.
When the pace and intensity of the game rise, when the defense tightens to the extreme and leaves no room, the false nine strategy becomes ineffective.
So, the only option left is to fight!
How?
With powerful center forwards like Vieri, Drogba, Benzema, Giroud, or even Suarez.
They're strong, can hold off defenders, play with their back to goal, turn under pressure, and force open a gap in the defensive net.
In his previous life, why did Guardiola discard Eto'o and bring in Ibrahimovic?
Because Ibra was a traditional powerful striker who could physically challenge defenses.
Of course, the story between Ibra and Barcelona is another matter altogether.
Gao Shen's joke about Ronaldo only being able to play as a winger nowadays stems from this logic.
But in recent years, a new issue has emerged with tactical development.
Top teams are putting more emphasis on high pressing, technical passing, and attackers' ability to immediately counter-press. But this creates another problem.
It is difficult for a physically dominant center forward to do all of the above simultaneously.
Gao Shen listed the conflict between Van Gaal and Ibrahimovic as an example.
Back when Van Gaal was technical director at Ajax, he asked Ibra to actively participate in pressing and defensive work. The Swedish striker pushed back, accusing Van Gaal of not understanding football because, in his eyes, expending that much energy on defense made it impossible to lead the attack.
The result?
He was completely ineffective offensively.
This was the pattern with players like Drogba, Benzema, Giroud, and Mandzukic. They played important tactical roles, but their goal-scoring efficiency was low.
Eventually, this even became a trend. When evaluating tall center forwards, people stopped caring about their goal tally. Instead, they focused on their tactical contributions.
Can they hold up the ball? Can they absorb pressure? Can they create space for wingers or midfielders making late runs?
There's a reason for this.
Lampard scored so many goals because Drogba was up front. Ronaldo scored so many because he had Benzema ahead of him.
Without a center forward, would they have scored as many goals?
Absolutely not.
This is also why, in recent years, wing play has become increasingly dominant.
From Gao Shen's first stint at Real Madrid, to Napoli, to Manchester City, back to Real Madrid again, and now to Leeds United, all of his teams featured wide players as their attacking core.
Even now, Leeds United, Paris Saint-Germain, and Real Madrid still rely heavily on flank-based attacks.
It could be said that in modern European football, strong wingers are the key to success.
But things are about to change.
...
"As I just mentioned, over the years, we've heavily emphasized passing and possession in youth development—from attackers to midfielders, defenders, and even goalkeepers."
When Gao Shen said this, his tone was self-assured.
Everyone acknowledged it. No one present would object to the fact that this trend began with Gao Shen.
"But now we need to consider, what comes next?"
The importance of midfield is obvious, and flank attacks are well established. But these areas are not without flaws, which was evident at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Only teams with strong center forwards could reach the end.
Strikers like Giroud, Mandzukic, and Harry Kane all delivered consistent performances.
But that's only part of the picture.
"I don't know if any of you have noticed, but in recent years, as the trend of possession football has spread, our criteria for evaluating center-backs have also changed. Center-backs with strong individual defensive ability, like Ramos, Pepe, and Puyol, have become increasingly rare."
Everyone in the room fell into deep thought after hearing this.
Has the overall defensive performance of center-backs declined?
Others may not notice it, but as Champions League-level managers, they certainly have.
As the emphasis shifts to passing, positioning, and supporting play, the importance of the center-back's core task—defending—has diminished.
Take Trent Alexander-Arnold. His offensive contribution is outstanding, but defensively, he's often exposed.
Van Dijk is excellent, but mainly because he fits the current environment. If we judge purely by defensive skill, is he worth €150 million?
Why is De Ligt so expensive, and why are so many teams pursuing him?
Because he is young, physically strong, and has enormous potential.
Youth often brings rashness, inexperience, and mistakes. But with experience, these rough edges are refined. This is a natural process.
Back then, Puyol, Ramos, Pepe—they all went through the same journey.
But what about others?
Gao Shen believes that recent football trends have caused youth academies to prioritize passing, technique, and speed when developing young center-backs.
But the essence of defending has been neglected or even forgotten.
When many people criticized David Luiz, Gao Shen defended him, arguing that a center-back willing to step out and defend one-on-one is rare.
Because when training defenders, people prefer "stability."
But stability often equates to mediocrity.
These pointed remarks made everyone ponder deeply.
If the overall defensive level of center-backs is declining, then who is better suited than a center forward to penetrate these dense defenses?
This is exactly what Gao Shen meant by the era of the super center.
"Suarez is a prototype. He can run, pass, shoot, control, and receive the ball with his back to goal. He covers a wide area and has defensive awareness. Apart from lacking the physique of a traditional target man, he is nearly flawless."
"So, is it possible for a player, or several players, to emerge as tall versions of Suarez?"
The question left everyone deep in thought.
As managers, their first instinct was to ask: how do you defend against a towering Suarez?
The answer: you probably can't.
Especially when the entire team's offense is built around him and his strengths are maximized—how do you stop him?
He's strong, fast, and technical. He can receive the ball with his back to goal, turn and shoot. And crucially, he operates closer to goal than wingers.
If such a super center exists, he would be a true game-changer.
At that point, scoring might just become a routine.
And this fits perfectly with the needs of modern football entertainment.
Why did Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi become the two greatest players of their era?
Was it really about tactics or technique?
No. For most fans around the world, it's simply because they scored goals—lots and lots of goals.
That's it.
"High." Sitting.
His center forward is Firmino, and clearly, he's not a tall striker.
"What you've said is very appealing. It's even very likely to happen. But I think the kind of super center you're describing will be difficult to develop. The demands are too high. I don't think it'll become common any time soon."
"Of course," Gao Shen nodded with a smile. "But I still believe it will be a trend."
"Whether you look at it from the perspective of the professional football industry or tactical evolution, I firmly believe the future will belong to the era of super center forwards."
"I can even say this now: from this point forward, teams without a proper center forward will find it increasingly difficult to compete. In three to five years, top-level center forwards will be even rarer and more valuable than elite center-backs."
Right now, center forwards are undervalued. Even Giroud has been pushed to the margins.
Meanwhile, top center-backs are commanding fees of over €100 million.
But this can change.
Ferguson, Wenger, and Pochettino—sitting in the audience—all felt this point deeply.
Because Leeds United currently has two promising center forwards in development: Haaland and Rashford.
So does that mean that in two or three years, when the entire football world is desperate for top strikers, Leeds United's players will be worth a hundred times more?
(To be continued.)