When Leeds United returned to the UK after a long journey from Doha, Qatar, with the first Club World Cup trophy in their history, the 18th round of the Premier League was underway.
Leeds United's home match against Wolves was postponed until the end of January.
Despite having played one fewer game, Leeds United still ranked third.
After a brief celebration ceremony, the club hosted a Christmas dinner, inviting players, their families, and the club's staff and management.
As the club owner, Gao Shen expressed his gratitude to the world champions and also thanked all the players, employees, and staff for Leeds United's achievements over the past year.
Having secured the Premier League, Champions League, Community Shield, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup, Leeds United won five trophies in 2019—an unprecedented feat in the club's history.
However, Gao Shen also made it clear to everyone that this was by no means the peak of Leeds United.
"I can guarantee that in the future, our team will become stronger and stronger."
Professional football is grounded in reality.
Gao Shen has always had a very clear understanding of this.
So-called homegrown talents and loyal players all operate under the premise of equal conditions.
That is, when two teams offer similar circumstances, or there is no significant gap, players will naturally choose to stay with their current team.
This is no different from employees working at a company. If they're happy, and the salary and benefits are competitive, who would willingly take the risk of switching jobs?
But if Leeds United continues following the same operating strategy from the past few years without adapting to the times, then this current group of players will eventually leave, and it will be impossible to retain them.
Gao Shen also knew clearly that his advantage as a transmigrator would only last for two more years.
Under these circumstances, with Leeds United's operations and performances steadily improving, raising the overall salary and benefits within the club had become a necessary step.
Gao Shen had already reached a consensus on this in a meeting with Su Qing, Lucas, Borel, and the finance department.
So, this time, he officially announced that Leeds United would undergo a salary adjustment after the end of the season.
All the players and employees were thrilled by the announcement.
Leeds United's staff had always enjoyed competitive salaries, but the players' wages were relatively low compared to other Premier League clubs.
With a total wage bill ranking only 7th in the Premier League, even behind clubs like Tottenham, it was somewhat difficult to accept.
With this pay raise, Leeds United's top salary would be increased to £200,000 per week.
The next step would be to consolidate for two more years, and then, at the right moment, raise it further to £250,000.
When it comes to salaries and benefits, both Leeds United and most other European clubs maintain tight control.
Apart from a few clubs making reckless decisions, no one dares to be careless.
Atletico Madrid's decision to force Griezmann to stay for an extra season caused their salary structure to collapse.
Manchester United's signing of Sanchez also destabilized their wage structure.
These kinds of cases are widespread across European football. Who can afford to ignore them? Who dares to be careless?
Professional players themselves are well aware that Leeds United's salary structure is reasonable and well-managed. They are free to choose to stay and grow with the club, or they can look for a better platform elsewhere.
But if a player is determined to leave, and the other club offers enough money, Leeds United never forces anyone to stay.
This is how Leeds United does business.
And now, with the top salary rising from £150,000 to £200,000, it shows that the club's attractiveness to elite players is increasing. Leeds United has more confidence in retaining talent.
Especially for the younger players, what's wrong with growing together with the team?
...
Around Christmas, Leeds United was extremely busy.
The team not only had to prepare for the grueling fixture schedule but also actively participate in community events.
The players were divided into several groups to attend various social and charity events in Leeds and surrounding areas.
Gao Shen and the club were especially generous, sparing no expense.
On Boxing Day, Leeds United traveled south to Birmingham for an away match against Aston Villa.
This Premier League team, which had invested heavily in the summer, currently sat 19th in the table and was deeply entrenched in the relegation zone.
Facing such a side, Leeds United applied immediate high pressure from kickoff.
In the 18th minute, Vardy crossed the ball from the right. Sancho received it near the right edge of the penalty area, dribbled inside despite being surrounded by three defenders, and before the center-back could block, fired a low shot with his right foot, beating Aston Villa's goalkeeper.
1-0!
Just six minutes later, Grealish broke into the left side of the penalty area and attempted to cut the ball back, but it was intercepted by a defender. When Vardy's shot deflected off an opponent, the ball bounced to Sancho near the penalty spot. He struck it first-time and scored again.
2-0!
In the 28th minute, Bruno Fernandes delivered a pass to Vardy, who shot from just outside the penalty arc, scoring Leeds United's third goal.
3-0!
By this point, many home fans at Villa Park had already begun to leave early.
It was Boxing Day during the festive period, and no one wanted to witness a humiliating defeat. But Aston Villa's performance was truly abysmal.
In first-half stoppage time, Aston Villa, already trailing by three, made another mistake.
Sancho dropped deeper to receive the ball. Valverde made a diagonal run into the right side of the penalty area. After receiving Sancho's pass, he crossed it to the far post. Vardy arrived in time and easily tapped the ball into the net.
4-0!
By halftime, even more Aston Villa fans had left early.
After the restart, Leeds United continued pressing with their advantage.
Vardy and substitute Rashford each scored a goal, and Leeds United ultimately defeated Aston Villa 6-1 away from home.
The Leeds United captain completed a hat-trick!
...
Two days later, in the 20th round of the Premier League, Leeds United hosted Tottenham Hotspur.
Pochettino made heavy rotations to his squad.
Playing three matches in seven days after Christmas is a massive test for any team. Without rotation, it's nearly impossible to keep going.
But with rotation came problems.
In just the 10th minute, Alderweireld sent a long pass directly behind Leeds United's backline. Sessegnon broke through and scored for Spurs, breaking the deadlock.
Conceding an early goal had a clear impact on Leeds United. But the White Rose still pressed high, putting Tottenham under pressure in midfield and the final third.
In the 18th minute, Vinicius applied pressure that helped Bruno Fernandes win the ball. He then launched a counterattack, with Haaland and Rodrigo dragging defenders out of position.
Bruno dribbled to the edge of the box and unleashed a powerful shot, finding the back of the net to equalize. 1-1!
In the 33rd minute, Leeds United intercepted the ball near midfield again. Alphonso Davies received the pass and burst forward past the halfway line. He spotted an opportunity and sent a long diagonal pass.
Haaland made a run to the right side of the penalty arc, chested the ball down into the box, then surged forward and chipped it over the advancing goalkeeper.
2-1!
A comeback!
Leeds United led by one going into halftime.
But early in the second half, Tchouaméni fouled just outside the penalty arc, giving Spurs a free kick.
Eriksen stepped up calmly and curled it in, equalizing again for Tottenham.
2-2!
The match was back level.
But in the 71st minute, Bruno Fernandes delivered a precise through ball. Haaland used his strength to hold off Alderweireld, brought the ball into the right side of the box, and before anyone could react, fired a quick shot with his weaker right foot, beating the goalkeeper again.
3-2!
The young Norwegian completed his brace!
This scoreline held until the final whistle, with Leeds United narrowly defeating Spurs 3-2, thanks to Haaland's brace and Bruno Fernandes's goal.
However, Liverpool and Manchester City also won both of their matches. The league table remained unchanged.
...
On January 1st, in the 21st round of the Premier League, Leeds United hosted Crystal Palace.
Everyone was exhausted after a congested fixture schedule.
At the start of the match, Leeds United pressed Crystal Palace aggressively with a high press.
In the 4th minute, Rashford and Vardy combined with a one-two in the attacking third. Vardy's shot was saved, but Rashford was quickest to react, tapping in the rebound.
1-0!
Afterwards, both teams fought hard, but neither managed to score again.
Leeds United held on to secure a narrow 1-0 home win over Crystal Palace.
Meanwhile, both Liverpool and Manchester City also secured victories, each passing their respective tests without any major hiccups.
As a result, the Premier League's top three all completed three consecutive wins, successfully navigating the brutal Christmas schedule.
Manchester United, however, lost 2-0 away to Arsenal.
These two clubs could now be described as sharing the same misery.
After managerial changes, neither Arsenal nor Manchester United saw significant improvement in results. They now sit eighth and ninth respectively in the Premier League, both trailing behind teams like Wolves and Tottenham.
This sparked strong dissatisfaction among Gunners and Red Devils fans.
Especially Manchester United supporters.
Their anger toward the Glazer family reached a boiling point.
When The Sun and several other British media outlets revealed that the Glazer family intended to sell Manchester United, many fans in Manchester took to the streets to protest against the Glazers' years of exploitation of the club.
After so many years, Manchester United fans had already seen through the Glazers' intentions. The repeated rumors of them wanting to sell and cash out only further fueled the fans' frustration.
Now that the team's performance has hit rock bottom, the sooner the Glazers leave, the better.
Riding this wave of interest around Manchester United, British media began following up on the situation.
An American consortium led by Todd Boehly was in talks with Tottenham Hotspur, while a Saudi consortium was reportedly considering acquiring Liverpool or Newcastle.
Among those options, their top target was Liverpool, but Fenway Sports Group's asking price was too high.
Liverpool had performed well in recent years. Their summer investment of €200 million to bring in top talent, including the full-back duo of Robertson and Alexander-Arnold, gave them the strength and confidence to challenge for the title.
Under such circumstances, Fenway's valuation would naturally be steep.
Amid all this chaos, as the winter transfer window opened, Gao Shen, accompanied by his wife and son, boarded a flight to return to China.
This trip held a very, very special meaning for him.
(To be continued.)
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