When the live television cameras panned over, Ratcliffe's expression was extremely unpleasant.
He noticed the camera, reached out to block it, then turned around and left the stands, entering the VIP box.
If his appearance and expression were broadcast right now, who knows how the media would portray him. The fans would once again humiliate, ridicule, and mock him.
The score on the field was 1-3.
Manchester United not only lost the result, but also the performance.
This infuriated and baffled Ratcliffe.
"Why?" The British tycoon pointed outside and sternly questioned his team.
He was not a complete novice when it came to football. On the contrary, as a British man, he had grown up watching matches. Contrary to public perception, his team was not just a group of gamblers. He had hired many professionals as consultants.
He had even considered hiring Ferguson as his chairman's advisor, but Ferguson declined.
And tonight, Ferguson was also sitting in the stands at Old Trafford.
He just wasn't sitting with Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe had spent his entire life in finance and capital, yet now he had no clue how to understand professional football.
Why had the team's performance declined instead of improving, despite spending so much money?
"Can anyone tell me why?" Ratcliffe asked in a deep voice, emphasizing every word.
Clearly, no one could give him an answer.
It's not just about watching football for many years. Many people play football their entire lives and still can't master it.
Manchester United spent €260 million in the summer transfer window, making them one of the biggest spenders in European football. However, judging by the results, whether in summer friendlies or the start of the new season, their performance had been disappointing.
"I previously arranged to speak with many professionals from different teams, including Sir Alex Ferguson. They offered a lot of suggestions, but none could provide an effective solution to the team's current problems."
The first to be held accountable was Manchester United's new CEO. With the team's poor performance, the owner's dissatisfaction naturally fell on him.
"What do you mean? Explain more clearly."
"We have many problems now, some of which have existed for more than a decade. For example, our training base is far behind the current trend, both in terms of facilities and software."
"Everyone in the world knows that data analysis is becoming increasingly important. We do have data analysts, but only two. We simply can't manage the enormous workload. Forget analyzing our competitors, sometimes it's difficult just to provide accurate data for our own team."
"Then there's the renovation of training grounds by Tottenham, Manchester City, and Newcastle this summer. Those giant screens around the pitch are part of a complete analytics system, from cameras to video analysis to providing data. All of it is managed by a team behind the scenes."
"Then find someone to do it," Ratcliffe replied matter-of-factly.
Everyone told him that this would improve training quality, but it would require financial investment.
He was willing to invest, so why hadn't it been done?
"We did look into it…" the man said, glancing timidly at Ratcliffe.
"And what did your investigation find?" Ratcliffe asked.
"Currently, there is only one relatively mature club in European football."
Ratcliffe's face instantly froze.
He immediately knew who it was without needing to be told.
Because this so-called high-tech wave was created by that man, and Leeds United was the first testing ground.
"What's so high-tech about this? Doesn't anyone else do it?"
INEOS was a chemical company, and basic R&D in that industry was high-tech. Developing a football training analysis system, what kind of technology did that involve?
"High-level training is very expensive, but the results are indeed impressive. Many companies, even some larger ones, are trying to get involved. But they're already far behind. And as you know, football is highly competitive. Everyone wants the best tools to improve their team's performance."
Sports training was a niche field. Big companies with real technology and capability were simply unwilling to invest the time, manpower, and resources into this type of project. Even if they became number one in the market, how much profit could they make?
Not worth it.
For the projects that were worth doing, either funding was lacking, the technology was weak, or nothing got off the ground.
It was a very awkward situation.
Gao Shen had already succeeded and even perfected his system. That was why he became popular.
But how could those newly founded companies be trusted?
For example, Barcelona had wanted to work with Gao Shen, but the deal fell through. They later found a local startup in Barcelona and invested over one million euros, but so far, there had been no results.
This even led some Barcelona board members to question whether the presidium was pursuing personal interests.
How many years had data been part of football?
Now they were starting to explore artificial intelligence. For most football clubs, it was completely baffling.
Gao Shen had prior coaching experience to support his system. Leeds United's success had come first, but even he delayed implementation for years.
It wasn't until the past year, especially after the success of Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, that the system began to gain recognition in European football.
If it were someone else, who would easily accept it?
Now, all kinds of service companies had sprung up.
God knows how many of them could actually deliver anything.
"I don't care about any of that, I just want results." Ratcliffe stared at his subordinates.
"I don't know what difficulties you're facing, and I don't care how you plan to solve them. I just want results."
After a pause, he suddenly turned and looked out at Old Trafford.
Manchester United fans were protesting. In the stands across from his box, humiliating banners were being displayed.
"If Gao Shen can do it, so can we. If you need money, we'll give you money. If you need people, we'll poach them. In short, I absolutely refuse to believe that there's anything in this world money can't solve. If there is, it's because we haven't spent enough."
"Now, I've got enough money. All I want is results."
Behind him, Manchester United's management team clearly felt the owner's determination and pressure.
This was a death match against Gao Shen.
...
"Manchester United's biggest problem right now isn't the players' abilities. They're actually quite strong. The issue is that the team is disorganized and lacks a mature, stable tactical system."
Gao Shen was watching the Manchester United match at his home in Cheshire, accompanied by Lucas, Borrell, and others.
Watching a football match alone was too dull. You needed companions to drink, chat, laugh, and even criticize the players. That was the proper way to enjoy the game.
From Ferguson to Moyes, there had been a clear line of succession. But then Van Gaal completely overturned everything before him, and Mourinho undid everything Van Gaal had done.
Manchester United's problems were very complex.
If the root cause of their previous issues lay with the management led by Ed Woodward, then the current problems were still with management.
"The players are all strong, but they haven't been properly integrated. On top of that, there are major structural problems with the squad, and they lack a strong, decisive player," Borrell said, shaking his head. This was also a major issue facing United now.
In Gao Shen's past, Manchester United had powerful individuals like Pogba.
People were confused about how United handled the Pogba situation.
When Pogba had a conflict with Mourinho, since they chose to keep Pogba, the tactics should have been built around him to maximize his strengths and bring out his outstanding individual ability.
But Manchester United didn't do that.
Right now, their squad was indeed lacking a core player like Pogba.
Generally speaking, these strong players have excellent individual ability and can break the deadlock in key moments, bringing breakthroughs for the team.
For example, many people wondered why Guardiola hadn't won the Champions League since leaving Barcelona.
The answer was simple. He didn't have Messi.
In a possession-based system, lacking an absolute key player like Messi was fatal.
Similarly, Manchester United's current players were capable, but they lacked a core strength.
Rodrygo and Van de Beek were not that type of player.
Unfortunately, United's youth development had been very poor in recent years.
Talented players like Martial and Dele Alli, who performed exceptionally well at Leeds United, saw their form dip and even become mediocre after joining United.
Dele Alli, in particular, was now showing signs of not even making the national team, which was truly shocking.
Without a core, Manchester United lacked the ability to break through in crucial moments. When facing tougher or more defensively solid opponents, they fell apart.
"At least for now, there's no sign of improvement. If Manchester United really go into the Premier League with this current squad, they're in serious trouble this season," Gao Shen said firmly.
His judgment wasn't based on impulse, but on evidence.
The Premier League was incredibly competitive now. The "Big Eight" teams were no joke, and clubs like Leicester City, West Ham United, and Everton were all strong contenders.
If Crystal Palace could beat Manchester United 3-1 at Old Trafford, what else was off the table?
Even the bottom-tier relegation-threatened teams in the Premier League now had over £100 million in income. How bad could their squads be?
The competition wasn't just intense. It was brutal.
But fans loved this kind of drama. They looked forward to surprises in every round. That was what made football unpredictable and exciting.
It was definitely not good news for Manchester United.
Whether it was Rodrygo or Van de Beek, the money spent on them was excessive.
Neither of them was worth that much.
This could only be described as United grasping at straws in desperation.
"Just wait and see."
(To be continued.)