Football Dynasty-Chapter 542: From Potential to Skills

Long before Manchester United were due to host Manchester City at Old Trafford, Richard was already thinking several steps ahead.

Aurélio Pereira of Sporting had yet to give a clear answer on whether he would take charge of City academy, and until that uncertainty was resolved, the responsibility for shaping the academy remained firmly with Richard.

To prepare for the future, he had already entrusted Marina Granovskaia with a crucial task: identifying and recruiting young players whose names, he believed, would one day echo across the footballing world.

Compared to the early days of his tenure, City’s scouting operation had evolved dramatically. When Richard first arrived in 1994, scouting depended largely on personal contacts, fragmented reports, and even manual record-keeping. Information was slow to gather and even slower to update.

Now, everything was different.

The club maintained a comprehensive scouting database that was updated every three months, cataloging detailed information on players and coaches from professional leagues across Europe. Building this system had taken two years of painstaking work, but once it was complete, maintaining it became far simpler. Regular updates replaced chaotic overhauls.

This transformation made Richard’s job far easier. With reliable, up-to-date intelligence at his fingertips, identifying emerging talent was no longer a matter of guesswork.

Richard asked Marina Granovskaia to search for two names—David Silva and Cesc Fàbregas—in Manchester City’s football database. To be honest, both names were already pinned on Richard’s long-term planning list, so the results appeared immediately.

Name: David Silva

Place of Birth: Arguineguín, Spain

Current Team: San Fernando

Name: Cesc Fàbregas

Place of Birth: Arenys de Mar, Spain

Current Team: Barcelona

Originally, nothing was supposed to go wrong. At the very least, Richard had expected the transfer process to be straightforward.

What he had not anticipated was resistance from Barcelona over Fàbregas. More precisely, it was La Masia coach Señor Blai who refused to let the boy go, successfully persuading the club’s management to retain him.

"This is a little bit difficult..." Richard sighed.

After setting Barcelona aside for the moment, he turned his attention to David Silva’s profile. The moment the data appeared on the screen, he nearly cursed out loud.

Name: David Silva

Position: Goalkeeper

"Bloody..."

Richard stared at the information in disbelief.

He was genuinely shocked.

"Contact San Fernando," he said sharply. "Tell them we want this kid here. Whatever price they ask, we’ll pay it."

He didn’t know the full details of David Silva’s early history, but one thing was certain: he would never allow a talent like this to be ruined by being forced into the wrong position. A player like David Silva belonged with the ball at his feet—not standing between the posts.

"All right, I get it—"

KNOCK~KNOCK~KNOCK

Just as Marina Granovskaia was about to respond, a firm knock echoed through the office.

"I—"

KNOCK~KNOCK~KNOCK

She was about to speak again when the knocking came once more, even more insistent. Marina turned toward the door first, then looked back at Richard. "It seems someone is very eager to see you."

Richard nodded and rose to his feet. When he opened the window, he found Mourinho standing there, pacing back and forth anxiously.

Seeing this, Marina turned back to Richard and said, "It looks like he has something important to say. How about we continue this discussion later?"

Richard nodded. "All right, then. But let me know if there’s any news about those two."

"Understood."

With that, Richard allowed the visitor to enter. Mourinho nodded briefly toward Marina before quickly closing the door and moving to stand in front of Richard.

"José, what’s wrong?" Richard asked, immediately noticing the seriousness on Mourinho’s face.

"Sir... it’s like this," Mourinho began.

Everyone at Manchester City was aware of the shift in focus. Since January, the team’s form had been excellent, and the objective had quietly changed—from merely stabilizing to pushing toward the top of the table.

"I’ve already discussed this with Antonio," Mourinho said. "I want to focus on how our players can stay active until the final minute of the match—and still maintain intensity if the game goes into extra time."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "Stamina?"

Mourinho nodded, then shook his head slightly. "More precisely—a training method that minimizes injuries and builds exceptional stamina."

To be honest, stamina is just as important as technical skill. Richard didn’t find that argument troubling; it made sense. What puzzled him was something else entirely.

"Then go ahead and implement it," Richard said calmly. "Why do you need to come to me about this?"

Mourinho cleared his throat, hesitating for a moment before finally saying it.

"Sir... I’m requesting new equipment for the gym."

Richard leaned back slightly. "Isn’t our gym already well equipped?"

"Yes—but not enough for what we need now," Mourinho admitted. "What we’re requesting specifically is equipment focused on flexibility, recovery, and injury prevention."

The room fell quiet for a moment.

Richard studied Mourinho’s expression. Working alongside Antonio Pintus had clearly sharpened Mourinho’s perspective much earlier than most. After all, who truly understood—better than José Mourinho—that modern coaching demanded a strong emphasis on physical conditioning?

From Porto to Chelsea, his preferences had always been clear. He favored players who were strong, explosive, and injury-resistant, and he placed heavy emphasis on core strength, flexibility, and recovery protocols.

The purpose was simple: consistent availability of key players and the ability to sustain both physical and mental intensity—not just tactical discipline—for the full ninety minutes. Maintaining defensive concentration until the final whistle required more than strategy alone.

Richard was naturally pleased by this direction, but he didn’t show it.

He merely said, "Then I expect results."

After that, Richard convened a meeting for the entire coaching staff. First-team coaches, youth trainers, and even non-football management personnel were all present. The discussion stretched deep into the evening.

Time passed quickly. The new gym was completed, fully equipped with modern conditioning and recovery tools. The match before Manchester United marked the first time Richard personally observed how the new facilities were being used.

On matchday morning, the players returned to the training ground looking relaxed and energized—no signs of stiffness or fatigue.

That day, Antonio Pintus took charge.

As the head fitness coach, Pintus began by leading the squad through an extended stretching routine before any football work began. He moved methodically, ensuring every muscle group was activated and properly warmed. Nothing was rushed. Every movement had a purpose.

After the initial warm-up, the coaching staff joined in alongside the players. Though the tempo was slow, the stretches were demanding, pushing balance, coordination, and flexibility. Pintus paid close attention, correcting posture, adjusting angles, and stopping players who attempted to cut corners.

Only after the body was fully prepared did he move them into light jogging—several slow laps around the pitch, gradually raising heart rates without strain.

Then the real work began.

Pintus shifted the focus to controlled intensity. Short acceleration drills, deceleration work, and changes of direction followed—designed to replicate match movements without overloading the players. Recovery periods were strictly timed. No one stood still for long.

Throughout the session, Pintus spoke constantly, his instructions calm but precise. He monitored breathing, movement efficiency, and body language, pulling players aside when necessary. The goal was not exhaustion, but readiness.

To Pintus, training was not about running players into the ground. It was about preparing them to repeat high-intensity actions late in matches—and still feel sharp the next day.

Watching from the side, Richard nodded already expecting this.

The unusual twist, however, came after the first session.

Before addressing the players or finalizing the day’s plan, Mourinho went straight to Richard. He wanted to explain the true focus of the session, but instead, he kept circling the subject, repeatedly veering off-topic as he spoke with growing passion about the feasibility of the new conditioning model.

He talked about how the central midfielders would benefit the most—how improved core strength and flexibility would allow them to absorb contact, recover faster, and maintain rhythm under pressure. He explained how the system wasn’t designed to make players run more, but to help them move better and last longer.

Richard listened quietly, saying nothing.

"Let me show you."

Mourinho called the players to the edge of the penalty area and instructed Paul Robinson to guard the goal. He then summoned Makélélé and Cannavaro to the front. One was positioned just inside the penalty area, the other just outside it. Mourinho placed the ball three meters in front of Makélélé.

Turning to the players, many of whom looked confused, he said calmly, "Anyone can step up and demonstrate. It’s simple—score a goal. However you like."

The players exchanged glances.

Makélélé already blocked the direct shooting angle, with Cannavaro providing a second layer of defense behind him. From a standing start, breaking through both by individual skill alone seemed nearly impossible.

Eager to show his ability, Pires stepped forward first.

He nudged the ball lightly with his toes, deliberately inviting Makélélé to close him down. As Makélélé stepped in, Pires flicked the ball sideways to evade him. But Makélélé adjusted instantly, shifted his body, and cut off the angle, poking the ball away and sending it back toward Southgate.

Pires tried again.

This time, his footwork was quicker. He feinted left, pulled the ball back, and spun sharply to the right—similar in concept to a Marseille turn, though executed differently. Makélélé, keeping his center of gravity low, wasn’t fooled. He stretched a foot out and knocked the ball out of play.

On his fifth attempt, Pires finally slipped past Makélélé with a clever feint and a subtle separation of the ball from his body. But Makélélé recovered immediately and stayed tight. As Pires turned toward goal, Cannavaro stepped forward and intercepted the ball cleanly.

After seven or eight attempts, Pires shook his head and sighed.

"Boss, if it were just Claude, I might have a chance," he admitted. "But with the captain behind him, it’s too difficult. Starting from a standstill, I don’t think anyone can keep getting past both of them."

Mourinho smiled and patted him on the shoulder, then looked around.

To everyone’s surprise, Pirlo stepped forward.

He made a quick lateral touch—and without hesitation, unleashed a long-range shot.

The ball struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced into the net.

Paul Robinson, whose view had been blocked, reacted too late once he saw the ball flying toward goal.

Makélélé placed his hands on his hips and laughed wryly. "That’s a bit cheeky, isn’t it?"

Pirlo had created space with a single touch and caught everyone off guard. Makélélé had assumed Pirlo would try to dribble—but Mourinho had never said that was required. The instruction was simply to score.

As Pirlo returned to his teammates, Makélélé called out, "Hey—do it again!"

Pirlo shook his head. "No need. From a standing start, I won’t get past you again. And you won’t give me that shooting angle twice."

The staff applauded, and other players took their turns.

Ronaldo, recently back from suspension, stepped forward with a smile. Makélélé immediately went on high alert. Ronaldo possessed one of the fastest bursts of acceleration in the squad.

But instead of exploding forward, Ronaldo began with a slow dribble.

Just as Makélélé was certain he had him covered, his eyes widened.

"What the hell—another trickster?"

Ronaldo moved laterally, unhurried, then gradually increased his pace. Makélélé tracked him sideways, but when Ronaldo suddenly stopped, shifted direction, and pulled the ball back toward the center, Makélélé was left a step behind.

Their top speeds were similar, but Ronaldo’s sudden changes of direction made the difference. In a real match, Makélélé would also have to worry about teammates closing space. Here, repetition had created gaps.

With a final burst, Ronaldo slipped past Cannavaro and fired a shot from inside the penalty area into the bottom corner.

Pires slapped his forehead. "Why didn’t I think of that?"

After scoring, Ronaldo coughed lightly and glanced toward Mourinho and the staff. Mourinho’s expression didn’t change. Though privately, he noted that while Ronaldo had exploited space cleverly, the move relied heavily on speed. In an actual match, he wouldn’t always have the freedom to slow down, reset, and attack again.

After several more attempts, Makélélé and Cannavaro began communicating better. Their coordination sharpened with each repetition.

By Ronaldo’s fourth attempt, his success rate dropped. By the seventh, repeated sprints had drained his speed advantage. Makélélé and Cannavaro’s defensive pairing effectively shut him out.

Trezeguet took his turn, focusing on shielding the ball with his body and pushing forward like a tank. He had limited success—either blocked by angles or disrupted before shooting.

Zidane, Stanković, Deco, Lampard, and others followed. Makélélé and Cannavaro were eventually replaced by Thuram and Gattuso.

The players were enjoying the session, treating it almost like a game.

Standing with the coaching staff, Richard overheard some quiet observations.

"Did you notice? Our players aren’t exceptional one-on-one," one coach said. "They rely on speed or physicality. Pires and Ronaldo show the best deception, but even then, it’s not outstanding."

André Villas-Boas, who had joined late, frowned slightly. From his experience, traditional training often meant handing the ball to players and letting them figure things out on their own. Those with dribbling talent would try; those without would avoid it entirely, afraid of hurting their evaluation.

In a tactics-first system, individual flair was rarely emphasized.

That didn’t mean technique wasn’t trained. Ball control, dribbling, passing, and shooting were all covered—but footwork required more than repetition. It demanded inspiration and experience.

Often, a player discovered a new move suddenly, like finding a star in the night sky. With repetition, it became part of his understanding.

What City needed now was different.

They needed to show players where those "stars" were—to guide them directly, teach them consciously, and help them integrate those techniques deliberately.

Football techniques varied by position and defensive structure. These differences could be trained, refined, and applied.

Baltimar Brito voiced a concern. "If players focus too much on individual skills, won’t it disrupt team tactics?"

Mourinho shook his head. "That depends on talent. If Ronaldo’s skill potential is 90 and Lampard’s is 70, but Ronaldo is only using 80 of it and Lampard only 40, unlocking that potential won’t turn everyone into a 100. Team tactics depend on awareness. If that foundation is there, better individual ability only strengthens the team."

The coaches exchanged glances.

Without results, no one could yet say whether this approach was right or wrong. But if it failed, it wouldn’t just slow development—it could unravel a team that had taken years to build.

And now, that very preparation is finally beginning to pay off at Old Trafford.