The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 120 The Dissolute Literary Youth

McGrath, who was frustrated during the Ferguson era, was actually a very interesting Red Devils player. He had a tough but humorous temperament, a bohemian and unrestrained personality, and was full of artistic temperament. His football career was simply like a magical legend.

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In addition to Whiteside, Paul McGrath, who was loved by the Red Devils fans, was also ruthlessly cleared out by Ferguson, but the very self-centered Irish central defender just laughed it off and left indifferently.

Ferguson had long been dissatisfied with this tall central defender, and had not moved him before because his position was irreplaceable. In the summer of 1989, Ferguson had made up his mind and resolutely cleaned him up.

Paul McGrath was born in Ealing, London, on December 1959, 12. He is of Irish and Nigerian descent. McGrath had no talent for football when he was young. He went to the football summer camp just to find a way out. He was not very hardworking in training. At the age of 4, he was still an amateur player, playing for Dun Laoghaire, and his performance was only mediocre.

In the summer of 1980, McGrath moved to St. Patrick's Athletic in Dublin. At this time, he seemed to have pressed a magic switch and began to truly show his rare football talent. McGrath was basically 185 cm tall at this time, and his strength was growing rapidly. Here, whether it was a one-on-one confrontation, or a comprehensive speed, strength and judgment, as well as assisting teammates in defense, he was far superior to his opponents at this level. Those flying balls in the sky could hardly cause him any trouble; those rushing forwards were not a problem for him.

McGrath rose to fame in the Irish Football League, and fans began to call him the "Black Pearl of Ireland", attracting the attention of top clubs.

In April 1982, the Red Devils bought him for 4 pounds. Atkinson's original intention was to scratch a lottery ticket, but he didn't expect to win the jackpot. After joining the Red Devils, McGrath quickly grew into the core of the defense. At the time, McGrath, who was less than 3 years old, continued to gain weight. His height exceeded 23 cm and his weight exceeded 185 kg. His body became taller and stronger, and his appearance became more and more sturdy. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes. At the beginning, he had a beard and thick curly hair. He was as strong as a steel beast, as strong as an ox, able to jump and head, and could carry and bump. He performed well in the central defender position. This big man usually doesn't like to say a word, and his pair of bull eyes stare at people fiercely, making his opponents feel scared. McGrath made rapid progress in the Red Devils. He soon had a strong ability to confront and compete for the top. As long as he stood in the penalty area, he basically controlled the area within a radius of 110 meters around him, and no forward could carry him away. He rarely commits fouls in the penalty area, but he is always very keen to judge the opponent's intentions in one-on-one situations, and he is no less capable of fighting wits and courage with the opponent's forwards. He always stands in a good position one step ahead of others and makes the right defensive moves. McGrath also has a good overall view, can fill in the position and assist in defense in time, and is also good at directing teammates to fill in the gaps.

McGrath quickly won the position of the core of defense and won the love of the fans in the Red Devils. The Red Devils were not very strong during the Atkinson era, but McGrath and Robson were the two strongest players in the UK in their respective positions. McGrath's contribution to the Red Devils' two FA Cups cannot be ignored. It was his pillar of defense that helped the team finally defeat the championship rivals. In the 1984-85 season, McGrath was also selected into the best team of the season, and his strength was recognized by the English football world.

McGrath has a very interesting personality. He looks fierce, but he is eloquent and humorous, and is very popular with the team. In addition to being eloquent, the most profound impression he left on the fans was his love of drinking. He, Robson and Whiteside were called the "Three Gentlemen of Drinking" of the Red Devils.

McGrath's reputation as a drinker was even greater than that of captain Robson. The first thing he did when he arrived at Manchester United was to invite his teammates to a drinking party, so that everyone could see his extraordinary drinking capacity, which established his status in the locker room. From then on, McGrath could not live without alcohol, and he attended all kinds of drinking parties. If McGrath considered himself second in drinking ability, no one in Manchester United would dare to claim to be first. His reputation had even spread far and wide in England and even in European football.

McGrath's drinking was certainly not a good thing, but at that time he was as strong as an ox and in his prime, so drinking didn't seem to be a big deal. Coach Atkinson also liked to drink and even praised McGrath.

When Ferguson took over, McGrath encountered the Scottish coach's "ban on alcohol", which led to a conflict. McGrath was dismissive of this, "I have only seen those gangsters in Hollywood gangster movies banning others from selling alcohol for profit, and I have never heard of football clubs banning alcohol. Even war did not make alcohol go away, and even the government did not ban players from drinking. Drinking is a natural right for adults, and both football and war need the irrigation of fine wine!"

McGrath was the first to open the bottle and put it directly on Ferguson's desk in his office as a protest. After Ferguson asked for a fine of one week's salary, McGrath still did not take it seriously. At that time, he was an indispensable core central defender, and Ferguson had a lot to rely on him.

McGrath did not contradict the coach in person again, but he continued to drink whether he should or not. Even though he did not drink at the Red Devils training base or in the locker room, he still drank in his spare time.

Under Ferguson, McGrath's performance was not as good as before. This was probably due to injuries and alcoholism. He did not really reach his best condition after recovering from the injury, and continued drinking after the game greatly delayed his physical recovery and condition improvement.

Ferguson believed that a healthy McGrath was indeed the mainstay of the Red Devils' defense, so for a long time he hoped that he could change his mind and even made an appointment with a doctor for him to help him quit his alcohol addiction, but McGrath disagreed.

Despite his bad relationship with Ferguson, McGrath was well-liked by the fans in the Red Devils. He won two FA Cup titles for the Red Devils before Ferguson came, and was selected into the League One Team of the Year. He has always been an indispensable main force for the team and the most reliable steel guard on the defense line. Ferguson also knew that McGrath was loved by the fans, but he also thought that this guy was a big trouble in the locker room and had been considering whether to make up his mind to clean him up. The Red Devils performed poorly in the 1988-89 season, and McGrath's playing time dropped sharply. In addition to being affected by serious injuries, his condition was also much worse than before. McGrath was no longer the strongest central defender of the Red Devils. What Ferguson could not accept was that he did not participate in the Red Devils' pre-match preparations many times, but went directly to the bar to drink.

Not only that, McGrath also caused a big news for driving under the influence and causing an accident, which also caused an uproar in the media. The police revoked his driver's license and imposed a penalty.

McGrath's disobedience finally reached its limit, and he completely exhausted Ferguson's patience. This guy once got drunk the night before a game, and was still hungover the next morning, and the game was to start that afternoon. He reported to the team drunkenly, and then continued to sleep soundly, and there was no way he could play in the game.

Ferguson had to make an emergency substitution and was furious. He said: "I only had 13 players available at the time, but McGrath was sleeping in the locker room. His alcohol smelled like alcohol to everyone in the work area. I made the decision that day that he had to leave the team, even though he was the best central defender in England."

On August 1989, 8, Ferguson was indeed ruthless and sold McGrath to Aston Villa.

McGrath's record of 8 goals in 199 appearances in eight seasons with the Red Devils came to an end. Even so, McGrath said goodbye to the Red Devils with an indifferent expression, signed autographs for fans one by one, and left in a pretentious manner.

Ferguson did not explain the reason for the transfer to the fans, and McGrath naturally would not be honest, so many Red Devils fans felt puzzled and angry. McGrath's strength is not inferior to Bruce, and he is still at his peak at the age of less than 29. Why should he be cleared out?

After joining Atkinson's Villa, McGrath was reluctant to comment on his departure from Manchester United, nor did he attack Ferguson. Years later, he said: "I was very depressed deep down. How can I put it? I was forced to leave Manchester United and even treated as a cheap commodity. It was really hurtful. I knew Ferguson's attitude and knew that this was his decision, which could not be changed."

McGrath said: "My best time was spent at Manchester United. There was no particular conflict between me and Ferguson. Of course I was reluctant to leave Manchester United. This was the best eight years of my career. I have great memories and so many fans who love me. But Ferguson and I have different ideas, so I can only find another place. This is the professional life of a player. There is no point in resenting anyone."

McGrath said: "Then I went through a big change in my life when I was at Villa and it made me realise that drinking is not a good thing, especially when you are a professional footballer and you definitely have to control yourself.

McGrath said, "Ferguson was right to ban alcohol, and I regret not listening to his advice sooner."

After leaving the Red Devils, McGrath was reborn miraculously. He not only quit drinking, but also played at a high level again. In the seven years since joining Villa, McGrath has become the cornerstone of the team's defense and a true leader. McGrath's outstanding form has even surpassed many famous defenders. He was also elected the English Players Association's Premier League Player of the Year in the 7-92 season.

McGrath was already 34 years old at that time, but his performance still conquered the discerning fans.

In the 1993-1994 season, McGrath led Villa to the League Cup final. In this decisive battle against his former club Manchester United, McGrath was like a god, helping Villa beat their opponent 3-1 to win the championship.

McGrath later joined Derby County and Sheffield United and continued playing until he was over 39 years old before officially retiring.

McGrath's legendary experience surprised Ferguson. Later Red Devils player O'Shea admired him very much, and his eyes sparkled when he talked about his idol: "McGrath is very capable. He can handle both midfield and central defender positions with ease. He is a real mainstay. If he hadn't drunk so much, I can't imagine what he would have achieved."

One of the things that makes McGrath so popular among the Red Devils fans is that he is humorous, likes music, has a free and easy personality, has good eloquence, often has witty remarks, and is a super dry-faced comedian. After retiring, he joined the record industry and released a music album that mixed rap and black spirituals. The album was widely welcomed and the number of copies sold exceeded 10.

McGrath not only published records, participated in concerts, and was invited to perform in various programs, which won the audience's love. But he soon faded out of the entertainment industry and did not plan to be an entertainment star. McGrath also has a hobby of writing. After retiring, he wrote his own autobiography, the theme of which is alcohol and football. McGrath has a brilliant pen, and he describes in detail and vividly how he debuted, how he became addicted to alcohol, how he fought against alcohol, and finally his new life in Villa. This book "Back from the brink" written by him was very popular and won the 2006 William Hill Sports Book Award in the UK. The "William Hill Sports Book Award" is selected once a year, and McGrath is the first football player to win the award. He is a writer who really writes by himself, which is completely different from the model of publishing autobiographies such as Beckham, Rooney, Gerrard, and Shearer. Even Ferguson cannot do this.

After retiring, McGrath is still popular among Manchester United fans and has become an ambassador for the Red Devils. He is also the best advertising star for the Red Devils' cooperation with the wine business.