The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 126 Why is he so valuable?

"Palister set a transfer record for English defenders at the time. Why was a thin and tall center back who looked fragile so expensive? What was his value? Many people thought that Ferguson was a sucker because at that time the market price of a young center back was unlikely to exceed one million. It was indeed only Ferguson who was willing to pay such a huge sum of money."

--Inscription

Pallister joined the team with great expectations of all the Red Devils fans and played with the hopes of all the fans, but he did not bring enough blood to Manchester United's defense, nor did he upgrade the team's defense.

Pallister's disastrous start at the Red Devils surprised everyone, and even some Red Devils fans were lamenting that this sprout was not even worthy of carrying McGrath's shoes.

Many years later, Ferguson recalled the tough battles at the beginning of the 89-90 season, and still had a deep memory of Pallister's unexpectedly poor performance. He said: "I know that every player will be different when he comes to a new team. Some people can adapt to the team from the beginning, like McClair, Bruce, Cantona, etc. Although they may not bring immediate victory to the team when they play in the game, their performance is acceptable to everyone; some people are completely unable to adapt and perform poorly. The most typical example I met was Pallister. His first game was a disaster. I think he experienced unimaginable difficulties."

Pallister's poor performance was not only in the first game, but Ferguson also sent him to start in the following games. But as expected by the media, his performance in these games was also very poor.

There is no doubt that Pallister was like a weak sapling that was quickly caught in the storm of public criticism.

Parist himself felt a little wronged. Shouldn't he just blame himself for the poor performance?

He found himself in a completely different system. Middlesbrough played defensive counterattacks, while the Red Devils took the initiative to attack. Pallister was very adaptable to Middlesbrough's defensive style of play. In a crowded environment, he did not need to face the forwards who had already started to speed up. When the crowd was dense, there were many helpers and the space was compressed. He was not easy to expose his shortcomings, but could do more detailed work. Under Middlesbrough's strategy of retreating and defending, his weaknesses were hidden very well. The Red Devils were different. The style of play here was more offensive. The attack line was always the premise. The midfield and the backcourt needed to move forward to maintain a reasonable distance. Even when facing a strong enemy, they would start to defend from the midfield and would not shrink tightly. Both Bruce and Pallister needed to face the opponent's attack. The difficulty of defense in this situation was multiplied. Not only did they have to predict, but they also needed to fight and retreat. They also had to entangle the opponent and effectively delay the offensive. At this time, the central defender line was actually very fragile, and the success of the defense depended entirely on the central defender. Both Bruce and Pallister must react quickly, have strong individual capabilities, be fast, be able to fight, dare to steal and cut off, have sufficient covering capabilities, and act decisively.

Pallister came here from a team that focuses on defense, so it was inevitable that he would not adapt. He was repeatedly beaten by the opponent's counterattacks, and the opponent's main attack was in this direction. After all, Bruce still needs to be stronger and adapt to the Red Devils' environment and tactics earlier, but Pallister has a hard time.

Pallister's performance was not good, but Ferguson was full of confidence. Ferguson said: "Pallister has had a difficult time, but he is full of courage and confidence. He is definitely not the kind of player who gives up in the face of difficulties. Pallister is very smart and wise. I believe he will soon understand his situation and will find a way to deal with it. Pallister just needs a little more time, everything will be fine."

Pallister's change did not start with more training. Throughout his career at the Red Devils, Pallister was not a hard-working player, and his "laziness" was well-known in the Red Devils locker room. In the period just after joining the Red Devils, Pallister, considering his thin body, still tried to gain weight and increase strength, which was an easy goal to achieve. But apart from this, he really didn't want to sweat any more. In terms of defensive tacit understanding, Pallister's method was not to practice more, but to frequently consult Bruce and strengthen communication with other teammates; in order to better defend the opponent's forward, Pallister was also willing to spend time studying the opponent's style and shortcomings, and do his homework in advance.

The Red Devils' coaching team also helped Pallister. Ferguson had always trusted him and often encouraged him. Bruce and Robson gave him more care and attention, and other defenders participated in collaborative training with Pallister to help him integrate into the Red Devils as soon as possible. Ferguson and his assistant coach even arranged a special team game for him, specifically demonstrating how to quickly block the opponent's impact and cut off the opponent's long-distance pass when being counterattacked during the offense. Bruce also consciously let Pallister command his teammates alone, build the layers and assistance of the entire defense line, so that he would have stronger self-confidence, coordinate the entire defense line, and become a true defensive commander.

Ferguson told him: "You have to believe that we will support you, including your teammates around you. You have to believe that you are extremely powerful and that you are a true battlefield commander."

Bruce's advice was simple, "Man, if you want to survive here, you need to be more aggressive in the game, start with yelling. You have to get used to yelling louder and let the whole Old Trafford stadium hear your roar."

"Roar!...Like this?" Parist shouted with encouragement.

"Well, that sounded a bit like a cat's meow. You have to learn to be like a tiger. The penalty area is your territory. No matter who is in front of you, you have to shout loudly and turn the sound into your weapon." Bruce gathered his energy in his dantian and roared, surprising Lee Sharp and Giggs in the distance.

"That's it!"

Pallister didn't want to stay at the Theatre of Dreams, so he quickly gained weight and increased his core strength, and finally grew into a real giant. A few months after joining the Red Devils, Pallister's weight had reached 94 kilograms, and his whole body was full of muscles, and the visual effect alone was amazing.

Bruce and Pallister got along very well and soon they had a better understanding of each other. With Bruce's help, Pallister's defensive ability was greatly improved. The Red Devils' central defenders were fixed as the "BP combination" of Bruce and Pallister, and the overall defensive ability was also greatly strengthened.

Pallister later became tall and strong, and his huge body was very intimidating. During the game, his opponents would often find a big guy standing in front of them when they were sprinting at high speed, transforming to pass the opponent, or preparing to shoot. Sometimes they would see Pallister chasing them from the corner of their eyes, and they felt like a giant bear was roaring and chasing them. Those forwards who had always relied on height and headers to make a living found that they had no advantage in these two aspects when facing Pallister, and could only choose to sneak attack or grab points to compete for opportunities. Although those small forwards who made a name for themselves with their flexible interweaving ability may have certain advantages, Pallister's intelligence made up for his lack of height, long legs and inflexible body.

In the game, Pallister often divides the work with Bruce tacitly, shrinks slightly behind him, and becomes the last line of defense in front of the goalkeeper. He has a remarkable ability to predict the game. He is very smart and has a very flexible brain and excellent judgment. In the game, fans will find that Pallister is like a moving mountain, appearing in the most critical position, smoothly cutting off the ball or blocking the opponent's breakthrough line, and defusing the opponent's offensive. The giant with tall height and long legs has great strength. Although he does not turn fast, his straight-line acceleration is not inferior, and the arrangement of falling slightly behind him does not require him to turn too much to chase the ball. His task is to judge what the opponent wants to do, and then go forward to cut off and eliminate the threat of the opponent's attack.

"What makes the Red Devils' opponents' forwards despair is that when they look up, they can't even see the sky, but only see Pallister's seemingly honest but absolutely hidden face." BBC critics said.

Pallister continued to improve, and the Red Devils' defense became more solid. But even so, many media still questioned whether Pallister, who was only good at defense, was worth 230 million pounds. The best central defender on the market only costs about 120 million pounds. Why did Ferguson spend so much?

Ferguson certainly wouldn't tell the reporter, but the professional media soon dug out the secret. Why was Pallister so expensive at the time? That was because Ferguson found that this giant had special value. He could pass the ball in the backcourt and had extremely strong long pass ability.

Pallister is different from other ordinary English central defenders. He has delicate footwork, excellent skills, can control the rhythm well in the backcourt, and has an amazing long pass ability.

At that time, no team in England played high-pressure defense, and Pallister's ability to pass the ball from the backcourt did not seem to have much value. But in Ferguson's eyes, this skill was very important. In addition to passing the ball from the backcourt, Pallister's precise long pass technique could bring more possibilities to the Red Devils' offense. The technical and vision advantages made Pallister different from ordinary central defenders. After switching from offense to defense, he was able to seize fleeting opportunities, and when counterattacking, he passed the ball more accurately and the line was more reasonable, even precise. Especially the long pass when launching a counterattack was even more exciting.

Red Devils fans often see that after Pallister controls the ball in the backcourt, he will quickly make a precise long pass over the top, and then his teammates Lee Sharp or Wallace will rush forward at high speed like a galloping horse, and they will pose a threat when they catch up with the ball.

Red Devils defender Lee Martin was impressed. "After we successfully defended, Pallister always told me to sprint towards the opponent's defense boldly. He always said confidently, sprint at full speed just like training!"

Pallister once joked to Lee Sharp: "If you don't get into position, the ball will hit you on your butt."

The Red Devils' success rate of switching from defense to offense has greatly increased, and the offensive routines in the front court have become more diverse. Pallister controls the ball in the backcourt, Pallister passes the ball, Pallister makes a long pass, and Pallister assists. Once the ball starts from the backcourt and reaches the midfield accurately, it will immediately bring the offense into a new scene.

Once Giggs and Kanchelskis come on board, they will benefit more from Pallister's passing.

Many of the Red Devils' lightning attacks on the wing and countless quick breaks were initiated by Pallister. Even talented players like Scholes and Beckham were deeply influenced by Pallister. They imitated Pallister carefully in training and learned long passes from him. Scholes later became a midfield master, and his long pass transfer and dispatch performance in the front court were even more outstanding. Beckham's footwork learned from Pallister became a cross assist as accurate as a guided missile, and a more dazzling and more vicious crescent moon scimitar. Pallister's long-distance accurate pass is so amazing that it can be regarded as a master level in the minds of many English First Division coaches.

Red Devils goalkeeper Leighton said, "I love this big guy to death. Pallister is omnipotent to me. He is a one-man defense outside the small penalty area and sweeps in all directions. Those players who can break through him have basically reached their limits. It is normal for me to defend the goal. I really enjoy cooperating with him."

Bruce and Pallister affectionately call each other "Dolly and Daisy". They are in perfect harmony. Bruce is in the front, responsible for marking and the first interception, closely guarding the opponent's center, while Pallister is responsible for filling in and assisting defense, coordinating the entire back line. The two of them built a rock-solid steel wall together. Bruce's bravery and Pallister's calmness and sharpness make the defensive ability complement each other, and the effect is complementary.

Bruce said: "What I feel most at ease with is that I have Pallister by my side. No matter what the situation is, he can eliminate the danger. I can trust him completely, just like I trust myself. The most important point is that I can score goals like those center forwards, and he will pass the ball in the backcourt like a midfielder, which is not easy."

Pallister said: "God bless me to be with Bruce. Bruce's face can't be any worse. He broke his nose in the first game against the Red Devils, and later his eyes were broken many times. Bruce is simple and direct. He likes to fight with his opponents and confront them head-on, even if his legs are broken, his head is broken, and his ribs are broken. I fill in behind him, assist in defense, and clear out the balls that are beyond his defensive range."

"We work really well together and we are a great partnership at the Red Devils and that's something I'm proud of," Pallister said.