The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 145 Self-Salvation

From the bottom to the top, from despair to a smooth road, from darkness to light, Ferguson stopped the decline on the verge of being sacked and saved his position with an FA Cup championship.

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李-马丁作为红魔本赛季的主力，联赛出场32场（28场首发4场替补）、足总杯首发出场踢完全部8场比赛，联赛杯出场1场。他的最关键数据是进球数，而这个数字是1。

This goal was the only goal in the FA Cup final replay.

Many years later, Lee Martin was very proud when he recalled the story of that year. "I remember that I scored that one goal, the only goal. Because I was a defender, my main task was not to score goals. But my goal helped the boss solve a huge problem, which made me very happy. The boss (Ferguson) said that my goal was too crucial and he would never forget it. Everyone was very excited at the time. Captain Robson told me that the ball was played too perfectly. There was nothing wrong with the timing, power, angle and footwork."

Lee Martin started the game after overcoming his injury. Before the game, he volunteered to play, which made Ferguson put him in the starting lineup of the Red Devils. He was fighting throughout the game, fighting against his opponents and the pain caused by his injuries. During the game, Lee Martin went deep into the opponent's hinterland many times and launched attacks on the left many times, but all failed. When Webber passed the ball, the Red Devils completed the offensive cooperation between the two full-backs. Lee Martin started early and took advantage of the position, pressed the opponent's body, and ran out of the opportunity. Lee Martin completed the shot beautifully. He was in a very suitable position from the goalkeeper and the timing of the shot was also very appropriate. The ball actually jumped a little at that time, but Lee Martin's shot to the upper corner was very accurate.

Lee Martin said: "The shot was actually not difficult. I just got there and didn't think about anything. I just kicked the ball directly. For me, it was a subconscious action and the ball went in. Did my goal win the most crucial championship for Ferguson? Save his position as coach? No, I don't think I saved Ferguson. The fact is that we were fighting as a group in that final, and I firmly believed that the game would be won. Even if I didn't score, I think someone would stand up. Each of us was prepared and determined to win this game."

Lee Martin firmly supports Ferguson to stay and continue coaching. He stressed: "Most of what the media said is lies. They said that the boss has lost the support of the locker room. This is bullshit. All of us Red Devils players are very supportive of the boss. There is no gossip in the locker room. Our atmosphere has always been very united."

There were disturbances in the locker room, but these were all internal conflicts. Leighton, who hated Ferguson because he lost his starting position, and Maiorana, who refused to appear on the bench and had a conflict with Ferguson, also had many opinions, but they would not cause trouble in the locker room, let alone make the conflict public.

The triumphant song sounded, the English royal family appeared, Ferguson led his players to the podium, received the championship medal, and lifted the FA Cup trophy.

Only then did Ferguson's assistants and the Red Devils fans who had always supported him breathe a sigh of relief. By winning the championship, Ferguson's coaching crisis was temporarily resolved.

Looking back at the Red Devils' journey from the peak of the championship, it was really not easy for Ferguson. He and the Red Devils really went through thorns and bloody battles all the way. The process was so difficult that it can be described as thrilling.

Before the first match of the FA Cup, the Red Devils were in low spirits and did not perform well on the field. They fought hard to the end, and finally relied on luck to help them beat Nottingham Forest and grasped the life-saving straw. After that, the team was extremely embarrassed in the league, and stumbled on the road to the FA Cup, and it felt that they would be eliminated at any time. Until the semi-finals, the Red Devils staged the most thrilling overtime and replay in the history of the FA Cup. It was extremely difficult to play against a community team like Alderford; and in the final, the nervous Crystal Palace team almost capsized. They were led, tied, overtaken, tied, overtaken again, and tied again. In the end, the overtime was still undecided and another replay was required. The Red Devils did not play very well in the replay of this final, which still made the fans nervous and gave the opponent many opportunities. In the end, the defender who had never scored a goal on the team scored and won the victory.

6 opponents, 8 games! And 8 overtimes. There were many fierce battles, many strong opponents, and many desperate situations. If Ferguson and his players lost a breath, the road to winning the championship would be doomed to never reach the end.

The two finals put Ferguson and his Red Devils team through the ultimate test. Hope was wiped out, but hope was created in despair. This is how all the Red Devils players felt. At the end of the season, after such a poor season and such a poor league result, the joy of winning the FA Cup can be doubled.

Wallace played very hard for the Red Devils this season. He was also the starter in the final and the replay, and was a great contributor to the championship. Wallace later recalled, "Our 1990 FA Cup? That was the most difficult championship, the beginning of a new era. I scored a goal, which was a very exciting experience? I think I played well, was very active on the wing, and had a key assist. I am very happy to play for that Red Devils team and I am honored to leave a mark in the FA Cup victory. Every time I hear a fan talk about this, I feel very proud."

Wallace said: "It's a rare opportunity to be part of great history. We played very tenaciously and firmly in the final. I don't remember how many times I was fouled, but I will never forget that I had to stand up and continue to fight every time. All of us have withstood the test, and there is no coward."

In addition to Lee Martin, the captain Robson also played with an injury. The captain of the Red Devils, who had led the team to win two FA Cup titles, played the full game in both finals, and scored a crucial header in the first game. In the final rematch, Robson not only played his position well, but also inspired the fighting spirit of the whole team and encouraged the whole team to play at their best. Throughout the game, Robson seemed like the ubiquitous B2B midfielder warrior of the year. He rushed from the midfield to the opponent's penalty area alone, and then retreated from the midfield to his own penalty area. His running and coverage were very strong. Not only did he actively lead his teammates to press towards the opponent's position when attacking, constantly increasing the attacking power and tearing open the opponent's dense defense line; when defending, he kept running and intercepting. Every area of ​​the midfield and backcourt was covered by him, and he even tried to throw his body directly to block the opponent's shooting line. Ins, who always took him as a role model, was stunned. Ins, whose task in this game was more defensive, basically did not enter the opponent's hinterland. Seeing the old captain so energetic, like a four-wheel drive off-road vehicle with the accelerator stepped to the bottom and running wildly, he was simply astonished.

When seeing that Lee Martin and Pallister were both fouled in a targeted manner, Robson didn't have to yell at the referee. He then looked for opportunities during the game to knock down those fouls directly. His undisguised actions and fierce eyes gave enough warnings and also protected his teammates well.

Webber was more excited than others after the championship game because he was the assist for Lee Martin's goal, which was equivalent to indirectly creating the goal. Webber, who played well throughout the game, later explained, "Why did I appear in that position? It's not complicated at all. This is one of our regular tactics. When our formation presses forward, one of the forwards will press the opponent's central defender, and the other will keep retreating and pulling out of the penalty area, disrupting the defensive position of the opponent's defender. Robson, Wallace and Phelan will be in different positions in the frontcourt, trying to open up space to seek opportunities for support and attack. Sometimes our two full-backs will also pull to the side of the opponent's frontcourt, and the midfielder Ince or the central defender will transfer the ball. The arrangement of me going from a full-back to the middle and then changing direction to launch an attack was also explained by the coach and the coaching staff."

Webber was still a little proud many years later, "Let's talk about that pass. It was an extraordinary and exquisite pass, right? But I actually knew that the landing point of the pass was a little bit off. I originally wanted to pass it to a position a little farther away from the penalty area, so that Martin could get the ball and cross it from the bottom or make a triangle pass back from the bottom after entering the penalty area," Webber said, "I really didn't expect Martin to be so good. A defender also has the heart of a striker. The way he received the ball and pushed forward, and that shot was really cool!"

"Webber passed the ball, Martin scored, and the Red Devils won the championship. What a great script!" Webber has always been proud of this and he has created a part of the great history of the Red Devils.

Bruce remembers how Ferguson motivated the Red Devils as a group, especially the defense. Although the Red Devils' defense has been criticized, Ferguson always encouraged Bruce and Pallister. Ferguson said: "I built this defense with my own hands. I absolutely believe that you are the best team. Even if you have various shortcomings, I see that you are improving every game."

Bruce said, "This made us persevere until the final victory. We were willing to sacrifice our lives for a word of affirmation from the boss. I remember that not long after the rematch started, I was knocked to the ground by my opponent, and my whole body seemed to be falling apart. But I said nothing and got up and continued. In that game, Pallister, Ince, and I were knocked over and tackled by our opponents countless times, but these did not scare us. Instead, it made Ince and I feel more excited. The look on Pallister's face when he looked at the two of us was like he was seeing two lunatics."

Pallister's feelings were a little more special. Ferguson was not satisfied with the players' performance in the first game of the final. In fact, each team had its share of responsibility for the three goals conceded. Pallister witnessed Ferguson's angry scolding of Leighton after the final, directly scolding this confidant and beloved player to the point of collapse. He felt tremendous psychological pressure. Pallister said: "After the game, the boss (Ferguson) came into the locker room and found Leighton hiding in the corner and scolded him first. He said, 'Leighton, you have mental problems. You are absent on the court and make big mistakes. You have really had enough!' Leighton's reaction? I don't remember what the poor guy's reaction was. We all sat there obediently, waiting for the boss's rage to explode. Sure enough, we immediately experienced the boss's blow dryer comparable to an Atlantic hurricane. Everyone was trembling and dared not breathe. I was the one who was scolded the most. The boss's face was in front of me. I felt like a volcano erupting and lava roaring."

Pallister later played in the rematch under pressure and finally completed the game with difficulty, helping the team to shut out the opponent and win the championship, which made him feel greatly relieved.

Phelan, who had just joined the Red Devils, also played well in this game. Phelan later became Ferguson's assistant and had deep feelings for Ferguson. "I admire Ferguson very much. He has gone through hardships but always moved forward firmly. His glory started with this championship, and I am fortunate to be a part of it. I feel honored. When I joined the Red Devils, I knew that the boss would succeed, which was the most critical reason why I later joined his team."

Ferran said: "I am deeply proud of all this, because I have fought for him and have always served him. What I am most proud of is that when he was in the most critical moment, I was able to go all out, fight for him, and win for him!"

Ferguson, walking on the edge of a knife, cleared his name. The FA Cup title gave him the right to breathe, won the support of the fans, covered up the noise in the boardroom, responded to the doubts of some board members, and deprived those reporters who were making trouble of their weapons.

Ferguson survived his first crisis at Old Trafford, his most serious crisis of trust.