The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 157: Defeat at Liverpool

"The Red Devils' defeat to Liverpool was a huge blow to Ferguson's morale."

--Inscription

On September 9, the Red Devils faced their first tough match of the season. This was the sixth round of the league, and the Red Devils went to Anfield to challenge their arch-rivals Liverpool.

A few days before the match, the media was already hyping up all kinds of topics about the Red Devils Derby, from the number of championships, the glory of the Champions League, from the comparison between players to the confrontation between coaches. From Barnes to Robson, from Ian Rush to Mark Hughes, from Anfield to Old Trafford, from religion to culture... Every Red Devils Derby will arouse special enthusiasm and attention in English football.

This game was not easy to play, as everyone knew Anfield was known as a hellish stadium. Ferguson obviously made a change in the starting lineup, which was later considered by reporters to be a risky decision, and they felt that this change ultimately led to the result of the game.

Ferguson fielded a 433 formation, with goalkeeper Healy, defenders Irwin, Blackmore, Bruce, Pallister, the midfield quartet changed to Phelan, Webber and Ince, and the front three forwards McClair, Hughes and Robins. According to Robins' original position, he should have played as a winger, but he performed very well in the previous few rounds of the league, ranking first in the team in terms of goals and chances created, so Ferguson put him on the forward line.

There is still a small problem with this starting lineup, that is, the Red Devils' main striker Hughes had been troubled by a minor injury before. He returned to the main lineup and started directly in this game. His condition remains to be seen.

After the game started, the Red Devils launched a fierce attack. Ferguson deployed players to press in the midfield. The six midfielders and two full-backs all stepped up their pressing, and Liverpool was caught off guard. Not long after the start of the game, the Red Devils midfielder passed the ball several times and came to the right. Irwin dribbled the ball to the opponent's front court and made a 45-degree cross diagonally. Robbins, who was outflanking at the back point, headed the ball and the ball flew straight to the goal. The Liverpool goalkeeper predicted and stood in position in advance and caught the ball steadily. Then the Red Devils forced the opponent to score again in the front court, and made another long cross from the right. After the Liverpool central defender cleared the ball out of the penalty area, McClair shot from outside the penalty area. The ball just brushed the goal frame and went out, scaring the entire Liverpool team into a cold sweat.

Liverpool is experienced. After withstanding the Red Devils' fierce attack, they quickly found the weaknesses in the Red Devils' midfield and backcourt, launched an intense fight in the midfield area, and turned the situation around.

Soon Liverpool launched a quick counterattack. The goalkeeper threw the ball to start the counterattack. A simple two-on-one pass from the midfielder got past the Red Devils midfielder. Barnes dribbled the ball to Irwin, who was fighting and retreating, and attacked the ribs. When Ins came to make up for the defense, Barnes made a small diagonal pass to the penalty area. The Liverpool player who came in from behind had no defense. After entering the penalty area, he fell to the ground and passed the ball horizontally. The Red Devils defender made a mistake in his rush and blocked the ball towards the goal. Healy fell to the ground and blocked the ball, but unfortunately it fell to the feet of Beardsley who caught up. Liverpool midfielder easily made up for the shot, 1-0! !

Ferguson's lineup of three midfielders and three forwards was extremely risky. Among Phelan, Webber and Ings, only Ings was strong enough to withstand the pressure from the opponents. The other two players were a little lacking. But Ings alone obviously could not cover and block the entire area in front of the Red Devils' penalty area. This goal was scored because Ings was attracted to the right, Webber was still unable to get to the frontcourt in time, and the Red Devils' flanks and center were blank.

The Red Devils, who were trailing, stepped up their attack. McClair made a cross from the left frontcourt, Webber took position in the penalty area and headed the ball with great force. The ball hit the crossbar and flew out. Mark Hughes' follow-up shot in the penalty area was incredibly missed, and he missed the best chance.

After withstanding the Red Devils' barrage, Liverpool was not to be outdone. They launched an attack at the top of the Red Devils' penalty area. Barnes and Ian Rush made a wonderful one-two pass, and then Rush entered the penalty area and shot at the goalkeeper, but he was careless and kicked away.

The Red Devils launched another attack. Ince dribbled the ball in the midfield and suddenly passed it to Robins who cut into the penalty area. This surgical pass penetrated three layers of defense. Unfortunately, Robins had his back to the goal when he received the ball and had no time to turn around. He then passed it back to his teammate Phelan, who immediately crossed the ball. There was chaos in the Liverpool penalty area. Webber of the Red Devils got the ball without anyone defending in the penalty area. He adjusted and barely exerted force to shoot the ball out. The angle of this shot was very tricky, but the power was insufficient and it still couldn't get past the Liverpool goalkeeper.

The Red Devils didn't seize the opportunity, but Liverpool's attack was surprisingly efficient. In the second half of the second half, Liverpool launched an attack. They advanced on the right to attract the defense and then turned to the left. Barnes made a long pass under Irwin's defense to find forward McMahon who was advancing to the edge of the penalty area. McMahon chested the ball and then passed the Red Devils' pair of central defenders. He then easily fed the ball to Beardsley, who then inserted a single shot to face Healy and easily pushed the ball into the goal. Liverpool 2-0!

Liverpool was in a strong position, Rush and Barnes played a two-on-two in the middle of the midfield, and the Red Devils midfielder fell to the ground and shoveled the ball, and the ball came to the Red Devils' left. At this time, the Red Devils' Blackmore and the opponent's forward competed for this 50-50 opportunity, but unfortunately Blackmore's falling tackle was also passed by the opponent. Liverpool then made a cross from the right, and McMahon kicked the ball away, but the ball fell into the middle of the penalty area by mistake. Liverpool's Barnes overpowered the Red Devils defender and headed a high ball, which passed the Red Devils goalkeeper Healy and flew into the goal.

Liverpool 3-0.

The commentators at the scene were stunned. They also knew that the Red Devils had offensive momentum and opportunities in front of the goal, but they were still three goals behind.

Apart from the success rate of shooting, the Red Devils could not gain an advantage in the midfield, but the players were eager to attack and the formation was too forward. Once the attack was interrupted, there was a danger of being attacked. The Red Devils' scene was very lively, but they had face but lost their foundation. The goal was broken continuously. The Red Devils' midfield obviously could not withstand the pressure of the opponent, especially McMahon and Beardsley, who were in excellent form in this game and completely blew up the Red Devils' Webber and Phelan. The Red Devils' defenders were also no match. The midfield lost its position and the passive situation was quickly transmitted to the backcourt. Bruce and Pallister began to encounter the opponent's penetration in the middle and the attack launched from the ribs, while Blackmore's side was under more pressure. His position had been penetrated several times, and the entire defense line was in danger of collapse. Although the three midfielders retreated to help defend, the natural shortcoming of the 433 formation was that when the midfielders retreated to help, there would be a shortage of manpower in the ribs or between the central defenders. The Red Devils have played in the 442 formation for a long time, and it was not proficient to switch to the 433 formation all of a sudden. The players' rotation was not timely, which put the team in more danger.

The Red Devils' midfield and front court actually played very well in this tough battle. The midfield trio was insufficient in defense, but they were still very powerful in offense, creating many opportunities for the forwards. No. 7 Webber, who replaced Robson, got many shooting opportunities and frequently threatened the opponent's goal. The front court trio would actively retreat to support and help the backcourt defense because of the lack of midfield defense. Once they get an offensive opportunity, the Red Devils' attacking trio will still be very active. They will change positions in time, pull to the side, coordinate, and actively move forward to grab points and shoot.

The Red Devils played very actively and proactively in the first half. Not only did they have the advantage on the field, but they also had many opportunities. However, they still lost three goals, which made everyone feel extremely frustrated.

After losing 3 goals in the first half, Ferguson did not go crazy during the halftime break. He just resolutely asked the players to pay attention to the opponent's counterattack in the second half and try to show the team's fighting spirit. It's okay to lose the game, but you can never lose without backbone.

The Red Devils continued to launch a brave attack in the second half, but they did not have an advantage on the field. Liverpool is very experienced and they made full use of the Red Devils' impatience, defended well after relatively shrinking, and then found the right opportunity to counterattack.

The Red Devils were eager to get back a goal, so McClair and Mark Hughes made a wonderful combination on the left, and Hughes immediately dribbled the ball to the end line, shook off the opponent's defender and passed the ball accurately to the front of the small penalty area. The ambushing Webber got another chance, but unfortunately his header was too straight, and the opponent's goalkeeper saved the shot.

Weber had no luck in scoring today and he missed three chances in a row.

Liverpool held their ground defensively and their counterattacks were very sharp. They had stars like Barnes and Beardsley who had excellent footwork skills. Barnes was also known as the fastest winger in the league that year. They also had super striker Rush, who frequently launched extremely threatening counterattacks. Rush missed two scoring opportunities in the counterattacks, and the Red Devils' defense was terrified.

Rush missed many great chances in front of the goal, but Liverpool continued to create opportunities in the counterattack. Around the 70th minute of the second half, Liverpool launched another fast break from the backcourt. McMahon dribbled forward, Rush returned to the midline to receive the ball and passed it back. Beardsley immediately passed it to Barnes who ran out of space on the left. Barnes used his speed to defeat the Red Devils defender, dribbled into the penalty area, dribbled past Bruce who made a flying tackle, then adjusted the ball and gently passed it back. His teammates rushed in and shot!

This tactical coordination was like mercury flowing on the ground, except that the last shot was not aimed at the target. Barnes soon made a comeback. He passed Irwin and Ings on the left, and after going to the bottom line, he made a long pass to the back post, and the Liverpool player at the back post got another chance to shoot hard. This time the shot went straight to the dead corner, and Healy fell to the ground and couldn't block it, but the ball was blocked by Bruce's foot in front of the goal line, and the Red Devils barely escaped bad luck.

In the final stage of the game, the Red Devils received the ball in the front court but was intercepted. Liverpool immediately launched a counterattack and a Red Devils player was awarded a free kick for handball. Liverpool used this midfield free kick opportunity very keenly. They sent it out without waiting for the Red Devils players to return to their positions. A lob pass found Beardsley behind him. Beardsley unloaded the ball at the top of the Red Devils penalty area and faced the goalkeeper directly. Facing Healy's attack, Beardsley easily shot into the goal, 4-0.

The Red Devils finally suffered a crushing defeat!

Ferguson's team did not try hard or fight hard, but the game was cruel and the result was ruthless. The Red Devils fans who followed the team to Anfield to watch the game were great. They encouraged the team and the players throughout the game. Even when they lost 0-4, the fans still sang and clapped their hands to give the team more motivation. They were few in number, but they also created the effect of booing Barnes at Anfield and fought tenaciously in this fortress of the mortal enemy.

Ferguson said in an interview after the game: "I have nothing to say about the team's performance on the field. I will not criticize them. This game is like some special games. One side always can't score a goal, even if they create good opportunities, and the other side can easily score a goal. We have experienced this kind of game before, and now we have experienced it again, that's all."

Ferguson stressed, "I want to thank the fans of our team. We cannot give the fans a hearty victory, and cannot let the fans enjoy the joy of victory. Instead, we have to let the fans continue to encourage us. This is very touching for us!"

Liverpool crushed the Red Devils in terms of the score, but the Red Devils did have chances and played well. This defeat was completely different from last season's defeat by Manchester City. Ferguson insisted that the team played tenaciously, and the fans who followed the Red Devils also encouraged the team to keep moving forward with their non-stop singing.

Many people who didn't watch the whole game criticized the Red Devils for being vulnerable based on this score, but these guys are just cowards. The Red Devils did lose 4 goals, but they lost in a head-on confrontation with Liverpool. The score was expanded by the opponent's sneak attacks and counterattacks. The Red Devils also created many opportunities, and were the first to create murderous opportunities in front of the goal.

But even so, the Red Devils were defeated by their opponents by a large margin, which is the most ruthless fact.