The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 168 Sword Guard

"The Red Devils have had many outstanding central defenders in their history, but Bruce is the best one with such a strong goal-scoring ability and such a great help to the offense. He is a real goal-scoring defender and a well-known defender."

--Inscription

This season, Bruce, the core central defender of the Red Devils, has grown very rapidly. He has not only become the most reliable pillar of defense, but also the source of confidence for the Red Devils fans to win.

Why do I say that? Because the Red Devils have tried to attack the opponent unfavorably, and neither the two strikers nor other attacking players can score. At this time, when other players are most needed to take the responsibility of scoring goals, it is Bruce who bravely stands up and starts to try to destroy the city.

At that moment, he was not a central defender, but an aggressive center forward who was eager to score goals.

Bruce's offensive ability was demonstrated in the first round of the league. It was his powerful header that opened the door to victory in the Red Devils' match against Coventry. This goal was also the Red Devils' first goal of the new season.

It seems reasonable to say that Bruce opened the door to goal for the Red Devils.

In October, the Red Devils played against Halifax in the European Cup Winners' Cup, and Bruce scored another crucial goal, making a huge contribution to the team's 10-2 victory over their opponents.

In the first match of the Red Devils' European Cup Winners' Cup against Wrexham, Bruce scored a header in the opponent's penalty area, locking the score at 3-0 and helping the team basically ensure their promotion to the next round. In the second round, Bruce scored another goal to help the team win 2-0.

Bruce even became the most trusted killer of the Red Devils in the European Cup Winners' Cup, which many Red Devils fans couldn't believe.

In the League Cup match against Liverpool, Bruce once again showed his prowess and opened the door to victory for the Red Devils with his goal. The Red Devils eventually defeated their arch-rivals 3-1. Bruce scored a goal and led the team to a high level of momentum. Not only was he able to score goals, but Bruce also performed very well on both offense and defense, which made the Red Devils fans sing praises for him crazily.

With this game, Bruce became the most incredible enemy in the eyes of Liverpool fans and a hero in the eyes of Red Devils fans.

Back in the league, Bruce became more and more sharp. In the 13th round against Sheffield United, he once again played a magical trick, scoring the first goal for the team, helping the team win 2-0 in the end and staying at the top of the standings. In the 18th round, the Red Devils played hard away against Wimbledon. Bruce stepped forward when the game was stalemate and scored two consecutive headers, helping the Red Devils to win 3-1 in the end, and completely washed away the team's cowardice against the Mad Gang. In the 20th round, the Red Devils faced Villa, and Bruce played well, not only on the defensive end, but also on the offensive end. He was like an iron tower in the opponent's penalty area, grabbing the position in front of his former teammate McGrath, and successfully scored a header, helping the team to finally tie the game 1-1 with the opponent. In the following 21st round, the Red Devils went to White Hart Lane to challenge Tottenham. Bruce once again demonstrated his outstanding ability as a center forward, successfully scoring a goal in front of the goal, helping the Red Devils to beat their opponents 2-1 and sing a song of triumph.

Bruce is constantly scoring goals, whether in the cup or the league. Not only is he as immovable as a mountain on the defensive end, but he is also like a giant striker on the offensive end, with a great threat from high ball attacks, a genuine bomber.

Bruce is not only able to score goals that go smoothly, but also able to show his power in major games or critical moments. In the 24th round of the league, the Red Devils played against Liverpool. The game was very intense. Facing the pressure of the league's dominant Liverpool, the Red Devils' midfield was very passive for a time, and the defense was also under great pressure. But even so, Bruce still forcefully broke into the opponent's penalty area when the Red Devils got a corner kick, took the lead in the hard-hitting physical positioning battle, received a cross from his teammate and scored a header, and finally helped the team tie the opponent 1-1 and defended the honor of the Theatre of Dreams.

After this league match, Bruce was injured in the fifth round of the FA Cup and the team lost to Norwich. From then on, the Red Devils had a very difficult time both in defense and offense. The Red Devils suffered many defeats in the games where Bruce was absent, which made Ferguson and the Red Devils fans miss him even more.

On March 1991, 3, the second leg of the third round of the European Cup Winners' Cup was held at the Stade Mosson, home of Montpellier. Because the Red Devils were tied at home in the first game, they had to win this game to move forward. Ferguson welcomed back the core of the defense, Bruce, at the most critical moment, and was able to send out the strongest back four combination. Together with goalkeeper Healy, the Red Devils' strongest defensive lineup returned to the fans. In the midfield, Phelan, Robson, Ince and Lee Sharpe played, and McClair and Hughes were sent forward.

This was a game that determined whether the Red Devils could qualify for the next round, so the Red Devils were naturally on high alert and could not afford to make any mistakes. Ferguson's tactics were very clear at the beginning of the game, which was to increase the impact and breakthrough on the two flanks, especially the left flank, and use the containment and cooperation of Mark Hughes and McClair in the frontcourt, and give full play to Lee Sharp's characteristics as a fast horse to launch fast attacks and threaten the opponent's flank areas.

The wing attack tactics that Ferguson arranged for the Red Devils worked wonders. Robson and Ings both patiently dealt with the opponent in the midfield and rarely went forward to launch an attack behind the opponent. The two forwards had almost no chance to get into the penalty area because of the lack of support from their teammates. Hughes and McClair often tried to test the opponent with long shots. However, the opponent paid great attention to protection, and the goalkeeper also attached great importance to long shots, concentrating on observing the movements of the Red Devils attackers, basically eliminating these threats directly.

Montpellier defended the Red Devils' forwards and the Red Devils' midfielders from behind, but failed to defend against the wing attack that Ferguson had planned in advance.

Lee Sharpe is thin and weak in confrontation, but he is very fast, his feints are very deceptive, and he is very skilled in changing direction after starting. Moreover, the opponents are not familiar with his characteristics, so he often breaks through on the wing. Ferguson specifically told Lee Sharpe before the game that he must actively look for opportunities, actively try to face the opponent's full-back one-on-one, use his technical and speed advantages to break through the wing corridor, try to pass the ball as close to the opponent's baseline after going down the bottom, and mainly use high balls when passing, so that teammates have the opportunity to score in front of the goal.

Lee Sharp did everything Ferguson asked him to do, and even more. He ran up and down the left wing throughout the game, and turned the entire left wing area into a highway for him to drive freely. He quickly advanced after getting the ball many times, and then passed the ball to the middle after getting to the end line; he also tried to dribble the ball into the ribs, led the opponent's defense system, and then passed the ball; he also tried to dribble into the penalty area, and tried to shoot or continue to dribble past the opponent when faced with the opponent's defender blocking him...

Thanks to Lee Sharp's huge threat, the Red Devils took the initiative in the game and launched many threatening attacks, forcing the opponent to focus on defense and often fall into chaos. In the first half, Manchester United won a free kick on the right side of the opponent's arc, nearly 20 yards outside the top. This seemingly safe distance made the opponent ignore the highly alert defense. As a result, Blackmore took the free kick at this position and hit a super long-range shot. This long shot was powerful and went straight to the dead corner. The opponent only sent out a three-man wall, and the goalkeeper was also very slack in spirit. As a result, Blackmore completed a stunning shot and scored this super goal of nearly 3 yards!

The Red Devils changed the score to 1-0 and seized the initiative to advance.

In the second half, Manchester United withstood several rounds of attacks from the opponent and then launched a counterattack. In the 73rd minute, Manchester United took a corner kick and Bruce, who had returned from the game, headed the ball into the opponent's penalty area with a perfect header, and the ball flew straight into the dead corner of the goal!

Bruce's goal-scoring ability shocked everyone, but it was not accidental. He has always had a strong aerial advantage. In Manchester United's high-ball cross attack, he was often arranged to head the opponent's penalty area, with a goal efficiency comparable to that of a striker, making special contributions for the Red Devils when they needed it most.

Manchester United leads by two goals.

In the following game time, Montpellier launched several attacks, which also caused dangerous situations in front of Manchester United's goal, but the defense led by Bruce and Pallister finally withstood the test and held on until the end of the game.

The Red Devils defeated their opponents 3-1 away from home with a total score of - and advanced to the semi-finals.

Ferguson said after the game: "We have a team full of youth and vitality, and we have many follow-up methods. We can trust Bruce at any time. He will be a threat as long as he is in the opponent's penalty area. His goal says it all. No one can do better than him!"

The victory over Montpellier seemed to have dispelled the bad luck of the Red Devils. Ferguson's team then won 30-4 against Luton in the 1th round of the league. Bruce scored two more goals in this game and became the biggest contributor to the team's victory.

After this battle, the Red Devils had a 6-day break, and in late March, the Red Devils went back to the league. Ferguson's team beat Norwich 3-3 away, and the Red Devils defender Bruce was in great form. He was simply crazy and scored two goals in the game, helping the team beat his old club!

What kind of defender is this? Bruce has already contributed more than 10 goals before the league is over. A defender has scored more goals than an attacking midfielder or even a forward.

Bruce, yyds!

In the 2nd round of the league, the Red Devils defeated Wimbledon 1- at home, and Bruce scored another goal!

Ferguson was very humorous when asked why Bruce could score so many goals. He said: "Why can Bruce score goals like a center forward? Why can he score so many goals? Because I arranged this tactic. We specially trained him to head the ball and let him move freely into the opponent's penalty area. You can see that all his goals are headers. He is much better than the average center forward. Why is he so good? This is our tactical secret, of course I can't tell you casually."

Ferguson was beaming, "I am very happy that he can score so many goals, I believe he will score more goals."

The Red Devils' subsequent match schedule was still very busy. On April 1991, 4, they played the 6rd round of the league, tied 1-1 with Aston Villa away; then three days later, they played the first round of the European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final, and the Red Devils had to fly to the Wojska Polskig Stadium in Warsaw, Poland, to play against Legia Warsaw. The Red Devils won the game easily 3-1, and the Red Devils fans were excited. The scene that everyone had been waiting for also came, the sword-carrying guard Bruce scored again!

Manchester United dominated the game in all aspects and Bruce's goal luck continued. After scoring against Montpellier in the previous game, he showed his strength again in this game. His charge in the opponent's penalty area made the opponent's defense Alexander, and he received a cross from his teammate and scored a goal in the 41st minute, helping the team to secure the victory.

When Bruce rushed into the opponent's penalty area, the Red Devils fans cheered and cheered. After he scored a goal, the fans at the scene made a song for Bruce, calling him "an unstoppable killer, a super terrifying giant!"

When Mark Hughes was asked by the media why Bruce was so good at scoring goals, he explained, "Bruce has a very strong awareness and sensitivity, and a good premonition. He also jumps high, so he definitely has an advantage in competing for high balls. We each have our own division of labor in the long pass tactics, and he is our main attacking firepower."

McClair said: "I believe that in the whole of English football, no one is better than Stephen in terms of the ability to get in and head the ball."

On April 1991, 4, the Red Devils played against Derby County in the 16th round of the league at home, and the Red Devils easily won 3 to 1. In this game, Ferguson rotated the starting goalkeeper, and Bosnich got his first chance to start.

The intensive schedule is finally over, and Ferguson's team now needs to prepare for the upcoming League Cup final. The game is a bit special because the coach of the opposing team is Atkinson, the former coach of the Red Devils.

Against Atkinson, this was a final that concerned Ferguson's face.