The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 178 Hope of Young People

"People are celebrating the Red Devils winning their first European Cup winners' trophy in their history, but Ferguson is even more excited about the new hope that the young players of the Red Devils have brought this season."

--Inscription

After the European Cup Winners' Cup final, Manchester United returned to England to play another league game before finally ending the season.

红魔在1990-91赛季里踢了旁人难以想象的巨量比赛，从1990年8月18日社区盾开打，然后8月25日联赛开赛，再到1991年5月20日联赛结束，红魔一共踢了60场比赛。整整60场，这超过了英格兰足坛所有的球队。而这些比赛密集地挤在9个月里，让红魔几乎每隔3天就要完成一场。

Even UEFA and FA officials finally admitted that such a tight schedule is completely inhumane and harmful to the health of players. But these officials pretended to be righteous, while at the same time they began to consider how to increase the number of games to increase more income. Only the Red Devils players and coaches hated this. During the long season, the players reached the limit of their physical output early. In the last stage of the season, many Red Devils players were even in a state of physical exhaustion. They fought tiredly and injured, and finally survived with great willpower.

The Red Devils were originally short of manpower and had the most frequent schedule in the whole of England. Ferguson turned on the extreme mode this season. Thanks to the team's careful preparation and the coach's skillful use of the troops, the Red Devils once had a magical record of 16 rounds unbeaten in the middle of the season, and briefly saw the hope of competing for the league championship. Although the subsequent setbacks and sudden unexpected injuries made it difficult for the Red Devils to maintain a stable framework, the test of fighting on four fronts was even more difficult. The team was soon left behind in the long race for the league championship and no longer had any hope of impact. At this time, it was the most reasonable choice for both Ferguson and the Red Devils to turn to competing for the cup championship.

If the Red Devils continue to break this record after 16 rounds of unbeaten streak, can they really create a miracle and challenge for the league title?

Ferguson was asked about this question after the end of the season, and he answered: "Of course we hope to break that record, and no one is more eager than me. But we also know that everything is possible on the football field, and no one can always control their destiny. We certainly hope to continue to win in the league. If we really reach 17 or 18 games unbeaten and beat strong opponents for the championship one after another, then our morale and state may be completely different."

Ferguson said: "If we can continue to be unbeaten and win 20 games, we will become the leader in league points and the whole situation will be in our favor. By then, our challenge for the championship will not be called creating a miracle, we ourselves are the miracle."

Ferguson's assistant Kidd said, "The intensity and intensive schedule of the English league means inevitable injuries and uncontrollable conditions, which is the biggest challenge for us. We are not a team with experience in league championships, and we lost some very accidental games in the previous games. Therefore, even if we refresh the unbeaten record, it will be very difficult for us to compete for the league championship."

Ferguson certainly knew that Atkinson had also created an unbeaten record in the Red Devils, and they also led the standings with a wave of consecutive wins, but they were eventually overtaken by a strong opponent. The various reasons are actually not easy to analyze, and the factors affecting the situation and the trend of points are also difficult to grasp. He believes that the situation back then should not be directly applied to the present. Ferguson is very clear that his goal is to revive the Red Devils, and reaching the top of the league is one of the biggest goals. He has led this team through the test of a tough schedule, but their stability is ultimately insufficient.

This is exactly what happened. After the 16-game unbeaten streak came to an abrupt end, by April 1991, the Red Devils had been left far behind by rivals such as Arsenal in the league standings, and it could be said that they had no hope of winning the league title.

In the end, the Red Devils finished sixth in the league, won the European Cup Winners' Cup, and failed to win the two domestic cups. The Red Devils won 38 of 16 league games, drew 12 and lost 10. The total points were originally 60 points, but 1 point was deducted because of the fight and became 59 points. The sixth place this season, 13th last season, is naturally a big improvement. The number of games lost by the Red Devils this season has been greatly reduced, from 16 last season to 10 games. The Red Devils conceded 45 goals this season, which is roughly the same as the 47 last season. The Red Devils' offense has improved significantly this season, scoring a total of 58 goals, 12 more than the number of goals in the previous season.

Arsenal has always been known for its solid defense, and their defense is quite good. They only conceded 18 goals throughout the season - this can be described as terrifying. Even more amazing is that Graham's team only lost one game in the league and drew 13 games, both of which are beyond the reach of the Red Devils.

In English football, everyone knows that Graham's style is extremely tough. This coach, who is also from Scotland, is very good at defense. The Arsenal defense he built is the best in the entire league, which is also their biggest reliance in dominating the league.

While the Red Devils fans were still proud of the European Cup Winners' Cup and celebrating excitedly, Ferguson saw new hope in the Red Devils' youth training and made new decisions.

In the final stage of the league, Ferguson sent many young players to play. This move made many Red Devils fans very dissatisfied, thinking that the team's attitude was not right and surrendering the league early was not in line with the team's fighting spirit. In fact, they did not understand Ferguson, and did not know where Ferguson's real good intentions were.

Ferguson likes to use youth players, but there haven't been many talents in the Red Devils camp since the end of 1986. From Lee Martin to Maiorana, from Robins to Lee Sharp, Ferguson has not really cultivated the kind of new star that makes people feel bright.

Ferguson was very happy with the young players who played for the Red Devils in recent years. He rebuilt the youth training system at the end of 1986. These players who had been trained in the youth training camp received more attention and more resources, becoming a key supplement and foundation for his team. Since the end of 1986, he and Harrison expanded the recruitment. More and more young players came in, and naturally more and more new stars emerged.

Ferguson spent big on the transfer market while carefully building a youth training program. This was the best team building strategy for Ferguson, and waiting for the young talents at the Cliff base to grow up was also one of his most firm beliefs.

This season, the Red Devils fans began to be pleasantly surprised to find that a new generation of rising stars had indeed emerged in Ferguson's team, and they had taken over the previous generation of geniuses.

Under Ferguson's attention, the Red Devils youth team began to seek breakthroughs in the English Youth FA Cup and also sought progress in the youth league. The Red Devils' young players were full of enthusiasm and enthusiasm, and defeated weak teams such as Luton, Norwich, and Derby by a large score. The Red Devils youth team emerged in various competitions. They were full of passion and vitality, played well, scored goals continuously, and defeated the enemy as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, which made the fans very addicted.

It was from this season that Ferguson opened the door for the youth team to send players to the first team and actively promoted and used youth players. To some extent, the youth training system that Ferguson insisted on for nearly five years from 1986 to 1990 finally bore fruit.

Lee Sharpe was the first to take the lead and shined as soon as he appeared on the field. He was the first young talent to be labeled by Ferguson. He played a lot of games for the Red Devils this season, and he has been improving and becoming more and more outstanding, becoming the focus of the entire British football world. Lee Sharpe is highly skilled, courageous, fast, flexible in grabbing points, and active in shooting. He is a huge threat on the left. When Lee Sharpe plays on the left side of the Red Devils, the opponent's defenders are always unable to defend against him, and they can never stop his flexible and changeable figure. Sharp is not only very impactful, but also plays cleanly and freely, like a pony that has just grown up, shining on the left. This season, Lee Sharpe's performance against Arsenal in the League Cup has become his masterpiece. In addition to his successful breakthrough alone, he also made continuous attacks and finally won three cities in a row, making great contributions to the Red Devils' defeat of Arsenal.

Lee Sharpe won the league's best newcomer award for his outstanding performance. He quickly became the favorite of the Red Devils fans and the brightest new star at the Theatre of Dreams.

After Lee Sharpe, the Red Devils had another Giggs, a more ghostly, faster, more flexible and more talented little guy.

Giggs joined the Red Devils youth training in 1986. He was a young player recruited by Ferguson and a talent who was truly nurtured and developed through the Red Devils system. This included Ferguson's immeasurable efforts. In this season, Giggs got a chance to appear as a substitute in the league game. Later, he got a starting position and scored his first goal for the Red Devils.

Giggs's talent is too outstanding, too amazing. He has the skills and amazing speed that beat his peers in seconds. He stood out in the Red Devils youth team early on and was boldly put into the league by Ferguson for training. Giggs soared directly to the top and reached the peak as soon as he debuted.

Giggs played for the Red Devils for the first time on March 1991, 3, in the second half of the English League One match against Everton. At that time, Giggs was only 2 years old, his body was not fully developed, and he looked very thin.

The commentators at the scene were no strangers to him, and they shouted early on the sidelines, "This is a true genius in football, the kind that will amaze you at first sight. I believe he can definitely create brilliance! We witnessed history today!"

"Giggs is only 17? Yes, he is that young!" The fans were also excited as the commentator exclaimed. They were not stingy with their applause and encouragement. Giggs's fame at a young age had long been known throughout the football world, and now they could finally see his true face and his performance.

The Red Devils fans were expecting, while the opponent's defenders were surprised, and then quickly despaired. Giggs's extraordinary performance was completely shocking. He was not like a rookie at all. He was fast and flexible, smart and aggressive, and full of threats on the left! The Everton players at the time said, "Fortunately, Giggs only had a little time to play, otherwise he would definitely break through and score!"

In May 1991, Giggs got his first start for the Red Devils. This time, Giggs performed even better. He was like a magician and a sprinter on the left, using his speed to make defenders eat dust, and using his flexible skills to make it difficult for opponents to defend him. It was even difficult to stop him with a foul. Giggs twisted past the opponent, Giggs changed direction quickly, Giggs sprinted to the bottom line, Giggs passed the ball to assist, and Giggs scored!

The fans in the stadium were completely inspired. They cheered and applauded crazily for the little guy. Giggs' performance on the left was close to perfect. He flashed and swam freely on the offensive end. His quick forward insertion made people feel mysterious. His dribbling into the penalty area was unstoppable. His shooting angle was tricky, and the strength, angle and arc controlled by his feet were all eye-catching.

The commentator shouted, "This guy is not only able to dribble past opponents, but he is also as fast as the wind! His shot is fierce and direct, so cool!"

The media praised him highly: Giggs is more agile than people can imagine, faster than his opponents can imagine, and sharper than expected!

Giggs's emergence this season may be more shocking than the Red Devils' cup win. Giggs's talent is so surprising, like a beam of light that suddenly emerges and illuminates the left side of the Red Devils. His appearance makes everyone know that not only the Red Devils will have a killer weapon in the future, but the entire English football world will feel his sharpness.

Giggs is mature beyond his years and has a winning mentality. He just made his debut in English Football League One and immediately showed great confidence and courage. No matter what tricks or even some inferior means used by the opponent, Giggs can use his strong skills to win the confrontation, break through, open up gaps, and create killing opportunities in front of the goal. Even in the simplest sprint, Giggs showed something different at this age. He would look up and observe the situation on the field while sprinting at high speed, observing and analyzing where his teammates would respond and where they would wait for opportunities.

This is a true genius, Ferguson's proudest discovery and the biggest gain from the Red Devils' youth training.

From Lee Sharpe to Giggs, Ferguson was extremely happy, even a little excited. These young people gave him more confidence and more hope.