The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 195: Overcoming the difficulties

"Ferguson's team encountered strong obstacles one after another, and faced strong tests in the league and European arena. They maintained high morale and the spirit of hard work and progress, overcoming all difficulties and achieving unbelievable results for the fans."

--Inscription

Three days later, the Red Devils played against Cambridge United at home in the first leg of the second round of the League Cup. Cambridge celebrated their success before the game because as a low-level team, they were able to draw the Red Devils this time, and no matter how the two rounds went, it would have a huge impact on their economic income. According to the rules of the League Cup at the time, half of the income from the Red Devils' home games had to be shared with Cambridge United, which was an absolutely huge sum of money.

Cambridge United was not very strong and did not intend to fight hard against Manchester United, so the Red Devils played with ease and confidence. Giggs was still very sharp. He did not feel tired at all in the consecutive starts and even seemed more active. His speed on the wing was very good and he frequently tore through the opponent's defense. Mark Hughes got two assists, McClair and Bruce scored goals in consecutive games, and the attack was fierce.

Ferguson's team played smoothly throughout the game, and Manchester United eventually beat their opponents 3-0 and easily advanced to the next round.

On Saturday, September 1991, 9, the Red Devils went to White Hart Lane to challenge Tottenham in the 28th round of the league.

This game was a focus battle between two strong teams. Before the game, Gascoigne once again compared the differences between Ferguson and Venables, and jokingly said, "Ten Scotsmen like Ferguson cannot catch up with a gentleman like Venables", which caused an uproar in public opinion.

Ferguson didn't even want to get angry. It would be unreasonable for him to quarrel with a young player in his current position. In a pre-match media interview, Ferguson refused to comment on Gascoigne's remarks, but emphasized: "The final facts will prove who will regret it. Tottenham is a very influential club and we are happy to beat them in the league."

The big game was approaching, but the Red Devils suffered a series of setbacks before the game. Parker was injured, Donaghy was also injured, and there was a crisis at the right back position. Ferguson had no one available, so he unexpectedly used Phelan to play this position temporarily. Ferguson still sent Robson and Ince in the middle of the midfield, and the two wings were Giggs and Kanchelskis who had been honed so far this season. The forwards were naturally Hughes and McClair. Ferguson challenged the opponent away in this game, but he still emphasized the attack of the two wings in his playing style, and specifically instructed Ince and McClair to suppress Gascoigne in the midfield, and then strive to seize the initiative in the midfield.

The opponent Tottenham Hotspur is strong and plays at home. The offensive is very active and should not be underestimated. After the game started, Tottenham Hotspur really started to attack fiercely, constantly strengthening the high-pressure defense in the frontcourt, frequently passing the ball, and trying to bomb the Red Devils' goal. The Red Devils patiently dealt with the opponent, increasing interceptions and steals in the midfield, and did not give in at all. When the opponent's cross reached the Red Devils' penalty area, Bruce and Pallister's double insurance showed their true colors and easily eliminated all dangers. In the midfield, Ferguson's deployment of McClair and Ince to lock Gascoigne was very effective. The Tottenham midfielder's new star had a strong desire to perform personally, but Ince gave him a stir-fry when he came up, which aroused Gazza's competitive spirit and he was caught in a personal struggle with Ince throughout the game. Under Manchester United's strategy of fighting hard in the midfield, McClair's retreat allowed the Red Devils to have an advantage in numbers in the confrontation, as well as the advantages of running and coverage, and soon took the initiative in the game.

In the 31st minute, Manchester United intercepted the ball in the backcourt and quickly passed it to the wing, allowing Giggs to compete with the opponent in speed and launch a quick counterattack on the wing. The Red Devils' tactical effect was very good. Robson met Giggs near the left side of the midfield and then passed it to Giggs. Giggs dribbled the ball quickly to the bottom line, accelerated and passed the opponent's full-back, and then quickly cut into the vicinity of Tottenham's baseline. Giggs immediately made a cross with his left foot. Hughes rushed to the front point in the Tottenham penalty area and immediately shot. The Tottenham goalkeeper made an accurate judgment and fell to the ground to save the ball, barely saving Hughes' shot. In the 36th minute, Manchester United made a comeback on the left side. Giggs started again on the left side of the midfield. After McClair retreated, he made a two-on-one cooperation with Giggs and easily broke through Tottenham's midfield blockade. After Giggs got the ball in the frontcourt, he did not stick to the left side attack, but directly dribbled the ball in the middle. After passing the opponent's two interceptors, he accurately passed the ball into the Tottenham penalty area with an overhead pass. Tottenham's penalty area finally revealed a flaw. Hughes, who was offside, was completely unguarded. He easily dribbled the ball and went straight into the penalty area. Facing the opponent's goalkeeper's panicked blockade, he calmly shot from a small angle and scored.

After a hard fight, Ferguson's team took the lead 1-0.

In the second half, Tottenham was unwilling to fall behind and launched several waves of fierce attacks. Anderton made continuous quick attacks on the right side, frequently threatening Manchester United's back. With the advantage on the wing, Gascoigne's skillful footwork and keen offensive organization awareness also had room to play. In the 57th minute, Tottenham attacked Manchester United's left side. Gascoigne led the team to pass Ince, and then continued to make a sudden stop and change direction to pass Robson, attracting Manchester United's Bruce to come out to block, and then even a small diagonal pass into the penalty area. Tottenham striker Brody received the pass and immediately shot into the dead corner. Schmeichel was unable to save it, and Tottenham tied the score 1-1.

After being tied by the opponent, the Red Devils still played with confidence. Giggs made another great contribution. He took a free kick from the right side of the frontcourt and found the captain Robson skillfully. Robson headed the ball in the dense crowd of the opponent's penalty area, and the ball flew into the net in a high arc.

And just like that, the Red Devils had the final laugh with a score of 2-1.

After this game, the Red Devils played a very gorgeous five-game winning streak in the league and 10 games unbeaten, and 12 games unbeaten in three competitions. Ferguson's team now occupies the top position in the standings and leads the pack.

The Red Devils then beat their opponents 2-0 at home in the second game of the first round of the European Cup Winners' Cup and successfully advanced to the second knockout round.

Back to the league, Manchester United faced Liverpool in the 11th round.

This "Reds vs Liverpool" became the focus of media attention before the game. The media is now discussing whether Liverpool can beat Manchester United, who are at the top of the table, and whether Liverpool can become a contender for the league title again. Before the game, Manchester United was at the top of the table, while Liverpool was only ranked 6th. For the first time, many reporters felt that "Ferguson's team has the advantage in strength, and the former overlord Liverpool is at a disadvantage, but they have lost enough support."

Before the game, the media interviewed Liverpool coach Evans, who was also cautious in his words, "Manchester United is the best team in the league right now, but they are not invincible. We have a deep foundation and a strong fighting spirit, and we will definitely let Ferguson's team know how powerful we are."

The game was very intense from the beginning. Both sides focused on the midfield and actively invested in the midfield. Manchester United had a speed advantage on both sides, but Liverpool had studied this early. Their wingers retreated deep, always paying attention to reducing the space for breakthroughs, and also intended to direct the battle to the middle area. Under the pressure of Manchester United's Ince and Robson, Giggs and Kanchelskis were still very flexible, and McClair's retreat greatly increased the flexibility of the team's midfield. In the 12th minute, Robson dribbled the ball to the front court, and when he broke into the penalty area about 20 yards above the arc, he made a cross pass with McClair. McClair protected the ball sideways, while confronting the opponent, waiting for his teammates to run in the penalty area. Hughes then accelerated to insert, and Giggs led another defender to run in the opposite direction. McClair passed the ball to the middle of the penalty area, and Hughes shot the ball, but unfortunately the opponent's central defender blocked the line. In the 17th minute, Manchester United made a cross from the left, Hughes fought for the ball in the penalty area, and McClair missed the chance to shoot after being late; in the 19th minute, Robson made a powerful shot from outside the penalty area, but it missed the goal frame. In the 10th minute, Manchester United got a throw-in in the frontcourt, Irwin passed the ball to Ince, who cut across the opponent's midfielder and then passed the ball directly into the penalty area. Giggs suddenly started to rush into the penalty area to get the ball, then dodged the angle and shot hard, but it was saved by the opponent's goalkeeper.

Manchester United had the upper hand in the first half, and Liverpool only relied on long passes from the backcourt to launch counterattacks that were better than nothing, but not threatening much. In the 35th minute, Liverpool's Stoughton made a high-speed breakthrough on the left, and immediately shot after entering the penalty area, almost making Schmeichel unable to save it.

The two sides tied 0-0 in the first half. In the second half, Manchester United continued to attack fiercely, while Liverpool kept shrinking and played a defensive counterattack. In the 49th minute, Manchester United launched an attack from the backcourt. Giggs advanced at high speed on the left and crossed the ball near the opponent's backcourt baseline. McClair headed the ball at the back post, but unfortunately it almost missed the target. In the 53rd minute, Manchester United created an opportunity from the wing again. This time, Ins missed the opportunity to shoot due to the interference of the opponent; in the 61st minute, Manchester United launched an attack from the frontcourt throw-in. Ins shot from 10 yards outside the penalty area, but this long shot had only power but lacked angle, and was easily resolved by the opponent's goalkeeper. Liverpool lacked counterattack opportunities. They were passive throughout the game and it was difficult to hit Manchester United's penalty area. There were also few shooting opportunities. There was only one time that hit the target in the whole game.

The second half was a fast-paced game, with both teams going back and forth, sparks flying, and time passing quickly. In the 78th minute, Manchester United had the best chance, when Kanchelskis broke through two interceptions on the right, dribbled all the way to the edge of the penalty area and passed the ball in. Hughes rushed to the front point from the corner of the penalty area and volleyed the ball from about 8 yards away from the opponent's goal. This shot, which could have scored if it had hit the target, slipped out of the goal, and Hughes and Ferguson on the sidelines could only sigh.

Before we knew it, the game had reached its final moments, and Manchester United's final offensive was also resolved by Liverpool, with the two sides eventually drawing 0-0 and each getting one point.

Ferguson was still motivated after the game. "We should have won. It was a one-sided game with a clear difference in strength. Liverpool were able to get a point and they should thank God."

After playing Liverpool, Manchester United drew 1-1 with Cambridge United in the second round of the League Cup and successfully advanced to the next round.

On October 10, the Red Devils faced another tough battle in the 19th round of the league, at home against the defending champion Arsenal. The defending champion's reputation was affected at this time, and coach Graham was caught in a fight with the management and reduced investment in the team's construction. The entire Arsenal team was also a little complacent because they had just won the championship. They were not fully prepared for the journey of defending the title and did not expect the difficulty of the game.

Ferguson directed his team to attack the opponent at the beginning of the game, hoping to play a quick assault tactic and catch the opponent off guard. Manchester United's surprise attack was indeed effective. In the 16th minute, Giggs and Ings quickly advanced in front of the midfield, passed the opponent's midfield defense and entered the Arsenal penalty area. Giggs quickly passed the ball, Hughes retreated a few steps to receive the ball and immediately transferred it again, then McClair controlled the ball at the back point and flashed out of the angle, quickly volleyed into the far corner and scored, Manchester United led 1-0.

After taking the lead, Manchester United gradually tightened their defense, but the defending champions were still very strong. They played steadily, constantly squeezed Manchester United's midfield space with confrontation and fighting, and then forced Manchester United to retreat to the penalty area to defend. Manchester United survived the first half in a very passive situation, but in the end, they were defeated by Arsenal's long-distance and short-distance tactics in the second half, and the goal was captured, and the score was tied 1-1 by the opponent.

In the end, Manchester United drew with their opponents, but still continued to lead the standings.

Since the start of the season in mid-August, Ferguson's team has not lost a game in more than two months!

Many years later, when Ferguson recalled the course of this season, he could not help but sigh: "We had a good start, even very good. We not only played well in the league, but also played well in various cup competitions. We went 12 rounds unbeaten in the league, which is a very good foundation for a long season of leagues and the foundation for winning the championship."

Ferguson later ended the conversation with regret and unwillingness. "We wasted this precious opportunity and left a very big gap. After the end of that season, we felt very sorry when we reviewed it again. I know many players were very painful, Robson, Bruce, Hughes, McClair... They played really well. We really wasted such an amazing start. With such a smooth start, we didn't win the league championship in the end. It is really an unacceptable regret."