The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 206 You Chase Me

"Manchester United and Leeds United competed fiercely for the top spot in the league in the last few rounds. They exchanged the lead, and the championship race became more intense and more subtle."

--Inscription

Back in the league, the Red Devils played away against Sheffield United in the 31st round.

Sheffield United is a mediocre team, and Manchester United could have easily won the match, but Ferguson's team still had a very tough game. The team was exhausted, and when they entered the field, the commentator said, "The Red Devils players lack the desire to win. They all look sick and lack the kind of intimidating dominance."

After the game started, Manchester United took the initiative earlier, but it seemed that the opponent gave up the initiative. Manchester United occupied the midfield advantage and gained more ball possession, but they always lacked accuracy and accuracy in attack, and it was difficult to organize a truly threatening attack, and there were very few opportunities to shoot. At this time, the individual strength of Manchester United players became the key to winning or losing. In the 17th minute of the first half, Giggs made a cross from the left, and McClair took advantage of the chaos to get the ball in the penalty area and immediately shot into the dead corner to score, and the Red Devils led 1-0.

After taking the lead, Manchester United could have used their lead to slowly wear down their opponents and continue to expand their advantage, but the team was unable to easily control the situation and the game became passive at one point.

Sheffield United stepped up their offensive after falling behind, and soon the Manchester United penalty area was also in a state of panic. The Manchester United players were very nervous. In the 37th minute, Sheffield United sent a corner kick to the front of Manchester United. Bruce headed the ball and almost let the opponent's striker James head the ball into the dead corner to equalize. Fortunately, Schmeichel was quick and flew to save the ball. Manchester United stabilized its position in the second half and launched a quick counterattack against the opponent's fierce attack. In the 53rd minute, Manchester United successfully defended. Schmeichel easily intercepted the ball in the penalty area to resolve the opponent's attack, and then made a long pass forward. This long pass found McClair who had already started running at high speed, and also crossed the positions of all the opponents' three lines, which meant that all the opponent's defense lines were directly penetrated in one go. The Red Devils striker took a look at the ball and rushed directly, accelerating all the way to the penalty area and successfully got the ball. At this time, he could have shot, but after the fierce sprint, McClair didn't want to be too greedy. He led out the opponent's goalkeeper, then adjusted the rhythm, and then made a cross pass to assist. At this time, Blackmore was following all the way. After he rushed to the front of the goal, he easily shot the ball into the empty goal. Manchester United expanded the score advantage to 2-0 and it seemed that the victory was basically secured.

Manchester United then reduced the intensity of the game, slowed down the pace, and stopped attacking. Although Sheffield United was two goals behind, they were unwilling to surrender and started a fierce counterattack. In the 55th minute, Sheffield United attacked Manchester United's left wing. Giggs could not help them in retreating, and Pallister was not able to assist in defense, giving the opponent's striker the opportunity to break through directly into the penalty area. Taking advantage of the chaos in Manchester United's penalty area, Sheffield United striker Keizer quickly kicked and shot, hitting a dead corner that Schmeichel could not save.

Sheffield United scored a goal, but only 62 minutes had passed and Manchester United's advantage was only 1 goal. The situation on the field became very tense.

Sheffield United was even more aggressive, they held Manchester United in the backcourt and launched continuous attacks. The Red Devils had a hard time defending in the latter part of the game, Bruce and Pallister kept filling in the gaps, Ince also frequently returned to the penalty area, Schmeichel kept making saves, and the goal he guarded was under great pressure. Under the opponent's fierce attack, the Red Devils players finally played with a passionate attitude of unity, resolutely withstood the opponent's crazy attack, and finally won the game 2-1, grabbing 3 points without any danger.

Manchester United won the game against Sheffield United with great difficulty. Even people who don't understand football can see the fatigue of Ferguson's team.

Charlton, the club's meritorious service member and board member, came to Ferguson's office to discuss with him how to deal with the increasingly difficult challenges. Ferguson asked Charlton to go to the training ground to give more encouragement to the Red Devils players. Charlton gave a speech in the locker room, "We are now charging towards the league championship. This is a big moment and a time when we cannot make mistakes. I am very happy that you have played very well and the overall performance of the team is also very good. I want to say that no matter what the final result is, you have lived up to the glorious title of Red Devils."

Charlton knows that he needs to encourage the team now. "I want to share with you the experience of winning the league in the 1966-67 season. We played very hard that year. Busby taught us not to worry about anything and just enjoy the game. To be honest, I was very nervous back then and often feared failure, but I also had the determination to fight to the end. I am very fortunate that the team had a great coach and strong teammates back then. This is why we eventually won the championship. I think you are the same now. The team is at its best time. I hope that under the command of coach Ferguson, you can respond effectively to all challenges and win the final goal."

The Red Devils played two consecutive games in the FA Cup, and were eliminated in extra time and the final penalty shootout. In the League Cup, they also played two consecutive semi-finals. Compared with other championship rivals, the Red Devils played four extra games in the most tense stage of the league.

This has two consequences. One is that Leeds United took advantage of the opportunity of playing two more games and desperately grabbed points. They quickly surpassed Manchester United in the league points and ranked first in the standings. Manchester United's gap in the standings widened to 5 points because they played two fewer league games. The points gap can still be made up and caught up through make-up games, but the other consequence is unsolvable. Manchester United's physical strength is seriously depleted due to too many games, and the fighting power of the entire team is worrying. Manchester United will have to play two more make-up league games in the future, and the physical problems and the decline in mental state will inevitably become more serious.

Ferguson continued to encourage the players. In an interview with Manchester United's official website, he said: "We are a team that has been through severe tests. We have rich experience in dealing with intensive schedules and dense games. We can continue to move forward in the league and launch an impact on the championship."

Manchester Evening News said: "Now everyone knows that Ferguson's team is at the end of its strength. They seem to lose at any time and the forwards can't score goals, but we want to remind everyone that Leeds United may also collapse. They have a lot of games to play and their opponents cannot be ignored."

The league's fierce competition continues, with Ferguson's team challenging Nottingham Forest in the 32nd round.

Ferguson sent all the main players who could play in this game, Hughes and McClair as strikers, Ince and Webber as midfielders, Giggs and Kanchelskis as wings, Irwin, Bruce, Pallister and Parker as defenders, and Schmeichel as goalkeeper. Ferguson adjusted the tactical formation to the traditional 442, and simplified the requirements for the playing style as much as possible, hoping that the players would follow the rules, give the best of their abilities in their positions, compete with opponents in the midfield, and strive to take the initiative.

Clough's Forest team received enthusiastic cheers from the home team fans at the Nottingham City Square Stadium. They showed stronger momentum at this home stadium. Pierce overwhelmed Ince in the midfield battle, and Clough's running made Webber often lose his target, which also gave Pallister a headache. Manchester United's double wings did not play too much power in this game. Giggs had a little injury. He was knocked down by the opponent's right back's fierce tackle shortly after the start of the game. The subsequent attacks were also blocked by the opponent's strong body and strong power output; Kanchelskis had no space to speed up and sprint. He was often knocked down by the opponent just after receiving the ball and preparing to start. For Manchester United in this game, the two wingers turned from sharp knives to blunt knives. The core reason was that the two players in the opponent's midfield were very strong. One Pierce could strangle the two Manchester United players, and the other Rice could fill in the wing at any time to strengthen the defense, directly locking Manchester United's attack line.

The Red Devils were passive in the midfield area, and the pressure was quickly transferred to the backcourt. In the 21st minute, Manchester United's goal was threatened for the first time. The opponent's attacking player Hausderson shot hard outside the penalty area, and Schmeichel flew to save it. In the 27th minute, Manchester United's penalty area was messed up by the opponent's cross. Fortunately, Bruce cleaned it up in time at the critical moment. In the 33rd minute, Forest's Clough dribbled into the Manchester United penalty area and kicked in the upper left corner. Fortunately, Schmeichel concentrated and saved it steadily.

Manchester United passively survived the first half. Ferguson encouraged all the players during the halftime break, "We played well and the opponent didn't have many chances. As long as we stay focused, remind each other, help each other, and seize the space left by the opponent's all-out attack, we will definitely score and win."

Manchester United did not make any substitutions in the second half. Ferguson believed that the players could withstand the pressure and launch an effective offensive to turn the situation around and win the game. But he was disappointed in the end. Manchester United not only failed to seize the initiative, but also lost its sharpness in the consumption. In the 73rd minute, Pierce of the Forest team got the ball in the midfield. He immediately made a long pass forward to the penalty area. Clough Jr. grabbed the landing point in the Manchester United penalty area and immediately assisted his teammates. Luke, the striker of the Forest team, shot directly to the lower right corner of the Manchester United goal. Schmeichel failed to save the ball. Manchester United fell behind 0-1!

Manchester United, which was trailing in the score, immediately made substitutions and adjusted their playing style. Bruce also took the initiative to transform into a forward and press into the opponent's penalty area. However, even with all the players attacking fiercely, they were unable to break through the opponent's goal in the end and had to swallow the bitter fruit of defeat.

This loss was a big blow to the morale of Ferguson's players. They had fought very hard all the way to where they are now, and due to excessive physical consumption, their ability to create offensive opportunities declined rapidly, and their ability to seize opportunities in front of the goal continued to weaken.

Many years later, Bruce still felt extremely regretful when looking back on that season's league, "We should have won the league championship that year. I didn't play well in the last few games. It's my responsibility to lose the championship."

Bruce still remembered the loss to Nottingham Forest more than 20 years later. He thought he should have gone straight for Clough, as that position was originally his defensive zone and he should not have let the opponent organize an attack so easily. "I shouldn't have lost my position. I was a little distracted at that time. I was worried about the positions of Pallister and Ings. By the time the opponent passed the ball, I realized that something was wrong, but it was too late."

Schmeichel said: "We have no experience in winning the league title, and we are not prepared to fight hard to the end. Even I need to reflect on myself. Although I have won the European Cup and our team has won the European Cup Winners' Cup, the FA Cup and so on, I want to say that cup championships and league championships are different. The league requires stronger nerves and a tougher will, and must be able to accept the blow of failure and the test of consecutive difficult games. We were close to the top of the championship in April 1992, but we were not prepared at that time. Everything seemed to be just a little bit worse, but the fact is that we were still not good enough. Just like the game we lost to Forest, we always thought we would win smoothly, and we always had that fantasy, but under the fierce attack of the opponent, our footing was messed up all of a sudden, and then we lost control, and finally lost in the face of the opponent's fierce offensive."

Manchester United captain Robson also felt regretful. He said: "In fact, it is not just regret, but also unforgettable pain. I have always found it unacceptable that we performed so poorly in the last few games of that season. These games have become black memories in our careers. We dare not forget Ferguson's final anger and pain. Of course, we will not forget the fans' sadness, and there is more enlightenment."