The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 219 Serious Mistake

"Ferguson admitted that Leeds United's title win was his own failure. Although the opponent reaped the double bonus of the veteran's outstanding performance and the team's offensive tactics, the Red Devils did lose the initiative and made serious mistakes in key moments. This is no longer something that can be covered up by a low-probability event."

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Even many years later, many English media still think it is a pity that the Red Devils lost the English Championship in 1992. Many people agree that the Red Devils deserved the championship this season, but objectively speaking, the Red Devils' failure in the championship was actually their own fault. It was not a misjudgment of the roulette wheel of fate, but a serious mistake made by the team.

Replaying the entire season, we can find a key point. That is, the Red Devils lost 4 games in a row in the last 3 games of the season, which led to the loss of the championship one round in advance. Apart from that, the Red Devils did not play badly in other games, and it can even be said that they played very well, and they always had an advantage in the competition with Leeds United.

The Red Devils have been in the lead in the standings since the beginning of the league, and they have expanded their advantage in the middle of the season. When everyone is in the same round, the Red Devils have always been at the top of the standings. Leeds United is very smart. They gave up various cup competitions early on, maintained a good state, and succeeded in the final stage. The Red Devils played many more games, which made the Red Devils' already very dense schedule extremely difficult, and also put Ferguson's team through more tests, which eventually dragged down the entire team. The long-distance race in the league is not a moment of relaxation. The Red Devils inserted the European Cup Winners' Cup, the European Super Cup and other competitions in the middle of the league. In the two cup competitions of the FA Cup and the League Cup, they played at least 4 more games than Leeds United. In total, the Red Devils played almost 10 more games than Leeds United. This is a key factor affecting the championship. The Red Devils' final sprint was obviously weak.

The Red Devils did fight to the end, but losing three games in a row in the final stage meant that even the gods couldn't save them.

The media also believed that the collapse of the Red Devils was very complicated. This was not only a problem of the physical exhaustion and mental fatigue of the Red Devils players, but also a problem of the numerous injuries throughout the team, which seriously affected Ferguson's deployment of troops. When the Red Devils faced three consecutive defeats, they were not at a disadvantage in every game, nor were they passively beaten and eventually lost. Among the three consecutive defeats, only the loss to Liverpool was a loss in both score and scene. The Red Devils had problems with their mentality and starting lineup, and the whole team did not perform well. They were not as skilled as others and finally lost. Before losing to Nottingham Forest and West Ham United, the Red Devils had enough advantages, which was really painful and disappointing.

Ferguson also felt very regretful when talking about the final stage of the season a long time later. Ferguson said: "Faced with a long journey, we would not consider giving up any trophy, but there were indeed too many games. We won Nottingham Forest in the League Cup final, and then faced them again in the league. I thought at first that we had the upper hand both psychologically and morale-wise. Nottingham Forest had already shown signs of instability in the dressing room. Losing the League Cup was a big blow to their coach Clough. They were ranked in the middle of the league and had no desire. I never expected that they would suddenly perform so well and seize the rare opportunity to beat us."

There is another core reason. The Red Devils lost the championship thanks to the English Football Association. The English Football Association arranged the events to a point of madness and inhumanity, which eventually led to the collapse of the entire Red Devils team. Starting from the match against Southampton at the end of the season, the Red Devils basically played a game every other day. From April 4, 16, 18 to 20, the Red Devils had to play 22 games in 7 days. Considering that the Red Devils only played the League Cup final against Forest on April 4, this schedule is even more outrageous.

坏运气其实从红魔1比1被卢顿队逼平的那一场就开始了。对阵卢顿这场比赛被英足总安排在踢完上轮联赛之后隔一天就举行。1992年4月16日红魔在主场踢完南安普顿，4月18日就要去客场踢卢顿队。不仅仅是一天的间隙，红魔还需要在路途上奔波200多公里，这样的安排简直可以说是丧心病狂。

Ferguson protested to no avail and could only lead his troops away. In the away game against Luton, although the Red Devils had lost enough sharpness on the field, after all, the players are not made of iron. At this time, many players have played more than 45 games, and it is inevitable that they are mentally exhausted. But even so, the Red Devils still have an absolute advantage and still created enough opportunities on the field. Unfortunately, Giggs, McClair, Hughes and other attacking players all missed the chance to score. Only the new force Lee Sharpe scored a goal in the whole game, and the opponent was tied 1-1.

The Red Devils lost 2 points in this game. After 38 games, the Red Devils have 75 points, 39 points more than Leeds United's 73 points after 2 games, and still top the table. Until this time, many people, including Ferguson himself, thought that they could hold on a little longer and win the league title.

Unfortunately, when playing against Nottingham Forest, the team's physical strength was rapidly depleted. Ferguson could no longer field the strongest lineup. Mark Hughes, Robson and Ings were unable to start the game. Giggs was placed in the forward position to partner with McClair. Such a Red Devils team had great structural risks. Coupled with the lack of physical strength, it was naturally unable to withstand the opponent's fierce attack and eventually lost 1-2. Later, Leeds United won the game and surpassed the Red Devils by 1 point with one more game played.

The loss to Forest was the beginning of the Red Devils' three-game losing streak.

Just one day later, the Red Devils challenged West Ham United away.

At that time, West Ham United was ranked last, but before the game, the public opinion believed that this would be a tough battle. The physical condition of the Red Devils team was a fatal factor, because this team that played the most games was too tired. For Ferguson, the danger came from the lack of Robson and Ince in the midfield, and even Webber could not start.

West Ham United had already lost the crucial relegation battle, and the Hammers, who were bound to be relegated, gave it their all and launched a crazy attack against the Red Devils. West Ham United's stubborn tactics gave the Red Devils many opportunities, but unfortunately the Red Devils players always wasted good chances to score. As the game progressed, the Red Devils were still at a disadvantage in the confrontation because they had consumed too much energy in the previous game, and were penetrated by West Ham's counterattack and lost the game 0-1.

After losing this game, the Red Devils completely lost the initiative. Now both teams have only two games left. As long as Leeds United wins one game and the Red Devils lose to Liverpool, the White Army can win the championship one round in advance.

Leeds United was extremely lucky in the last stage of the league. Not only did they reverse the gap of 5 points, but now they are 1 point ahead. They were also protected by fate in the away game against Sheffield United. Leeds United actually lost the ball in such a crucial game, but then they were lucky enough to equalize. After overtaking the score in the second half, despite the embarrassment of Chapman's own goal, they were able to successfully force a non-threatening attack into an own goal with Cantona's interference with the opponent's defender!

Leeds United was extremely lucky and won this crucial game; but the Red Devils who came on afterwards had no luck at all. The exhausted Red Devils barely mustered up their spirits to fight against Liverpool, who had been gathering their strength and waiting for this big battle, but ultimately lost.

Just like that, the Red Devils lost the championship!

Even the most demanding media, or reporters who had been scolded by Ferguson, felt sorry for the team when they saw the Red Devils lose three games in a row and the championship in such a tragic way in the final moments.

Simon, a reporter from the Manchester Evening News, said: "The Red Devils have already shed their last drop of sweat and used up their last bit of strength. Such an outcome can only make us point our angry eyes at the Football Association. It was their stupid arrangement that ruined what should have been the most exciting championship battle."

"Ferguson couldn't have done more, he and the players fought to the end."

The Times commented: "It's not that Ferguson is too incompetent that they missed the championship, but that the season was too cruel. The Red Devils played a total of 58 games, the most in Europe, and even the most in professional leagues around the world. This is an unacceptable number."

"Ferguson lost the league but we think it was more of a disgrace to the FA."

The BBC also believes that even Ferguson, who has experience in winning the Scottish League, does not have enough solutions to deal with this chaotic season. The BBC said: "For Ferguson and the Red Devils, it seems that giving up the cup competitions early, or even giving up the European Champions League and Super Cup competitions, is the most cost-effective strategy and the best decision, but this is exactly contrary to the spirit of the game we advocate. The English Football Association should seriously think about this issue. The Red Devils' ending is a problem for the entire English league."

Sky TV said: "The Red Devils drew with Leeds United twice in the league, but they beat the White Roses twice in the cup. This at least proves that the Red Devils are no worse than Leeds United, and may even be better. Leeds United looked more like giving up the cup early and fighting for the league championship. Although they succeeded, losing two consecutive cup games made their victory seem less glorious."

In a discussion with the Red Devils Fans Association, Ferguson reviewed the reasons for the failure to win the championship.

First of all, the lineup is still thin and not enough to support the tough schedule. The strength of the Red Devils' main players and substitutes in key positions is far apart, and Ferguson has too few options. There is no one who can really be called a striker substitute. Lee Sharpe has also been absent for too long due to injury. Phelan and Webber, who performed well last season, have declined this season.

The second is that the Red Devils' style of play is too monotonous, emphasizing the need for midfield support when attacking from the wing. Giggs and Kanchelskis have not developed a more active defense and assistance. The Red Devils' two main midfielders are very important. Robson's position has gradually moved back, leaning towards a defensive barrier, but if he is absent, the midfield defense will be seriously insufficient. The most painful thing is that Ince is also absent with the captain, and the Red Devils midfield is suddenly in a vacuum, without sufficient support.

The third reason is the lack of firepower in the forward line. Mark Hughes has been the focus of all opponents, and it is difficult to score under close defense. McClair is more responsible for connecting the midfield and frontcourt, so the chances of scoring in front of the goal are naturally greatly reduced. The Red Devils originally relied on Ince and Robson to get in behind, but their defensive tasks were too heavy. Giggs and Kanchelskis are used to dribbling forward and rarely try to cut in.

In the final analysis, Ferguson still believed that the team's fighting power was not enough. Being reversed by Leeds United at the last moment was an extreme experience for Ferguson in his campaign in England, and also an extremely profound lesson for him.

Ferguson told the team in the locker room: "Losing the championship this season is a huge setback. We, the Red Devils, must remember that the league is a long one. Leading the way does not necessarily mean you will win the championship. The last laugh is success. We were reversed when we were leading in points. The most critical reason was that we did not hold on. We must enhance our abilities. If there are such moments in the future, we must fully believe that we can create miracles and the whole team must unite and fight hard."

"Because, we are the Red Devils!"