The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 232: The Dark Horse

"Norwich's sudden explosion surprised Ferguson, but it also reduced his pressure in disguise. Not only that, this dark horse's sudden explosion became an excellent example for Ferguson to share with the players, and also inspired him to have more confidence."

--Inscription

After 15 rounds of the Premier League, the Red Devils only won 5 games and lost 4, and the rest were 6 very rare draws.

At this time, Manchester United's ranking in the standings continued to decline. Now with only 21 points, Manchester United has been 8 points behind the top. The prospect of the Red Devils' winning the league title has become very slim. Ferguson is of course very dissatisfied, and the players are also deeply frustrated.

Ferguson resolutely decided to give the entire team three days off, allowing everyone to "go home, find their own mothers, clear the obstacles in their heads and reduce some pressure."

The Red Devils players, who had thought they would have a hellish training session, were overjoyed. Ince said: "We were all prepared to spend 10 days with Alex, a madman, at Carrington, but we didn't expect him to give us a holiday! This is an unexpected good thing. I immediately booked a ticket to Africa. I don't want to stay in England at all."

More than half of the players immediately went on vacation with their families, and Ferguson simply gave all coaching staff and team-related staff a three-day paid vacation so that everyone could have time to "relax and change their minds."

Some malicious media began to discredit the Red Devils, and even the question of "Will Ferguson be sacked?" appeared.

Elliot, a famous Sky Sports reporter, criticized: "Ferguson seems powerless to the team. He has no way to change anything. He has been proven to be incapable of leading the team to a breakthrough and winning the league title. His ability level is there. The new season is so difficult and the results are so bleak. This is the best proof of Ferguson's strength."

Results speak for themselves on the field, and Ferguson cannot help but be questioned about the Red Devils' recent form.

Manchester United lost 4 games and drew 6 games. If this performance does not improve immediately, they will not be able to challenge for the league title.

Ferguson stressed the team's confidence in an interview. "We are only a third of the way through the season, and everything is possible. If you look at the standings, you will know that the teams leading the league now are not super strong teams. We are all in a chaotic and strange stage, and it depends on who can get out of the trough as soon as possible. There is still hope for the Red Devils, and we need to think about the problem with a new mindset."

Ferguson said: "Those who question me should pay attention to the content of the game. We have the advantage in many games, but we are just unlucky. I firmly believe that this is not a problem. Our luck will not always be so bad. We will find the feeling of winning again."

Before the league restarted, the Red Devils played a friendly match with Schmeichel's parent team and defeated Brondby 3-2.

Ferguson joked during the match against Brondby: "Schmeichel is too arrogant. He is still in the joy of winning the European Cup and sometimes gets a little carried away. I think he should be the goalkeeper at Brondby's end and let him take the heat from the Red Devils' attacking line."

The Danish reporter said bluntly, "If you Red Devils didn't have Schumacher this season, your results would be much worse now!"

Ferguson laughed it off.

Ferguson knew that he had to remain optimistic and instill this confidence into the team. Only in this way could the team have the fighting spirit and resilience to fight.

Ferguson firmly believes that the Red Devils can definitely win the championship and they still have a chance. All opponents have problems, and the Red Devils can break through as long as they seize the opportunity.

In the 16th round of the Premier League, the Red Devils faced Oldham.

Before the game, Ferguson led the team to conduct tactical training. Ince and Hughes were eager to discuss with Ferguson. Then a special competition began. Schmeichel guarded the goal. The three players shot 25 balls each in an arc 50 yards away from the goal to see who scored the most goals against the Danish goal. The two losers had to take out 800 pounds and 1000 pounds to reward all teammates and coaching staff.

Ferguson, the former famous striker of the Scottish League and winner of two Cup Winners' Cups, fired the first shot. He shot hard from the top of the penalty area and scored a goal. Then Ings' heavy shot also got 1 point. When it was Hughes's turn to shoot, Schmeichel saved his first shot as if with divine help!

Ferguson takes the lead!

What happened next stunned the two active Manchester United players. Although Ferguson was over 50 years old at this time, his shots were very accurate in most cases and his power was also very precise. He eventually scored 50 goals with 29 high-intensity shots!

Ince scored 25 and Hughes scored 27. These two stars who are still in their prime years both lost!

Ferguson remained calm and asked everyone to remember this moment, and then asked everyone to share the £1800.

When it came to the official league matches, Ferguson welcomed back all the main players before the game, and he also started all the main players. The game started as usual, with the Red Devils attacking fiercely and the opponents defending stubbornly. Manchester United was still the active side on the field. Ferguson's luck returned. In the 19th minute, the Red Devils first created an opportunity through a powerful free kick. The opponent's goalkeeper missed the ball, and Mark Hughes followed up with a shot that was blocked again. Giggs continued to volley from the edge of the penalty area and was blocked again, but McClair appeared in front of the goal again to make a shot. This time he took advantage of the chaos to poke the ball into the net, leaving the opponent's iron bucket formation helpless.

The Red Devils lead 1-0.

The Red Devils then played steadily and patiently, and launched a beautiful quick counterattack. McClair made a straight pass to assist, and Hughes, who had a tacit understanding, inserted in the middle, faced the opponent's goalkeeper and rushed to the far corner to score, and the Red Devils led 2-0! At the end of the game, the Red Devils sent a corner kick, and the sword-wielding guard Bruce did not shoot this time. After he got the ball in the penalty area, he used his heel to assist McClair. McClair took the ball, turned around and faced the empty goal and easily swept it into the goal. The Red Devils won the opponent 3-0.

After the game, the media praised the Red Devils for their victory, and then asked Ferguson if he still had ambitions to win the championship.

Ferguson smiled and asked, "Why not? Don't you see who is leading the standings now? How many points did they have last season? Who would have believed before the start of the season that they would be at the top now? Who can predict whether they can stay at the top?"

The media reporters were caught off guard and were dumbfounded when they saw the standings.

Ferguson's rhetorical question is very interesting. Now the team leading the Premier League standings is not Liverpool or Arsenal, nor last season's champion Leeds United, but Norwich.

This club has been considered a relegation favorite for several seasons. They were not favored when they were promoted from League Two to League One. But even so, this team went from being an unknown relegation favorite to suddenly bursting out with just over two months of pre-season preparation. Shortly after the start of this season, the Norwich team, nicknamed "Canary", suddenly won four consecutive games, and then played a wave of outstanding records of 4 wins and 4 draw, occupying the first place in the standings for a long time.

At the halfway point of the league, Norwich is the favorite to win the half-time championship and look forward to the final championship of the league.

The media doesn't believe Ferguson's Red Devils will make a comeback? Let's first take a look at why Norwich, the "dark horse", can top the list?

Norwich's record is so impressive that it has long been a target of criticism for journalists. Countless commentators have tirelessly asserted that they could not lead for more than a month, two months, or even three months. However, this Premier League team, which has no aura of a famous coach or any famous players, has blinded everyone's titanium eyes. This season, they have led for four months, and are still in the lead after 3 games. It is estimated that even if they lose after 4 games, they will still be in first place.

Norwich is a super team? Even the Canaries fans probably don't believe this nonsense. Before the start of the season, the club's external goal was to avoid relegation, and no one dared to dream of winning the Premier League. They were even like Leicester City many years later. In addition to the dark horse status, the coach and the team lineup were indeed a strong team.

What does Norwich have? Nothing. You have to know that they were beaten by Blackburn 1-7, the worst in history, and they almost got relegated last season. They played at an extraordinary level in the last two games and finally got relegated.

What is the result now? Reporters asked Norwich's coach but he couldn't give any explanation. Even the Canaries fans were a little confused and couldn't believe that the team they supported could lead all the way.

Aston Villa, who are right behind in second place, are equally surprising.

This club is also a traditional and old brand, and their style is just plain and ordinary. There are no big signings, no outstanding youth training, and no extraordinary coaches. Everything about them seems ordinary and there is almost no way to attract any attention.

This season, Villa has made some reinforcements, but the players they signed are not famous players. Former Manchester United player McGrath is already an old player, but he still plays for the team. After a short pre-season training camp, Villa showed its ferocious face in front of the Premier League giants. Their playing style is simple and sharp, their offense is proactive, and their defense is tough and solid. They played a simple but effective football.

Villa is particularly good at counterattacks, and their counterattacks are particularly sharp. In the 16th round of the season, their 6 wins were due to counterattack opportunities. In addition to counterattacks, Villa's defense is also very tight. So far this season, they have only conceded 9 goals, the best number of goals conceded among all teams. This team that suddenly emerged is now considered to have the most balanced structure, with both strength and speed, and was once labeled by the media as a "very entertaining team."

In addition to the top two, the wealthy team Blackburn Rovers is also eye-catching. Blackburn Rovers only entered the Premier League last season, but they spent a lot of money in the summer, bringing in the league's most expensive players, hiring the most prestigious coach, and directly declared that they would win the championship. Although they are not stable enough, they have also staged many good performances against the giants, showing their strong strength.

The Red Devils had a bad start to the season, and Fleet Street unanimously believed that Ferguson and the Red Devils had lost their chance to win the championship. Ferguson had no time to argue with the media. When he was mobilizing the team in the locker room, he said: "We have been improving. Our offense has become more sharp and direct. We have a great advantage in many games. We didn't win because of lack of luck. Even so, we are not too far behind in points, and we are not unable to catch up or even surpass. Of course, we will fight for the championship!"

Ferguson was unwilling to waste any more time on the media because there were more important things to deal with.

Ferguson is not unaware of the problem that the Red Devils have this season, which is their ability to score goals.

The related problem is that the Red Devils' offensive power is still insufficient. Attacking from the wing requires accurate passes, and mid-range and long-range shots require precision, both of which require a little bit of luck. Manchester United is not without opportunities, nor without advantages, but the most fundamental reason for not winning many games is the lack of absolute opportunities, or the lack of strikers who can turn opportunities into points.

Ferguson now knows that if the team wants to change, it must introduce new attackers. Ferguson believes that the Red Devils are in great need of a striker, a striker who can score goals. If this striker can increase the variety of offense, enrich the offensive routines, and improve the offensive efficiency, this player should improve the offensive rhythm, enrich the offensive methods, and make the offense more flexible, more three-dimensional, and more varied.

What the Red Devils really lack is this element, but where can they find a suitable player? Is it possible for Mr. "X" to exist, who can bring changes to the team and has unlimited possibilities himself?