The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 27 Offense

"Ferguson has always been known for his dominance and hot temper. He would turn on the hair dryer if he disagreed with something. His players were very afraid of him. But even though Ferguson emphasized his authority, he was once rudely offended by players, and was also attacked and threatened by players. His attitude and response to these were even more surprising."

--Inscription

Ferguson has always had a hot temper and a very overbearing personality. This was not uncommon in the Scottish football world in the 70s and 80s, when many coaches of many teams had unquestionable violent tempers. Famous coaches like Jock Stein were like angry lions when they got angry. This was probably the case in English football as well. Clough, the hero of the Forest team, was known for his bad temper. Even Shankly, the famous coach of Liverpool, was high and mighty in the club, and scolding players and fans was commonplace.

Ferguson has the same style, but he attracted media attention for his bad temper before he achieved success in the early days. After he achieved success, he was specifically mentioned by the media as a writer.

Ferguson was intolerant of any flaws and never tolerated any player he was dissatisfied with. When he became famous in the Premier League, the English media even said, "As long as you can withstand Ferguson's hair dryer for one minute, you have passed the most difficult test in the world and can face any crisis without fear and face the collapse of Mount Tai without changing your face."

Before becoming a manager, Ferguson was already a bad-tempered type when he was a professional player, and he became even more severe after becoming a manager. He would explode at dissatisfied players, rage in the locker room, insult a lot of guys, and even directly hit them in a rage. When he turned on the giant hair dryer at "level 12", the guy who was spitting on would definitely "worse than death".

When he first took on the role of head coach in Scottish football, he was known for his rudeness and harshness. In the following years of coaching, Ferguson went even further, making his notoriety known to the entire Scottish football world.

The truth seems to be so, but it also seems not to be so. Ferguson's bluntness and roughness have long been known in the British Isles, but this does not seem to prevent him from gaining authority in the locker room, the respect of the players, and the widespread support of the fans.

Ferguson has a rough personality, but his starting point is to improve the strength of the club; his attitude towards players is always to hope that the players can improve, meet his standards, and contribute to the game. In Ferguson's coaching career, this standard has always been the same, regardless of the target. Ferguson sometimes scolds players, and sometimes uses violent means to teach his men a lesson, all because he hopes that the players will quickly understand the overall requirements of the team, become brave and positive, give everything for victory, and fight to the last moment. In order to help the team win, Ferguson will even interfere with the players' spare time.

Ferguson's "tyranny" was successfully implemented in all clubs. Almost all the clubs he coached became powerful and the strength of the teams was greatly improved.

On the other side of the coin, Ferguson has also been resisted and offended by his players.

In 1983, Aberdeen won the European Cup Winners' Cup. The whole team took a plane from Gothenburg to Aberdeen. On the plane, the whole team was still drinking hard to celebrate. The champagne was filled in the trophy and passed from one seat to another. Everyone was drinking hard and getting drunk. In this way, the team returned to Aberdeen. When everyone was preparing to line up to enter the stadium to celebrate, the team's hero McGee found that the trophy had been thrown into the aisle. The captain and the coach were gone. He just reached out his hand to pick up the trophy. At this time, Ferguson suddenly appeared, grabbed McGee's hand, and shouted: "Only Willy can enter the stadium with it!"

Ferguson's outburst infuriated McGee, who had never thought of getting the trophy before the captain, so he immediately got angry and grabbed Ferguson's collar, pushed him violently, and punched him. His teammates were horrified, grabbed his fist, and dragged him away.

McGee was taken to the club's board of directors' office, where his family and team president Dick Donald helped him calm down. McGee woke up the next morning in a state of panic, "What did I do? Did I really do that? What should I do now?"

McGee decided to go and apologize to Ferguson, but Ferguson quickly interrupted him, "It's my fault, I did a stupid thing."

McGee still expressed his regret with trepidation, and Ferguson said angrily and amusedly: "Forget about it. Now you come with me to the car ferry terminal. There are many fans to meet there."

When Ferguson and McGee arrived at the dock, McGee remembered that the team had promised the fans who were returning from Gothenburg on the "St. Clair" ship that the team would show the championship trophy to the fans. McGee began to celebrate with these die-hard fans, and a scene symbolizing special glory appeared. He was lifted up by the fans along with the trophy, leaving an unforgettable photo.

McGee is deeply grateful to Ferguson for this, and he respects Ferguson more than ever.

Another incident happened in 1985. When the team was preparing for the Scottish Cup, Ferguson asked striker Frank McDougal if he had fully recovered from his injury, and he was told, "He is fully recovered and can play in the game!"

Ferguson replaced McDougal during the game, but this guy only lasted a few minutes before he indicated that he could not play. Ferguson had to make another substitution, and the team's arrangements were disrupted.

Aberdeen lost the game and Ferguson was furious. When the team gathered after the game, the culprit McDougal left the field early due to a "recurrence of an old injury" and escaped.

McDougal recalled: "I successfully dodged Ferguson's hair dryer on the day of the game. But the next day, less than two seconds after the full assembly, Ferguson rushed to me and roared at me."

The legendary Aberdeen striker said, "He was too close, too close. His saliva sprayed on my face, and his anger almost ignited me. I felt that all this was too horrible, and I had to do something. I have great respect for the boss, but I was not taught to be scolded obediently since I was a child."

At first, McDougal stood there like a fool, enduring Ferguson's roar, but the next second he "struck when it was time to strike" and punched Ferguson to the ground.

McDougall felt a wave of fear after he finished hitting me. "I suddenly came to my senses. This is not a street corner or a corner, but the club's training ground. Everyone is watching closely. When I thought about this, I felt that things were getting serious. The person in front of me is not a street thug, he is our boss. How dare I hit him?!"

McDougal shocked everyone. McDougal later said: "I completely lost my mind and let my boss take my punch! Among all the stupid things I have done in my life, this is definitely the top one!"

McDougal immediately pleaded guilty, his body trembling and his words unclear.

Ferguson fell to the ground and quickly stood up. He was furious and rushed towards McDougal.

The people present held Ferguson tightly, and McDougal ran away quickly.

Ferguson was furious and yelled, "Garbage! Coward! Shit! This guy is absolutely insane! He cheated the team, violently attacked, and cowardly ran away... He is fucking finished!"

McDougal, who escaped, hid and dared not come out. He later admitted that he was so scared that he kept vomiting and his face turned blue.

Time passed as if it were centuries or seconds, and Ferguson quickly calmed down. He ordered the team to train according to the plan, and he and his assistant returned to the office.

The player who made the mistake took the initiative and beat up the head coach? !

The whole team was anxiously waiting for Ferguson's follow-up decision, and everyone thought that McDougal would probably be expelled from the team.

McDougal was led by the assistant coach to admit his mistake to Ferguson, apologize for deceiving the team and insisting on playing, and admit his mistake in front of the whole team. This was Ferguson's request, and McDougal was ashamed like a three-year-old child. He finally accepted the punishment of being fined three weeks' salary.

Ferguson later said, "I have no personal grudge against McDougal. His situation was very complicated. He felt that he had recovered from his injury, but it was not suitable to play at that time. I was angry about the team's failure, but I was also responsible for sending him on the field. I thought he cheated the team, but he was not. The conflict between him and me? That's nothing, it's just a small matter."

McDougal eventually became a legendary striker in Aberdeen, and was loved by fans and the coach. After he retired, he published his autobiography, and Ferguson even wrote a special recommendation for him. Ferguson joked about this incident many years later, "McDougal could have been a boxer, his punch was powerful enough, and the effect was obvious. He was very brave and fearless, but he said he had some social phobias and obstacles. Of course I was very angry that day, and I am still very angry now, because he delayed my victory."

When Ferguson was at Aberdeen, he also encountered a conflict between the coach and the general, which also came unexpectedly. After a big win, Ferguson scolded the main player Mark McPhail, saying that McPhail did not implement the tactics according to the team's requirements and played a mess. McPhail was furious, threw a drink directly to the ground, raised his fist at Ferguson provocatively, and then stormed home.

When McPhail returned home, his wife told him that Ferguson had just invited them to dinner. The dinner was grand and full of family warmth. Ferguson did not dwell on McPhail's disrespectful behavior, but sincerely thanked Mrs. McPhail for her support and the contributions they had made to the club.

McPhail was puzzled and found the video of the game to study again. At this time, he finally understood the team's tactical deployment and Ferguson's requirements. Aberdeen's victory was not flawless. Ferguson scolded him for his mistakes on the field.

After calming down, Mike Phil took the initiative to apologize to the coach and admitted his mistake. He later said: "This has benefited me for life. Ferguson will make you feel humiliated, but when you put down your weapons, you will find that his focus has always been on winning."

"In order to win, he needs to correct your mistakes and improve your abilities. You can't refuse his sincerity."

It was this ability, not his violent temper, that Ferguson used to conquer his players. Aberdeen's match against Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners' Cup final was the best display of Ferguson's ability. Ferguson's tactics were highly targeted, and he took the initiative from the start. Substituting two players later became a surprise attack, and he eventually defeated the extremely powerful opponent. After this classic battle, Ferguson took the initiative to apologize to Hewitt, "It was not easy for Hewitt today. I wronged him and I must say sorry. This guy was injured during the game, and I scolded him in the subsequent games, but he couldn't defend himself. He could only endure the pain and bear the grievances. His final charge was like burning his life, and the goal was wonderful. I want to thank him for the victory."

After Ferguson gained his position at Manchester United, he still encountered many thorns and offenses. First, Maiorana came to the office to shout, then Lee Sharpe's extravagant life, then Schmeichel's rude request for the captaincy, and he was once knocked to the ground by a punch from Pallister, and of course Beckham's disobedience and Keane's outrageous remarks... Ferguson did not control a "motherly and filial" locker room.

Ferguson would certainly be tough. What he cared about most was whether the players were really willing to obey management, whether the players could improve, and whether the team could continue to win. In his eyes, the interests of the team were the most important. The worst offense Ferguson encountered later came from Manchester United player "Governor" Ince. The guy rushed into the office with a gun and threatened Ferguson to give him a starting opportunity. Ferguson was so angry that he scolded him on the spot and told him to get out immediately.

Being scolded by players, being attacked with fists by players, being threatened at gunpoint... these are the offenses that Ferguson experienced.

There are a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand people. Ferguson has an extremely tough character and a rough and violent temper, but he possesses a quality that is particularly convincing.