The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 282 Angry Man

"How can Cantona be a brute?"

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Two days later, the Red Devils faced Chelsea in the 30th round of the Premier League.

Chelsea is not a strong team, but the timing of this game is very unfavorable for the Red Devils. Ferguson's team had just played a League Cup semi-final and had less than 3 days of rest before facing the London powerhouse. It was difficult for the team to adjust to the best physical and mental state. The opponent Chelsea team was well rested and full of fighting spirit. Chelsea was not a rich team at that time. Their reputation was far from the level of giants like Tottenham and Arsenal. Although they were also in the capital, they did not have too many superstar players. The players they introduced were mainly veterans who were close to retirement in Serie A and Bundesliga. This kind of team with old and new is a nervous knife. It can defeat all kinds of giants, but it will also lose to weak teams for unknown reasons. In the two seasons of the Premier League, the state of this London club is like guessing blind boxes, which is completely unpredictable.

Chelsea showed their sharp side against the Red Devils and played very well. They also used the conventional 442 formation, but their condition was unusually good, especially the passing and control of the players in the midfield and frontcourt, which showed the essence of team football. Cantona did not start in this game because of yellow cards and injuries, and the attack in the frontcourt was affected to a certain extent.

At home, the cheers of Manchester United fans were very enthusiastic, which helped to temporarily clear the players' fatigue. In the first 30 minutes after the game started, the Red Devils generally had the upper hand and launched many offensives, but unfortunately they failed to score in many chances in the first half. Both Mark Hughes and McClair missed the chance to score, and Giggs even kicked away the chance to score an empty goal.

"A team that wastes opportunities constantly will be punished." The Red Devils' defense was empty under the massive attack, and they failed to prevent the opponent's counterattack. Chelsea's counterattack was very fast. After stealing the ball in the midfield, they quickly passed the ball to the right, and then quickly crossed the ball from the right. The frontcourt player headed the ball to the teammate who cut in at high speed in time. This simple triangle pass easily broke the Red Devils' forward defense, and the Chelsea striker quickly cut in from the empty space to form a single shot. The Red Devils' defense was in danger, and Schmeichel's attack to block it was powerless to save the situation.

The Chelsea striker scored a clever shot, and the Red Devils' final attack failed, so they lost the home game 0-1.

A reporter from the Manchester Evening News said: "Ferguson will definitely be cursing in the locker room. The Red Devils lost this game a little unfairly. They had 18 shooting chances to 4, 4 scoring chances to 1, and a possession ratio of 61% to 39%. It can be said that this was a game in which the Red Devils had an overall advantage, but it is unimaginable that they actually lost."

Chelsea is not a super team at this time. In fact, their performance in the league is very unsteady, but they are occasionally nervous. For example, their win over Manchester United was unpredictable and could be called a big upset.

On March 3, the Red Devils faced Charlton in the sixth round of the FA Cup.

Ferguson sent out most of the main players in this game and they always had the advantage. The Red Devils effectively tore through the opponent's defense through rapid advancement. Kanchelskis scored two goals in a row and Hughes also scored a wonderful goal. The Red Devils finally won 3-1 against Charlton and successfully advanced.

Back in the league, the Red Devils will continue to host Sheffield Wednesday on March 3, which is the 16st round of the league.

Cantona returned to the starting lineup in this game. He specifically motivated his teammates before the game, "I have only one word for the result of losing to Chelsea: I don't accept it! Now let's refresh the clamor of those shabby media, let's win the game and let the fans enjoy the pride of victory!"

Manchester United went all out, leading the team to launch an offensive at the start of the game and quickly making a breakthrough. Cantona took the initiative to return to the backcourt to receive the ball, and after taking over the ball, he began to organize the offensive. He observed the sudden start of his teammates in the frontcourt and immediately launched a long pass over the top. This long-distance pass was very accurate and found Giggs directly. Giggs, who had already started to accelerate, was unstoppable. He rushed alone in the middle and directly dribbled into the penalty area. Facing the opponent's goalkeeper, he easily scored the ball into the dead corner, and the Red Devils led 1-0.

Giggs' goal opened the curtain of the Red Devils' massacre. The Red Devils soon found another opportunity. After intercepting the opponent's goalkeeper's long pass, they quickly counterattacked. Giggs cleverly dodged to receive the ball and then passed it to Cantona. The Frenchman just arrived and made an accurate header, lightly assisting his teammates. Mark Hughes ran all the way in this fast break and finally got into position at this time. He had adjusted his steps when he entered the penalty area, facing the landing point of Cantona's header, and shot directly. This super long shot from 10 yards outside the penalty area flew directly into the opponent's goal corner. The ball had a strong external rotation, and it was as powerful as a cannonball. The opponent's goalkeeper made a save, but failed to stop the ball from hitting the crossbar and flying into the goal.

The Red Devils lead 2-0!

After leading by two goals, the Red Devils continued to attack. Parker and Kanchelskis made a simple two-on-one pass on the right to open a gap. The Ukrainian winger rushed to the opponent's hinterland and then accurately passed the ball to the penalty area. The Red Devils midfielder Ins actively advanced and just caught up with the ball at this time. He directly shot the ball into the dead corner with a powerful shot.

The Red Devils led their opponents by three goals, thus completely securing the victory.

The Red Devils scored a goal near the end of the first half. In the 44th minute, the Red Devils launched an offensive from the backcourt. Giggs dribbled the ball from the left and passed the two midfielders of the opponent. He rushed to the bottom line of the penalty area like lightning, and then made a strong cross. Cantona responded in the middle. He realized the opportunity early, and with a simple fake move, he avoided the opponent's interception, and then easily formed a single shot and scored.

The Red Devils led 4-0 in the first half, and the advantage was exciting.

Are four goals enough? Cantona said in the locker room, "I think it's not enough, we can make the fans happier!"

In the second half, the Red Devils made a comeback. Parker attacked the opponent's territory from the right, attracted the opponent and passed the ball to Ince in the middle. Ince received the ball 15 yards in front of the top of the opponent's penalty area and passed it without stopping. Cantona immediately turned forward after receiving the ball, then took two steps to the left to get rid of the opponent, and immediately swung his leg and shot from the top of the penalty area. This seemingly easy shot was actually extremely powerful, and the ball flew straight into the upper corner of the opponent's goal.

The Red Devils eventually swept their opponents 5-0 and achieved a resounding victory.

Cantona scored two goals and made two assists, and was undoubtedly named the man of the match. The Red Devils fans sang songs praising Cantona in the stadium, making the whole stadium resound with enthusiastic emotions.

The Red Devils visited Swindon in the 32nd round.

Swindon had already fallen to the bottom of the standings. This new Premier League team was considered to be insufficient before the season. It encountered setbacks from the beginning of the league and fell into the vortex of relegation early. At this point, every game of Swindon was a battle for points to affect relegation. They would not be cowardly even when facing the dominant team. This game was extremely hot. Swindon played very roughly, and the Red Devils were also not weak, and they were domineering and fought hard. The game kept seeing the players of the two teams entangled in steals, like a rugby game full of male hormones. The Red Devils took the initiative at the beginning and attacked the opponent with all their strength, while Swindon did not give in at all, intercepting on the spot in the middle and front court, and then launched a quick attack. The two sides fought very fiercely in this game. Both sides fought hard for every opportunity, and fierce scenes of multiple people fighting for the ball occurred one after another. The Red Devils opened the scoring in the fierce battle. Mark Hughes received the ball in the front court and made an accurate cross. Roy Keane headed the ball in time to help the Red Devils take the lead. Unfortunately, the lead did not last long. After being repeatedly violated by the opponent, Mark Hughes complained to no avail. Amid the wild boos from the home fans, he could not control his temper and swore at the home fans. As a result, he was shown a yellow card by the referee. Swindon attacked fiercely after falling behind and finally found the Red Devils' flaw. Niholt found an empty space in the penalty area and made a shot to help the home team equalize the score.

In the second half, both sides still fought hard in the midfield, and the battle became more intense. The Red Devils once again exerted their strength. In the 62nd minute, Paul Ince shot a wonderful long shot from the top of the penalty area. The ball flew straight into the dead corner, and the Red Devils overtook the score 2-1!

Swindon was not resigned to this, and their fouls became more violent, but the referee ignored them and the whistle was clearly biased. Cantona soon lost control of his emotions, and after being tackled by his opponent, he directly stepped on his opponent and was given a red card by the referee.

Swindon had one more player and was protected by the referee, so they attacked the Red Devils like crazy. Their frenzy eventually paid off, forcing the Red Devils to a draw.

In the 33rd round of the Premier League, the Red Devils played against Arsenal. Ferguson's team was still active in the away game, especially in the face of Arsenal. Ferguson sent Lee Sharpe as a surprise player, and Cantona continued to start despite the shadow of a red card. In the first half, Cantona retreated and made a simple cooperation with Parker, who passed the ball directly to Hughes near the penalty area line. Hughes made a powerful shot that made the opponent's goalkeeper lose the ball, and Lee Sharpe easily made a supplementary shot in front of the goal.

Red Devils 1-0 Arsenal!

Arsenal, who were behind, quickly equalized the score with a free kick. The Red Devils then continued to attack. Giggs passed the ball in the middle of the midfield, Cantona retreated to the side to receive the ball, dribbled the ball down the bottom and passed it with the outside of his foot to the middle of the penalty area. In the melee, Lee Sharpe successfully picked up the ball and easily scored the goal. The Red Devils took the lead again with 2-1!

Arsenal did not give up after falling behind, and although they did not get many shooting opportunities, their luck was extremely good. Arsenal's long shot from outside the Red Devils' penalty area first hit the Red Devils' goal post, bounced back and hit the other side of the goal post again, and then deflected into the net.

Arsenal drew 2-2 with the Red Devils again.

In the final stage of the game, Cantona could no longer control his temper after being harassed and fouled countless times, and he fouled near the right midfield. The referee showed him a second yellow card and then a red card.

Cantona was given red cards consecutively, which triggered a wave of public opinion in the football world. Many media directly accused Cantona of being too violent and rough. Cantona did not refute anything, but Ferguson defended him: "Cantona got two red cards, this is a fact. I believe everyone has seen the process. The editing on TV is very skillful, but that is not the whole truth. Why can't Cantona control his emotions? He was angered by the opponent's small actions and dirty provocations. Are those behaviors what we in the Premier League should advocate? Why can't we protect excellent players and always expose them to various provocations? Cantona's anger and subsequent behavior show his emotional reaction. Now he has paid the price for his behavior. But I want to ask everyone, Cantona, Hughes, Giggs, and Keane, what did they encounter in these games? Shouldn't everyone pay attention?! They are not playing football, but fighting hard in an environment full of malice and violence."

Red Devils captain Bruce said in an interview: "Cantona did not intentionally trample on Swindon players. At that time, he was tackled by Swindon players and then entangled by the opponent's feet. I didn't know that these fighting techniques could be used in football matches. It was purely an accident that Swindon players were stepped on by him, but it is a fact that Cantona was maliciously violated."

"Watch the video of the game between Arsenal and us and see what these guys from London did. If Cantona's behavior deserves a red card, then I believe at least three of the opponents should have been sent off long ago!"

After being tied again, the Red Devils have only won one of their last four league games and only got five points. Their previous points advantage has begun to be slowly eroded.

The Manchester United board was also a little worried about this. Edwards specially convened a meeting and said at the meeting, "The team's state is not right now. I hope Alex can explain and make an appropriate response in subsequent games."

Ferguson laughed like a lion king. "Nothing is a problem. Please rest assured, board members. We are on the road to defending the title. We are now ahead of all our opponents and have a chance to win both the league and the FA Cup."

Ferguson's voice shocked everyone, "A person who keeps winning should not be blamed!"