The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 318 Holding Back the Angry

"What would happen to the Red Devils without Cantona? Would they never recover? That's a good question, but the fact is that they didn't lose heart. Instead, they became more brutal, more determined and more courageous."

--Inscription

Cantona's suspension means that the Red Devils have lost their attacking conductor, the most crucial frontcourt core and the soul of the team for the rest of the season.

All media believe that the Red Devils will suffer as a result, and the morale and resilience of the entire team will be impacted. The Guardian said, "After Robson left, Cantona is the undisputed leader of this Manchester United team. He was suspended for a long time at the critical stage of the league, which will seriously affect Ferguson's starting lineup. No matter how he arranges his troops, no one can take Cantona's position now. This team will face new challenges, they need to make new changes, and the subsequent games will be more difficult."

The Red Devils were hit by more than one disaster. In addition to Cantona's suspension, Ince was also injured, especially the main striker Mark Hughes' injury was very serious. Hughes' knee was not simply dislocated, but kicked, and he will be out for at least more than a month. Not only were two main players injured and out of the game, Lee Sharpe also began to suffer new injuries, and Parker's physical fitness could not keep up due to continuous fighting... A series of blows made the Red Devils worry about both internal and external troubles, and the locker room was full of gloom.

Ferguson has faced the most severe test since the beginning of the season. Will the Red Devils' morale be dampened by the absence of key players? Will they never recover?

Cantona's severe punishment angered the Red Devils' dressing room, and the players quickly united in a common hatred of the enemy, showing their sharp fangs in the subsequent games. They were like a group of angry warriors, and the whole team was like a heavy tank with a super engine running, rumbling towards the enemy, crushing all obstacles and defeating all opponents.

Manchester Evening News said, "It is very important to review Cole's signing at this time. Ferguson seemed to have a sense of clairvoyance. He bought Andy Cole before the Cantona kick incident. This signing is too important for the Red Devils with Cantona suspended and Hughes seriously injured."

After Cantona's flying kick, Manchester United first faced Wrexham Football Club from Wales in the fourth round of the FA Cup. The much-criticized Red Devils scored 5 goals under pressure and swept their opponents 5-2 to advance.

After scoring the last super long-range goal, Irwin was interviewed and publicly announced that he would dedicate this wonderful goal to Cantona. "Our whole team will stand behind him. Eric is a member of our team. We are a collective. I want to dedicate this goal to him. No matter what happens, I will support him."

The Daily Mail asked, "Don't you condemn Cantona's bad behavior of kicking a fan?"

Irving asked in return, "Is there anything that says we should respect the guy who insulted and attacked the players' families? Are we going to play for this kind of fans?"

After entering February, the Red Devils first faced Villa at home in the league. Before the game, Hughes made a special appearance in front of the audience and greeted all the fans, while Ferguson sent Scholes to replace Cantona, Ince and Keane started together, and McClair and Cole were the forwards.

Manchester United players, who were all holding back their anger, attacked the opponent fiercely at the beginning of the game, while Villa took a defensive counterattack posture. In the 8th minute of the game, Manchester United launched an attack from the left. Giggs dribbled the ball to the left bottom line and made a cross. Cole failed to score in the penalty area and the ball was cleared away by the opponent's central defender. In the 11th minute, Manchester United got a corner kick opportunity from the left. Giggs took the penalty and sent a high ball to the back point of the penalty area. Pallister headed the ball back to the front of the goal from the back point outside the small penalty area. Cole took the lead in the opponent's close defense and took the risk of being injured by the opponent's defender. A difficult sweep shot directly hit the opponent's goal!

With everyone working together, Manchester United quickly took the lead, leading Villa 1-0.

In the following time, both sides attacked and defended each other. Manchester United wasted as many as 3 sure-shot chances. McClair and Scholes both had bad luck in facing the opponent's goal and missed the goal. Villa also had a scene where the ball was headed off the goal post and the shot from the back of the penalty area went wide. Manchester United finally played steadily, carefully eliminated hidden dangers, and made every effort to defend, defeating the opponent with one goal and winning the crucial 6 points.

Manchester United then traveled to challenge their derby rivals Manchester City. Cole was still full of energy, Giggs was also very flexible, and Ince was even tougher in physical confrontation after his return. Manchester United attacked for 45 minutes in the first half and created many opportunities, including 3 to 4 chances to score, but when Manchester City's defense was shaky, they stubbornly refused to fall. In the second half, Manchester United's offensive was even stronger, and the opponent had already begun to reach physical exhaustion early, and it was difficult to effectively maintain the defense. Cole began to explode again. He first received a long pass from Pallister near the left midfield in the 51st minute and rushed straight into the opponent's penalty area with the ball. After Cole passed the opponent's full-back's tackle and advanced to the sideline of the penalty area, he attracted the attention of the opponent's two defenders and passed the ball to his teammates who came in from behind. Ince shot the ball, and this powerful shot hit the opponent's central defender and refracted into the opponent's goal. Manchester United took the lead 1-0.

Manchester United's momentum was getting stronger and stronger. In the 67th minute, Cole again took the ball in the opponent's backcourt. He took the ball near the left side and then passed it to the middle. Ince took two steps forward and passed it to the right side. Kanchelskis inserted from the right side at this time, took the ball into the penalty area and shot directly into the near corner. This kind of shot would usually be blocked by a qualified goalkeeper, but today's Manchester City goalkeeper obviously had a problem. He actually failed to block the ball with both hands when facing the opponent's shot, and was directly penetrated by Kanchelskis' powerful shot. He could only helplessly watch the ball fly past him into the near corner.

Manchester United leads 2-0.

Manchester United continued to attack relentlessly. In the 78th minute, Cole, McClair and Giggs played a very concise, efficient and well-coordinated attack routine on the left. Cole first rushed to the left side of the opponent's half with the ball, and then passed the ball to McClair at close range. The Scottish killer stopped the ball and made a straight pass, passing the ball directly to Manchester City's hinterland. Giggs understood and quickly joined in, and Cole followed all the way and then changed direction and rushed to the penalty area. McClair's straight pass penetrated Manchester City's entire defense. When Giggs entered Manchester City's penalty area, he was already alone, with only the opponent's goalkeeper in front of him. Giggs could have shot, but he chose to pass the ball horizontally to a teammate in a better position. At this time, Cole ran into the penalty area, and there was no one in front of him. He only needed to eat Giggs's pass steadily and easily sent the ball into the opponent's goal.

Manchester United once again defeated their city derby rivals 3-0 and achieved a resounding victory.

Manchester Evening News said: "Did we see another boring Manchester derby? Not really. Fans who expected this game to be exciting were fantasizing. Even though they are mortal enemies, Manchester City's strength is like a chasm from Manchester United, and it continues to widen."

Manwan said, "Manchester City once defeated Ferguson's team 5-0. At that time, many people thought that Ferguson would leave and Manchester City might rise. But a few years later, what happened? Manchester City kept changing coaches and struggled between promotion and relegation. Their fans were very anxious and painful, and they envied Manchester United for its rapid revival and today's glory."

"The difference? Manchester United had Ferguson at the helm, but City didn't have that."

Outside the league, Ferguson led the team to face Leeds United, the opponent in the fifth round of the FA Cup, at home. Manchester United still played with great momentum in this game. Facing the Rose Derby's mortal enemy, Manchester United started the first half with Kanchelskis. In the 5rd minute, he quickly advanced to the penalty area line on the right and made a high cross to the back post. Hughes, who had returned from injury, headed the ball directly into the dead corner without any defense, and Manchester United took the lead 23-1.

Manchester United played the subsequent game with ease, eventually winning 3-1 and advancing to the quarter-finals.

On February 2, Manchester United went on an away game to challenge Norwich.

In this game, Manchester United first gained an advantage through midfield pressure, and then broke the deadlock with a corner kick. In the 17th minute of the first half, Manchester United made a cross from the left corner, and the ball was headed out of the penalty area by the Norwich defender. Ince happened to be 4 yards outside the penalty area. He faced the ball and directly volleyed it, without waiting for the ball to land or making any adjustments. This powerful volley was a bit like a fairy from the sky. The Norwich goalkeeper was completely unprepared and had no time to make any saves. He saw the ball whistling and going straight into the dead corner of the goal.

Manchester United led their opponents 1-0.

Norwich then launched a series of attacks and got several corner kicks, but they were unable to take advantage of Manchester United's tight defense. In the 35th minute, Norwich attacked the front court and passed the ball to Manchester United from the left side of the penalty area. Bruce headed the ball out of the penalty area at the back of Manchester United's penalty area, and the ball fell to Hughes' feet outside the penalty area. Hughes raised his foot with his back to the opponent and stopped the ball for a while. He stabilized his body after being hit by the opponent's defender from behind. He almost fell down after getting rid of the opponent's tug and entanglement, but just before falling to the ground, he supported his body with one foot, and then passed the ball directly to the side space with his right foot. After receiving the ball, McClair quickly passed it to his teammate in front of him, focusing on the word "fast". Sharp quickly dribbled the ball forward, killed all the way in the middle to the opponent's penalty area, and then passed it diagonally to Kanchelskis on the right. Kanchelskis accelerated and sprinted to receive the ball and went straight into the penalty area. Before the opponent's defender caught up, he kicked the ball into the dead corner on the left side of the goal and directly blasted the ball into the opponent's goal.

Manchester United leads 2-0.

In the following games, both sides had their own attacks and defenses, but neither team really created any good opportunities. Norwich played a few cross-court tactics, but the final landing points were controlled by Bruce and Pallister, and there was not much threat. Manchester United also played a few quick counterattacks in the last 10 minutes, but unfortunately they were all short of the final pass. Ins had a chance to shoot, but he didn't hit the ball hard enough and didn't score in the end.

The game whistle blew, and Manchester United defeated Norwich and won another victory in the championship battle.

Without Cantona, Ferguson's team is still powerful, full of fighting spirit and domineering. Newly joined Andy Cole scored consecutive goals, and his role as a lone striker at the front was also very obvious. Giggs recovered his form, and his speed advantage was once again demonstrated. His continuous assists helped his teammates score frequently. Kanchelskis was more powerful. He was not only able to break through the opponent's defense with speed, but also to launch stronger attacks on the wing and ribs, and continuously dribbled forward to score. Not only that, players such as Hughes and Ince also showed great power and continued their peak form. Even players such as Lee Sharpe, Butt and Gary showed a different kind of bravery at this time.

The absence of Cantona will affect the Red Devils, but the ball is played by 11 people, and Manchester United's players will work harder for the collective and pay more sweat and strength for the team's progress.

Manchester United is a heroic team. The lack of a key player will not cause any serious damage to the Red Devils, nor will it cause them to lose their spirit.