The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 333: The Offensive

"Ferguson always stressed the importance of attacking, but the Red Devils were silent on the offensive end. The Red Devils fell behind several competitors in terms of total goals scored this season, and the forwards were weak, which, like their boasts of defending the title, became the object of ridicule and mockery by the media."

--Inscription

Failure to defend the title was embarrassing enough, and losing the cup was even more embarrassing. The media was even more unwilling to let Ferguson off with nothing. This season, the Red Devils' offensive data became a new focus of media satire. The Red Devils lost the honor of the strongest offensive team. Blackburn scored 80 goals in the league, while the Red Devils only scored 77. The numbers clearly showed the difference. Many media outlets directly pointed out that Ferguson's team did not play well on the offensive end, which was the biggest reason for losing the championship.

The data is indeed embarrassing. The Red Devils' winger Kanchelskis scored the most goals, "beating" all the attackers. But he only scored 14 goals. Cantona and Andy Cole both scored 12 goals and ranked second. Veteran Mark Hughes only scored 8 goals, and McClair's data was a pitiful 5. In contrast, Blackburn's two forwards scored 49 goals, surpassing the Red Devils' four forwards.

Why did the Red Devils become like this? Why did the Red Devils' offensive firepower weaken?

Cantona was unable to play for nearly half a season, and Andy Cole only played for half a season. These are the key reasons that everyone recognizes. In addition, the sharp decline in the attacking power of Hughes and McClair is also undeniable. Therefore, the Red Devils' problems are multifaceted.

The main players of the Red Devils this season are as follows: goalkeeper Schmeichel, Walsh is a substitute; the four defenders Parker (Gary Neville after Parker was injured), Bruce, Pallister, Irwin, David May and Phil Neville are key substitutes; the four forwards from right to left: Kanchelskis, Keane, Ince, Giggs (Lee Sharpe, Savage, Butt, Beckham are substitutes), the forwards are Mark Hughes, Cantona, Andy Cole (joined in the second half of the season), McClair, Scholes, Davis are substitutes.

The problem of the forward line first lies with the two veterans. Mark Hughes and McClair were both born in 1963 and are already 31 years old. It is difficult to avoid going downhill. Only Cantona is still at the peak of his career. The 28-year-old French core is still the most trustworthy thigh of the Red Devils. Before Cole joined, the Red Devils' attack line was actually a sword plus two old guns. It was not easy to fight on multiple fronts.

The situation of "Spark" Mark Hughes is the most serious. He played in 45 games throughout the season, 33 league games, but only scored 8 goals in the league. It is obvious that Hughes can't run, jump, or carry himself. It is already difficult for him to be the spearhead. Ferguson's tactical system relies heavily on Mark Hughes, and he needs this tough center forward to be at the forefront. This season, the Red Devils often play 451 instead of the traditional 442. There is no doubt that Hughes is the single striker at the forefront. After Cole joined the team and played as a double striker, Hughes was still the one who attracted firepower and carried the opponent's central defender.

Cantona is the undisputed offensive core of the Red Devils. The Red Devils usually attack from the center, with the sharp Giggs and Kanchelskis on the two sides, and McClair behind Hughes. In this system, Hughes is the spearhead of the charge, but he is also indispensable for retreating to support. For a veteran like Hughes who debuted early and has been fighting in a high-intensity game environment almost all the time, the consumption and wear and tear are too great.

Hughes could not keep up with the intensity and system of the Red Devils, so his number of goals naturally dropped significantly. Another player who quickly collapsed was McClair. As a hybrid player who requires more running, McClair needs to have a strong body, needs to deal with tough confrontations, and also needs to actively run, assist and insert. These requirements are impossible for a 31-year-old veteran who has been fighting in a high-intensity confrontation environment.

For Ferguson and the Red Devils, Cantona has always been the strongest support. Even if the two veterans are not in good shape, as long as Cantona keeps playing well, the offensive firepower is still guaranteed. Cantona's offensive ability is beyond doubt. The Frenchman's advancement, passing or shooting are powerful enough to destroy the opponent's defensive system, not to mention creating opportunities and accurate assists. Ferguson gave Cantona absolute offensive freedom in the frontcourt. The Frenchman can move freely in the frontcourt, not just shoot at will.

Unlike the characteristics of native English forwards, Cantona is a forward who goes beyond the general definition. He is an initiator and organizer of the attack, a blaster and locksmith who tears up the opponent's defense line, and a master of rhythm control for the Red Devils. He is not a center forward, nor a shadow forward, nor one of the two forwards. He is a free hunter active in the opponent's backcourt. The French forward has a very high football IQ and is naturally sensitive to the situation on the court. He can observe, analyze and predict the development of the game, and has a strong ability to predict in advance. Cantona is tall, but flexible and has excellent footwork. His dribbling skills can be regarded as a master in the Premier League. His ball control and ball protection abilities make the most powerful intercepting midfielders and defenders very helpless. Although his breakthrough lacks an absolute speed advantage, his line changes and fake moves can deceive many opponents, and an ordinary defender cannot keep an eye on him. In terms of off-ball running and coordination, no one in the entire Red Devils team does better than him. His shooting skills are very good. He rarely uses powerful bursts. Generally, he predicts in advance, chooses a position in time, prepares, and finally shoots and scores with an elegant move. He can also perform many difficult moves when he feels like it, and can even juggle and shoot...

Cantona is indeed the strongest pillar of the Red Devils. Even when he is blocked in attack and is closely guarded by two or more defenders of the opponent, he can still solve all problems or lead his teammates to solve the problems alone.

The Red Devils players were more likely to open up space for Cantona, provide contact points, and share the pressure. This is what the two wingers Giggs and Kanchelskis are very good at. Lee Sharp, Keane and others did not make too many mistakes in the middle and McClair's escort. The only two problems were that Hughes did not suppress the opponent's central defender enough, and Ince was too active and messed up the entire offensive.

Opponents also understood Cantona's huge lethality and would resort to tactics to siege Cantona, using more people to guard him, or using close combat to force him out of the penalty area. Ferguson won the championship for two consecutive years with Cantona as the core, and opponents were constantly trying to find ways to deal with him.

Kanchelskis has done a very good job in providing support to Cantona this season, but when Hughes, McClair and even Giggs lose their sharpness, the Red Devils will still be in trouble.

This was not the offense Ferguson wanted, and he was determined to change this situation. So he spent a huge amount of money to introduce Andy Cole to redesign and build a new offensive system. This was a manifestation of Ferguson's active pursuit of change, rather than his signings to make up for Cantona's suspension.

In hindsight, it was too late to bring in Andy Cole midway through the season. After Cantona was suspended for kicking a fan in January, Ferguson's Red Devils began to play a different kind of football, a football that gradually returned to the traditional 442-- formation. The Red Devils' two strikers were also different. Unlike Cantona, who could lead the Red Devils' attack alone, Cole was a striker who could score goals. He was trained in traditional English football thinking, adapted to wing attack tactics, and good at receiving shots in the penalty area. This type of striker prompted the Red Devils to change their overall tactics, allowing the team to play more double strikers, with two wide players, passing from the bottom, inserting in the middle, and the strikers receiving goals... This was a set of tactics that the Red Devils were not familiar with before, but Cole was familiar with and more adapted to.

Cole has his shortcomings. As a black English striker, his footwork is not particularly good, which limits his explosiveness and ability to shoot, and also affects his ability to retreat and play with his back to the basket. He is good at seizing opportunities, but he cannot ignore obstacles like Cantona.

The Red Devils' offense began to shift, emphasizing more on the two wingers' opening and quick attacks, with Mark Hughes and Andy Cole appearing in the opponent's penalty area as double strikers. This tactic was a great advantage for Cole, but Hughes always lacked excellent form and was unable to support the Red Devils' offense in high-intensity games.

Hughes scored few goals, so the task of attacking the front court of the Red Devils fell on Cole. It must be said that Cole, who focused on shooting, was indeed an extremely powerful goal-scoring machine, and he quickly adapted to the tactical environment of the Red Devils. He scored 17 league goals in 12 games for the Red Devils, far exceeding Mark Hughes who played 33 games. With a fast shooter like Cole, the Red Devils' two-wing tactics were more valued and fully exerted. Giggs and Kanchelskis had more opportunities to attack, and the Red Devils' offensive tactics began to be flexible and varied, and they also relied more on crosses from the wing.

Ferguson's well-crafted wing attack is excellent. The two wings of the Red Devils have always dominated the Premier League. Whether it is Giggs and Kanchelskis, or Beckham and Lee Sharpe, they can attack, pass accurately, and shoot. They are the most shining wingers in the Premier League. Although Giggs has been in a slump for a long time this season, Kanchelskis is shining and showing great power. In this case, the opponent strengthened the blockade of the Red Devils attackers in the penalty area, leaving Cole and Hughes in a situation of fighting alone.

In this way, the Red Devils' offense became difficult again. This state continued until the end of the season. At this time, Mark Hughes' contract renewal also affected the locker room, and Kanchelskis' playing time was greatly reduced due to harassment by casinos and gangs. In the end, the answers handed in by both were not good enough. Although Kanchelskis scored 14 goals, according to Ferguson, "As long as there is no off-field interference, this guy can easily score 20 goals. He can even replace Hughes as a striker and replace McClair as a shadow striker this season, but he is too busy!"

In addition to Giggs and Kanchelskis, Ferguson began to try more. He would use Scholes to attack the opponent, and would also let newcomers like Davis attack the opponent's defense. Lee Sharp and Scholes were placed together in the middle, hiding directly behind the striker, and became Ferguson's surprise weapon. But these attempts also encountered Waterloo. The frontcourt players even lost their composure and lost their position under the pressure and collision of the opponent, causing chaos in the frontcourt.

Ferguson has always emphasized offense, and the Red Devils also have the aura of winning the championship in the previous two seasons. They always have a strong dominance in the next game. Almost all teams have adopted a tactic of steady defense and counterattack when facing the Red Devils, while the middle and lower teams simply shrink back. Such a tactical arrangement that only intends to defend has tested the Red Devils' ability to break through dense defenses. This is one of the reasons why the Red Devils did not score as many goals as Blackburn.

The Red Devils originally had very good strikers, but this season new problems have emerged; Ferguson originally had very good tactics, but this season he has suffered the consequences of changing tactics. The Red Devils' offensive firepower has dropped sharply, and even though Ferguson is so resourceful and flexible, it is difficult to completely get rid of the passive situation. Especially when the strongest core of the team is suspended, when the sharpest wing of the team is also injured and in a slump, and when the most stable scoring point data drops sharply, the Red Devils cannot destroy all opponents on the offensive end.