The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

"The article Ferguson wrote in the match magazine was like a letter to the Red Devils fans. Ferguson did not brag or give them a lot of praise. Instead, he explained in detail the current situation and contradictions of the Red Devils, analyzed the team's current personnel composition and strength level, frankly admitted the style the team was going to create, and once again emphasized his loyalty and responsibility."

--Inscription

The Red Devils lost to Aston Villa in the Premier League opener, and the black start of the new season triggered a wave of criticism. Ferguson and his players were under tremendous pressure, and the future of the entire club was overshadowed.

At this critical moment, Ferguson stood up.

Before the start of the second round of the game, the Red Devils fans were surprised to find that Ferguson had published a long article in the match journal, an article specifically answering external doubts.

Ferguson wrote, "Please let me make my position clear at the outset. I have always been committed to serving the Red Devils and have always dedicated everything to the team's cause in this coaching position. I insist on being in this collective of the Red Devils and I also have a firm commitment. I hope that all those who love the Red Devils will fulfill this commitment like me... Please think about the word commitment, which contains many meanings such as loyalty, struggle, dedication, concentration, etc. This great tradition has always existed in our team. Even if no one always talks about it, I believe everyone can feel it."

"Devote everything to the Red Devils and fight for the championship. This is my attitude and my philosophy. If you agree with this view, then after experiencing such a summer, I ask you to stop and think carefully about what happened in the offseason. Maybe some fans should think about what they are doing when they publicly accuse the head coach and the team? If even our fans do this, then what a great opportunity it gives our mortal enemies and the media to laugh at us..."

"Everything we have experienced is necessary. From the failure and setbacks of last season to the start of this season, it is not as chaotic as some media described. What challenges have we encountered? First of all, Mark Hughes decided not to renew his contract with the club. This is his clear attitude. When Hughes said he wanted to leave and he didn't think he could get a starting position, then of course we agreed that he could leave. He is a hero and legend at Old Trafford, but he also has new pursuits. I am very disappointed, but all I can say is wish him good luck and thank him for everything he has given to the team in the past ten years. Hughes left the Red Devils very decently, and I am not sure whether I can give such an evaluation to other players who left the team."

"We now have forwards like Cantona, Cole, Scholes, Davis, McClair, etc. Hughes' departure will not affect the stability of the team. We should promote the metabolism of the team and make reasonable adjustments."

"Many people questioned that we let Ince go, but this is actually a misunderstanding. I have always emphasized that the most important thing about playing for the Red Devils is to maintain a high standard and have a selfless belief in fighting for the team. Ince has actually always maintained a high standard, but the problem we encountered is that he said he wanted to go to Italy to find new challenges. This reason or excuse is not the first time I have heard it. Ince certainly knows what his departure means, but I am not worried about Ince leaving because we have strong enough players. Keane is certainly trustworthy and worthy of entrustment, and we also have Beckham and Butt, as well as others. Without Ince, we will also play dominant football, and young people will find opportunities to grow in rotation."

"As for Andrei Kanchelskis, it is a great pity. We have tried our best to keep him. The main players, salary increases, etc. are all included in the contract renewal. But he doesn't need this contract from us. He has new ideas. Some descriptions about him and the Red Devils are obviously exaggerated. The biggest motivation for him to leave our club is some special reasons. Although money is important, I think the career of playing football itself should also be important. He may have chosen something that he thinks is more important, and these are where our differences lie."

"We thought we could avoid these problems, but the departure of Kanchelskis has left some flaws in our squad and we are now forced to make major changes. I assure you that this will not affect our pursuit of honors. My determination remains unchanged, and my goals have not changed. Any other result for my team except competing for the league title as in the past is unacceptable."

"Our journey this season is very difficult, but our goal is to win the league championship!"

The impact of this article is huge. It reflects his trust in the club, players and fans, and his commitment to the Red Devils.

Just as Ferguson's "letter from home" article in the match magazine re-inspired the confidence of the Red Devils fans, the Red Devils' first home game of the new season arrived as scheduled on August 1995, 8. The Red Devils' opponent was not a soft persimmon, but West Ham United, which ended the Red Devils' dream of three consecutive Premier League titles in the last league game last season.

Ferguson would never allow himself to fail in this game, and he carefully selected the starting lineup. The Red Devils' injuries were alleviated, Cole recovered and entered the bench, while Bruce started in time, and Ferguson also re-used the classic 442 formation. In the most critical defense, Schmeichel guarded the goal, Gary Neville and Irwin were separated on both sides of the back. This was Gary's first start as a right back this season, and he began his journey to become the best right back in the Premier League in 20 years. Paul Parker, who was replaced by him, became a substitute and later only got 7 starts and 3 substitute appearances.

Ferguson had his own considerations for this starting lineup. Goalkeeper Schmeichel was experienced and had recovered from the last defeat. Defenders Gary Neville, Irwin, Bruce and Pallister were basically the strongest choices. The midfield quartet of Sharp, Butt, Keane and Beckham was worrying. There was no Giggs or Kanchelskis, but Ferguson still placed his trust in Beckham. As for Butt's starting lineup, it was very normal. His confrontation and interception ability had taken over from Ince. The partnership of striker McClair and Scholes was the most criticized, but this was the only arrangement when Cantona was suspended and Cole was not yet fully recovered from his injury.

The match started with the singing and cheering of the Red Devils fans filling the Theatre of Dreams, and the Red Devils quickly took the lead. Beckham made a long pass from the right into the opponent's penalty area, causing chaos. The opponent's defender headed the ball and the Red Devils quickly controlled the ball again. Irwin played a textbook wall-to-wall match with Scholes outside the left penalty area, and then dribbled the ball straight into the penalty area. After his first cross was blocked, he quickly adjusted and made another low cross. Scholes, who received the ball at the back point, fell to the ground and shot into the goal!

The Red Devils lead 1-0!

West Ham United stepped up their attack after falling behind, and soon forced Bruce to make a mistake in the penalty area and scored an own goal, thus equalizing the score. However, the Red Devils were not thrown into disarray and maintained their strong impact. The young players in the frontcourt of the Red Devils played very well and soon regained the initiative. The Red Devils soon played a dazzling match in the frontcourt. After many runs and passes by Lee Sharp, Butt, Scholes, Beckham and other players, the opponent's overall defense was completely torn apart, creating a one-on-one shooting opportunity for Keane. Keane lived up to expectations and easily scored with a shovel shot in front of the goal. The Red Devils led the opponent 2-1 and maintained this score until the end of the game.

Ferguson's team won this crucial game and got rid of the previous slump. After this game, Kanchelskis finally completed the transfer and joined Everton as he wished.

Prior to this, Kanchelskis refused to renew his contract due to salary issues. Kanchelskis' agent was very bad. In addition to bribing Ferguson, he also threatened the Red Devils chairman Martin Edwards in person.

After the two sides fell out, Kanchelskis quickly left the Red Devils.

In the third round of the league, the Red Devils played at home against Wimbledon. For Ferguson, Wimbledon was definitely a tough nut to crack. The first three matches against Wimbledon when Ferguson took over the Red Devils all ended in failure. The tough style and rough kicking of the "Crazy Gang", as well as the simple and effective rushing and lob tactics, have always impressed Ferguson. For a while, Ferguson even called the match against Wimbledon a "team test" for the new players of the Red Devils. Such a tough match is a necessary test for young players to "grow up".

Ferguson continued to trust the starting lineup of the previous victory, but rotated McClair to rest and replaced him with the original striker Andy Cole. The other positions remained unchanged, and the formation continued to maintain a 442 stance. The injured Giggs sat on the bench.

After the game started, the Red Devils quickly took the initiative and continued to attack the opponent. Roy Keane's performance in the midfield was so outstanding that people directly forgot about Ince who had gone to Italy. In the 20th minute, he received the ball from the throw-in and dribbled to the top of the penalty area, and then he and Scholes completed a collision with each other in a very tacit manner. Scholes retreated to the top of the penalty area to pass the ball to his teammates just like in the last game. This time his assist was also accurate, and he directly flicked the ball to Keane who was counterattacking. Keane met the ball near the penalty area line and shot with an excellent angle and arc, scoring the first goal for the team.

In the second half, it was Cole's turn to show his strength. He took the ball with his back to the opponent in the penalty area, quickly seized the gap where the opponent's defender was not close to him, and immediately turned to face the opponent. Cole was very confident when facing the defender head-on. He used his skilled skills to shake left and right, and a set of fake moves completely deceived the opponent's defender. Then he aimed at the blind corner of the opponent's goal and shot directly into the goal!

Red Devils 2-0 Wimbledon!

After falling behind by two goals, Wimbledon finally started to attack. Forward Earl scored a goal to narrow the gap. At this time, Ferguson replaced Giggs who had returned from injury. The Welsh winger immediately used his speed and change of direction to dribble past the opponent's blockers and found many shooting opportunities. In the 80th minute, Giggs broke through on the left and shot decisively near the penalty area line. After the opponent blocked the shot, Keane, who was actively moving forward in this game, easily shot into the net and the Red Devils secured a 3-1 victory.

The Red Devils stopped the slump of losing in the first game, and two consecutive home wins will further improve their ranking, moving into the top eight in the standings.

Strong rivals Newcastle and Liverpool have won consecutive games, and they have maintained their lead. However, defending champion Blackburn has fallen behind incredibly. After the resignation of head coach Dalglish, they have lost their way. Although the team still has Shearer and Sutton, and the entire structure is composed of elite players in their prime years, they have lost two out of three games this season, and the scene is also very embarrassing. They have completely lost the arrogance of last season.

As luck would have it, the Red Devils' fourth round Premier League match was against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park, and because of the Premier League's special arrangement, the match was scheduled to start 48 hours later.

Both teams were in the spotlight before the game. Blackburn Rovers seemed to be in a slump and had not performed well since the start. This was definitely a good opportunity for the Red Devils to win three games in a row. However, some commentators analyzed that the defending champions might learn from their mistakes and bounce back, making it a tough battle for the Red Devils.

What will be the outcome of the battle between two powers?