The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 44 The Long Battle

"Every big club has its own dressing room problems. The Red Devils' dressing room has been peaceful for more than 20 years, but that's all because of Ferguson's management."

--Inscription

The locker room has a unique position in a football club. It is the space where players spend most of their time together. It is also the center of power in the team, the focus of various contradictions, and the occasion where conflicts break out.

This will determine the team's mental outlook, affect the team's unity or division, determine the performance and victory or defeat on the field, and also decide the coach's fate of life and death.

It is generally acknowledged in the football world that it is not easy to control any locker room. The locker room is an important forum for discussion, a place where interests and status are divided, and a direct and naked arena of fame and fortune. Conflicts between individual players, small groups forming groups and fighting each other, discrimination based on regional races, direct and indirect lineage, and even salaries and playing opportunities... every matter and every link may have problems, and every small spark may lead to a big explosion. The struggle for leadership and dominance in the locker room is always full of politics and conspiracy. The truth is far more severe than fans imagine, and the cruelty of the struggle is even more difficult for outsiders to predict.

In any locker room, at any point in time, the struggle between the head coach and the players is always going on.

The competition in professional football ultimately depends on the results of the game, and the game is played by the players, who are the key to directly determining the outcome. If a player performs poorly, it may affect the direction of the game, and once more than a certain number of players perform poorly, it will definitely put the team in a passive position. When the conflict between the core players and the head coach intensifies, the team's performance will definitely be seriously affected. When the crisis accumulates, many coaches know that the players have betrayed them and the locker room has been out of control, but they can do nothing.

How the head coach leads the team, how he directs the players, and how he brings the team together as a whole is most directly reflected in the locker room.

Many times, the strength of a team is not simply the sum of 11 players, nor is it determined by the players' fame and worth. The head coach plays a key role in building the team's combat effectiveness. When a team's head coach devotes all his efforts, carefully trains, and builds a team composed of his own direct players, the players will certainly be willing to fight for the head coach and fight for victory. Then this must be a strong team; but professional teams are more like this. Whether it is a wealthy team or a civilian team, they will always introduce foreign star players. This places higher demands on the head coach's ability. The head coach may achieve results by using thunderous means to control the players, and may also achieve results by using gentle methods like spring breeze and rain to lead the team. The head coach may also succeed in managing in a combination of different methods... It may be different for each person, each team, and each time. But if the head coach has no prestige, the management is chaotic, and the core players are dissatisfied, the team's performance will plummet, and defeat or even defeat is almost inevitable. If the head coach himself is incompetent, it may not be able to meet the requirements, and he will be resisted by the players, cleaned up by the management, and spurned by the fans.

Prestige is earned through victory, and status is supported by success. A coach who can lead the team to victory will certainly win a reputation. Once a coach begins to build a great reputation, even if his performance declines, he can be tolerated by the management and fans and have a chance to turn the situation around. Regardless of whether he is a famous coach or not, his status and prestige still depend on the final results. Only by continuously achieving success can such a coach have the courage and means to suppress big names and clean up the core without being backfired.

To some extent, the relationship between the head coach and the players is like that between the boss and the employees, or between the commander and the soldiers on the battlefield. When conflicts break out, the head coach and the players may become like enemies, and may even fall into the tragic situation of being deserted by everyone. The one-way relationship between management and being managed, command and being commanded from top to bottom, the position of the head coach has always suppressed the power of the players, and some unruly guys will be very unhappy. There are geniuses in every team, warriors who are good at obeying, and disobedient guys; there are also cunning people in the locker room, warlike warriors who believe that fists are big and easy to talk, simple and simple talents, and those who just want to get by, and those who ask for a raise or transfer for various reasons... No one can make the players surrender through earnest teaching and persuasion, and no head coach can conquer everyone by tyranny and rudeness. When the head coach takes office, everyone has a relatively harmonious relationship, but he will soon face the challenge of the locker room; and if the head coach has been coaching the club for a long time, he needs to face the challenge of how to change generations and how to rebuild. Impact. At every critical juncture, if the head coach makes a mistake, or even just a slight mistake in his thoughts, the team will often be shaken and the results will fluctuate. If the head coach fails to quickly restore the team's competitiveness and cannot get rid of the passive situation, the team will face a disastrous ending.

In the Premier League, and even in the world of football, managers can control the locker room, but it is almost impossible to control the locker room for a long time. Looking at the long history of professional football, the only one who can stay in the position of head coach of a club for a long time, make achievements, and even create a glorious dynasty, and have a supreme status, is Ferguson.

Even Wenger, who is also a long-time Premier League player, was defeated in the dressing room struggle despite being deeply respected and loved. Wenger has also been in charge of Arsenal for a long time, but was clamored to be fired by the fans and the board of directors. The reason behind this is that he has lost the support of the dressing room.

Ferguson said in the book "Managing Your Own Life", "The relationship between the head coach and the players is very complicated. The reputation of the head coach is ultimately built on success, which is also the pursuit of the players. But they have different positions, different responsibilities, and obviously different pressures, which sows the seeds of conflict. How the coach selects players, how to train them, how to give full play to their strengths, how to put together a team, and how to put a personal stamp on it is not an ordinary problem. The players want to play, want to perform well, and want a generous salary, but only 11 people can start in a game. The head coach must consider the overall situation, and the choice may have to hurt individual players. Both the head coach and the individual players will be affected by external shocks. There will always be conflicts in the locker room-even if the players and the head coach form the best alliance, they are quite fragile under such circumstances."

Ferguson knew the rules of the dressing room very well. When he first arrived at the Red Devils, he used his thunderbolt methods without hesitation. He was against almost all the players, but he was always very firm. McGrath and Whiteside continued to have conflicts over drinking, Strachan would have fierce conflicts even with his direct subordinates, and many players just dealt with it in training... Ferguson's execution of various orders encountered strong resistance. But Ferguson still forcibly implemented his management measures, including the ban on alcohol, strict training, and the head coach determining the main lineup... Ferguson insisted on his own ideas and won initial authority.

Ferguson's success in coaching is built up with championship trophies. His level is demonstrated by his successes one after another. As a coach with strong strength, Ferguson's reputation is not only for his bad temper. His management of players, training of the team, and guidance of the team's spirit and style have won the unanimous approval of the club and fans, and have also been tested in competitions and achieved brilliant results.

Even without looking at the glory of the Red Devils after entering the Premier League era, Ferguson gave the Red Devils a new look in a short period of time in the 1980s. He took office in a hurry in the middle of the season, and he led the team to beat Liverpool twice, beat Arsenal, and played on par with the league champion Everton, and finally won the 11th place in the league. At the same time, the Red Devils' former players did not stop challenging Ferguson. McGrath secretly drank alcohol, Strachan publicly threw the record that Ferguson played in the locker room directly into the trash can, Whiteside sat on the bench after being drunk and made a fool of himself, and the main goalkeeper Turner was abandoned in the most crucial final, and then broke off relations with Ferguson...

In addition to facing the challenges of the players, Ferguson also needs to deal with conflicts between players. There will be conflicts between the household registration book and the youth training camp, conflicts between local players and outsiders, rifts between local snakes and foreign dragons, conflicts between new overlords and big brothers, and frictions between famous stars and young players. These are all filled in the locker room. The boundaries in the locker room are clear, and there are always conflicts and frictions between small circles. Players often gamble together, main players bully children in the youth training team, and players with bad tempers will even fight directly... These internal disturbances are also one of Ferguson's challenges.

The locker room was full of conflicts, and the conflicts between players could become a huge problem. The coach could be fired if he was not careful. But Ferguson was calm and efficient in dealing with these troubles.

Ferguson would not actively intervene in conflicts between players, as he was very clear about the boundaries of his power. He kept his distance from the players, but once a conflict broke out, he would deal with it in a timely manner and carefully cover up the conflict behind an iron curtain. "Things in the locker room should be resolved within the locker room. There should be no cameras or recorders, no recorders, and certainly no spies."

Ferguson did not allow the conflicts in the locker room to overflow the boundaries, which was a protection for the players. This principle ensured the progress and stability of the team and maintained the correct values. Although some decisions to interfere in the locker room would hurt the players, Ferguson ensured that it would benefit the club in the end. Although there would inevitably be criticism and personal grudges, Ferguson finally achieved his goal - in Ferguson's view, everything started from the point of benefiting the team.

Ferguson always treats players as his own people. His protective personality makes players feel protected when they encounter external pressure, which is very important for players. In many cases, he believes that the interests of players and the interests of the club are consistent, and he must let the players' enthusiasm play out.

For the players, what they need to do is very simple, that is to meet Ferguson's requirements and play hard. In personal relationships, Ferguson always considers the players, protects the interests of the players, helps the players grow, and helps the players achieve their career goals. Ferguson can be said to be dedicated and meticulous.

Unlike other managers at the time, Ferguson tried hard to control everything about his players. He and his assistant Knox often drove to inspect the players' environment, visited their families, and suddenly showed up at the star's parties. Ferguson would also invite players to his home with their wives and children, and would also host special banquets for some players and their agents.

Not only that, Ferguson urged the club to increase activities with fans and asked the players to eat at the Old Trafford stadium hotel as much as possible, so that fans who came to the stadium could realize their dream of close contact with their idols and narrow the distance between the club and the fans.

These are not just superficial remarks. Ferguson is truly doing this for the good of the players and for the betterment of the team.

Players of the Red Devils come and go. Ferguson has sent many away during his 27 years as a coach. However, as long as they have enough professional rationality, almost no one will say bad things to Ferguson after leaving Old Trafford. From Maiorana to Lee Sharpe, from Kanchelskis to Beckham, from Keane to Ronaldo... perhaps only Tevez has always had a grudge, and it can be said that the hatred is hard to get rid of. Tevez, a thug born in the streets of South America, left the Red Devils and joined the mortal enemy Manchester City. He contributed the most to the Blue Moon's championship. He was full of hatred for the Red Devils and Ferguson, so much so that the team held up a sign to curse Ferguson during the celebration parade. After being condemned by the whole world, Tevez also panicked and explained that he was not aware of it and apologized to Ferguson solemnly.

Keane has been upset since Ferguson purged him, but he still has great respect for Ferguson. Although the two have had constant verbal clashes, especially Ferguson's autobiography published after retirement, which criticized Keane a lot, it also provoked Keane's response as a media person. But even so, Keane also acknowledged Ferguson's role in the Red Devils.