The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 67 This killer is a bit cold

"Brian McClair is the most underrated player I have ever had in Manchester United and his value is beyond any of your imagination. McClair was the first modern striker I had when I was in charge of the Red Devils, the cornerstone of the team and one of my best signings."

--Ferguson

McClair's joining was not very noticeable at that time and even attracted ridicule from the media.

On the one hand, because McClair came from an inconspicuous Scottish league and the transfer fee was only 85 pounds, he became a "not worth mentioning" guy in the media's eyes. On the other hand, some media questioned whether this guy was worth the price.

Ferguson emphasized during an interview with the Red Devils' team reporter that "McClair is very comprehensive and has outstanding abilities. He can definitely gain a foothold in any top club. The more important point is that he is from Scotland, which is a big advantage. I think he basically does not need to adapt to the English League One. He will definitely thrive here."

Ferguson was actually secretly happy in his heart. He and the Red Devils really made a fortune by buying such an outstanding striker for only 85 pounds!

Since the purchase of McClair, Ferguson believed that he would be an important piece of the puzzle for his complete reconstruction of the Red Devils. If nothing unexpected happens, he believes that McClair will become the core of the team's cornerstone level.

Ferguson held a meeting with the coaching staff to discuss McClair's position and the formation and style of play that would be assigned to him in the future. Ferguson said: "McLair will be one of the most stable firepowers in our team. He will be in the front and can also play as one of the two strikers. Although his height may not be enough and heading is a problem, his shooting is very stable and he is also very good at scoring in front of the goal, which is the key for a striker to score goals. I believe he will provide the Red Devils with the most lacking element, which is to score 15-20 goals a season and help his teammates score about 5 goals."

Ferguson's assistant Norris is more familiar with McClair. He said: "McClair has no problem adapting to the Red Devils and the game environment of the English League One. The trouble he may encounter should be more games and a more intensive schedule. We normally play about 60 games a season, which is almost twice that of the Scottish League."

"Another problem is the media. The media here in England is so unfriendly and so good at causing trouble."

McClair felt the pressure as soon as he arrived in Manchester. The questions surrounding him from the media were almost all about whether he could score goals like before.

Another unexpected situation for him was that he was warmly welcomed by the Red Devils fans as soon as he appeared in Manchester. He was shocked by the tens of thousands of people who poured into the Theatre of Dreams to welcome him. In the Scottish League, even if he won the Golden Boot and the team won the championship, the fans were not so crazy.

McClair said: "The Red Devils are the club I have always wanted to join, and Ferguson is the head coach I admire. It has been my dream for many years to join the Red Devils and play for Ferguson."

Yes, McClair was determined to leave Celtic and join the Red Devils to follow Ferguson, which made Celtic agree to the transfer. He is a loyal fan of Ferguson and has always admired Ferguson very much.

McClair was also flattered by the fans' enthusiasm. "I have to say, I have never seen so many fans and such a big club."

McClair came to the Red Devils from Celtic and his weekly salary increased a lot, but for him, this was not important. I think the important thing was that he finally had the opportunity to play for Ferguson and play under him. This made him very excited just thinking about it.

McClair knows that he needs to contribute to the team as soon as possible. He said: "Thanks to my wife, she took on everything. I know the attitude of the fans and the role of the media. But I am not afraid at all. I only know that Alex trusts me, which is very valuable."

As reporters introduced his success in Scotland, many Red Devils fans became more interested in him and had higher expectations. Ferguson even set up a special event for fans to meet and challenge McClair, allowing fans to compete with McClair in shooting at the training base. McClair showed various difficult moves and shooting techniques, which opened the eyes of fans.

A Red Devils fan who played against McClair said: "He is really strong, has a very strong confrontation ability, is a superb shooter, and is good at scoring in front of the goal. I think he is very cool and may be what we need most."

McClair is of course a man of extraordinary skills, but the media was biased against him before. He has the aura of the Scottish League champion, the League Cup champion, and has also won the Scottish Premier League Golden Boot, which is not easy. The short training at the Cliff base even surprised his teammates, because they found that this new teammate has high requirements for shooting and is absolutely striving for perfection.

Red Devils defender Mullen said, "I rarely see a striker who sets such high standards for himself during team practice. He really requires angles and lines for every shot. If he thinks that the shots are not up to standard, he will just go back and practice them. This is amazing. He is the first star I have ever seen who sets high standards for himself."

McClair is usually very low-key, a little serious, and looks a little old. When he joined the Red Devils, he was only 23 years old, but he was considered to be almost 30 years old. However, these did not hinder his teammates' recognition and did not affect the fans' love for him. He is naturally stable and naturally gives people the feeling of being very mature and experienced, and has seen many big scenes. Of course, he is not a good person, and occasionally shows toughness and rebelliousness. This contradictory personality performance fascinates the media.

After joining the Red Devils, McClair dispelled everyone's concerns in just one class, and he easily became the Red Devils' rebuilt offensive spearhead.

McClair constantly practiced passing, receiving and shooting with Robson, practiced two-on-one, receiving and shooting with Strachan, and heading the ball after receiving the pass from the middle or the wing, and practiced relay passes in the penalty area with Davenport and Whiteside, cultivating and practicing tacit understanding with teammates.

McClair even took the initiative to return to the midfield to defend, and practiced man-to-man defense in the midfield and even in the backcourt, or the running position of assisting defense... He completed all the projects very freely. More often, McClair, who practiced alone, opened up his own world in the center position: powerful shots, grabbing points in the small penalty area, long shots from the top of the penalty area, headers, alternating left and right feet to make up shots in front of the goal... He adapted very well to the training with his Red Devils teammates, and even liked this kind of intense confrontation.

Strachan spoke highly of McClair, "We are from Scotland together, have both played in the Scottish league, have the same football background, and have similar attitudes and emotional characteristics. McClair is like a traditional Scotsman, calm, low-key, brave, responsible, and tough. He will definitely adapt to the English football world quickly. The fans have given us full support, and McClair will definitely repay us with his wonderful performance."

Whiteside, a favorite of the Red Devils fans, also recognized McClair, even though he was a competitor. Whiteside said: "McClair is almost tailor-made for the Red Devils. His temperament and personality are very suitable for this team. McClair played as a striker with me for a long time. He was brave enough on the court and created many scoring opportunities for me. Sometimes we were like brothers."

McClair can not only play as a center forward, but also as an all-around fighter. In Ferguson's tactical system, McClair can play in multiple positions, single striker, center forward, one of the two strikers, shadow striker... He can also play as a winger on the right side, a midfielder, an offensive central midfielder, and once tried to play as a defensive midfielder. No matter what task the coach asked him to complete, McClair always achieved it very well.

Although McClair is only 23 years old, he already has a wealth of game experience. After joining the Red Devils, he also pays great attention to cooperation with his teammates, so everyone is full of confidence in him. A reporter from the Manchester Evening News commented: "McClair is good at playing as a center forward, especially a fulcrum center forward. He doesn't look very strong, but he will get into position to protect the ball in advance, and try to make the opponent's center of gravity unstable before his teammates pass the ball to his feet, and then successfully hold the opponent and help the team launch an offensive. After he passes the ball to his teammates, he will take advantage of the opponent's movement and actively intersperse, forcing the opponent's defense system to have problems, and then attack and succeed."

McClair's unique skill of post-up singles is very eye-catching for the Red Devils. Whiteside and Davenport have not mastered this skill.

McClair not only scored goals himself, but also played a positive role in catalyzing the team's offense. He helped Whiteside to capture the city, fed Davenport, and was also good at opening up space for Strachan and Robson to insert. His active running and brave charge created more possibilities and more killing opportunities for the Red Devils.

McClair improved the Red Devils' threatening ability in the frontcourt, helping the team to smoothly move the ball to the opponent's penalty area and form an effective offensive. This is his strongest support for the team system as a striker who is good at running and assisting. McClair brought victory to the Red Devils through continuous goals and brought vitality to the team through active running. For Ferguson and the Red Devils, McClair's stable output and strong offensive firepower are exactly what the team needs to win.

McClair played very well in his first season with the Red Devils, and the Red Devils fans quickly fell in love with McClair, the new striker giving people a killer feeling. As the game progressed, McClair continued to score goals and bring victory to the team. The fans began to call him the "Axis Killer" and specially arranged songs for him. Those who can get the treatment of specially arranged songs are all heroes of the Theatre of Dreams.

McClair soon began his goal-scoring journey with the Red Devils and became the team's winning champion. He continued to perform steadily and scored goals. On April 1988, 4, McClair performed extremely well against Derby County. He scored three goals in a row with his head and feet, helping the Red Devils to sweep their opponents 2-4 at Old Trafford.

McClair enjoyed the game, but he was still a little uncomfortable with the intensive schedule of the English League One, especially the crazy Christmas Express series. In Scotland, there are no games on Christmas Day and the next day, but in England, there are constant games.

When McClair saw the schedule that the team would play Charlton at home on Boxing Day and then visit Watford the next day, he went crazy.

McClair said, "Playing on Boxing Day made me depressed. I missed Scotland so much and hoped to have a quiet rest. I asked Ferguson again and found out that he was tortured the second year. He didn't expect English football to be like this. Everyone is a pitiful person."

McClair said: "We played well against Charlton, but their goalkeeper Boulter must have received a great Christmas present. He saved all our shots incredibly and the game ended in a 0-0 draw. We only had time to change and wash in a hurry after the game before rushing to Watford for the game."

McClair said: "I think everyone was out of breath, but it was even worse when we got to Watford. It was raining there and it hadn't stopped. The referee inspected the field first, and we hid to watch them throw the ball to test whether the grass was playable. The Watford field was full of mud, and the ball fell into the puddle and could hardly be found, but the referee announced that the game would go on as scheduled."

The two teams fought an extremely chaotic water battle, and McClair finally scored a crucial goal to help the Red Devils win.

Ferguson was delighted with McClair's performance in his first season and he was very satisfied with the performance of the new striker.

In Ferguson's later documentary, McClair was specifically mentioned. "He was only 23 years old when he joined the Red Devils, which was a period of rise. I think he played very well for the Red Devils and made a great contribution. McClair was the first modern center forward I signed at the Red Devils. He has comprehensive abilities, excellent performance and has been a huge help to me."

Ferguson said: "He was the first cornerstone player when I rebuilt the Red Devils. Although McClair did not have too much superstar aura and his goals were not too dazzling and amazing, his role in the team was extremely important. I even think he is irreplaceable."