The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 71 Amazing Progress

"Ferguson led the Red Devils to a record of only one loss in 17 games since the start of the season, a result that shocked all the news media and made the Red Devils fans overjoyed. But this league point is not enough for Ferguson. He has a higher goal because Liverpool, the strongest opponent this season, has a better performance and a better ranking."

--Inscription

After seven league games, Ferguson's team suddenly became the focus of media attention. In addition to Liverpool continuing to dominate the headlines, Ferguson and the Red Devils were also frequently reported and discussed. The media now realized that Ferguson had worked hard and really produced something incredible.

The Red Devils have indeed undergone tremendous changes, but their lineup does not seem to have changed much. The effect of Anderson replacing Severbek is not yet obvious. McClair has shined but is not enough to carry all the burdens forward... What are the real changes in the Red Devils?

The Red Devils' 7-game unbeaten streak... This start did not surpass Atkinson's best record, but Atkinson had completely rebuilt the team at that time and had a record transfer fee, but Ferguson now has none of these.

Compared with before, Ferguson's team has a different mental outlook and a different playing style. The team's resilience in the face of difficulties is far greater than before, and the fighting spirit is completely different.

Although it seems that the Red Devils still maintain the traditional 442 formation and playing style, the performance of the players on the field, the team's active offensive play and the improvement of the rhythm have changed a lot compared with before. Although the Red Devils did not play well in every game in these 7 games, they played very strongly and actively, which is the shocking part.

Among these opponents, Arsenal and Newcastle were still stronger than Manchester United at the time, but the Red Devils did not show weakness and even dared to attack; facing weak teams such as Chelsea and Watford, Ferguson's team played a very sharp attack and pressure. Ferguson emphasized the running enthusiasm of the entire team, the players' running and receiving without the ball, the players' active involvement in the offense, and the importance of switching between offense and defense, and the forwards' active retreat. In the midfield stalemate, they should actively surround the opponent's ball-holding players and immediately launch a quick attack once the ball is stolen.

Ferguson's tactical requirements were well implemented by the Red Devils players, so they played a very aggressive attack and were very motivated in their spirit. Ferguson emphasized that the team must have the courage to fight for victory and have a strong fighting spirit, which was better reflected in the game.

The Red Devils fans who watched the game were shocked because they could feel Ferguson's desire for victory. The team no longer relied on superstars like before, and would not play in the drowsy and uninspiring way it did before.

The changes brought about by Ferguson excited the fans and surprised many media outlets.

"The rising red devil!"

"The Red Devil has returned strong!"

“Ferguson turns everything he touches into gold!”

Many media have called Ferguson's team a dark horse, and are wondering how the Red Devils will perform against a truly strong enemy.

In the 8th round of the league, the Red Devils faced the defending champions Everton.

This was a big test for the Red Devils, who lost 1 to 2. Everton was a strong team with many big-name players, and had enough advantages and experience to face the Red Devils. They took advantage of the Red Devils' disconnected offense and defense, and also took advantage of the Red Devils' weak defense, quickly found gaps in the back line, and created a fatal killing opportunity.

The Red Devils' unbeaten record came to an end and Ferguson's team suffered their first bitter defeat in the league.

Ferguson also knew the gap. After the game, he summed up: "We were too impatient and wanted to kill the opponent in one go, but we didn't expect to be counterattacked by the opponent. Our midfield and frontcourt had the strength to fight, but we were indeed a bit lame during the high-intensity offense and defense transition. The lack of defense will bring about a chain reaction, the midfield will be quickly consumed, and eventually we will fall into a passive position."

The Sun's criticism of this defeat was very sharp. "Don't brag about the seven-game unbeaten streak. The Red Devils only won one of the four league games in the whole of September. This is the fact. Everton is the real king of strength. They have properly made the Red Devils and Ferguson recognize themselves. Ferguson's team clearly showed their characteristics and shortcomings, which cannot be changed by training and attitude alone."

The Sun also reviewed Ferguson's boasting and made a scathing mockery. It turned out that Ferguson had said before the season that a team like the Red Devils should have great ambitions and should attack for the championship.

The Mail said: "Ferguson was obviously too arrogant in front of Everton. He chose an offensive style of play and let the game get out of control. The Red Devils do not have the strength of a first-class team. They will suffer more in subsequent games."

After the Red Devils lost to the Toffees, Ferguson gave the players a day off. When they returned to resume training, Ferguson said: "We lost to last season's league champions, away from home, which is not surprising. I will not regret the positive tactics. We actually had a lot of opportunities. The opponent was also embarrassed by us in the last part of the second half, which is worthy of recognition."

“Do we have a chance of beating Everton again?”

"Of course!"

The Red Devils then recovered from their slump and played a thrilling match against Hull City in the second round of the League Cup. The Red Devils announced their strong comeback with a 5-0 goal battle, with Davenport, McClair, McGrath, Strachan and Whiteside each scoring a goal, completely beating the opponent into a sieve.

In the ninth round of the league, the Red Devils will face Tottenham, which will also be a tough battle.

Tottenham Hotspur ranked third last season, and this season they are actively recruiting players to prepare for the championship. Their strength seems to be stronger than that of the Red Devils. Ferguson continued to use the 442 formation in this game, with Anderson, Gibson, McGrath and Duxbury on the defensive line, and Garton on the midfield. The game was very intense at the beginning. The Red Devils actively launched an attack at home, and Tottenham Hotspur also hoped to disrupt the Red Devils' deployment by rushing to attack. Therefore, both sides quickly entered a fast attack and defense rhythm with fast conversion. Robson and Strachan of the Red Devils once again played the dual-core advantage, and McClair was even more brilliant. He actively retreated and took the ball with his back to the goal, coordinated his teammates' forward runs, and played two-on-one group cooperation with Whiteside many times, creating many opportunities. After Robson took control of the midfield rhythm, McClair contributed a golden boot-level performance in the game. Many of his shots were threatening. One shot from 9 yards in front of the goal almost hit the dead corner, and the opponent's goalkeeper was terrified. The Red Devils wasted many opportunities in the frontcourt, but they still gained something after a hard fight. McClair took the penalty kick at a critical moment and helped the team win the game.

Then came the tenth round of the league, when the Red Devils faced Luton. Ferguson's team had an overall advantage, and McClair scored another goal to help the team take the lead at the start. But unfortunately, the defense made a mistake and Luton scored a goal to equalize the score. The Red Devils regrettably lost this victory that was within their grasp.

Even so, Ferguson was very satisfied with striker McClair. The newly joined Scottish striker scored goals in consecutive games and quickly integrated into the Red Devils' offensive system. He maintained his offensive motivation and was very hungry for every scoring opportunity. Sometimes, in order to gain position and seize the opportunity to shoot, he even risked breaking his legs and was not afraid of the opponent's fierce defense. Not only that, McClair also integrated into the Red Devils' offensive system without any obstacles, played well in the team's tactics, and continuously increased his number of goals!

After the tenth round of the league, the Red Devils faced Hull City, their League Cup opponent, and defeated them 1-0 to advance.

In the eleventh round of the league, the Red Devils played away against Sheffield Wednesday.

Ferguson led the team to play a wonderful game. Robson regained his dominance in the middle and front court. The Red Devils' attack combination led by him was very sharp. Under the exquisite organization of Robson and Strachan, the opponent was in a mess and could not resist. The Red Devils launched a large-scale attack in the first half and broke into the opponent's hinterland. The Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper cleared the ball in the penalty area, but did not clear the ball out of the dangerous area. Robson flashed out from the crowd and shot quickly near the penalty spot in the penalty area. It was this unexpected volley that opened the goal. Strachan then took over the game. He played the role of an offensive commander and assisted McClair and Blackmore to score goals, allowing the team to always maintain the leading situation. In the end, the Red Devils played a wonderful counterattack. Robson broke into the penalty area alone. Facing the opponent's goalkeeper, he chose to pass to his teammates. McClair, who was in position to receive the ball, easily shot the ball into the empty goal and scored the last goal. The Red Devils finally scored 4 goals. Although the home team Sheffield Wednesday also scored two goals and fought very tenaciously, they still lost to the Red Devils' fierce offensive firepower.

The 4-2 victory boosted the morale of the players, allowing the Red Devils to play vigorously against Norwich at home, gaining a lot of advantages. In the end, with goals from Davenport and Robson, they defeated their opponents with a score of 2-1.

The Red Devils were then tied consecutively by West Ham United and Nottingham Forest in the league. Whiteside returned in time against Forest and performed well, scoring a wonderful lob, but unfortunately failed to help the Red Devils win.

Two consecutive draws temporarily stopped the Red Devils from scoring points.

The League Cup match between the Red Devils and Crystal Palace ended in a 2-1 victory, and the Red Devils advanced smoothly.

这时候时间刚刚好进入了1988年的11月。好事的媒体做了一个统计，对比阿特金森和弗格森执教的成绩。红魔本赛季在弗格森执教下的前17场比赛，红魔联赛14轮6胜7平1负、联赛杯3场全胜；阿特金森则是联赛14轮4胜4平6负、联赛杯第3轮被淘汰出局。

This result is certainly good, and Ferguson's Red Devils are currently ranked in the upper reaches. Considering the signings of the Red Devils this season, Ferguson's current score is actually very good.

Ferguson used Robson and Whiteside carefully, asking about the players' condition in detail before every game, trying to maintain McGrath's condition and rotating some substitute players as much as possible.

Liverpool is the team that is suppressing the Red Devils and at the top of the league standings. When the Red Devils encountered two consecutive draws in the early stage of the league, Liverpool had already been killing all the opponents and leaving the others in the dust. The powerful Red Army defeated Arsenal 2:1 away in the first game, and then won six games and tied one in seven rounds, making rapid progress in the standings and leading the way. In this wave of leading, Liverpool played classics such as 7:4 victory over Coventry, 1:4 victory over Newcastle, and 1:4 victory over Derby County. They were soaring all the way and constantly performing crazy performances of defeating opponents by a large score!

Liverpool's fierce performance made the media not hesitate to offer all kinds of praise and flattery. Especially after defeating the city's arch-rival and defending champion Everton in November, Liverpool's reputation once reached its peak.

On November 1987, 11, Liverpool beat Watford 24-4 and became the league leader. The players who scored for Liverpool were Barnes, Aldridge, McMahon and Houghton.

From then on, this veteran team never lost its top spot in the standings.

Liverpool had been in excellent form. Halfway through the season, they were 13 points ahead of Nottingham Forest, the second-placed team, and beat them 5-0. The Forest manager at the time was the famous Brian Clough, and they were still in their prime. But even Clough, who led the team to two Champions League titles, had to admit defeat in front of the crazy Liverpool.

Liverpool's strength almost makes all the teams in the league bow down to them, except for one person, the team he coached called the Red Devils.