The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 86: A Preliminary Study of Holism

"Ferguson's coaching has earned him a reputation, and his results are the most convincing. His personality charm is also reflected in the locker room. The atmosphere and mental outlook of the entire team have changed significantly because of his coaching."

--Inscription

At the end of the season, the Red Devils surprised many media outlets.

The Red Devils did not introduce any superstars before the season, nor did they have any shining talents from their youth training. How come the team has undergone such a big change?

How did Ferguson transform the team?

Although they did not win the championship, second place in the league is already a very good result for the Red Devils. How did Ferguson do it?

Before the season started, many journalists had criticized Ferguson. Ferguson's purchase of Anderson to replace Sevebek was pure nonsense, McClair's joining was not optimistic, Ferguson couldn't even buy a striker in England, and the forced dig of Bruce in the winter was also a rip-off, and the problems of McGrath and Whiteside were not solved... How could he lead the Red Devils to second place?

Journalists who are deeply involved in the field of football know that there is no coincidence, and Ferguson's good results must have his special secrets.

In the report Ferguson submitted to the board of directors, he explained, "We have made a huge leap in our performance. On the one hand, our strength has indeed increased, which is inseparable from the changes in buying players, training, playing style, etc. We have adopted a completely new way to play the game, a way that adapts to the team's reality and future needs. New pre-match preparation, new starting standards, new lineups, new positions and cooperation requirements."

Ferguson stressed, "We have been trying to change, new offense, new defense, new lineup."

Ferguson became familiar with the football environment in England and began to practice his coaching philosophy. Ferguson has always advocated offense, encouraged confrontation, and pursued speed. He decided to make these the most basic tactical composition of the Red Devils.

Ferguson is good at using the 442 formation and is very clear about the advantages and limitations of this formation. Ferguson knows where his players are lacking, and he decided to enhance their fighting power by improving their overall performance. Ferguson believes that his success at Aberdeen can be replicated. The core issue now is how to enable players to effectively support the integration of offense and defense, make offense more efficient, enable the two forwards to attack more powerfully, and enable the midfield to support defense more quickly.

Ferguson also implemented the traditional 4-back position, but the deployment of the 4-back was focused on overall defense and offensive assistance from the flanks. As for the Red Devils' midfielders, Ferguson's core requirement was that the players must be super fast, preferably with skills and a big picture, and it would be perfect if they also had the ability to dribble and break through.

Ferguson's tactical style is not complicated, but it requires a lot from the players. Ferguson's offensive concept is not difficult, and the requirements for the players' positioning and running are also simple. He does not need the players to execute or even design complex and sophisticated routines; but he also does not need the simple long passes and lobs of traditional England, and does not welcome players to play football relying on physical strength.

Ferguson's tactics emphasize integrity. He first sets up a stable structure, and then has a player with outstanding strength bring out a powerful impact.

Before the season started, Ferguson was reluctant to let Sevilla go, but he did not try to persuade the player to leave. He bought Anderson because he valued his experience and could help the defense line fill in and stabilize. Bringing in McClair was a key for Ferguson, as this was a strength he needed to rely on and the impact that the Red Devils lacked.

Bruce's arrival in the winter was also very important. After McGrath's injury, the central defenders were shaky, and Bruce became a fire-fighting bodhisattva. Ferguson also hoped that he would become the new defensive leader and directly replace McGrath in the future.

The striker and two defenders that Ferguson bought for the Red Devils have all become core players, while McClair and Bruce have become key figures on both offense and defense, playing irreplaceable roles.

Ferguson sent more than 27 players to play this season, but the lineup was not strong enough. In addition, he used young players in many games, continuing the tradition of the club. Among the Red Devils, new player McClair played the most games, 48 ​​games, including 40 games in the league; Duxbury played 47 games, followed by 39 games in the league, and he also became a core player with his ability to run; Robson and Strachan played 36 and 33 games in the league respectively, both of which were thigh-level players. The newly introduced Anderson played 30 games, the original main player Olsen also played 30 games, Whiteside and Gibson both played 26 games, the main goalkeeper Turner played 24 games, the substitute Walsh played 16 games, followed by Bruce 21 games, McGrath also played 21 games; O'Brien, Blackmore, Garton, Albiston and others played less than 10 games in the league. From this data, we can see that the real thighs of the Red Devils, Robson and Strachan, are very good. They have performed well enough and have sustained form. Strachan was the best in the league in the last 10 games. McClair's highlights and Bruce's diligence are the key reasons why the team won the league runner-up.

Ferguson's main lineup includes goalkeeper Turner and second goalkeeper Walsh; defenders Anderson, Bruce, McGrath and Colin Gibson; midfielders Strachan, Brian Robson, Duxbury and Olsen; two forwards McClair and Whiteside; Davenport is an important substitute. Mullen, Albiston and Mark Robins have become the main rotation.

Ferguson's strict management measures continue to work. The atmosphere in the Red Devils' locker room has long been cleared up. Ferguson's iron fist has long made everyone obedient, and there is no more smell of alcohol and laziness.

This is one of the biggest changes.

McGrath still drinks secretly, but he no longer dares to confront Ferguson in public. Once he gets injured, Ferguson mercilessly throws him to the bench. Whiteside also doesn't play much, and his performance is up and down, which is probably the reason.

Ferguson paid attention to using new players, which was also an important aspect of the Red Devils' tradition and his experience. He boldly sent some young players to the field, giving them the opportunity to shine and make up for the physical exhaustion and mental slackness of the main players after long-term battles. Ferguson boldly used Lee Martin and Graham. Both young players got the opportunity to play for the first time this season and performed very well.

Ferguson's consistent emphasis on youth training does not just refer to Class 92.

Another change is to focus on training.

Ferguson spent a lot of effort managing pre-season training, focusing on the drills and adjustments of tactical play, which was also the key for the Red Devils to gain a foothold and play better and better after the start of the season.

Ferguson and his team specifically studied different playing styles for different teams based on their characteristics. Ferguson began to use the 442 formation innovatively, and even changed it directly to try different things.

Ferguson's 442 formation is flexible and good at changing. The most critical midfielders, Robson and Strachan, have very high ability levels and first-class awareness and experience. This allows Ferguson's midfield to stand in parallel or in a diamond formation, and also to form a wild goose formation like the later full-backs advance and the midfielder retreats in the middle. Ferguson completely gave up the simple high-profile attack, but still used a lot of crosses from the two wings. Not only that, Ferguson also took the initiative to strengthen the attack on the wing, and the forward's support and the midfielder's cooperation were all placed in a very important position by him.

The Red Devils' offensive center is Strachan, Ferguson's old player and the core midfielder of Aberdeen. With Robson's backup, Strachan can take on more offensive responsibilities. Ferguson often arranges Strachan to play on the left to give full play to his individual breakthrough ability. Strachan's offense is very sharp and his ability to create opportunities is also very strong. He activated the entire left side and ribs of the Red Devils on the wing, and also made the entire attack line of the Red Devils active.

Ferguson once changed the lineup to a more offensive 433, moving Strachan directly to the left wing, trying more single-player attacks, and making the Red Devils' offense more varied. In some games, Ferguson would try to let Strachan hide behind the two forwards, focusing on being a shadow killer and the last pass before the forwards shot.

Ferguson has great trust in Strachan. Strachan, who has good both feet and is good at breakthroughs, has an even more important tactical position in the new season. He even overshadowed Robson with his performance.

The energy node of the Red Devils' midfield under Ferguson, or the key to the transition between offense and defense, lies in the position of captain Robson. Robson covers a large area and runs a long distance. As long as he is not injured, he is a top-notch all-around midfielder. This season, Robson was asked by Ferguson to reduce his running. He played 43 games this season (36 in the league), and all of them were starts, becoming the biggest reliance of the Red Devils to achieve excellent results.

With Robson, the Red Devils have a huge safety margin in midfield.

With Robson and Strachan in the middle, Ferguson even developed some new attacking tactics. Robson became the heavy artillery in the attack, while Strachan became the assassin behind the striker. Robson could attack, run forward, and head the ball. Although he didn't shoot many times when he dribbled to the top of the penalty area, Robson still scored 11 goals this season, making him the second-highest scorer in the team.

Robson's defensive ability is also trustworthy. He has excellent foresight, sharp reactions, a large running coverage area, and a strong sense of positioning in advance. He can well cut off the opponent's passing line, block the opponent's midfield and backcourt passes, and assist his teammates to lock the opponent's breakthrough on the wing.

This is where Ferguson's 442 power comes from. When the formation changes to 433, that is, only three midfielders are arranged, Ferguson will arrange Robson, Duxbury and Olsen in a triangle, and let Strachan move directly to the wing line. Robson will run more, but also closer to the opponent's hinterland, better play to his strong offensive ability.

Ferguson would require the defense to focus on collective defense, starting with the wingers to retreat and delay, and McClair would return to the midfield to become a barrier, and Robson would return to the defense line to help his teammates. In this way, the 433 position could be changed to 541 at any time, and the team's active defense effect was very effective.

Ferguson advocates offense, but he also attaches great importance to defense. He specifically brought in Anderson and Bruce. Bruce is a strong central defender with a tough personality, but there are still some problems with matching with McGrath. McGrath is injured and also alcoholic. He only played 23 times in total, 21 times in the league, which is not enough for a core central defender. McGrath and Bruce played even less together, and the twin stars could not provide stability in the defense. The Red Devils actually still need Ferguson to create a collective defensive tactic to reduce hidden dangers.

Focusing on offense is the essence of Ferguson. The tactical effect that Ferguson pursued was almost achieved. Strachan's skills were enough to tear open the opponent's defense, Robson was also good at finding space, the two wingers had offensive capabilities, Whiteside and McClair were both excellent in the penalty area. McClair's data showed his excellence, and Davenport also had good impact in the frontcourt, but unfortunately the Red Devils only had one McClair, one Strachan, and one Robson. Whiteside was in average form, and Davenport was still not good enough.

Ferguson once pointed out, "This is a sharp topic. I think a striker playing for the Red Devils must score at least 20 goals a season to be qualified, and at least 14 goals in the league."

Ferguson even criticized Whiteside directly, "Even though sometimes I have to start you, it doesn't mean you deserve such an honor."

Another striker, Davenport? He only scored 21 goals in 5 league games, which was completely unqualified.