The legendary Red Devils coach: The road to success

Chapter 98 The Central Axis Collapsed Again

"From McGrath to Whiteside, from Robson to Anderson, from Strachan to Davenport... the injuries of the Red Devils are simply shocking. The Red Devils seem to be cursed by injuries, and injuries continue to occur, but for Ferguson, it is already a routine that he has to be familiar with."

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Starting from the third round of the league, the Red Devils achieved a good record of 3 wins and 5 draw in all competitions. Ferguson's team began a strong rebound and the team is actively catching up with the teams at the top of the standings.

Ferguson's reputation began to change again. The media was not afraid of boomerangs or slaps in the face, and started a hype again. Whether it was praising Ferguson, making objective comments, or continuing to criticize Ferguson, the goal was to attract the attention and investment of the fans.

The Times said: "The Red Devils' momentum has restored their confidence as a strong team. The Red Devils continue to narrow the gap with the top team, and they will rekindle their hopes of winning the championship."

Manchester Evening News said: "Ferguson's coaching ability? The results speak for themselves. His team has withstood the test, his team quickly turned the tide, launched a brave attack, and destroyed the resistance of multiple opponents. Ferguson's tactics also returned to this. This is a strong team, and they have the ability to go further in the standings."

Ferguson was full of confidence, but he also encountered a problem: key players began to get injured one after another. The spread of injuries had a serious impact and the team's strength declined rapidly.

The first bad news came from captain Robson.

Robson had a minor injury during the European Cup, but he still managed to play the game. After returning to the Red Devils, he had a lot of problems with his physical recovery. After playing several consecutive high-intensity games, Robson's physical condition was not optimistic. He did not perform well in the first three games of the league, and suffered a serious injury after the 9th round of the league.

Robson's injury had a very serious impact.

Robson was actually very careful, and he had long understood the impact of injuries on his career. He also listened very much to Ferguson's advice, trying to reduce unreasonable confrontations and reduce the possibility of injuries, but some accidents were not diverted by his will, and many injuries on the field were also sudden. Robson did not undergo sufficient physical training in the summer, and his physical fitness was obviously not enough to support his continuous high-intensity output, nor was it enough to carry out fierce confrontations on the court.

Robson had a minor injury since the sixth game of the league, and a serious injury in the ninth game. He was injured by an opponent in the midfield confrontation, his ankle was deformed and his calf was fractured. After the injury, Robson was immediately taken to the hospital by ambulance. After the doctor's examination, he believed that he needed to rest for about three months before returning to the court.

Robson's injury at this time was a disaster for Ferguson. The Red Devils could still fight on without their captain, but it was impossible for them to win the league title.

Strachan, another core player of the Red Devils, is even more difficult to describe.

Strachan shined at the end of last season. His wonderful performance once made people ask, "Who is the best midfielder in English Football League One, Strachan or Beardsley?" Strachan also played very well in the two games against Liverpool last season. He was able to assist and break through. His brilliance once overshadowed other midfield stars. This season, just when Ferguson was planning to make Strachan the core of the midfield attack and lead the Red Devils to achieve great things, Strachan also ran into trouble.

Strachan had a muscle strain at the beginning of the season, and after the league officially started, he injured his ligaments and nerves due to a collision with an opponent, which seriously affected his technical performance. This season, Strachan, who is 32 years old, is at the end of his career. It is difficult for him to maintain his competitive level at the peak level, and his level has dropped rapidly after the injury. In Ferguson's tactics, Strachan actually occupies a very key position. He is almost the commander of the attacking line. The opponent's midfielders and defenders strangled him together. The constant confrontation and fouls caused him to suffer serious injuries.

With the two core players in the midfield like this, the Red Devils also had problems with the front and back positions. First, there was Whiteside, the striker. Although Ferguson no longer had any hope for him to play as a starter, he did not expect that he would be injured before the start of the season and was almost bedridden, unable to play at all. Another big problem was the main central defender McGrath, who was also injured at the beginning of the season and repeatedly violated the team's internal discipline due to alcoholism and other reasons, and was banned by Ferguson more than once. In addition to the central defenders, Anderson also aged a little too early. He was injured after playing less than 4 games, and his speed and strength declined significantly.

As a result, the Red Devils have injuries in the front, middle and back three lines, so their strength is naturally greatly affected.

In the seventh round of the league, the Red Devils challenged Wimbledon away.

At this time, Whiteside and McGrath could not play, and Ferguson still arranged a 442 formation. McGrath was still missing in the central defenders, so Ferguson had to let Bruce and Garton partner up, with Blackmore and Duxbury assisting on both sides. In the midfield, Lee Sharp got the chance to start. He played in the midfield with Robson, Strachan and McClair, and Davenport and Hughes played as double forwards. In this game, Wimbledon was still very rough. Ferguson's team was still very embarrassed at the beginning and lost the ball early in the first half.

Ferguson's face was as gloomy as water. During the halftime break, he said, "Why are we behind? Why can a rubbish team like Wimbledon be so arrogant? Are you going to ask for the referee's favor? Wake up and think about how we got revenge last time. We should crush them and kill them!"

In the second half, the Red Devils launched a frantic counterattack and quickly reversed the situation. In the 72nd minute, the Red Devils attacked from the right, Robson passed the ball directly into the penalty area, and forward Hughes leaned against his opponent to get the ball, withstood the opponent's rush, protected the ball and dodged behind his feet, withstood the opponent's force and entanglement, once again showing the ability of an English-style forward, forcing space with his body in the penalty area and volleying the ball successfully.

The Red Devils tied the score 1-1.

In the following games, the Red Devils continued to attack fiercely, and at one point Wimbledon was left with gaps everywhere, but unfortunately they missed all the opportunities in front of the goal.

In the end, the Red Devils could only draw with their opponents and take away one point.

In the 8th round of English League One, the Red Devils faced Norwich.

Ferguson copied the starting lineup from the previous game and did not change the tactics. However, Bruce was not in good shape from the beginning of the game. Playing against his old club still disturbed his emotions. He was booed by the visiting fans all the time and played very poorly. To make matters worse, the Red Devils played their second game in four days. The intensive schedule affected the vitality of the whole team. The players could not keep up with the opponent's rhythm and ran more than half a beat slower. In such a depressed state, the Red Devils did not play out their technical advantages, and the opponent's simple fast attack and long pass tactics were a huge threat. As a result, Norwich team played a series of fast attack opportunities, got many shots, and lost the goal twice. The Red Devils were in a slump as a whole. Even if Hughes showed his bravery again, his goal would not help, and the opponent could only leave in triumph.

Then comes the 9th round of the league, where the Red Devils face the English League One powerhouse Everton.

Both teams have encountered their own problems this season, and their performances are not good enough, and they also lack stability. Ferguson replaced Lee Sharp and Davenport with Olsen and Donaghy in the starting lineup, playing a very conventional 442. After the start of the game, the Red Devils played very steadily, dealing with the opponent in the midfield, seriously investing in defense, and focusing on the midfield and backcourt. The frontcourt attack was mainly based on the crosses from the two wingers. Many times, only Hughes was left to ambush in the opponent's penalty area. Everton also sought stability and did not actively engage in offense. They also hoped to stabilize the situation and defend the defense line. The Red Devils had good luck after many crosses. Hughes received the ball in the penalty area and miraculously grabbed a header opportunity among a bunch of tall players, scoring the first goal for the Red Devils. But Everton finally scored a goal back, and the two teams drew 1-1 and each got one point, ending the game in peace.

After the draw, the Red Devils were widely criticized by the media and fans.

The Manchester Evening News commented: "Ferguson lacked courage and was unable to attack aggressively at home, which was really disappointing. The opponent Everton was obviously more conservative and took a long time to take a beating without fighting back, but Ferguson did not dare to attack with all his strength, which wasted opportunities and time."

The Red Devils fans were also angry, they could not accept the team playing so weakly and without any aggressiveness at home. The fans thought that Ferguson should focus on offense, especially in the second half when the opponent had no intention of counterattacking, and the Red Devils should have stepped up their offense in the last 30 minutes instead of slowing down the pace and seeking peace.

Not only that, both sides inexplicably made a lot of low-level mistakes in this game, which also made the fans dissatisfied.

Ferguson didn't want to win, but he knew that his team was full of loopholes, especially the defense. Bruce couldn't do it alone, and even Robson couldn't get back to his own penalty area in time to help defend. Once the offense and defense were unbalanced, it would be very dangerous. He certainly hoped that Hughes or McClair could score goals continuously, especially Hughes was in excellent form recently, with smooth footwork and continuous scoring. Ferguson expected him to score another goal to seal the victory. Unfortunately, whether it was Hughes, McClair or Davenport, they all needed their teammates to feed them more than they themselves dribbled the ball. Especially since Hughes returned to the Red Devils, he needed to be more familiar with the passing points of his Red Devils teammates. His current scoring ability was already his strongest performance.

Then in the third round of the League Cup, the Red Devils once again faced their nemesis Wimbledon.

This match was played at the opponent's home ground, and Wimbledon played more freely. The exhausted Red Devils players were completely unable to stop the opponent's rough body and fierce attack. Even though Robson scored a goal, they soon lost 1-2 and were eliminated from the League Cup.

The Red Devils' performance is worrying. The fan group pointed out sharply in a dialogue with the head coach, "The Red Devils lack courage now because they are more afraid of losing. The team is very fragile and the structure is shaky, but if you still don't have the courage and tenacity in this situation, it will be difficult to win. Especially against a team like Wimbledon, if you still play timidly, then people really can't see any hope."

Ferguson understands the ups and downs of a team. Although he is not satisfied with the team's performance, he still patiently communicates with the fans. Ferguson said: "We played very hard games this season. In many games, we lost our rhythm and lacked control. But I want to emphasize that we never lost our courage. Sometimes the game is not just about passion and bravery, nor is it just about tenacity and will. It is difficult for us to play well when we lack physical strength. Some unexpected factors are enough to affect the score and the outcome."

"We hope to play with control, to launch concise and bright attacks, and to confront our opponents with better organization. Of course, we cannot do this when injuries have a huge impact. We firmly chose this tactical path back then and were full of confidence in it. The team is facing many difficulties now, but we will stick to it and play better."

It is actually difficult for Ferguson to explain to ordinary fans, after all, the level of professionalism is too far apart. Only the coaching staff understands the difficulties encountered in his team-building ideas and tactical changes. Ordinary fans cannot know what problems the team will have, but Ferguson is deeply worried. He is not worried about explaining to fans and the media, but how the team can go further in this state and what methods are there to get out of the current predicament.

So far this season, the Red Devils have been plagued by injuries. Look at this list of names and news: Davenport has a fracture, McGrath has a strain, Whiteside has a long-term injury, Strachan has a hamstring injury, Anderson has a fracture, Robson has an ankle injury... It's really crazy.

The team was cursed by illness and Ferguson had to be strong.